Law Enforcement, Military, and Terrorism News

Iranian Commander Threatens Israel and the US

On Thursday, the leader of Iran’s Terrorist Revolutionary Guard stated that Iran is ready to strike the United States and Israel if either nation gives them any reason to do so.

According to Reuters, Major General Hossein Salami said in a speech at a ceremony marking the 40th day since the death of top commander Qassem Soleimani said, “If you make the slightest error, we will hit both of you.”

Soleimani, who was head of the Quds Force, a branch of the Guards responsible for operations outside Iran, was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3 along with Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Earlier on Thursday, a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said the killing of Soleimani will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem.

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“The cowardly and craven assassination of commander Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the Americans will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem, by the grace of God,” the spokesman, Ramezan Sharif, said, according to Reuters.

Iranian officials have upped their rhetoric against both the US and Israel in recent days.

On Wednesday, Israel National News reported that a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry warned that Iran “will give a crushing response that will cause regret to any kind of aggression or stupid action from this regime against our country’s interests in Syria and the region.”

Previously, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned in a TV interview that Iran will “raze Tel Aviv to the ground” if it is attacked by the US.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei regularly threatens Israel and has several times in the past threatened to “annihilate” the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.

In November, he stressed, however, that his country is not against the Jews, only against the “Israeli regime” and the State of Israel, which he described as an “imposed state”.

Reuters.com; Israelnationalnews.com (February, 2020) Iran says it will strike U.S. and Israel if they make the ‘slightest error’; Iranian commander: We’re ready to strike the US and Israel

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper’s Meetings With Counterparts From Poland, the United Kingdom, Romania and Spain

Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper held bilateral meetings with four of his counterparts from Poland, the United Kingdom, Romania and Spain during the first day of the February 2020 NATO Defense Ministerial.

Secretary Esper and Polish Minister of National Defence Marius Błaszczak hailed 2019 as a banner year for U.S.-Polish relations, which included two Presidential Joint Declarations on force posture and cooperative efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and NATO’s enhanced forward presence in Latvia.

Secretary Esper thanked Poland for their contributions to defense spending and for hosting an historic DEFENDER Europe 2020 exercise later this year.

Esper then met with Minister of National Defense for Romania Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă. The leaders affirmed their commitment to ensuring security in the Black Sea region, deterring Russian aggression, and bolstering interoperability.

Secretary Esper thanked Romanians for hosting SEA SHIELD 2020 next month, which will lead to greater maritime interoperability and deeper cooperation among NATO allies and partners. He also acknowledged Romania’s positive progress on defense spending and international contributions.

Secretary Esper and Secretary of State for Defense for the United Kingdom Ben Wallace also had an opportunity to meet and discuss their shared mission to defeat ISIS. Esper thanked the U.K. for their strong statements of commitment over the past weeks, and the U.K.’s enduring support which has allowed the coalition to navigate a number of challenges over the past several years.

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Secretary Esper thanked Minister Wallace for being a steadfast and loyal ally as one of our oldest friends and partners.

Finally, during a bilateral meeting with Minister of Defense for Spain Margarita Robles, Secretary Esper expressed his appreciation for Spain’s strong defense partnership. He urged them to honor their pledge to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024 and vowed to continue to partner together in our shared mission to defeat ISIS. The leaders confirmed they look forward to a continued partnership.

Secretary Esper will continue to meet with partners and allies throughout the Defense Ministerial, reaffirming the importance of strengthening the NATO alliance through readiness, ensuring more equitable burden sharing, and addressing regional security issues.

Defense.gov(February, 2020) Readout of Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper’s Meetings With Counterparts From Poland, the United Kingdom, Romania and Spain

Ohio Resident Charged with Operating Darknet-Based Bitcoin “Mixer,” which Laundered Over $300 Million

An Ohio man was arrested for his operation of Helix, a Darknet-based cryptocurrency laundering service.

“Helix” Laundered Bitcoin From Numerous Darknet Markets

An Ohio man was arrested for his operation of Helix, a Darknet-based cryptocurrency laundering service.

In the three-count indictment unsealed Feb. 11 in the District of Columbia, Larry Harmon, 36, of Akron, Ohio, was charged with money laundering conspiracy, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and conducting money transmission without a D.C. license.

According to the indictment, Harmon operated Helix from 2014 to 2017. Helix functioned as a bitcoin “mixer” or “tumbler,” allowing customers, for a fee, to send bitcoin to designated recipients in a manner that was designed to conceal the source or owner of the bitcoin. Helix was linked to and associated with “Grams,” a Darknet search engine also run by Harmon.

Harmon advertised Helix to customers on the Darknet as a way to conceal transactions from law enforcement.

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“Helix allegedly laundered hundreds of millions of dollars of illicit narcotics proceeds and other criminal profits for Darknet users around the globe,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment underscores that seeking to obscure virtual currency transactions in this way is a crime, and that the Department can and will ensure that such crime doesn’t pay.”

“For those who seek to use Darknet-based cryptocurrency tumblers, these charges should serve as a reminder that law enforcement, through its partnerships and collaboration, will uncover illegal activity and charge those responsible for unlawful acts,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea of the District of Columbia.

“The brazenness with which Helix operated should be the most appalling aspect of this operation to every day citizens. There are bad actors and then there are criminals who facilitate hundreds of other crimes,” said Don Fort, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. “The sole purpose of Harmon’s operation was to conceal criminal transactions from law enforcement on the Darknet, and because of our growing expertise in this area, he could not make good on that promise. Working in tandem with other sites, he sought to be the ‘go-to’ money launderer on the Darknet, but our investigators once again played the role of criminal disrupters, unraveling the interlinked web from one tentacle to another. We thank the Belizean authorities and other law enforcement agencies for their assistance on this case.”

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“The perceived anonymity of cryptocurrency and the Darknet may appeal to criminals as a refuge to hide their illicit activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Timothy M. Dunham of the Criminal Division of the FBI Washington Field Office. “However, as this arrest demonstrates, the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing the illegal practices of money launderers and other financial criminals to light and to justice, regardless of whether they are using new technological means to carry out their schemes.”

The indictment alleges that Helix moved over 350,000 bitcoin – valued at over $300 million at the time of the transactions – on behalf of customers, with the largest volume coming from Darknet markets. Helix partnered with the Darknet market AlphaBay to provide bitcoin laundering services for AlphaBay customers. AlphaBay was one of the largest Darknet marketplaces in operation at the time that it was seized by law enforcement in July 2017.

The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation was led by the IRS-CI and the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Criminal Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, IRS Field Offices of Washington, D.C.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Oakland, California; and the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Field Offices of Cleveland, Ohio — Akron Resident Agency; Newark, New Jersey; and San Francisco, California — San Jose Resident Agency and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service provided essential support for the operation.

Internationally, the Belize Ministry of the Attorney General and the Belize National Police Department simultaneously executed a search warrant of a residence allegedly leased by Harmon in Belize as U.S. authorities executed warrants in the United States. U.S. law enforcement agencies, coordinated by U.S. Embassy Belmopan, assisted in the Belize action. “These actions underscore the vital importance of working closely with our law enforcement partners in Belize to make both of our countries safer and secure,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Keith Gilges.

Trial Attorneys S. Riane Harper and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Additional assistance has been provided by Trial Attorneys Emily Siedell and Brian Nicholson of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, former CCIPS Trial Attorney W. Joss Nichols and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Riedl of the Northern District of Ohio.

Justice.gov (February, 2020) Ohio Resident Charged with Operating Darknet-Based Bitcoin “Mixer,” which Laundered Over $300 Million

Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Return Preparer

The United States government filed a civil injunction suit seeking to bar Wesley Adam Kroll from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The complaint also seeks an order that Kroll disgorge ill-gotten return preparation fees that he obtained through his alleged misconduct.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, alleges that Kroll has operated three tax return preparation stores in Albany and Moultrie, Georgia, under the names United Tax Service, American Tax Service, American Tax, and Tax South.

The government alleges that Kroll prepared tax returns claiming fabricated businesses and business-related profits or losses, and various false tax deductions and credits, including education, childcare, and earned income tax credits. The complaint estimates the lost tax revenue from federal tax returns prepared by Kroll and his employees exceeds $1.9 million.

According to the complaint, the IRS took multiple steps to correct Kroll’s unlawful behavior, including conducting in-person educational visits with Kroll in 2012, 2014, and 2015; issuing him warning letters in 2013 and 2016; and assessing him with $182,500 in tax return preparer penalties. But, the government alleges, these efforts have failed to curb Kroll’s unlawful behavior.

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“The Justice Department is committed to working with the IRS to bring enforcement actions against unscrupulous return preparers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Zuckerman. “This civil action is further evidence that the IRS and the Tax Division will use all available tools to hold dishonest return preparers accountable and protect the U.S. Treasury from damage.”

Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.

In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page.

If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

Justice.gov (February, 2020) Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Return Preparer

Guilty Plea: Soldier at Fort Riley Described How to Make Explosive Devices

Jarrett William Smith, 24, Ft. Riley, Kan., pleaded guilty today to unlawfully distributing instructions for making explosive devices over social media while he was a member of the U.S. Army, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Smith, described by prosecutors as a Satanist, pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction. Smith joined the Army June 12, 2017. He served as an infantry soldier and was trained in combat and tactical operations.

He was transferred to Fort Riley in Kansas July 8, 2019.

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The FBI received information that Smith gave out guidance to others on how to construct improvised explosive devices. He spoke to others on social media about wanting to travel to Ukraine to fight with a violent, far-right military group.

On September 20, 2019, from Fort Riley Smith sent a person working undercover for the FBI specific instructions for making an explosive device. He also provided a recipe for creating improvised napalm.

Smith signed a formal plea agreement with federal prosecutors and then entered his pleas verbally during a half-hour court hearing before U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree. He wore an orange prison jumpsuit and black athletic shoes and alternated between “Yes” and “Yes, sir” in answering questions from Crabtree.

“Did you provide this information with the intent that the person would use it?” Crabtree asked him.

Smith replied, “Yes.”

Sentencing is set for May 18. Smith could face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. McAllister commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.

Justice.gov; Armytimes.com (February, 2020) Guilty Plea: Soldier at Fort Riley Described How to Make Explosive Devices; ‘Satanist’ Fort Riley soldier pleads guilty to bomb plot charges