Month: August 2022

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Defense News: NPS Showcases Latest Cohort of Summer STEM Interns

Source: United States Navy

For the Navy and Marine Corps to maintain technological superiority, the services require a robust community of scientists, engineers and technologists ready to take on the service’s current and future challenges, now and for years to come.

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) has its own robust history of advocacy for the STEM disciplines. Working closely with the Office of Naval Research STEM Coordination Office, in addition to partnerships with regional institutions, NPS has become a key contributor to the Navy’s aspirations in STEM, providing opportunities for hundreds of high school and college students to cut their teeth on defense-focused research alongside NPS faculty and scientists.

The current crop of interns, one of the smaller groups in relation to past years, has devoted several weeks on a wide range of Navy and DOD relevant research projects while getting to geek out with top researchers in the fields they are most interested in. 

Joao McGuire of Monterey has served as an NPS intern for three years in a row and has returned to get re-energized in research work he wants to excel in. He’s working on an undergraduate degree in physics and economics at Johns Hopkins University. 

“NPS’ summer internship program really made an impact on my higher education prospects,” said McGuire, a graduate of York School in Monterey. “I got a full ride scholarship to Johns Hopkins because as I see it, NPS provided the tools to be a better learner in my high school years, including the hands-on laboratory work experience I got in those summer months.”

McGuire’s internship this year is sponsored by the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP), one of several sponsored internship opportunities in the ONR portfolio. His undergraduate degree will have an institutional concentration in materials engineering, and he’s looking at pursuing graduate school in the interdisciplinary field of materials science or aerospace. 

This summer, McGuire worked with carbon-nanotube steel composite structures, conducting a wear test to determine structure failure dynamics. He used aluminum silicate as the abrasive at various friction points and moments, using a scanning electron microscope to analyze component failure.

“I just got trained on the new Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope,” he explains. “It’s a little daunting to work with these machines, but it certainly is cool.”

McGuire worked alongside former NPS Department of Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Andy Nieto in the school’s materials lab. Tragically, Nieto passed away in a scuba-diving accident in the Monterey Bay in July, but he left a profound impact on so many around him, including his interns.

“I would say Professor Andy Nieto was my favorite person to work with here. He strode forward calmly through problems in a way I hope to emulate. May he rest in peace,” said McGuire.

Many of the interns on the NPS campus are part of another program in the ONR portfolio, the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program, or SEAP. The program places high school students in Navy laboratories where they take part in real Naval research for eight-week terms during the summer.

SEAP is a competitive program with around 300 placements in more than 30 laboratories around the country. Interns are selected based upon academic achievement, personal statements, recommendations, and career and research interests. There are three regional areas across the U.S. in which students can apply. 

NPS research associate Alison Kerr has been at the helm of the university’s internship programs for several years, working closely with ONR and several regional institutions to build up an impressive program that has impacted hundreds of students’ lives. Kerr is wrapping up her final summer leading the program, retiring at the end of the year. 

According to Kerr, 260 interns have come to NPS through SEAP, 167 through NREIP, and localized efforts like Hartnell College’s program has provided another 201 students with opportunities to advance their knowledge in the sciences.

Materials science has the largest number of interns in this current cohort, with Nieto and Dr. Claudia Luhrs supporting six total interns over the summer. In addition to McGuire, Abigail Kim and Sneha Gokaraju teamed up to explore research in additive manufacturing.

“Our research is to look at 3-D printed polymer composites under certain conditions, those conditions being the ‘as-printed’ and the QUV-tested [accelerated weathering test] samples to see if the UV radiation influenced the materials,” explained Kim. “This is the first research project that I have been a part of, and I have learned so much.”

Interestingly, Kim found out about the SEAP program through a friend just weeks before the deadline to submit the applications. 

“I got lucky enough to go to the meet and greet where people can see what projects are available and to meet the mentors,” said Kim. “I saw that this project was based off 3D-printed materials, which I found very interesting, so I sent out an email to the mentor of this project and I was lucky enough to get chosen.” 

Kim, who is beginning her junior year at Carmel High School, credits program manager Kerr for creating such a positive experience for her and her fellow interns, especially under difficult circumstances. 

“Alison Kerr is such an amazing person! She has helped all the new interns out by providing them some line of support or contact if we need any resources for our projects or have some general questions about NPS,” said Kim .“She was so supportive of us when we lost our mentor [Nieto], and I am so grateful that I had the chance to meet her because she is such a caring and compassionate person to be around.”

Lahari Yallapragada got the chance to work with senior faculty in the NPS Department of Computer Science, Drs. Neil Rowe and Arjit Das. The two colleagues have done seminal work in digital forensics and cyberwarfare.

“Coming into this internship, I had very little experience with analyzing big data,” Yallapragada said. “After 8-weeks, I have learned many valuable skills, and not just analyzing big data.

“Specifically, [we learned about] fitting data to a logistic scale; creating histograms; using complex math formulas in Python programming, like the Euclidean Distance Formula and the Logistic Sigmoid Function; and the basics of machine learning models through Weka software. I also gained valuable experience working in a professional environment that I hope to use in future internships and jobs,” she added. 

Yallapragada, a junior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, Calif., did her research when it came to finding the best internship program for her, looking at NASA and UCSB before making the decision to apply to SEAP.

“I want to work in computer science, specifically something to do with artificial intelligence,” she said. “I can use the many computer science skills I learned at NPS, and I can expand on my basic knowledge of AI/ML that I learned during this internship, for the future.”

A rising senior at Carmel High School, Zack Seifert, worked with Faculty Associate Ross Eldred in the Center for Autonomous Vehicle Research where he learned to design and fabricate custom circuit boards. 

“This custom circuit is designed to fulfill my professor’s goal of constructing a closed loop vehicle, meaning that the vehicle will make different decisions based on its environmental data from sensors,” said Seifert, who really valued advancing his skills in computer-aided design (CAD).

“My more advanced CAD skills will help me design new products for my future startups and better lead my high school’s robotics team,” said Seifert. 

“NPS faculty are super cool and helpful,” he continued. “I also love the RoboDojo lab because they have a lot of 3D printers and other awesome tools. And I got to learn a lot about NPS and our country’s military.”

With another cohort of summer internships in the books, the experience, inspiration and education gained ensure the university is contributing to the Navy’s aspirations in STEM, imperative to keep the U.S. competitive in this era of technological superiority. 

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Security News: Maine Recidivist Sex Offender Charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

Source: United States Department of Justice News

BOSTON – A Maine man has been charged with failing to register as a sex offender after he moved from Haverhill to Fryeburg, Maine.

Frank Boyd, 53, was charged with one count of failure to register as a sex offender. Boyd is currently in state custody awaiting trial on state charges and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.

According to the charging documents, Boyd was a Level 3 Sex Offender after being convicted of sex offenses against children in 2001 and 2009. Accordingly, he was required to register as a sex offender and update his registration any time he moved or changed employment. 

In 2020, Boyd registered as a sex offender and listed a Haverhill address as his residence.  It is alleged that on or around March 23, 2021, police determined that Boyd was no longer living at the Haverhill residence he had listed on his registration form and was later found to have moved to Fryeburg, Maine. He did not register as a sex offender in Maine nor update his sex offender registration in Massachusetts at any point prior to his arrest on state charges on July 27, 2022. Boyd has two prior state court convictions in 2008 and 2015 of failure to register as a sex offender.

The charge of failure to register as a sex offender provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Douglas Bartlett, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement today. The Haverhill and Fryeburg (Maine) Police Department provided valuable assistance.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Security News: Chittenden County Men Charged with Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Making a False Statement

Source: United States Department of Justice News

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Aaron Dang, 19, of Burlington, Vermont, was indicted on Thursday, August 4, 2022 by a federal grand jury for unlawful possession of a stolen firearm. In the same indictment, Badal Khadka, 19, of Essex Junction, Vermont, was charged with making a false statement to an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Dang and Khadka were arraigned in United States District Court on August 8, 2022, and both men were released on conditions pending trial.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Dang and Khadka remain presumed innocent until and unless they are convicted of a crime.  If convicted, Dang faces up to 10 years of imprisonment on the stolen firearm possession charge.  Khadka faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the false statement charge.  Any actual sentences would be determined by the Court with reference to the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the United States Code.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the ATF and the Burlington Police Department. 

The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant United States Attorney Wendy L. Fuller.  Dang is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. Khadka is represented by Richard Goldsborough, Esq. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn

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Security News: Member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Charged with Plot to Murder the Former National Security Advisor

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Defendant Worked on Behalf of the IRGC to Hire Persons in the United States to Carry Out the Murder, Likely in Retaliation for the January 2020 Death of Qasem Soleimani

Note: A video statement from Department officials is available here.

An Iranian national and member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was charged by complaint, unsealed today in the District of Columbia, with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire and with providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot.

According to court documents, beginning in October 2021, Shahram Poursafi, aka Mehdi Rezayi, 45, of Tehran, Iran, attempted to arrange the murder of former National Security Advisor John Bolton, likely in retaliation for the January 2020 death of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF) commander Qasem Soleimani. Poursafi, working on behalf of the IRGC-QF, attempted to pay individuals in the United States $300,000 to carry out the murder in Washington, D.C. or Maryland.

“The Justice Department has the solemn duty to defend our citizens from hostile governments who seek to hurt or kill them,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This is not the first time we have uncovered Iranian plots to exact revenge against individuals on U.S. soil and we will work tirelessly to expose and disrupt every one of these efforts.”

“Iran has a history of plotting to assassinate individuals in the U.S. it deems a threat, but the U.S. Government has a longer history of holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our citizens,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “Let there be no doubt: The FBI, the U.S. government, and our partners remain vigilant in the fight against such threats here in the U.S. and overseas.”

“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, through the Defendant, tried to hatch a brazen plot: assassinate a former U.S. official on U.S. soil in retaliation for U.S. actions,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Iran and other hostile governments should understand that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to thwart their violent plots and bring those responsible to justice.”

“An attempted assassination of a former U.S. Government official on U.S. soil is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI will continue to identify and disrupt any efforts by Iran or any hostile government seeking to bring harm or death to U.S. persons at home or abroad. This should serve as a warning to any others attempting to do the same – the FBI will be relentless in our efforts to identify, stop, and bring to justice those who would threaten our people and violate our laws.”

According to court documents, on Oct. 22, 2021, Poursafi asked Individual A, a U.S. resident whom Poursafi previously met online, to take photographs of the former National Security Advisor, claiming the photographs were for a book Poursafi was writing. Individual A told Poursafi that he/she could introduce Poursafi to another person who would take the pictures for $5,000-$10,000. Individual A later introduced Poursafi to an associate (referred to in court documents as the confidential human source or CHS).

On Nov. 9, 2021, Poursafi contacted the CHS on an encrypted messaging application, and then directed the CHS to a second encrypted messaging application for further communications. Poursafi offered the CHS $250,000 to hire someone to “eliminate” the former National Security Advisor. This amount would later be negotiated up to $300,000. Poursafi added that he had an additional “job,” for which he would pay $1 million. 

Poursafi directed the CHS to open a cryptocurrency account to facilitate payment, but stipulated that the CHS would likely have to carry out the murder before he/she could be paid. He further explained to the CHS that if he/she was paid and the murder was not completed, Poursafi’s “group” would be angry. A later search of one of Poursafi’s online accounts revealed pictures of Poursafi wearing a uniform with an IRGC patch. During their communications, the CHS made several references to Poursafi being associated with IRGC-QF. Poursafi never denied his involvement with IRGC-QF. 

On Nov. 14, 2021, the CHS asked Poursafi for help locating the former National Security Advisor. Poursafi subsequently provided the CHS with the target’s work address in Washington, D.C. According to results from the search of one of Poursafi’s online accounts, on Nov. 25, 2021, Poursafi took screenshots of a map application showing a street view of the former National Security Advisor’s office. One screenshot noted that the address was “10,162 km away,” which is the approximate distance between Washington, D.C. and Tehran, Iran.    

On Nov. 19, 2021, Poursafi told the CHS that it did not matter how the murder was carried out, but his “group” would require video confirmation of the target’s death. The CHS asked Poursafi what would happen if the killing was attributed to Iran. Poursafi told the CHS not to worry and that Poursafi’s “group” would take care of it. 

Poursafi also advised the CHS to communicate about the plot in construction and building terms.  For example, when the CHS asked Poursafi to specify how the murder was to be carried out, Poursafi told the CHS that he only asked the CHS to build a structure, but the method of construction was up to the CHS. 

On Dec. 22, 2021, Poursafi sent the CHS a photograph of two plastic bags, each of which appeared to contain bound stacks of U.S. currency and a handwritten note beneath them that said, “[CHS’s name] 22.12.2021”. 

On Dec. 29, 2021, Poursafi asked the CHS when the murder would be carried out and informed the CHS that his “group” wanted it done quickly. 

On Jan. 3, 2022, Poursafi noted he was under pressure from “his people” to complete the murder and that Poursafi had to report any delays. The CHS asked Poursafi how many people were involved. Poursafi told the CHS that he only had to report to one person, but that there was a chain of command to whom his superior reported. That same day, Poursafi expressed regret that the murder would not be conducted by the anniversary of Qasem Soleimani’s death. He stated he was concerned that if it was not carried out soon, the job would be taken from Poursafi and the CHS. Poursafi counseled the CHS that if he/she used a “small weapon,” he/she would have to get close to the target, but if he/she used a “larger weapon,” he/she could stay farther away. 

On Jan. 18, 2022, the CHS sent Poursafi publicly available information that suggested the former National Security Advisor might be travelling out of the Washington, D.C., area during the time Poursafi indicated he would like the CHS to carry out the murder. Poursafi told the CHS that he needed to “check something.” Within an hour, he told the CHS that the target was, in fact, not travelling. He then provided the CHS with specifics regarding the former National Security Advisor’s schedule that do not appear to have been publicly available.      

On Jan. 21, 2022, Poursafi told the CHS that after successful completion of the first “job,” he had a second “job” for the CHS and informed the CHS that surveillance of the second target was complete. Poursafi said the information was gathered “from the United States,” not “via Google,” indicating someone working on behalf of the IRGC-QF had already conducted pre-operational surveillance on the second target in the United States.

On Feb. 1, 2022, Poursafi told the CHS that if he/she did not eliminate the target within two weeks, the job would be taken from the CHS. He also informed the CHS that someone checked the area around the former National Security Advisor’s home, and he believed there was not a security presence, so the CHS should be able to “finish the job.”

On March 10, 2022, Poursafi told the CHS he had another assassination job for the CHS in the United States, but to “keep [the former National Security Advisor] in the back of your mind.” Approximately one month later, Poursafi encouraged the CHS to accept this offer, explaining that if it was done successfully, Poursafi would be able to ingratiate himself with his “group” and regain the tasking to murder the former National Security Advisor. 

On April 28, 2022, the CHS told Poursafi that he/she would not continue to work without being paid. Poursafi agreed to send the CHS $100 in cryptocurrency to a virtual wallet the CHS created earlier that day, to prove payment could be made. Later that day, the cryptocurrency wallet received two payments totaling $100.

If convicted, Poursafi faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, and up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 for providing and attempting to provide material support to a transnational murder plot. Poursafi remains at large abroad.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough provided assistance in the case.

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Defense News: Southwest Regional Maintenance Center Welcomes Littoral Combat Ship Maintenance Execution Teams To Their Organization

Source: United States Navy

The METs are comprised of skilled Sailors that provide critical preventative maintenance to LCS class ships homeported in San Diego and deployed overseas.  These Sailors work alongside LCS crews to complete the portion of the ships’ maintenance that was originally intended to be contracted out in support of LCS minimal manning initiatives.  As the relatively young METs continue to grow in size and capability, they will eventually take over the contractor’s work scope.  This is a critical shift toward self-sufficiency and greater combat readiness.

As SWRMC also oversees all LCS contracts for intermediate and depot-level corrective maintenance, shifting the METs to SWRMC is an important alignment of responsibility for all non-organic maintenance (whether contracted or performed by Sailors) under one command.  In preparation for the shift, SWRMC employees have spent the last year planning, programming and organizing SWRMC’s Expeditionary Maintenance Department, which will provide all the necessary support for the MET Sailors.

The MET Sailors will be joining an already substantial military component within SWRMC. 

“SWRMC has traditionally been an excellent workplace for fleet returnees who are interested in retaining and growing their maintenance skills.  The intermediate-level corrective maintenance they perform is in direct support of the fleet, where they will ultimately return and be better for the experience.  We have extensive experience training and developing Sailors alongside career civilians, many of whom served in the Navy at one point or another”, said CDR Tony Macaluso, SWRMC Expeditionary Maintenance Department Head.  “We are rapidly onboarding the more than 150 Sailors to our command and making the necessary civilian hires that will support this team.  Our goal in the short-term is to continue the existing level of support to the fleet under the SWRMC banner, in the mid-term to expand the scope of preventative maintenance currently being performed, and long-term to constitute an expeditionary intermediate-level maintenance capability that deploys shops overseas for more involved corrective repairs.”

“Sailors are the bedrock of the LCS maintenance program. Both at home and while deployed, Sailors that are technical experts with first-hand knowledge of our platforms work directly with our on-hull crews,” said CAPT Marc Crawford, commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. “Our squadron’s collaboration with SWRMC enables stream-lined preventative maintenance to identify potential issues, ultimately making our ships more reliable and lethal for fleet tasking.”

This partnership between SWRMC and LCSRON1 is nothing new.  SWRMC has always supported LCSRON1 in their mission to “man, train and equip” LCS class ships.  SWRMC provides superior ship maintenance, modernization, technical support, and training for the Pacific Fleet. Acquiring the MET provides SWRMC additional capability to help maintain the fleet.