Category: MIL-OSI

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Defense News: Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club to host Historic Homes Tour April 11

Source: United States Army

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — The Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club will help recognize and celebrate some of the post’s historic homes and architecturally significant landmarks with the Historic Homes Tour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 11, 2026, with check-in for the tours beginning at 10:45 a.m. at the Old U.S. Disciplinary Barracks complex on McPherson Avenue at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The homes and landmarks on the tour represent pieces of military, social and American history. All proceeds from the tours go to the FLSC’s scholarships and grants program.

To purchase tickets for the Historic Homes Tour, visit https://www. zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/fort-leavenworth-historic-tour-of-homes–2026. Tour goers can choose a single ticket for $20 or two tickets for $35.

Attendees must be at least 10 years old. Photography, food and drinks are not permitted inside the homes. Attendees should check in at the Old USDB courtyard at least 15 minutes before their scheduled time to receive a map, wristband for home entry and additional information. Self-guided tours take place as a group per time slot.

Homes and landmarks on the tour:

Thomas Custer House 220 Pope Ave.

This house, identical to the one at 624 Scott Ave., illustrates the popularity of machine-carved wooden decorative features of the 1880s. This building was named after Capt. Thomas Ward Custer, brother of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. Thomas Custer was the first American to receive two Medals of Honor. Constructed in 1883 at a cost of $8,247, the house today contains three guest suites and three single-room suites where VIPs stay when visiting Fort Leavenworth.

212 Pope Ave.

One of seven brick double sets of captains’ quarters finished between 1905 and 1908, 212 Pope Ave. shares its architectural heritage with 210 Pope Ave., 410-516 Grant and 608 Scott. Ave. Built during Fort Leavenworth’s post-Spanish-American War boom, this home is one of the many buildings that was constructed on the recommendation that a comprehensive building plan be created to accommodate students of the School of Application for Cavalry and Infantry, as well soldiers in artillery, cavalry, Signal Corps and Medical Corps units assigned on post.

No. 1 Scott Ave.

Built around 1861 on the former site of the Enlisted Soldiers’ Burial Ground, No. 1 Scott Ave. is built from locally produced red brick. The original cost of the three-story, 9,500-square-foot structure was $14,000. Extensive modifications were made from 1870-1906. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as one of the central highlights of the post’s historic district. Famous Army commanders who have occupied this home include Generals Franklin Bell, Frederick Funston, Lesley J. McNair, William R. Richardson, Carl E. Vuono, Robert W. RisCassi and David Petraeus.

605 Scott Ave.

This house was completed in 1883 as part of a trio of homes, with 220 Pope Ave. and 612 Grant Ave. They were built for the officers on the staff of Maj. Gen. John Pope, who was instrumental in Fort Leavenworth’s rapid expansion in the 1880s. Pope pushed for both the transfer of the Headquarters of the Department of the Missouri from St. Louis to the post, and for building accommodations for the personnel who would have to accompany such a significant relocation.

610 Scott Ave.

The home at 610 Scott Ave., built in 1894, exemplifies the Italianate style and the post’s transition to a center of military education. Home to figures such as Lt. Charles W. Abbott Jr. and Capt. Samuel L. Woodward, the residence reflects the fort’s pivotal role in shaping the modern U.S. Army.

620 Scott Ave.

Previously the style of a single-story log building, this home was likely a parsonage. It was designated for the staff officers of the Department of the Missouri until 1890 when the headquarters left Fort Leavenworth. For the past 70 years, it has been the home for British liaison officers and their families. It is built partly in stone and clad with wood. The kitchen was added in 1887. Most of the furnishings, some of which came from the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., stay with the house from occupant to occupant.

Old. U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, 310 McPherson Ave.

The U.S. Military Prison opened in 1875 in buildings that were part of a quartermaster depot. The prison closed when a new USDB opened in 2002 near the northwest corner of post. The largest building in the USDB, known as “The Castle,” was demolished in 2004, but other portions of the old USDB have been remodeled and put back into use. The front of the old USDB is currently home to several Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities, including the 12th Brick Bar and Grill, which is open to the public.

Memorial Chapel

Memorial Chapel at 626 Scott Ave. stands as a solemn tribute to the men and women who lived and served at Fort Leavenworth. Originally built in 1878 using locally quarried stone and prison labor, this cherished landmark houses 90 plaques commemorating about 100 individuals and units, including soldiers from the Battle of Little Bighorn. Memorial Chapel remains an active house of worship today, fostering spiritual connection across generations.

Editor’s note: Descriptions of the homes were adapted from Lamp archives, which include several years of Historic Homes Tour brochures prepared by the Friends of the Frontier Army Museum, the organization that hosted the tour before FLSC.

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8 Arrested in Health Care Fraud Takedown, Including Owners of Hospices that Billed Taxpayers Millions of Dollars to Serve the ‘Dying’

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

In coordination with the Vice President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, seven defendants, including three nurses, a chiropractor, and a psychologist, have been arrested on federal charges that they schemed to defraud the nation’s health care system out of more than $50 million – including by running sham hospice care facilities that bilked Medicare by using people without terminal illnesses as beneficiaries, the Justice Department announced today.

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida-Based Return Preparer

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Note: View complaint here.

The United States filed a complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida seeking to enjoin a Florida-based return preparer, Glicerio D. Mirambel, from preparing federal income tax returns for others.

The complaint alleges that Mirambel prepares federal income tax returns that underreport the tax his customers owe and claim inflated refunds. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Mirambel attaches Schedules C for fictitious businesses to his customers’ return and claims fabricated business expenses to reduce his customers’ taxable income and claim credits to which they are not entitled. The complaint also alleges that the IRS has assessed tax return preparer penalties against Mirambel, but the penalties have not deterred his abusive conduct.

According to the complaint, the IRS estimates a tax loss of more than $16 million since 2023 from returns prepared by Mirambel.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement.

Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.

In the past decade, the Department of Justice Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

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Buffalo man pleads guilty to drug charge

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Antonio Rivera-Perez, 23, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $250,000. 

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Justice Department Announces Operation Not Forgotten 2026

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

FBI surges personnel and expands investigative resources and partnerships across Indian country

The Department of Justice and FBI announced today a personnel surge in support of Operation Not Forgotten 2026, the latest deployment under Operation Steadfast Promise demonstrating the FBI’s sustained commitment to addressing violent crime and improving public safety in Indian Country.

In its fourth year, Operation Not Forgotten focuses on unresolved cases in Indian Country with a priority placed on cases involving violence against women and children, including those who are missing or murdered.

Operation Not Forgotten is a major initiative under FBI’s Operation Steadfast Promise, a comprehensive surge of resources to address a wide range of violent crime threats including gangs and criminal enterprises, violent crimes against children, and fugitive apprehension cases, while working to improve public safety measures impacting Tribal communities. The FBI, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tribal and other federal law enforcement partners, is working across multiple territories to bring investigative aid to cases and resolution for victims and their families.

“We will never accept the high rates of violence suffered by American Indian and Alaska Native people,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This surge will comprehensively address Indian Country violent crime – from gangs, guns and drugs, to domestic and sexual violence – while strengthening partnerships and public safety in Tribal communities.”

“The pervasive victimization across Tribal lands including drug trafficking, corruption, and violent crime including missing or murdered Indigenous persons must end,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The way we stop it is by working together with our Tribal and federal partners to again surge personnel to block violent actors who think they can act lawlessly within these revered communities. Together, we will work to restore a sense of resolve that these communities deserve.”

“This surge represents the federal law enforcement at its best; coordinated, intelligence-driven, and focused on delivering justice,” said the ATF Deputy Director Rob Cekada. “ATF is proud to stand alongside our partners to bring the full weight of our investigative and forensic capabilities to fight violent crime in Indian Country. This initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring that no community is overlooked and that every victim receives the justice they deserve.”

“Operation Not Forgotten reflects the Department of the Interior’s unwavering commitment to Native families and the strength of our partnership with the FBI to deliver justice where it is long overdue,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Established during President Trump’s first term, the Bureau of Indian Affair’s Missing and Murdered Unit has brought national focus to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis—driving stronger investigations, tighter coordination across jurisdictions, and renewed attention to cases that for too long were left unresolved. That work continues with urgency and purpose today, as we stand alongside the FBI to pursue answers for families and uphold our trust responsibility to Native communities.”

Building on prior deployments that have provided investigative support to more than 700 cases, resulting in the recovery of child victims, arrests, and federal indictments, Operation Not Forgotten 2026 represents the Bureau’s continued commitment to ensuring that the most serious unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country receive the full weight of federal investigative resources.

Surged personnel, including investigative, intelligence and victim service support, will be deployed on rotating temporary duty assignments across Indian Country in eleven FBI field offices, in Albuquerque, Billings, Detroit, Denver, Jackson, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Portland and Phoenix. Working in close coordination with Tribal law enforcement agencies, the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, together law enforcement will work to advance open investigations and pursue accountability for victims and their families.

At the start of this fiscal year, the FBI’s Indian Country program carried approximately 4,100 open investigations including death investigations, child abuse cases, and domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations underscoring the persistent and urgent need for sustained resource investment in these communities.

The FBI remains committed to standing alongside Tribal communities, federal partners, and local law enforcement to address the violent crime threats that continue to impact Indian Country. To learn more, visit fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/indian-country-crime.

The FBI encourages anyone with information related to unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country to contact their local FBI field office or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.

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Guilty Plea in Federal Murder Case for Killing of U.S. Air Force Reservist

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Pensacola, Florida – Charles Carson-Dowdy, 31, of Mobile, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court for cyberstalking, interstate domestic violence, murder through use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in relation to the death of Starmichael L. Tucker in Pensacola in early-2025.

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St. Petersburg Man Charged in Child’s Fentanyl Overdose and Multiple Drug Offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Tampa, Florida – Rayshawn Smith (31, St. Petersburg) has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution of a controlled substance resulting in great bodily injury, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, drug distribution, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Smith faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

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Defense News: Barista class brings Italian coffee tips to Camp Darby

Source: United States Army

CAMP DARBY, Italy – The Army Community Service hosted a class at the on-post coffee bar March 30 to teach the basics of making Italian espresso.

Barista Ursula Muscillo explained that the quality of the drink usually comes down to the grind of the beans. She pointed to a cup where the coffee looked thin and bubbly.

“If it looks watery like this, the water is moving through the beans too fast,” she said. “That means the grind is too coarse. You need to grind the coffee finer to slow it down.”

Kristen Cockman pours frothed milk into a fresh shot of espresso during a barista class held at the Camp Darby coffee bar, March 30. Hosted by Army Community Service, the session taught techniques for mastering the perfect Italian cappuccino. (Photo Credit: Linda Lambiotte) VIEW ORIGINAL

On the other hand, she warned about coffee that drips out too slowly or looks dark and oily.

“If the espresso tastes too strong or burnt, the grind is likely too fine,” she said. “The beans need to be ground more coarsely to let the flavor balance out.”

The Army Community Service hosted a class at the on-post coffee bar March 30 to teach the basics of making Italian espresso. Barista Ursula Muscillo shows how to perfectly froth a pitcher for a cappuccino, to create a smooth, velvety foam. (Photo Credit: Linda Lambiotte) VIEW ORIGINAL

After the espresso lesson, Ursula moved on to the milk. She showed how to perfectly froth a pitcher for a cappuccino, positioning the steam wand just below the surface to create a smooth, velvety foam rather than large bubbles. She explained that the goal is a creamy texture that blends into the coffee.

“The hardest part of the class for me was learning how to froth the milk,” said Kristen Cockman. “I had to learn the type of milk to use, how to position the pitcher, and how to listen for the ‘right’ sound. After three or four tries, I am a lot more comfortable with the process.”

Throughout the session, Ursula watched the machine closely, adjusting the settings to show how small changes affect the final drink. By the time the lesson ended, the focus was on the consistency needed to make a professional-grade cup of Italian coffee.

Kristen Cockman gives a thumbs-up after learning to master the on-post espresso machine during a barista class at Camp Darby, March 30. The class, hosted by Army Community Service, focused on the technical skills needed to create professional-grade Italian coffee. (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

For those looking to master the local culture, the class proved that with the right grind and a bit of practice, a perfect Italian morning is only 30 seconds away.

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Utah Licensed Osteopathic Physician Indicted for Allegedly Receiving Misbranded Drugs from China and Selling them to Patients

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today against a Utah physician who allegedly received, recommended, delivered, and sold to his unwitting patients, misbranded drugs from China that were not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).