Security News: Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

Source: United States Department of Justice News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man pleaded guilty to drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.

Randy Hasan Abdurrahim, 37, pleaded guilty this week to possession of a controlled substance.  His sentencing is scheduled for October 19, 2022, before United States District Court Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala.

According to the Plea Agreement, on September 2, 2021, while two detectives on patrol were at a Shell gas station on East Lake Boulevard, a Lexus pulled up to the gas pump with the smell of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle.  A detective ran the tag through NCIC and it came back as belonging to a Nissan Altima.  The vehicle left the gas station and the detectives attempted to perform a traffic stop.  The driver refused to stop and fled from detectives.  The driver hopped out of the Lexus and fled on foot as the vehicle rolled down the hill.  The detectives pursued the driver and were able to take him into custody.

Detectives searched the vehicle and recovered 4 grams of cocaine, 9 grams of fentanyl, 6.16 grams of marijuana, 107 grams of methamphetamine, 2 grams of heroin, and drug paraphernalia.

ATF investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Darius Greene prosecuted the case.

Security News: Sulphur Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

Source: United States Department of Justice News

LAFAYETTE, La.Justin M. Marks, 35, of Sulphur, Louisiana, has been sentenced for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Marks to 43 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

According to information presented to the court, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call involving the shooting of a canine on October 13, 2020. Deputies arrived at the residence and observed a dog with a gunshot wound to the upper chest. Witnesses were interviewed at the scene by deputies, and they approached the residence and made contact with Marks. After being advised of his Miranda warning, Marks agreed to speak with the deputies and admitted to shooting his neighbor’s dog. He produced the firearm that was used, and it was seized by law enforcement officers.

Marks admitted that he knew as a convicted felon he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. He has prior felony convictions for simple arson, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, and simple damage to property in 2008; and possession of methamphetamine in 2021.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and Craig R. Bordelon.

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Security News: Federal Indictments Charge Two Violent Carjackings in Chicago

Source: United States Department of Justice News

CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office today announced federal charges against three individuals in connection with separate violent carjackings in Chicago.

United States v. Kimbrough, 22 CR 330

TRIMANE O. KIMBROUGH, 20, of Chicago, is charged with one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to an indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Kimbrough allegedly brandished a semiautomatic handgun and stole a 2010 Mazda 6 from a victim in Chicago on May 2, 2022. 

The carjacking count is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison.  The firearm count carries a minimum prison sentence of seven years and a maximum of life, which must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the carjacking offense. 

Kimbrough is currently in law enforcement custody.  Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI-led Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Police, and the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Northwestern University Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jasmina Vajzovic.

United States v. Clay and Cain, 22 CR 333

ALLEN CLAY, 20, and NARONN CAIN, 25, both of Chicago, are each charged with one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, according to an indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Clay brandished a semiautomatic handgun and Cain brandished a semiautomatic rifle when the pair stole a 2011 Kia Optima from a victim in Chicago on April 25, 2022, the indictment states. 

The carjacking count is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison.  The firearm count carries a minimum prison sentence of seven years and a maximum of life, which must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the carjacking offense. 

Clay and Cain are currently in law enforcement custody.  Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI-led Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Police, and the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Berry III.

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“Our message to would-be carjackers is simple: Committing a senseless act of violence like carjacking will earn you a home in federal prison for a long time,” said John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.  “We are working closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue, prosecute, and detain violent carjackers and gun offenders in Chicago.”

“This indictment shows that the Violent Crimes Task Force is hard at work removing carjackers and illegal weapons from our streets,” said Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  “The FBI is committed to using every resource in our arsenal to stop carjackings and make our communities safer.”

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

Defense News: MQ-25 team completes first lab integration event

Source: United States Navy

The government team and its two prime industry partners led the effort at the program’s System Test and Integration Lab (STIL), where Lockheed Martin’s GCS controlled Boeing’s Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) air vehicle for the first time. The HITL utilizes aircraft hardware and software to provide a realistic surrogate for the air vehicle.

“This achievement is the result of weeks of preparation and dedication by highly skilled teams,” said TJ Maday, MQ-25 labs and integration manager.  “Bringing multiple systems together is never easy, but the joint government/industry team, coming together, understanding problems and finding solutions made this event successful. We learned how the system works as a whole and that early learning and discovery is key to keep the program moving forward.”

Maday said the team set a goal to send a basic command between the GCS and the HITL. In order to meet that objective, Boeing and Lockheed Martin needed to deliver functional software for the government to exercise the GCS, the HITL and the network components allowing connectivity between the systems. 

“The team met the initial goal ahead of schedule and used the remaining time to exercise more functionality like sending taxi commands,” Maday said. “They also simulated a lost link that verified the proper GCS display indicators, which is a critical function to ensure network connectivity between development environments.”

This fall the team plans to simulate a complete flight using the HTIL air vehicle and will also demonstrate switching connections “links” to the aircraft as well as adding other aircraft hardware and software into the mix.

“It’s great to see the combined team working side-by-side, learning and ultimately demonstrating success,” said Capt. Sam Messer, PMA-268 program manager. “This is how we get to IOC [Initial Operational Capability]—we integrate, test, and learn early and at pace.”

The MD-5 GCS is part of the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS), the system-of-systems required for MQ-25A command and control. UMCS also includes carrier and shore site infrastructure modifications, Navy produced ancillary equipment, and integration with command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems.

MQ-25 will be the world’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft to provide an aerial refueling capability to the fleet.

Security News: Former Tennessee Department of Corrections Officers Indicted for Federal Civil Rights Offenses Following Assault on Inmate and False Cover-up Report

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Memphis,  TN  –  The  Department of  Justice  announced that Javian Griffin,  36,  and Sebron 
Hollands, 32, two former tactical officers with the Strike Force for the Tennessee Department of 
Corrections, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Memphis, Tennessee. Griffin is charged with 
using unlawful force against an inmate at Northwest Correctional Complex. Griffin and Hollands are 
both  charged with obstruction of justice  for writing false reports about Griffin’s assault.

The count charging Griffin with unlawful use of force carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of  
imprisonment. The  counts charging Griffin  and Hollands  with  writing  a  false report carry a 
maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment.

Assistant Attorney  General Kristen  Clarke of  the  Department of  Justice’s Civil  Rights 
Division, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Joseph C. Murphy Jr. and Special 
Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski  of the  FBI Memphis Field  Office  made the announcement.

This  case was investigated by the FBI Memphis Field Office. It is  being prosecuted by Assistant 
U.S. Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Andrew Manns 
for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

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