OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea, Feb. 7 -- The U.S. Pacific Air Forces issued the following news: By Staff Sgt. Aubree Owens, 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs Members assigned to Osan Air Base conclude Beverly Midnight 24-1, a combined tactical and operational training event hosted jointly by the 51st and 8th Fighter Wing, at Osan AB, Republic of Korea, from Jan. 28 - Feb 2, 2024. BM24-1 is part of an annual, continuous training schedule designed to strengthen the capabilities and readiness of the  more

CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, Feb. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Indo-Pacific Command issued the following news: OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea - Members assigned to Osan Air Base conclude Beverly Midnight 24-1, a combined tactical and operational training event hosted jointly by the 51st and 8th Fighter Wing, at Osan AB, Republic of Korea, from Jan. 28 - Feb 2, 2024. BM24-1 is part of an annual, continuous training schedule designed to strengthen the capabilities and readiness o  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on Feb. 9, 2024: A Lexington, Mass. doctor was convicted today following a 14-day jury trial in connection with an international money laundering scheme involving importing illegal, misbranded drugs. Rahim Shafa, 66, was convicted of international money laundering, illegally importing merchandise contrary to law and receiving and delivering misbranded drugs. U.S  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (TNScapv) -- The Alternatives for Community and Environment with collaborators has issued a public comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The comment was written on Jan. 30, 2024, and posted on Jan. 31, 2024. The comment was on Docket No. EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0320-0029. * * * We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, commend EPA on its recent efforts to implement Executive Order 14096, including this draft update to the 2016 Technical Guidance. We strongly   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2024: Today, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and the entire Oversight Task Force, led by Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), sent an investigative letter to the Department of Labor (DOL) and the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG) outlining concerns around the OIG's report on the mismanagement of pandemic Unemployment Insurance (UI) funds.  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2024: Yesterday, Congresswoman Beatty reintroduced the Ensuring Diverse Leadership Act to require consideration of at least one person of color and one gender-diverse candidate for each presidential vacancy at a Federal Reserve Bank. Of the more than 140 individuals who have served as president of the 12 Federal Reserve Regional Banks, only three have been people of color, and just nine have been wome  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 6 -- Bracewell, a law firm, issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2024: Bracewell LLP announced today that Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf, who served 16 years as a district court judge and as director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, has joined the firm's New York office as a partner in the government enforcement and investigations practice. Judge Mauskopf will focus her practice at Bracewell on government and internal investigations, regulatory enforce  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Feb. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: A Defense Department contractor from St. Charles County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted illegally obtaining parts for the military overseas, undercutting domestic suppliers. David Murar, 73, waived his right to indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. M  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate on Feb. 6, 2024, for the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act (S. 2840): * * * Bill Summary S. 2840 contains provisions related to access to and quality of primary health care, expanding the health workforce, and reducing the costs of private health insurance. In particular, the legislation would: * Extend funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, community he  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate on Feb. 7, 2024, for the Railway Safety Act (S. 576): * * * Bill Summary S. 576 would create a revolving fund for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to respond to certain rail carrier and motor carrier accidents involving hazardous materials. The bill also would increase mandatory authorizations for grant programs that fund emergency preparedness for accidents involving hazardous materials. In additio  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Commerce Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-009-A) on Jan. 22, 2024, entitled "The Department Needs to Fully Implement Strong Multifactor Authentication for Its High Value Assets to Protect Them from Cyberattacks." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Ryan A. Higgins, Acting Chief Information Officer, Department of Commerce FROM: Frederick J. Meny, Jr., Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation SUBJECT: The Department   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Commerce Inspector General issued the following report (No. AUD-2023-002-U) on Jan. 8, 2024, entitled "Joint Report on the Implementation of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Richard M. Ng, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Frederick J. Meny, Jr., Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation, Department of Commerce, Office o  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47566) on Nov. 14, 2023, entitled "Overview of Fiscal 2024 Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies" by crime policy analyst Nathan James. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY This report describes actions to provide FY2024 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. The annual CJS appropriations act provides funding for the Depart  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Mike Lawler, R-New York, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) released the following statement after over 60 NYCHA employees were arrested for their participation in an alleged pay-to-play scheme. "For years, I have railed against NYCHA for corruption, mismanagement of funds, and more, and today, all of those concerns have come to a head," said Congressman Lawler. "With the arrests of over 60 NYCHA employees for their participatio  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. Monica de la Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) has introduced bipartisan legislation to require accountability at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General to testify yearly before Congress. Prior to June, the last time an official from the Inspector General's office testified before the House of Representatives was in 201  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following transcript of a news conference by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III: * * * STAFF: All right. Well, thank you, everyone, for being here today. It's my pleasure to welcome Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III to the Pentagon briefing room. The secretary will deliver opening remarks and then take your questions. Please note that I will moderate those questions and call on journalists, so I'd ask that you raise   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news: Last week, the Inspectors General (IGs) and other leaders from the Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs) for the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of State (State), and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) conducted a three-day joint trip to Kyiv, Ukraine. The leaders met with senior U.S. and Ukrainian government officials and Ukrainian civil society organizations   more

MARIETTA, Georgia, Feb. 10 -- The U.S. Air Force Dobbins Air Reserve Base (94th Airlift Wing) issued the following news: By Staff Sgt. Gage Daniel, 94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Underneath the bold lettering of the word "exercise" in a standard dictionary, you'll find the following definition: "an activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness." What image typically comes to mind when you think of exercising? I tend to imagine someone closing the   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. QC2024016) on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "Quality Control Review of the Management Letter for the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for Fiscal 2023 and 2022." Here are excerpts: * * * What We Looked At This report presents the results of our quality control review of KPMG LLP's management letter for its audit, conducted under contract with us, of the Department of Transportation's (DOT) con  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. QC2024015) on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "Quality Control Review of the Management Letter for the Federal Aviation Administration's Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for Fiscal 2023 and 2022." Here are excerpts: * * * What We Looked At This report presents the results of our quality control review (QCR) of the management letter that KPMG issued on its audit, under contract with us, of the F  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Energy Inspector General issued the following report (No. DOE-OIG-24-11) on Jan. 30, 2024, entitled "Allegations of Security and Safety Concerns at Sandia National Laboratories." Here are excerpts: * * * On September 2, 2022, the IG Hotline received two complaints alleging inappropriate management response to security and safety events at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The complainant alleged that SNL management allowed a vendor to introduce and use a B  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized amendments to the 2018 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Fees Rule that will strengthen the agency's ability to successfully implement the law in a sustainable way, will improve the efficiency of EPA's chemical reviews, and ensure these reviews result in necessary health and safety protections. The amendments update how EP  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following four-page report (No. 24-N-0019) on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "OIG Report to the Office of Management and Budget on the Agency's Semi-Annual Report on Purchase Charge Card Violations." Here are excerpts: * * * To: The Honorable Shalanda Young, Director, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20503 Dear Director Young: The Government Charge Card Abuse Preven  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following seven-page report (No. 24-N-0018) on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "OIG Report to the Office of Management and Budget on the Agency's and CSB's Implementation of Recommendations Related to Purchase and Travel Card Programs." Here are excerpts: * * * To: The Honorable Shalanda Young, Director, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20503 Dear Director Young: The  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Feb. 7, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released DoD OIG Report No. DODIG-2024-052, "Evaluation of the DoD's Implementation of the NATO Policy on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse" The report highlights the extent to which the DoD and the Services implemented the North Atla  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration has issued a proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on Feb. 8, 2024, entitled "Falsification, Reproduction, Alteration, Omission, or Incorrect Statements." The proposed rule was issued by Marc A. Nichols, Chief Counsel. COMMENT DEADLINE: April 8, 2024 Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to amend, restructure, and consolidate the falsification regulations presently located th  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Federal Communications Commission has issued a notice, published in the Federal Register on Feb. 5, 2024, entitled "Affordable Connectivity Program." The notice was issued by Trent Harkrader, Chief. * * * SUMMARY: In this document, due to a lack of additional funding from Congress, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) issued an Order laying out wind-down procedures for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (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. 2024-IT-C-003R) on Jan. 24, 2024, entitled "Results of Security Control Testing of the CFPB's Microsoft Office 365 System:" * * * TO: Chris Chilbert, Chief Information Officer, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau FROM: Khalid Hasan, Assistant Inspector General for Information Technology S  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration has issued a notice, published in the Federal Register on Feb. 8, 2024, entitled "FY 2024 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program." The notice was issued by Veronica Vanterpool, Deputy Administrator. COMMENT DEADLINE: April 25, 2024 Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) annou  more

MIAMI, Florida, Feb. 10 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: On Feb. 8, a Florida man admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, after previously pleading guilty to carrying out a COVID-19 fraud scheme and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Kareem Memon, 34, of Coral Springs, Florida, pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal in the Sou  more

MIAMI, Florida, Feb. 8 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: On Feb. 5, a Miami woman was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for money laundering of nearly $2 million in fraudulent COVID-19 relief loans, after previously pleading guilty in October 2023. From April 2020 through April 2021, Maritza Morales Hermoso, 58, of Miami, Florida, and others, including co-defendant Javier Lazo Cabrera, conspired to defraud pr  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (TNSrep) -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-18-22-03300) on Feb. 7, 2024, entitled "NIH Generally Implemented System Controls Over the Sequence Read Archive But Some Improvements Needed" involving the National Institutes of Health. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG) has identified securing HHS data and s  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-18) on Jan. 30, 2024, entitled "Review of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Fiscal Year 2023 Detailed Accounting Report for Drug Control Funds." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Troy A. Miller. Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: Review of U.S. Customs and  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion issued the following testimony by Bill Hulse, senior vice president of the Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, involving a hearing on Jan. 10, 2024, entitled "Regulatory Whiplash: Examining the Impact of FSOC's Ever-Changing Designation Framework on Innovation." FSOC is the Financial Stability Oversight Council. * * * Chairman Hill, Ranki  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- Rep. Michael T. McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Yesterday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Republican members of the committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Blinken following previous efforts to demand the State Department comply with the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) regarding oversight on humanitari  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, issued the following news release: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), and Oversight Committee Republicans are continuing to investigate the Biden Administration's delivery of U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine. Following an Inspector General report revealing the Department of Defense (DoD) has failed to tr  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Disaster Readiness: Examining the Propriety of the Expanded Use of Federal Emergency Management Agency Resources" at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2024, at 2167 Rayburn House Office Building: Witness List: * Hon. Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency * Ms. Kristen D. Bern  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: BALTIMORE - An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore field office and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic field office led to En-Wei Eric Chang pleading guilty to a federal conspiracy charge, related to the export of defense materials to Iran. Such ma  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: BALTIMORE -- An investigation spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore's Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation resulted in a statewide operation to break up an alleged Maryland-based financial fraud network. During the operatio  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Warren: "Without significant guardrails in place, these (AI) algorithms will continue to harm patients while padding the private insurers' profits." Video of Exchange (YouTube) Washington, D.C. -- At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Dr. Michelle Mellow, professor of Health Policy and of Law at Stanford University, and Dr. Ziad Obermey  more

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho issued the following new release on Feb. 7, 2024: Three defendants were sentenced yesterday for fraudulently obtaining and misusing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that were issued by a Boise financial institution and that were guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. The defendants'  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: * * * Special Webinars Offered Next Week * * * The Internal Revenue Service and Security Summit partners today alerted tax professionals of a scam email impersonating various software companies in an attempt to steal Electronic Filing Identification Numbers (EFINs). The IRS warned that scammers are posing as tax software providers and requesting EFIN docume  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: The United States has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas under the False Claims Act (FCA) against Rick Nassenstein, a resident of Florida and formerly the president, chief financial officer, and co-owner of Illinois-based Cardiac Imaging Inc. (CII), a provider of mobile cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The complaint alleges Nassenstein knowingly   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-029) on Feb. 1, 2024, entitled "Audit of the Office of Justice Programs Victim Assistance Funds Subawarded by the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to the Southern Crescent Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center, Hampton, Georgia." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provided funds to the Georgia C  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-031) on Feb. 6, 2024, entitled "Recommendations Issued by OIG That Were Not Closed as of Dec. 31, 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The attached report contains information about recommendations from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General's (OIG) audits, evaluations, reviews, and other reports that the OIG had not closed as of December 3  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-028) on Feb. 1, 202, entitled "Review of the Accounting of Drug Control Funding Fiscal 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Objective Pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Sec. 1704(d), as implemented by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Circular, National Drug Control Program Agency Compliance Reviews, dated September 9, 2021 (the Circular), the Department of Ju  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Tracey Gronniger, Managing Director, Housing & Economic Security, Justice in Aging, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The comment was written on Jan. 30, 2024, and posted on Feb. 1, 2024. The comment was on Docket No. HUD-2023-0098-0001. * * * Justice in Aging appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on HUD's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on a 30-day notice requirement prior to lease terminations for nonpayment of  more

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana issued the following news release: On February 5, 2024, United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced WARREN G. TREME ("TREME"), age 59, a resident of Metairie, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. TREME previously pleaded guilty to bank fraud conspiracy for his role in the scheme that led to the downfall of First NBC Bank, the New Orleans-based bank that failed in April 20  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 7 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release: Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and her office have reached a $1.6 million settlement with affiliated transportation providers STAT Ambulance Services, Inc. and Southcoast Emergency Medical Services, Inc., along with their owner Carol Mansfield, to resolve allegations that the companies submitted false claims to MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program, and that Southcoast  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (Sen.) -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding national security priorities: "When the Biden Administration released its request for supplemental appropriations in October, I said the Senate would need to do its own work to meet the demonstrated needs of our national security. "The President's decisions ov  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Feb. 10 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Feb. 9, 2024: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced the sentencing of former dentist Seyed Hamid Tofigh, 57, of Potomac, Maryland, relating to the theft of $8.5 million from the Medicaid program. On February 6, 2024, Tofigh pleaded guilty to one count of Defrauding a State Health Plan, the Medicaid program, and one count of Practicing Dentistry Without a License,   more

GREENBELT, Maryland, Feb. 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: A federal jury today convicted Marilyn J. Mosby, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, on the federal charge of making a false mortgage application when she was Baltimore City State's Attorney, relating to the purchase of a condominium in Long Boat Key, Florida. The jury acquitted her of making a false mortgage application related to her purchase of a home in Kissimmee, Flori  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Feb. 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Matthew Hebert, age 44, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, on federal felony charges related to his flying a drone over M&T Bank stadium during the National Football League's AFC Championship game in Baltimore on January 28, 2024. The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland E  more

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2024: U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Steven William Anderson, Jr., 45, of Selinsgrove, PA, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a multi-year conspiracy to traffic stolen diabetic test strips from the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. During Anderson's sentencing, C  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Feb. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2024: A Defense Department contractor from St. Charles County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted illegally obtaining parts for the military overseas, undercutting domestic suppliers. David Murar, 73, waived his right to indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud  more

GREENSBORO, North Carolina, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: A Durham, North Carolina woman was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud that victimized the Chatham County Housing Authority, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). JOANN JOHNSON DAVIS, age 65, was sentenced to a   more

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Feb. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2024: Johnnie Franklin Sullivan, Sr., 73, of Mooresville, N.C., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez today and pleaded guilty to workers' compensation fraud for a job-connected injury, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western of North Carolina. Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Post  more

TRENTON, New Jersey, Feb. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2024: The co-owner and the administrator of a Union City, New Jersey, pharmacy today admitted their roles in conspiracies to defraud pharmacy benefit managers and health care benefit providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, of more than $65 million and to pay kickbacks and bribes to health care professionals and their staffs in exchange for referrals of p  more

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Bertrand Nelson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Southcentral Region, announced today that landlords for properties located in Roswell and Albuquerque paid $30,000 and $12,000, respectively  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation ("DOI"); Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI"); Rae Oliver Dav  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHANETTE LEWIS was sentenced today to three years in prison for her role in two fraud schemes. LEWIS participated in a scheme to commit COVID-19 pandemic fraud by (i) defrauding New York City's COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program, and (ii) committing unempl  more

ALBANY, New York, Feb. 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release: Joseph Osei, a/k/a "Kyngjo," age 29, of Jamaica, New York, has been indicted on mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for fraudulently obtain pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits using stolen identities. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor,   more

BROOKLYN, New York, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2024: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, two indictments were unsealed charging six defendants with defrauding court-appointed criminal defense attorneys. As alleged in the indictments, the defendants deposited stolen checks intended to reimburse the attorneys for their time and expenditures representing indigent defendants in federal  more

ALBANY, New York, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Christopher Ward, a/k/a "Reek," age 45, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the name of another person, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Rep. Ann Kuster, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: (Manchester, NH) - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), held a press conference outside the Manchester Processing and Distribution Center to raise their concerns about proposed changes to the facility by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Last week, the delegation sent a letter to Postmaste  more

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire, Feb. 6 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release on Feb. 5, 2024: Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), held a press conference outside the Manchester Processing and Distribution Center to raise their concerns about proposed changes to the facility by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Last week, the delegation sent a lett  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: (Manchester, NH) - Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), held a press conference outside the Manchester Processing and Distribution Center to raise their concerns about proposed changes to the facility by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Last week, the delegation sent a letter to Postm  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Rep. Ann Kuster, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), along with U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), sent a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) expressing concerns over a recent announcement that it was selecting the Manchester Processing and Distribution Center for an operations evaluation, which could result in employee layoffs and mail delays. In th  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), sent a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) expressing concerns over a recent announcement that it was selecting the Manchester Processing and Distribution Center for an operations evaluation, which could result in employee layoffs and mail delays. I  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 9 -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued the following news on Feb. 8, 2024: New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the recommendation of Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick to serve on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board -- showcasing his commitment to providing New Yorkers with a safe, reliable, and accessible public transportation   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: In light of the ongoing postal challenges across North Dakota, Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) and Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) this week called for the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General to expand an ongoing postal audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota district to include communities statewide, as well as to audit proposed changes to mail processing for the Bismarck and  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: BISMARCK - In light of the ongoing postal challenges across North Dakota, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) called for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General to expand an ongoing postal audit of the North Dakota-Minnesota district to include communities statewide and to inspect proposed changes to mail processing for the Bism  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (TNSrep) -- The National Science Foundation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-1-004) on Jan. 26, 2024, entitled "Performance Audit of Incurred Costs - University of New Hampshire." Here are excerpts: * * * At a Glance AUDIT OBJECTIVE The National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General engaged Cotton & Company Assurance and Advisory, LLC (C&C) to conduct a performance audit of costs that the University of New Hampshire (UNH) incurred on 18  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (TNSrep) -- The National Science Foundation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-1-005) on Jan. 26, 2024, entitled "Performance Audit of Incurred Costs- Mississippi State University." Here are excerpts: * * * At a Glance AUDIT OBJECTIVE The National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General engaged Cotton & Company Assurance and Advisory, LLC (C&C) to conduct a performance audit of costs that Mississippi State University (MSU) incurred on 123 N  more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio issued the following news release: A Columbus interstate cargo-transport trucking company owner pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to wire fraud. He illegally overbilled shippers, consolidated shipments, and caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of goods shipped to destinations in Ohio like Bath and Body Works and Amazon warehouses. Gurtej Singh, 48, admitted to covertly opening   more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Feb. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Penn State Health (PSH), a multi-hospital health system, has agreed to pay $11,712,336 to resolve allegations of civil liability for submitting claims to Medicare for Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) services that violated Medicare rules and regulations. According to   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-027) on Jan. 29, 2023, entitled "California 5 District: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * We performed a self-initiated audit at the Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and three delivery units serviced by the P&DC during the week of November 13, 2023. The delivery units included the Dockweiler Station, Downtown Long Beach Station, and Inglewood Carrier Anne  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-027-1-R24) on Jan. 29, 2024, entitled "Dockweiler Station in Los Angeles, California: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service's mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-027-2-R24) on Jan. 29, 2024, entitled "Downtown Long Beach Station in Long Beach, California: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service's mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-026-R24) on Jan. 29, 2024, entitled "Efficiency of Operations at the Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Facility, Los Angeles, California." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service needs effective and productive operations to fulfill its mission of providing prompt, reliable, and affordable mail service to the American public. It has a vast transportation network   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-027-3-R24) on Jan. 29, 2024, entitled "Inglewood Carrier Annex in Inglewood, CA: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * The U.S. Postal Service's mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviews de  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 22-199-R24) on Jan. 25, 2023 entitled "Site Technical Assessment Review - January 2024." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service operates more than 8,500 automated systems and equipment to move and deliver nearly half the world's mail. It deploys computer systems and equipment that manage, monitor, and control a variety of mail functions. Without proper controls, there  more

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Feb. 8 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2024: W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, announced the indictment of 19 individuals for their participation in a scheme to illegally obtain federal recovery funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Grand Jury charged the defendants with multiple counts of wire fraud and money launderin  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., introduced the "Protect Medicaid Act" on Jan. 17, 2024. The text of the bill was released on Feb. 4. H.R. 7014. A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to prohibit Federal Medicaid funding for the administrative costs of providing health benefits to individuals who are unauthorized immigrants; to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill is cosponsored by Reps. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Ken Calvert, R-Calif. * * * SECTION 1  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following joint statement on Feb. 8, 2024, by Commissioners Mark T. Uyeda and Caroline D. Pham on the memorandum of understanding between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission regarding the use of Form PF data: * * * The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") have entered into a memorandum of understanding ("MO  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release on Feb. 6, 2024: Today, Senator Hassan pressed leaders of McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, M. Klein & Co., and Teneo about their refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas, foreign conflicts of interest, and dealings with authoritarian regimes during a hearing. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, s  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- The Senate Armed Services Committee issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Today, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-MS) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III regarding the Department's communications while the Secretary was receiving medical care. The Senators expressed their concerns about the lapse in procedure and called for specific issues to be addressed in the Department's for  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee issued the following written testimony by Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at the Environmental Protection Agency, involving a hearing on Jan. 24, 2024, entitled "Oversight of Toxic Substances Control Act Amendments Implementation": * * * Good morning, Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and other Members of the Committee. Thank you for inviting me back  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., this week urged President Biden to remove Gail Ennis as Inspector General of the Social Security Administration (OIG). Wyden's call for Ennis' removal follows a multi-year investigation into allegations of a hostile work environment for whistleblowers, abysmal staff morale, and Ennis' failure to take full a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism issued the following testimony by Rebecca Wexler, co-director at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, involving a hearing on Jan. 24, 2024, entitled "AI in Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions": * * * Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee. My name is Rebecca Wexler and I am a Faculty Co-Director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology and an Assistant Professor of Law at the Un  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 -- The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law issued the following testimony by National District Attorneys Association President Charlie Smith involving a hearing on Jan. 17, 2024, entitled "Five Years of the First Step Act: Reimagining Rehabilitation and Protecting Public Safety": * * * Chairman Durbin, Ranking Member Graham, and Members of the Committee. My name is Charlie Smith, and I am the elected State's Attorney for Frederick County, MD and   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: In light of the ongoing postal challenges across North Dakota, Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Congressman Kelly Armstrong this week called for the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General to expand an ongoing postal audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota district to include communities statewide, as well as to audit proposed changes to mail processing for the Bismarck and Grand Forks regions. "We wr  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Coast Guard issued the following news: By AJ Pulkkinen, MyCG Team writer Building on investments and improvements over the past decade, the Coast Guard continues to make strides in ensuring all members experience a workplace that is safe; free from harassment, assault, hazing, bullying, hate, discrimination, and retaliation; and aligns with our Core Values. Four Coast Guard members, past and present, testified to the Senate Homel  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 -- Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, issued the following news release: Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA) announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing to examine if the expanded use of resources is impacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) ability   more

DALLAS, Texas, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: A retired FBI agent who convinced a Granbury woman she was on "secret probation" and conned her out of more than $700,000 was sentenced Tuesday to 87 months in prison followed by a term of three years supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. In August 2023, after 12 days of trial, a federal jury con  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Feb. 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Rick Nassenstein, a resident of Florida and formerly the president, chief financial officer and co-owner of Illinois-based Cardiac Imaging Inc. (CII), a provider of mobile cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The complaint alleges Nassenstein knowingly played a central role in a sc  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Allie Cannington, Senior Manager, Policy & Advocacy, and Hunter Herrera-McFarland, Policy Associate, The Kelsey, San Francisco, California, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The comment was written on Jan. 30, 2024, and posted on Feb. 1, 2024. The comment, on Docket No. HUD-2023-0098-0001. * * * The Kelsey is grateful for the opportunity to submit this comment in support of the proposed 30-Day Notification Requirement Pr  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following report (No. 2024-IE-R007) on Jan. 29, 2024, entitled "The IRS's Inflation Reduction Act Spending Through Sept. 30, 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * Highlights Why TIGTA Did This Evaluation In addition to its Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 annual appropriation of $12.3 billion, the IRS received approximately $79.4 billion in supplemental funding when the President signed the Inflation Reduction A  more

LOS ANGELES, California, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California issued the following news release on Feb. 9, 2024: A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison for using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain more than $1,568,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment benefits, and for stealing title to dozens of cars by presenting forged documents to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Eduard Gasparyan  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: A Florida man today admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, Southern District of Florida, announced. Kareem Memon, 34, of Coral Springs, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Ra  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon issued the following news release on Feb. 9, 2024: A real estate developer and part-time resident of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to federal prison today for fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief program funds and laundering a portion of the proceeds while on federal supervised release for a previous fraud conviction. Michael James DeFrees, 62, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and five yea  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri issued the following news release on Feb. 9, 2024: A former St. Louis County health care company owner on Friday admitted submitting more than $3.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private health care benefit programs. Carlos Himpler, 44, now of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a felony conspiracy charge. Himpler, who at the t  more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 6 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio issued the following news release: A father and daughter have each been convicted of federal crimes related to financial fraud. India Cook, 37, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to four counts of making false statements on COVID-relief loan applications. Rodney Cook, 56, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to two counts of making false statements on COVID-relief loan a  more

SPOKANE, Washington, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that a federal grand jury has returned two additional indictments in connection with fraudulent COVID-19 relief funding. The indictments are the most recent charges announced by the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Strike Force, which has brought c  more

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 7 -- Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes issued the following news: Attorney General Sean D. Reyes joined a comment letter to Secretary Janet Yellen of the U.S. Department of Treasury. The letter, which was led by the State of Montana, opposes the unconstitutional action by the Treasury Department to initiate a Direct File program for American taxpayers. The Direct File program was created to prepare and file tax returns for Americans. This program stemmed from the p  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 23-00014-65) on Feb. 1, 2024, entitled "Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas." Here are excerpts: * * * Report Overview This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report provides a focused evaluation of the quality of care delivered in the inpatient and outpatient settings of t  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 23-01325-59) on Feb. 1, 2024, entitled "Discontinued Consults Led to Patient Care Delays at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center in Oklahoma." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System in Oklahoma (facility) to assess an allegation that the associate chief of staff  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following management advisory memorandum (No. 23-03303-56) on Jan. 30, 2024, entitled "Veterans Are Receiving Concurrent Monthly Housing Allowance Payments while Participating in Certain VA Educational Programs:" * * * TO: Joshua Jacobs, Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administrations (020) FROM: Larry Reinkemeyer, Assistant Inspector General, VA Office of Inspector General's (OIG) Office of Audits and Eva  more

NEWPORT NEWS, Virginia, Feb. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release on Feb. 8, 2024: A New York man was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in prison for his role in a fraudulent scheme to obtain pandemic benefits using the stolen identities of at least 20 other people. According to court documents, Obinna Nwafor, 50, engaged in a scheme to obtain various pandemic loans using the identities of others who were unaware of this act  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 -- Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, issued the following news release on Feb. 7, 2023: Senator JD Vance (R-OH), House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY), and Oversight Committee Republicans are continuing to investigate the Biden Administration's delivery of U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance to Ukraine. Following an Inspector General report revealing the Department of Defense (DoD) has failed to track military weapons and articles going to Ukraine, th  more

SPOKANE, Washington, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington issued the following news release on Feb. 9, 2024: Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Jason Carnell O'Daffer, formerly of Wenatchee, Washington, pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $117,000 in COVID relief funding. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted O'Daffer's guilty plea, and set sentencing   more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Feb. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin issued the following news release: Timothy M. O'Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced the filing of a criminal information and deferred prosecution agreement on February 7, 2024, charging Brazos Urethane, Inc. Texas City, Texas, with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Brazos contracted in 2014 with the B  more