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Surface Transportation Board Issues Decision Involving TBL Group, Horizon Motor Coach
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Surface Transportation Board issued the following decision (Docket No. MCF 21158) entitled "TBL Group Inc. - Acquisition of Control - Horizon Motor Coach Inc.":
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ACTION: Notice Tentatively Approving and Authorizing Finance Transaction.
SUMMARY: TBL Group, Inc. (TBL Group), a noncarrier holding company that controls multiple interstate motor passenger carriers, has filed an application to acquire control of the member interests in or the primary assets of Horizon Motor Coach, Inc. (Horizon), a federally regulated motor passenger ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Surface Transportation Board issued the following decision (Docket No. MCF 21158) entitled "TBL Group Inc. - Acquisition of Control - Horizon Motor Coach Inc.": * * * ACTION: Notice Tentatively Approving and Authorizing Finance Transaction. SUMMARY: TBL Group, Inc. (TBL Group), a noncarrier holding company that controls multiple interstate motor passenger carriers, has filed an application to acquire control of the member interests in or the primary assets of Horizon Motor Coach, Inc. (Horizon), a federally regulated motor passengercarrier. The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.
DATES: Comments must be filed by December 14, 2026. If any comments are filed, TBL Group may file a reply by December 28, 2026. If no opposing comments are filed by December 14, 2026, this notice shall be effective on December 15, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments, referring to Docket No. MCF 21158, may be filed with the Board either via e-filing on the Board's website or in writing addressed to: Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, one copy of any comments filed with the Board must also be sent to TBL Group's representative: Andrew K. Light, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C., 10 W. Market Street, Suite 1400, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Ziehm at (202) 918-5462. If you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please call (202) 245-0245.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 29, 2026, TBL Group filed an application under 49 U.S.C. 14303 and 49 CFR part 1182 for Board authority to acquire control of the member interests in or the primary assets of Horizon. (Appl. 1.) According to TBL Group, either a newly created subsidiary, TBL Newco, will acquire and operate substantially all of the motor carrier assets of Horizon, or TBL Group will directly acquire the Horizon corporate entity. (See id. at 1-2, 11.)
The application explains that in either case, the services currently provided by Horizon will continue to be provided after the proposed transaction. (Id. at 10-11.) The application states that TBL Group is a Texas corporation, headquartered in Houston, Tex. (Id. at 2.) TBL Group asserts that it is not a federally regulated carrier but that it controls six interstate passenger motor carriers (Affiliated Regulated Carriers): GBJ, Inc. (GBJ), Echo Tours & Charters, LP (Echo Tours); Echo East Coast Transportation LLC (Echo East); Echo Windy City, LLC (Echo Windy); Reston Limousine & Travel Service, Inc. (Reston); and Echo Nevada, LLC (Echo Nevada)./1 (Id. at 2-6.)/2
TBL Group states that GBJ is a Texas corporation doing business as Echo AFC Transportation, AFC Transportation, and Echo AFC Medical Transport that primarily provides charter and contract shuttle services for companies, employers, non-profits, schools, tour operators and transit and paratransit services for other transportation authorities in the metropolitan area of Houston, but also provides interstate charter passenger transportation service. (Id. at 3.)
TBL Group describes Echo Tours as a Texas limited partnership doing business as Echo Transportation that primarily provides charter and contract shuttle services for companies, nonprofits, schools, and tour operators in the metropolitan area of Dallas, Tex., but also provides interstate charter passenger transportation. (Id. at 4.)
Echo East is described as a Texas limited liability company doing business as Echo East Coast Transportation that primarily provides interstate and intrastate contract shuttle and charter motor carrier passenger services in the metropolitan area of Jacksonville, Fla. (Id. at 4-5.)
TBL Group describes Echo Windy as a Texas limited liability company doing business as Echo Windy City Transportation that primarily provides intrastate limousine and premium car passenger charter service in the metropolitan area of Chicago, Ill., but can also provide interstate limousine and premium car passenger services. (Id. at 5.)
Reston is described as a Virginia corporation that provides interstate and intrastate limousine, shuttle, and charter passenger services in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. (Id. at 5-6.)
Lastly, TBL Group describes Echo Nevada as a Nevada limited liability company, doing business as Presidential Transportation, that provides limousine, shuttle, and charter passenger service in the metropolitan area of Las Vegas, Nev. (Id. at 6.)
Additionally, TBL Group states that it recently obtained authority to acquire the following additional carriers: BTM Coaches, Inc. (BTM Coaches); Chicago Classic Coach, LLC (Classic); and Escot Bus Lines, L.L.C. (Escot). (Id. at 2 nn.1-3 (citing TBL Grp., Inc.--Acquis. of Control--BTM Coaches, Inc., MCF 21138 (STB served Sep. 24, 2025); TBL Grp., Inc.-- Acquis. of Control--Chi. Classic Coach, LLC, MCF 21144 (STB served May 7, 2026); TBL Grp., Inc.--Acquis. of Control--Escot Bus Lines, L.L.C., MCF 21152 (STB served June 26, 2026).) According to TBL Group, its authorized acquisitions of BTM Coaches and Classic may not close. (Appl. 2 nn.1-2.) TBL Group further states that it has not yet closed its acquisition of Escot. (Id. at 2 n.3.)
According to TBL Group, Horizon is a Georgia corporation formed in 1997. (Id. at 7.) The application indicates that Horizon is a provider of traditional charter motor coach services for group travel, meeting and convention shuttle services, team travel services, school group travel, government and military employee travel, and other general charter bus services. (Id. at 7-8.)
TBL Group describes Horizon as a small charter service provider in the metropolitan area of Augusta, Ga., which includes a western portion of the state of South Carolina. (Id. at 8.) Horizon's headquarters and sole terminal are located at 949 Appling Harlem Road, Harlem, GA 30814. (Id.)
TBL Group also provides details about Horizon's USDOT number, FMCSA docket number, and safety rating. (Id.)/3 In its operations, Horizon utilizes approximately 16 motor coaches, 4 mini-buses, 19 shuttle buses, and 3 passenger vans, while employing approximately 62 drivers. (Id.)
TBL states that the sole shareholder of Horizon, Alvin K. Harris, is an individual resident of the state of Georgia, who has no ownership interest in any other passenger motor carrier holding interstate motor carrier authority. (Id.)
Under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b), the Board must approve and authorize a transaction that it finds consistent with the public interest, taking into consideration at least (1) the effect of the proposed transaction on the adequacy of transportation to the public, (2) the total fixed charges resulting from the proposed transaction, and (3) the interest of affected carrier employees. TBL Group has submitted the information required by 49 CFR 1182.2, including information demonstrating that the proposed transaction is consistent with the public interest under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b), see 49 CFR 1182.2(a)(7), and a jurisdictional statement under 49 U.S.C. 14303(g) that the aggregate gross operating revenues of the involved carriers exceeded $2 million during a consecutive 12-month period ending not more than six months before the date of the agreement of the parties, see 49 CFR 1182.2(a)(5).
TBL Group does not expect the proposed transaction to have any detrimental impact on the adequacy of transportation services available to the public in Horizon's service area. (Appl. 10.) TBL Group anticipates that services available to the traveling public will remain as they are now and may increase as additional demand is anticipated in the service area. (Id.) TBL Group states that for the foreseeable future, the services currently provided by Horizon will continue to be provided after the transaction either (i) by TBL Newco in the event of an asset acquisition, or (ii) by Horizon in the event Horizon is acquired directly by TBL Group. (Id. at 10-11.) If consummated, the proposed transaction will bring the Horizon assets under the control of TBL Group, which states that it is experienced in most of the same types of services provided by Horizon, being charter motor coach services for group, school and team travel, and meeting, event and convention shuttle services, and transit services. (Id. at 11.) TBL Group argues that the transaction, combined with the passenger carrier management capacity of TBL Group, is expected to result in improved operating efficiencies, increased equipment utilization rates, and cost savings derived from economies of scale within TBL Group's Affiliates, all of which will help to ensure the provision of adequate service to the public. (Id.) The addition of Horizon's operations to TBL Group's organization will also serve to enhance the viability of TBL Group's organization and its Affiliates. (Id.) TBL Group asserts that the continued viability of TBL Group and its Affiliates assures the continued availability of adequate passenger transportation service to the public. (Id.)
TBL Group states that the proposed transaction will increase fixed charges in the form of interest expense, because funds will be borrowed to assist in the financing of the transaction. (Id. at 11-12.) However, TBL Group states that such an increase will not impact the provision of transportation services to the public. (Id. at 12.) With respect to employee interests, TBL Group states that it intends to continue the existing operations of Horizon, and that under either acquisition scenario, TBL Group will offer employment to substantially all current employees of Horizon without any negative changes in compensation levels and/or benefits. (Id.) However, Horizon acknowledges that staffing redundancies could potentially result in limited downsizing of back-office and/or managerial level personnel. (Id.) TBL Group states that it is contemplated that Mr. Harris, the Chief Executive Officer of Horizon, will continue as an employee of the business for some period of time after completion of the transaction, thus further assuring a smooth transition of the business. (Id.)
TBL Group states that there is strong demand for passenger surface transportation in Horizon's service area due to both past and expected future population and economic growth in the Augusta Metropolitan Area. (Id. at 13.) According to the application, Horizon currently competes directly with many other charter bus service providers within Horizon's service area, including providers such as Capital Tours, Lewis Bus Line, SC Coach LLC, and SC Express LLC. (Id. at 13-14.) In addition to direct competition with other charter service providers, the application states that there are a growing number of charter bus brokerage companies (companies that arrange transportation and charter services), including Augusta Charter Bus Company, CharterUp, Falcon Charter Bus, GoGo Charters, and National Charter Bus, that compete with all of the charter service providers. (Id. at 14.) In addition, TBL Group states that Horizon and all other similar surface passenger service providers also compete with scheduled passenger shuttle services in certain areas and the passenger transportation network providers (e.g., Uber and Lyft). (Id.)
TBL Group also notes that Horizon's service area is geographically dispersed from service areas of the Affiliated Regulated Carriers, and there is no known overlap in customer bases between the Affiliated Regulated Carriers and Horizon. (Id.) The Board has also considered the geographic areas of the carriers TBL Group has recently obtained authority to acquire but where the acquisitions have not been consummated. As noted above, TBL Group obtained authority in Docket No. MCF 21152 to acquire Escot. (See id. at 2 n.3.) According to that docket, Escot provides scheduled intercity transit service within various states, including Georgia, under the FlixBus mobility platform, but Escot's primary service area appears to be central Florida. See TBL Group, Inc.--Acquis. of Control--Escot Bus Lines, L.L.C., MCF 21152, slip op. at 2-3. Horizon, on the other hand, primarily serves Augusta, and it therefore appears that any overlap between Horizon and Escot is minimal. Additionally, both companies face competition from third parties. Neither of the other carriers in the authorized but unconsummated acquisitions operate in the geographic areas served by Horizon.
Based on TBL Group's representations, the Board finds that the transaction proposed in the application is consistent with the public interest. The application will be tentatively approved and authorized. If any opposing comments are timely filed, these findings will be deemed vacated and, unless a final decision can be made on the record as developed, a procedural schedule will be adopted to reconsider the application. See 49 CFR 1182.6. If no opposing comments are filed by the expiration of the comment period, this notice will take effect automatically and will be the final Board action in this proceeding.
This action is categorically excluded from environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c).
Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.
It is ordered:
1. The proposed transaction is approved and authorized, subject to the filing of opposing comments.
2. If opposing comments are timely filed, the findings made in this notice will be deemed vacated.
3. This notice will be effective December 15, 2026, unless opposing comments are filed by December 14, 2026. If any comments are filed, TBL Group may file a reply by December 28, 2026.
4. A copy of this notice will be served on: (1) the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590; (2) the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, 10th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20530; and (3) the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the General Counsel, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590.
5. This notice will be published in the Federal Register.
Decided: October 26, 2026.
By the Board, Anika S. Cooper, Chief Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel.
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Footnotes:
1/ Additional information about these motor carriers, including principal places of business, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) numbers, motor carrier numbers, USDOT safety fitness ratings, fleet compositions, and driver counts, can be found in the application. (See id., Ex. A.)
2/ TBL Group also lists four unregulated affiliates that it controls, which it states do not require interstate passenger motor carrier authority. (See id. at 2-3, 6-7.) The Affiliated Regulated Carriers and the four unregulated affiliates will be collectively referred to as "Affiliates."
3/ Horizon is an authorized intrastate passenger motor carrier in the states of Georgia and South Carolina and has a Safety Rating of Satisfactory. (Id.)
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Original text here: https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/DCMS_External_PROD/1793284218762/53274.pdf
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ACTION: Notice Tentatively Approving and Authorizing Finance Transaction.
SUMMARY: TBL Group, Inc. (TBL Group), a noncarrier holding company that controls multiple interstate motor passenger carriers, has filed an application to acquire control of the member interests in or the primary assets of Horizon Motor Coach, Inc. (Horizon), a federally regulated motor passenger ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Surface Transportation Board issued the following decision (Docket No. MCF 21158) entitled "TBL Group Inc. - Acquisition of Control - Horizon Motor Coach Inc.": * * * ACTION: Notice Tentatively Approving and Authorizing Finance Transaction. SUMMARY: TBL Group, Inc. (TBL Group), a noncarrier holding company that controls multiple interstate motor passenger carriers, has filed an application to acquire control of the member interests in or the primary assets of Horizon Motor Coach, Inc. (Horizon), a federally regulated motor passengercarrier. The Board is tentatively approving and authorizing the transaction. If no opposing comments are timely filed, this notice will be the final Board action.
DATES: Comments must be filed by December 14, 2026. If any comments are filed, TBL Group may file a reply by December 28, 2026. If no opposing comments are filed by December 14, 2026, this notice shall be effective on December 15, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments, referring to Docket No. MCF 21158, may be filed with the Board either via e-filing on the Board's website or in writing addressed to: Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20423-0001. In addition, one copy of any comments filed with the Board must also be sent to TBL Group's representative: Andrew K. Light, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C., 10 W. Market Street, Suite 1400, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Ziehm at (202) 918-5462. If you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please call (202) 245-0245.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 29, 2026, TBL Group filed an application under 49 U.S.C. 14303 and 49 CFR part 1182 for Board authority to acquire control of the member interests in or the primary assets of Horizon. (Appl. 1.) According to TBL Group, either a newly created subsidiary, TBL Newco, will acquire and operate substantially all of the motor carrier assets of Horizon, or TBL Group will directly acquire the Horizon corporate entity. (See id. at 1-2, 11.)
The application explains that in either case, the services currently provided by Horizon will continue to be provided after the proposed transaction. (Id. at 10-11.) The application states that TBL Group is a Texas corporation, headquartered in Houston, Tex. (Id. at 2.) TBL Group asserts that it is not a federally regulated carrier but that it controls six interstate passenger motor carriers (Affiliated Regulated Carriers): GBJ, Inc. (GBJ), Echo Tours & Charters, LP (Echo Tours); Echo East Coast Transportation LLC (Echo East); Echo Windy City, LLC (Echo Windy); Reston Limousine & Travel Service, Inc. (Reston); and Echo Nevada, LLC (Echo Nevada)./1 (Id. at 2-6.)/2
TBL Group states that GBJ is a Texas corporation doing business as Echo AFC Transportation, AFC Transportation, and Echo AFC Medical Transport that primarily provides charter and contract shuttle services for companies, employers, non-profits, schools, tour operators and transit and paratransit services for other transportation authorities in the metropolitan area of Houston, but also provides interstate charter passenger transportation service. (Id. at 3.)
TBL Group describes Echo Tours as a Texas limited partnership doing business as Echo Transportation that primarily provides charter and contract shuttle services for companies, nonprofits, schools, and tour operators in the metropolitan area of Dallas, Tex., but also provides interstate charter passenger transportation. (Id. at 4.)
Echo East is described as a Texas limited liability company doing business as Echo East Coast Transportation that primarily provides interstate and intrastate contract shuttle and charter motor carrier passenger services in the metropolitan area of Jacksonville, Fla. (Id. at 4-5.)
TBL Group describes Echo Windy as a Texas limited liability company doing business as Echo Windy City Transportation that primarily provides intrastate limousine and premium car passenger charter service in the metropolitan area of Chicago, Ill., but can also provide interstate limousine and premium car passenger services. (Id. at 5.)
Reston is described as a Virginia corporation that provides interstate and intrastate limousine, shuttle, and charter passenger services in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. (Id. at 5-6.)
Lastly, TBL Group describes Echo Nevada as a Nevada limited liability company, doing business as Presidential Transportation, that provides limousine, shuttle, and charter passenger service in the metropolitan area of Las Vegas, Nev. (Id. at 6.)
Additionally, TBL Group states that it recently obtained authority to acquire the following additional carriers: BTM Coaches, Inc. (BTM Coaches); Chicago Classic Coach, LLC (Classic); and Escot Bus Lines, L.L.C. (Escot). (Id. at 2 nn.1-3 (citing TBL Grp., Inc.--Acquis. of Control--BTM Coaches, Inc., MCF 21138 (STB served Sep. 24, 2025); TBL Grp., Inc.-- Acquis. of Control--Chi. Classic Coach, LLC, MCF 21144 (STB served May 7, 2026); TBL Grp., Inc.--Acquis. of Control--Escot Bus Lines, L.L.C., MCF 21152 (STB served June 26, 2026).) According to TBL Group, its authorized acquisitions of BTM Coaches and Classic may not close. (Appl. 2 nn.1-2.) TBL Group further states that it has not yet closed its acquisition of Escot. (Id. at 2 n.3.)
According to TBL Group, Horizon is a Georgia corporation formed in 1997. (Id. at 7.) The application indicates that Horizon is a provider of traditional charter motor coach services for group travel, meeting and convention shuttle services, team travel services, school group travel, government and military employee travel, and other general charter bus services. (Id. at 7-8.)
TBL Group describes Horizon as a small charter service provider in the metropolitan area of Augusta, Ga., which includes a western portion of the state of South Carolina. (Id. at 8.) Horizon's headquarters and sole terminal are located at 949 Appling Harlem Road, Harlem, GA 30814. (Id.)
TBL Group also provides details about Horizon's USDOT number, FMCSA docket number, and safety rating. (Id.)/3 In its operations, Horizon utilizes approximately 16 motor coaches, 4 mini-buses, 19 shuttle buses, and 3 passenger vans, while employing approximately 62 drivers. (Id.)
TBL states that the sole shareholder of Horizon, Alvin K. Harris, is an individual resident of the state of Georgia, who has no ownership interest in any other passenger motor carrier holding interstate motor carrier authority. (Id.)
Under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b), the Board must approve and authorize a transaction that it finds consistent with the public interest, taking into consideration at least (1) the effect of the proposed transaction on the adequacy of transportation to the public, (2) the total fixed charges resulting from the proposed transaction, and (3) the interest of affected carrier employees. TBL Group has submitted the information required by 49 CFR 1182.2, including information demonstrating that the proposed transaction is consistent with the public interest under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b), see 49 CFR 1182.2(a)(7), and a jurisdictional statement under 49 U.S.C. 14303(g) that the aggregate gross operating revenues of the involved carriers exceeded $2 million during a consecutive 12-month period ending not more than six months before the date of the agreement of the parties, see 49 CFR 1182.2(a)(5).
TBL Group does not expect the proposed transaction to have any detrimental impact on the adequacy of transportation services available to the public in Horizon's service area. (Appl. 10.) TBL Group anticipates that services available to the traveling public will remain as they are now and may increase as additional demand is anticipated in the service area. (Id.) TBL Group states that for the foreseeable future, the services currently provided by Horizon will continue to be provided after the transaction either (i) by TBL Newco in the event of an asset acquisition, or (ii) by Horizon in the event Horizon is acquired directly by TBL Group. (Id. at 10-11.) If consummated, the proposed transaction will bring the Horizon assets under the control of TBL Group, which states that it is experienced in most of the same types of services provided by Horizon, being charter motor coach services for group, school and team travel, and meeting, event and convention shuttle services, and transit services. (Id. at 11.) TBL Group argues that the transaction, combined with the passenger carrier management capacity of TBL Group, is expected to result in improved operating efficiencies, increased equipment utilization rates, and cost savings derived from economies of scale within TBL Group's Affiliates, all of which will help to ensure the provision of adequate service to the public. (Id.) The addition of Horizon's operations to TBL Group's organization will also serve to enhance the viability of TBL Group's organization and its Affiliates. (Id.) TBL Group asserts that the continued viability of TBL Group and its Affiliates assures the continued availability of adequate passenger transportation service to the public. (Id.)
TBL Group states that the proposed transaction will increase fixed charges in the form of interest expense, because funds will be borrowed to assist in the financing of the transaction. (Id. at 11-12.) However, TBL Group states that such an increase will not impact the provision of transportation services to the public. (Id. at 12.) With respect to employee interests, TBL Group states that it intends to continue the existing operations of Horizon, and that under either acquisition scenario, TBL Group will offer employment to substantially all current employees of Horizon without any negative changes in compensation levels and/or benefits. (Id.) However, Horizon acknowledges that staffing redundancies could potentially result in limited downsizing of back-office and/or managerial level personnel. (Id.) TBL Group states that it is contemplated that Mr. Harris, the Chief Executive Officer of Horizon, will continue as an employee of the business for some period of time after completion of the transaction, thus further assuring a smooth transition of the business. (Id.)
TBL Group states that there is strong demand for passenger surface transportation in Horizon's service area due to both past and expected future population and economic growth in the Augusta Metropolitan Area. (Id. at 13.) According to the application, Horizon currently competes directly with many other charter bus service providers within Horizon's service area, including providers such as Capital Tours, Lewis Bus Line, SC Coach LLC, and SC Express LLC. (Id. at 13-14.) In addition to direct competition with other charter service providers, the application states that there are a growing number of charter bus brokerage companies (companies that arrange transportation and charter services), including Augusta Charter Bus Company, CharterUp, Falcon Charter Bus, GoGo Charters, and National Charter Bus, that compete with all of the charter service providers. (Id. at 14.) In addition, TBL Group states that Horizon and all other similar surface passenger service providers also compete with scheduled passenger shuttle services in certain areas and the passenger transportation network providers (e.g., Uber and Lyft). (Id.)
TBL Group also notes that Horizon's service area is geographically dispersed from service areas of the Affiliated Regulated Carriers, and there is no known overlap in customer bases between the Affiliated Regulated Carriers and Horizon. (Id.) The Board has also considered the geographic areas of the carriers TBL Group has recently obtained authority to acquire but where the acquisitions have not been consummated. As noted above, TBL Group obtained authority in Docket No. MCF 21152 to acquire Escot. (See id. at 2 n.3.) According to that docket, Escot provides scheduled intercity transit service within various states, including Georgia, under the FlixBus mobility platform, but Escot's primary service area appears to be central Florida. See TBL Group, Inc.--Acquis. of Control--Escot Bus Lines, L.L.C., MCF 21152, slip op. at 2-3. Horizon, on the other hand, primarily serves Augusta, and it therefore appears that any overlap between Horizon and Escot is minimal. Additionally, both companies face competition from third parties. Neither of the other carriers in the authorized but unconsummated acquisitions operate in the geographic areas served by Horizon.
Based on TBL Group's representations, the Board finds that the transaction proposed in the application is consistent with the public interest. The application will be tentatively approved and authorized. If any opposing comments are timely filed, these findings will be deemed vacated and, unless a final decision can be made on the record as developed, a procedural schedule will be adopted to reconsider the application. See 49 CFR 1182.6. If no opposing comments are filed by the expiration of the comment period, this notice will take effect automatically and will be the final Board action in this proceeding.
This action is categorically excluded from environmental review under 49 CFR 1105.6(c).
Board decisions and notices are available at www.stb.gov.
It is ordered:
1. The proposed transaction is approved and authorized, subject to the filing of opposing comments.
2. If opposing comments are timely filed, the findings made in this notice will be deemed vacated.
3. This notice will be effective December 15, 2026, unless opposing comments are filed by December 14, 2026. If any comments are filed, TBL Group may file a reply by December 28, 2026.
4. A copy of this notice will be served on: (1) the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590; (2) the U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, 10th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20530; and (3) the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the General Counsel, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590.
5. This notice will be published in the Federal Register.
Decided: October 26, 2026.
By the Board, Anika S. Cooper, Chief Counsel, Office of Chief Counsel.
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Footnotes:
1/ Additional information about these motor carriers, including principal places of business, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) numbers, motor carrier numbers, USDOT safety fitness ratings, fleet compositions, and driver counts, can be found in the application. (See id., Ex. A.)
2/ TBL Group also lists four unregulated affiliates that it controls, which it states do not require interstate passenger motor carrier authority. (See id. at 2-3, 6-7.) The Affiliated Regulated Carriers and the four unregulated affiliates will be collectively referred to as "Affiliates."
3/ Horizon is an authorized intrastate passenger motor carrier in the states of Georgia and South Carolina and has a Safety Rating of Satisfactory. (Id.)
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Original text here: https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/DCMS_External_PROD/1793284218762/53274.pdf
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: How to Make Sustainability Science and Artificial Intelligence Work Together
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Oct. 30 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Book publication
How to make sustainability science and artificial intelligence work together
October 28, 2026
By Vanessa Crooks
A new comprehensive volume shares how AI can be used as a tool to advance sustainability goals, while also considering the environmental impact of this technology.
Artificial intelligence (AI) pops up in every aspect of human activity and has fundamentally changed how we process information and make decisions. Its capacity for analyzing large amounts ... Show Full Article PANAMA CITY, Panama, Oct. 30 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news: * * * Book publication How to make sustainability science and artificial intelligence work together October 28, 2026 By Vanessa Crooks A new comprehensive volume shares how AI can be used as a tool to advance sustainability goals, while also considering the environmental impact of this technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) pops up in every aspect of human activity and has fundamentally changed how we process information and make decisions. Its capacity for analyzing large amountsof data and identifying complex patterns may help solve the most difficult social and environmental issues.
But AI's environmental footprint remains a public concern and a dilemma for how to ethically and sustainably harness this technology.
An edited volume, titled "Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence -- Reshaping Tomorrow: Perspectives on AI's Role in Fostering Sustainable Development", brings together international scholars from environmental science, technology, policy, and ethics, to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and sustainability.
Edited by Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) fellow Annika Bush, the book offers a concrete framework for researchers, policymakers and industry leaders for how to optimize the use of AI for sustainability, while ensuring the responsible development of AI.
"AI offers innovative tools and approaches to tackle complex global challenges, but also raises critical questions about energy consumption, algorithmic bias, and equitable access to technology, all of which are fundamental to achieving sustainable development goals," states Bush, a postdoctoral researcher funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) PRIME Fellowship, and hosted by the STRI's Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative and the University of Bremen / Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research.
"This book is among the first comprehensive volumes to systematically examine AI's dual role as both a tool for and a challenge to sustainable development," adds Bush.
Book contributors delve into global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development, and how AI can offer potential solutions, while addressing the paradox of using computationally intensive technologies to solve environmental problems. They also offer frameworks for AI governance approaches, and pathways toward sustainable artificial intelligence.
While the concept of sustainability once focused on environmental conservation, it evolved into a comprehensive framework, based on scientific research and policy development, that considers the interconnection of social and ecological issues, such as inequality, climate change, economic viability, and more.
With the rise of AI, new challenges arise, but also new opportunities that require science-backed approaches to guide efforts.
Bush points out that another goal is ensuring that communities most affected by climate change and environmental degradation can participate in developing and deploying relevant AI solutions, to enhance the effectiveness and equity of these technologies.
"We invite researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students, and concerned global citizens to engage with the ideas presented here and contribute to the ongoing development of approaches that utilize AI for sustainability," she says. "By combining technical innovation with ethical reflection, scientific rigor with social awareness, and global perspective with local knowledge, we can work collectively toward technological solutions that genuinely advance human flourishing within planetary boundaries."
Published on October 12, 2026, by Springer Nature Link, in Cham, Switzerland, this book is part of Springer's Sustainable Development Goals Series.
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About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook, X and Instagram for updates.
Reference: Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence -- Reshaping Tomorrow: Perspectives on AI's Role in Fostering Sustainable Development, ISBN 978-3-032-13395-3, 2026, Editon 1, X, 285 p. 42 illus., 36 illus. in color. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13396-0
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/book-publication
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Book publication
How to make sustainability science and artificial intelligence work together
October 28, 2026
By Vanessa Crooks
A new comprehensive volume shares how AI can be used as a tool to advance sustainability goals, while also considering the environmental impact of this technology.
Artificial intelligence (AI) pops up in every aspect of human activity and has fundamentally changed how we process information and make decisions. Its capacity for analyzing large amounts ... Show Full Article PANAMA CITY, Panama, Oct. 30 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news: * * * Book publication How to make sustainability science and artificial intelligence work together October 28, 2026 By Vanessa Crooks A new comprehensive volume shares how AI can be used as a tool to advance sustainability goals, while also considering the environmental impact of this technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) pops up in every aspect of human activity and has fundamentally changed how we process information and make decisions. Its capacity for analyzing large amountsof data and identifying complex patterns may help solve the most difficult social and environmental issues.
But AI's environmental footprint remains a public concern and a dilemma for how to ethically and sustainably harness this technology.
An edited volume, titled "Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence -- Reshaping Tomorrow: Perspectives on AI's Role in Fostering Sustainable Development", brings together international scholars from environmental science, technology, policy, and ethics, to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and sustainability.
Edited by Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) fellow Annika Bush, the book offers a concrete framework for researchers, policymakers and industry leaders for how to optimize the use of AI for sustainability, while ensuring the responsible development of AI.
"AI offers innovative tools and approaches to tackle complex global challenges, but also raises critical questions about energy consumption, algorithmic bias, and equitable access to technology, all of which are fundamental to achieving sustainable development goals," states Bush, a postdoctoral researcher funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) PRIME Fellowship, and hosted by the STRI's Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative and the University of Bremen / Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research.
"This book is among the first comprehensive volumes to systematically examine AI's dual role as both a tool for and a challenge to sustainable development," adds Bush.
Book contributors delve into global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainable development, and how AI can offer potential solutions, while addressing the paradox of using computationally intensive technologies to solve environmental problems. They also offer frameworks for AI governance approaches, and pathways toward sustainable artificial intelligence.
While the concept of sustainability once focused on environmental conservation, it evolved into a comprehensive framework, based on scientific research and policy development, that considers the interconnection of social and ecological issues, such as inequality, climate change, economic viability, and more.
With the rise of AI, new challenges arise, but also new opportunities that require science-backed approaches to guide efforts.
Bush points out that another goal is ensuring that communities most affected by climate change and environmental degradation can participate in developing and deploying relevant AI solutions, to enhance the effectiveness and equity of these technologies.
"We invite researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students, and concerned global citizens to engage with the ideas presented here and contribute to the ongoing development of approaches that utilize AI for sustainability," she says. "By combining technical innovation with ethical reflection, scientific rigor with social awareness, and global perspective with local knowledge, we can work collectively toward technological solutions that genuinely advance human flourishing within planetary boundaries."
Published on October 12, 2026, by Springer Nature Link, in Cham, Switzerland, this book is part of Springer's Sustainable Development Goals Series.
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About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook, X and Instagram for updates.
Reference: Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence -- Reshaping Tomorrow: Perspectives on AI's Role in Fostering Sustainable Development, ISBN 978-3-032-13395-3, 2026, Editon 1, X, 285 p. 42 illus., 36 illus. in color. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13396-0
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/book-publication
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: 'Translator Plan: A Coordinated Vision for Fiscal Years 2023-2025'
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following report on Oct. 28, 2026, entitled "Translator Plan: A Coordinated Vision for Fiscal Years 2023-2025."
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Abstract
Translators serve a unique role in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, offering scientific input through various leadership and service roles.
The Translators direct the creation of value-added products (VAPs) and analysis tools that make ARM measurements more accessible to the scientific ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following report on Oct. 28, 2026, entitled "Translator Plan: A Coordinated Vision for Fiscal Years 2023-2025." Here are excerpts: * * * Abstract Translators serve a unique role in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, offering scientific input through various leadership and service roles. The Translators direct the creation of value-added products (VAPs) and analysis tools that make ARM measurements more accessible to the scientificcommunity. Translators also serve as liaisons between users and the ARM infrastructure, collecting information about priorities and communicating ARM data and services.
A key group focus is supporting the DOE Atmospheric System Research (ASR) program scientists and ASR's efforts towards a process-level understanding of cloud-aerosol interactions, and in reducing uncertainty in global climate model projections.
The ARM Translator Group (Table 1) consists of the five Translators, a representative of software development, and one from the Data Quality Office (DQO). Additionally, the ARM Engineering and Process Manager participates in this group and provides input and direction from ARM and its programmatic priorities.
Citation
Giangrande S., J.M. Comstock, S. Collis, J.E. Shilling, K.L. Gaustad, K. Kehoe, and S. Xie, et al. 2022.
Translator Plan: A Coordinated Vision for Fiscal Years 2023-2025.
Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
PNNL-33572.
* * *
View report at: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/translator-plan-coordinated-vision-fiscal-years-2023-2025
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Abstract
Translators serve a unique role in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, offering scientific input through various leadership and service roles.
The Translators direct the creation of value-added products (VAPs) and analysis tools that make ARM measurements more accessible to the scientific ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following report on Oct. 28, 2026, entitled "Translator Plan: A Coordinated Vision for Fiscal Years 2023-2025." Here are excerpts: * * * Abstract Translators serve a unique role in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility, offering scientific input through various leadership and service roles. The Translators direct the creation of value-added products (VAPs) and analysis tools that make ARM measurements more accessible to the scientificcommunity. Translators also serve as liaisons between users and the ARM infrastructure, collecting information about priorities and communicating ARM data and services.
A key group focus is supporting the DOE Atmospheric System Research (ASR) program scientists and ASR's efforts towards a process-level understanding of cloud-aerosol interactions, and in reducing uncertainty in global climate model projections.
The ARM Translator Group (Table 1) consists of the five Translators, a representative of software development, and one from the Data Quality Office (DQO). Additionally, the ARM Engineering and Process Manager participates in this group and provides input and direction from ARM and its programmatic priorities.
Citation
Giangrande S., J.M. Comstock, S. Collis, J.E. Shilling, K.L. Gaustad, K. Kehoe, and S. Xie, et al. 2022.
Translator Plan: A Coordinated Vision for Fiscal Years 2023-2025.
Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
PNNL-33572.
* * *
View report at: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/translator-plan-coordinated-vision-fiscal-years-2023-2025
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: 'Redox Sensitive Transcriptional Regulators in Model Cyanobacteria to Form a Carbon Reducing Microbial Community for Bioproduction'
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following report on Oct. 28, 2026, entitled "Redox Sensitive Transcriptional Regulators in Model Cyanobacteria to form a Carbon Reducing Microbial Community for Bioproduction."
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Abstract
Cyanobacteria can utilize sunlight to capture CO2 and convert it into sugars. By pairing the sucrose synthesizing Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 with a yeast cell bio-factory, there is potential for generation of carbon-neutral bioproducts, evading the traditional demand for ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following report on Oct. 28, 2026, entitled "Redox Sensitive Transcriptional Regulators in Model Cyanobacteria to form a Carbon Reducing Microbial Community for Bioproduction." Here are excerpts: * * * Abstract Cyanobacteria can utilize sunlight to capture CO2 and convert it into sugars. By pairing the sucrose synthesizing Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 with a yeast cell bio-factory, there is potential for generation of carbon-neutral bioproducts, evading the traditional demand forobtaining sugars from grains and competing with food production.
Traditional methods for bioproduction revolves around burning fossil fuels for the essential nitrogen fixation in yeast metabolic processes, a method that pollutes the atmosphere with excess CO2. A solution this project looks towards is microbial communities. However, assembly of effective engineered microbial community requires exhaustive understanding of the cyanobacteria metabolism including revealing intrinsic insights on activation or suppression of function of transcriptional regulators, which control metabolism by expression of most genes.
This project was focused on comparative investigation of transcriptional regulators in three model cyanobacteria including S. elongatus PCC 7942, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Specifically, we examined the importance of cysteine oxidative post-translational modifications to function as redox-switches that modulate activity of transcriptional factors by inducing protein structural changes in response to oxidative stimuli.
Results demonstrated several redox sensitive regulators consistent within all three organisms, though more than half of the genes in the proteomic analysis showed to be specific to its microbe. Furthermore, the overlapping transcriptional regulators mentioned earlier were recorded for our datasets, as these regulators were proving to be essential for the engineering of the intended microbial community.
Additional methods in comparisons are being looked towards for a more thorough analysis with these regulators, and different methods for perturbation tests are being examined by members of the team. Better comprehension of the mechanisms governing activity of these essential regulatory factors can be used to engineer novel and more efficient biomanufacturing platforms that do not pollute the atmosphere, but rather utilize atmospheric CO2 as a resource.
Citation
Cotillo C.E., and P. Bohutskyi. 2022.
Redox Sensitive Transcriptional Regulators in Model Cyanobacteria to form a Carbon Reducing Microbial Community for Bioproduction.
Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
PNNL-33795.
* * *
View report at: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/redox-sensitive-transcriptional-regulators-model-cyanobacteria-form-carbon-reducing
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Abstract
Cyanobacteria can utilize sunlight to capture CO2 and convert it into sugars. By pairing the sucrose synthesizing Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 with a yeast cell bio-factory, there is potential for generation of carbon-neutral bioproducts, evading the traditional demand for ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory issued the following report on Oct. 28, 2026, entitled "Redox Sensitive Transcriptional Regulators in Model Cyanobacteria to form a Carbon Reducing Microbial Community for Bioproduction." Here are excerpts: * * * Abstract Cyanobacteria can utilize sunlight to capture CO2 and convert it into sugars. By pairing the sucrose synthesizing Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 with a yeast cell bio-factory, there is potential for generation of carbon-neutral bioproducts, evading the traditional demand forobtaining sugars from grains and competing with food production.
Traditional methods for bioproduction revolves around burning fossil fuels for the essential nitrogen fixation in yeast metabolic processes, a method that pollutes the atmosphere with excess CO2. A solution this project looks towards is microbial communities. However, assembly of effective engineered microbial community requires exhaustive understanding of the cyanobacteria metabolism including revealing intrinsic insights on activation or suppression of function of transcriptional regulators, which control metabolism by expression of most genes.
This project was focused on comparative investigation of transcriptional regulators in three model cyanobacteria including S. elongatus PCC 7942, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Specifically, we examined the importance of cysteine oxidative post-translational modifications to function as redox-switches that modulate activity of transcriptional factors by inducing protein structural changes in response to oxidative stimuli.
Results demonstrated several redox sensitive regulators consistent within all three organisms, though more than half of the genes in the proteomic analysis showed to be specific to its microbe. Furthermore, the overlapping transcriptional regulators mentioned earlier were recorded for our datasets, as these regulators were proving to be essential for the engineering of the intended microbial community.
Additional methods in comparisons are being looked towards for a more thorough analysis with these regulators, and different methods for perturbation tests are being examined by members of the team. Better comprehension of the mechanisms governing activity of these essential regulatory factors can be used to engineer novel and more efficient biomanufacturing platforms that do not pollute the atmosphere, but rather utilize atmospheric CO2 as a resource.
Citation
Cotillo C.E., and P. Bohutskyi. 2022.
Redox Sensitive Transcriptional Regulators in Model Cyanobacteria to form a Carbon Reducing Microbial Community for Bioproduction.
Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
PNNL-33795.
* * *
View report at: https://www.pnnl.gov/publications/redox-sensitive-transcriptional-regulators-model-cyanobacteria-form-carbon-reducing
Justice Department Unveils Indictments in Nationwide 'Ghost Student' Fraud Scam Linked to Kenyan Network
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release:
* * *
Justice Department Unveils Indictments in Nationwide 'Ghost Student' Fraud Scam Linked to Kenyan Network
October 29, 2026
The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), along with the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nebraska, and New Jersey announced indictments resulting from Operation Ghostbusters. Operation Ghostbusters is a nationwide investigation into a large scale student loan fraud scheme in which criminal actors created fraudulent ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * Justice Department Unveils Indictments in Nationwide 'Ghost Student' Fraud Scam Linked to Kenyan Network October 29, 2026 The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), along with the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nebraska, and New Jersey announced indictments resulting from Operation Ghostbusters. Operation Ghostbusters is a nationwide investigation into a large scale student loan fraud scheme in which criminal actors created fraudulentFederal Student Aid (FAFSA) accounts using stolen U.S. citizen identities to enroll "ghost students" in educational institutions. After loan and grant disbursements, the refunds were diverted to bank accounts controlled by foreign actors and facilitated by U.S.-based money mules, including Kenyan nationals.
"Today, we are announcing the first results of Operation Ghostbusters -- a nationwide effort to stop a major fraud scheme targeting federal student aid, low-income Americans, and the American taxpayer," said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division. "The Department is charging five defendants and announcing the seizure of more than $750,000 in cryptocurrency tied to this scheme through a network associated with Kenyan nationals. This is the first international seizure of its kind in Kenya. If you steal American identities, if you steal taxpayer dollars, if you exploit programs meant to help students build a future -- we will find you. Whether you are in Nebraska, New Jersey, Virginia, or Nairobi, we will pursue you."
"Under President Trump and Secretary McMahon's leadership, the Department of Education has saved taxpayers more than $2 billion in attempted student aid theft -- ensuring students receive the critical funding they need, not fraudsters," said Under Secretary Nicholas Kent for the Department of Education. "Every dollar that falls into the hands of a fraudster is a dollar that will not go to a student in need. Today's action sends a strong message to fraudsters both at home and abroad: the Trump Administration is watching and will hold you accountable and protect American taxpayers."
"The perpetrators masterminded a deliberate plot to defraud the U.S. government of millions of dollars through the exploitation of financial aid programs designed to help hardworking American students. These criminals used stolen personal data belonging to U.S. citizens to fuel their criminal enterprise," said Assistant Director Heith Janke, of the FBI's Criminal Division. "To date, the FBI has identified more than $32 million in losses, with millions more suspected, in similar ghost student schemes. This stops now. The FBI, working hand-in-hand with our partners at the Department of Education and Department of Justice will follow all evidence, track every dollar, and pursue each criminal who seeks to exploit our nation's systems."
"The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia is proud to be a leading part of law enforcement's use of innovative techniques to fight fraud: using data to expose crime hiding in plain sight, starting with criminals who stole federal student aid using the stolen identities of 'ghost students,'" said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. "Together with the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, the FBI Richmond cyber squad has already uncovered hundreds of participants and hundreds of millions of dollars in stolen funds, sending approximately 50 referrals to 26 FBI field offices across the country, and we are just getting started. Working with partners around the world, we are sending a clear message: student aid belongs to real students, the data always leaves a trail, and we will follow it wherever it leads."
Notable cases
* District of New Jersey (Criminal Complaint) -- 26-16210 (JRA) -- $1.5 million intended loss
Beginning in or about March 2021 and continuing through at least January 2026, Mabed Patricia Utate-Alberto, also known as, "Mabed Alberto Utate," Patricia Arisleydi Perez, and George Arturo Alfau Mendez, also known as, "George Alfau" conspired with persons located in Kenya to defraud the Department of Education to obtain more than $1 million in FSA funds. Utate, Perez, and Mendez were witting money mules located in the U.S. that used U.S. bank accounts to receive FSA program funds obtained through false and fraudulent FAFSA applications using stolen American identities. After Utate, Perez, and Mendez received the money, they transferred -- after taking their cut -- the funds overseas to co-conspirators in Kenya associated with a purported Kenyan safari company.
All three defendants have been arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint. Two co-conspirators are located in Kenya and are associated with a safari company. The government will seek to charge these co-conspirators as this case continues.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori for the District of New Jersey.
* Eastern District of Virginia (Under seal) - $1.4 million intended loss
On Oct. 21, a federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned a multi-count indictment charging a Kenyan national with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and student aid fraud. According to the indictment, the defendant conspired with fraudsters in Kenya to obtain and use the stolen identities of U.S. citizens to submit false and fraudulent FAFSA applications to steal over $1.4 million in student aid. The defendant acted as a U.S. based money mule for the transnational fraud conspiracy. The defendant used multiple bank accounts across several financial institutions to receive over 700 fraudulently obtained federal student aid refund deposits, totaling approximately $1,439,548. The defendant then engaged in thousands of wire transfer and money service business transactions that resulted in at least $1.3 million being transferred to accounts in the United States and Kenya.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney/Distinguished Senior Counsel Brian Hood for the Eastern District of Virginia.
* District of Nebraska (Indictment) -- 4:26CR3089 -- $20,000 intended loss
On Oct. 19, a federal Grand Jury in Nebraska returned a ten-count indictment against Francis Mogambi, a Kenyan citizen, charging him with five counts of Theft of Government Money and five counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. Mogambi faces 10 years in mandatory minimums based on his use of stolen U.S. citizen identities during and relation to his crimes. Mogambi was promptly arrested, and thereafter detained pending trial by the court based on his risk of non-appearance and the threat he posed to the public.
According to the indictment, between Nov. 2025 and May 2026, Mogambi fraudulently obtained federal student financial aid using stolen identities. Mogambi worked with associates in Kenya to steal identities of United States citizens, use those identities to fraudulently enroll American victims in educational institutions, and redirect federal financial aid checks to himself, keeping 30% of the fraud proceeds and sending the rest to his conspirators in Kenya. Court documents also reflect that Mogambi attempted to recruit an individual into his scheme and openly shared the details of this brazen conspiracy to steal money from the American people, sharing that he received $2,000 a week and that he needed a business so that he could cash larger checks and not pay taxes.
Mogambi arrived in the United States on May 15, 2024. He won the "Diversity Visa" lottery and was issued a DV1 visa. He was issued a Permanent Resident Card shortly after.
This case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney/District Fraud Counsel Daniel Packard for the District of Nebraska.
In September, representatives from the Fraud Division and its agency partners visited Kenya to promote extradition, prosecution, and the return of assets stolen from United States taxpayers. Through critical assistance and intelligence from Kenyan law enforcement partners, investigators were able to seize over $750,000 from a cryptocurrency account belonging to a Kenyan national connected to this fraud scheme. This is the first international seizure of its kind in the Fraud Division's history. In Sept./Oct. of 2026, investigators identified 830,840 potentially fraudulent FSAIDs relating to nearly $130 million and recommended that the Department of Education disable those IDs.
Operation Ghostbusters is an unprecedented effort by the Fraud Division at the Department of Justice in connection with U.S. Attorney and agency partners across the country to respond to this urgent and ongoing fraud committed against the American people.
Beginning in or about 2021, community colleges and universities across the United States identified fraudulent FAFSA applications that resulted in the disbursement of Federal Student Aid (FSA) program refunds to bank and other financial accounts opened in the names of individuals other than the students who had actually applied for the FSA program funds in the first instance.
Conspirators use stolen identity information from Americans to submit fraudulent FAFSA applications for "ghost students" in order to fraudulently obtain federal program funds. The "ghost students" never actually attend the college classes for which those funds were awarded. Instead, using super intelligence, fraudsters place "ghost" or fake students in classrooms to keep federal student loan funds flowing. Fraudsters even use super intelligence to complete required coursework at schools to maintain the "ghost student" scam.
These fraudsters are exploiting Americans who have never been to college before, preventing the Department of Education from cross-checking applicants. Many known victims have reported attaining only high school diplomas -- and are shocked by their faked attendance at an institution hundreds of miles away.
Investigators believe that this fraud has been ongoing since at least 2021. Estimates put the scale of the fraud well over $200 million. The investigation was opened by the FBI Richmond Field Office following a USDOE OIG referral. There are now more than 40 open cases across 26 FBI field offices and more than 20 U.S. Attorneys' Offices. Through its District Fraud Counsel network of Assistant United States Attorneys, the Division was uniquely positioned to scale this investigation, resulting in targets sent to U.S. Attorney's Offices coast-to-coast.
Operation Ghostbusters continues to partner with Kenyan law enforcement counterparts to recover American tax dollars pilfered by overseas actors and bring fraudsters hiding abroad to justice.
Law Enforcement Partners Participation:
Operation Ghostbusters is assisted by the Department of Justice, the National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Education-OIG, the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Civil Division's Office of Foreign Litigation, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training, the DOJ Civil Division, the State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Education Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Education, the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Asset Recovery Agency, and Office of Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Justice Department is providing cybercrime and intellectual property technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in other countries through the ICHIP program, including in this matter the ICHIP attorney advisor in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the global ICHIP for Dark Web and Cryptocurrency. The Criminal Division's ICHIP program is jointly administered by the Criminal Division's Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, through partnership with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (State / INL). Significant assistance is also being provided through the U.S. Department of Justice Resident Legal Advisor in Nairobi, Kenya, a position that is also funded by State / INL.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alert: If you believe you are a victim of this fraud, please report your matter to the Department of Education Hotline Complaint Form: oig.ed.gov/oig-hotline/complaint-form. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has sent letters to many identified victims. If you have received this letter, please follow the instructions in the letter. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your local FBI Field Office.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-unveils-indictments-nationwide-ghost-student-fraud-scam-linked-kenyan
* * *
Justice Department Unveils Indictments in Nationwide 'Ghost Student' Fraud Scam Linked to Kenyan Network
October 29, 2026
The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), along with the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nebraska, and New Jersey announced indictments resulting from Operation Ghostbusters. Operation Ghostbusters is a nationwide investigation into a large scale student loan fraud scheme in which criminal actors created fraudulent ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: * * * Justice Department Unveils Indictments in Nationwide 'Ghost Student' Fraud Scam Linked to Kenyan Network October 29, 2026 The Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), along with the U.S. Attorney's Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia, Nebraska, and New Jersey announced indictments resulting from Operation Ghostbusters. Operation Ghostbusters is a nationwide investigation into a large scale student loan fraud scheme in which criminal actors created fraudulentFederal Student Aid (FAFSA) accounts using stolen U.S. citizen identities to enroll "ghost students" in educational institutions. After loan and grant disbursements, the refunds were diverted to bank accounts controlled by foreign actors and facilitated by U.S.-based money mules, including Kenyan nationals.
"Today, we are announcing the first results of Operation Ghostbusters -- a nationwide effort to stop a major fraud scheme targeting federal student aid, low-income Americans, and the American taxpayer," said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division. "The Department is charging five defendants and announcing the seizure of more than $750,000 in cryptocurrency tied to this scheme through a network associated with Kenyan nationals. This is the first international seizure of its kind in Kenya. If you steal American identities, if you steal taxpayer dollars, if you exploit programs meant to help students build a future -- we will find you. Whether you are in Nebraska, New Jersey, Virginia, or Nairobi, we will pursue you."
"Under President Trump and Secretary McMahon's leadership, the Department of Education has saved taxpayers more than $2 billion in attempted student aid theft -- ensuring students receive the critical funding they need, not fraudsters," said Under Secretary Nicholas Kent for the Department of Education. "Every dollar that falls into the hands of a fraudster is a dollar that will not go to a student in need. Today's action sends a strong message to fraudsters both at home and abroad: the Trump Administration is watching and will hold you accountable and protect American taxpayers."
"The perpetrators masterminded a deliberate plot to defraud the U.S. government of millions of dollars through the exploitation of financial aid programs designed to help hardworking American students. These criminals used stolen personal data belonging to U.S. citizens to fuel their criminal enterprise," said Assistant Director Heith Janke, of the FBI's Criminal Division. "To date, the FBI has identified more than $32 million in losses, with millions more suspected, in similar ghost student schemes. This stops now. The FBI, working hand-in-hand with our partners at the Department of Education and Department of Justice will follow all evidence, track every dollar, and pursue each criminal who seeks to exploit our nation's systems."
"The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia is proud to be a leading part of law enforcement's use of innovative techniques to fight fraud: using data to expose crime hiding in plain sight, starting with criminals who stole federal student aid using the stolen identities of 'ghost students,'" said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. "Together with the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, the FBI Richmond cyber squad has already uncovered hundreds of participants and hundreds of millions of dollars in stolen funds, sending approximately 50 referrals to 26 FBI field offices across the country, and we are just getting started. Working with partners around the world, we are sending a clear message: student aid belongs to real students, the data always leaves a trail, and we will follow it wherever it leads."
Notable cases
* District of New Jersey (Criminal Complaint) -- 26-16210 (JRA) -- $1.5 million intended loss
Beginning in or about March 2021 and continuing through at least January 2026, Mabed Patricia Utate-Alberto, also known as, "Mabed Alberto Utate," Patricia Arisleydi Perez, and George Arturo Alfau Mendez, also known as, "George Alfau" conspired with persons located in Kenya to defraud the Department of Education to obtain more than $1 million in FSA funds. Utate, Perez, and Mendez were witting money mules located in the U.S. that used U.S. bank accounts to receive FSA program funds obtained through false and fraudulent FAFSA applications using stolen American identities. After Utate, Perez, and Mendez received the money, they transferred -- after taking their cut -- the funds overseas to co-conspirators in Kenya associated with a purported Kenyan safari company.
All three defendants have been arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint. Two co-conspirators are located in Kenya and are associated with a safari company. The government will seek to charge these co-conspirators as this case continues.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori for the District of New Jersey.
* Eastern District of Virginia (Under seal) - $1.4 million intended loss
On Oct. 21, a federal Grand Jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned a multi-count indictment charging a Kenyan national with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and student aid fraud. According to the indictment, the defendant conspired with fraudsters in Kenya to obtain and use the stolen identities of U.S. citizens to submit false and fraudulent FAFSA applications to steal over $1.4 million in student aid. The defendant acted as a U.S. based money mule for the transnational fraud conspiracy. The defendant used multiple bank accounts across several financial institutions to receive over 700 fraudulently obtained federal student aid refund deposits, totaling approximately $1,439,548. The defendant then engaged in thousands of wire transfer and money service business transactions that resulted in at least $1.3 million being transferred to accounts in the United States and Kenya.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney/Distinguished Senior Counsel Brian Hood for the Eastern District of Virginia.
* District of Nebraska (Indictment) -- 4:26CR3089 -- $20,000 intended loss
On Oct. 19, a federal Grand Jury in Nebraska returned a ten-count indictment against Francis Mogambi, a Kenyan citizen, charging him with five counts of Theft of Government Money and five counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. Mogambi faces 10 years in mandatory minimums based on his use of stolen U.S. citizen identities during and relation to his crimes. Mogambi was promptly arrested, and thereafter detained pending trial by the court based on his risk of non-appearance and the threat he posed to the public.
According to the indictment, between Nov. 2025 and May 2026, Mogambi fraudulently obtained federal student financial aid using stolen identities. Mogambi worked with associates in Kenya to steal identities of United States citizens, use those identities to fraudulently enroll American victims in educational institutions, and redirect federal financial aid checks to himself, keeping 30% of the fraud proceeds and sending the rest to his conspirators in Kenya. Court documents also reflect that Mogambi attempted to recruit an individual into his scheme and openly shared the details of this brazen conspiracy to steal money from the American people, sharing that he received $2,000 a week and that he needed a business so that he could cash larger checks and not pay taxes.
Mogambi arrived in the United States on May 15, 2024. He won the "Diversity Visa" lottery and was issued a DV1 visa. He was issued a Permanent Resident Card shortly after.
This case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney/District Fraud Counsel Daniel Packard for the District of Nebraska.
In September, representatives from the Fraud Division and its agency partners visited Kenya to promote extradition, prosecution, and the return of assets stolen from United States taxpayers. Through critical assistance and intelligence from Kenyan law enforcement partners, investigators were able to seize over $750,000 from a cryptocurrency account belonging to a Kenyan national connected to this fraud scheme. This is the first international seizure of its kind in the Fraud Division's history. In Sept./Oct. of 2026, investigators identified 830,840 potentially fraudulent FSAIDs relating to nearly $130 million and recommended that the Department of Education disable those IDs.
Operation Ghostbusters is an unprecedented effort by the Fraud Division at the Department of Justice in connection with U.S. Attorney and agency partners across the country to respond to this urgent and ongoing fraud committed against the American people.
Beginning in or about 2021, community colleges and universities across the United States identified fraudulent FAFSA applications that resulted in the disbursement of Federal Student Aid (FSA) program refunds to bank and other financial accounts opened in the names of individuals other than the students who had actually applied for the FSA program funds in the first instance.
Conspirators use stolen identity information from Americans to submit fraudulent FAFSA applications for "ghost students" in order to fraudulently obtain federal program funds. The "ghost students" never actually attend the college classes for which those funds were awarded. Instead, using super intelligence, fraudsters place "ghost" or fake students in classrooms to keep federal student loan funds flowing. Fraudsters even use super intelligence to complete required coursework at schools to maintain the "ghost student" scam.
These fraudsters are exploiting Americans who have never been to college before, preventing the Department of Education from cross-checking applicants. Many known victims have reported attaining only high school diplomas -- and are shocked by their faked attendance at an institution hundreds of miles away.
Investigators believe that this fraud has been ongoing since at least 2021. Estimates put the scale of the fraud well over $200 million. The investigation was opened by the FBI Richmond Field Office following a USDOE OIG referral. There are now more than 40 open cases across 26 FBI field offices and more than 20 U.S. Attorneys' Offices. Through its District Fraud Counsel network of Assistant United States Attorneys, the Division was uniquely positioned to scale this investigation, resulting in targets sent to U.S. Attorney's Offices coast-to-coast.
Operation Ghostbusters continues to partner with Kenyan law enforcement counterparts to recover American tax dollars pilfered by overseas actors and bring fraudsters hiding abroad to justice.
Law Enforcement Partners Participation:
Operation Ghostbusters is assisted by the Department of Justice, the National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Education-OIG, the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs, the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Civil Division's Office of Foreign Litigation, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training, the DOJ Civil Division, the State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Education Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Education, the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Asset Recovery Agency, and Office of Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Justice Department is providing cybercrime and intellectual property technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in other countries through the ICHIP program, including in this matter the ICHIP attorney advisor in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the global ICHIP for Dark Web and Cryptocurrency. The Criminal Division's ICHIP program is jointly administered by the Criminal Division's Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, through partnership with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (State / INL). Significant assistance is also being provided through the U.S. Department of Justice Resident Legal Advisor in Nairobi, Kenya, a position that is also funded by State / INL.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alert: If you believe you are a victim of this fraud, please report your matter to the Department of Education Hotline Complaint Form: oig.ed.gov/oig-hotline/complaint-form. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has sent letters to many identified victims. If you have received this letter, please follow the instructions in the letter. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your local FBI Field Office.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-unveils-indictments-nationwide-ghost-student-fraud-scam-linked-kenyan
Economics Daily: Baseball's Championship Series Ran Through Milwaukee and Tampa
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following document from Economics Daily:
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Baseball's championship series ran through Milwaukee and Tampa
October 29, 2026
Teams from Milwaukee and Tampa slugged it out this week in baseball's championship series. It was Milwaukee's first trip to the series since 1982, while Tampa's last visit was in 2020. Milwaukee clinched the win in five games, taking home their first world championship. Let's learn more about each of these cities.
We'll start in Milwaukee, a city on the western shore of Lake Michigan. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following document from Economics Daily: * * * Baseball's championship series ran through Milwaukee and Tampa October 29, 2026 Teams from Milwaukee and Tampa slugged it out this week in baseball's championship series. It was Milwaukee's first trip to the series since 1982, while Tampa's last visit was in 2020. Milwaukee clinched the win in five games, taking home their first world championship. Let's learn more about each of these cities. We'll start in Milwaukee, a city on the western shore of Lake Michigan.In September 2026, the unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wisconsin, metropolitan area. Average weekly earnings in private industry were $1,189.98 and employment was 777,300. In Milwaukee County, home of the team's stadium, employment was highest in food services and drinking places and in hospitals, with each having average industry employment of over 30,000 in 2025. Beverage manufacturing (which includes breweries) had employment of 1,750.
Let's move south to Tampa, a city on Florida's Gulf Coast. In September 2026, the greater Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area had an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent. Private industry employment in the metro area was 1,394,500 and average weekly earnings were $1,272.24. Food services and drinking places, with employment of 41,042, was also the largest industry in Pinellas County, Florida, home of the southern team's stadium. Professional, scientific, and technical services was the only other industry with employment over 30,000 in the county.
Unemployment data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. Metropolitan area employment and earnings data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program. County employment data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. Metropolitan area data are preliminary and not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment--September 2026. We also have interactive charts of metro area employment and unemployment data.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Baseball's championship series ran through Milwaukee and Tampa at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/baseballs-championship-series-ran-through-milwaukee-and-tampa.htm (visited October 30, 2026).
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View original text plus charts and tables here: https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/baseballs-championship-series-ran-through-milwaukee-and-tampa.htm
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Baseball's championship series ran through Milwaukee and Tampa
October 29, 2026
Teams from Milwaukee and Tampa slugged it out this week in baseball's championship series. It was Milwaukee's first trip to the series since 1982, while Tampa's last visit was in 2020. Milwaukee clinched the win in five games, taking home their first world championship. Let's learn more about each of these cities.
We'll start in Milwaukee, a city on the western shore of Lake Michigan. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following document from Economics Daily: * * * Baseball's championship series ran through Milwaukee and Tampa October 29, 2026 Teams from Milwaukee and Tampa slugged it out this week in baseball's championship series. It was Milwaukee's first trip to the series since 1982, while Tampa's last visit was in 2020. Milwaukee clinched the win in five games, taking home their first world championship. Let's learn more about each of these cities. We'll start in Milwaukee, a city on the western shore of Lake Michigan.In September 2026, the unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wisconsin, metropolitan area. Average weekly earnings in private industry were $1,189.98 and employment was 777,300. In Milwaukee County, home of the team's stadium, employment was highest in food services and drinking places and in hospitals, with each having average industry employment of over 30,000 in 2025. Beverage manufacturing (which includes breweries) had employment of 1,750.
Let's move south to Tampa, a city on Florida's Gulf Coast. In September 2026, the greater Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area had an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent. Private industry employment in the metro area was 1,394,500 and average weekly earnings were $1,272.24. Food services and drinking places, with employment of 41,042, was also the largest industry in Pinellas County, Florida, home of the southern team's stadium. Professional, scientific, and technical services was the only other industry with employment over 30,000 in the county.
Unemployment data are from the Local Area Unemployment Statistics program. Metropolitan area employment and earnings data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program. County employment data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. Metropolitan area data are preliminary and not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment--September 2026. We also have interactive charts of metro area employment and unemployment data.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Baseball's championship series ran through Milwaukee and Tampa at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/baseballs-championship-series-ran-through-milwaukee-and-tampa.htm (visited October 30, 2026).
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View original text plus charts and tables here: https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/baseballs-championship-series-ran-through-milwaukee-and-tampa.htm
CPSC Issues Recall Alert Involving Harkla Sensory Swings
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: Harkla Sensory Swings
Hazard: The recalled swings' ceiling hook can separate from its plate, posing a risk of serious injury from a fall hazard.
Remedy: Repair
Recall Date: October 29, 2026
Units: About 25,541 (In addition, about 5,534 were sold in Canada)
Consumer Contact: Harkla toll-free at 844-442-7552 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, by email at recall@harkla.co or online at https://harkla.co/pages/ceiling-hook-recall-2026 or https://harkla.co and ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert: * * * Name of Product: Harkla Sensory Swings Hazard: The recalled swings' ceiling hook can separate from its plate, posing a risk of serious injury from a fall hazard. Remedy: Repair Recall Date: October 29, 2026 Units: About 25,541 (In addition, about 5,534 were sold in Canada) Consumer Contact: Harkla toll-free at 844-442-7552 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, by email at recall@harkla.co or online at https://harkla.co/pages/ceiling-hook-recall-2026 or https://harkla.co andclick "Recall" at the top of the page.
Recall Details
In Conjunction With:
Description: This recall involves Harkla's children's sensory swings. The compression swings have a blue fabric seat and come with a four-hole hook and ceiling mounting hardware for suspension, with a drop length of 18 to 24 inches. Only swings with a four-hole hook are included in this recall. SKU number LS-COMP-1BLU or LS-COMP-1BLU-SW is printed on the side of the product packaging.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled swings immediately until repaired and contact Harkla to receive a free repair kit, including shipping. The repair kit consists of a replacement ceiling hook mounting plate, a safety strap and updated swing installation instructions. Consumers will be asked to go to https://harkla.co/pages/ceiling-hook-recall-2026 to register. Consumers should then dispose of the original hooks only in accordance with local waste management and recycling guidelines.
Incidents/Injuries: Harkla has received 29 reports of the swing's ceiling hook separating, including 14 injuries that resulted in two concussions, a broken arm, bumps and bruises.
Sold At: Sensory Tool House, Hammer & Jacks, Loaded Sensory and Renew (Faire), and online at Amazon.com and Harkla.co from March 2020 through December 2025 for between $100 and $130.
Importer(s): Base Products LLC, dba Harkla, of Boise, Idaho
Manufactured In: China
Recall number: 27-060
Fast Track Recall
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2027/Harkla-Recalls-Childrens-Sensory-Swings-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-from-Fall-Hazard
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Name of Product: Harkla Sensory Swings
Hazard: The recalled swings' ceiling hook can separate from its plate, posing a risk of serious injury from a fall hazard.
Remedy: Repair
Recall Date: October 29, 2026
Units: About 25,541 (In addition, about 5,534 were sold in Canada)
Consumer Contact: Harkla toll-free at 844-442-7552 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, by email at recall@harkla.co or online at https://harkla.co/pages/ceiling-hook-recall-2026 or https://harkla.co and ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert: * * * Name of Product: Harkla Sensory Swings Hazard: The recalled swings' ceiling hook can separate from its plate, posing a risk of serious injury from a fall hazard. Remedy: Repair Recall Date: October 29, 2026 Units: About 25,541 (In addition, about 5,534 were sold in Canada) Consumer Contact: Harkla toll-free at 844-442-7552 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, by email at recall@harkla.co or online at https://harkla.co/pages/ceiling-hook-recall-2026 or https://harkla.co andclick "Recall" at the top of the page.
Recall Details
In Conjunction With:
Description: This recall involves Harkla's children's sensory swings. The compression swings have a blue fabric seat and come with a four-hole hook and ceiling mounting hardware for suspension, with a drop length of 18 to 24 inches. Only swings with a four-hole hook are included in this recall. SKU number LS-COMP-1BLU or LS-COMP-1BLU-SW is printed on the side of the product packaging.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled swings immediately until repaired and contact Harkla to receive a free repair kit, including shipping. The repair kit consists of a replacement ceiling hook mounting plate, a safety strap and updated swing installation instructions. Consumers will be asked to go to https://harkla.co/pages/ceiling-hook-recall-2026 to register. Consumers should then dispose of the original hooks only in accordance with local waste management and recycling guidelines.
Incidents/Injuries: Harkla has received 29 reports of the swing's ceiling hook separating, including 14 injuries that resulted in two concussions, a broken arm, bumps and bruises.
Sold At: Sensory Tool House, Hammer & Jacks, Loaded Sensory and Renew (Faire), and online at Amazon.com and Harkla.co from March 2020 through December 2025 for between $100 and $130.
Importer(s): Base Products LLC, dba Harkla, of Boise, Idaho
Manufactured In: China
Recall number: 27-060
Fast Track Recall
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2027/Harkla-Recalls-Childrens-Sensory-Swings-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-from-Fall-Hazard