Europol and Eurojust launch Phase 3 of SIRIUS project

Source: Europol

Phase 3 of the SIRIUS project will continue to assist LEAs, JAs, and service providers in navigating the increasingly complex legal framework. The project will continue to foster close cooperation between the public and private sectors, ensuring that criminal investigations are more effective and efficient in the digital age. The adoption of new EU-wide legislation, alongside key international agreements such…

Dartmouth — 2024 saw significant rise in fatal road collisions

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Nova Scotia RCMP responded to 77 fatal vehicle collisions and crashes in 2024.

“2024 saw a significant increase in fatal collisions and crashes on our roadways, with multiple drivers and passengers losing their lives on roads across the province,” says Sgt. John White, who led the Nova Scotia RCMP’s Collision and Reconstruction Section. “RCMP officers also responded to 180 serious injury collisions in our jurisdiction.”

These numbers don’t include medical events experienced by people behind the wheel, nor do they include off-highway vehicle incidents that occurred off provincial roadways.

There are four primary causal factors for fatal and serious injury collisions, including impaired driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving (primarily speeding), and failure to use a seatbelt.

“A significant number of the fatal collisions I’ve attended wouldn’t have been fatal if the occupants of the vehicles had been wearing their seatbelts,” says Sgt. White. “The physics involved in a motor vehicle collision are extreme; when people don’t have a seatbelt on, they’re often ejected from their vehicles and don’t survive.”

The Nova Scotia RCMP is asking motorists to do their part to protect themselves and others by buckling up every time they get into a vehicle.

“Making sure you and your passengers wear seatbelts properly is the simplest and most effective way to protect everyone in the event of a collision,” says Sgt. White. “These collisions happen in the blink of an eye, and having your seatbelt on can literally mean the difference between life and death.”

Between 2020 and 2023, there were, on average, 52 fatal incidents on roads policed by the Nova Scotia RCMP.

Corner Brook — RCMP-RNC JFO West searches residence in Corner Brook, woman arrested; cocaine, opioids and weapons seized

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Following the search of a residence in Corner Brook that occurred on January 13, 2025, by the RCMP-RNC Joint Forces Operation (JFO) West, a 45-year-old woman was arrested and is facing charges.

As a result of an ongoing investigation, at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Monday, RCMP-RNC JFO West, along with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) in Corner Brook and RNC Police Dog Services, attended a home on Humber Road in Corner Brook with a warrant to search the property, authorized under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The woman was arrested at the home.

Inside the home, officers located and seized the following items:

  • Approximately 2 ounces of cocaine, which was pre-packaged for street-level sales
  • Quantities of suspected opioids
  • Drug paraphernalia and items consistent with drug trafficking
  • A prohibited device (stun gun)
  • Concealed knives

The woman was released today on a number of conditions and is set to appear in court at a later date where she will face the following charges:

  • Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine
  • Possession of a prohibited weapon
  • Obstructing a police officer

The investigation is continuing with further charges possible.

JFO West, which includes dedicated police officers from both the RCMP and RNC, targets drug trafficking and organized crime on the west coast of the province.

If you are a resident on the province’s west coast and you suspect there is drug trafficking in your neighbourhood, JFO West wants to talk with you. You can remain anonymous while speaking directly with a police officer by contacting the JFO West designated drug line at (709) 637-4221.

Residents in other areas of the province are encouraged to contact their local police detachment to report illegal drug activities.

Nain — Aerial search efforts underway for missing woman Elizabeth Jararuse in Nain

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The search is continuing in Nain for a missing 51-year-old woman, Elizabeth Jararuse, who was last seen on December 30, 2024. Nain Ground Search and Rescue, along with local searchers in the community, have extensively searched Nain and surrounding area since Jararuse was reported missing on January 4, 2025.

From the onset of the investigation, inclement weather has prevented aerial searches. Two aircrafts, arranged through Provincial Emergency Services Division, were secured to search and remained on standby. On Sunday, January 12, an aerial grid search was completed over Nain. Jararuse remains missing.

Today, a further aerial search is continuing. RCMP Police Dog Services have been transported into the community and join Nain Ground Search and Rescue in continued searches of the area.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone having information that could assist police in locating Elizabeth Jararuse is asked to contact Nain RCMP at 709-922-2862. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

Background:

https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2025/nain-rcmp-continues-search-missing-woman-elizabeth-jararuse

Bank CFO Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Embezzlement

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

A bank CFO who embezzled more than $800,000 from a small-town bank was sentenced Thursday to nearly three years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Vicki Lee Grisham, the 52-year-old former CEO of First State Bank of Abernathy, Texas, pleaded guilty in July to a felony information charging theft, embezzlement, or misapplication bank a bank officer. She was sentenced in Lubbock on Thursday to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered her to pay $800,755.63 in restitution to the bank’s insurer and to serve five years of supervised release after competing her sentence.

According to court documents, Ms. Grisham was issued a credit card for purchasing business-related items for the bank and was responsible for paying invoices for that credit card.

In March 2023, the bank discovered that she systematically used the credit card for all manner of items and services unrelated to bank business, including vacations, restaurant meals, clothing, college tuition, and even her own personal income taxes. She did not reimburse the bank for any unauthorized charges.

On the day bank management confronted her, Ms. Grisham signed a document admitting she made unauthorized charges for the benefit of herself and her family.

Under the terms of her plea agreement, Ms. Grisham will also be required to consent to an FDIC Order of Prohibition from Further Participation barring any future employment for and participation with any FDIC-insured financial institution.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case. 

Brian Driscoll Named Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

Director Christopher Wray has named Brian Driscoll as the special agent in charge of the Newark Field Office. Mr. Driscoll most recently served as the commander of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and Critical Incident Response Group’s (CIRG) Tactical Section chief.

Mr. Driscoll joined the FBI as a special agent in 2007. He was first assigned to the New York Field Office, where he worked organized crime matters and later became a member of SWAT.

In March 2011, Mr. Driscoll was selected as an operator for FBI’s HRT. Ultimately, he became an HRT team leader, responsible for the planning and execution of tactical solutions in furtherance of FBI global operations. He also collaborated with foreign law enforcement and military partners to conduct operations and training, strengthening FBI global partnerships.

In 2019, Mr. Driscoll moved to New York to work in the Long Island Resident Agency as a supervisory special agent to establish and lead two joint task forces concerning violent crimes, child exploitation, and human trafficking.

Mr. Driscoll was transferred to the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force in 2020 to lead the North Africa international terrorism investigations squad. Mr. Driscoll was promoted to serve as the assistant special agent in charge of the NY JTTF’s Extraterritorial Terrorism Branch.

In April of 2022, Mr. Driscoll was promoted to head of HRT and tactical section chief of CIRG.

For his actions under fire on numerous tactical operations, Mr. Driscoll has been awarded the FBI Medal of Valor and the FBI Shield of Bravery.

Prior to his career with the FBI, Mr. Driscoll was a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Mr. Driscoll earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Villanova University and a master’s degree in public policy and international relations from Pepperdine University.

FBI Releases Violence Against American Indian or Alaska Native Females, 2021-2023 Special Report

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

On January 14, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program released “Violence Against American Indian or Alaska Native Females, 2021-2023 Special Report” on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer at https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov. This special report examines violent and sexual crimes committed against victims reported as American Indian or Alaska Native females to the FBI’s UCR Program. This does not mean the offenses occurred on tribal lands.

This study uses National Incident-Based Reporting System data from 2021 to 2023 about female victims of violent and sexual offenses who are American Indian and Alaska Native and their relationship to the offender, weapons used against the victims, their ages, and location types where the incidents occurred. This study examines the violent and sexual crimes of murder, aggravated assault, rape, sexual assault with an object, sodomy, fondling, and intimidation.  

The reported information in this study shows many American Indian and Alaska Native females are victimized by their intimate partner for violent and sexual offenses. From 2021 to 2023, law enforcement reported 25,817 incidents of violent crime and 8,575 incidents of sexual crimes against victims who are American Indian or Alaska Native females.

A video containing the report’s highlights is available at fbi.gov/video-repository/crime-data-explorer-cde-violence-against-natives/view. You can also find the full report in the Special Reports section of the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, or UCR, has released a special report titled Violence Against American Indian or Alaska Native Females for the years 2021 to 2023, exclusively on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website.

Transcript / Visit Video Source

CISA, JCDC, Government and Industry Partners Publish AI Cybersecurity Collaboration Playbook

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published today the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cybersecurity Collaboration Playbook. Developed alongside federal, international, and private-sector partners through JCDC, this playbook provides the AI community—including AI providers, developers, and adopters—with essential guidance on how to voluntarily share actionable incident information and it describes how proactive information sharing can enhance operational collaboration and improve resilience of AI systems.  

As AI adoption accelerates, new vulnerabilities and risks will continue to emerge, reshaping the threat landscape for AI-enabled systems. The playbook will be a living document, fostering collaboration across government, industry, and international partners and adapting to meet the challenges of an evolving AI security environment. 

The AI Cybersecurity Collaboration Playbook will: 

  • Guide JCDC Partners on how to voluntarily share information related to incidents and vulnerabilities associated with AI systems. 
  • Clearly explain the actions CISA may take after receiving shared information. 
  • Facilitate collaboration to raise awareness of AI cybersecurity risks across critical infrastructure, enhancing the security and resilience of AI technologies. 

“The development of this playbook is a major milestone in our efforts to secure AI systems through active collaboration,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “Led by JCDC.AI, this playbook was shaped by the insights and expertise of approximately 150 AI specialists from government, industry, and international partners who participated in two dynamic tabletop exercises. This playbook will be regularly updated to address the evolving challenges of an AI-driven future.” 

The two JCDC.AI tabletop exercises, hosted by Microsoft and Scale AI, provided real-world scenarios that helped refine the playbook and ensure it addresses the complex challenges unique to AI security. This playbook aligns with the CISA Roadmap for AI and the 2024 JCDC Priorities, which focus on building robust public-private collaboration to address emerging AI cybersecurity risks. 

“This collaboration between government and industry is essential for building a robust response to the complex and evolving landscape of AI security threats. The AI Security Incident Collaboration Playbook, combined with our continued joint efforts, will serve as a critical framework for developing agile and proactive defense strategies, ensuring the integrity and resilience of AI technologies.” – Omar Santos, Distinguished Engineer, Cisco

“Security for AI isn’t a solo mission; it’s a collective effort. Hidden Layer is proud to partner with JCDC in setting the standard for how AI developers, providers, and adopters can work together in real-time to combat an increasingly dynamic threat landscape. By bridging gaps and fostering direct collaboration across sectors, this playbook empowers each of us to contribute to a more secure AI ecosystem—one that’s built not just to respond to threats but to stay ahead of them.” – Malcolm Harkins, Chief Security & Trust Officer at Hidden Layer

“Fully harnessing the enormous potential of AI requires dedicated investment in the processes, collaboration, and tools to secure the AI infrastructure that will underpin our digital way of life. To that end, Palo Alto Networks appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the AI Cybersecurity Collaboration Playbook. Products like these underscore the critical role that forums like CISA’s JCDC can play in our collective defense.” – Daniel Kroese, VP Public Policy and Government Affairs, Palo Alto Networks

“At Protect AI, we are committed to building a safer AI-powered world and shaping the future of AI security across industries. This playbook is an essential tool for helping organizations navigate the complexities of deploying AI safely and understanding how to respond quickly to AI related incidents. We are honored to contribute to its development. We will continue supporting CISA’s efforts to ensure its evolution, empowering organizations to implement secure-by-design AI without stifling AI-driven innovation.” – Diana Kelley, CISO, Protect AI

“As AI technology evolves, so must our security practices. Stability AI’s partnership with JCDC represents our commitment to developing comprehensive safeguards that protect users while enabling technological progress.” – Ryan Holeman, CISO, Stability AI

For more information, visit CISA’s Artificial Intelligence and JCDC webpages.   

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About CISA 

As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.

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U.S. Marshals Capture Iowa Fugitive in West Tennessee

Source: US Marshals Service

Madison County, TN – The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) captured an Iowa fugitive, William Logan, Jr., age 56, in West Tennessee.

The USMS in the Southern District of Iowa was searching for William Logan for probation violation, violation of the sex offender registration, and escape, all of which occurred in Iowa. After developing information that Logan was possibly in West Tennessee, they sent a lead to the USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force in Jackson.

On January 13, 2025, deputy marshals and task force officers tracked Logan to a camper on McKenzie Road in Madison County. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex where he will await extradition back to Iowa.

The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured approximately 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.

U.S. Marshals Arrest Memphis First-Degree Murder Suspect

Source: US Marshals Service

Memphis, TN –The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested Austin Mobley, 22, for first-degree murder in Memphis, Tennessee.

On July 17, 2023, Damein Wilkerson was shot to death near the 5000 block of Scenic Pines Court in Memphis. On July 24, 2024, a first-degree murder warrant was issued for Mobley’s arrest. The case was adopted for a fugitive investigation by the USMS Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) in Memphis.

Earlier today, TRVFTF Investigators tracked Mobley to a house in the 4100 block of Alice Drive in Memphis. He was taken into custody without incident.

The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured approximately 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.