LINCOLN, Nebraska, Dec. 23 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska issued the following statement on Dec. 22, 2023: By Sam Petto, ACLU of Nebraska Communications Director * * * A new report from the Office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare says juvenile solitary confinement has surged over the last year despite recent changes to state law meant to significantly limit the practice. The report, which looks at changes over the last fiscal year, documents a 24% increase in  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release: The former Chief Operating Officer of a suburban Chicago company that sold Covid-19 testing kits has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly embezzling at least $1.8 million in company funds. DENNIS W. HAGGERTY, JR. issued fraudulent payments from the Willowbrook, Ill.-based company's bank account for services and goods purportedly provided by hims  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: A federal jury today convicted former City of Chicago Alderman EDWARD M. BURKE on racketeering, bribery, and extortion charges for allegedly abusing his position while an alderman to solicit and extort private legal work and other benefits from companies and individuals with business before the city. Burke, 79, of Chicago, was found guilty on 1  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: An Illinois nurse removed liquid morphine prescribed to a patient and diluted it with another liquid, knowing the diluted substance would be dispensed to the patient, according to a federal indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. NICKOLE BUTLER was employed as a registered nurse at a skilled nursing facility. The indictment  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release: Two suburban Chicago physicians have been sentenced to federal prison for prescribing opioids to individuals who lacked a legitimate medical need for the drugs. STANLEY DAVID DEMOREST managed Demorest Consultants LLC, a medical practice in Melrose Park, Ill. NICHOLAS RECCHIA was employed there as a physician. From 2015 to 2020, Demorest and Recchia agreed to di  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: A Brockton man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with a scheme to submit false applications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) funds through the Small Business Administration (SBA) that were made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securit  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release: Pharmaceutical company Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Ultragenyx) has agreed to pay $6 million to resolve allegations that it caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The settlement concerns Ultragenyx paying for free genetic tests for patients and buying test result information to induce prescriptions of Crysvita. Ultragenyx is a phar  more

TACOMA, Washington, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2023: One of two Nigerian citizens who resided in Canada, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for defrauding pandemic unemployment benefit programs in multiple states, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, was arrested in February 2023, in Frankfurt  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Lauren Riplinger, Chief Public Policy and Impact Officer, American Health Information Management Association, Chicago, Illinois, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 11, 2023, and posted on Dec. 18, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator, Office   more

QUANTICO, Virginia, Dec. 23 -- The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command issued the following news release: The Justice Department has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Insect Shield LLC for allegedly causing the submission of false claims to the Department of Defense (DoD) under contracts to provide Army Combat Uniforms. The government has also brought claims against the Estate of Richard Lane, who was the founder, majority owner and chief operating officer of Insect Shie  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Lauran Qualkenbush, President, Association of Research Integrity Officers, has issued a public comment on behalf of the Board of Directors to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 12, 2023, and posted on Dec. 13, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of the Association of Research Integrity Officers   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 20, 2023: * * * Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) issued the following statement after the Committee released new selections from transcribed interviews conducted with Border Patrol chief patrol agents responsible for the sectors along the Southwest border. These interviews confirm that significant numbers of   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- 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, released the following statement on Ms. Tanya Otsuka's confirmation to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) board. Otsuka previously worked for Chair Brown as Senior Counsel for the Senate Banking and Housing Committee. "Congratulations to Ms. Tanya Otsuka on her una  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 --Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-California, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) sent a letter to Wellpath -- the nation's largest private provider of prison healthcare -- raising co  more

SAN DIEGO, California, Dec. 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California issued the following news release: Phillips Respironics, a manufacturer of durable medical equipment based in Pennsylvania, has paid $2,471,359.25 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by giving kickbacks to sleep laboratories. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits paying money or giving goods to induce referrals for medical services or items covered by a federal healt  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to again outline significant concerns with the administration's pr  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Ryan Howells, Leavitt Partners, Carin Alliance, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 13, 2023, and posted on Dec. 18, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. * * * On behalf   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Russ P. Branzell, President and CEO, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written and posted on Dec. 18, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Here are excerpts: * * * The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is grateful for the opportunity to submit comments on the "  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47875) on Dec. 14, 2023, entitled "Military Tuition Assistance Program: Background and Issues" by military manpower specialist Kristy N. Kamarck. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress has provided authority to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to fund off-duty voluntary education for Active and Reserve Component servicemembers. Congress and DOD have conceived of tuition assistance (TA)  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-California, issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2023: Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) announced the introduction of the Safe Landings Act (H.R. 6850) to increase aviation safety and avoid near-miss aircraft incidents, like the one that occurred at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on July 7, 2017, in which over 1,000 passengers were in danger of losing their lives. By creating a new federal task force to research and id  more

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that MICHAEL LONSKI, 72, of Greenwich, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a $2.6 million health care fraud scheme. Accor  more

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Dec. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PIERRE JOSHWAN RODRIGUEZ, also known as "Ochy," 42, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 210 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for heading a cocaine trafficking conspi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting issued the following letter on Dec. 22, 2023: * * * The Honorable Ted Cruz United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator Cruz: Thank you for your letter of December 8, 2023, and for the opportunity to respond to your questions and opinions regarding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's ("CPB") Community Service Grant ("CSG") program and CPB's commitment to diversity, objectivity, and balance. The Public Broadcast  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Dec. 22 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: A Slovakian man was indicted this week on charges that accuse him of running a darknet market that sold drugs and stolen personal information. Investigators have shut down the market. Alan Bill, 30, of Bratislava, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Dec. 14. Bill was arrested Dec. 15 at the Newark Liberty Int  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. DODIG-2024-036) on Dec. 7, 2023, entitled "Defense Health Agency Controls to Monitor Opioid Prescription Compliance with Federal and Department Opioid Safety Standards." Here are excerpts: * * * This final report provides the results of the DoD Office of Inspector General's audit. We previously provided copies of the draft report and requested written comments on the recommendations. This fina  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement on Dec. 4, 2023, regarding the evaluation of efforts to assign medical personnel to locations where they can maintain wartime readiness skills and core competencies: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (HEALTH AFFAIRS) DIRECTOR, DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY SURGEON GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SURGEON GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY SURGEON GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE COMM  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement on Dec. 4, 2023, regarding the evaluation of the Military Services' training and guidance on political conduct for the 2024 election: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS CHIEF, NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE SUBJECT: Evaluation of the Milita  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement on Dec. 4, 2023, regarding the summary of oversight reports on the support to Ukraine to to form the efforts to support Israel and other foreign partners. Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE AI  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Dec. 18, 2023: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the "Report of Investigation: Mr. William K. Lietzau, Former Director, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security." The investigation found that Mr. Lietzau sexually haras  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. AV2024011) on Dec. 13, 2023, entitled "FAA Addresses Resiliency in IIJA Aviation Programs but Lacks Data and a Framework for Prioritizing Climate Change Projects." Here are excerpts: * * * What We Looked At Extreme weather events, including those potentially caused by effects of climate change, are a source of major disruptions to the National Airspace System (NAS). In November 2021, Congress p  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. AV2024010) on Dec. 13, 2023, entitled "FAA Has Made Progress Verifying Compliance With Aviation Fuel Tax Requirements, but Challenges Remain With Testing and Enforcement." Here are excerpts: * * * What We Looked At Since 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program has obligated more than $3.18 billion to eligible airports each fiscal year for airport developmen  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Dec. 21, 2023, entitled "Impact of FAA's Risk Assessments of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act-Funded Airports on Grant Oversight:" * * * From: Nelda Z. Smith, Assistant Inspector General for Aviation Audits To: Director, Audit and Evaluation, Federal Aviation Administration The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)/1 provides $20 billion over 5 years for two grant programs -   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Dec. 20, 2023, entitled "National Roadway Safety Strategy Implementation:" * * * From: David Pouliott, Assistant Inspector General for Surface Transportation Audits To: Assistant Secretary for Administration Federal Highway Administrator Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator In 2022, there were nearly 43,000 motor vehicle traffic fatalit  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2023: On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to review air toxic standards for chemical manufacturing area sources and propose a new rule in November 2024. The agency must publish a final rule in September 2025. There are over 1,700 chemical manufacturing area source facilities emitting dangerous air pollution, such as carcinogenic ethylene oxide, into communities throughout the U.S. EPA las  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release: Every member of Minnesota's Republican congressional delegation, Representatives Brad Finstad (MN-01), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) and Pete Stauber (MN-08), joined a letter led by Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-06) addressing the postal delays which have impacted homes and businesses across Minnesota. The letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is the delegation's second inquiry into the United States Postal Servi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Energy Inspector General issued the following report (No. DOE-OIG-24-08) on Nov. 29, 2023, entitled "Allegation Regarding Computing Facilities Maintenance and Calibration at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory." Here are excerpts: * * * UT-Battelle, LLC manages and operates the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), which is a multi-program research laboratory in Eastern Tennessee for the Department of Energy. ORNL provides computing facilities, which include  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following 19-page report (No. 24-N-0010) on Dec 6, 2023, entitled "The CSB's Fiscal Year 2024 Top Management Challenges." Here are excerpts: * * * At A Glance What Are Management Challenges? The Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 requires each inspector general to prepare an annual statement summarizing what the inspector general considers to be "the most serious management and performance challe  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Washington - The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Board of Directors announced the approval today of several transactions in the transportation and energy sectors. The first transaction approved today was a modification of a previously approved $594 million loan guarantee to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, "KTZ," the national railway of Kazakhstan, to support t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following weekly digest: * * * Commission meetings and hearings No open meetings or executive sessions were scheduled this week. * * * Advisory Opinions Opinion Issued Advisory Opinion 2023-08 (Cowboy Analytics) (https://www.fec.gov/data/legal/advisory-opinions/2023-08/) On December 20, the Commission approved by tally vote an advisory opinion in response to a request from Cowboy Analytics. The Commission concluded that Cow  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has issued a rule (31 CFR Part 1010), published in the Federal Register on Dec. 22, 2023, entitled "Beneficial Ownership Information Access and Safeguards." The rule was issued by Andrea M. Gacki, Director. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: FinCEN is promulgating regulations regarding access by authorized recipients to beneficial ownership information (BOI) that will be reported to FinCEN pursuan  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Dec. 20, 2023: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released its "Fiscal Year 2024 Oversight Plan." The plan describes the DoD OIG's ongoing and planned oversight in support of key focus areas and the DoD OIG's FY 2024 assessment of the Top DoD Management and Performance Challenges. The DoD OIG considered  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Dec. 21 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following quality assessment review (No. 2024-090) on Dec. 13, 2023, involving Department of Education - 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 Education, Office of Inspector General's internal audit activity was adequately designed and complied with during the review period July 2  more

MIAMI, Florida, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: On Dec. 18, a detox facility owner was charged with health care fraud for allegedly defrauding the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) of over $4 million. According to the allegations in the information, Joseph Toro, 39, of Jupiter, Florida, owned and operated Reawakenings Wellness Center (RWC), a detox facility which provided substance abuse tr  more

MIAMI, Florida, Dec. 23 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: A Florida man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for his role in a nationwide scheme to illegally distribute at least $16.7 million of adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country. According to court documents, Armando Herrera, 43, of Miami, and his co-conspirat  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec. 20 -- Gov. Brian P. Kemp, R-Georgia, issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: Governor Brian P. Kemp, joined by First Lady Marty Kemp, today swore Nigel Lange into the Office of Inspector General. Lange has served as Interim State Inspector General since February of this year following the appointment of Judge Scott McAfee to the Fulton County Superior Court. "In his time as interim Inspector General over the past year, Nigel has shown he has the skills and le  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia issued the following news release: U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a Safe Housing Summit on December 14, 2023, to promote health and safety for tenants living in HUD-assisted housing. "Our office is determined to address inequities in our district that exist in underserved communities who must heavi  more

MACON, Georgia, Dec. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia issued the following news release: A Lakeland, Georgia, resident pleaded guilty to flying his unregistered drone and dropping contraband at Macon State Prison. Dedrick Daesean Sirmans, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of operating an aircraft eligible for registration knowing that the aircraft is not registered to facilitate controlled substance offense before Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell t  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-05-22-00007) on Dec. 19, 2023, entitled "California Did Not Comply With Requirements for Documenting Psychotropic and Opioid Medications Prescribed for Children in Foster Care" filed under the Administration for Children and Families. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit The United States Food and Drug Administration issued a safety announcemen  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-09-22-02006) on Dec. 8, 2023, entitled "Washington State Did Not Ensure That Selected Nursing Homes Complied With Federal Requirements for Life Safety, Emergency Preparedness, and Infection Control" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit In 2016, CMS updated its life safety and emergency prepared  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Committee issued the following testimony by Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Georgia, at a member day hearing on Dec. 11, 2023, on the Federal Prison Oversight Act: * * * Thank you, Chair Comer and Ranking Member Raskin, for hosting today's Member Day for the Oversight Committee. I am here to discuss the Federal Prison Oversight Act. My bill, co-led by Representative Armstrong, is currently awaiting consideration by the committee. The Federal   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation issued the following written testimony by Samuel Hammond, a senior economist for the Foundation for American Innovation, involving a hearing on Dec. 16, 2023, entitled "White House Policy on AI": * * * Chairwoman Mace, Ranking Member Connolly and members of the Subcommittee, I thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Samuel Hammond, se  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today is calling on U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to provide documents and information about the Osprey program's safety and performance. Over the last 30 years, there have been over a dozen Osprey crashes that have killed over 50 U.S.  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Environment, issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: Yesterday, House Science, Space, and Technology leaders raised concerns with the Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Environment Subcommittee Chairman Max Miller and Investigations and Oversight Committee Chairman Jay Obernolte wrote a letter to EPA Administrator  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 -- Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pennsylvania, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, issued the following news release: Opening remarks, as prepared, of Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA) from today's hearing, entitled, "Ensuring Transparency in the Federal Government: An Examination of GSA's Site Selection for the F  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations issued the following testimony by Seto J. Bagdoyan, director of forensic audits and investigative service at the Government Accountability Office, involving a hearing on Dec. 6, 2023, entitled "Background Checks: Are VA's HR Failures Risking Drug Abuse and Veteran Harm?": * * * Chairwoman Kiggans, Ranking Member Mrvan, and Members of the Subcommittee: I appreciate the opportunity to discuss our wor  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations issued the following testimony by Shawn Steele, director of Healthcare Infrastructure Division in the Office of Audits and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, involving a hearing on Dec. 6, 2023, entitled "Background Checks: Are VA's HR Failures Risking Drug Abuse and Veteran Harm?": * * * Chairwoman Kiggans, Ranking Member Mrvan, and members of the  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations issued the following testimony by Daniel Galik, executive director for identity, credential and access management in the Office of Human Resources and Administration, Operations, Security and Preparedness at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, involving a hearing on Dec. 6, 2023, entitled "Background Checks: Are VA's HR Failures Risking Drug Abuse and Veteran Harm?": * * * Good afternoon, Chair  more

TYSONS, Virginia, Dec. 20 -- Squire Patton Boggs, a law firm, issued the following news on Dec. 19, 2023: Squire Patton Boggs today announced the addition of Darien Flowers, an experienced public policy professional bringing together executive and legislative branch experience in transportation, infrastructure, technology, and homeland security, to its Global Public Policy Practice. Flowers' addition brings further depth and experience in these areas to a bipartisan policy group that already i  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Interior Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2022-WR-041) on Dec. 8, 2023, regarding the Department and its Bureaus made progress implementing corrective actions to improve disaster preparedness. Here are excerpts: * * * Memorandum To: Tom Balint, Director, Office of Emergency Management; Tonya R. Johnson, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director, Office of Financial Management From: Kathleen Sedney, Assistant Inspector General for Audits, Inspe  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Interior Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 2023-FIN-021) on Dec. 8, 2023, regarding the Independent Auditors' report on financial statements for fiscal 2023 and 2022. Here are excerpts: * * * Memorandum To: Deb Haaland, Secretary of the Interior From: Mark Lee Greenblatt, Inspector General Subject: Independent Auditors' Report on the U.S. Department of the Interior's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2022; Report No. 2023-FIN-0  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2023: The Justice Department announced today a collection of cases against fraud networks that steal money from consumers and use deceptive tactics to conceal illicit activity from financial institutions, thereby allowing that illicit activity to continue. The cases include two civil actions unsealed in the past week seeking temporary restraining orders and the appointment of receivers to stop de  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: The Justice Department has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Insect Shield LLC for allegedly causing the submission of false claims to the Department of Defense (DoD) under contracts to provide Army Combat Uniforms. The government has also brought claims against the Estate of Richard Lane, who was the founder, majority owner and chief operating officer of Insect Shield until his death in   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Two Florida men were sentenced today for their roles in a multi-state scheme to defraud insurance companies by using rural hospitals to bill for urine drug testing that was not reimbursable and not medically necessary. Jorge Perez, 63, of Miami, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. Ricardo Perez, 60, also of Miami, was sentenced to six years and three months in prison. According to cour  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: BioTelemetry Inc. and its subsidiary, LifeWatch Services Inc., headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and Rosemont, Illinois, respectively, (collectively LifeWatch), have agreed to pay more than $14.7 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to federal health care programs for a higher level of remote cardiac monitoring than physicians had intend  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Community Health Network Inc. (Community), a health care network headquartered in Indianapolis, has agreed to pay the United States $345 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to Medicare for services that were referred in violation of the Stark Law. The Stark Law seeks to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program by prohibiting a hospital   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging a New Jersey man for his alleged participation in a scheme to obtain, through multiple fraudulent loan applications, more than $2 million in COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Re  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A Florida man was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for his role in a nationwide scheme to illegally distribute at least $16.7 million of adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country. According to court documents, Armando Herrera, 43, of Miami, and his co-conspirators established companies in Florida, Texas, Washington, and Cali  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: A California man was sentenced today to one year and a day in prison for his role in defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit program. According to court documents, Philip Abod, 57, of Calimesa, was a school certifying official at a school that offered VA-approved technical training programs to military veterans. Abod and his co-conspirators made false and frau  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2023: A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted a Georgia attorney and former City of Atlanta police officer yesterday of fraudulently obtaining over $7 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shelitha Robertson, 62, of Atlanta, conspired to submit PPP loan applications on behalf of four busine  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Angus King, a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, is calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to step up its efforts to protect veterans from prescription opioid abuse. In a letter from King and his committee colleagues to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, the Senators are urging the department to take swift action following reports that found a majorit  more

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued the following news release: United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMES THOMAS SINYARD, a/k/a Jay Sinyard ("J. SINYARD"), MARY GIGI SINYARD a/k/a Gigi Sinyard ("M. SINYARD"), JOHN SUTTON ("SUTTON"), and MARC QUIROZ ("QUIROZ"), were sentenced after each previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud. According to the bills of information, J. SINYARD, M. SINYARD, SUTT  more

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Dec. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued the following news release: U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TEMIKA SANTEMORE, age 44, a resident of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on December 12, 2023 to four months of probation by U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to making false statements and theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security A  more

LAUGHLIN AFB, Texas, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Air Force Laughlin Air Force Base (47th Flying Training Wing) issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Keira Rossman, 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs A Major Accident Response Exercise (MARE) was held at Laughlin Air Force Base, Dec. 14, 2023, in preparation for hosting the Fiesta of Flight Airshow set to take place March 9, 2024. Airmen participating in the MARE underwent training to test and enhance their capabilities in the response   more

NATCHEZ, Mississippi, Dec. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi issued the following news release: Three individuals were sentenced for their respective roles in a scheme to steal houses from the United States Department of Agriculture. Barry Martin, 47, of Georgia was sentenced to 46 months in prison; Fiesta Kagler, 59, of Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison; and Ella Martin, 69, of Jayess, Mississippi, a former USDA employee, was sentenced   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Bruce Muma, President and CEO, Henry Ford Physicians Accountable Care Organization LLC, dba Mosaic Accountable Care Organization has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 19, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-ONC-2023-0018-0001, was sent to Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Of  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2023: BioTelemetry Inc. and its subsidiary, LifeWatch Services Inc., headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and Rosemont, Illinois, respectively (collectively LifeWatch), have agreed to pay more than $14.7 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to federal health care programs for a higher level  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2023: The former co-owners of a New Jersey marketing company were each sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud public and private health benefits programs of at least $8.8 million for the billing of medically unnecessary compounded prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Lisa Curty, 46,  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: A Sussex County, New Jersey, man was arrested today on charges related to fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) totaling over $2 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Nikenson Jean Mathurin, aka "Nik Mathurin," aka "Jean Mathurin," 44, of Sparta, New Jersey, is c  more

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Gilberto Carreon Jr., Special Agent in Charge of Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility in El Paso, Texas, announced today that a federal jury returned two guilty verdicts against Oscar Orrantia after five hours of deliberation. The ju  more

NEW YORK, Dec. 22 (TNSres) -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: New York Attorney General Letitia James and the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York (USAO-NDNY) Carla Freedman today announced they have secured $656,000 in a settlement with Chaim "Mutty" Scheinbaum, an unlicensed operator of the Saratoga Center for Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Care (Saratoga Center) for years of fraud and resident neglect. Fr  more

ALBANY, New York, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2023: Kahleke Taylor, a/k/a "Flex," age 23, of Albany, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for a mail and wire fraud scheme that obtained more than $200,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits using the personal information of other people. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew S  more

BUFFALO, New York, Dec. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York issued the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Damone Hennings, 31, and Analyse Spencer, 23, both of Buffalo, NY, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a minimum penalty of two years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 20 years.  more

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and 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 Inspector General ("HHS-OIG"), announced today the arrests of ERIN FOLEY and TED ALBIN on charges of health care fraud and conspi  more

ALBANY, New York, Dec. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York posted the following news release on Dec. 21, 2023: The Justice Department, together with the New York State Office of the Attorney General, announced today that Chaim "Mutty" Scheinbaum has agreed to pay $656,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims to the Medicaid program for worthless services provided to residents at Saratoga Ce  more

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Dec. 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada issued the following news release on Dec. 22, 2023: A Nevada man was sentenced Wednesday to 13 months in prison for his role in separate bribery and tax fraud conspiracies. According to court documents and statements made in court, Dustin M. Lewis, of Henderson, was a certified public accountant employed by Las Vegas-based accounting firm L.L. Bradford & Company. Beginning in February 2015 through about Fe  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Eric J. Perreault, Vice President for Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 12, 2023, and posted on Dec. 13, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * * This letter is submitted on behalf of Northwestern University, in response to the Notice of Proposed Ru  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- The National Science Foundation will ask the Office of Management and Budget to review an information collection entitled "Research Traineeship Program Monitoring System." The notice was issued by Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer. COMMENT DEADLINE: February 20, 2024 * * * SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to renew this collection. In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Dec. 19 -- Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2023: Public safety is a top priority in the Shapiro Administration - and throughout his first year in office, Governor Shapiro got stuff done and delivered on many of the goals he laid out on the campaign trail and in his budget address to build safer communities. Governor Shapiro believes every Pennsylvanian deserves to be safe and feel safe in their community - and his Admin  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: BioTelemetry, Inc. and its subsidiary, LifeWatch Services, Inc., headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania and Rosemont, Illinois, respectively, have agreed to pay $14,734,628 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act when LifeWatch, through its marketing and enrollment process for remote cardiac monitoring services, knowingly submi  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: After deliberating for two days, a federal jury found companies operating two Pittsburgh-area nursing homes, Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services, LLC, d/b/a Brighton Rehabilitation and Wellness Center (Brighton) and Mt. Lebanon Operations, LLC, d/b/a Mount Lebanon Rehabilitation and Wellness Center (Mt. Lebanon), guilty of making false stateme  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), a senior member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, has authored a new op-ed for USA Today Network and the Bergen Record of New Jersey blasting misstatements and outright falsehoods being given to seniors about Medicare Advantage coverage that is not right fit for everyone. "Through deceitful TV marketing and thinly veiled advertising campaign  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 22-197-R24) on Dec. 8, 2023, entitled "Security Assessment of a U.S. Postal Service Product Solutions Application." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service continuously strives to become more efficient and responsive to the dynamic market needs of its customers. This requires USPS to ensure its business-critical applications are secure. What We Did Our objective of  more

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following remarks on Dec. 19, 2023, by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton announcing Indiana Health Network's agreement to settle $345 million in False Claims Act violations: * * * Good afternoon. I'm pleased to be here today with the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary Myers, HHS Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tom Ethridge and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Ch  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- Rep. Dale W. Strong, R-Alabama, issued the following news release: The Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision championed by Representative Dale Strong (AL-05) which prohibits funding from being used to expand U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM) headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO. Specifically, Sec. 2889 in the NDAA will stop the combatant command from renting, planning, designing, or constructing new facilities. "I promised to figh  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined a letter pressing Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to take swift action to protect veterans seeking opioid prescriptions following concerning reports that some veterans' health care providers are not meeting VA prescription opioids safety standards. "We write today to discuss our concerns with the Department of Veterans Affairs' oversight   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 21, 2023: * * * Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, released the following statement on Ms. Tanya Otsuka's confirmation to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) board. Otsuka previously worked for Chair Brown as Senior Counsel for the Senate Banking   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- 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 Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, and U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), ranking member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to again outline significant concerns wit  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to again outline signif  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent a letter to the Inspectors General (IGs) of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Defense, State, and Treasury, and the Intelligence Community requesting a coordinated review of the full implementation of the terroris  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: WASHINGTON - The Senate has passed Sen. John Kennedy's (R-La.) initiative to establish a Special Inspector General (IG) for Ukraine as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act. The Special IG would oversee the humanitarian, economic and security assistance funding that the U.S. Congress has provided to the country and would make sure that the funds are appropriately spent so that American tax  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, chairman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, urged Shalanda Young, the White House Office of Management and Budget director, to prioritize small businesses in the Administration's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget Request. The full text of the letter is below. Dear Dire  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: ST. LOUIS - A Slovakian man was indicted this week on charges that accuse him of running a darknet market that sold drugs and stolen personal information. Investigators have shut down the market. Alan Bill, 30, of Bratislava, was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Dec. 14. Bill was arrested Dec. 15 at the Newark Liberty  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Washington, DC -- The U.S. Senate confirmed former U.S. Congressman Spencer Bachus III to a second term on the Board of Directors at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Wednesday night. "I am so pleased that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Congressman Bachus to the EXIM Board of Directors. I look forward to working with him again on EXIM's important mission of  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Dec. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2023: Vernon Sanders, 57 of Meridian, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, as well as restitution of more than $3.3 million, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. Sanders also was ordered to forfeit $383,260. In December 2020,  more

DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas issued the following news release on Dec. 20, 2023: A federal grand jury last week indicted a Mansfield, TX man for submitting false inspection reports in exchange for bribe payments, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Timothy Peppel, 68 years old, was a federal produce inspector with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Serv  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: A 38-year-old man has been indicted for wire fraud and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities arrested Antonio Jackson Jr. this morning. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Y. Ho at 2 p.m. The indictment, returned Dec. 12, alleges Jackson fraudulently obtained approximately $492,611 in   more

HOUSTON, Texas, Dec. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: Doctor's Hospital 1997 L.P. dba United Memorial Medical Center LLC (UMMC) has agreed to pay $2 million and to make additional contingent payments to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations. UMMC is an entity that formerly operated hospitals in the Houston area. They allegedly claimed excessive cost outlier payments from government health care programs and double   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia issued the following news release: Gholam "Tony" Kowkabi, 63, and Karen Kowkabi, 64, of Vienna, Va., were sentenced in federal court today to 57 months in prison and 24 months of probation, respectively, for tax offenses relating to their failure to pay more than $1.35 million of taxes arising from their operation of several restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area. Gholam Kowkabi was also sentenced for stealing  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2023: The U.S. Attorney's Office has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Steward St. Elizabeth's Medical Center of Boston, Inc. (SEMC); Steward Medical Group, Inc. (SMG); and Steward Health Care System, LLC (Steward) alleging that they violated the Physician Self-Referral Law (commonly referred to as the "Stark Law") and submitted and  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2023: A Georgia man and operator of a marketing company today admitted his role in conspiracies to commit health care fraud and to pay and receive illegal kickbacks, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Nicco Romanowski, 31, of Roswell, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an informati  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon issued the following news release: A Grants Pass, Oregon medical doctor and his general medical practice have paid $115,000 to settle allegations by the United States regarding the physician, on behalf of himself and his practice, submitting medical reimbursement claims to Medicare, TRICARE, and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), announced the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon. Wendel  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D - MN) have formally requested that the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service conduct a full audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District following persistent reports across Minnesota of delayed and unreliable mail service. "We believe it is time for the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the dysfu  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sheryl Johnson, Director, Research Compliance Services, Research Integrity Officer, and Anshuman Razdan, Vice President for Research & Innovation Deciding Official, University of Oregon, Eugene, have issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comment was written on Dec. 15, 2023, and posted on Dec. 18, 2023. The comment, on Docket No. HHS-OASH-2023-0014-0001, was sent to Sheila Garrity, Director, Office of Research Integrity. * * *   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 21-03102-201) on Dec. 13, 2023, entitled "The Office of Integrated Veteran Care Needs to Improve Community Dialysis Oversight and Develop a Strategy to Align Future Contracts with the MISSION Act." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary Veterans with end-stage renal disease are often prescribed dialysis, a lifesaving medical procedure that removes excess fluids and toxins fro  more