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4/16/21

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Hector Pearson named Senior Director of Asset Protection for Rite Aid

Before joining Rite Aid as Senior Director of Asset Protection, Hector spent nearly a year with Lowe's Companies as Regional Pro Sales Director. Prior to that, he spent four years with JCPenney as Regional Asset Protection Director - West Coast Market. Before that, he spent 12 years with CVS Health as Director of Area Loss Prevention. Earlier in his career, he spent two years at Hollywood Video as Senior Regional Loss Prevention Manager. Congratulations, Hector!

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ADT wins 2021 TMA/SSI Monitoring Technology "Marvel" Award

The Marvel Award recognizes monitoring centers for creating and/or using cutting-edge technology and to raise awareness of these new technologies.

April 16, 2021, McLean, VA - The Monitoring Association (TMA) and Security Sales & Integration (SSI) Magazine Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Scott Goldfine had the honor of presenting the 2021 TMA/SSI Monitoring Technology “Marvel” Award to Florida-based ADT, LLC virtually this afternoon for its SoSecure app. Leah Page, Vice President, Mobile Security & Strategic Projects, ADT, accepted the award on behalf of winning company.

This award honors innovations in monitoring center technology. It is co-sponsored by TMA and Security Sales & Integration (SSI) and coordinated by the TMA Technology Committee. The purpose of the Marvel Award is to provide recognition for monitoring centers creating and/or using cutting-edge technology and to raise awareness of these new technologies.

SoSecure by ADT is an iOS and Android safety app. It gives customers access to ADT’s 24/7 professional monitoring and emergency response with a simple swipe, tap, or voice command on their mobile phone. GPS location, personally identifiable details, and any available contextual data is shared with emergency responders unless the user indicates (with authentication) that the request was an accident. With an estimated 240 million calls made to 911 in the U.S. annually, often with limited location data according to NENA, this can potentially be lifesaving.

ADT also notifies family and friends in case of an emergency, providing added reassurance. SoSecure’s core safety features, including sending an SOS alert by sliding a button or via SMS chat, are free for everyone.

Learn more about the innovative technologies that ADT and this year’s awards finalists, Acadian Monitoring Services and General Monitoring Services, Inc., have engineered in the August 2021 issue of SSI Magazine. tma.us

2021 TMA Excellence Awards Winners Announced

Vivint Home Security and Universal Atlantic Systems take top awards

See the full list of winners

Protests & Violence

5th Night of Protests in Minnesota is Calm
Despite curfew, fifth night of Brooklyn Center protest ends with no dispersal

Late Thursday, only a few people remained from an earlier crowd of about 1,000. Law enforcement made no move to disperse them.

The overpowering scent of vehicle air fresheners and the occasional sound of fence-rattling and fireworks filled the air Thursday as about 1,000 people protested outside the Brooklyn Center police headquarters.

The fifth night of protests outside the station ended much more quietly and peacefully than the previous four. At 11:30 p.m., only a few people still lingered. No dispersal order had been issued, unlike previous nights, and there was no sign that law enforcement planned to remove the remaining protesters.

Early on, the demonstration was noisy but peaceful, but tensions grew some after about 8:15 p.m., when Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliot tweeted that a curfew had been declared. The declaration came as a surprise on a night when the only other metro-area curfew announced previously had been for Champlin. That's where former officer Kimberly Potter, charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, lives with her family. startribune.com

'Aggressive & Dangerous Tactics'
Days of clashes in Minnesota open new rift over military-style police tactics when dealing with protests

Mayor has been critical of Sheriff Office's response to protests.

Ongoing clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement at Brooklyn Center police headquarters are sparking sharp criticism of the military-style presence and tactics used to control demonstrations in the wake of Sunday's police killing of Daunte Wright.

A small but growing coalition of activists and Democratic elected leaders have called on Gov. Tim Walz and the law enforcement groups involved with Operation Safety Net to stand down or stop using so-called flash-bang devices and chemical irritants to control protesters who have converged at the police station every night since Sunday.

A group of 35 community groups, unions and social justice organizations called for an immediate end to the police and military presence, saying authorities are using unnecessarily aggressive and dangerous tactics.

"We are horrified by the state's preemptive force against its people, and the compounding trauma caused by the state against Black, brown and Indigenous communities," the group said in a statement. "Punishing people for grieving police violence with militarized force is not leadership — it is violence." startribune.com

Officer Makes 1st Court Appearance After Manslaughter Charge
The Debate Over Ex-Officer Potter's Charges
Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kimberly Potter made her first court appearance Thursday in the killing of Daunte Wright, facing one count of second-degree manslaughter.

Interviews with several Twin Cities criminal defense attorneys on Thursday found no consensus over whether Potter was appropriately charged by Washington County Attorney Pete Orput. Several said Potter was undercharged, while others said Orput got it right.

Fred Bruno, a defense attorney who has frequently represented police officers for four decades, said he didn't believe Potter committed a crime. "She did not consciously discharge her firearm, so there is no intent to do that," Bruno said. "In Minnesota, with very few exceptions, accident is a complete defense to a crime."

Bruno said he has represented at least three officers in accidental gun discharge cases, two of which resulted in death. In all three cases, the officer was found not guilty. startribune.com

Minneapolis chief: Cities, agencies make own calls on tear gas, crowd control

Breaking down the video: What happened during Daunte Wright’s traffic stop

American Policing is on Trial
Police respond to Chauvin trial: 'Our American way of policing is on trial'
Across the country, police officers and commanders, active and retired, are watching Chauvin’s trial with a mix of interest and angst. Their responses, in interviews conducted this week, share some common themes, notably that the trial illustrates how one incident can shift the public conversation about policing.

But the responses also vary. While some officers see the trial as an encouraging example of the criminal justice system holding a rogue officer accountable, others see it as a sign that a growing portion of the country, led by the media, politicians, prosecutors and top commanders, has turned against them.

No one interviewed justified Chauvin’s act of pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. But some officers complained that the trial has not sufficiently examined Chauvin’s frame of mind, or the fear that officers feel while trying to arrest someone who does not want to be taken into custody. Some see Chauvin as doomed for conviction, and said their profession felt doomed as well.

“It’s disheartening to hear the prosecution throw cops under the bus and leave the defense to build them up, which is the opposite of what normally happens,” said a white detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of losing his job. “It sucks.”

The trial is unfolding at a time of deep soul-searching among American police officers after a year in which they were tested by the coronavirus, targeted in nationwide protests against police brutality and subjected to calls to limit their power, either by cutting budgets or restricting the tactics they can use. nbcnews.com

Closing arguments set for Monday after Chauvin doesn't testify

DC Police to activate full department ahead of verdict in Derek Chauvin trial

Behind the Scenes of the Security & Policing Failures at the Capitol
D.C. Police requested backup at least 17 times in 78 minutes during Capitol riot

A reconstruction shows how failures of planning and preparation left police at the Capitol severely disadvantaged on Jan. 6

Glover and a team of D.C. police officers had rushed to the besieged complex moments earlier at the behest of Capitol Police. By the time they arrived, the Capitol grounds were already being overrun by a mob intent on overturning President Donald Trump’s electoral defeat.

Over the next 78 minutes, Glover requested backup at least 17 times, according to a Washington Post analysis of the events, and the mob on the west side eventually grew to at least 9,400 people, outnumbering officers by more than 58 to one.

Officers quickly suffered injuries as the mob grew in size and became more violent, according to video and audio recordings. Glover’s pleas for officers and munitions grew more urgent.

The researchers at Carnegie Mellon’s Informedia Project estimated that there were at least 3,400 people on the northern half of the west side of the Capitol at that time, based on an analysis of images and videos that, when stitched together, cover that area. That is almost certainly an undercount, researchers said, because it does not include people who were obstructed by objects such as flags or trees. About 118 of those present are police officers, according to a Post review of the images. washingtonpost.com

Doc reveals details of Pence call during Capitol attack: "Building not secure"

How the Capitol Riot Suspects Are Challenging the Charges

NYC needs a crime-fighting mayor again — not one out to appease the defunders
“As you look down the road, as far as crime-reduction in New York City, it’s a very bleak picture,” ex-NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly recently told radio host John Catsimatidis. “There’s no light at the end of the tunnel, as far as I can see.”

That was one bleak assessment by the city’s former top cop. Kelly lamented that none of the leading mayoral candidates has shown an interest in cracking down on crime.

Case in point: Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang was heckled and called “pro-cop” by demonstrators during a bike ride protesting the police-involved shooting death of Daunte Wright on Tuesday night.

Apparently, the anti-cop protesters took offense at Yang’s mild call for more funding for the NYPD’s Asian Hate Crimes Task Force amid a spate of violent attacks. But Yang’s remarks are in-sync with most New Yorkers, who want police follow-up to both solve crimes and prevent future ones — with the perps arrested, tried and imprisoned.

The bullies have most of the Democratic mayoral wannabes embracing the “Defund the police” nonsense. Progressive favorite Maya Wiley would cut the headcount at 1 Police Plaza and city jails and use the savings to fund one-stop community centers and so on.

Establishment Democrat Scott Stringer strives to appease the radicals by taking various responsibilities (and funding) from the NYPD and giving the Civilian Complaint Review Board final say over cop discipline — kneecapping the department’s commissioner.

City Hall needs straight-talking leadership with a laser focus on reducing crime and disorder — someone who’ll face down the radicals who demand police scalps and stand with a public that desperately wants the “good old days” of ever-increasing public safety to return. nypost.com

FBI 2020 Summer Riots Update:

Man Who Set Fire to Chicago Police Vehicle Pleads Guilty In Federal Court

Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Fires to Raleigh Business During Riots

COVID Update

198M Vaccinations Given

US: 32.2M Cases - 579K Dead - 24.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 139.8M Cases - 3M Dead - 118.8M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 282
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Spring wave of coronavirus crashes across 38 states as hospitalizations increase
The coronavirus pandemic in the United States has turned into a patchwork of regional hotspots, with some states hammered by a surge of infections and hospitalizations even as others have seen the crisis begin to ease. The spring wave of the pandemic has driven hospitalizations above 47,000, the highest since March 4.

Thirty-eight states have reported an increase during the past week in the number of people hospitalized with covid-19, the disease caused by the virus.

But the national statistics don’t capture the intensity of the coronavirus emergency in the hotspots. Michigan reported more than 10,000 new infections on Tuesday alone. The state on Wednesday reported an average of 46 deaths a day, up from 16 a month earlier.

Along with Michigan, 32 other states have registered increases in infections in the past two weeks, including all the states along the Great Lakes, from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania. Minnesota and South Dakota are also up, making the Upper Midwest the major regional center of the spring wave. If there’s a single broad trend, it’s that the northern tier of the country is generally faring worse than the southern — for the moment.

Other regional hotspots include Maine and New Hampshire in northern New England; Delaware and Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic; Arizona, Colorado and Nevada in the Mountain West; and Oregon and Washington in the Pacific Northwest.

By contrast, much of the Deep South, with the exception of Florida and Georgia in recent days, has reported sharp decreases. Since the winter wave ended, numbers in West Texas and the Great Plains have improved.

“In a nutshell, the increasing trend is concerning — covid-19 is clearly alive and well,” said Jeffrey S. Duchin, health officer for Seattle and King County. “It’s causing a large number of illnesses in young and middle-aged adults right now.”

“There’s a clear latitude effect. If you go up into Canada, they’ve been having a really hard time,” he said. washingtonpost.com

Vaccine Supply & Demand - 21% Still Hesitant & 'Unlikely'
Several states have seen an uptick in cases
Even as millions of Americans are vaccinated each day, which can be attributed in part to the lifting of restrictions on masks and businesses and general pandemic fatigue more than a year after the virus began to spread widely. More contagious variants are spreading throughout the country, and experts warn that new variants could pop up until the country reaches a greater degree of immunity.

Meanwhile the Johnson & Johnson pull back of their vaccine will not impact Biden's plan to have enough vaccine doses for all American adults by end of May.

But vaccine hesitancy is an issue even before the unwelcome news. Monmouth found that 21 percent of U.S. adults say they are unlikely to get a vaccine, down from 24 percent in March but still high.

Biden has called on governors to reinstate mask mandates in states where they have been lifted and to reconsider the easing of some restrictions, warning that too many Americans feel the fight against the pandemic is over. thehill.com

It's With Us For Life - Annual Shots Needed
Annual Covid-19 Vaccine Booster Shots Likely Needed, Pfizer CEO Says

It looks likely booster shots required within a year to stay ahead of virus variants

Chief Executive Albert Bourla said it is likely that people who receive Covid-19 vaccines will need booster shots within a year afterward, and then annual vaccinations, to maintain protection against the virus as it evolves.

“The variants will play a key role. It is extremely important to suppress the pool of people that can be susceptible to the virus,” “And there are vaccines like flu that you need every year. The Covid virus looks more like the influenza virus than the polio virus.”

Researchers still don’t know how long protection lasts from any of the Covid-19 vaccines, although they are studying the issue. New shots or boosters might be necessary, vaccine experts say, if the virus mutates significantly enough. wsj.com

Nothing is 100% - 0.008% Ain't Bad
5,800 Fully Vaccinated Americans Out of 66 Million Got COVID
These so-called breakthrough cases, which are defined as positive Covid-19 test results received at least two weeks after patients receive their final vaccine dose, represent 0.008% of the fully vaccinated population. wsj.com

ICE HSI marks the anniversary of 'Operation Stolen Promise'
With $48M in COVID-19 fraud proceeds, 21.2M fake respirator masks seized
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) marks the one-year anniversary of the announcement of Operation Stolen Promise, the ongoing operation protecting the United States from COVID-19 related crime. Combining HSI’s investigative expertise in intellectual property and trade violations, financial fraud, and cybercrime, HSI and its partners have seized over $48 million in illicit proceeds, opened more than 1,000 criminal investigations and made more than 2,000 seizures of mislabeled, fraudulent, or prohibited COVID-19 vaccines, test kits, including more than 21.2 million counterfeit respirator masks prevented from reaching hospital workers and first responders since April 15, 2020.

Operation Stolen Promise has resulted in 267 arrests and scores of ongoing criminal investigations.

One of HSI’s most significant and wide-ranging ongoing investigations involves a criminal organization selling and distributing counterfeit 3M N-95 masks throughout the United States. In February, HSI announced the prevention of millions of counterfeit N95 masks from reaching hospital workers and first responders. HSI has initiated 98 criminal investigations into counterfeit 3M respirators and seized more than $5 million in criminal proceeds derived from the sale of counterfeit 3M masks, in addition to preventing these masks from entering hospital and consumer supply chains.

For more information on Operation Stolen Promise visit www.ice.gov/topics/operation-stolen-promise.

Supply Chain Crisis?
The US is facing a supply-chain crisis as 21 cargo ships float off the coast of LA waiting to dock

A supply-chain crisis is quietly brewing off the coast of Southern California as massive freighters wait for dock space to open up.

California ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach account for about one-third of US imports. These ports operate as a primary source of imports from China and have been heavily congested for months.

On Wednesday, 21 ships were anchored off the coast waiting for a spot to open up to unload at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, according to data from the Marine Exchange of Southern California.

The Southern California ports are facing more congestion than ever, Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, told Insider.

The ships carry millions of dollars worth of popular imports, including furniture, auto parts, clothes, electronics, and plastics, according to data from the Port of Los Angeles. Supplies of these materials could be heavily depleted in the US due to the backlog of ships. businessinsider.com

Expect More Inspections - More Citations - More Litigating
Here Comes OSHA - New Head & $100M to Agents

Biden nominates California safety chief as head of OSHA
In his role at Cal/OSHA, Parker oversaw the development and issuance of an emergency temporary COVID-19 standard for the state. California is one of a handful of states that has its own coronavirus-related standard, and Biden has ordered federal OSHA to evaluate the need for one at a national level.

Look to President Barack Obama's administration for clues as to how a Parker-run OSHA might operate. "Under Parker, OSHA will resume the type of priorities and strategies favored by OSHA under the Obama administration," Parker will use enforcement by shaming and issue press releases when citations are issued instead of when they become final. Employers should also expect more inspections, more citations, less negotiating and more litigating."

Critics of former President Barack Obama's OSHA pointed often to its strongly worded press releases about employer safety violations as unfair attacks. Those press releases continued until former President Donald Trump's inauguration at which point they fell off dramatically. hrdive.com

Macy's Backstage opening 45 shop-in-shops

Quarterly Results
Rite Aid Q4 Retail Pharmacy Segment comp's down 0.3%, consisting of front-end down 5.6% with pharmacy up 2%, sales up 3%
Rite Aid FY 2020 Retail Pharmacy Segment comp's up 3.5%, consisting of front-end up 3.1% with pharmacy up 3.2%, sales up 4.8%

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Prosegur Security Expands to the UK and Opens European Retail Headquarters

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. and LONDON, England - Prosegur Security, a global leader in security technology, has launched expanded operations in the U.K. and opened its new European retail headquarters near London.

“Prosegur will support the rebuilding of UK industry and infrastructure as the nation continues to recover from the impact of coronavirus,” said Simon Chapman, Prosegur’s vice president for UK and Europe. “We bring an advanced range of integrated technology solutions to meet the needs of organizations across every sector of industry, including retail, logistics, manufacturing and other commercial clients. As the third largest security company in the world, we are well known across the 26 countries we currently serve. For the UK and Europe, we will be demonstrating our proven services to all sectors in a series of virtual and physical trade events throughout the remainder of 2021 and beyond.”

Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, Prosegur has been vigorously expanding, largely thanks to the strong demand for technology-driven security solutions that can increase efficiency and effectiveness of corporate security programs while at the same time controlling costs. The company’s UK and European retail launch comes at the heels of similar expansion in the U.S. where in January it opened a new 40,000 square feet distribution center and global retail headquarters in Florida.

“Prosegur’s key differentiator is the ability to provide a security solution that is a lot more than a sum of its parts,” said Tony D’Onofrio, CEO of Prosegur’s global retail business unit. “We leverage technology and innovation—especially in the areas of Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) —and are already actively partnering on these advanced solutions with multiple leading European retailers. Opening a European retail headquarters provides the framework to intensify next generation retail technologies discussions and delivery across the entire continent.”

The first event where UK and European business leaders will have a chance to acquaint themselves with Prosegur’s offerings will be the Retail Risk conference taking place in London, both in person and virtually, on July 22, 2021.

Organized Hacker Groups Pouncing on Hybrid Workforce
Protecting the human attack surface from the next ransomware attack

Ransomware is making another resurgence, particularly in targeted attacks from highly organized hacker groups. In fact, cybercrime is surging since the start of the pandemic.

When IT and security professionals plan how to respond, they must not underestimate the degree to which many of the transformative changes to our working patterns enacted due to COVID-19 have already changed our risk of ransomware attacks.

Many organizations are assuming a more distributed and hybrid workforce as their new normal in order to provide resilience, agility and a far broader reach in the battle for talent. However, this change has led to an uptick in focused ransomware campaigns by targeting the “human attack surface” of such organizations in a more subtle, insidious manner.

In a survey of 582 information security professionals, 50% say they do not believe their organization is prepared to repel a ransomware attack. Adding to this, 75% of companies infected with ransomware were running up-to-date endpoint protection. Covering each and every endpoint is no longer enough to guarantee security. In order to protect organizations from the next big ransomware attack, security teams must invest in protecting the human attack surface and understanding the enterprise technology habits within its organizations that make it most vulnerable.

In a world where the attack surface is now extended to thousands of homes, businesses require better visibility, governance, and access management in order to reduce the paths through which malware can propagate to critical systems and data stores. And this imperative extends beyond user to application access to application relationships that are often the second or third hop in a ransomware attack. This is the impetus for many new zero trust projects launching in 2021.

The move to a more distributed workforce has brought many blessings and is likely to become part of the new normal. However, when it comes to addressing the challenges of the human attack surface, prevention is better than double extortion attempts or the millions of dollars in damages caused by a single breach. helpnetsecurity.com

The U.S. Government's Cybersecurity Dilemma
How the Biden Administration Can Make Digital Identity a Reality

A digital identity framework is the answer to the US government's cybersecurity dilemma.

While data breaches and ransomware attacks kept the cybersecurity industry preoccupied last year, the scope of the SolarWinds data breach far surpassed common exploits, garnering mainstream and social media attention. The breach impacted several of the country's largest technology companies, including Cisco, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, as well as the US Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, and Treasury. This incident prompted President Joe Biden to quickly sign the American Rescue Plan Act into law, prioritizing cybersecurity and allocating $2 billion to modernize the country's digital infrastructure.

The Biden administration has promised to broadly improve digital security, monitoring, and response times, establishing a modern "digital identity" system of particular importance. A digital identity system compiles specific information, such as proof of age, passport number, and basic health and financial data, into one "card" that resides on your phone, backed with biometric security.

By using recent European regulations as a foundation to secure individuals' data and link it to their digital identity, the federal government could close the security gaps that have historically led to fraud. Digital identity authentication would be faster, more accurate, and more useful than manually checking physical ID cards, accelerating public and private sector transactions.

A Holistic Approach to Digital Identity

Digital identity has already gained bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. In 2020, Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL) and John Katho (R-NY) introduced the Improving Digital Identity Act, designed to establish a nationwide approach to improving digital identity. Now, the Biden administration plans to leverage digital identity for modernization of public services, ranging from government assistance to healthcare to licensing.

Any error would allow bad actors to access sensitive data and impersonate customers, resulting in fraudulent requests for government services, credit cards, loans, or licenses. Implementing a secure, robust digital identity system is critical as scammers created over 145,000 suspicious domain registrations last year targeting recipients of stimulus checks, exploiting security gaps to intercept another person's money. darkreading.com

The CSO guide to top security conferences, 2021
Tracking postponements, cancellations, and conferences gone virtual — CSO Online’s calendar of upcoming security conferences makes it easy to find the events that matter the most to you.

There is nothing like attending a face-to-face event for career networking and knowledge gathering, and we don’t have to tell you how helpful it can be to get a hands-on demo of a new tool or to have your questions answered by experts.

Fortunately, plenty of great conferences are coming up in the months ahead.

We’ll keep it updated with registration deadlines and new conferences so check back often. While we don’t expect this calendar to be comprehensive, we do aim to have it be highly relevant. If there’s something we’ve missed, let us know. You can email your additions, corrections and updates to Michael Nadeau (michael_nadeau@idg.com). csoonline.com

Long-Time Fugitive Admits Participation in Scheme to Steal 94,000 Debit & Credit Cards from Michaels’ Stores in 19 States
Jose Salazar, aka “Tito,” 44, of Riverside, California, was indicted in 2015 and has been a fugitive. He was apprehended in Mexico City in September 2020 and returned in January 2021 via Philadelphia International Airport, where he was arrested. Salazar pleaded guilty by videoconference to Count 1 of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

The conspirators allegedly replaced POS terminals in 80 different stores operated by Michaels across 19 states, including New Jersey, with counterfeit POS devices. Each counterfeit device was equipped with wireless technology, which the conspirators used to retrieve the stolen information. From February 2011 to April 2011, conspirators stole approximately 94,000 debit and credit card account numbers. The stolen account information was used to produce counterfeit bank cards, which were used with the stolen PINs to withdraw funds from the compromised bank accounts.

They used the cards and PIN numbers to withdraw money using automated teller machines (ATMs) from hundreds of bank accounts. Angulo pleaded guilty on June 20, 2017, and was sentenced on March 15, 2018, to three years in prison.

The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 10, 2021. justice.gov

Georgia Man Gets 40 Months for $2.7M Business Email Compromise Scheme
Ifeanyi Eke, leader of an 'international BEC syndicate' that defrauded 35 victims for $2.7 million.

Between in or about 2016 and July 2018, EKE and his co-conspirators, including codefendants Cyril Ashu, Joshua Ikejimba, and Chinedu Ironuah, perpetrated a fraudulent BEC scheme through which they deceived dozens of victims, both foreign and domestic, into wiring millions of dollars to bank accounts controlled by the syndicate. The fraud was perpetrated by sending victims “spoofed” emails, which purported to be from counterparties whom the victims knew and trusted, and which contained wiring instructions fraudulently directing the victims to send funds to accounts that were in fact controlled by the defendants and others involved in the scheme. justice.gov

49% of employees prefer a hybrid work arrangement

The parallels of pandemic response and IoT security

Facebook spent $23.4M on security for Mark Zuckerberg in 2020
The massive amount includes about $13.4 million for personal security for Zuckerberg, along with an additional annual $10 million pre-tax allowance for the protection of his family, according to a Proxy statement filed by Facebook last Friday.

Zuckerberg’s company-instituted security program includes protection for the billionaire while traveling and at home.

It also covers the costs of installation and maintenance of security measures at his residences.

“We believe that the scope and costs of these security programs are appropriate and necessary,” the company said in the Proxy statement.

Overall in 2020, Facebook spent about $25.3 million on Zuckerbeg. His base salary was just $1. nypost.com

Bezos's Last Words to Shareholders as CEO
"We are going to be Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work.”
Bezos noted that Amazon has always wanted to be earth’s most customer-centric company.

On the safety front, roughly 40% of work-related injuries are related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as sprains or strains that can be caused by repetitive motions, according to Bezos.

MSDs are common in the type of work that we do and are more likely to occur during an employee’s first six months,” he said. “We need to invent solutions to reduce MSDs for new employees, many of whom might be working in a physical role for the first time.”

Bezos said Amazon is developing new automated staffing schedules that use sophisticated algorithms to rotate employees among jobs that use different muscle-tendon groups to decrease repetitive motion and help protect employees from MSD risks.

We employ 6,200 safety professionals at Amazon. They use the science of safety to solve complex problems and establish new industry best practices. In 2021, we’ll invest more than $300 million into safety projects, including an initial $66 million to create technology that will help prevent collisions of forklifts and other types of industrial vehicles. chainstoreage.com

Read Bezos's final full letter here

Curbside Pickup Wins - 53% Using it Over Ship-to-Home & Delivery
Online Grocery Sales Up 43% Over Last 12 Months - 1 Year COVID Mark

Notably, pickup and delivery sales are up nearly 78% over that time span, from $4 billion to $7.1 billion, while ship-to-home sales are down 16%, from $2.5 billion to $2.1 billion. Month to month, pickup and delivery sales grew 16.4% to $7.1 billion in March, while ship-to-home sales — delivery by common or contract parcel carriers — rose 16.7% to $2.1 billion.

Online grocery sales came in at $9.3 billion for March, up 16.3% from $8 billion in February and matching the record $9.3 billion total in January. supermarketnews.com

Kingwood Man Indicted for Fraudulent Online Sales of Purported Native American-Made Goods

New York, NY: Group smashes their way into pharmacies, steals pills in burglary pattern throughout Brooklyn, Queens
Police are searching for a group of thieves who have been busting into pharmacies and stealing prescription drugs throughout the city. Investigators released photos of two of the suspects from a store break-in on Tuesday. The burglaries happened in Queens and Brooklyn. On Monday, March 15 at 2:30 a.m. the group of four men broke into a Payomatic on 5th Avenue. They used something to break the glass of the front door to gain entry. Once inside, they tried to remove an ATM before taking off with nothing in a white SUV. Later that same morning at 4:40 a.m., they broke the glass to the front door of EZ RX Pharmacy on 4th Avenue.

They got away with $30,000 in prescription pills before taking off on 4th Avenue in that white SUV. The most recent incident happened on April 13 at 4:30 a.m. inside of the Strand Pharmacy on Broadway. Again, two men broke the front window and took prescription pills worth $10,000. They also got away with $2,000 in cash in a white sedan on Crescent Street. No one was injured during any of the incidents. abc7ny.com

Cadillac, MI: Former Home Depot Employee charged with $3,000 embezzlement
A 47-year-old woman faced a lone embezzlement charge that alleged she stole from her former employer during her arraignment in 84th District Court. A press release by the Cadillac Michigan State Police Post said troopers were contacted in September 2020 to investigate a complaint at The Home Depot in Haring Township. Police said loss prevention at the store reported a former employee had allowed an acquaintance to leave the store on several occasions with unpaid merchandise while working as a cashier. Police said this occurred on at least 10 separate occasions totaling more than $3,000 in store merchandise lost. Surveillance footage was obtained and several attempts to interview the woman but she moved since working at the store, according to police. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and/or $10,000 in fines or three times the amount embezzled, whichever is greater. cadillacnews.com

WV. Woman Gets 3 yrs Probation & 6 Months Home Detention for Multi-State $95k Coupon Fraud Targeting Kmart Stores
PITTSBURGH - A West Virginia resident has been sentenced in federal court to three years of probation, including six months of home detention, on her conviction for wire fraud.

Tanya Thompson, aka Tanya Whetzel of Martinsburg, West Virginia, used fraudulent electronic coupons on her mobile device to purchase third party gift cards and prepaid credit cards at various Kmart stores. From June 2017 until December 2017, Thompson traveled to approximately 25 states and dozens of Kmart stores to use the fraudulent coupons. The total loss to Kmart was $94,977.50. justice.gov

Camden County, N.J., Woman Admits Role in $250,000 Fraudulent Delivery Scheme
A Camden County, New Jersey, woman today admitted receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars of consumer electronics before reselling the stolen goods in connection with a delivery fraud scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Yanira Medina-Roman, 36, of West Berlin, New Jersey, pleaded guilty by videoconference. From July 2018 through October 2018, Medina-Roman and others carried out a delivery fraud scheme targeting a corporate victim and government agency that resulted in the theft of more than $250,000 of consumer electronics. Medina-Roman and her conspirators used Medina-Roman’s residence – then in Highlands, New Jersey – as the delivery address for the stolen goods. Medina-Roman, under the direction of her conspirators, sold the goods for profit either to a fence of stolen goods, or to third parties through a national classified advertisement website, while retaining for herself a portion of the sale proceeds.

A related cyberattack involved the appropriation without authorization of the identity of an employee of a government agency, which Medina-Roman’s conspirators used by manipulating the employee’s government email address to place orders for consumer electronics and gift cards with a corporate victim located in Maryland. The Maryland corporate victim, believing the emails were authentic and sent by the government employee, with whom the corporate victim had a prior business relationship, was deceived into delivering the consumer electronics to Medina-Roman’s residential address.

Medina-Roman is facing 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. justice.gov

Repeat Fraudster Gets 5+ Yrs in Prison - Operating Credit Card Fraud Ring from Latvia Targeting U.S. Citizens & Retailers
Edgar Ivulans, 43, of Latvia, was sentenced today to five years and five months in prison, and was ordered to pay $12,754 in restitution, to forfeit $12,754, and to further pay a $4,000 special assessment. The defendant, a Latvian citizen who was arrested in Germany and successfully extradited to the United States to face the charges in this case, operated the fraud scheme from his home in Latvia.

Ivulans had previously lived in the United States but was deported to his native Latvia after sustaining two fraud convictions in federal court in Illinois. Ivulans’ deportation and residency in Latvia did not stop him from operating the sophisticated fraud scheme in this case. As part of the scheme, Ivulans used stolen identities of U.S. residents to obtain credit cards in their names, which he sent to a co-conspirator based in Philadelphia, who in turn used the fraudulently opened credit cards to buy merchandise that was then sold or returned for cash. The Philadelphia-based co-conspirator would then wire the funds to other co-conspirators in Russia, or first to co-conspirators in Ireland and then to the defendant.

When Latvian authorities, working in conjunction with the FBI, searched Ivulans’ home in Latvia, over 12,000 credit card numbers were found on his computer, along with at least ten full identity profiles of U.S. residents. justice.gov

Augusta, GA: Thief disguised as Walmart employee strikes again
Investigators say a thief disguised as a Walmart employee has robbed the Evans Walmart a fourth time, this time revealing a distinct tattoo. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the community’s help to identify the suspect. Investigators asking for help identifying this man In February, he stole $3,000 worth of Apple Airpods. In March he struck twice, stealing a combined $5,200 of electronics merchandise on March 17 and 19. He hit the same Walmart again on April 7, stealing 19 iPhones. wjbf.com

Auburn, WA: Police investing Ulta Beauty Theft
Shoplifting: 7:50 p.m., 1101 Outlet Collection Way SW. Staff at Ulta Beauty inside The Outlet Collection of Seattle called to report that multiple undisclosed products had been stolen.

Fairfield, CT: $4K Worth Of Jeans Stolen From Fairfield Gap; Woman Charged

Athens, PA: Woman stopped with more than $1,000 worth of stolen Walmart merchandise pleads guilty

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Shootings & Deaths

Indianapolis, IN: 8 people dead, multiple victims shot at Indianapolis FedEx facility; shooter dead
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said at least eight people died and several others were wounded during a mass shooting on the southwest side. IMPD said the shooting happened at the FedEx facility in the 8900 block of Mirabel Road. When officers arrived around 11 p.m., they encountered an active shooter incident. “After a preliminary search of the grounds inside and out, we have located eight people at the scene with injuries consistent to gunshot wounds. Those eight were pronounced dead here at the scene,” said Officer Genae Cook with IMPD.

Preliminary information from the department indicated the shooter took his own life, Cook said. Eight victims at the scene were pronounced dead. Police did not include the shooter in that toll. Several others wounded in the shooting were transported to area hospitals. There were multiple walk-ins at hospitals, Cook said. Four people were transported by ambulance, including one in critical condition with gunshot wounds. Three others were transported for other injuries, Cook said, while two victims were treated by medical staff at the scene. Because of the facility’s proximity to multiple counties, several area hospitals were likely to treat victims.

Police said there was no ongoing threat at this time. They are asking anyone with family members who work at the facility that they have not been able to get in contact with to go to the Holiday Inn Express located at 8555 Stansted Drive.

Chaplains are on scene to assist families, police said. Detectives from IMPD and Indiana State Police were still interviewing victims to get a clearer picture of what happened. fox59.com

Erwin, NC: Double shooting outside convenience store leaves 1 dead, 1 injured
According to police, officers responded to the Super Mart, located at 925 South 13th St., at approximately 8:12 p.m. following reports of a shooting in the area. Once at the scene, officers found that multiple vehicles had been struck by gunfire and one person at the scene had minor injuries “from a projectile striking the vehicle as they passed by the incident location,” police said. The victim who was hurt at the scene was treated there and released, officials said. While police were still investigating at the Super Mart, officers received notification that there were two victims who were being treated at Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn for gunshot wounds. Both victims were transferred to the trauma center for further treatment. One of the gunshot victims later died and the second victim is listed in stable condition and receiving treatment, according to police. cbs17.com

Colorado Spring, CO: 1 shot during attempted break-in at Springs medical marijuana dispensary
Police tell 11 News that the would-be burglar tried to get into the store by ramming their vehicle into the building but was unsuccessful. A citizen who saw the burglary attempt unfolding tried to stop the suspect and was shot. The victim was rushed to the hospital in unknown condition and the suspect ran from the scene. kktv.com

Frederick, MD: Police investigate fatal shooting at Frederick hotel near Francis Scott Key Mall; Suspect at large

Owensboro, KY: OPD investigating fatal shooting in pharmacy parking lot believed to be suicide

Chattanooga, TN: Manager Of CBD Store Arrested For Firing Shots At Vehicle After Theft Of A Jar Of Cannabis

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Greer, SC: Attempted Murder suspect assaulted several Dollar Tree employees before threatening to kill Greer officer
Greer Police said man accused of going on a tirade inside a Dollar Tree store, assaulting employees, and trying to run over a person with a shopping cart, all before attempting to punch a police officer with a ball-point pen clenched between his fingers, now faces a list of charges, including attempted murder. According to a police incident report, it all went down at the Dollar Tree on Wade Hampton Boulevard, next to the Walmart Supercenter, on Tuesday afternoon. The responding officer reported that she was called to the store for an assault that had just occurred. When she arrived, a female employee opened the door to the store and pointed to a man walking down the sidewalk toward the Walmart, and the employee advised the officer the man had been behind the assault in the store. foxcarolina.com

Saskatoon, Canada: Owner ‘horrified’ after altercation involving Indigenous woman outside his Saskatoon Grocery store
The owner of a Saskatoon FreshCo grocery store says he is “shocked” and “horrified” after an Indigenous woman was involved in an altercation with a security guard outside his store. The incident on Wednesday outside the store on 33rd Street West was captured on video and posted on Facebook by Jade Acikahte. The lengthy video, running over 9 minutes, shows a woman on the ground with a man on top of her. She then gets up and sits in the driver’s seat of a vehicle where the man then gets on top of her again. “As Métis owner and a father of two daughters this should of not happened ever,” said a Facebook post attributed to Chris Fowler, the owner of the store.

Saskatoon Police said they were called to the store at around 4 p.m. where officers found a 30-year-old female being detained by a loss prevention officer. Police said an altercation between the two individuals had taken place, resulting in minor injuries to the loss prevention officer. Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents First Nations across the province, says the incident, which was captured on video, is just one instance of violence Indigenous women face. He said it's a symptom of a larger issue in the province. In a post on the store's Facebook page, management indicated they have ended the contract with the third-party security firm in question. While Cameron said that's a good first step, he says the security guard should be fired. cbc.ca

New Albany, MS: Woman reportedly breaks into shop, spends 3 hours sampling merchandise, steals keys to van
When Magnolia Soap and Bath Co. Owner Magen Bynum arrived to her shop this morning, things were scattered everywhere. Thankfully, a security camera allowed her to see who made the mess. Camera footage showed 19-year-old Eden Dye changing clothes, writing on the company’s whiteboard and eventually stealing the keys to the company's van. Police said 19-year-old Eden Dye broke into Magnolia Soap and Bath Co. early Thursday morning. Police identified the burglar as Eden Dye. Bynum said Dye broke into the business and stayed several hours. After stealing the van keys, she went to a local apartment complex. Police Chief Chris Robertson said Dye is out on bond for a previous charge when she was arrested last month for a burglary at the BNA Tennis Park Pro Shop. He said he expects the judge to revoke her bond for that arrest. wtva.com

Newark, NJ: Two Men Charged with Producing False Identity Documents and Aggravated Identity Theft; Business was Used by Russian Organization that Targeted 2016 Presidential Election

Denver, CO: Eight suspects indicted by grand jury for multiple Armed Robberies in the metro area

Las Vegas, NV: Man faces dozens of charges in Las Vegas, Henderson burglary spree

Queensbury, NY: Burglar gets probation for stealing thousands in lottery tickets

● AT&T - Canton, CT – Armed Robbery
● Auto Parts – Highland Park, IL – Burglary
● Auto Parts – San Francisco, CA – Burglary
● C-Store – Madisonville, KY – Burglary
● C-Store – Newark, NJ – Armed Robbery
● C-Store – Gig Harbor, WA – Robbery
● CBD – Chattanooga, TN – Robbery
● Clothing – New Albany, MS – Burglary
● Dollar Tree – Columbia, SC – Robbery
● Guns – Billings, MT – Armed Robbery
● Guns – Salina, KS – Burglary
● Jewelry -Champaign, IL- Burglary
● Jewelry - Tacoma, WA – Robbery
● Jewelry – Tucson, AZ – Robbery
● Jewelry - Albuquerque, NM – Robbery
● Pharmacy – New York, NY – Burglary
● Rite Aid – Hamilton Heights, NY - Robbery
● Tobacco – Ochlocknee, FL – Burglary
● Walgreens – West Seattle, WA – Robbery
● 7-Eleven – Norfolk, VA – Robbery

Daily Totals:
• 12 robberies
• 8 burglaries
• 0 shootings
• 0 killed

Weekly Totals:
• 56 robberies
• 51 burglaries
• 2 shootings
• 0 killed

Click to enlarge map

Mark Kneale promoted to Market Asset Protection Leader for CVS Health

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The e-mail world may have sped up the world and allowed people to communicate virtually instantly, but it's not the forum to resolve issues between people. If anything, the freedom an email offers insofar as the ability to write whatever best suits your points and usually with an added pinch of sarcasm may, in fact, deepen the crevasse and cause more harm. It's much easier to write in solitude than to face your intended recipient and their immediate response. So the next time you receive one of those OMG emails, think twice before responding because you never know who else may be reading and, after all, if you truly want to resolve an issue with a person, you need to do it the old fashion way -- face to face.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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