ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Nov. 9 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico issued the following news release: A group of immigrants detained in inhumane conditions at New Mexico's Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) is suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for certifying a sham inspection in 2022 that allowed ICE to evade federal law and continue detaining immigrants at the facility, despite known ongoing violations of federal detention standards. "The conditions   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- Michael E. Griffin, Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Public Policy, AdventHealth, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Oct. 17, 2023, and posted on Nov. 1, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. EBSA-2023-0010-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Michael E. Griffin, Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Public Polic  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- Americans for Tax Reform issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: By Isabelle Morales On Wednesday, the House will vote on H.R. 4664, the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Bill, as part of Speaker Mike Johnson's ambitious schedule to pass all 12 single-subject appropriations bills. So far, the House has passed seven. The FSGG bill includes several policies that protect U.S. taxpayers, cut back wasteful spending, and constrain the p  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, held an executive session to vote on the nominations of Ms. Tanya Otsuka, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Credit Union Administration; The Honorable Mark Uyeda, of California, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission; The Honorable Spencer Bachus III,   more

SACRAMENTO, California, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, Phillip A. Talbert, issued the following news release on Nov. 6, 2023: Gabriel Adrien Lobe Diop, 35, a French national previously residing in Agoura Hills, California, pleaded guilty today to nine counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Diop orchestrated a scheme to illegally obtain millions of d  more

FRESNO, California, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, Phillip A. Talbert, issued the following news release on Nov. 6, 2023: Jeremy Gober, 42, of Hanford, pleaded guilty today to health care fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for submitting more than $1.5 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medi-Cal for sleep studies, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Gober co-owned and co-operated Got Sleep Inc., which operated sleep clinics in Fre  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- Sen. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: New rule announced in September establishes minimum staffing requirements for nursing homes Casey, Wyden have long called for nursing home staffing minimums Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, led a letter to Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (C  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a rule (42 CFR Part 419), published in the Federal Register on Nov. 8, 2023, entitled "Medicare Program; Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System: Remedy for the 340B-Acquired Drug Payment Policy for Calendar Years 2018-2022." The rule was issued by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. * * * SUMMARY: This final rule describes the agency's actions on remand from the United  more

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Nov. 9 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis recently traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa as part of the U.S. delegation, led by U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai and Commerce Department Deputy Secretary Don Graves, to the 2023 African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum from November 2-4. Dur  more

TUCSON, Arizona, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command issued the following story: By Amanda Pearson The U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command's Religious Affairs team held a Building Strong & Ready Teams event Nov. 3-5. Incorporating Greely Hall tenants; Headquarters and Headquarters NETCOM, Regional Cyber Center Continental United States, U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command and the Communications Security Logistics Activity (CSLA), the event wa  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Commerce Inspector General issued the following memorandum (No. OIG-24-005-A) on Nov. 6, 2023, entitled "EDA Generally Monitored Grants Awarded Under the FY 2019 EDA Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Alejandra Y. Castillo, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, U.S. Economic Development Administration FROM: Arthur L. Scott, Jr., Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation SUBJ  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47605) on Oct. 30, 2023, entitled "Connecting Older Adults to Information on Benefits and Services." The report was written by research librarians Tamar B. Breslauer, Angela Napili, Lena A. Maman, Rachael D. Roan, Jennifer Teefy, Maura Mullins, and Alyse N. Minter. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Purpose and Scope ... 1 Benefits Guides ... 1 Cash Assistance ... 2 Elder Justice and L  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47605) on Oct. 30, 2023, entitled "Connecting Older Adults to Information on Benefits and Services:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Personal Finance and Tax/17 Personal Finance Several agencies - the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and the U.S. Securities  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (TNSres) -- Rep. David Kustoff, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: Today, Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Daniel Werfel demanding answers about a recent report that concluded IRS officials had violated taxpayers' rights by directly contacting taxpayers who are represented before the IRS. "The findings of this report are deeply concerning, but not unexpected. Under President Biden, the   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia, issued the following news: Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) released the following statement: "The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act reauthorized the federal government's annual dedicated funding commitment to WMATA. The historic legislation included my bill, the Metro Accountability and Investment Act, which conditioned continued federal funding on WMATA making reforms to strengthen the independence of the WMATA Offic  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew M. Graves, issued the following news release on Nov. 6, 2023: Dawne Dorsey, 40, a former employee of the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development, was sentenced today for accepting bribes in return for giving out confidential information held by the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Ja  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Nov. 9, 2023: Inspector General (IG) Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the report, "Evaluation of the Control and Accountability of DoD Biometric Data Collection Technologies." The biometric devices included as part of the review were the Biometric Automated Toolsets (BAT), Secure Electronic Enr  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following report (DODIG-2024-016) on Nov. 8, 2023, entitled "Evaluation of the Control and Accountability of Biometric Data Collection Technologies." Here are excerpts: * * * Objective The objective of this evaluation was to determine whether the DoD ensured adequate control and accountability over technologies used to collect, store, and transmit biometric data to higher level databases in overseas operations. * * * Backgroun  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following quarterly report to Congress covering July 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2023 on Nov. 9, 2023. Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) mission is to advise, assist, and enable partner forces until they can independently maintain the enduring defeat of ISIS in Iraq and designated areas of Syria, in order to set conditions for long-term security cooperation frameworks./1 The broader  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. IT2024001) on Oct. 30, 2023, entitled "Agency Needs To Improve Its High-Value Assets Governance Program To Effectively Identify, Prioritize, and Secure Its Most Critical Systems." Here are excerpts: * * * What We Looked At High value assets (HVA) are information systems, information, and data for which unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction could have a si  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Nov. 6, 2023, entitled "Fiscal 2023 Implementation of the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019:" * * * From: Dormayne "Dory" Dillard-Christian, Assistant Inspector General for Financial Audits To: Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer For fiscal year 2022, the Department of Transportation (DOT) reported approximately $61.6 billion in payments for progr  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Nov. 8, 2023, entitled "Fiscal 2024 FISMA Review:" * * * From: Kevin Dorsey, Assistant Inspector General for Information Technology Audits To: Chief Information Officer The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014/1 (FISMA) requires Federal agencies to implement information security programs. The act also requires agencies to conduct annual independent reviews to determine the  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Energy Inspector General issued the following inspection report (No. DOE-OIG-24-01) on Nov. 2, 2023, entitled "Alleged Disclosure of Sensitive Information." Here are excerpts: * * * The Department of Energy's mission is to ensure U.S. security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a semi-autonomous agency w  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation will ask the Office of Management and Budget to review an information collection by the Federal Aviation Administration entitled "Pilots Convicted of Alcohol or Drug-Related Motor Vehicle Offenses or Subject to State Motor Vehicle Administrative Procedure." The notice was issued by Christopher Marks, Security Specialist, Security & Hazardous Materials Safety/Enforcement Standards & Policy Division, AXE-900. COMMENT DEADLINE: December   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration has issued a notice, published in the Federal Register on Nov. 13, 2023, entitled "Revision of Stewardship and Oversight Agreement Template." The notice was issued by Shailen P. Bhatt, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration. * * * SUMMARY: This final notice announces the availability of a revised Stewardship and Oversight (S&O) Agreement template. The S&O Agreement defines the roles and respons  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Nov. 9 -- Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued the following news release: Attorney General Ashley Moody's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is announcing the arrest of a speech-language pathologist for defrauding Florida Medicaid. Kristin Marie Stiggleman, a therapy provider in Hillsborough County, inflated hours by billing for services not provided and misappropriating more than $5,000 from the taxpayer-funded program. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office assisted   more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Nov. 8 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-043) on Nov. 1, 2023, involving Department of Commerce - Office of Inspector General's Internal Audit Activity. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In our opinion, the quality assurance and improvement program related to the Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequately designed and complied with during the review period July 2022   more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Nov. 8 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-044) on Nov. 1, 2023, involving Public Service Commission - Office of Inspector General's Internal Audit Activity. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In our opinion, the quality assurance and improvement program related to the Public Service Commission, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequately designed and complied with during the review period July  more

TAMPA, Florida, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, Roger B. Handberg, issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Paul Lesslie Thompson (69, Anthony) with one count of receipt of stolen government property. If convicted, Thompson faces up to 10 years in federal prison and an order of forfeiture for at least $1,169,327.54, which represents the proceeds of the offense charged in the indict  more

MIAMI, Florida, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: On Nov. 1, a Miami federal grand jury charged three Miami residents for their alleged role in a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Heidi Cid, 54, Lazaro Verdecia Hernandez, 36, and Yadier Rodriguez Arteaga, 38 all of Miami, Florida, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, in co  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Ryan K. Buchanan, issued the following news release: Amos Christolin is the last defendant to be sentenced for his role in a scheme to smuggle dozens of kilograms of cocaine hidden in tubs of butter from Haiti and distribute the drugs within the United States, including through the Atlanta area. "Dangerous drugs smuggled from overseas threaten our communities and risk serious disruption to our international car  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Ryan K. Buchanan, issued the following news release: Saima Syed, M.D. ("Dr. Syed"), Atlanta Medical and Aesthetic Center, Inc. d/b/a AIM Medical Center ("Syed Practice Group"), and Rehan Syed have agreed to pay $225,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by, among other things, billing the government for office visits that were not medically necessary, were not provided as claimed, an  more

LOS ANGELES, California, Nov. 10 -- Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, a law firm, issued the following news release: Josie Huang, a reporter for NPR member station LAist 89.3 (formerly known as KPCC), reached a $700,000 settlement agreement on Tuesday with Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) related to the journalist's violent and unlawful arrest while covering a protest in 2020. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors formally approved the agreement followin  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-01-22-00501) entitled "CMS Can Do More To Leverage Medicare Claims Data To Identify Unreported Incidents of Potential Abuse or Neglect" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit We previously conducted an audit of CMS's use of Medicare data to identify incidents of potential abuse or neglect and foun  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-23-53) on Sept. 19, 2023, entitled "Advanced Recognition Technology System Compliance with 28 C.F.R. Part 23." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Mason C. Clutter, Chief Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security; Shonnie Lyon, Director, Office of Biometric Identity Management FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General; Glenn Sklar, Principal Deputy Inspector Genera  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-23-52) on Sept. 19, 2023, entitled "ICE Did Not Accurately Measure and Report Its Progress in Disrupting or Dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Patrick J. Lechleitner, Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector Genera  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health issued the following testimony by Mary Killough, vice president of operations and government relations at AccentCare Inc., involving a hearing on Oct. 26, 2023, entitled "Supporting Access to Long-Term Services and Supports: An Examination of the Impacts of Proposed Regulations on Workforce and Access to Care": * * * Chair McMorris Rodgers, Ranking Member Pallone, Chairman Guthrie, Ranking Member Eshoo, and the members   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health issued the following testimony by Paul Masi, executive director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, involving a hearing on Oct. 19, 2023, entitled "What's the Prognosis?: Examining Medicare Proposals to Improve Patient Access to Care & Minimize Red Tape for Doctors": * * * Chair Rodgers, Chair Guthrie, Ranking Member Pallone, Ranking Member Eshoo, and distinguished Committee members, my name is Paul Masi, and I  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul announced the full committee will hold a hearing entitled, "Examining the Biden Administration's Afghanistan Policy Since the U.S. Withdrawal" on Tuesday, November 14th. What: Hearing - "Examining the Biden Administration's Afghanistan Policy Since the U.S. Withdrawal" Date: Tuesday, N  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The House Foreign Affairs Committee issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Examining the Biden Administration's Afghanistan Policy Since the U.S. Withdrawal" at 10 a.m. on Nov. 14, 2023, at 210 House Visitors Center: Witnesses * The Honorable John Sopko, Inspector General, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) * * * Original text here: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/examining-the-biden-administrations-afghanistan-po  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- HP Inc. has issued a public comment to the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. The comment was written and posted on Oct. 31, 2023. The comment was on Docket No. ONCD-FRDOC-0001-0002. * * * HP Inc. greatly appreciates the opportunity to respond to the request for information (RFI) published by the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) with regards to cybersecurity regulatory harmonization. HP considers cybersecurity a priority and a cruc  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Roger Marshall led the charge in the Senate Floor today, demanding the immediate passage of the Israel standalone funding package that passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.  It's been a month now since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing over 1,400 Israeli and 36 Americans and taking hundreds of hostages. Senator Marshall is fighting to ensure the standalone Israel  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. -- At a Senate Finance Committee markup of the Better Mental Health Care, Lower-Cost Drugs, and Extenders Act, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) highlighted the need to do more to prioritize hearing health for our seniors and strengthen transparency in Medicare Advantage, and secured commitments from Senate Finance Committee leadership to prioritize these proposals in future p  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Interior Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2023-ER-012) on Nov. 2, 2023, entitled "Statement Summarizing the Major Management and Performance Challenges, Fiscal 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * Memorandum To: Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior From: Mark Lee Greenblatt, Inspector General Subject: Final Report - Inspector General's Statement Summarizing the Major Management and Performance Challenges Facing the U.S. Department of the Interior,   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: Two former Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) corrections officers, Samuel J. Patrick, 41, and Clinton L. Pauley, 42, were sentenced today to 36 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and 40 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release, respectively, for their roles in the assaults of inmates held at U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy. Patrick and Pauley previously   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A Virginia couple and Missouri man were sentenced yesterday for conspiring to bribe a public official. Susan May Keim, 54, of Hopewell, Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in prison; Russell John Keim Sr., 60, also of Hopewell, was sentenced to 18 months in prison; and Rodney Gale Wilson, 67, of Imperial, Missouri, was sentenced to 45 months in prison. All three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to o  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Nostrum Laboratories Inc. (Nostrum), located in Missouri and New Jersey, and its founder and CEO, Nirmal Mulye, Ph.D. (Mulye), have agreed to pay a minimum of $3,825,000, and up to $50 million if certain financial contingencies are met, to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying Medicaid rebates due for Nostrum's drug Nitrofurantoin Oral Suspension (Nitro OS). Th  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Clinical laboratory Genesis Reference Laboratories LLC (Genesis), of Orlando, Florida, has agreed to pay $1,195,845 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that its marketers paid illegal kickbacks to healthcare providers in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute to induce laboratory testing referrals. Genesis has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigations of, and litigation against, ot  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: An Israeli national pleaded guilty today to his role in a conspiracy to launder money and facilitate the illegal entry, harboring, and transporting of noncitizens in the United States for the purpose of their employment. According to court documents, Shai Cohen, 39, admitted to organizing and working with others to recruit and facilitate the illegal entry of Israeli citizens into the United States under fal  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A former U.S. Air Force (USAF) contractor pleaded guilty today to engaging in a bribery scheme relating to a large technology contract awarded by the USAF. According to court documents, from late 2013 to late 2019, Juan Carlos Arevalo III, 44, of Occoquan, Virginia, served as the chief technologies officer and senior technical consultant for a USAF component that focuses on intelligence, surveillance, reco  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A U.S. businessman pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, since 2007, Robert N. Dooner has lived outside the United States, intermittently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ibiza, Spain. Starting in approximately 2007, Dooner worked as a business associate of Individual-1, an American living abroad. Together with others, inclu  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: XTO Energy Inc. has agreed to pay $16 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it knowingly underpaid royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Native American lands. The settlement resolves allegations that the company improperly deducted costs necessary to put the gas in marketable condition, deducted costs of transporting carbon dioxide and failed to pay royalties on carbon dioxi  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following investigative summary (No. 24-006) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "Findings of Misconduct by a then Bureau of Prisons Warden for Operating a Prohibited Vehicle on Bureau of Prison Grounds and Endangering Others, Making Sexist, Racist, and Obscene Comments to Staff, and False Statements and Lack of Candor to the OIG:" * * * The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated an investigation after r  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-005) entitled "Inspection of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary Our inspection identified several serious operational deficiencies at FCI Tallahassee. Among the most concerning were the alarming conditions of its food service and storage operations. Specifically, on our second day at the inst  more

LAWRENCE, Kansas, Nov. 11 -- The University of Kansas issued the following news: As part of the University of Kansas Homecoming celebration in October, the KU Army ROTC program took the opportunity to honor extraordinary alumni and acknowledge the achievements of the Jayhawk Battalion. The program inducted new members into the Jayhawk Battalion Alumni Association Wall of Fame, provided a state of the battalion address and presented a new cadet award. Retired Col. George Pogge, a distinguished   more

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Duane A. Evans, issued the following news release: On November 2, 2023, SONIA MILLER, age 53, a resident of New Orleans, was charged in a three-count indictment for theft of mail by a postal employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709 and delay or destruction of mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. For each count  more

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Duane A. Evans, issued the following news release: U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 6, 2023, a federal jury convicted SHIVA AKULA, age 67, of New Orleans, of health care fraud related to fraudulent claims billed to Medicare. AKULA owned and oversaw the day-to-day operations of Canon Healthcare, LLC, a hospice facility with offices in the New Orleans area, Baton Rouge, Covington, and  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, issued the following news release: A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging five individuals for a fraud scheme intended to obtain over $35 million from financial institutions by providing false documentation in support of SBA loan applications for the purchase of hotels. Defendant Mehul Ramesh Khatiwala, a/k/a "Mike Khatiwala," age 41, of Voorhees, New Jersey, also faces a continuing   more

DETROIT, Michigan, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Dawn N. Ison, issued the following news release: Hasna Bashir Iwas, 62, of New Baltimore, who owned and operated the former Beacon Pointe Pharmacy in Grosse Pointe Park, was convicted last week by a federal jury on 26 charges related to the unlawful distribution of Schedule II, III, IV and V prescription drug-controlled substances. The verdict was announced by United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining Ison   more

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Andrew M. Luger, issued the following news release: A federal jury has found three defendants guilty in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to evidence presented at trial, Amondo Antoine Miller, 47, of Littleton, Colorado, Tashena Laverna Crump, 39, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Ballam Hazeakiah Dud  more

CONCORD, New Hampshire, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire, Jane E. Young, issued the following news release: A Manchester man was arrested for his involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain CARES Act funds from the United States government and the State of New York, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Kyereem Sackey, 23, was indicted on October 25, 2023, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. Sackey was arrested this mor  more

ALBANY, New York, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, Carla B. Freedman, issued the following news release: Former New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) employee Wendell Giles, age 53, of Albany, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance benefits by abusing his position with the NYSDOL. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Alfred A.   more

BROOKLYN, New York, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: A third superseding indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Brian Michael Sutton, Brycen Kay Millett, Anthony Santamaria, Joshua Manuel Alegria, Hershel Tsikman and Hafizullah Ebady with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud and money laundering conspiracy. As alleged, the defendants participated in   more

BROOKLYN, New York, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, issued the following news release: A 16-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging 10 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes committed in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries. All ten defendants are in custody and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United Stat  more

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Nov. 9 -- The National Immigrant Justice Center issued the following news release: A group of immigrants detained in inhumane conditions at New Mexico's Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF) is suing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for certifying a sham inspection in 2022 that allowed ICE to evade federal law and continue detaining immigrants at the facility, despite known ongoing violations of federal detention standards. "The conditions and medical  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-A-01) on Nov. 3, 2023, entitled "Assessment of the Most Serious Management and Performance Challenges, Fiscal 2024." Here are excerpts: * * * At a glance WHY WE DID THIS REPORT The Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-531) requires us to annually update our assessment of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) most serious management and performanc  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The National Science Foundation Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-3-001) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "Inspection of Passport Guidance." Here are excerpts: * * * At a Glance WHY WE DID THIS INSPECTION According to NSF data, NSF staff made 119 trips to foreign countries as part of their official duties in fiscal year 2022. The objective of our inspection was to determine whether NSF adheres to applicable laws and NSF and U.S. Department of Sta  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- Andrew Hartsig, Senior Director, Arctic Program, Ocean Conservancy, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The comment was written on Nov. 1, 2023, and posted on Nov. 3, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. BOEM-2023-0046, was sent to James J. Kendall, Regional Director, New Orleans Office, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. * * * Ocean Conservancy/1 submits the following comments in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) Noti  more

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command issued the following news release: Special Agents from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division's Pacific Field Office led a joint law enforcement operation called Operation Free Ride, November 7. The operation targeted four Hawaii-based individuals accused of defrauding the Army of approximately 2.6 million dollars. Search warrants were executed in four different residences connected to the v  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Oregon Department of Emergency Management, Salem, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The comment was written and posted on Nov. 2, 2023. The comment was on Docket No. FEMA-2023-0024. * * * A. General Inquiry 1. How would you describe the cadence of FEMA preparedness grant programs communication to your stakeholder group? EMPG: Oregon has not observed any direct outreach to our stakeholders; HSGP, NSGP: frequency is okay, but to  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Eric G. Olshan, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A resident of Dubois, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, an  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Eric G. Olshan, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A former resident of Stockton, California, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfie  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Eric G. Olshan, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A former resident of Stockton, California has been sentenced in federal court to 108 months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfiel  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Eric G. Olshan, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A former resident of Stockton, California has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties   more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Eric G. Olshan, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A resident of Hyde, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 23 months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Al  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Eric G. Olshan, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A resident of Kersey, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 28 months of imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release on his conviction for violating federal narcotics laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Eric G. Olshan, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A resident of Sykesville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release on her conviction for violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws related to a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 -- Arnold and Porter, a law firm, issued the following news on Nov. 6, 2023: Arnold & Porter announced today that Philip Desjardins, former FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health Associate Director for Policy and Johnson & Johnson Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs, has rejoined the firm's Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory practice as a partner, resident in Washington, D.C. Dan Kracov, co-chair of the firm's Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory prac  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following white paper (No. RISC-WP-24-001) on Nov. 6, 2023, entitled "Examining Alternative Inflation Indices for Regulating Market Dominant Price Increases." Here are excerpts: * * * * The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act capped price increases for Market Dominant products (such as First-Class Mail) at the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The OIG exami  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 23-091-R24) on Nov. 3, 2023, entitled "Hazardous Waste Management at Postal Service Vehicle Maintenance Facilities." Here are excerpts: * * * Background Postal Service employees use a variety of hazardous materials in their daily activities that generate hazardous waste, which is subject to strict federal laws and regulations related to its proper management and disposal. Vehicle maintenanc  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 23-060-R24) on Oct. 24, 2023, entitled "Processing of Retroactive Pay." Here are excerpts: * * * Background As of September 30, 2022, 92 percent of Postal Service's 635,250 employees were members of labor organizations (unions), whose terms of employment are covered by collective bargaining agreements (labor contracts). In fiscal year (FY) 2022, three of the eight Postal Service unions rati  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 22-201-R24) on Oct. 20, 2023, entitled "Serving America: Contract Postal Unit and Village Post Office Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * Background While the U.S. Postal Service uses over 2,500 Contract Postal Units (CPU) and Village Post Offices (VPO) as alternative retail access points throughout the country, these locations have declined by nearly 20 percent in recent years. CPUs and   more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, Zachary A. Cunha, issued the following news release on Nov. 9, 2023: A clinical social worker today admitted to a federal judge that she helped devise and execute a scheme that shortchanged Rhode Island and Massachusetts substance abuse disorder patients out of counseling and treatment services while, at the same time, defrauding Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurers out of more than $3.5 million do  more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, Zachary A. Cunha, issued the following news release on Nov. 9, 2023: An indictment unsealed in federal court in Providence today charges Michael Darrah, a benefits service representative with the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs in Providence, with three counts of bribery and one count each of extortion, gratuity received by a public official, and witness tampering, announced United States Attorney Zach  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Angie Craig is calling on United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to release his plan to handle mail deliveries in the South Metro during the peak holiday shipping season. In a letter, Rep. Craig expressed her continued frustration about persistent mail delays in Minnesota and reports of poor working conditions for postal workers. She also req  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., introduced the "Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act" on Oct. 6, 2023. The text and summary of the bill was released on Nov. 6. H.R. 5893. A bill making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. * * * TITLE I DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TITLE II DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TITLE III SCIENCE TITLE IV RELAT  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Representative John Carter (R-TX-31) led 15 Republican members in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling out the mishandling of $73.4 million taxpayer dollars to local recipient organizations (LROs). A recent DHS Office of Inspector General report describes deviations and questionable spending by LROs responsible for migrant humanitarian relief and highlig  more

NEW YORK, Nov. 9 -- The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) and Quinn, Emanuel, Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP held a joint press conference outside of the New York State Supreme Civil Court in Manhattan ahead of a hearing on a lawsuit filed by both groups earlier this year. The landmark lawsuit alleges that the NYPD engages in a pattern of unlawfully refusing to respond to Freedom  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following opening statement on Nov. 8, 2023, at a hearing on fairness and fiscal responsibility: * * * If someone were to base everything they know about IRS reform from what they hear today, they'd probably get the impression it's a divisive and politically charged topic. A few years ago, however, IRS reform had strong bipartisan support. In June of 2019, the Taxpayer First Act   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Examining Federal COVID-Era Spending and Preventing Future Fraud" at 2:45 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2023, at 562 Dirksen Senate Office Building: Witnesses * The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz, Chair, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice * The Honorable Hannibale "Mike" Ware,  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- The Senate Judiciary Committee issued the following testimony by Cardell T. Morant, director of the Center for Countering Human Trafficking at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, involving a hearing on Oct. 25, 2023, entitled "Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children, Part II": * * * Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Graham, and distinguished members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify regarding the role of U.S. Immigration a  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 -- Sen. Robert Casey Jr., D-Pennsylvania, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, led a letter to Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure encouraging the agency to finalize and implement the Biden Administration's new proposed rule  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King sent a letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Army, Lieutenant General Donna W. Martin, calling for a comprehensive review of the events surrounding the Lewiston shooting on October 25, 2023. "As we continue to grieve the needless loss of life that day, we must work to fully understand what happened--and what could have be  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King sent a letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Army, Lieutenant General Donna W. Martin, calling for a comprehensive review of the events surrounding the Lewiston shooting on October 25, 2023. "As we continue to grieve the needless loss of life that day, we must work to fully understand what happened--and what could have be  more

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 13-page audit report (No. 142310) on Sept. 25, 2023, entitled "Security of the Earnings Record Maintenance System - Cloud." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner From: Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General Subject: Security of the Earnings Record Maintenance System - Cloud The attached final report summarizes Ernst & Young LLP's (Ernst & Yo  more

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 24-page audit report (No. A-07-21-51105) on Sept. 25, 2023, entitled "Statutory Benefit Continuation for Disability Beneficiaries." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner From: Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General Subject: Statutory Benefit Continuation for Disability Beneficiaries The attached final report presents the results of the Off  more

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 25-page audit report (No. 142306) on Sept. 25, 2023, entitled "Summary of the Audit of the Information Security Program and Practices for Fiscal 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner From: Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General Subject: Summary of the Audit of the Social Security Administration's Information Security Program and Pract  more

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Air Force McChord Air Force Base (62nd Airlift Wing) issued the following news: By Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Sutton, 62d Airlift Wing Public Affairs Team McChord service members can now participate in a volunteer program enhancing community outreach efforts at Clover Park Elementary School through the Partnership in Education, or PIE, program. Members can volunteer as groups or individuals to read to students or assist teachers with recess an  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Attorney, Jaime Esparza, for the Western District of Texas issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: A San Antonio woman was sentenced in a federal court today to 10 years of probation and fined $200,000 for two charges related to healthcare kickbacks. According to court documents, from June 2014 to April 2019, Amber Ashley Price, 40, engaged in a conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks in return for sending prescriptions to specific pharmacies.   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following inspection report (No. 2024-IE-R001) on Nov. 6, 2023, entitled "Actions Are Needed to Improve the Quality of Customer Service in Telephone Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * Highlights Why TIGTA Did This Evaluation Every year, millions of taxpayers seek assistance from the IRS via its toll-free and international telephone lines (hereafter referred to as telephone lines). In respons  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release: GE Aerospace, an operating division of the General Electric Company, has agreed to pay $9,413,024 to resolve allegations that its Lynn, Mass. manufacturing plant (GEA Lynn) sold parts to the United States Army and the United States Navy that were either not properly inspected or were nonconforming, in violation of the False Claims Act. Headquartered in Evendale  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: Two Lawrence men have been sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to distribute fentanyl to individuals at the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Deiby Bladimil Casado Ruiz, 30, was sentenced on Nov. 1, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Pedro Antonio S  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Nov. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for illegally obtaining more than $400,000 in unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Willie Carter, 24, of Paulsboro, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb to an informati  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Nov. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri issued the following news release on Nov. 6, 2023: A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Monday admitted fraudulently obtaining a $150,000 loan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demetrice Black, 53, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one felony count of misuse of a Social Security number and one felony count of theft of government property. As part of his plea, he admitted applying for an Economic  more

TAMPA, Florida, Nov. 7 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tommy Louisville (71, Pembroke Pines) has pleaded guilty to unlawful drug distribution, making a false statement related to health care matters, and wire fraud. Louisville faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the drug distribution offense, up to 5 years' imprisonment for the false statement of  more

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Nov. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri issued the following news release: A former bank branch manager in Kansas City, Mo., has pleaded guilty in federal court to accepting Kansas City Chiefs playoffs tickets and a new Chevrolet Tahoe in exchange for facilitating a $12.4 million Covid fraud scheme by a Jefferson City, Mo., business owner, as well as a separate fraud scheme to receive unemployment benefits. Anthony Omar Brockman,  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-02666-214) on Sept. 19, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the St. Cloud VA Health Care System in Minnesota." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the S  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-02667-09) on Nov. 2, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Iowa City VA Health Care System in Iowa." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the Iowa City  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-04135-06) on Nov. 1, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00229-15) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System in Honolulu, Hawaii." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient setting  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00077-14) on Nov. 2, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of Veterans Integrated Service Network 16: South Central VA Health Care Network in Ridgeland, Mississippi." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of leadership performance and o  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00065-08) on Nov. 1, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of Veterans Integrated Service Network 21: VA Sierra Pacific Network in Pleasant Hill, California." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of leadership performance and oversight  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00072-16) on Nov. 7, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of Veterans Integrated Service Network 4: VA Healthcare in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of leadership performance and oversight by Veterans I  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00236-212) on Sept. 19, 2023, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center in Pennsylvania." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of the  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-03599-07) on Oct 31, 2023, entitled "Deficiencies in Quality Management Processes and Delays in the Communication of Test Results and Follow-Up Care at the Phoenix VA Health Care System in Arizona." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to assess an allegation that facility leaders failed to complet  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 21-03718-189) on Sept. 21, 2023, entitled "Governance of Its Personnel Suitability Program for Medical Facilities Continues to Need Improvement." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary Applicants or appointees for VA positions undergo background investigations as a condition of their employment to help protect veterans, their family members, employees, and visitors - as well a  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00416-10) on Oct. 31, 2023, entitled "Improvements Needed in Lung Cancer Screening Through Use of Community Care." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a national review to evaluate Veterans Health Administration (VHA) lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography scan (CT scan) provided through the VA com  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 23-00089-144) on Sept. 21, 2023, entitled "Inspection of Information Security at the VA Beckley Healthcare System in West Virginia." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary Information security controls protect VA systems and data from unauthorized access, use, modification, or destruction. To determine compliance with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014   more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-01624-143) on Sept. 20, 2023, entitled "Manufacturers Failed to Make Some Drugs Available to Government Agencies at a Discount as Required." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary To help ensure that the federal government receives fair prices on pharmaceuticals, Congress passed the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 (referred to in this report as the public law). It requires  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-00507-211) on Sept. 14, 2023, entitled "A Patient's Suicide Following Veterans Crisis Line Mismanagement and Deficient Follow-Up Actions by the Veterans Crisis Line and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, Texas." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to review concerns regardi  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 22-03080-221) on Sept. 21, 2023, entitled "Review of Personnel Shortages in Federal Health Care Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic." Here are excerpts: * * * Insights on Shortages of Personnel Across Four Federal Health Care Programs As the nation's health care workforce has responded to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (hereinafter referred to as the "pandemic"  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 23-00750-181) on Sept. 19, 2023, entitled "A Summary of Preaward Reviews and Examinations of VA Federal Supply Schedule Pharmaceutical Proposals Issued in Fiscal 2022." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) examines pharmaceutical proposals submitted to the VA National Acquisition Center for Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts./1   more

NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia, Nov. 9 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica D. Aber, issued the following news release on Nov. 8, 2023: A man who formerly resided in Newport News was sentenced today to 68 months in prison for his role to defraud the government of pandemic-related unemployment benefits. According to court documents, from approximately May 2020 through May 2021, Reginald Prentice Phillips, 39, was incarcerated at Hampton Roads Regional Jail for striking a w  more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica D. Aber, issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: An Israeli national pleaded guilty today to his role in a conspiracy to launder money and facilitate the illegal entry, harboring, and transporting of noncitizens in the United States for the purpose of their employment. According to court documents, Shai Cohen, 39, admitted to organizing and working with others to recruit and facilitate th  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, Nov. 8 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica D. Aber, issued the following news release on Nov. 7, 2023: A former senior manager at the City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) and his wife were sentenced today to 27 months in prison and 8 months of home incarceration, respectively, for defrauding the City of Richmond. According to court documents, Michael Evins, 67, previously served as the Deputy Director of Operations at DPW and mana  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a rule (38 CFR Part 17), published in the Federal Register on Nov. 13, 2023, entitled "Pilot Program on Graduate Medical Education and Residency." The rule was issued by Luvenia Potts, Regulation Development Coordinator, Office of Regulation Policy & Management, Office of General Counsel. * * * SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopts as final, with changes, a proposed rule amending its medical regulatio  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Nov. 11 -- The Wisconsin Department of Health Services issued the following news release on Nov. 10, 2023: The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is announcing new accountability measures aimed at preventing fraud and improving health outcomes for child care coordination, a Medicaid post-birth benefit created under state law to address health disparities in southeastern Wisconsin. Child care coordination and prenatal care coordination (PNCC) provide prenatal and p  more

CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, Nov. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Indo-Pacific Command issued the following news: YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan - Exercise Beverly Morning 24-1 concluded recently at Yokota Air Base, Japan, reaffirming the role Yokota Airmen play in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The exercise, which tested the readiness and wartime capabilities of 374th Airlift Wing Airmen, saw participants execute critical tasks under simulated high-pressure scenarios,  more