Defense News: USS Jefferson City Returns Home to Naval Base Guam Following Successful Indo-Pacific Deployment

Source: United States Navy

“USS Jefferson City exceeded all expectations on this short deployment,” said Capt. Neil Steinhagen, Commander, Submarine Squadron 15. “The crew’s unwavering dedication to theater security and operational excellence reflects the strength of our forward-deployed forces. Standing true to their motto, ‘When Any Exigence Calls,’ the crew met every challenge with distinction, directly supporting our mission in the Pacific. Job well done team – welcome home!”

During this deployment, Jefferson City undertook critical missions that strengthened national security, elevated operational maritime capabilities, and bolstered deterrence within the Indo-Pacific, underscoring the strategic importance of a forward-deployed submarine force.

“No matter the mission or task, my crew rose to every occasion,” said Cmdr. Alexander (AJ) Franz, commanding officer of USS Jefferson City. “Their focus, determination, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped an extraordinary deployment. I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments, as each Sailor’s dedication and resilience shone brightly in our mission’s success.”

During the deployment, 38 Jefferson City Sailors earned their submarine warfare insignia, the distinguished ‘dolphins’ or ‘fish,’ symbolizing their qualification to operate at the highest standards. This emblem represents their mastery and commitment to the submarine force’s tradition of excellence.

“The strength of our Navy lies in its true source of power—our Sailors,” said Jefferson City Chief of the Boat Master Chief Machinist Mate (Auxiliary) Chris Halamoutis. “The dedication these Sailors have shown to achieve this honor is truly commendable. Their perseverance, hard work, and commitment to our mission reflect the spirit of those who came before them, as they join the ranks of a distinguished community with the privilege of wearing this insignia.”

As part of Jefferson City’s homecoming celebration, the Navy’s cherished “first kiss” and “first hug” traditions took place. The “first kiss” was awarded to Lt. j.g Jonathan Lopez and the “first hug” was awarded to Senior Chief Machinist Mate (Auxiliary) Timothy Murphy.

Commissioned on February 29, 1992, USS Jefferson City is the only U.S. Navy vessel named for Jefferson City, Missouri. Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Jefferson City is one of four Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines forward-deployed in the Pacific. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, the Los Angeles-class submarine serves as the backbone of the Navy’s submarine force, ensuring readiness and agility in safeguarding maritime interests around the world.

Defense News: Navy Culinary Specialists Prepare for Thanksgiving

Source: United States Navy

Sailor morale, a key component to mission success, has an increased significance during the holiday season. The food CSs prepare during this time of year produces a sense of familiarity among Sailors that raises spirits and gives them a chance to recharge together.

“Thanksgiving has many meanings for our Sailors,” said CS2 Daviontee Robinson. “It’s a time of thankfulness, appreciation, and unity.”

Successfully feeding a ship is a significant enough task under normal circumstances, during the holidays that job increases tenfold.

This year the Navy predicts afloat CSs will prepare 44,815 pounds of roast turkey, 11,457 pounds of mashed potatoes, 5,654 pounds of stuffing, 21,906 pounds of sweet potatoes, 6,630 pounds of green bean casserole, 4,606 pounds of cranberry sauce, 11,960 gallons of gravy, and 23,678 assorted pies for Sailors.

“Serving the Thanksgiving meal throughout Navy galleys around the globe, both afloat and ashore, is one of the largest events of the year for food service personnel,” said Navy Food Service Director Cmdr. Brian Bieber. “It is an opportunity to provide Sailors a comfort of home, despite the fact they may be deployed, on duty, or separated from family.”
While Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and give thanks, Sailors remain focused on the mission.

“During deployment, a great meal boosts the morale and camaraderie for everyone onboard the ship,” said Robinson. “While our attention is on the mission, our hearts are with our families.”

Defense News: NPS Atomic Fountain for Research in Quantum Sensing Nears Completion of First Phase

Source: United States Navy

Using a Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) award bestowed last year and plenty of elbow grease, Dr. Frank Narducci, Chair of the NPS Department of Physics, and his Ph.D. student U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jens Berdahl, a former Navy pilot currently pursuing his doctorate through the service’s Permanent Military Professor program, are nearing completion of the first phase of construction in what will be a superlatively precise atomic-based instrument.

The device will open the door to a host of defense applications of quantum sensing based on atom interferometry research in general and gyroscope, gravimeter, accelerometer and clock research specifically. This has the potential to provide alternative navigation means in GPS-denied environments as well as detect threats adversaries want to keep hidden.

“The work being conducted by Professor Narducci is an excellent example of the benefits of basic research in support of national defense,” said Dr. Kevin Smith, NPS Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. “This research is advancing our state of knowledge about quantum sensing in general but is also being pursued in the context of advanced sensors and the development of precision navigation and timing instrumentation, which is critical for future systems employment in contested environments.”

This combination of cutting-edge technology and research coupled with a defense focus is what defines the unique educational experience at NPS for its master’s and Ph.D. students, delivering a competitive advantage as called for in the Naval Education Strategy in technical disciplines directly relevant to modern naval warfighting.

Quantum science is one of 14 Critical Defense Technology Areas identified by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E), which also funds the DURIP program. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) oversees the Navy’s portion of DURIP grants and competitively awards proposals to universities conducting high-quality, relevant research addressing naval-unique needs.

An atomic fountain is essentially an interferometer – a device that extracts information from determining interference – that tosses atoms up and down in the air, not unlike a water fountain. By measuring minute fluctuations in gravity, for example, the device can reveal a treasure trove of information.

Lobbing cold atoms up in an ultra-high vacuum system and measuring how long they take to come down using wave properties of atoms give quantum sensors their extreme precision. To launch the atoms, two finely-tuned lasers are directed at the atoms, one closer and one further from resonance (the frequency the atom “likes” to absorb).

Narducci explained that pushing the atoms with a single laser, the atoms will overheat. The design instead uses two low power lasers, that vary in frequency that has the effect of gently tossing the atoms up. 

For their initial experiments, Narducci and Berdahl, along with other members of the growing research team, will use the atomic fountain to measure the period of a Foucault’s Pendulum swinging in Spanagel Hall.

Doing so, however, is not so easy as watching it with a stopwatch in hand, Narducci noted.

“If I tell you to measure the swing of the pendulum, but you’re not allowed to look at it, how would you do it?” he asked. “One way to do it is the swinging of the pendulum changes the force of gravity on you; a very, very, very, very small amount, but it does change and the atomic fountain can measure that.”

Finding a location for the tower involved a clever application of re-employing a former elevator shaft in Spanagel Hall, the tallest building on the NPS campus.

Narducci and Berdahl are constructing the fountain there in two phases. The initial version, which Narducci terms a “baby fountain,” will measure nearly 12 feet (4 meters) in height; the final will stand approximately 100 feet (30 meters) tall.

While a taller fountain does imply greater sensitivity in general, bigger does not necessarily mean better when measuring a relatively small object like the pendulum: as the atoms get further and further away, the gravitational effect of the pendulum gets smaller and smaller. On the other hand, the baby fountain might not be tall enough to provide the best measurement. Having the range of a tall fountain affords maximum flexibility in determining the optimal configuration for experiments.

Furthermore, Narducci observed, taking measurements with a tall fountain is hardly field expedient.

“If we’re talking about taking this technology out into the field, we don’t have the luxury of taking a tall instrument out and putting it in the ground and letting it record for 24 hours, then move it two feet to record another 24 hours,” he said. “We would like to do this on operationally-relevant timescales.”

This is precisely what Berdahl is conducting his Ph.D. work on.

“My dissertation is studying the atomic fountain and showing its precision over operationally-relevant timescales.  We’re trying to rapidly capture any changes to the gravitational acceleration vector,” he explained. “The time period that we’re hoping to resolve is the time that it takes for the pendulum to swing once.  Overall, we are characterizing the possible precision we can achieve while constraining our system in allowed dwell times. That’s a challenge!”

Designed as a “user facility” with both on-site and virtual access planned, the atomic fountain will be completely automated and configurable via a web-based interface to connect with the Naval Research and Development Establishment (NR&DE) and other partners involved.

Ultimately, the atomic tower will be in the hands of NPS’ students and defense-expert faculty in 2025 who will be learning and working on it, offering unparalleled education and research opportunities.

Berdahl is immeasurably excited at the prospect of imparting this knowledge.

“Having a grounding in quantum mechanics and how we might use these technologies in the field – its capabilities and constraints – is everything for the leaders who are coming through NPS and moving on to different acquisition jobs, engineering or duty officers,” he said. “They have to understand what this environment in the future might look like, and that includes all the technologies that might be available.”

“That conversation is very, very different if you have quantum sensors than if you don’t,” Berdahl added.

Owner of North Carolina Automotive Business Sentenced for Employment Tax Crimes

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A North Carolina man was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for not paying more than $2 million in employment taxes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, George Taylor Jr., of Wilmington, North Carolina, owned and operated National Speed, a high-performance automotive services business. As the chairman and president of National Speed, Taylor was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those taxes to the IRS. From 2014 through 2021, Taylor withheld employment taxes from his employees’ paychecks but did not pay those taxes over to the IRS, nor did he file the necessary employment tax returns. He executed the scheme by using an accounting software to calculate the taxes to be withheld from his employees’ paychecks, but after withholding the taxes, he simply kept the funds for himself and his business ventures.

In total, Taylor caused a tax loss to the IRS of $2,272,072.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Richard Myers II for the Eastern District of North Carolina ordered Taylor to serve three years of supervised release and pay approximately $2,615,534 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes for the Eastern District of North Carolina prosecuted the case.

Justice Department Seizes Cybercrime Website and Charges Its Administrators

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department today announced the seizure of PopeyeTools, an illicit website and marketplace dedicated to selling stolen credit cards and other tools for carrying out cybercrime and fraud, and unsealed criminal charges against three PopeyeTools administrators: Abdul Ghaffar, 25, of Pakistan; Abdul Sami, 35, of Pakistan; and Javed Mirza, 37, of Afghanistan.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, Ghaffar, Sami, and Mirza are charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, trafficking access devices, and solicitation of another person for the purposes of offering access devices, arising from their roles as administrators of the PopeyeTools website.

As part of the actions announced today, the United States obtained judicial authorization to seize the domains www.PopeyeTools.com, www.PopeyeTools.uk, and www.PopeyeTools.to, which long hosted and facilitated access to the PopeyeTools website. According to the affidavit filed in support of these seizures, since in or around 2016, PopeyeTools served as a significant online marketplace dedicated to selling sensitive financial data and other illicit goods and tools of cybercrime to thousands of users around the world, including users associated with ransomware activity. Some of the stolen information included bank account, credit card, and debit card numbers and associated information for conducting transactions. Since its inception, PopeyeTools has offered for sale the access devices and personally identifiable information (PII) of at least 227,000 individuals and generated at least $1.7 million in revenue.

“As alleged, Ghaffar, Sami, and Mirza founded and ran a longstanding online marketplace that sold illicit goods and services for use in committing cybercrimes, including ransomware attacks and financial frauds,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement of the takedown of the PopeyeTools domains, the criminal charges against its operators, and the seizure of cryptocurrency is yet another example of the department’s ‘all-tools’ approach to combatting cybercrime. Working with our domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to disrupting illicit enterprises through every available means, including by taking over their websites, charging culpable individuals, and seizing their illicit proceeds.”

“Cybercrime knows no boundaries,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “I continue to commend the work of our federal law enforcement partners, who joined forces with law enforcement across the globe, to disrupt this illicit marketplace. The perpetrators of this illegal marketplace allegedly sold the credit card information and personally identifiable information of hundreds of thousands of victims, some who live in western New York. Because of the incredible work of law enforcement, this illegal website has been seized and taken down so no one else can be victimized.”

“Today’s seizure of PopeyeTools, an illegal website and marketplace, highlights the FBI’s dedication to weaken cybercrime,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Miraglia of the FBI Buffalo Field Office. “This takedown is a significant example of the FBI’s technical capabilities, as well as our strong relationships with our international partners to protect people from cybercriminals operating these types of online marketplaces.”

According to court documents, the PopeyeTools marketplace’s motto was “We Believe in Quality Not Quantity,” and the website made a name for itself by allegedly selling stolen access devices and other illicit goods and services that were valid and thereby suited to committing financial fraud. For instance, the “Live Fullz” section offered unauthorized payment card data and PII for cards that were marketed as “live” — i.e., could be used to conduct fraudulent transactions — at a price of approximately $30 per card. Other sections included “Fresh Bank Logs,” which offered logs of stolen bank account information, “Fresh Leads” or email spam lists, “Scam pages,” and “Guides and Tutorials.”

To attract members to the marketplace, PopeyeTools allegedly promised to refund or replace purchased credit cards that were no longer valid at the time of sale. In addition, at different times, PopeyeTools provided customers with access to services that could be used to check the validity of bank account, credit card, or debit card numbers offered through the website.

As part of the actions announced today, the United States also obtained judicial authorization to seize approximately $283,000 worth of cryptocurrencies from a cryptocurrency account controlled by Sami.

If convicted, Ghaffar, Sami, and Mirza face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the three access device offenses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Buffalo Field Office investigated the case.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance. The Justice Department appreciates the significant assistance provided by law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Bonanno for the Western District of New York are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Palma for the Western District of New York also assisted with the announced seizures.

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