Month: June 2022

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Security News: Six Defendants Plead Guilty to Scheme to Transport Stolen Catalytic Converters Across State Lines

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Thousands of Catalytic Converters Stolen as Part of a Multi-Million-Dollar Business

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Six Springfield, Mo., and Rogersville, Mo., residents have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a scheme to transport tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business.

Evan Marshall, 24, of Rogersville, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to one count of transporting stolen property across state lines.

Six of the seven defendants indicted in this case have now pleaded guilty. Co-defendants Cody Ryder, 30, Enx Khoshaba, 29, Leslie Ice, 37, and Eric Kaltenbach, 37, all of Springfield, and Camren Joseph Davis, 25, of Rogersville, have pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.

By pleading guilty today, Marshall admitted that he transported stolen catalytic converters, valued at $1 million or more, across state lines from December 2019 to October 2021. Marshall also admitted that he bought tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters directly from his co-defendants and from other thieves, and sold the stolen catalytic converters for a total of approximately $1 million.

Marshall began selling the catalytic converters to a company in Mountain Home, Arkansas, in the fall of 2019. At that time, Marshall would purchase junk vehicles and sell the vehicles’ parts, including the catalytic converters. In the late fall of 2019, the owners of the Mountain Home company asked Marshall if he would begin purchasing catalytic converters in southwest Missouri and sell to them exclusively. Marshall agreed to do so; in return, they regularly provided Marshall with cash so that Marshall had the funds to purchase a higher volume of catalytic converters. They also provided Marshall with a list of valuable catalytic converters. By December 2019, Marshall had mostly ceased buying junk vehicles and scrapping them out for parts, and instead began purchasing already-detached catalytic converters from scrap yards and individual sellers.

By January 2020, the owners of the Mountain Home company were wiring Marshall hundreds of thousands of dollars on a monthly basis so that Marshall could purchase a higher volume of detached catalytic converters.

By December 2019, Marshall had also enlisted Davis to work for him and another company, which Marshall also established in December 2019. Davis’s job was to purchase catalytic converters using cash that Marshall provided him. During that time period, Marshall provided Davis with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to purchase catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf. As part of the arrangement, Davis exclusively sold the catalytic converters he purchased to Marshall. On at least one occasion, Marshall provided Davis with $40,000 in cash for the purchase of catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf.

Davis admitted that he bought at least 1,500 stolen catalytic converters from various thieves and sold them to Marshall for a total of approximately $250,000. In July 2020, a Springfield Police Department detective contacted Davis regarding his purchase of catalytic converters from individuals known to be thieves. Despite being put on notice that he was purchasing catalytic converters from thieves, Davis continued to purchase stolen catalytic converters.

In February 2021, Marshall enlisted Ryder to work for him and his company. As with Davis, Ryder’s job was to purchase catalytic converters using cash that Marshall provided him. From February 2021 through October 2021, Marshall provided Ryder with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to purchase catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf. As part of the arrangement, Ryder exclusively sold the catalytic converters he purchased to Marshall. On at least one occasion, Marshall provided Ryder with $10,000 in cash for the purchase of catalytic converters on Marshall’s behalf.

Ryder admitted that he bought at least 1,500 stolen catalytic converters from thieves and sold them to Marshall for an aggregate amount of approximately $250,000.

Many of the catalytic converters that Davis and Ryder purchased with the cash Marshall provided them were stolen, and Marshall knew at the time that many of them were stolen. Marshall paid Davis and Ryder an agreed-upon percentage amount over their purchase price for the catalytic converters, less the amount of cash Marshall had fronted them.

From December 2019 through October 2021, in addition to utilizing Davis and Ryder as buyers of stolen catalytic converters, Marshall also purchased stolen catalytic converters directly from thieves. In July 2020, a Springfield, Mo., police detective contacted Marshall regarding the purchase of catalytic converters from individuals known to be thieves. Despite being put on notice that he was purchasing stolen catalytic converters, Marshall continued to purchase stolen catalytic converters, including from at least one of the individuals identified by the detective.

Marshall admitted that he knowingly purchased stolen catalytic converters from co-defendants Davis, Ryder, Ice, Kaltenbach, Khoshaba, and at least six other thieves. Marshall transported and sold almost all of the catalytic converters, including the stolen catalytic converters, to the owners of the Mountain Home business.

Marshall, Davis, Ryder and others loaded the catalytic converters, including the stolen catalytic converters, into bins that were placed on trailers at Marshall’s residence. They hauled the trailers, which each contained between 800 and 1,200 catalytic converters, many of which were stolen, from Rogersville to Mountain Home. Marshall transported catalytic converters from Rogersville to Mountain Home approximately every two weeks from December 2019 through October 2021.

Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Marshall must forfeit to the government $125,651, 33 rifles, 20 scopes, six shotguns, 26 handguns, a Glock sub conversion kit, eight ammunition magazines, a 2011 Ram 3500 one-ton pickup, a 2004 Dodge Ram, a flat bed trailer, two 42-foot gooseneck flat bed trailers, a 16-foot livestock trailer, a 2021 Load N Go utility trailer, a 2007 car hauler trailer, a Volkswagen dune buggy, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, a 2012 Keystone 5th wheel camper, a Caterpillar skid steer, a 2019 Honda Talon SXS 1000 side by side, a 2016 Polaris RZR side by side, a Polaris Ranger 4×4,  and 191 catalytic converters, all of which was seized by law enforcement. Marshall must also pay the government a money judgment in an amount to be determined by the court at sentencing.

Khoshaba admitted that he stole at least 60 catalytic converters from victims in Springfield and elsewhere between March 2021 and October 2021. Khoshaba then sold the stolen catalytic converters to co-conspirators for a total of at least $15,000.

Ice admitted that he stole at least 50 catalytic converters from victims in Springfield and elsewhere between October 2020 and March 2021. Ice then sold the stolen catalytic converters to co-conspirators for a total of at least $20,000.

Kaltenbach admitted that he stole at least 80 catalytic converters from victims in Springfield and elsewhere between January 2021 and September 2021. Ice then sold the stolen catalytic converters to co-conspirators for a total of at least $20,000.

When Khoshaba first began stealing catalytic converters, Ryder drove him around the Springfield area and pointed out to Khoshaba places to steal catalytic converters, such as a truck lot, as well as the types of vehicles that had valuable catalytic converters. Marshall provided Ice with a list of vehicles, by year, make, and model, that had valuable catalytic converters so that he could target specific vehicles from which to steal catalytic converters.

Marshall provided Ice with blades for the reciprocating saws that he used to cut the catalytic converters from his victims’ vehicles. Marshall also paid Ice’s bond in January 2021 so that Ice would be released from custody and continue to steal catalytic converters.

Khoshaba, Ice, and Kaltenbach stole catalytic converters by cutting the catalytic converter from the victim’s vehicle’s exhaust system using a battery-powered reciprocating saw. After they cut the catalytic converter from the victim’s vehicle, they sent a photograph of the stolen catalytic converter to Marshall, Davis, or Ryder by text message. They used the numbers imprinted on the catalytic converter to value the stolen catalytic converter, then responded by texting the price they would pay for the stolen catalytic converter.

In July 2021, Kaltenbach stole a catalytic converter from a victim’s car in Rogersville and was captured on surveillance footage, which was published on social media.  When Kaltenbach went to sell the stolen catalytic converter, Marshall would not purchase it because he had seen the surveillance footage and was upset with Kaltenbach for stealing a catalytic converter in the town in which he lived. Marshall instructed Kaltenbach to not steal catalytic converters in Rogersville; after this incident, Kaltenbach did not steal catalytic converters from vehicles in Rogersville but continued to steal catalytic converters from victims’ vehicles in Springfield. At times, Kaltenbach sold five or six stolen catalytic converters per transaction.

Under federal statutes, Marshall is subject to a sentenced of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Each of the other six defendants is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon T. Kempf, Megan W. Chalifoux and Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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Defense News: FRCE moves into future with new helicopter blade balancing system

Source: United States Navy

Helicopter rotor blades must be balanced to reduce vibration that can place stress on the helicopter’s airframe. At FRCE, this balancing process has traditionally been performed using the facility’s Helicopter Blade Balance Facility, commonly known as a whirl tower, to simulate the blade’s performance in flight.

“Normally, when you balance a blade, you’re using a physical master blade,” said Joshua Peedin, senior rotor systems engineer for the H-53 Fleet Support Team (FST). “You check it against a static balancer, then you run it on the tower to take into account the dynamic loads. The goal is to make the blade weigh and fly similar to the master blade.”

However, the whirl tower at FRCE doesn’t have the size or the horsepower to accommodate the length and weight of a CH-53K blade; that’s where the universal static balance fixture, or USBF, comes in.

“The USBF fixture creates a virtual master where the known parameters, dimensions and characteristics of the master blade are entered into the software,” said Peedin. “When you weigh a main rotor blade, it compares the data against the virtual parameters to tell you how to adjust the blade and what weights to add or subtract.”

The artisan then adds weights to the tip end of the blade, in positions that affect the lengthwise weight of a blade or how it will pitch forward and back. This process must be precise; the weight difference caused by sanding or applying a repair can spell the difference between balancing a blade or sending it back to the manufacturer for stripping and rebuilding.

The USBF is currently used to balance H-53E main rotor and tail blades, as well as blades for the V-22 Osprey and H-1 Viper and Venom aircraft. The system has performed so well that the maintenance plan for the new CH-53K model calls for its rotor blades to be tested on the USBF, according to FRCE engineers.

The decision whether to adopt the USBF system required extensive testing in order to gather and analyze data, said Peedin.

“We used the data we procured while testing H-53E blades to validate the process,” he said. “As we stepped through and finally tested it on aircraft, everyone became comfortable enough with the results to remove the whirl tower requirement from the CH-53K maintenance plan in favor of the USBF.”

The USBF system’s reliability and comparatively low purchase and maintenance costs are expected to help FRCE meet the fleet’s needs for economical maintenance strategies for the H-53K program, according to Daniel Ventry, CH-53K lead system engineer at the H-53 FST.

“The addition of this system is one of the initiatives that the program is investigating to reduce the total life cycle cost of the new acquisition program,” Ventry said. “As we develop the strategy for the life cycle, one of our tenets of the program strategy is to ensure that the long term sustainment of the program is as cost effective as possible.”

FRCE engineers and artisans say the static fixture is more reliable than the whirl tower, which can be affected by wind, rain or bright sunlight. In addition, crane maintenance can also be a factor in whether the whirl tower can be used on a given day. Conversely, the USBF is housed in a climate-controlled building with four overhead crane systems available for use.

“Just the other day, I had blades up and I got a call from the [air traffic control] tower saying there was a gust of wind coming at 30 knots,” said Robert Call, work leader for the dynamic components shop. “I had to run out there and take them down, or the wind could snap a blade. I can run blades on the new fixture no matter what the weather.”

Unlike the whirl tower, FRCE has a backup USBF fixture available for use in case the primary system requires maintenance or repair. The H-53 Program Office procured two USBF fixtures to mitigate any potential downtime that could result from an inoperable system, said Zackary Barnard, rotor blade shop lead engineer at FRCE. In addition, with a price tag of $170,000 per unit, engineers say the USBF system is more economical than the whirl tower in the long run.

“The cost to run the tower, as far as power draw and maintenance, is around $500,000 a year,” Barnard explained. “The USBF doesn’t have those costs.”

The systems are also portable, which makes them accessible to deployed units. Engineers say this ability to balance blades will allow fleet maintainers to perform more blade repairs on site.

“There are some repairs the fleet couldn’t perform because the blade had to be balanced afterward,” Peedin said. “Now they’ll have the capability to balance the blade rather than sending it back to FRCE for balancing, which means they can do more repairs themselves.”

FRCE engineers are hoping the new system will give them forecasting ability to determine the outcome of repairs before the work is done. The plan is to use the data collected from the USBF to create a “cheat sheet” to determine how much a repair can be expected to add to the weight of the blade.

“That way, when I evaluate a blade, I can see that blade has XYZ weights on it, and when the aircraft examiner recommends a repair, we have a playbook that says this repair weighs this much,” Peedin said. “You can see how the blade is currently weighted and get an educated guess as to whether we can still balance the blade when this is done.”

Engineers say this preplanning will help eliminate the time and money spent on unsuccessful repairs.

“There’s always a concern with blades that need a lot of repairs that we will put in the effort for a repair only to find we can’t balance the blade due to the additional repair weight,” said Barnard. “This will allow us to know whether a blade can ultimately be balanced before we perform the repairs.”

Peedin said adopting the static balance fixture system for the CH-53K blades has taken some time to validate, because the whirl towers have such a long history of balancing blades. However, he said the feedback the USBF system is getting makes his efforts in advocating for the system worthwhile.

“My biggest satisfaction was when we got the first two units here, and we started putting blades on them and getting consistent data,” Peedin said. “A great deal of effort has gone into procuring this system, and it’s gratifying to see evidence that we’re going in the right direction.”

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.

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Defense News: Undefeated, This Flag Will Fly: Seaman tackled PTSD to make Master Chief

Source: United States Navy

The terrorist attack that struck USS Cole (DDG 67) on the morning of Oct. 12, 2000 left a lasting impact on the crew. They experienced arduous conditions that many Sailors train for, but few will ever see.

Master Chief Information Systems Technician (IT) Amaury Ponciano, from Union City, N.J., was a Seaman at his first command, aboard Cole, during the sneak attack. The crew saved the ship, but lost 17 Sailors including a few who Ponciano considered good friends. The events of that day, left him with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); but his diagnosis did not prevent him from leading a successful career in the Navy. After 22 years of honorable service, Ponciano was promoted to the Navy’s most senior enlisted rank – master chief petty officer. Only one percent of the force holds the distinction.
He was pinned by his daughter Belen Ponciano, Master Chief Information Systems Technician Dave Berrien and Master Chief Fire Controlman Korey Jones during a ceremony on May 23, 2022.

“[Healing] was difficult because you have to understand yourself and that takes time,” explained Ponciano when talking about his PTSD. “The first years were a struggle. I broke a lot of relationships, with both partners and friends, because my anger would get the best of me. The littlest things would trigger me to no end. Unfortunately I didn’t know how to deal with that.”

In the days following the attack, in the midst of ongoing damage control efforts, maintaining the physical security of the ship and honoring the fallen; Ponciano found inspiration from the Chiefs Mess and the daily raising of the American flag.

“There were things that we young Sailors didn’t understand … like the Chiefs Mess making us hold colors. It was 120 degrees in Yemen and after all that had happened, it’s the last thing you are thinking about,” said Ponciano. “The way a chief broke it down to me stays with me ‘til this day. He said it was to show them that we haven’t been defeated. That this flag will fly.”

The leadership of USS Cole mandated mental health resources for the crew once the ship returned to the United States a month later. As a Seaman, the mandate provided relief from the stigma Ponciano felt in seeking help. His PTSD diagnosis allowed him to name his trauma and deal with it. Through counseling, he learned to manage his emotions and recognize when he needed to employ coping strategies. He credits the support of his leadership, friends, family and mental health coaching as contributors to his success.

“I was extremely head strong,” said Ponciano. “I didn’t connect my anger to the PTSD. I remember going to a counselor after being stationed in Bahrain and she would make me tell the story every single time I saw her. I had to learn to express it. To let whatever anger I felt about the story … to let it out.”

According to multiple military studies, stigma remains a barrier to seeking mental healthcare. Reasons range from concerns regarding how leadership and peers will react, to fear of losing their security clearance. ITs, like Ponciano, manage complex network computer systems to ensure communication across the Fleet to support mission completion. The career field requires Sailors to hold security clearances to access information and equipment to properly operate the network. Therefore, they undergo multiple background investigations throughout their careers.

“We get the question a lot about PTSD. ‘Is having a diagnosis of PTSD going to impact my clearance … or ruin my chances at getting a clearance?,’” said Dr. Elisabeth Jean-Jacques, staff Psychologist at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) – the Defense organization responsible for adjudicating security clearances. “There is no specific medical diagnosis that is automatically disqualifying.” She also said PTSD is not a mandatory condition to report during the security clearance process.

“If there is a myth out there that: ‘If I go to behavioral health [services] it will be a career killer,’ … it’s to the contrary; we at adjudications very much see participating in treatment as a favorable thing,” said Dr. Michael Priester, chief psychologist at DSCA. Instead, DSCA adjudicators look for behaviors of concern.

“That can be things like risk for violence, erratic behaviors, or a tendency to not be truthful in a characterological, rather than incident specific, way,” said Priester. “The kinds of things that alleviate concerns with psychological conditions is when someone has sought treatment … and certainly if they complied with treatment.”

“I am proof. Look at me now,” said Ponciano. “I am a master chief.”

The Terrorist Attack on USS Cole

Oct. 12, 2000 was just another day for the crew of the Cole. The ship had pulled into Aden, Yemen to refuel. Two al-Qaeda terrorists traveling in an inflatable speedboat, detonated a bomb alongside the ship, blowing a 40-foot wide hole in the hull. At the time, Ponciano was in line for chow.

“The XO [Executive Officer] came over the 1MC and said that we were refueling faster than expected so we were going to start early chow and then get underway,” said Ponciano. “They then called early chow and Seaman [Timothy] Gauna and Seaman [Craig] Wibberley were saying, ‘Hey, let’s go to the front of the line and say we have the next watch.’ I remember it was like yesterday … saying no one would believe ITs had the next watch so I stayed behind.”

Minutes later, there was a loud blast. The ship shuddered. The crew quickly moved throughout the ship to report to their battle stations, otherwise known as general quarters.

“From the recollections of other people, the ship actually came up out of the water and came back down,” said Ponciano. “As people were coming from the [direction of the] loud explosion and the impact, you could see the smoke. The XO was coming down the passageway telling everyone to go to their GQ [General Quarters] stations; that we’ve been hit. When I reached my repair locker, there was an officer there directing people to go to the aft repair locker. During all this running, everyone was setting Zebra. We set zebra in less than four minutes, much better compared to what we were doing during the drills, saving a ton of lives.”

As Ponciano made his way to the aft repair lockers, he wondered about the other ITs and Sailors he knew. Being on a destroyer with 330 people, he said he did not know every person on the ship, but he knew their names and faces. As he made his way through the mess decks, he came across a covered body.

“I lifted the blanket and I couldn’t recognize the body because it had metal throughout but you could still see the name tag. It was Signalman [Cherone] Gunn. He was one of the guys I used to hang out with when we went on liberty. That’s when it hit me. Seeing that, I just got on my knees and started crying. I just kept crying. I don’t remember who it was, but somebody tapped me on the back and grabbed me and said, ‘He’s gone. We need to save the ship.’ I snapped back to reality. If I wanted to get back … I needed to make sure that we didn’t sink and stayed alive.”

The following hours were a blur to him.

Becoming a Chief Petty Officer

When Ponciano was being recruited into the Navy, he wanted to be a chief because he thought the uniform looked good. His admiration swelled after he witnessed the actions and leadership of the chiefs onboard Cole.

“I saw the empowerment they had, and put into other people. Most of what happened at the time was directed by the chiefs. I always looked up to that.”

He witnessed the ability of chief petty officers to achieve results under any circumstance.

“Talking to the chiefs now, they said they cried too, that they were nervous, but I never saw that,” said Ponciano. “You only saw them giving direction and being part of the team. The BMC [chief boatswain mate] – with a broken leg – donned firefighting equipment and was rescuing people and saving lives. I couldn’t even tell he was hurt.”

The leadership and commitment of chiefs encouraged Ponciano to always strive to be a better person. As Ponciano moved through the ranks and served at different commands, ashore and afloat, he realized there was a piece of him he wanted to be better. As a 1st Class Petty Officer, Ponciano volunteered to serve onboard a destroyer, the same class of ship as USS Cole, to face his fear and ensure he could lead through remnants of the trauma.

“Every year, we had an anniversary for the Cole and I literally would not go aboard. I would stay on the pier. Even when she came back after the very first deployment after being repaired, I waited on the pier. I just couldn’t go onboard. One of the things a counselor said over the years is that I had to face my fears. She didn’t think that I would take actual orders to do it, but she said I had to face my fears and I dove right in.”

The PTSD diagnosis did not define Ponciano. He leaned on his professional skills and experiences, family, and mental health coaching to seize success. After 11 years, he was promoted to chief petty officer and served another two years onboard his second destroyer, USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98).

“I had the tools I needed to deal with anything that came my way,” said Ponciano.

Mi madre es mi inspiración; mis hijos son mi motivación

Ponciano says that his mother, Ursula Colon, is his inspiration and his children are his motivation to be the best version of himself, and to expect the same from others.

“As a leader, I’m tough, I’m very demanding, but I will give you the same. I won’t ask you to do anything that I’m not willing to do myself or haven’t done,” said Ponciano. “I get that from her. She didn’t graduate from college and barely finished high school but she wouldn’t allow me to just do that. She wanted more for me. That’s what I try to do for my Sailors. We all have a different 100 percent, and I will try to get them to their 100 percent.”

“She’s my inspiration. From being a single parent for a period of time, to coming to the United States without being able to speak any English … she gave me and my brother everything we needed and then some. I have it easy compared to the things that she’s gone through. To this day, anything and everything I do, I do it for her and my children.”

Inspiration from his mother, the Chiefs Mess and mental health counselors enabled Master Chief Ponciano to serve in the United States Navy for 22 years with PTSD, climbing to the highest ranks. His advice to Sailors: “Know yourself, and trust those who know you and care about you.” Today, at U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, Ponciano leads Sailors who work on the leading edge of cyberspace – defending the nation against foreign adversaries, unaffiliated hackers and terrorists.

PTSD Awareness Month

June is PTSD Awareness Month, an observance intended to raise public awareness about issues related to the disorder, reduce its stigma, and ensure access to proper care.

PTSD can occur after an individual has been through a traumatic experience. According to the National Center for PTSD, six out of every 10 men and five out of every 10 women will experience at least one trauma in their life; and seven or eight out of every 100 people will have PTSD at some point in their life. About 8 million adults experience PTSD during a given year.

Resources Available to Sailors and Civilian Employees Struggling with PTSD:

National Center for PTSD: The National Center for PTSD is the world’s leading research and educational center on PTSD and traumatic stress. Learn more by visiting https://www.ptsd.va.gov/index.asp.

Military Crisis Line: The Military Crisis Line connects a person in need to a trained counselor with a single phone call or click of a mouse. It is confidential and immediate help is available 24/7 at no cost to active duty, National Guard, and reserve members along with their families and friends. In the United States, call 1-800-273-8255 then press 1 or access the online chat by texting 838255.
Department of the Navy Civilian Employee Assistance Program: Confidential free services including counseling, online programs, work-life services, and more can be found on the DONCEAP website magellanascend.com or by calling 1-844-DONCEAP (366-2327). DONCEAP can also refer employees to local therapists.

Department of Defense (DoD) Safe Helpline: All Safe Helpline services are anonymous, confidential, 24/7 and tailored to support members of the DoD community and their loved ones affected by sexual assault. To reach the Safe Helpline, call 1-877-995-5247 or visit safehelpline.org. Resources include online confidential helpline and chat rooms, a free self-care app, information, resources and referrals to local programs.

Fleet and Family Service Center (FFSC): Available for active duty Sailors, Reservists, and dependents. The local FFSC has a Counseling and Advocacy Program, which provides confidential, short-term individual, marital, couples, and child counseling, group counseling and workshops.

For news and information from Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. 10th Fleet, visit www.FCC.navy.mil/ or follow us on Twitter @USFLEETCYBERCOM and on Facebook @USFLTCYBERCOM.

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Defense News: WORLD WAR II SAILOR FROM THE USS CALIFORNIA ACCOUNTED FOR AND LAID TO REST

Source: United States Navy

Simmons was born June 7, 1923 in Geneva County, Alabama. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy from Mississippi at the age of 17 and was stationed aboard the USS California to serve in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

On December 7, 1941 the USS California came under attack from Japanese forces. The Tennessee-class battleship suffered multiple torpedo and bomb strikes which caused it catch fire and slowly flood. Simmons and 103 other crew members were killed during the infamous attack.

From December 1941 to April 1942, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased from the multiple vessels throughout Pearl Harbor including Simmons. At that time, he could not be identified and was buried as unknown remains at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Following unsuccessful efforts over the years, in 2018, the remains of 25 unidentified casualties from the USS California were exhumed and transferred to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor. Advances in forensic technology led to the successful identification of SEA2 Simmons from among the disinterred remains.

On June 14, 2022, Simmons was laid to rest next to his parents at Corner Creek Methodist Church Cemetery in Hacoda, Al. His name is recorded on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s Courts of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has finally been accounted for.

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Security News: Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Election Official

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Nebraska man pleaded guilty today to making multiple threatening posts on an Instagram page associated with an election official.

According to court documents, Travis Ford, 42, of Lincoln, made multiple threats in August 2021 toward the election official, specifically: “Do you feel safe? You shouldn’t. Do you think Soros will/can protect you?” and “Your security detail is far too thin and incompetent to protect you. This world is unpredictable these days….anything can happen to anyone.”

“The Justice Department will not tolerate illegal threats of violence against public officials,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Threats of violence against election officials are dangerous for people’s safety and dangerous for our democracy, and we will use every resource at our disposal to disrupt and investigate those threats and hold perpetrators accountable.”

“Threatening violence against election workers in an attempt to intimidate them while in performance of their duties will not be tolerated,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Threats to election workers have no place in our society, and today’s plea demonstrates the success of our collaborative efforts to ensure the safety of the workers we entrust to effectuate the democratic process.”

“We are proud to work with our partners at FBI Denver, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska, and the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to hold this defendant accountable for threatening an election official in Colorado,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado. “If you make online threats of violence, do not count on remaining anonymous.”

Ford also posted similar messages on Instagram pages associated with the President of the United States and with another public figure.

Ford is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces up to two years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Steven A. Russell for the District of Nebraska, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

FBI Denver is investigating the case, with the assistance of FBI Omaha.

Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessie L. Smith for the District of Nebraska are prosecuting the case. Substantial assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron M. Teitelbaum and Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Nearly a year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the United States Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun. 

Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.