WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: HOUSTON -- Six more people were sentenced Feb. 12 for their roles in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain more than $20 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans that were guaranteed by the Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. The investigation that uncovered the conspiracy and led to the conv  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2024: Over 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang in Boston were charged today in federal court in Boston with racketeering conspiracy; drug trafficking; firearms; wire fraud; and financial frauds, including COVID fraud, following a two-year investigation into gang violence in Boston. According to the charging documents, the Heath Street   more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release: The owner of Expansion Media (Expansion) and Hybrid Management Group (Hybrid) has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a $110 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotics such as back and knee braces. Steven Richardson, 40, of Parkland, Fla., has agreed to plead  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2024: A Plymouth, Mass. man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in a COVID-19 relief fund fraud scheme. Ferris Brooks, 41, pleaded guilty to theft of government property. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 21, 2024. Brooks was charged in October 2023. From April to December 2020, Brooks submitted mult  more

SAN DIEGO, California, Feb. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2024: Eduard Buse and Florentina Sima pleaded guilty in federal court today to fraud and money laundering charges, admitting they participated in a scheme to steal more than $5 million in California unemployment benefits intended to help workers affected by the pandemic. Buse and Sima were indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023 along   more

SACRAMENTO, California, Feb. 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2024: Gabriel Alva, 32, of Winnetka, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine over the dark web, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Alva and his co-conspirators ran mu  more

SACRAMENTO, California, Feb. 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2024: Kaymeisha Keyes, 32, most recently of Tracy, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between April 2020 and August 2021, Keyes executed a scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD) by   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following opening statement, on Feb. 15, 2024, at a hearing with IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel: * * * "Thank you Commissioner Werfel for appearing before the Ways and Means Committee a little earlier than usual this year. We have a lot to go over with you, so I appreciate you answering the request of our Members to come before the Committee early this year. "First, as it pertains t  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R43947) on Nov. 28, 2023, entitled "House of Representatives Staff Levels, 1977-2023" by American national government specialist R. Eric Petersen. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY House of Representatives Staff Levels, 1977-2023 This report provides staffing levels in House Member, committee, leadership, and other offices since 1977. Between 1977 and 2023, the number of House staff grew from   more

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Feb. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAWN R. FULLER, 37, of Hamden, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to a mail theft offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, Fuller, while employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a mail  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities Housing Task Force 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 signed by Allie Cannington of The Kelsey, Jennifer Kye of Justice in Aging and Greg Robinson of Autistic Self Advocacy Network, co-chairs of the CCD Housing Task Force. The comment was on Docket No. HUD-2023-0098-0001. * * * Thank yo  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2024: On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at approximately 9:44 a.m., a U.S. Border Patrol camera operator observed a large group of what was later confirmed to be undocumented noncitizens crossing the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, Texas. Border Patrol agents from the Eagle Pass South Border Patrol Station were dispatched to the area. This included an Eagle  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council has issued a rule (48 CFR Part 212, 237 and 252), published in the Federal Register on Feb. 15, 2024, entitled "Transfer and Adoption of Military Animals." The rule was issued by Jennifer D. Johnson, Editor/Publisher. * * * SUMMARY: DoD is issuing a final rule to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. DA  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement on Feb. 5, 2024, regarding the evaluation of Department policy and procedures for responding to reports of violent threats made by service members: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SUBJECT: Evaluation of DoD Policy and Procedures for Responding to Reports of Violent Threats Made by Service Members (Project No. D2024-DEV0SP-0073.000) The purpose of this memorandum is to notify you that we   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement on Feb. 5, 2024, regarding the protection of sensitive mission data by the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine and its subordinate commands: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY COMMANDER, U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND COMMANDING GENERAL, U.S. ARMY EUROPE AND AFRICA DIRECTOR, JOINT STAFF COMMANDER, SECURITY ASSISTANCE GROUP - UKRAINE COMMANDER, 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION DTAC SUBJECT: Fo  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement on Feb. 5, 2024, regarding the sufficiency of staffing at logistics hubs in Poland for conducting inventories of items requiring enhanced end-use monitoring: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY COMMANDER, U.S. EUROPEAN COMMAND DIRECTOR, JOINT STAFF DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY CHIEF, OFFICE OF DEFENSE COOPERATION-UKRAINE SUBJECT: Follow-up Evaluation of Ma  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following report (DODIG-2024-052) on Feb. 5, 2024, entitled "Evaluation of the Implementation of the NATO Policy on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following report (DODIG-2024-054) on Feb. 7, 2024, entitled "External Peer Review of the Defense Information Systems Agency, Office of the Inspector General Audit Organization." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTOR, DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY SUBJECT: External Peer Review of the Defense Information Systems Agency, Office of the Inspector General Audit Organization (Report No. DODIG-2024-054) This final repor  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following Quarterly Report to Congress for Operation Inherent Resolve, on Feb. 9, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * We are pleased to present this Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report to Congress on Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). This report discharges our quarterly reporting responsibilities pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (5 U.S.C. 419). The United States launched OIR in 2014 to defeat the Islamic S  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Feb. 14, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the "Audit of the DoD's Oversight of Cost-Plus-Award-Fee Contracts." The objective of this audit was to determine whether DoD contracting officials oversaw contractor performance and justified award fees paid for cost-plus-award-fee (CPAF) contract  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Feb. 13, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the "Report of Investigation: Ms. Laura M. DeSimone, Executive Director, Missile Defense Agency." The investigation substantiated the allegations that Ms. DeSimone misused her public office for the private gain of a subordinate and create  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Feb. 12, 2024, entitled "Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for Fiscal 2024 and 2023:" * * * From: Dormayne "Dory" Dillard-Christian, Assistant Inspector General for Financial Audits To: Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer In accordance with the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, we are initiating an audit of the Department of Transportation's   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Feb. 12, 2024, entitled "The Federal Aviation Administration's Consolidated Financial Statements for Fiscal 2024 and 2023:" * * * From: Dormayne "Dory" Dillard-Christian, Assistant Inspector General for Financial Audits To: Federal Aviation Administrator In accordance with the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, we are initiating an audit of the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) con  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement on Feb. 12, 2024, entitled "SAE-18 Review of the Enterprise Services Center:" * * * From: Dormayne "Dory" Dillard-Christian, Assistant Inspector General for Financial Audits To: Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs and Chief Financial Officer As a Federal service provider, the Department of Transportation (DOT) offers a range of business services to its Operating Administrations and ot  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General's (IG) investigation into the non-medical deaths of those in Bureau of Prisons (BOP) care. At the request of Durbin, DOJ IG Michael Horowitz previously agreed to review the reports of abuse and the deaths   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released a classified report on the "Evaluation of DoD Efforts to Mitigate Foreign Influence When Foreign Investors Acquire Land or Property in Close Proximity to U.S. Military Facilities." The evaluation reviewed the extent to which the DoD developed plans, proces  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on Feb. 12, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the "Evaluation of the U.S. European Command's Planning and Execution of Ground Transportation of Equipment to Support Ukraine from Port to Transfer Locations." The report reviewed the DoD's implementation of security and accountability controls fo  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Cape Town, South Africa - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis traveled to Cape Town, South Africa last week as part of the U.S. delegation led by Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Energy and Investment, and Jose Fernandez, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the E  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (TNSRep) -- The Federal Communications Commission Inspector General issued the following 22-page audit report (No. 23-AUD-05-01) on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "Audit of USAC's Oversight of the Universal Service Fund Contributions Process." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Ms. Sophila Jones, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Office of Inspector General, Federal Communications Commission Dear Ms. Jones: Williams, Adley & Company-DC, LLP, performed an audit of the Universal S  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2024: * * * Additional Contact Method Established and Confidentiality Restrictions Waived * * * The Special Committee of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Board of Directors established to oversee an independent third-party review of the agency's workplace culture issued the following statement today: "The Special Committee and the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb Steen &  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- 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 2024-02 (Waters) (https://www.fec.gov/data/legal/advisory-opinions/2024-02/) The Commission considered four drafts of an advisory opinion in response to a request from Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Citizens for Waters concerning a proposal   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- The House Armed Services Committee issued the following testimony by Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass involving a hearing on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "Quality of Life Review - Perspective from Senior Enlisted Leaders": * * * Chairman Bacon, Ranking Member Houlahan, and distinguished members of this panel, thank you for your continued interest, and support, in the quality of life of the men and women who serve our great Nation. I am again honored for t  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The House Financial Services Committee issued the following written testimony by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge involving a hearing on Jan. 11, 2024, entitled "Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration": * * * Chairman McHenry, Ranking Member Waters, and distinguished Members of the House Financial Services Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on the state of the Departme  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy issued the following testimony by Bryan Bashur, director of financial policy at Americans for Tax Reform, involving a hearing on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "Rules Without Analysis: Federal Banking Proposals Under the Biden Administration": * * * Chairman Barr (R-Ky.), Ranking Member Foster (D-Ill.), and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the invitation to testify today. My name i  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy issued the following testimony by Randall D. Guynn, chairman of the Financial Institutions Group at Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP, involving a hearing on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "Rules Without Analysis: Federal Banking Proposals Under the Biden Administration": * * * My name is Randall D. Guynn and I am Chairman of the Financial Institutions Group at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, where I h  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2024: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is today opening an investigation into substantial political campaigning and lobbying by 501(c)(3) tax exempt entities and the ability of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to identify and enforce related violations of tax laws. In a letter to IRS Commiss  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, issued the following news release: Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Chairwoman Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is investigating the U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) procurement of videoconference cameras manufactured in the People's Republic of China (PRC), in vi  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2024: Today, Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at the start of the subcommittee's oversight hearing on improper payments in VA's c  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Is Department of Veterans Affairs Illegally Spending Taxpayer Dollars in its Compensation and Pension Programs?" at 1 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2024, at 360 Cannon House Office Building: Witnesses * Mr. Ronald S. Burke Jr., Deputy Under Secretary for Policy and Oversight, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, on behalf of Veterans Benefits  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization issued the following information for a hearing entitled: "Electronic Health Record Modernization Deep Dive: Can the Oracle Pharmacy Software Be Made Safe and Effective?" at 8 a.m. on Feb. 15, 2024, at 360 Cannon House Office Building: Witnesses * Mr. Neil Evans, M.D., Acting Program Executive Director, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, on behalf of EHRM Integration Office * Mr. Thomas Emmendorfer, P  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (TNSres) -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release: Days before IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel is scheduled to testify before the Ways and Means Committee, a new report issued by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) finds the agency is failing to put adequate controls in place to prevent unauthorized removal of confidential taxpayer information on some sensitive agency systems.   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Interior Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 2022-ER-033) on Jan. 31, 2024, entitled "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grants Awarded to the State of New York, Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish and Wildlife, From April 1, 2019, Through March 30, 2021, Under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program." Here are excerpts: * * * Memorandum To: Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service From: Colleen Kotz  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Feb. 12, 2024: Six Texas men were sentenced today for their roles in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain more than $20 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Hamza Abbas, 31, Ammas Uddin, 31, and Arham Uddin, 27, all of Richmond, were sentenced to three year  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: A federal jury in Atlanta convicted a Georgia man and woman yesterday for their roles in an over $11 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme. Teldrin Foster, 42, of Decatur, was convicted of bank fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured financial institution, and money laundering in connection with 14 loan app  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-030) on Feb. 6, 2024, regarding the Office of Justice Programs Victim Assistance Funds subawarded by the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services to the University of Maryland Prince George's Hospital Center in Largo, Maryland. Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary Background The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provided funds  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- 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 signed by Tracey Gronniger, Managing Director, Housing and Economic Security 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 te  more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Feb. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: A Lexington toxicology lab, LabTox, LLC, its owner, Ronald Coburn, 76, and its compliance officer, Erica Baker, 31, agreed to civil judgments totaling $10,458,933 in favor of the United States, holding LabTox, Coburn, and Baker liable for submitting false claims for urine drug testing services to the Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid programs. The  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2024: Charleston, WV - Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) published a new report on inmate deaths in federal prisons. The report found that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) failed to prevent the deaths of 344 inmates over the course of eight years, including 14 at West Virg  more

GREENBELT, Maryland, Feb. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Willie Lamont Hicks, a/k/a "Will Woodward" and "CW," age 52, of Kansas City, Missouri, yesterday to 22 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud related to a debt elimination and wealth mana  more

GREENBELT, Maryland, Feb. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Lambert Mbom, age 50, of Riverdale, Maryland, to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and for conspiracy to make false statements relating to health care matters in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid. The defend  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Feb. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Ernest Lee Bailey, age 51, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and MDMA. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryla  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure urging public clarification that critically and chronically ill Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries will have the same access to Long-Term Ca  more

CONCORD, New Hampshire, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire issued the following news release: A Hampton man pleaded guilty today in federal court to four separate fraud schemes involving a total intended loss of approximately $2.1 million, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Anthony Silva, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. As part of the plea agreement, Silva will   more

CONCORD, New Hampshire, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire issued the following news release: A Hudson man pleaded guilty today in federal court to fraudulently submitting four loan applications to obtain CARES Act funds, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Matthew Dispensa, 57, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud and one count of attempted wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2024. Dispe  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release: A California pharmaceutical company has agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of claims for certain opioids in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. From Dec. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016, Sentynl Therapeutics Inc., of Solana Beach, C  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 15 -- 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; 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"); Brian J. Solecki, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the U.S. Department of Defense Off  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Feb. 12, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DANIEL ABAYEV was sentenced to four years in prison and PETER LEYMAN was sentenced to two years in prison for their roles in a scheme to hack the electronic taxi dispatch system (the "Dispatch System") at John F. Kennedy International Airport ("JFK").   more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Feb. 14 -- The National Credit Union Administration Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. OIG-24-01) on Feb. 12, 2024, entitled "Cloud Computing Services." Here are excerpts: * * * TO: Chairman Todd M. Harper Vice Chairman Kyle S. Hauptman Board Member Tanya Otsuka Executive Director Larry Fazio General Counsel Frank Kressman Deputy Executive Director Rendell Jones Chief of Staff Catherine D. Galicia Office of External Affairs and Communication   more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Feb. 14 -- The National Credit Union Administration Inspector General issued the following audit report on Feb. 13, 2024, entitled "Fiscal 2023 Financial Statement Audits." Here are excerpts: * * * To: The Honorable Todd M. Harper, Chairman The Honorable Kyle S. Hauptman, Vice Chairman The Honorable Tanya F. Otsuka, Board Member National Credit Union Administration, 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Dear Chairman Harper, Vice Chairman Hauptman, and Board M  more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Feb. 14 -- The National Credit Union Administration issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2024: The National Credit Union Administration's four funds again earned unmodified, or "clean," audit opinions for 2023, according to audited financial statements released today by the agency's Office of Inspector General. The complete 2023 financial statement audits (https://ncua.gov/files/audit-reports/inspector-general-financial-statement-audit-fy-2023.pdf) are available   more

LIVERMORE, California, Feb. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news: Officials with the National Nuclear Security Administration and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory broke ground Feb. 6 on the Digital Infrastructure Capability Expansion (DICE) project, a critical upgrade for LLNL's networking and communications. A decade in the making, the 13,000 square-foot facility is scheduled for completion in June 2025. It will provide L  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: On Thursday, the U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and John Hoeven (R-ND) and U.S. Representative Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) announced the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General has agreed to expand its postal audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District to include Dickinson, Grand Forkst. The full audit report is expected to be released in Late March or early April. The USPS IG informed the delegati  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2024: Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Congressman Kelly Armstrong today announced that following their request, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General has agreed to expand its postal audit of the Minnesota-North Dakota District to include Dickinson, Grand Forks and Fargo, in addition to the ongoing audit of facilities in Bismarck, Mandan and Minot: The North Dakota del  more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 13 -- The Ohio Environmental Council issued the following statement on Feb. 12, 2024: * * * Today's indictments of former chair Samuel Randazzo, Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling underscore our previous call for a comprehensive investigation into the extent to which Randazzo improperly influenced Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) actions during his tenure. Neither the Ohio Attorney General's nor the Ohio Inspector General's offices have responded to our joint reques  more

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Feb. 14 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on Feb. 12, 2024: Attorney General Gentner Drummond today filed an entry of appearance and assumed control of a State lawsuit that Gov. Kevin Stitt has pursued against a company that the Governor has incorrectly blamed for the misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars in education relief funds. Drummond also dismissed the litigation. "I have been clear and consistent in communicati  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: A resident of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on February 14, 2024, for conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab sentenced Joshua DeWitt, 38, to ten months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release. DeWitt   more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Feb. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that Carla Sparkler, former Chief Marketing Officer of BioTek reMEDys Inc. (BioTek), located in New Castle, Delaware, has agreed to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to patients and physicians and waiving co-pays to protect BioTek  more

SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2024: The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Robert M. Reynolds, age 69, of Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, was charged in an information with wire fraud. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that from May 2020 to August 2021, Reynolds aided and abett  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Feb. 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that the United States has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court against Michael DiCiurcio of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In its complaint, the United States alleges that DiCiurcio operated small unmanned aircraft systems ("sUAS") -- commonly known as drones -- unlawfully and unsafely in the Ph  more

FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Feb. 15 -- Defense Health Agency issued the following news: Have you heard the term "health care fraud and abuse" and wondered what it means? Health care fraud and abuse occurs when a person or organization deliberately lies or misleads to gain a benefit they shouldn't receive. It also happens when health care providers bill for services and products that you don't need or that don't meet medical standards. Fraud and abuse also affect TRICARE. "Most TRICARE providers ar  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, Feb. 15 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: FALLS CHURCH, Virginia - Have you heard the term "health care fraud and abuse" and wondered what it means? Healthcare fraud and abuse occur when a person or organization deliberately lies or misleads to gain a benefit they shouldn't receive. It also happens when healthcare providers bill for services and products that you don't nee  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility issued the following news release on Feb. 12, 2024: U.S. taxpayers are losing millions of dollars due to leases for commercial dairy and beef ranches, along with associated buildings and residences, at California's Point Reyes National Seashore set well below fair market value, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Both federal law and National Park Service (NPS) policy require that these l  more

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Feb. 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2024: Kelvin Pagan-La Luz, Javier Santiago-Rodriguez, and Star Enterprises Inc. ("Star Enterprises") pleaded guilty today to Federal Program Theft in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A). According to the plea agreements, from June 2019 and continuing through August 2021, the defendants aiding and abetting each other, stole,   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: Following more than a year of advocacy, U.S. Representative Angie Craig announced the United States Postal Service's plans for a new post office in New Prague, MN. Since 2022, Rep. Craig and New Prague Mayor Duane Jirik have pressed USPS on the urgent need for a safer, more efficient, more accessible post office in the city. The USPS Office of the Inspector General recently announced an investigation into  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, issued the following news: U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) are leading 50 of their colleagues in calling for increased transparency from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding immigration detention centers that had been recommended for closure by Immigration and Customs En  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) joined Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Angus King (I-ME), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in introducing the Strengthening Cybersecurity in Health Care Act, which requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General to perform consistent evaluations of the Department's cybersecurity systems and report its findings to Congress. There has been a significant   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: Following a concerning Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report finding significant shortfalls in care provided by VA to veterans who seek care after experiencing a sexual assault, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester recently led a group of his Senate colleagues in urging the Department to take immediate steps to improve the readiness of VA facilities and   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Defense, delivered remarks on the Senate floor today to combat the misrepresentation being spread about the national security supplemental package. A transcript of Senator Collins' remarks are as follows: "Mr. President, the national security supplemental  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 13, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, rebuked the Office of Refugee Resettlement's (ORR) proposed rule codifying many of its existing failed policies that have dramatically weakened oversight of unaccompanied children i  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, urged HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to hold a hearing to consider the renomination of Julie Su for Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). Ms. Su's previous nomination failed to secure a S  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news: Following a concerning Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report finding significant shortfalls in care provided by VA to veterans who seek care after experiencing a sexual assault, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester recently led a group of his Senate colleagues in urging the Department to take immediate steps to  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: Click HERE to watch and HERE to download. Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Defense, delivered remarks on the Senate floor today to combat the misrepresentation being spread about the national security supplemental package. A transcript of Senator Collins' remarks are as follows: "Mr. President, the national security s  more

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Feb. 12 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 30-page audit report (No. A-08-21-51049) on Feb. 2, 2024, entitled "Enforcement of the Earnings Test." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General Subject: The Social Security Administration's Enforcement of the Earnings Test The attached final report presents the results of the Office of Audit's review. The  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, issued the following news release: "My position has not changed. My demands have not changed. We should not send a dime to Ukraine until our borders are fully secure." WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) took to the Senate floor today to expose the glaring problems with Senator Schumer's proposed foreign aid legislation, two-thirds of which would go to Ukraine at a time when America is experiencing the worst border crisis i  more

LOS ANGELES, California, Feb. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: Two Temecula brothers pleaded guilty today to defrauding the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of more than $2.3 million by filing thousands of fraudulent Priority Mail insurance claims. Anwer Fareed Alam, 35, and Yousofzay Fahim Alam, 31, each pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. According to their plea agreements, from October  more

TUCSON, Arizona, Feb. 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: Heather Alissa Neff, 38, of Lee's Summit, Missouri, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 18 months in prison, and 36 months of supervised release. Neff pleaded guilty to Accepting a Bribe by a Public Official on August 31, 2023. From 2016 through June 2019, Neff worked as a corrections officer in the Bureau of Prisons facility at FCI Saf  more

WICHITA, Kansas, Feb. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas issued the following news release: The U.S. Attorney's Office - District of Kansas has charged a Kansas man by information with embezzling millions of dollars from his former employer. An information is an accusation exhibited against a person for a criminal offense without an indictment from a grand jury. According to court documents, Shan Hanes, 52, of Elkhart is charged with one count of bank embezzlement  more

HOUSTON, Texas, Feb. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: Six Houston-area men have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain more than $20 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Hamza Abbas, 31, Ammas Uddin, 31, and Arham Uddin, 27, all of Richmond,   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Feb. 17 -- Gov. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: Gov. Jim Justice today announced the appointment of Ann Urling as the Interim Inspector General for the Departments of Health, Human Services, and Health Facilities. Urling, the Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff, is a dedicated public servant with extensive experience in government operations and accountability. She will be responsible for leading the independent oversigh  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Feb. 17 -- The West Virginia Legislature issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2024: The legislative deadline for members of the West Virginia House of Delegates to introduce bills passed this week as committees continued to deliberate and move those proposals through the legislative process. A bill that would help provide funds for employees of childcare centers to pay for childcare themselves advanced from the House Committee on Senior, Children and Family   more