SEATTLE, Washington, Dec. 12 -- The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Tessa M. Gorman, issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2023: Paradise Williams, 29, the leader of a wide-ranging fraud scheme that stole more than $3.3 million from federally funded pandemic assistance programs and attempted to obtain more than $6.8 million, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Williams personally re  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Alabama, issued the following statement on Dec. 14, 2023: * * * Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) released the following statement on today's passage in the House of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). "Today, I voted in favor of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA, authorizing critical funds for our nation's military. I am proud to support a 5.2% pay-raise for our troops, directing the Department of Defense to h  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Melinda L. Stallworth, Coordinator, Alabama Governor's Office of Volunteer Services, Alabama State Service Commission, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 5, 2023, and posted on Dec. 6, 2023. The comment was on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001. * * * The Governor's Office of Volunteer Services (GOVS), the Alabama State Service Commission respectfully submits the following comments in response t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Christina Williams Sautler, Chief Client Officer, America Learns LLC, Los Angeles, California, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Nov. 30, 2023, and posted on Dec. 4, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * America Learns respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Inspector General issued the following report summary (No. OIG-A-2024-001) on Dec. 11, 2023, entitled "Results of Audit Assessing Company Controls to Protect Information Systems and Data from Insider Threats:" * * * To: Christian Zacariassen, Executive Vice President for Digital Technology and Innovation From: Jim Morrison, Assistant Inspector General, Audits Subject: Technology: Results of Audit Assessing Company C  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Marvin Davis, Executive Director, Anew Life Youth Development Corp., Gary, Indiana, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 4, 2023, and posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Anew Life Youth Development Corporation respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. James Baird, R-Indiana, issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) voted against the Conference Report to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the grounds that it failed to protect the American people from spying by their own government and included measures that allow taxpayer dollars to fund abortion procedures. "Nobody in Congress is a bigger supporter of the military than I am," said Rep. Baird. "I w  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Jody Nelson, Executive Director, Change Inc., Weirton, West Virginia, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 9, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Change Inc. respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and National Updates" (published in  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Nadia K. Selby, CEO, Citizen Schools, Boston, Massachusetts, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 4, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Citizen Schools respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and National Updates" (publis  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Angela Traiforos, Executive Director, CLC Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 9, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * CLC, Inc. respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and National Updates" (published in the   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of the Inspector General issued the following memorandum on Dec. 6, 2023, regarding the evaluation of the Department's fiscal 2023 compliance With improper payment requirements: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Jeremy Pelter, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S. Departmental of Commerce FROM: Richard Ba  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of the Inspector General issued the following memorandum (No. 2024-475) on Dec. 11, 2023, regarding the evaluation of the Department's fiscal 23 compliance with Improper Payment Requirements: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Jeremy Pelter, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration, performing the non-exclusive functions and duties of the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S. Departmental of Commerce FR  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- William Chatman, Executive Director/CEO, Comprehensive Community Solutions Inc., Rockford, Illinois, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Nov. 30, 2023, and posted on Dec. 4, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Comprehensive Community Solutions, Inc. respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report on December 6, 2023, entitled "Administrative Costs of Federal Credit Programs." Here are excerpts: * * * At a Glance In the context of federal credit assistance, administrative costs are expenses that agencies incur to manage and operate the government's loan and loan guarantee programs. Those costs are measured separately in the federal budget and on a different basis from the credit subsidy - the m  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12547) on the public housing program on Dec. 11, 2023, by housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * The Public Housing Program The low-rent public housing program - authorized by Section 9 of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 - is the nation's oldest federal rental assistance program. It offers low-cost apartments for low-income households. While it is arguably the m  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12546) on the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program on Dec. 11, 2023, by housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program is the nation's largest rental assistance program. Authorized under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. Sec.1437f(o)), it subsidizes the r  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12545) on the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance program on Dec. 11, 2023, by housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * The Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance Program The Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program subsidizes the rents of low-income individuals and families through rental assistance contracts between the Department of  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives about his opposition to the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report, which he voted against this morning. Video of Rep. Gaetz speaking on the House Floor can be found HERE and below. TRANSCRIPT REP. MATT GAETZ: I regret that I rise in opposition to this NDAA because  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- Rep. Cory Mills, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Taxpayers Protection Alliance, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, announced H.R. 6187, the Defense Spending Oversight Act introduced by Congressman Cory Mills (R-FL-07) and Congressman Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10) in November has been named the bill of the month. The Mills-Frost legislation requires Inspectors General to create reports evaluating the net financial benefit of budget oversight investigations to  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Rep. David Valadao, R-California, issued the following news release: Today, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with Congressman Valadao's support. The NDAA authorizes funding for all discretionary military programs and activities - including personnel, operations, maintenance, procurement, research, and development. It also outlines critical policies and directives for the Department of Defense. The FY24 NDAA  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) voted in support of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). "The men and women in America's military deserve a pay raise, especially given inflationary costs have skyrocketed their grocery and gas bills," said Crapo and Risch. "This defense authorization legislation not only provides this needed raise but it ke  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following remarks by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao at the Enforcement, Litigation and Compliance Conference For the Drug, Device, Food and Tobacco Industries: * * * Thank you for the introduction and thank you to the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) for inviting me to open the Enforcement, Litigation and Compliance Conference. I'm heartened to see many familiar faces and even more excited to see new participants   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following report (DODIG-2024-031) on Nov. 30, 2023, entitled "Common Cybersecurity Weaknesses Related to the Protection of Agency Controlled Unclassified Information on Contractor Networks." Here are excerpts: * * * To: SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS UNDER SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE DIRECTOR OF COST ASSESSMENT AND PROGRAM EVALUATION DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT O  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "NHTSA's Reports on National Drug Control Program Activities:" * * * From: Dormayne "Dory" Dillard-Christian, Assistant Inspector General for Financial Audits To: National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator In September 2021, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) issued its National Drug Control Program Agency Compliance Reviews Circular (the Circular)  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed for further investigation into systemic failures at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ensure proper oversight of its medical care contractor, Loyal Source. Durbin is continuing his investigation in a series of three letters to CBP, Loyal Source, and the Go  more

NEW YORK, Dec. 16 (TNSres) -- The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project issued the following news release on Dec. 15, 2023: Today, elected officials and civil rights groups rallied against the NYPD's repeated violations of the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act, which requires the NYPD to disclose its surveillance technologies. The rally took place ahead of a hearing held by the New York City Council's Committees on Technology and Public Safety to discuss the POST Act, w  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Dubai, U.A.E - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis wrapped up an eventful week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) as part of the U.S. delegation to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). While in Dubai, Chair Lewis signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Export Import Bank of Korea and delive  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (TNSrep) -- The Office of the Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued the following memorandum (No. 2023-MO-B-019R) on Dec. 11, 2023, entitled "Results of Scoping of the Evaluation of the Board's Intelligence Programs:" * * * TO: Winona H. Varnon, Director, Division of Management, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System FROM: Michael VanHuysen, Associate Inspector General for Au  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 14 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-078) on Dec. 5, 2023, involving Department of Citrus - 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 Citrus, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequately designed and complied with during the review period July 2022 thr  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 14 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-083) on Dec. 8, 2023, involving Department of Financial Services - 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 Financial Services, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequately designed and complied with during the rev  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 14 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following Quality Assessment Review (No. 2024-079) on Dec. 5, 2023, involving Department of Law Enforcement - 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 Law Enforcement, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequately designed and complied with during the review pe  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 14 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-080) on Dec. 6, 2023, involving Department of Military Affairs - Office of Inspector General's Internal Audit Activity. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In our opinion, except as described in the following paragraph, the quality assurance and improvement program related to the Department of Military Affairs, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequate  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 14 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-077) on Dec. 5, 2023, involving Department of Revenue - 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 Revenue, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequately designed and complied with during the review period July 2022 t  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 14 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-082) on Dec. 6, 2023, involving Department of Veterans' Affairs - Office of Inspector General's Internal Audit Activity. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In our opinion, except as described in the following paragraph, the quality assurance and improvement program related to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequa  more

MIAMI, Florida, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2023: Samuel Harris, 43, who was a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department ("MDPD"), was sentenced today, Dec. 11, to 4 months in prison, followed by 4 months in home detention by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., after previously pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for a Paycheck P  more

MIAMI, Florida, Dec. 16 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release on Dec. 15, 2023: Today a federal jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida found defendants Gail Russ, registrar of the Palm Beach School of Nursing in Lake Worth, Florida, Cassandre Jean, owner and operator of Success Nursing Review in Brooklyn, New York, and Vilaire Duroseau, owner and operator of the Center for Advance Training and Studies in West Orange, New  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- FoodCorps has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment was on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001. * * * FoodCorps respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and National Updates" (published in the Federal Register 88 FR 69604). FoodCorps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest national service organization  more

SAVANNAH, Georgia, Dec. 13 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgi, Jill E. Steinberg, issued the following news release: A Florida attorney has been convicted at trial for participating in a scheme to illegally obtain funding from a federal COVID-19 small business relief program. Shaquandra Woods, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla., was convicted after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court on a charge of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Government Accountability Project issued the following agency statement on Dec. 14, 2023: * * * In an effort to codify the decades old Flores Settlement Agreement, which serves as the governing document for the care of noncitizen children in government custody, in October of 2023 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration of Children and Families (ACF) issued notice that the agency would establish regulations regarding the care of unaccompa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The General Services Administration Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A230021) on Dec. 8, 2023, entitled "PBS's Lease Award and Administration for the Bureau of Land Management Field Office in Baker City, Oregon." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary Why We Performed This Audit This audit was included in our Fiscal Year 2023 Audit Plan. We performed this audit in response to a hotline complaint regarding indoor air quality (IAQ) i  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Negligent vetting standards and whistleblower muzzle provisions make federal guidelines for unaccompanied minors 'wholly unworkable' WASHINGTON--United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with 37 other Senate Republican colleagues, in sending a letter calling on the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to overhaul it  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-01-21-00001) on Dec. 6, 2023, entitled "Connecticut Implemented Our Prior Audit Recommendations and Generally Complied With Federal and State Requirements for Reporting and Monitoring Critical Incidents" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit OIG previously conducted an audit of critical incident  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-03-22-00202) on Nov. 30, 2023, entitled "Pennsylvania Implemented Our Prior Audit Recommendations for Critical Incidents Involving Medicaid Enrollees With Developmental Disabilities but Should Continue To Take Action To Reduce Unreported Incidents" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit We previo  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 14, 2023: The Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act passed the House. Upon its passage, House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) released the following statement: "This bill is a win. Passing the AOC Appointment Act will bring greater accountability to our oversight of legislative branch entities. This bill gives Congress the sole r  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion issued the following testimony by Charles A. Vice, director of financial technology and access at the National Credit Union Administration, involving a hearing on Dec. 5, 2023, entitled "Fostering Financial Innovation: How Agencies Can Leverage Technology to Shape the Future of Financial Services": * * * Chairman Hill, Ranking Member Lynch, and members of the subcommittee, tha  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia, issued the following statement on Dec. 14, 2023: Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2670, the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The FY24 NDAA authorizes funding for the military through September 30, 2024. This bipartisan legislation, which includes the largest pay raise for troops in over 20 years and multiple provisions benef  more

BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho, Joshua D. Hurwit, issued the following new release on Dec. 11, 2023: Anubor Bagbi, 63, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, between May and December 2022, Bagbi obtained fraudulent or stolen checks issued to legitimate companies, then established fraudulent bank accounts in variou  more

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Illinois, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Rachelle Aud Crowe, issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2023: Utah-based Dolor Technologies, LLC ("Dolor) has entered into a settlement agreement with the United States to resolve Dolor's civil liability relating to a device it sold and marketed to treat migraines, the Department of Justice announced Monday. This resolution requires Dolor to make monetary payments to the U.S. based upon its  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (TNSres) -- The Immigration Reform Law Institute issued the following news release: The Immigration Reform Law Institute has obtained an internal audit report (https://irli.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/DHS-OIG-border-report.pdf) from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG), admitting what most Americans already understand: border barriers are the most effective measures for curbing illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. The OIG docume  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Michael Lynch, Co-Founder and CEO, and Michael Casper, Co-Founder and COO, Improve Your Tomorrow, Sacramento, California, have issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 4, 2023, and posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Improve Your Tomorrow respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulati  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release on Dec. 13, 2023: * * * Adjustments align with new priorities, agency transformation work * * * Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Danny Werfel today announced plans for a new leadership structure at the agency, a step designed to reflect new transformation goals and update the top of the organization chart for the first time in two decades. The new organizational struc  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Jerrell Morton, YouthBuild/AmeriCorps Director, Job Point, Roxbury, Massachusetts, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 4, 2023, and posted on Dec. 8, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Job Point respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps St  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned two separate indictments yesterday charging three individuals for violations of the Clean Water Act. The charges relate to the illegal construction and deposit of material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (Jobos Estuarine Reserve). Various federal agencies are involved in this o  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A medical clinic office manager was sentenced today to seven years in prison for operating a pill mill clinic that unlawfully distributed over 600,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Andres Martinez Jr., 30, of Laredo, Texas, was the office manager of Jomori Health and Wellness (Jomori), a purported Houston pain management clinic. Martinez op  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A Tennessee man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a scheme to defraud the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, a federal stimulus program authorized to provide loans to small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to court documents, Brian Saulsberry, 47, of  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A former Bureau of Prisons supervisor, Kevin X. Pearce, 39, was sentenced yesterday to 66 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for leading two cover-ups of assaults of inmates held at U.S. Penitentiary Big Sandy. Pearce was convicted after a six-day trial. His co-defendants, former corrections officers Samuel Patrick and Clinton Pauley, previously pleaded guilty and were respectively s  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 13, 2023: A Louisiana man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to sponsor, exhibit, possess and transport animals in an interstate animal fighting venture, and to possessing an animal in such a venture, all in violation of the Animal Welfare Act. Antonio Damon Atkins, 35, of Baton Rouge, is the final of seven total defendants to be sentenced for participating in an  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment yesterday charging a Texas man for his alleged role in a $60 million health care fraud, wire fraud, and kickback scheme involving the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), genetic tests, and foot bath medications. According to court documents, Robert Leon Smith II  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 13, 2023: A Louisiana man was sentenced today to three years in prison for his role in a multi-year scheme to bill Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME). According to court documents, from January 2016 to June 2022, Craig L. Lovelace, of Destrehan, billed Medicare and Medicaid through his DME supply company, Advanced Medical Equipment, Inc. (AME), approximat  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: A New York man pleaded guilty yesterday to engaging in an extensive multi-year conspiracy to fraudulently obtain over $165 million in loans and fraudulently acquire multifamily and commercial properties. According to court documents, between 2018 and 2020, Boruch "Barry" Drillman, 36, of New York, conspired with at least four others to deceive lenders into issuing multifamily and commercia  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2023: Two New Jersey residents were charged for their participation in a dog fighting ring that involved the "DMV Board," a Telegram-based dog fighting collective spanning several states. Tommy J. "Snakes" Watson, of Clayton, and Johnnie Lee Nelson Jr., of Bridgeton, appeared in court on the charges today and last Tuesday, respectively. According to documents filed in this case and statements ma  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana returned an indictment yesterday charging a U.S. Postal Inspector with mail theft, obstruction of justice, and money laundering. According to the indictment, Michael Morse, 52, of Madisonville, Louisiana, served as a Postal Inspector in the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. In this role, Morse was responsible for investigating and preventing crime tha  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General issued the following management advisory memorandum (No. 24-016) on Dec. 12, 2023, entitled "Notification of Concerns Regarding the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Use of Temporary Secure Enclosures with Limited Space for Lengthy Time Periods." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Colette S. Peters, Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons From: Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General Subject: Notification of Concerns Regarding the Federa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the Senate with legislative wins for Louisiana and includes two of Kennedy's bills.  "This year's National Defense Authorization Act includes consequential investments for Louisiana and America. The funding will give our service members a much deserved pay raise, strengthen border security and ke  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Ann Kuster, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: **The package includes several provisions championed by Kuster** Washington, D.C. -- Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) applauded House passage of the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, bipartisan legislation to make health care more affordable and accessible through increased transparency, investments in key public health programs, and policies that reduce the cost of health care services and p  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Labor Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 23-24-001-07-725) on Dec. 6, 2023, entitled "Fiscal 2023 FISMA DOL Information Security Report: Making Improvements Toward An Effective Program." Here are excerpts: * * * INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT To: Gundeep Ahluwalia, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) contracted with  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 17-cv-03919; S.D.N.Y., filed May 24, 2017) involving David Blaszczak, et al.: * * * On November 17, 2023, the SEC dismissed its charges against David Blaszczak, Christopher Worrall, and Theodore Huber. The dismissal resolves all remaining claims arising out of the SEC's May 24, 2017 complaint, which alleged, among other things, that Blaszczak, Worrall, and Huber engaged in a scheme to tra  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Matt Josephs, Senior Vice President for Policy, Local Initiatives Support Corp., New York City, New York, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 4, 2023, and posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel, AmeriCorps. * * * The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) thanks the Corporation for National and Commu  more

GREENBELT, Maryland, Dec. 16 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, issued the following news release on Dec. 15, 2023: A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging six individuals for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, relating to the submission of fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance ("UI") claims. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provi  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 16 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron, issued the following news release: U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Dementrous Von Smith, a/k/a "Meecho" and "El Meecho," age 36, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 53 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in relation to the submission of fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance claims in  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Ginna Holmes, Executive Director, Michigan Community Service Commission, Allegan, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * The Michigan Community Service Commission respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84:   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Kia Abdool, Chief Executive Officer, Year One Inc. dba Mile High Youth Corps, Denver, Colorado, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 5, 2023, and posted on Dec. 6, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Year One Inc. dba Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Philip R. Sellinger, issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: A Maryland man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for illegally obtaining more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Mohamed Kamara, 43, of Greenbelt, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to two counts of an indictment cha  more

NEW YORK, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General ("HHS-OIG"), Erin Keegan, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Secur  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspector General issued the following report on Nov. 20, 2023, entitled "Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2024." * * * FOREWORD I am pleased to present the Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) fiscal year (FY) 2024 Annual Plan for our work pertaining to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The NRC's mission is to license and regulate the nation's civilian use of radioactive materials to provide reasonable assurance of adequ  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspector General issued the following semiannual report to Congress April 1, 2023 through Sept. 30, 2023, on Dec. 1, 2023. Here are excerpts: * * * A MESSAGE FROM THE INSPECTOR GENERAL On behalf of the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB), it is my pleasure to present this Semiannual Report to Congress, covering the period from April 1, 2  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Ogden-Weber Technical College Youthbuild, Roxbury, Massachusetts, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was wrtten on Dec. 11, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * OWTC YouthBuild respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and National Updates" (published in  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Dec. 14 -- The Pennsylvania Senate Republicans issued the following news release: Legislation sponsored by Senator Mike Regan (R-Cumberland/York) to expand the list of law enforcement entities covered under the Enforcement Officer Disability Law, also known as the Heart and Lung Act, achieved final passage in the House of Representatives and now goes to the Governor for signature. "This legislation is long overdue in leveling the playing field across our state's great  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Dreama Gentry, CEO and President, Partners for Rural Impact, Berea, Kentucky, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Partners for Rural Impact respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State an  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Robin Bowman, Director of National Service, Reading Partners, Oakland, California, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Reading Partners respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and Na  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Indiana, issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: Today, U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN-08) voted in support of the final version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670). H.R. 2670 passed the House by a vote of 310-118 and now moves to President Biden's desk to be signed into law, as the United States Senate had already passed H.R. 2670 by a vote of 87-13 on December 13, 2023.  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Harriet Hageman announced that she will be voting NO on an upcoming vote to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Hageman was chosen to be a conferee in negotiations between the House and Senate that was designed to work through differences between each chamber's version of the bill. Unfortunately, Rep. Hageman was not actually consulted on any of the areas within the jurisdict  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Georgia, issued the following statement on Dec. 14, 2023: * * * Today, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after voting for the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 2670, the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA sets Department of Defense (DoD) policies and authorizes funding levels for U.S. defense programs. The final defense authorization bill passed the House by a vote of 310-118. "As a   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: Congressman Max Miller applauded the passage of the fiscal year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conferenced product through the House of Representatives. This comprehensive legislation included many of Miller's priorities that will boost servicemember pay by the highest level in 20 years, cement Ohio's critical role in American national security, strengthen our national defense, increase ove  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, issued the following news release: Washington D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Rep. Sewell previously opposed the House bill after extreme MAGA Republicans hijacked it with amendments attacking diversity and inclusion and undermining access to reproductive health care for service members. Sewell  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: In direct response to the concerns of Virginians experiencing continued issues with mail and shipping services, U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today pressed the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to address these issues, as well as provide an explanation for its decision to reduce seasonal hiring for the 2023 holiday season. In a letter sent to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Spanber  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Indiana, issued the following news release: Yesterday, Rep. Rudy Yakym (IN-02), along with Reps. Dina Titus (NV-01), Bill Posey (FL-08), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Julia Brownley (CA-26) led nearly 140 Members of Congress in a bipartisan letter urging that any final Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization legislation include provisions to address the current shortage of air traffic controllers in order to ensure American   more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Dec. 12 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Air Force issued the following news: The Department of the Air Force released its report on the results of an Air Force Inspector General investigation in response to the unauthorized disclosure of classified information by an individual at the 102nd Intelligence Wing, Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts. The Secretary of the Air Force directed the investigation of compliance with policy, procedures and standards and the unit environmen  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, DC - In the wake of the emergency closure of the Washington Bridge, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) urging the federal government to free up existing formula funding that could accelerate completion of the emergency work on the Washington Bridge. The Congressional delega  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: Remove woke policies from DOD WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) today voted in support of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). While Senators Risch and Crapo are supportive of the critical funding for our national defense and support military infrastructure and personnel in Idaho, both strongly oppose the continued inclusion of DoD's travel abor  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rick Scott released the following statement, reiterating his calls for Chair of the Federal Reserve Jay Powell to resign ahead of the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting scheduled to begin today. During his time as Chair, Jay Powell has overseen a wildly unaccountable Fed, which has grossly mismanaged U.S. monetary policy and grown its balance sheet   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) are pressing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take swift action to protect veterans seeking opioid prescriptions following concerning reports that fo  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) recently sent a letter to Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) President and CEO Patricia de Stacy Harrison, expressing objections to a CPB mandate that radio and television stations must engage in affirmative action to qualify for grant funding. The letter, which   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), sent a letter to Teri L. Donaldson, Inspector General of the Department of Energy (DOE), highlighting questions about inappropriate outside influence on the work of the Loan Programs Office (LPO) and its Director, Jigar Shah.   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued the following testimony by Cardell Richardson Sr., President Biden's nominee to be State Inspector General, at a Nov. 16, 2023, confirmation hearing: * * * Chairman Schatz, Ranking Member Hagerty, and Members of this Committee: Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today as you consider my nomination to be Inspector General for the Department of State. I am honored to have been nominated by President Biden to ser  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight issued the following testimony by Rebecca Shea, director of forensic audits and investigative service at the Government Accountability Office, involving a hearing on Nov. 14, 2023, entitled "Examining Federal COVID-Era Spending and Preventing Future Fraud": * * * Chair Hassan, Ranking Member Romney, and Members of the Subcommittee: I appreciate the opportunity t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight issued the following testimony by Rebecca Shea, director of forensic audits and investigative service at the Government Accountability Office, involving a hearing on Nov. 14, 2023, entitled "Examining Federal COVID-Era Spending and Preventing Future Fraud": * * * (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Agencies Should Implement GAO Recommendations to More Effectivel  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Carole Juarez, Sewa Houston AmeriCorps Program Director, Sewa International Inc. - Houston Chapter, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Sewa International, Inc. respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84:  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The State Department Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. ISP-I-24-04) entitled "Inspection of Embassy Vienna, Austria." Here are excerpts: * * * What OIG Inspected OIG inspected the executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Vienna. What OIG Recommends OIG made 15 recommendations to Embassy Vienna. In its comments on the draft report, the embassy concurre  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 13 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, Alamdar S. Hamdani, issued the following news release: A medical clinic office manager has been sentenced for operating a pill mill clinic that unlawfully distributed over 600,000 opioid pills, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal jury convicted Andres Martinez, Jr., 30, and Dr. Oscar Lightner, 74, both of Laredo, April 11 for unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances and conspi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-406-007) on Nov. 8, 2023, entitled "Action Is Being Taken to Address the System Limitation That Contributed to the Destruction of Tax Year 2019 Paper Filed Information Returns." Here are excerpts: * * * Highlights Why TIGTA Did This Audit This audit was initiated because the IRS destroyed approximately 30 million unprocessed Tax Year 2019 paper-filed information  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-400-006) on Nov. 9, 2023, entitled "Final Results of the 2023 Filing Season." Here are excerpts: * * * Highlights Why TIGTA Did This Audit This audit was initiated to provide selected information related to the IRS's 2023 Filing Season. The overall objective of this review was to evaluate whether the IRS timely and accurately processed individual paper and elec  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-100-010) on Nov. 29, 2023, entitled "Improvements Are Needed to Ensure Effective and Timely Processing of Post-Appointment Arrest Notifications." Here are excerpts: * * * Why TIGTA Did This Audit Many IRS employees have access to the personal information of taxpayers or other sensitive information. As a basic obligation of public trust, each employee has a respon  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the following news release: Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two former Afghan government officials -- Mir Rahman Rahmani (M. Rahmani) and his son, Ajmal Rahmani (A. Rahmani), collectively known as "the Rahmanis" -- for their extensive roles in transnational corruption, as well as 44 associated entities. These individuals and entities are designated pursuant to Execut  more

LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2023: The former president and CEO of a Los Angeles-based anti-poverty nonprofit agency was sentenced today to six months in federal prison for embezzling money from the nonprofit for his personal benefit, failing to report these funds on his tax returns, and intentionally misapplying more than $600,000 in grant money to pay for unauthorized expens  more

LOS ANGELES, California, Dec. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: A downtown Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $150,000 - and attempted to obtain an additional $1.85 million - in COVID-relief loans for several companies he claimed to own and operate, and for illegally possessing firearms - including three AR-style rifles - and thousands o  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia issued the following news release: Bridgette White-Chase, 61, of the District of Columbia, was arraigned today on a 20-count indictment with felony fraud and first-degree theft related to claims submitted to the District of Columbia's Medicaid program. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. The indictment was returned   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia issued the following news release on Dec. 15, 2023: Tyronn Waters, 32, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation in the metropolitan region, announced U.S. Attorney Graves; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the Nation  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release: A Canton orthopedic surgeon has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston for his role in a health care fraud scheme. Dr. Olarewaju James Oladipo, 60, of Canton, was convicted on Dec. 12, 2023 of 10 counts of health care fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2024 at 1 pm. Oladipo was arrested and charged in M  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Dec. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: A Florida man was arraigned today on charges relating to his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Eric Van Vleet, 28, of Delray Beach, Florida, is charged in an eight-count indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud,   more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Dec. 16 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release on Dec. 15, 2023: A Fairfax doctor pleaded guilty today and has agreed to pay $3.1 million in taxes and $2.2 million to insurance companies for corruptly obstructing the IRS by underreporting his income and filing false tax returns in connection with his medical practice. According to court documents, Dr. Jasser Thiara owned and operated an obstetrics medical   more

SAVANNAH, Florida, Dec. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: A Florida attorney has been convicted at trial for participating in a scheme to illegally obtain funding from a federal COVID-19 small business relief program. Shaquandra Woods, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla., was convicted after a four-day trial in U.S. District Court on a charge of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Souther  more

SAN DIEGO, California, Dec. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California issued the following news release: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Andre Maurice Chevalier pleaded guilty in federal court today to using unreasonable force on an individual who had applied for admission to the United States from Mexico. Chevalier admitted in his plea agreement that on April 23, 2022, while he was on duty at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, he encountered a woman   more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Dec. 13 -- The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction issued the following news release on Dec. 11, 2023: The U.S. Treasury Department today sanctioned two former Afghan government officials for widespread involvement in international corruption, following their nomination by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Mir Rahman Rahmani and his son, Ajmal Rahmani, were s  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 23-00940-18) on Dec. 12, 2023, on financial statements for fiscal 2023 and 2022. Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM TO: Secretary of Veterans Affairs (00) FROM: Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations (52) SUBJECT: Audit of VA's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2022 1. The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) contracted with the independent public ac  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 21-01445-30) on Dec. 12, 2023, entitled "Greater Compliance with Policies Needed Related to the Management of Emergent Care for Patients Presenting with Acute Sexual Assault." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a review to determine compliance with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policy on management of the emerg  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 13 -- Vanderbilt University Medical Center issued the following news: By John Howser Chad Fitzgerald, JD, Senior Vice President for Health System Emergency Operations, has been named Executive Vice President and will lead Vanderbilt University Medical Center's (VUMC) Clinical Support Services Division. He will assume this new role on Jan. 1, 2024. Fitzgerald succeeds Jim Hayman, MS, MBA, the division's founding leader, who is retiring from VUMC on Dec. 31. In addit  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 (TNScapv) -- AnnMaura Connolly, President, Voices for National Service, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Nov. 30, 2023, and posted on Dec. 4, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. Here are excerpts: * * * In response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and National Updates" (published in the Fed  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Suzanne Scales Rutherford, Executive Director, Volunteer Mississippi, Jackson, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Nov. 29, 2023, and posted on Dec. 6, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * Volunteer Mississippi respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "Amer  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: The defense bill includes several provisions Senator Warren fought for, including policies to close the revolving door between public and private employees, combat wasteful Pentagon spending, and strengthen civilian harm prevention efforts, among others. Bill Text (PDF) Washington, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: Today, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) voted in favor of the final passage of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the House floor. "I am pleased to see our Congressional and Constitutional duties fulfilled with the final passage of this year's NDAA. This legislation gives our devoted servicemembers a well-deserved pay increase and enhances the effectiveness of our fighting force.   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee,recently exposed that Biden's Small Business Administration (SBA) is utilizing just nine percent of its headquarters maintained on the taxpayer's dime. Today, Ernst called on SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman to increase the transparency of SBA's telework policies, locality pay, unused office space, and taxpayer-funded union t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Jerry Farley, Executive Director, YouthBuild Dayton, Columbus, Ohio, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 8, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * YouthBuild Dayton (in Ohio) respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and National Updates  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Jeremy Hanson-Gutierrez, Director of Advocacy and Policy, YouthBuild USA, Roxbury, Massachusetts, has issued a public comment to the Corporation for National and Community Service. The comment was written on Dec. 5, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. CNCS-2023-0030-0001, was sent to Elizabeth Appel, Associate General Counsel. * * * YouthBuild USA respectfully submits the following comments in response to Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 3045-AA84: "AmeriCorps State and   more