Month: September 2023

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Defense News: Readout of the DON STB Fall Meeting

Source: United States Navy

During an open session, Secretary Del Toro welcomed and swore in the board. In addition, he shared how the board came about, why its work is important to the future of our Navy and Marine Corps, and what his expectations were for the board.

Secretary Del Toro outlined his vision and mission for the board and expressed the importance of the expertise of the members, highlighting their diversity of disciplines, of expertise and studies, of professional backgrounds and networks, and diversity in their unique personal experiences as citizens of our great nation.

The Secretary also noted that the board is unlike any Navy science and technology boards of the past—both in terms of the challenges presented for consideration as well as the makeup of the board itself.

Secretary Del Toro charged members, as thought leaders in their respective disciplines, with exploring the cutting edge technologies the DON is aware of and involved in – as well as the technologies in which the DON is not involved, assessing how they will impact warfighting in all domains – at, above, and below the ocean’s surface, ashore, as well as space and cyberspace.

Read Secretary Del Toro’s full remarks online.

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Defense News: U.S. Forces Conduct Joint Aviation Integration Exercise in the Gulf of Oman

Source: United States Navy

The AOMSW exercise included a live Surface Combat Air Patrol and the employment of joint fires against surface threats improving the tactical proficiency. Participating platforms included Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II’s from AFCENT’s 75th Fighter Squadron and U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Stethem (DDG 63).

This exercise marks the sixth iteration of the joint and combined AOMSW between U.S. Navy and Air Force this year. Previous exercises incorporated the Air Force Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft operate alongside USS Bataan (LHD 5) & USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) in the Gulf of Oman, in August; An A-10 firing a 30mm practice rounds on a practice target on the surface of the water in July 10; A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft, two United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, & three U.S. Coast Guard cutters with embarked U.S. Marine Corps joint terminal attack controllers, trained together in the Arabian Gulf, April 28; Guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) and an HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter conducted joint operations in the Gulf of Aden, April 2.

USS Stethem is are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb.

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Retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Pleads Guilty to Concealing Information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Charles F. McGonigal Admits Receiving $225,000 Cash Payment

            WASHINGTON – Charles F. McGonigal, 55, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, pleaded guilty today to concealment of material facts for his undisclosed receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe while McGonigal was supervising counterintelligence efforts. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who scheduled sentencing for February 16, 2024.

            The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Donald Alway, and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg.

            According to papers filed with the Court, from August 2017, and continuing through his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility.

            The charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The court will determine the actual sentence based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices.

            The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Stuart D. Allen, and former Assistant United States Attorney Michael Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Deputy Chief Evan N. Turgeon of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

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Two Arrested for Allegedly Delivering Cocaine Using Rental Cars and Rideshare Services

Source: United States Department of Justice News

            WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint, unsealed today, charges Raul Rivero, a/k/a Guillermo Raul DeRivero, 54, of Arlington, Virginia, and Dusan Dimic, 40, of Reston, Virginia, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            When DEA Agents arrested Rivero and Dimic last night, they also confiscated a total of 573 grams of cocaine, 90 grams of methamphetamine pills, and more than $4,400 in cash. Search warrants that were subsequently executed at residences affiliated with the defendants resulted in the seizure of approximately 3 kilograms of cocaine and more than $100,000 cash.

            According to court documents, between August 18, 2022, and August 10, 2023, through undercover controlled purchases, DEA agents made 14 controlled buys totaling approximately 367 grams of cocaine from Rivero in Washington, D.C. The drugs were allegedly delivered as part of a delivery service in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., using various cars, including rental cars and rideshare services.

            If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years, each, for conspiracy and distribution of cocaine. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. A defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

            This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division and the MPD.  It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Marin and David Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.