EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A woman originally from China admitted involvement in counterfeit gift card scheme directed at Target shoppers across the Midwest, after she pled guilty to the federal crime in a U.S. District courtroom in East St. Louis on Thursday.
Hongying Wang, 53, originally of Hunan Province, China, admitted guilt to using and trafficking in a counterfeit access device. For the charge, Wang faces a statutory maximum of ten years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
“Protecting consumers from fraud is a familiar battle, but individuals deliberately placing fake gift cards onto sales racks with the intention of stealing the funds from patrons is a new low, and I applaud the law enforcement officials who are investigating this case,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
“Fraud is often mistaken for a victimless crime but when individuals like Wang commit these types of crimes, they are most certainly victimizing consumers and businesses,” said Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Chicago Area of Operations Sean Fitzgerald. “HSI works daily to protect our community from these individuals by partnering with our local and federal partners to not only keep these counterfeit products out of the hands of unsuspecting consumers, but to also hold accountable those who attempt to profit from scamming the public.”
“The Illinois State Police is committed to stopping trafficking, whether it is trafficking in guns, drugs, or in this case – counterfeit goods,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly.
According to court documents, the scheme involved individuals placing altered gift cards on the sales racks at Target while retaining the access numbers. Once a gift card was loaded with money by an unsuspecting patron, the fraudsters would have the codes needed to steal the funds.
In January 2023, a Target security officer observed Wang and a co-defendant placing gift cards onto the racks in the Belleville store for customers to purchase. Upon further review, the gift cards were altered with the codes scratched off and covered by stickers to appear untouched.
In addition to Belleville, the following Target locations across the Midwest were knowingly affected by the scheme: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Norman, Oklahoma; Edmond, Oklahoma; Liberty, Missouri; Independence, Missouri; St. Peters, Missouri; Town and Country, Missouri; and Brentwood, Missouri.
If you believe you are a victim, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by emailing: USAILS.VW_ILS@usdoj.gov. Please provide your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
Wang admitted to possessing 6,100 fake gift cards with intent to place on the shelves.
Guangwei Gao, also of China, was named and charged in the indictment with one count of using and trafficking in a counterfeit access device.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Wang’s sentencing is set for 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 22, 2024, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Illinois State Police (ISP) are leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed is prosecuting the case.
Multiple Foreign Nationals Charged in Connection with Trickbot Malware and Conti Ransomware Conspiracies
WASHINGTON – Three indictments in three different federal jurisdictions have been unsealed charging multiple Russian cybercrime actors involved in the Trickbot malware and Conti ransomware schemes.
According to court documents and public reporting, Trickbot, which was taken down in 2022, was a suite of malware tools designed to steal money and facilitate the installation of ransomware. Hospitals, schools, and businesses were among the millions of Trickbot victims who suffered tens of millions of dollars in losses. While active, Trickbot malware, which acted as an initial intrusion vector into victim computer systems, was used to support various ransomware variants, including Conti. Conti was a ransomware variant used to attack more than 900 victims worldwide, including victims in approximately 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and approximately 31 foreign countries. According to the FBI, in 2021, Conti ransomware was used to attack more critical infrastructure victims than any other ransomware variant.
“The Justice Department has taken action against individuals we allege developed and deployed a dangerous malware scheme used in cyberattacks on American school districts, local governments, and financial institutions,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Separately, we have also taken action against individuals we allege are behind one of the most prolific ransomware variants used in cyberattacks across the United States, including attacks on local police departments and emergency medical services. These actions should serve as a warning to cybercriminals who target America’s critical infrastructure that they cannot hide from the United States Department of Justice.”
“Today’s announcement shows our ongoing commitment to bringing the most heinous cyber criminals to justice – those who have devoted themselves to inflicting harm on the American public, our hospitals, schools, and businesses,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Cyber criminals know that we will use every lawful tool at our disposal to identify them, tirelessly pursue them, and disrupt their criminal activity. We, alongside our federal and international partners, will continue to impose costs through joint operations no matter where these criminals may attempt to hide.”
“The defendants charged in these three indictments across three different jurisdictions allegedly used their cyber knowledge and capabilities to victimize people and businesses around the world without regard for the damage they caused,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments should serve as a reminder that no matter a cybercriminal’s location, we will identify and pursue them by doing everything in our power to ensure they face the consequences of their actions.”
“Conti ransomware was used to exploit our financial systems and target hundreds of innocent victims,” said Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The Secret Service will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate cybercriminals and bring offenders to justice.”
As detailed below, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio returned an indictment charging Maksim Galochkin, aka Bentley; Maksim Rudenskiy, aka Buza; Mikhail Mikhailovich Tsarev, aka Mango; Andrey Yuryevich Zhuykov, aka Defender; Dmitry Putilin, aka Grad and Staff; Sergey Loguntsov, aka Begemot and Zulas; Max Mikhaylov, aka Baget; Valentin Karyagin, aka Globus; and Maksim Khaliullin, aka Maxfax, Maxhax, and Kagas, all Russian nationals, with conspiring to use the Trickbot malware to steal money and personal and confidential information from unsuspecting victims, including businesses and financial institutions located in the United States and around the world, beginning in November 2015.
A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee returned an indictment charging Galochkin, Rudenskiy, Tsarev, and Zhuykov with conspiring to use Conti ransomware to attack businesses, nonprofits, and governments in the United States beginning in 2020 and continuing through June 2022.
A federal grand jury in the Southern District of California returned an indictment charging Galochkin in connection with the Conti ransomware attack on Scripps Health on May 1, 2021.
Northern District of Ohio
The indictment returned in the Northern District of Ohio charged all nine defendants for their alleged roles in developing, deploying, managing, and profiting from the malware known as Trickbot. Trickbot was a sophisticated, modular, multi-functional suite of malware tools which (a) infected victims’ computers with malware designed to capture victims’ online banking login credentials; (b) obtained and harvested other personal identification information, including credit cards, emails, passwords, dates of birth, social security numbers, and addresses; (c) infected other computers connected to the victim computer; (d) used the captured login credentials to fraudulently gain unauthorized access to victims’ online bank accounts at financial institutions; (e) stole funds from victims’ bank accounts and laundered those funds using U.S. and foreign beneficiary bank accounts provided and controlled by the defendants and co-conspirators; and (f) installed ransomware on victim computers.
“As alleged in the indictment, Trickbot infected millions of computers worldwide, including those used by hospitals, schools, and businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that these dangerous cybercriminals are not anonymous, as they once believed. The indictments unsealed today show the resolve of the international community to work together to bring cybercriminals to justice. We will continue to use all resources at our disposal to stop cybercrime.”
Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, one count of wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the scheme. The indictment also included an enhancement for falsely registering domains. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 62 years in prison.
Trickbot malware developers Alla Witte and Vladimir Dunaev were previously indicted and apprehended. Witte, a Latvian national pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and was sentenced to 32 months in June 2023. Dunaev, a Russian national, currently is in custody and pending trial in Cleveland.
Middle District of Tennessee
The Middle District of Tennessee indictment charges that the individuals behind Conti ransomware, including Galochkin, Rudenskiy, Tsarev, and Zhuykov, conspired to use Conti to attack hundreds of victims. Conti’s victims included hospital systems, local governments, and foreign governments. Conti conspirators allegedly extorted funds from victims in the Middle District of Tennessee and encrypted the computer systems of a local sheriff’s department, a local police department, and local emergency medical services, among others. Ransom notes left on Conti victims’ computer systems typically boasted “if you don’t [know Conti] – just ‘google it.’”
“The conspirators who developed and deployed Conti ransomware victimized businesses, governments, and non-profits around the world, including a sheriff’s office and an emergency medical service in Tennessee,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will continue to use the full power of this office to ensure that hackers can no longer hide behind their computer screens and to hold them accountable.”
Galochkin was a “crypter” for Conti, modifying the ransomware so that it would not be detected by anti-virus programs; Rudenskiy was a developer who supervised other Conti developers; Tsarev was a manager of other Conti conspirators; and Zhuykov was a systems administrator who managed users of Conti infrastructure, organized and paid for infrastructure and tools, and assisted in problem solving infrastructure-related issues.
Galochkin, Rudenskiy, Tsarev, and Zhuykov are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and one count wire fraud conspiracy. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
Southern District of California
As alleged in the Southern District of California indictment, Galochkin caused the transmission of the Conti malware and impaired the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment, and care of one or more individuals.
Galochkin is charged with three counts of computer hacking. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
“The indictment alleges a callous disregard for the medical care and the personal information of residents of the Southern District of California,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Haden for the Southern District of California. “This office is committed to protecting victims of cybercrime and holding perpetrators accountable.”
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is leading the investigation into Trickbot malware.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Riedl and Duncan Brown for the Northern District of Ohio and Senior Counsel Candina Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the Trickbot malware case.
The FBI San Diego, Memphis, and El Paso Field Offices, with U.S. Secret Service, are leading the investigation into Conti ransomware. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas provided significant assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips for the Middle District of Tennessee, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Shapiro and Kareem Salem for the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez and Senior Counsel Ryan K.J. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the Conti ransomware cases.
The Justice Department’s National Security Division provided significant assistance in the Conti ransomware and Trickbot malware investigations.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CONCORD – A New Hampshire charity pleaded guilty today in federal court to export offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
NuDay, a/k/a NuDay Syria, pleaded guilty to three counts of Failure to File Export Information. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for December 28, 2023.
NuDay was founded by Nadia Alawa as a non-profit charity in 2013 and is headquartered in Windham, New Hampshire. Alawa served as NuDay’s President. Between 2018 and 2021, NuDay made over 100 shipments to Syria, a country that was subject to sanctions and export restrictions.
NuDay had the items shipped to Mersin, Turkey, where another company would transship them into Syria. U.S. Department of Commerce regulations require exporters, such as NuDay, to report true and accurate information about the items being exported, including the shipment’s description, end user, and monetary value.
However, NuDay falsely reported that the end destination of the shipments was Turkey and not Syria, and artificially deflated the value of the goods to be below the $2,500 reporting threshold. For example, on May 5th, 2019, NuDay falsely reported that their shipment was intended for Turkey and that the value of the container was less than $2,500. NuDay now admits that this container was actually intended for Syria and claims its true value was $8.3 million.
For an organizational defendant, the charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than five years of probation and a fine of $10,000 per count. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. As a condition of the plea, Nadia Alawa and her family members will have no further involvement with NuDay.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations division, and Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. Sanctions
The Government Also Seized Almost One Million Barrels of Iranian Crude Oil
The Justice Department announced today the successful disruption of a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for another country. This is the first-ever criminal resolution involving a company that violated sanctions by facilitating the illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil and comes in concert with a successful seizure of over 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil.
According to court documents, on April 19, Suez Rajan Limited pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On that same date, the company was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols for the District of Columbia to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million. In addition, pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States – an operation which has now concluded. Empire Navigation incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States.
The contraband cargo is now the subject of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States’ forfeiture complaint alleges that the oil aboard the vessel is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism and money laundering statutes.
The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s IRGC and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly sell and transport Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, false automatic identification system reporting, falsified documents and other means. The complaint further alleges that the charterer of the vessel used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the transportation of Iranian oil.
The complaint further alleges that the oil constitutes the property of, or provided a “source of influence” over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, and that the oil facilitated money laundering. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses.
Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund
Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. and FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Rajbir S. Datta for the District of Columbia prosecuted the criminal case and they, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak, are litigating the civil forfeiture case. On both actions, they received assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady participated in prior phases of the investigation. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division is also prosecuting and litigating these matters. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department thanks United Against Nuclear Iran for its valuable assistance.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
(CANTON, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier and Stark County Coroner Dr. Ron Rusnak today released a forensic facial reconstruction of an unidentified man whose remains were discovered in Canton on Dec. 22, 2001.
“He was found just a couple of months after the twin towers were struck on 9/11, that’s how long this person has been waiting to be identified,” Yost said. “Somebody somewhere knows him. People loved him. We need to help provide them closure.”
In a first for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), which created a clay model of the John Doe, a series of photo-realistic digital images also were generated in hopes of increasing the chances that someone will come forward to assist in identification.
The remains were found at 2931 Trump Ave. SE in Canton. They were completely skeletonized and may have been at that location for multiple years.
“I want to commend the Stark County Coroner’s Office, BCI, and the Attorney General’s Office for their collaboration in identifying new information related to this investigation,” added Stark County Sheriff George T. Maier. “We remain committed to pursuing all leads, no matter how much time has passed. We owe it to the victim to bring closure and justice to this case.”
A BCI forensic artist created the clay model at the request of the Stark County Coroner’s Office. BCI’s Criminal Intelligence Unit released a corresponding public bulletin about the case today.
“I would like to thank all of you involved in our continued pursuit to properly identify our deceased,” said Stark County Coroner Dr. Ronald Rusnak. “There are many loved ones that appear to have vanished. Please help us identify this individual so that we may bring closure to those who knew and loved this individual.”
John Doe is believed to have been a Black man between 21 and 44 years old and between 5 feet 4 inches and 6 feet tall. No clothing was recovered. Additional details such as weight, hair color and eye color are unknown.
After the clay model was completed, BCI worked with experts from The Ohio State University to create digital images of the reconstruction. This digital reconstruction allows unknown features to be approximated, including eye color, skin tone, and the color and style of hair. Additionally, for cases where the precise age is not known, the digital reconstruction can be aged.
The technology allows investigators to rapidly create multiple digital images based on the forensic reconstruction. Investigators hope that the facial variations that are represented prompt tips from the public that eventually help identify John Doe.
This new technology also was applied to a second John Doe case in Stark County. His remains were found on March 31, 2020, near an oil well site about 20 yards off Sandy Avenue SE in Canton, and a clay reconstruction was released on Aug. 3, 2021.
Anyone with information about the John Doe cases should contact the Stark County Sheriff’s Office at 330-451-3937.
Law enforcement officers or family members of missing persons interested in learning more about the services provided by BCI’s Missing Persons Unit should call 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6446).
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Artificial intelligence threatens a new kind of sexual abuse of children, and Attorney General Dave Yost—and every state attorney general in America—are urging Congress to act swiftly.
In a letter sent today to congressional leaders, Yost and his counterparts raise concerns about the many ways that AI technology can be misused to exploit children, particularly by creating child sex abuse material.
“One day in the near future, a child molester will be able to use AI to generate a deepfake video of the child down the street performing a sex act of their choosing,” Yost predicted. “The time to prevent this is now, before it happens.”
Citing concerns that AI is creating a “new frontier for abuse,” the attorneys general ask Congress to establish an expert commission to study how the technology can be misused at the expense of children. They request that Congress consider the commission’s recommendations and take action to address the problem, such as by expanding restrictions on child sex abuse material to cover AI-generated content.
Ill-intentioned users of AI technology can create images of child sex abuse by simply typing a short description of what they want to see. The technology can superimpose the face of one person onto the body of another, creating deepfake images that combine photos of victimized children with photos of otherwise unvictimized children.
In other cases, the technology can generate images of sex abuse depicting children who do not actually exist. This is equally problematic, the attorneys general write, because some AI technology relies on images of real victims as source material for the fabricated images. Such images also “support the growth of the child exploitation market by normalizing child abuse and stoking the appetites of those who seek to sexualize children,” the letter says.
“Graphic depiction of child sexual abuse only feeds evil desires,” Yost said. “A society that fails to protect its children literally has no future.”
The attorneys general draw attention to additional concerns that misuse of AI technology can jeopardize the safety and privacy of children by predicting their location or mimicking their voices.
The letter stresses the urgent need for congressional action, saying “the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act.”
It’s a challenge that law enforcement officers often face — how to help military veterans who are homeless or addicted to drugs or battling psychological demons, or all the above.
With the ongoing support and encouragement of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, more law enforcement agencies in the state are now considering how to better help veterans in crisis by using the vets they have on staff and the resources in their communities.
In one case, in Stark County, more than 20 agencies are teaming with government and community partners to launch a veterans response program in the next several months. Meanwhile, other agencies across the state are in the early stages of discussion with the Attorney General’s Office.
All these efforts, in one way or another, are the outgrowth of programs that have already taken root — programs that are uniquely adapted to the needs and resources of their communities.
The Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, for example, has focused on vets locked up in the county jail. The Cincinnati Police Department, which started its Military Liaison Group in 2014, emphasizes outreach by cops on the beat. And the Dayton Police Department works with the Dayton VA Medical Center to incorporate veteran-specific training for its crisis intervention team, which dates to 2002.
“My office is here to help law enforcement agencies understand how this concept can work for their situation,” Attorney General Dave Yost said. “This is not a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach. In the end, the best way to help vets in crisis is to involve the key players in a community.”
The push to expand local veterans response programs has been a collaborative effort involving Yost and Supreme Court Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, a former police officer. Regional directors from the Attorney General’s Office work directly with law enforcement agencies to find out whether they operate veterans response programs and, if not, how they can help them start one.
The AG’s team has created a quick reference guide for starting a veterans response program. To that end, regional directors also frequently sit in on the initial organizational meetings. Additionally, the AG’s office offers military pins for veterans response programs so officers can indicate their branch of military service — a small detail that often opens the door to better communication with struggling veterans. Training is another important area, so the team is working with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy to provide a free video course on dealing with vets in crisis.
Ohio has the fifth-largest veteran population in the United States — nearly 730,000. Research shows that troops of the post-9/11 era have had more frequent and longer deployments, higher levels of exposure to combat, and a higher incidence of serious disability, including post-traumatic stress, than did their predecessors. It follows, then, that veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have significantly higher rates of suicide and mental illness, homelessness, and drug and alcohol dependence than the civilian population.
Tragically, this is true despite the government and non-government services that exists for veterans — a safety net that also includes 29 veterans treatment courts in Ohio that collaborate with local Veterans Affairs offices.
The problem is, a lot of veterans don’t know what resources exist or how to access them. And many have no idea about the health care benefits they’re entitled to.
Law enforcement agencies are a logical means of connecting with veterans, both to direct them to resources and help defuse crisis situations.
Officials in Lucas and Stark counties developed their programs in conjunction with the Attorney General’s Office and after consulting other agencies, including the Cincinnati PD’s Military Liaison Group.
Dave Corlett, who helped start the group nine years ago as a patrol sergeant, served in the military and knew firsthand that vets in crisis respond better to fellow vets.
“I’d tell them, ‘I’m not here as the police. I’m here as your brother veteran,’ ” he said.
Corlett’s first order of business was to connect with the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Hamilton County Veterans Treatment Court, where he came to know the presiding judge and the Veterans Justice Outreach worker. All were instrumental to the success of the Military Liaison Group.
Corlett also knew that he needed help from outside the VA community.
“We found we were dealing with a lot of veterans who weren’t eligible for VA care,” he said. “So we had to develop a network of nonprofits that were willing to help any veteran regardless of their circumstances.”
All officers underwent training to learn about the Military Liaison Group’s purpose, how to recognize post-traumatic stress, how to de-escalate volatile situations, what information to pass out, and how to get in touch with the 10-person team.
In Lucas County, deputy sheriffs, like their counterparts in Cincinnati, wear military insignia and provide information on mental health, substance abuse and housing services. Because the sheriff’s office runs the county jail, though, they also work with vets who end up behind bars.
For starters, the jail’s technology team revised the booking process so that names of inmates who served in the military are automatically sent to the county Veterans Services Commission, the Toledo Veterans Treatment Court, and the VA health center in Ann Arbor, Michigan — ensuring that they don’t fall through the cracks.
To hammer home the message, three sergeants — all veterans — meet one-on-one with incarcerated vets every two weeks.
“What our sergeants are trying to get across is, ‘Yes, I have a badge and you’re in an inmate jumpsuit, but we both come from the same place,’ ” said Maj. Tricia White, who oversees the program started by Sheriff John Tharp before he left office in 2020.
In Stark County, meanwhile, Andrew Turowski, the police chief and assistant city manager of Louisville, is leading a countywide coalition of 20+ law enforcement agencies.
The initiative began slightly more than a year ago after representatives of the Attorney General’s Office met with Judge Taryn Heath of the Stark County Honor Court to discuss veterans response programs. Judge Heath then broached the idea to the county Police Chiefs Association, citing the success of the Military Liaison Group in Cincinnati. The collaboration now includes the county’s Veterans Service Commission, Criminal Justice Information System, and the Mental Health and Addiction Services Board, as well as the Attorney General’s Office.
In addition to issuing military pins and training officers to deal with veterans in crisis, the program will work closely with the county Criminal Justice Information System. The system integrates data from all courts of record in Stark County into one database, which the Veterans Service Commission can then access to reach out to vets and provide services.
Turowski said law enforcement agencies are enthusiastic, and he expects the program to roll out fully in the next several months.
“We’re full steam ahead,” he said. “We want our veterans to get the support they need to be productive members of society. We owe them that.”
(Castalia) – Earlier today, a portion of two state routes in Erie and Huron counties were dedicated to two Ohio State Highway Patrol patrolmen who died in the line of duty more than 80 years ago.
The eastbound and westbound lanes of state Route 113, between State Routes 4 and 99 in Erie and Huron counties were dedicated as the Patrolman Leroy S. Bedell Memorial Highway.
Patrolman Bedell was killed in a motorcycle crash on August 20, 1935, when a dog lunged at his motorcycle on state Route 113, which was formerly state Route 59. Patrolman Bedell attempted to take evasive action to avoid striking the animal, which resulted in him losing control of the motorcycle and crashing. He was the second person in Patrol history killed in the line of duty.
The northbound and southbound lanes of state Route 269, between Potter and Parker roads in Erie County were dedicated as the Patrolman Paul L. McManis Memorial Highway. Patrolman McManis was killed in a crash on September 28, 1941, while responding to a call. He was the ninth line-of-duty death in Patrol history.
Today’s highway dedications are a fitting tribute to two men who made the ultimate sacrifice to the state of Ohio,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — A pilot program that helps law enforcement track and solve crimes in real time using live-video feeds has been extended through June 2024, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
The program, called TALEN (Technology Anonymized Law Enforcement Notification), was launched in August of 2022 and now has five partner law enforcement agencies in the Miami Valley. Fusus was selected as the vendor of the web-based tool, which streamlines public and private video feeds for law enforcement use.
“TALEN is like a supercharged, technology-enabled neighborhood watch,” AG Yost said.
“When a call comes into police, there may be information available already from a video feed somewhere in the area. You may be able to see the bad guy leaving, catch a license plate, get a description – or sometimes you might even see the bad guy doing the bad thing right on camera.”
The program – being piloted by Yost’s office through the police departments in Dayton, Miamisburg, Trotwood and West Carrollton, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office – is designed to speed the rate at which law enforcement can solve crimes. The program extension, Yost said, will allow for more data to be collected and for additional feedback from law enforcement, businesses and the community.
TALEN works by utilizing both public and private video feeds already present in the communities. The video footage might come from cameras monitoring schools, traffic, parks, or shopping areas. Personal doorbell cameras can be added to the network with permission from residents in the pilot area.
TALEN has been successfully used in investigations of a homicide, a felonious assault and a juvenile drowning, and in a school-safety response exercise.
“I’m grateful for the commitment and cooperation of our pilot partners,” Yost said. “TALEN is going to make our streets safer.”
In a move towards sustainable and equitable use of natural resources, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) has announced a policy shift regarding duck blinds.
Effective immediately, the use of seasonal duck blinds will no longer be permitted, and only daily-use duck blinds will be allowed.
This decision is rooted in our commitment to promote fair access to our natural resources for all members of the community. By transitioning to daily-use duck blinds, we aim to reduce the environmental impact of permanent structures while ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to enjoy the beauty of our wetlands and the thrill of waterfowl hunting.
Hunters must be aware of local hunting regulations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sets the frameworks for waterfowl and other migratory game birds. Migratory bird hunting is governed by both state and federal regulations.
For further information about hunting on MWCD property, and links to ODNR hunting rules and regulations, visit www.mwcd.org/hunting.
Joe Lyons •
September 11, 2023
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A woman originally from China admitted involvement in counterfeit gift card scheme directed at Target shoppers across the Midwest, after she pled guilty to the federal crime in a U.S. District courtroom in East St. Louis on Thursday.
WASHINGTON – Three indictments in three different federal jurisdictions have been unsealed charging multiple Russian cybercrime actors involved in the Trickbot malware and Conti ransomware schemes.
CONCORD – A New Hampshire charity pleaded guilty today in federal court to export offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. Sanctions
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Artificial intelligence threatens a new kind of sexual abuse of children, and Attorney General Dave Yost—and every state attorney general in America—are urging Congress to act swiftly.
It’s a challenge that law enforcement officers often face — how to help military veterans who are homeless or addicted to drugs or battling psychological demons, or all the above.
(Castalia) – Earlier today, a portion of two state routes in Erie and Huron counties were dedicated to two Ohio State Highway Patrol patrolmen who died in the line of duty more than 80 years ago.
The eastbound and westbound lanes of state Route 113, between State Routes 4 and 99 in Erie and Huron counties were dedicated as the Patrolman Leroy S. Bedell Memorial Highway.
Patrolman Bedell was killed in a motorcycle crash on August 20, 1935, when a dog lunged at his motorcycle on state Route 113, which was formerly state Route 59. Patrolman Bedell attempted to take evasive action to avoid striking the animal, which resulted in him losing control of the motorcycle and crashing. He was the second person in Patrol history killed in the line of duty.
The northbound and southbound lanes of state Route 269, between Potter and Parker roads in Erie County were dedicated as the Patrolman Paul L. McManis Memorial Highway. Patrolman McManis was killed in a crash on September 28, 1941, while responding to a call. He was the ninth line-of-duty death in Patrol history.
Today’s highway dedications are a fitting tribute to two men who made the ultimate sacrifice to the state of Ohio,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent.
In a move towards sustainable and equitable use of natural resources, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) has announced a policy shift regarding duck blinds.