Federal Executive Branch
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State Dept.: Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team Report on DPRK Violations and Evasions of UN Sanctions Through Cyber and Information Technology Worker Activities
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team Report on DPRK Violations and Evasions of UN Sanctions through Cyber and Information Technology Worker Activities
Today at the United Nations, U.S. Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Jonathan Fritz briefed UN Member States and members of the press on the second Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) report, which focuses on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) violations
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team Report on DPRK Violations and Evasions of UN Sanctions through Cyber and Information Technology Worker Activities
Today at the United Nations, U.S. Department of State Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Jonathan Fritz briefed UN Member States and members of the press on the second Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) report, which focuses on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) violationsand evasions of UN sanctions through illicit cyber and information technology worker activities.
The United States remains committed to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and the enforcement of UN sanctions on the DPRK. We are confident that the MSMT will continue to publish timely, globally relevant, and fact-based reports on the DPRK's UN sanctions violations across a range of topics.
The MSMT, a mechanism established to monitor and report violations and evasions of United Nations sanctions on North Korea, was launched in 2024 after Russia vetoed the renewal of the UN 1718 Committee Panel of Experts mandate, which previously served this function. The MSMT comprises 11 participating states: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The October 22, 2025, MSMT report is available in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. A recording of the January 12 event is available (https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1t/k1tjrc6a8a).
For more information, see the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team website (https://msmt.info/).
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/01/multilateral-sanctions-monitoring-team-report-on-dprk-violations-and-evasions-of-un-sanctions-through-cyber-and-information-technology-worker-activities/
State Dept. Fact Sheet: Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Violations and Evasions of UN Sanctions Through Cyber and IT Worker Activities
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following fact sheet on Jan. 12, 2026:
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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Violations and Evasions of UN Sanctions through Cyber and IT Worker Activities
Today at the United Nations, the United States joined other members of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) to highlight their recent report (https://msmt.info/Publications/detail/MSMT%20Report/4221). First released in October, the report focuses on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) violations and evasions of UN sanctions through illicit
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following fact sheet on Jan. 12, 2026:
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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's Violations and Evasions of UN Sanctions through Cyber and IT Worker Activities
Today at the United Nations, the United States joined other members of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) to highlight their recent report (https://msmt.info/Publications/detail/MSMT%20Report/4221). First released in October, the report focuses on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) violations and evasions of UN sanctions through illicitcyber and information technology worker activities.
This MSMT report finds that the DPRK routinely violates UN Security Council resolutions through malicious cyber and IT worker activities. These activities generate revenue for the DPRK's unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.
The MSMT report is an unprecedented effort that exposes DPRK sanctions violations, with 140 pages of previously non-public information from 11 UN member states participating in MSMT and nine private sector companies. The report is available at the MSMT website (https://msmt.info/).
The DPRK continues to engage in malicious cyber operations. In the three months since the report's release, the DPRK has stolen an additional $400 million in cryptocurrency, bringing the total stolen in 2025 to more than $2 billion.
Key MSMT Report Findings
* DPRK cyber units target defense companies in North America, Europe, and Asia, and critical infrastructure worldwide to steal sensitive information and intellectual property for WMD and ballistic missile development.
* The DPRK cyber program has reached a level of sophistication approaching that of China and Russia and poses a serious, pervasive threat to the United States and the international community.
* The report identifies over 40 countries and territories that have either been targeted by or involved in DPRK's malicious cyber activity and IT worker activities.
* DPRK cyber actors have victimized the cryptocurrency industry, stealing at least $2.8 billion from Jan. 2024 - Sept. 2025 from cryptocurrency companies and customers all over the world, including in the United States, through over 40 cryptocurrency heists named in the MSMT report.
* DPRK national and foreign facilitator networks in China, Russia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the UAE assist in laundering and procurement.
* The DPRK has IT workers operating in at least eight countries, including China, Russia, Laos, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
* Most known DPRK IT workers are based in China (1,000 - 1,500); plans exist to send up to 40,000 laborers, including IT workers, to Russia.
* DPRK IT workers are increasingly engaged in malicious cyber activities including cryptocurrency theft and data extortion.
* The DPRK regularly relies on Chinese infrastructure and financial institutions; at least 19 Chinese banks have been used to launder funds.
* Over-the-counter traders in China are key to converting stolen cryptocurrency into fiat currency.
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/01/the-democratic-peoples-republic-of-koreas-violations-and-evasions-of-un-sanctions-through-cyber-and-it-worker-activities/
Smithsonian Adds a Site in Wyoming's Teton Mountains to Global Forest Monitoring Network
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Jan. 13 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Smithsonian adds a Site in Wyoming's Teton Mountains to global forest monitoring network
By Elizabeth King
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Wyoming team up to announce team up to announce the newest forest monitoring site to join the long-term large scale forest global earth observatory (ForestGEO) in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming USA.
From India, where elephants trample forest seedlings, to the Amazon, where fires threaten one of the planet's most
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PANAMA CITY, Panama, Jan. 13 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Smithsonian adds a Site in Wyoming's Teton Mountains to global forest monitoring network
By Elizabeth King
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the University of Wyoming team up to announce team up to announce the newest forest monitoring site to join the long-term large scale forest global earth observatory (ForestGEO) in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming USA.
From India, where elephants trample forest seedlings, to the Amazon, where fires threaten one of the planet's mostdiverse ecosystems, researchers in the Forest Global Earth Observatory network measure forest dynamics. A new site in Wyoming's Teton mountain range brings the total number of forests in the ForestGEO network to 85--in 29 countries. It takes a network of researchers working across national boundaries to understand forests at a planetary scale.
"Every forest is unique and responds to change differently," said Tucker Furniss, co-founder of the new study site with Sara Germain, both University of Wyoming professors. "Our site is the first in the Rocky Mountain Ecoregion--and the first in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Trees here endure extreme cold, and grow on rocky, mountainous terrain. As the environment changes, they may be hit hard because they're already close to their limits."
The new site is a six-hour drive northwest from the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie, WY, but is close to the field station run by the University and the National Park Service in Grand Teton National Park. Over the past two summers, Germain, Furniss, and their team of 18 students and technicians mapped, measured, and identified more than 40,000 trees in a 25-hectare plot and five smaller satellite plots in the Teton range. Their sites span an elevational gradient from 6,500 feet to 10,000 feet, covering a range of forest types in a large landscape that is home to moose, elk, bison, wolves, and grizzly bears.
"We spent years working in ForestGEO study sites in Yosemite National Park in California, Wind River in Washington, and Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. Now, we feel like proud parents to have our own plot in the Tetons," said Germain, "It's exciting to address important knowledge gaps, and to find out more about Rocky Mountain forests and compare them with forests around the world. There's just something special about getting to know every last tree."
ForestGEO forest dynamics sites span the globe. Teams of biologists in North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania have mapped and measured more than 7 million trees representing 12,000 species. In some of the most biologically diverse forests--in Brazil, Malaysia, Borneo, and Ecuador--there can be more than 1,000 tree species in 25 hectares.
The new plot in the Tetons has only a few dominant tree species: 8 conifers and 8 hardwoods -- and is more like other temperate sites in the US and other parts of the world. However, these upper montane forests harbor some of the oldest trees in the region. "The oldest tree we've cored so far was a ~1200-year-old whitebark pine," said Germain. The site also offers striking wildlife comparisons, providing essential habitat for threatened and endangered species such as grizzly bears, Canada lynx, and the ancient whitebark pine itself.
Why study forests around the world? The idea began in tropical forests. In the 1970s, tropical biologists wanted to know how forests changed through time, but, because most trees live longer than we do, and because there were so many tree species are so rare that the only way to study enough requires larger areas--to find enough individuals of the same species, and observations for a longer time than most universities or science funding agencies are willing to pay for.
"We're focused on understanding what causes death in long-lived trees like whitebark pine, one of the most important species here that grows right up at treeline," said Furniss. "This species is foundational to these fragile alpine ecosystems and is a big concern for local managers."
"We want to make sure that parks and protected areas are managed based on the best possible science," said Germain, "and we want to teach the next generation of students how to do rigorous forest research that can help support managers' efforts."
"One of the big advantages of joining the network is the opportunity to participate in a big international data analysis workshop every year. We're thrilled to join the network and to contribute this unique forest type to the network to help us better understand temperate forest dynamics."
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About ForestGEO
The Forest Global Earth Observatory is a global network of scientists and forest research sites dedicated to advancing long-term study of the world's forests. The network recognizes the importance of collaborating with local institutions to strengthen science capacity in an era of rapidly changing landscapes and climate to understand and predict forest dynamics.
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/grand-teton
Non-Profit Executive Convicted of Theft of Federal Funds
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana posted the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Non-Profit Executive Convicted of Theft of Federal Funds
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that ZOE MARIE FRANCIS ("FRANCIS"), age 47, of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 7, 2026, to theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A).
According to court documents, FRANCIS was the chief operating officer of the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies
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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana posted the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Non-Profit Executive Convicted of Theft of Federal Funds
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that ZOE MARIE FRANCIS ("FRANCIS"), age 47, of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 7, 2026, to theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A).
According to court documents, FRANCIS was the chief operating officer of the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies("IWES"), a non-profit organization based in New Orleans that received grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal funds. In that role, FRANCIS embezzled funds for the benefit of herself and family members, including unauthorized expenditures for personal events and Amazon purchases. Using her authority with IWES, FRANCIS used falsified contracts to hide these expenses and invoices, and she granted herself unauthorized pay increases. Under the terms of FRANCIS's plea agreement, FRANCIS agreed to pay over $100,000 in restitution to IWES, and she also agreed to forfeit at least $150,000 in IWES funds that she spent on unauthorized expenses.
United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo set sentencing for April 8, 2026. At sentencing, the maximum penalty FRANCIS faces is ten years of imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, a. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Trial Attorney Gary Crosby, of the Department of Justice's Criminal Division's Fraud Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, are in charge of the prosecution.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/non-profit-executive-convicted-theft-federal-funds
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime
CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - John Ladelle Puryear, 50, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as "crack."
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 16, 2025, law enforcement
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CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - John Ladelle Puryear, 50, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as "crack."
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 16, 2025, law enforcementofficers executed a search warrant at Puryear's apartment in Huntington and seized approximately 299 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of fentanyl and 8 grams of crack, a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol, a Colt MK IV Series 80 .45-caliber pistol, a Ruger LCF .380-caliber pistol, digital scales and approximately $6,487. As part of his guilty plea, Puryear, admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office (https://www.justice.gov/usao/wvs) for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER (https://pacer.login.uscourts.gov/csologin/login.jsf?pscCourtId=WVSDC&appurl=https://ecf.wvsd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/showpage.pl?16) by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-125.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/huntington-man-sentenced-prison-federal-drug-crime-23
Huntington Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised Release
CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Huntington Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Darrelle Davon Boynton, also known as "D," 40, of Huntington, was sentenced today to seven years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine and violating supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 23, 2025, Boynton
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CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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Huntington Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Darrelle Davon Boynton, also known as "D," 40, of Huntington, was sentenced today to seven years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine and violating supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 23, 2025, Boyntonsold approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot. As part of his guilty plea, Boynton admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Boynton also admitted to additional criminal conduct as part of his guilty plea. Boynton admitted that he sold approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine on April 29, 2025, and approximately 8.32 grams of heroin and fentanyl on May 8, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Huntington.
At the time of this offense, Boynton was on supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 24, 2020. Today's sentence includes one year and three months for committing a crime while on supervised release.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office (https://www.justice.gov/usao/wvs) for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER (https://pacer.login.uscourts.gov/csologin/login.jsf?pscCourtId=WVSDC&appurl=https://ecf.wvsd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/showpage.pl?16) by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-126.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/huntington-man-sentenced-federal-drug-crime-and-violating-supervised-release
FCC Acts to Bring More Uniform Approach to Handset Unlocking Rules
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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FCC Acts to Bring More Uniform Approach to Handset Unlocking Rules
FCC Waives 2007 Rule that Incentivized Handset Theft and Fraud
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The Federal Communications Commission today took action to bring a more uniform approach to its handset unlocking rules that will benefit consumers. The action also closes a loophole that sophisticated criminal networks and everyday lawbreakers alike have exploited to engage in illicit activity. Specifically, the FCC waived a 2007 rule that required
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release on Jan. 12, 2026:
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FCC Acts to Bring More Uniform Approach to Handset Unlocking Rules
FCC Waives 2007 Rule that Incentivized Handset Theft and Fraud
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The Federal Communications Commission today took action to bring a more uniform approach to its handset unlocking rules that will benefit consumers. The action also closes a loophole that sophisticated criminal networks and everyday lawbreakers alike have exploited to engage in illicit activity. Specifically, the FCC waived a 2007 rule that requiredone wireless carrier to unlock their handsets well earlier than standard industry practice, thus creating an incentive for bad actors to steal those handsets for purposes of carrying out fraud and other illegal acts.
Chairman Brendan Carr issued the following statement:
"Sophisticated criminal networks have exploited the FCC's handset unlocking policies to carry out criminal acts--including transnational handset trafficking schemes and facilitating broader criminal enterprises like drug running and human smuggling. By waiving a regulation that incentivized bad actors to target one particular carrier's handsets for theft, we now have a uniform industry standard that can help stem the flow of handsets into the black market."
Additional Background Information:
Under the FCC's 2007 unlocking requirements, Verizon is the only major provider that the FCC requires to unlock its handsets 60 days after activation, which is earlier than standard industry practice. The FCC extended this unique requirement in 2021 as a condition of Verizon's acquisition of Tracfone. Verizon has stated that it "saw a spike in fraud of approximately 55% after TracFone moved from its earlier policy of a one-year lock to Verizon's 60-day lock."
Under today's waiver order from the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Verizon will, like its competitors, provide unlocking services in alignment with the CTIA Consumer Code for Wireless Service, established in 2013. These voluntary unlocking standards cover disclosure, postpaid and prepaid unlocking policies, notice, response time, and unlocking policy for deployed military personnel.
Due to its unique unlocking responsibility, Verizon's unlocked handsets have too often been effectively stolen and resold on the black market, commanding premium prices on the dark web, particularly in countries like Russia, China, and Cuba. The record demonstrates that the 60-day device locking period is insufficient for the company to effectively detect fraud before unlocking takes place. As a result, Verizon phones have been targeted. Time and again, federal and state law enforcement has investigated and prosecuted transnational handset trafficking schemes, finding they facilitate broader criminal enterprises like drug and human smuggling.
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-417932A1.pdf
