January 17, 2020 – A former Commander of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) was convicted by a federal jury today of obstructing justice and making false statements, among other charges, in connection with the death of a civilian at the naval base. John Nettleton, 54, of Jacksonville, Florida, was convicted of obstructing justice, concealing information, falsifying records and making false…
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Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Retaining Classified National Defense Information Regarding U.S. Military Programs
December 13, 2019 – A Sharon, Massachusetts, man pleaded guilty today to willfully retaining national defense information. Ahmedelhadi Yassin Serageldin, 66, an Egyptian-born nationalized U.S. citizen, admitted to removing classified national defense information from his workplace at a defense contractor without authorization and keeping it unsecured within his home. Serageldin was originally indicted and arrested in November 2018 on one…
Read MoreNavy Employee Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses with Multiple Victims
November 7, 2019 – A Navy employee, who resided in Silver Spring, Maryland, before moving to Japan, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for the production, transportation and possession of child pornography. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland and Special Agent in…
Read MoreJustice Department Announces Procurement Collusion Strike Force
November 5, 2019 – The Justice Department announced today the formation of the new Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) focusing on deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting antitrust crimes, such as bid-rigging conspiracies and related fraudulent schemes, which undermine competition in government procurement, grant and program funding. At a press conference today at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., Assistant Attorney…
Read MoreU.S. Navy Officer, His Wife, and Two Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Military Style Inflatable Boats and Evinrude Military Outboard Motors to China
November 1, 2019 – Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida announce the return of an indictment today of four individuals, including two Chinese nationals, an active-duty United States Navy officer, and his wife, on charges relating to a conspiracy to unlawfully smuggle military-style inflatable boats, with Evinrude MFE…
Read MoreJustice Department Files Suit Against Walmart Inc. to Enforce Employment Rights of Naval Reservist
October 30, 2019 – The Department of Justice filed a complaint today in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado on behalf of Naval Petty Officer Third Class Lindsey Hunger against Walmart Inc. The complaint alleges that Walmart violated the law when it declined to hire Hunger due to her upcoming naval reserve duties. “Servicemembers risk their…
Read MoreDepartment of Justice Announces Forfeiture of North Korean Cargo Vessel
October 21, 2019 – The Department of Justice today announced the entry of a judgment of forfeiture regarding the M/V Wise Honest (the “Wise Honest”), a 17,061-ton, single-hull bulk carrier ship registered in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“DPRK” or “North Korea”). The Wise Honest, one of North Korea’s largest bulk carriers, was used to illicitly ship coal from…
Read MoreTwo International Shipping Companies Pay $1.8 Million for Failing to Notify the Coast Guard of a Hazardous Vessel Condition and Concealing Vessel Oil Pollution
October 15, 2019 – Two shipping companies incorporated in Liberia pled guilty today in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, to failing to notify the U.S. Coast Guard of a hazardous condition on one if its vessels and to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by presenting false documents to the Coast Guard that covered up vessel oil…
Read MoreTurkish Businessman Sentenced to 27 Months Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Violate U.S. Sanctions by Exporting Marine Equipment from the United States to Iran
September 3, 2019 – Resit Tavan, a Turkish Businessman and owner of the Istanbul-based Turkish business Ramor Dis Ticaret Ltd. (also known as the “Ramor Group”) was sentenced on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, in Federal District Court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to 27 months imprisonment in connection with his conviction for conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions by exporting specialized marine equipment…
Read MoreUnsealed Warrant and Forfeiture Complaint Seek Seizure of Oil Tanker “Grace 1” for Unlawful Use of U.S. Financial System to Support and Finance IRGC’s Sale of Oil Products to Syria
August 16, 2019 – A seizure warrant and forfeiture complaint were unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging that Oil Tanker “Grace 1,” all petroleum aboard it and $995,000.00 are subject to forfeiture based on violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), bank fraud statute, and money laundering statute, as well as…
Read MoreFormer Government Contractor Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Willful Retention of National Defense Information
July 19, 2019 – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett today sentenced Harold Thomas Martin, III, age 54, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for willful retention of national defense information. The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the…
Read MoreElectrical Engineer Convicted of Conspiring to Illegally Export to China Semiconductor Chips with Missile Guidance Applications
July 2, 2019 – An electrical engineer has been found guilty of multiple federal criminal charges, including engaging in a scheme to illegally obtain integrated circuits with military applications that later were exported to China without the required export license. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Nicola T. Hanna for the Central District of California…
Read MoreFormer Navy Employee Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses with Multiple Victims
June 11, 2019 – A former Navy employee who resided in Maryland before moving to Japan pleaded guilty today to the production, transportation and possession of child pornography. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the…
Read MoreWikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Charged in 18-Count Superseding Indictment
May 23, 2019 – A federal grand jury returned an 18-count superseding indictment today charging Julian P. Assange, 47, the founder of WikiLeaks, with offenses that relate to Assange’s alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary…
Read MoreFormer Intelligence Analyst Charged with Disclosing Classified Information
May 9, 2019 – An indictment was unsealed today charging a former intelligence analyst with illegally obtaining classified national defense information and disclosing it to a reporter. Daniel Everette Hale, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested this morning and will make his initial appearance today at the federal courthouse in Nashville. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers,…
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