Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Defendants Operating Out of the Griggs-Midway Building Used Artificial Intelligence to Fabricate Records

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN FRANCISCO – SoftBank Robotics America, Inc. (SoftBank Robotics America), a San Francisco-headquartered robotics business within SoftBank Group Corp., a Japanese multinational investment holding company, has agreed to pay a total of $3,637,499.09 to settle allegations that it knowingly violated the False Claims Act when it received and retained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in violation of PPP rules

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SAN FRANCISCO – IGEL Technology Corporation, a multinational software company with a North American headquarters in San Francisco, has agreed to pay a total of $3,168,901.75 to settle allegations that it knowingly violated the False Claims Act when it received and retained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in violation of PPP rules

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A former corrections officer at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, pleaded guilty for his role in a conspiracy in which he and other correctional officers used unreasonable force against inmates, including pretrial detainees, as a form of punishment and retaliation. Nathaniel Pack, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 241.

According to his plea agreement and during the plea hearing, Pack admitted that, beginning in about April 2020, and continuing through on or about March 1, 2022, he and other officers conspired to use unreasonable and unjustified force against inmates they believed or perceived to have engaged in misconduct. As part of this conspiracy, Pack and his co-conspirators would bring the inmates to “blind spots” in the jail – areas that were not captured on surveillance cameras – so that they could assault the inmates without being recorded and thus avoid being held accountable for their actions.

Pack admitted that, during the conspiracy, he and others used unreasonable and unjustified force against inmates in “blind spots” on at least seven different occasions. Among those occasions, in November 2020, he and other co-conspirators responded to an incident in which pretrial detainee J.D.H. had been kicking his cell door. After an initial use of force incident in the cell, the defendant and others handcuffed J.D.H. and brought him to an interview room that was a known “blind spot,” where the defendant and others struck and punched J.D.H. about his body while he was handcuffed and not a threat, causing him to suffer bodily injury. In a July 2021 incident, the defendant and co-conspirators handcuffed pretrial detainee D.W.M., who had not been following officers’ verbal commands. The defendant and others brought D.W.M. to a “blind spot” interview room, where they struck him about the face and body while D.W.M. was handcuffed and not a threat, to unlawfully punish him for not following officers’ commands.

As a result of these actions, D.W.M. suffered lacerations and bleeding about his head. In January 2022, the defendant brought pretrial detainee H.B. to the “blind spot” interview room, where the defendant struck H.B. in the face to punish H.B. for calling another officer a slur. The defendant and a co-conspirator then brought H.B. to a cell that he knew to be another “blind spot,” where the defendant punched H.B. repeatedly about the face and body while he was handcuffed and not a threat, causing H.B. to suffer injuries to his face. In addition, Pack admitted that on or about March 1, 2022, he responded to a call for officer assistance after pretrial detainee Q.B. attempted to push past an officer and leave his assigned pod. The defendant and co-conspirators restrained Q.B., handcuffed him, and escorted Q.B. to the “blind spot” interview room. While the co-conspirators brought Q.B. into the interview room, the defendant went into the medical unit, where he told staff to wait a few minutes before going to the interview room to evaluate Q.B. The defendant told the staff to wait because the defendant wanted to give the co-conspirators time to use unreasonable force against Q.B. inside the interview room.

In addition, Pack admitted that, as part of the conspiracy, he and his co-conspirators prepared false reports in which they denied using unreasonable force and failed to document injuries that inmates sustained during use of force incidents, so that the conspirators would not be investigated or held accountable for their actions.  

Pack pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn. He will be sentenced on Dec. 4. According to his plea agreement, Pack faces a maximum Penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Source: United States Department of Justice

Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, Mayor Cavalier Johnson, City Attorney Evan Goyke, and Chief of Police Jeffrey Norman, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers by prohibiting federal officers from wearing masks and requiring they wear individual identifiers in Milwaukee, Wis., Code of Ordinances§ 105-140.

Not only is the law an illegal attempt to regulate the federal government, but, as alleged in the complaint, the law threatens the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedent wave of harassment, doxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with prosecution for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations.

“State and local leaders cannot tell Federal officers how to do their job,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “And they certainly cannot prohibit them from ensuring their own safety in safeguarding our communities and enforcing federal law. We will never tolerate the doxxing or harassment of federal officers, or any law like Milwaukee’s that enables violent behavior against law enforcement officers and their families.”

“Milwaukee’s direct regulation of federal law enforcement operations threatens severe consequences for officers and public safety alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Federal Government, not the city, gets to decide which equipment federal agents may or may not wear when performing their official duties.”

“Not only is this ordinance an affront to the Constitution, but it jeopardizes the safety of our courageous sworn law enforcement officers,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “Further, it puts local and federal law enforcement officers at odds with each other when they should be working together on the common goals to enforce the rule of law and keep our communities safe.”

Acting Attorney General Blanche has instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Jersey, California, and Philadelphia. The United States has secured preliminary relief from each court to have ruled on its claims so far.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Eric J. Barner a/k/a E a/k/a Dree, 40, Ashanique Graham a/k/a Shorty, 30, Geneno Mable, 51, Matthew R. Swinko, 28, and Ryan Palmieri, 36, all of Elmira, NY, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine. Charged in a separate complaint with conspiracy was Dominic Murphy, 31, also of Elmira. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life, and $10,000,000. Murphy is also charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Jackson, TN – James Anthony Morris, 59, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.  United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.The investigation in this case revealed that Morris set up a “spy camera” in one of his bedrooms at his residence in Greenfield, Tennessee and secretly recorded multiple minors in the nude and changing clothes.  Morris then distributed some of the child pornographic material that 

Source: United States Department of Justice

A dual Canadian American citizen who was extradited from Canada pleaded guilty today for her role in a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of a family, including two children under the age of three, in the St. Lawrence River.

“Aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Canada border are exposed to a range of dangers at the hands of human smugglers trying to capitalize on the misfortunes and misplaced hopes of others,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Here, in the face of known dangers, the defendant directed her co-conspirators to smuggle a family with young children across the St. Lawrence River on a cold, windy night with limited visibility. The dangers materialized into a preventable and tragic loss of life.”

“Alien smuggling preys on vulnerable migrants and undermines the integrity of our nation’s laws,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Since taking office, my team and I have aggressively pursued dozens of defendants for immigration‑related offenses along the northern border. This defendant and their co-conspirators showed a blatant disregard for human life, our laws, and the safety of our communities. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect and secure our northern border.” 

“Human smuggling organizations show a reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of those they transport, often resulting in devastating consequences,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo. “After this smuggling attempt resulted in the death of a family, HSI Massena and our partners conducted a thorough investigation, tracking the conspirators, recovering evidence, and securing extraditions. Protecting vulnerable individuals and dismantling transnational criminal organizations are central to HSI’s mission, and we remain committed to preventing tragedies like this and bringing those responsible to justice.”

According to court documents, Stephanie Square, 53, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, was the U.S.-based leader of an alien smuggling organization (ASO), that regularly smuggled aliens across the U.S.-Canada border via the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation. During the week of March 27, 2023, a prolific Canadian smuggler contacted Square to smuggle a Romanian family of four across the St. Lawrence River into the United States. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Square recruited multiple co-conspirators to assist with the smuggling of the family, though one refused to assist due to the high winds on the St. Lawrence River that night. Undeterred by the dangerous weather conditions, Square enlisted one of her regular drivers, Dakota Montour, to transport the family via automobile to Timothy Oakes’ residence on Cornwall Island, a notorious staging area for cross-border smuggling operations. Despite Square’s knowledge of the weather conditions on the St. Lawrence River at that time — including high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — the defendant insisted the aliens be transported so that she would be paid.     

The family of four arrived at the Oakes’ residence on March 29, 2023, at approximately 3:35AM, and stayed there until evening. On March 29, 2023, at approximately 9:29PM, Timothy Oakes’ vehicle with a light blue boat in tow, is recorded traveling eastbound away from the Oakes’ residence towards a public boat launch on the tip of Cornwall Island where a different boat pilot, Casey Oakes, picked them up and attempted to take the family across the St. Lawrence River. While in transit, the boat capsized due to severe weather. As a result, the Romanian family and Casy Oakes died. 

Between March 30 and 31, 2023, AMPS conducted a riverine search and recovered the bodies of the Romanian family of four, including two small children. AMPS also recovered Oakes’ light blue boat. The body of the boat captain, Casey Oakes, was found eight months later.

Square pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 25. She faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 32, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 45, both of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian reserve, New York, Janet Terrance, 46, of Hogansburg, New York, and Timothy Oakes, 35, from the Akwesasne Mohwak Indian reserve, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, Oct. 8, 2024, March 6, 2025, and May 11, 2026, respectively. Square and co-conspirator Rahsontanohstha Delormier, also known as Storm, 31, of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, were extradited to the United States from Canada in 2025 at the request of the United States. Delormier pleaded guilty on June 26.

HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Delormier and Square.

The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP USBP and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 424 U.S. convictions; and more than 368 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. 

Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice

BOSTON – An Illinois man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for phishing the Snapchat access codes of over 750 women in an effort to hack their Snapchat accounts and steal nude photos, which he kept, sold, or traded on the internet. The defendant also lied to investigators on two occasions, claiming he had no interest in child sexual abuse material. Investigators later determined that he possessed over 500 photos and 600 videos of child sexual abuse material, including some involving children between three and four years old having sex with adults.

Source: United States Department of Justice

A dual Canadian American citizen who was extradited from Canada pleaded guilty today for her role in a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of a family, including two children under the age of three, in the St. Lawrence River.

“Aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Canada border are exposed to a range of dangers at the hands of human smugglers trying to capitalize on the misfortunes and misplaced hopes of others,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Here, in the face of known dangers, the defendant directed her co-conspirators to smuggle a family with young children across the St. Lawrence River on a cold, windy night with limited visibility. The dangers materialized into a preventable and tragic loss of life.”

“Alien smuggling preys on vulnerable migrants and undermines the integrity of our nation’s laws,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Since taking office, my team and I have aggressively pursued dozens of defendants for immigration‑related offenses along the northern border. This defendant and their co-conspirators showed a blatant disregard for human life, our laws, and the safety of our communities. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect and secure our northern border.” 

“Human smuggling organizations show a reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of those they transport, often resulting in devastating consequences,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo. “After this smuggling attempt resulted in the death of a family, HSI Massena and our partners conducted a thorough investigation, tracking the conspirators, recovering evidence, and securing extraditions. Protecting vulnerable individuals and dismantling transnational criminal organizations are central to HSI’s mission, and we remain committed to preventing tragedies like this and bringing those responsible to justice.”

According to court documents, Stephanie Square, 53, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, was the U.S.-based leader of an alien smuggling organization (ASO), that regularly smuggled aliens across the U.S.-Canada border via the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation. During the week of March 27, 2023, a prolific Canadian smuggler contacted Square to smuggle a Romanian family of four across the St. Lawrence River into the United States. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Square recruited multiple co-conspirators to assist with the smuggling of the family, though one refused to assist due to the high winds on the St. Lawrence River that night. Undeterred by the dangerous weather conditions, Square enlisted one of her regular drivers, Dakota Montour, to transport the family via automobile to Timothy Oakes’ residence on Cornwall Island, a notorious staging area for cross-border smuggling operations. Despite Square’s knowledge of the weather conditions on the St. Lawrence River at that time — including high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — the defendant insisted the aliens be transported so that she would be paid.     

The family of four arrived at the Oakes’ residence on March 29, 2023, at approximately 3:35AM, and stayed there until evening. On March 29, 2023, at approximately 9:29PM, Timothy Oakes’ vehicle with a light blue boat in tow, is recorded traveling eastbound away from the Oakes’ residence towards a public boat launch on the tip of Cornwall Island where a different boat pilot, Casey Oakes, picked them up and attempted to take the family across the St. Lawrence River. While in transit, the boat capsized due to severe weather. As a result, the Romanian family and Casy Oakes died. 

Between March 30 and 31, 2023, AMPS conducted a riverine search and recovered the bodies of the Romanian family of four, including two small children. AMPS also recovered Oakes’ light blue boat. The body of the boat captain, Casey Oakes, was found eight months later.

Square pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 25. She faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 32, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 45, both of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian reserve, New York, Janet Terrance, 46, of Hogansburg, New York, and Timothy Oakes, 35, from the Akwesasne Mohwak Indian reserve, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, Oct. 8, 2024, March 6, 2025, and May 11, 2026, respectively. Square and co-conspirator Rahsontanohstha Delormier, also known as Storm, 31, of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, were extradited to the United States from Canada in 2025 at the request of the United States. Delormier pleaded guilty on June 26.

HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Delormier and Square.

The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP USBP and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 465 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 424 U.S. convictions; and more than 368 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. 

Trial Attorneys Lindsey Roberson and Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.