Category: MIL-OSI

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Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meetings with Senior Leaders in the Federated States of Micronesia

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Spokesperson Navy Cmdr. Desiree Frame provided the following readout: 

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Vice President of the Federated Sates of Micronesia (FSM) Aren Palik, FSM Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert, and the Lt. Gov. of Chuuk, FSM, Hon. Mekioshy William, July 21-22.  

During these engagements, she emphasized how the U.S. and FSM’s shared commitment to their longstanding defense and security ties, underpinned by the Compact of Free Association, support freedom, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. 

The leaders discussed new prospects for defense posture cooperation, including in Yap State, and talked about enhanced exercise opportunities as the U.S. – FSM partnership grows stronger. They also underscored the importance of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Partnership 2024-2 – the largest maritime humanitarian and civic assistance mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific – to the people of FSM. 

The CNO highlighted how the United States military serves as a defense force for the freely associated states, including Micronesia, and how America’s all-volunteer force draws strength from Freely Associated States citizens. Franchetti said she was grateful for the military service of Micronesian citizens, who serve at a higher rate per capita than any other U.S. state. 

This was Franchetti’s first meeting with FSM leadership. 

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Defense News: US Navy, Marines participate in trilateral exercise PEGASE

Source: United States Navy

PEGASE, an annual French Air and Space Force-led deployment in the Indo-Pacific, spans the globe while exercising operational cooperation actions with air forces from many nations. This year’s marks the fifth itineration since its inception in 2018.

This phase of the exercise includes multiple aircraft, as: U.S. Navy E/A 18-G Growler and 1 P-8A, Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-2, two French Rafale and French Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).

“The stopover in Japan will be the occasion of an exceptional and unique opportunity to demonstrate the interoperability between our joint and combined armed forces and the layers of complexity we continue to build as we exercise together,” said Cmdr. Yann Soulard, France liaison officer to U.S. 7th Fleet. “The ability to have multiple countries provide different aircraft from different branches, with the ability to rely on each other in order to complete the mission, will be key ​in the years to come (or to be able to operate together).”

PEGASE provided opportunities to conduct formation flying, practice targeting, and train air-to-air refueling on the French MRTT.

Deployments such as PEGASE allow the opportunity for integration of all branches of service, as well as allied forces, to improve all our military skills in the air domain and demonstrate the strength and versatility of the joint forces and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

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Defense News: Navy Provides Wastewater Treatment Plant Centrifuge to Maui County

Source: United States Navy

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) working with the State of Hawaii, transferred two centrifuge units to the County of Maui this week to support their wastewater operations. Weighing nearly 7,300 pounds each, the centrifuge operates by separating water from digested sludge so that the solid waste can be properly disposed of.

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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Sextorting Numerous Minors

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police.

Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.

On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement.

The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance.

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Pain Management Physician and Former Member of Kentucky’s Medical Board Convicted of Unlawfully Prescribing Opioids

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal judge convicted a medical doctor and former member of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) today for unlawfully distributing opioids.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML. In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances. However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients. Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher.  

Fletcher was convicted of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joseph Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement.

The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Natalie Kanerva of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.