Bond, James Bond: UK Poll Unveils Britain's Favorite 007 Star For 60th Anniversary

The British newspaper the Express offers a piece that covers a poll on which actor the Brits consider their favorite James Bond. 

James Bond fans celebrate the spy film franchise's 60th anniversary next week, but which of the six official 007 stars is Britain's favorite incarnation of Ian Fleming's spy? A new UK poll with surprising rankings has the answer six decades on from Dr No. 

You can read the piece via the below link: 

James Bond: Britain's favourite 007 star unveiled in decisive UK poll for 60th anniversary | Films | Entertainment | Express.co.uk

Note: I'm an old school Ian Fleming and James Bond fan, so I'd vote for the first and best cinema James Bond, the late, great Sean Connery. 

James Bond, Introduction - Dr. No (1962) - Bing video 

Former NSA Employee Arrested On Espionage-Related Charges

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

A Colorado Springs man will make his initial appearance in federal court today on charges that he attempted to transmit classified National Defense Information (NDI) to a representative of a foreign government.

Jareh Sebastian Dalke, 30, was an employee of the National Security Agency (NSA) where he served as an Information Systems Security Designer from June 6, 2022, to July 1, 2022. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, between August and September 2022, Dalke used an encrypted email account to transmit excerpts of three classified documents he had obtained during his employment to an individual Dalke believed to be working for a foreign government. In actuality, that person was an undercover FBI agent. Dalke subsequently arranged to transfer additional classified information in his possession to the undercover FBI agent at a location in Denver, Colorado. The FBI arrested Dalke on Sept. 28, after Dalke arrived at the specified location.

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Dalke began communicating on or about July 29, 2022, via encrypted email with an individual he believed to be associated with a foreign government. Dalke told that individual that he had taken highly sensitive information relating to foreign targeting of U.S. systems and information on U.S. cyber operations, among other topics. Dalke represented to the undercover FBI agent that he was still employed by the U.S. government but said he was on a temporary assignment at a field location. Dalke requested compensation via a specific type of cryptocurrency in exchange for the information he possessed and stated that he was in financial need.

To prove he had access to sensitive information, Dalke transmitted excerpts of three classified documents to the undercover FBI agent. Each excerpt contained classification markings. One excerpt was classified at the Secret level, and two excerpts were classified at the Top Secret level. In return for this information, the FBI undercover agent provided the requested cryptocurrency to an address Dalke provided.

On or about Aug. 26, 2022, Dalke requested $85,000 in return for additional information in his possession. Dalke also told the FBI undercover agent that he would share additional information in the future, once he returned to the Washington, D.C., area. Although he was not employed by the NSA while communicating with the FBI, Dalke re-applied to the NSA in August 2022.

Dalke agreed to transmit additional information using a secure connection set up by the FBI at a public location in Denver. On Sept. 28, at that location, the FBI arrested Dalke based on a signed criminal complaint.

Dalke is charged by criminal complaint alleging three violations of the Espionage Act, which makes it a crime to transmit or attempt to transmit NDI to a representative of a foreign nation with intent or reason to believe that information could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation. The Espionage Act carries a potential sentence of death or any term of years up to life.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan for the District of Colorado; Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division; Assistant Director in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono of the FBI Washington Field Office and Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Mimura of the FBI Denver Field Office made the announcement.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia K. Martinez and Jena R. Neuscheler for the District of Colorado, and Trial Attorneys Christina A. Clark and Adam L. Small of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting on behalf of the government. The case is being investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office and the FBI Washington Field Office.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

'Money Talks In This Business and Bullshit Walks': Former U.S. Congressman And South Philadelphia Political Operative Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Election Fraud

South Philly's Ozzie Myers. a former congressman convicted of bribery in the FBI's "Abscam" sting operation, was caught on tape saying, "Money talks in this business and bullshit walks."  

The U.S. Attorney Office in Philadelphia released the below information about Myers new conviction: 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that former U.S. Congressman Michael “Ozzie” Myers, 79, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to 30 months  in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $100,000 in fines, with $10,000 of that due immediately, by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond after pleading guilty to conspiracy to deprive voters of civil rights, bribery, obstruction of justice, falsification of voting records, conspiring to illegally vote in a federal election, and for orchestrating schemes to fraudulently stuff the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates in the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Pennsylvania elections. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody following today’s hearing.

In June 2022, the defendant admitted in court to bribing the Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia in a fraudulent scheme over several years. Myers admitted to bribing the election official to illegally add votes for certain candidates of their mutual political party in primary elections. Some of these candidates were individuals running for judicial office whose campaigns had hired Myers, and others were candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices that Myers favored for a variety of reasons. Myers would solicit payments from his clients in the form of cash or checks as “consulting fees,” and then use portions of these funds to pay election officials to tamper with election results.

Myers also admitted to conspiring to commit election fraud with another former Judge of Elections for the 39th Ward, 2nd Division in South Philadelphia. Myers’ accomplice was the de facto Judge of Elections and effectively ran the polling places in her division by installing close associates to serve as members of the Board of Elections. Myers admitted that he gave his accomplice directions to add votes to candidates supported by him, including candidates for judicial office whose campaigns actually hired Myers, and other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices preferred by Myers for a variety of reasons.

“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote has been illegally cast or if the integrity of just one election official is compromised, it diminishes faith in process,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “This defendant used his position, knowledge of the process, and connections to fix elections for his preferred candidates, which demonstrates a truly flagrant disregard for the laws which govern our elections. He will now spend 30 months in prison as penalty for his crimes.”

“Protecting the legitimacy of elections is critical to ensuring the public’s trust in the process,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Through his actions, Ozzie Myers pointedly disdained both the will of Philadelphia voters and the rule of law. He’s now a federal felon twice over, heading back behind bars, with time to consider the great consequence of free and fair elections.”   

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard P. Barrett, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Eric L. Gibson with assistance from Richard C. Pilger, the former Director of Elections Crimes Branch (retired), Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, U.S. Department of Justice. 

Visit To Sacramento, California

I’ve not posted anything in a while as I was visiting my daughter in Sacramento, California.

We had a fine time in California’s state capitol. We stayed at the Embassy Suites, which is situated next to the long promenade that runs parallel to the Sacramento River.

The hotel was in walking distance (if you take long walks like me) from the State Capitol Building and across the street from the Old Sacramento Waterfront, a 28-acre National Historic Landmark District and State Historic Park. 

Old Sacramento pays homage to the time of the Gold Rush of 1849.

Old Sacramento evokes the town’s Wild West backstory. Many of the buildings that house restaurants and tourist gift shops are restored or recreated from the 1800’s. In Old Sacramento one can take an excursion on an historic train that runs along the Sacramento River, ride on boats on the river, and enjoy other amusements as well.

My wife and I truly enjoyed seeing our daughter Brittany. We toured the city with her and her boyfriend Mike, and we eat fine food at the city’s many restaurants.

We miss her already.

You can watch a brief video of Old Sacramento via the below link:

  Welcome to Historic Old Sacramento, California - Bing video

Behind The Monument: ‘The Naked Warrior,’ Legendary Predecessor Of NAVY SEALS

 Coffee Or Die magazine offers a piece on the statue of the WWII UDT frogman that stands in front of the National Nayv UDT-SEAL Museum.

It was a beautiful March afternoon in Coronado, California, with no clouds in the sky. I had joined two retired plankowners — or founding members — of SEAL Team 7 at Glorietta Bay Park to view one of Naval Special Warfare’s most sacred monuments. As we left the parking lot, crossed the grassy courtyard, and passed by a row of stone benches, we finally approached The Naked Warrior.

Designed by the artist John Seward Johnson II, The Naked Warrior honors the World War II legacy of the Navy’s Underwater Demolition Teams — the combat swimmer units that eventually evolved into the SEALs.

According to the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, the name of the statue traces back to a daring mission on the Japanese-held atoll of Kwajalein in January 1944. As the story goes, two UDT frogmen, Ensign Lewis F. Luehrs and Chief Petty Officer Bill Acheson, were tasked with a reconnaissance mission to assess the beaches for a future amphibious assault. When the duo couldn’t get close enough to the shore because their path was blocked by a coral reef, they stripped down to their underwear so they could squeeze over the reef and complete their mission.

As a result of the successful operation, UDTs started to emphasize training in which frogmen wore only face masks, swim trunks, dive fins, and Ka-Bar knives. For the remainder of the war, these elite waterborne commandos lived up to their name, often entering enemy-held waters without fire support, setting explosive charges to destroy underwater obstacles that prevented amphibious landings, and doing it all without being detected.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

Behind the Monument: ‘The Naked Warrior,’ Legendary Predecessor of Navy SEALs - Coffee or Die Magazine

My late father, Edward M. Davis (seen in the middle of the above photo), was a Navy chief and UDT frogman in WWII. I wrote about him and other frogmen and how the UDT involved into the Navy SEALs in a piece for Counterterrorism magazine.

You can read the piece via the below link:  

Paul Davis On Crime: A Look Back At The World War II U.S. Navy Frogmen: My Piece On The Underwater Demolition Teams, Forerunners of Today's Navy SEALs

Sailor Accused Of igniting USS Bonhomme Richard Puts Fate In Judge

The Navy Times offers a piece on the trial of the sailor accused of setting the huge fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard. 

SAN DIEGO — The young sailor accused of one of the military’s worst noncombat ship disasters agreed to put his fate in the hands of a lone Navy judge who will decide whether he ignited the USS Bonhomme Richard in 2020 — or as the defense suggests, there may not have been arson at all.

Ryan Sawyer Mays (seen in the below photo) waived his right to a jury and told Capt. Derek Butler that he wants him to rule at the end of the court martial, which started Monday at Naval Base San Diego. 

According to prosecutors, Mays was a young, arrogant sailor angry about being assigned to deck duty after failing to become a Navy SEAL — and he made the Navy pay in a big way.

“Your honor, it was a mischievous act of defiance gone wrong,” Cmdr Leah O’Brien told the judge during opening statements for the prosecution.

Mays’ military defense counsel, Lt. Tayler Haggerty, countered in her opening remarks that it’s the Navy who is wrong. Haggerty said investigators concluded Mays did it before the probe was complete and then ignored evidence and witness accounts that didn’t fit into that narrative so they could find a scapegoat for the loss of a billion-dollar ship that was mismanaged by senior officers. 

Once investigators pinned the blame on Mays, who was known for being sarcastic and flippant, “nothing else mattered,” Haggerty said.

“Just because the government eliminates, ignores pieces of evidence, it doesn’t mean the court should,” she told the court. Haggerty told the judge by the end of the trial, which is supposed to last two weeks, “you will exonerate this sailor and find him not guilty of both charges.”

Mays is charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel. He has denied any wrongdoing.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

Sailor accused of igniting USS Bonhomme Richard puts fate in judge (navytimes.com)

Considered Armed And Dangerous: DEA Designates Alenka Karner As Fugitive Of The Week

 The DEA has designated Alenka Karner as their fugitive of the week.

The DEA provided the below information:

Alenka Karner

AKA:

Alenka HRIBAR, Alenka HRIBAK

Wanted for the following alleged federal violations

The following Federal Drug Violations:Conspiracy to Distribute SteroidsConspiracy to Launder MoneyConspiracy to Import Steroids

Warning: Considered Armed and Dangerous

Label	Description
Race	White
Sex	Female
Height	5' 6
Weight	120
Hair Color	Blonde
Eye Color	Blue
Year of Birth	1978
Last Known Address	Ljubljana, Slovenia
NCIC #	W445014011
Jurisdiction	District of Massachusetts
Notes	Considered Armed and Dangerous

MASSACHUSETTS