CHICAGO, Illinois, May 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release: A Chicago health care company and its owner will pay $1 million to the United States to resolve a civil lawsuit arising from the submission of false claims to Medicare. BRIAN J. WEINSTEIN and APOLLO HEALTH INC. violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare for care plan oversight services that were not actually performed, according to a consent   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release: A Chicago woman has been sentenced to a year and a half in federal prison for participating in an organized scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $16 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act. MILICA SUMAKOVIC was among seven defendants indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago for partici  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release on May 1, 2024: The owner of a suburban Chicago medical supply company has been convicted of federal fraud charges for paying kickbacks to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs employee in exchange for procuring orders of medical equipment. After a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury on Monday found DARREN A. SMITH, 59, of Hazel Crest, Ill.  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The American Chemistry Council has issued a public comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The comment was written on April 8, 2024, and posted on April 30, 2024. The comment was signed by Lynn Dekleva, Senior Director, Chemical Products and Technology Division. The comment was on Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0613-0009. * * * To: The Honorable Michael Regan Administrator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency William Jefferson Clinton Building 1200 Pennsylv  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: At a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Andrew Witty, Chief Executive Officer for UnitedHealth Group, about how the conglomerate leverages its market power to raise prices, increase payments it receives from Medicare Advantage through tactics like upcoding, and evade federal regulations that restrict insurance company profits. The hear  more

SYDNEY, Australia, April 30 (TNSres) -- The Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand issued the following news release: "Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) members strongly support measures to combat fraud and CA ANZ broadly supports the Inspector General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO) recommendations," said Susan Franks, CA ANZ Senior Tax Advocate. "This interim report by the IGTO vindicates CA ANZ member concerns about security controls around tax refu  more

FRESNO, California, April 30 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California issued the following news release on April 29, 2024: Ruben Mireles, 48, of Clovis, was sentenced today to one year in prison for stealing $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief money, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Mireles owned and operated a farm labor contracting business in Kings County. His business initially went by the name Vista Pacific Labor Soluti  more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release: * * * Congresswoman Gwen Moore Sends Letter to Social Development Commission Board of Directors Following Closure After learning the Social Development Commission (SDC) closed its offices, which are all located in the 4th Congressional District, Congresswoman Moore sent a letter to SDC board of directors. In this letter, she raised several questions such as the status of its federal funds and the urgent need  more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia issued the following news release: Hahn Air Lines GmbH, a privately owned company based in Germany, and its Minneapolis-based subsidiary Hahn Air USA, Inc. (collectively, "Hahn Air") have agreed to pay $26.8 million to resolve allegations that Hahn Air violated the False Claims Act by knowingly failing to remit to the United States certain travel fees that Hahn Air collected from commercial airline passengers flyi  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis today signed two new Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) during EXM's inaugural Global Business Development Summit in Washington D.C. The summit, which takes place on the sidelines of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) spring meetings, aims to foster connections, explore solu  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Oslo, Norway - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis traveled to Oslo, Norway last week to attend the Berne Union annual Spring meetings. While in Oslo, Chair Lewis took part in a series of discussions with Norwegian government representatives and export credit agency partners on EXIM's ongoing work to support U.S. exporter  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: London, England - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis traveled to London last week to hold a series of meetings with government leaders and private sector representatives to underscore EXIM's commitment to financing U.S. nuclear energy exports. "It was a privilege to travel to London to highlight EXIM's deep commitment to s  more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Phoenix, Arizona - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis traveled to Phoenix, Arizona during Small Business Week to hold a series of meetings with Arizona businesses and local elected officials to highlight how EXIM's financing tools can help businesses of all sizes grow through exporting. "Providing financing support to smal  more

TAMPA, Florida, April 30 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Allen R. Jenkins (68, Sarasota) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Jenkins faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, Jenkins, a United States Railroad Retirement (USRRB) disability annuitant, was actively work  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Government Accountability Office has released a report (GAO-24-105979) on April 29, 2024, entitled "IT Modernization: Census Bureau Needs Reliable Cost and Schedule Estimates." Here are excerpts of summaries associated with the report: * * * What GAO Found The Census Bureau fully implemented selected leading practices for risk management, but it did not fully implement selected leading practices for managing requirements, cost, and schedule for the Center for Enterpr  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is conducting a sweeping review of potential abuse within the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) program for placing unaccompanied alien children with U.S.-based sponsors. Grassley is seeking answers from nine HHS contractors and grantees regarding legally protected whistleblower disclosures that allege widespread mismanagement in the unaccompanied children (UC)   more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, issued the following news release: Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to United States Postal Service (USPS) Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb Hull, urging an audit of all post offices and distribution centers in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and St. Louis City as Missourians continue to experience consistent mail and delivery delays. "Recently, a growing number of Missouri residents from the St. Louis area have co  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-06-22-01005) on April 22, 2024, entitled "West Virginia Lacked Effective Oversight of Its Opioid Response Grants" filed under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Here are excerpts: * * * Report in Brief Why OIG Did This Audit The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a series of grants to States and Tribes to co  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-22) on April 18, 2024, entitled "CISA's Use of Infrastructure Investment and Job Act Funds." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Jen Easterly, Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: CISA's Use of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Funds Attached for your action is our final rep  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-23) on April 18, 2024, entitled "Results of an Unannounced Inspection of ICE's Golden State Annex in McFarland, California." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Patrick J. Lechleitner, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: Results of an Unannounced Inspection   more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch issued the following testimony by Government Publishing Office Director Hugh Nathanial Halpern involving a hearing on April 10, 2024, entitled "Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the Government Accountability Office, the Government Publishing Office, and the Congressional Budget Office": * * * Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, I am honored to appear before the Subcommittee on Legis  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch issued the following testimony by the House Inspector General Joseph C. Picolla involving a hearing on April 17, 2024, entitled "Fiscal Year 2025 Request for the U.S. House of Representatives": * * * Chairman Valadao, Ranking Member Espaillat, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to share with you the important work of the Office of Inspector General (OIG, Office) and our Fiscal Year  more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces released the following testimony by Lt. Gen. Michael J. Schmidt, executive officer of the F-35 Program at the U.S. Air Force, from a hearing on April 16, 2024, entitled "Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request of the Department of Defense for Fixed-Wing Tactical and Training Aircraft Programs": * * * Chairman Wittman, Ranking Member Norcross, and distinguished Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the oppor  more

WASHINGTON, May 1 -- Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health , issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) delivered the following opening remarks at today's subcommittee hearing titled "Legislative Proposals to Increase Medicaid Access and Improve Program Integrity." "Today, we will hear from Dr. Daniel Tsai, the Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP   more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- Rep. Gerald "Gerry" Connolly, D-Virginia, issued the following news: Today, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) to make it easier for veterans with disabilities to be made financially whole in the event they are defrauded of their benefits. The Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act passed the House by a vote of 413-0. "Our veterans have sacrificed enough already," said Connolly. "They s  more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Oklahoma, chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release on May 2, 2024: House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) praised the appointment of a new acting Inspector General (IG) at the Department of Commerce yesterday. The appointment followed a letter from the committee leaders requesting the immediate replacement of the current acting   more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-457) on the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act (H.R. 4016), which aims to amend Title 38 of the U.S. Code to improve the repayment by the secretary of Veterans Affairs of benefits misused by a fiduciary. The report was advanced by Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, on April 12, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose and Summary H.R. 4016, the "Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act," was introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly o  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization released the following testimony by Michael D. Parrish, chief acquisition officer and principal executive director at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, from an oversight hearing on April 9, 2024, entitled "VA Supply Chain Modernization: Ready for Prime Time?": * * * Good afternoon, Chairman Rosendale, Ranking Member Cherfilus-McCormick, and Members of the Subcommittee. I am pleased to appear before  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-KC-0001) on April 18, 2024, entitled "Department Can Improve Its Loan Purchaser Qualification Vetting To Better Achieve Its Mission Objectives." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Susan A. Betts, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance and Budget, Office of Housing, HW From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, GA Subject: HUD Can Improve Its L  more

BENTON, Illinois, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois issued the following news release: A district judge sentenced a Herrin woman, formerly employed in southern Illinois as a psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, to 10 months imprisonment after she admitted to submitting false medical documents, obstructing justice and committing Medicare fraud. Theresa A. Kelly, 57, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of concealing a material  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: **To watch Senator Capito's questioning, click here or on the image above.** Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, questioned U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan during  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, May 3 -- The American Bar Association issued the following news release on May 2, 2024: Judge Samantha P. Jessner, Los Angeles Superior Court presiding judge, was awarded the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section's Liberty Achievement Award on May 1 at the section conference in Hollywood, California. The award celebrates lawyers and judges who have spent their career actively promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. Jessner  more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, May 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana issued the following news release on May 3, 2024: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Linda Gurvin, age 56, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 36 months in federal prison following her convictions for wire fraud and unlawful monetary transactions. Following her release from federal prison, she will be required to serve three year  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- The Labor Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 22-24-006-50-598) on April 18, 2024, regarding the purchase & travel card risks assessment: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Carolyn Angus-Hornbuckle, Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management; Kevin Brown, Deputy Chief Financial Officer FROM: Carolyn Hantz, Assistant Inspector General for Audit SUBJECT: U.S. Department of Labor's Purchase and Travel Card Risks Assessed as Low; Report No. 22-24-006-50  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a seminar today focused on promoting the health and safety of tenants living in HUD-assisted housing by focusing on eliminating environmental hazards and combatting sexual misconduct in HUD  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, May 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: On April 30, 2024, U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Eddy Ray Blizzard, age 45, of Havre de Grace, Maryland to 42 months' imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of In  more

WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Merit Systems Protection Board has issued a notice, published in the Federal Register on April 19, 2024, entitled "Opportunity to File Amicus Briefs." The notice was issued by Gina K. Grippando, Clerk. * * * The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or the Board) announces the opportunity to file amicus briefs in the matter of Mary Reese v. Department of the Navy, MSPB Docket No. DC-1221-21-0203-W-1, currently pending before the Board on petition for review. The Ree  more

DETROIT, Michigan, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan issued the following news release on May 1, 2024: A man from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was sentenced yesterday for his role in a multi-state, million-dollar unemployment insurance fraud scheme aimed at defrauding the U.S. Government and the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, of funds earmarked for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced United States Attorney Dawn  more

GULFPORT, Mississippi, May 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi issued the following news release on May 2, 2024: Todd Gee, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, announced today that the United States obtained a civil judgment in the amount of $916,392 in connection with fraudulent veterans assistance claims made by barber school and salon owner April Tucker Beard; Beard's salon and barber school, April's Mane Attraction, Inc.   more

MOODY AFB, Georgia, April 30 -- The U.S. Air Force Moody Air Force Base (23rd Air Wing) issued the following news: By Tech. Sgt. Devin Boyer, 23rd Wing Public Affairs The 23rd Wing conducted a comprehensive exercise aimed at demonstrating its prowess in planning, preparing, and executing operations and maintenance to project airpower in contested and dispersed locations, April 8-18, 2024. Coined Ready Tiger 24-1, the exercise underscores the Air Force's commitment to defending the United Stat  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina issued the following news release: Two Raleigh, North Carolina men, Joseph Kingsley Irona and Mamady Fadima Conde, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both men previously pled guilty to the charge. Irona was sentenced to 84 months' imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Conde was sentenced to 60 months' imprisonment and five years of supervised release.  more

CAMDEN, New Jersey, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for laundering the proceeds of fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Jeremy Earley, 42, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and Lilburn, Georgia, pleaded guilty on June 1, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Karen  more

CAMDEN, New Jersey, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for fraudulent acts he committed in connection with COVID-19 relief funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Luquay Zahir, 49, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of making false statements to influence the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and on  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to illegally obtain over $400,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Christopher Valerio, 33, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information chargin  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: Sixteen individuals were charged in connection with a sprawling "grandparent scam" to defraud hundreds of elderly Americans out of millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Eleven men from the Dominican Republic are charged in a 19-count indictment with mail and wire fraud conspiracy; wire fraud; mail fraud; conspiracy to  more

NEW YORK, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on May 1, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging SHARON TONEY FINCH with defrauding military charities and the Veteran's Administration ("VA") and wi  more

WASHINGTON, May 4 -- The National Council for Mental Wellbeing issued the following statement on May 3, 2024: * * * The National Council for Mental Wellbeing today issued the following statement in response to the decision by the Biden-Harris administration to keep rewards for contingency management (CM) programs at current levels. The new 2024 State Opioid Response and Tribal Opioid Response Notices of Funding Opportunity, released May 2, miss an opportunity to leverage the potential benefit  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release: * * * Protect Their Businesses, Employees, Customers * * * As National Small Business Week continues, the Internal Revenue Service urges entrepreneurs to put in place data security safeguards protecting their financial, personal and employee information from scams and cybercriminals hunting for easy targets. The IRS continues to see instances where small businesses and othe  more

OMAHA, Nebraska, May 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska issued the following news release on May 2, 2024: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced today that Jack Poulsen, age 71, of Ericson, Nebraska, entered a plea of guilty to an Information alleging bank fraud in front of United States Magistrate Judge Jacqueline M. DeLuca. Judge DeLuca scheduled Poulsen's sentencing hearing for August 1st, 2024, at 11:00 AM before United States District Judge Susan M. Bazi  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, April 30 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on April 29, 2024: A resident of Chicago, Illinois, has been sentenced in federal court to 54 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and $20,000 in restitution on his conviction of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge William S. Sti  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kalien Frazier, 29, of Oakland, California, was charged today by indictment with six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for a bank insider scheme, in which he used his position as a bank employee to access, misappropriate, and sell bank customer ac  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on April 30, 2024: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jasmine Williams, 33, of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, was arrested today after being charged by indictment with one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud related to a scheme to defraud the Federal Em  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: Insight Global LLC, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $2,700,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to provide adequate cybersecurity to protect health information obtained during COVID-19 contact tracing. The United States alleged that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania Department of He  more

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, May 1 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island issued the following news release: Four Florida residents have been convicted in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island, for their individual roles in a wide-ranging conspiracy to use stolen personal identifying information (PII) of unsuspecting individuals to fraudulently obtain more than $4.8 million by defrauding banks and fraudulently obtaining benefits and payments from federal and state   more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: The Veterans Affairs Community Care Program (VCCP) provides health care for veterans in need outside of VA facilities. A recent report exposed flaws in the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) ability to identify and exclude providers from the VCCP that have failed to deliver safe and appropriate care. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McD  more

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina issued the following news release: Together with state and federal partners, U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced the formation of the Palmetto Health Care Fraud Task Force (PHCF Task Force), which has been created as a dedicated task force to combat health care fraud and recover taxpayer money in the District of South Carolina through criminal and civil actions. Other agencies that have j  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: Continuing his efforts to combat the opioid crisis in Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, is calling on the Montana Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VA Montana) to ensure it is providing essential oversight of opioid prescribing practices and that Montana veterans have appropriate and adequate pain management support, including non-opioid options. "When v  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, chairwoman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release: In remarks ahead of the Senate's vote to begin consideration of the bipartisan, bicameral FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and chief architect of the legislation, explained why the bipartisan, bicameral bill sets clear and de  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release on May 1, 2024: In his opening statement at today's Senate Commerce Committee nominations session, Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) thanked the Coast Guard for quickly addressing a serious problem his office uncovered regarding the Coast Guard's use of illegal nondisclosure agreements (NDAs), including with victims of sexual assaults. Fol  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news: Continuing his efforts to combat the opioid crisis in Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, is calling on the Montana Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VA Montana) to ensure it is providing essential oversight of opioid prescribing practices and that Montana veterans have appropriate and adequate pain management sup  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: Nicole L. Angarella, currently the general counsel to the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has been appointed inspector general of the Smithsonian. Angarella will join the Smithsonian May 20. Angarella most recently served for 18 months as the acting inspector general at USAID where she led a team of more than 275 auditors, investigators, mission support staff and att  more

WOODLAWN, Maryland, May 3 (TNSres) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release: The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report titled, Impact of Undetected Marriages on Social Security Administration Payments, found that SSA did not always take the necessary manual actions to properly update the payment records for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients or Old-Age, Survivors, and Disabili  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) met today with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to discuss the severe mail delays affecting communities in Virginia and the related implementation of new reforms by the United States Postal Service (USPS). "Today, we met with Postmaster DeJoy for a productive conversation and voi  more

EL PASO, Texas, May 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas issued the following news release: A federal judge convicted a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer for two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of the falsification of a document in a federal investigation. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Miguel Angel Delgado Jr., 40, of El Paso, used excessive force in two incidents while he was on d  more

AUSTIN, Texas, April 30 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas issued the following news release: A federal jury convicted a Georgetown woman for one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Tiffany Fullerton, 47, along with her husband and two other co-conspirators, used dormant and expired business names to submit five fraudulent Paycheck Protect  more

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Taxation and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Oversight, today introduced the Ensuring No Devices Bear Your Own Data (END BYOD) Act. This legislation would prohibit IRS employees, volunteers, and contractors from accessing sensitive taxpayer information on their personal computers or phones through the IRS's bring-your-own-device (BYOD) program.   more

PORTLAND, Maine, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine issued the following news release: A Glenburn woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to embezzling from an organization receiving federal funds and conspiring to alter money orders. According to court records, Kelly Ballinger, 57, was a former property manager for a Portland apartment complex with residences funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). From about December 20  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, May 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release: A former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) Sergeant was sentenced yesterday in connection with an overtime scheme dating back to 2015. William W. Robertson, 62, of Westborough, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Robertson was also ordered to pay restitution o  more

TRENTON, New Jersey, May 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on May 2, 2024: A Florida resident and dual citizen of the United States and Turkey was sentenced to 78 months in prison for running an extensive operation over many years to traffic in fraudulent and counterfeit Cisco networking equipment, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Arge  more

ST. GEORGE, Utah, April 30 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah issued the following news release on April 29, 2024: An indictment was unsealed today following the arrest of a Nevada man who was indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury for multiple federal crimes, including bank fraud. According to court documents, Kyle Eugene Duncan-Carle, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada carried out a scheme to defraud multiple credit unions from January 2023 through September 2023  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) met today with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to discuss the severe mail delays affecting communities in Virginia and the related implementation of new reforms by the United States Postal Service (USPS). "Today, we met with Postmaster DeJoy for a productive conversation and voiced what we've been   more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) met today with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to discuss the severe mail delays affecting communities in Virginia and the related implementation of new reforms by the United States Postal Service (USPS). "Today, we met with Postmaster DeJoy for a productive conversation and voiced what we've been he  more

WASHINGTON, April 30 [Category: National Defense] -- The Military Officers Association of America issued the following news: Three of six recommendations from a House Armed Services Committee panel that are designed to help tackle the "long-standing problem" of "timely access to quality care" will be part of the base text of the House version of the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The report, released April 11 by the committee's Quality of Life Panel, looks at widespread qua  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-Virginia, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) met with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy alongside U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (both D-VA), and Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) to discuss the severe mail delays affecting communities in Virginia and the related implementation of new reforms by the United States Postal Service (USPS). "Today, we met with Postmaster DeJoy for a productive co  more