Federal - Executive Branch
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from the U.S. Executive Branch, covering all aspects of the Obama administration including cabinet departments, federal agencies, regulatory and independent agencies.
Featured Stories
United States Attorney Encourages Participation in Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
TULSA, Oklahoma, April 23 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Trent Shores, issued the following news release:
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores encourages the public to take part in the DEA's 17th semi-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 14 collection sites throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. The event is an effort to rid homes of unused and expired opioids and other medicines, where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft or abuse by family members and friends.
"Prescription drug abuse can devastate families and communities.
... Show Full Article
TULSA, Oklahoma, April 23 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Trent Shores, issued the following news release:
U.S. Attorney Trent Shores encourages the public to take part in the DEA's 17th semi-annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, April 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 14 collection sites throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. The event is an effort to rid homes of unused and expired opioids and other medicines, where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft or abuse by family members and friends.
"Prescription drug abuse can devastate families and communities.The fact of the matter is that unsecured and unused medications pose a danger. Research shows that addiction often begins with easily accessible medications," said U.S. Attorney Shores. "I encourage Oklahomans to safely dispose of their unused medications at a DEA Take Back location on April 27."
"Twice a year, the DEA invites you to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs at locations across the United States," said Clyde E. Shelley, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Division. "Please join us in our continued mission to diffuse the curiosity of drugs. It's the right choice to make and will give people peace of mind that these prescription drugs are destroyed in an environmentally safe manner."
In October 2018, Oklahomans living in the 11 counties comprising the Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Washington, Nowata, Rogers, Craig, Mayes, Ottawa, and Delaware Counties) turned over 864.492 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Throughout the United States, 457 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs were turned in at almost 6,000 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners.
Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds--more than 5,400 tons--of pills. The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches.)
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.
Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
Collection sites in the Northern District of Oklahoma are:
- Miami Police Department: 129 5th Ave Northwest, Miami
- Miami Nation Tribal Police: 3410 P Street Northwest, Miami
- Robert Whitebird Cultural Center: 905 Whitebird St., Quapaw
- Walmart: 4901 S. Main S. Mill, Pryor
- Walmart: 1002 W. Taft Ave., Sapulpa
- Newson6: 303 N. Boston Ave., Tulsa
- Crime Stoppers Office: 4107 S. Yale, Tulsa
- Patrick Henry Elementary: 3820 E 41st St., Tulsa
-The Met Recycling Center: 3495 S. Sheridan, Tulsa
- Reasors: 7114 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa
- Walgreens: 1150 Garnett Rd., Tulsa
- Walgreens: 2323 W. Edison St., Tulsa
- Eastern Shawnee Police Department: 10250 S. 695 R., Wyandotte
- Bear Skin Health Center: 14 S. Main, Wyandotte
For more information or to locate a collection site near you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.
Tampa Woman Indicted for Immigration Fraud Scheme Stretching From Tampa to Chicago
TAMPA, Florida, April 23 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued the following news release:
United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Erika Paola Intriago (44, Tampa) with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of wrongfully using government seals. If convicted, Intriago faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to five years in federal prison for each count of wrongfully using government seals.
According to the indictment, Intriago portrayed
... Show Full Article
TAMPA, Florida, April 23 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued the following news release:
United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Erika Paola Intriago (44, Tampa) with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of wrongfully using government seals. If convicted, Intriago faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to five years in federal prison for each count of wrongfully using government seals.
According to the indictment, Intriago portrayedherself as an immigration attorney and personal representative offering immigration-related services. She advertised her services on social media, targeting immigrants and immigrant families from Spanish-speaking countries. In fact, Intriago was not a licensed attorney.
Victims retained and paid Intriago to represent them in immigration-related matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and other agencies. To show that she was acting on the victims' behalf, Intriago sent fraudulent letters, emails, receipts, documents and communications to her victims fraudulently representing that the records were legitimate communications sent from agencies of the United States, including the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In actuality, Intriago had either never filed the necessary immigration paperwork, or had abandoned the immigration process, or the applications had already been denied without Intriago informing the victims. Intriago also threatened and intimidated victims who complained about her conduct by telling them that she would report their immigration status to U.S. immigration authorities, which Intriago claimed would result in the victims being deported.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim is urged to contact the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and USCIS. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook(/uscis).
President Donald J. Trump Is Working to Bring Iran's Oil Exports to Zero
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The White House issued the following fact sheet:
* * *
- "Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond."
* * *
CUTTING OFF IRAN'S OIL EXPORTS: President Donald J. Trump is taking action intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero and deny the regime its principal source of revenue.
* The Trump Administration has decided not to reissue Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs) when they expire in early May.
* This move aims to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the regime its principal
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The White House issued the following fact sheet:
* * *
- "Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond."
* * *
CUTTING OFF IRAN'S OIL EXPORTS: President Donald J. Trump is taking action intended to bring Iran's oil exports to zero and deny the regime its principal source of revenue.
* The Trump Administration has decided not to reissue Significant Reduction Exceptions (SREs) when they expire in early May.
* This move aims to bring Iran's oil exports to zero, denying the regime its principalsource of revenue.
* The United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, three of the world's great energy producers, are working to ensure global oil markets remain well supplied.
- The United States and its partners will take immediate action to ensure that supplies are made available to replace all Iranian oil removed from the market.
- Forecasters expect global oil supply will keep pace with demand in 2019.
* The Trump Administration is determined to expand and enforce its maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian regime.
IMPOSING MAXIMUM PRESSURE: The United States will continue to apply maximum pressure on the Iranian regime until its leaders change their destructive behavior.
* President Trump has taken action to hold Iran accountable for the full range of its malign activities.
* President Trump withdrew the United States from the horrible Iran nuclear deal and imposed the toughest sanctions ever placed on Iran.
- All sanctions lifted under the Iran deal were reimposed last year.
- These sanctions targeted critical sectors of Iran's economy, including energy, shipping, and its financial institutions.
* The Administration designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, putting the private sector on notice not to conduct business with them.
* As a result of the Administration's actions, Iran's currency has lost more than two-thirds of its value on the black market.
* Foreign direct investment and business activity in Iran have fallen off as the private sector realizes the risk of doing business with Iran.
- More than 100 companies decided to cease doing business there.
SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE: The United States is sending a clear message to the Iranian regime that its destabilizing activities and global terrorist campaign has serious consequences.
* The Iranian regime has long used oil revenues to support its destabilizing activities and fund terrorist proxies throughout the world.
* Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, working to finance and support terrorist organizations including al-Qa'ida, Hizballah, Hamas, the Taliban, and others.
* Oil revenues have helped to finance their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs that threaten the region and the United States.
* Leaders of the Iranian regime have committed horrific human rights violations while using oil revenues to line their own pockets instead of giving support to their own people.
* Iran continues to undermine the stability of the region, including through hostility toward Israel and threatening freedom of navigation in the critical Persian Gulf.
Marine Corps Police Department Celebrates National 9-1-1 Education Month
ALBANY, Georgia, April 23 -- The U.S. Marine Corps issued the following news:
By Re-Essa Buckels
Public Affairs
Marine Corps Police Department aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany celebrates National 9-1-1 Education Month to prepare active-duty, civilian-Marines and military families for emergencies. The theme for April's campaign is "don't stall, make the call." The goal of this month-long campaign is to educate base personnel about how and when to dial 9-1-1.
"When you need help call for help, don't hesitate. We have an expression that we use in dispatch ... when in doubt, send them
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, Georgia, April 23 -- The U.S. Marine Corps issued the following news:
By Re-Essa Buckels
Public Affairs
Marine Corps Police Department aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany celebrates National 9-1-1 Education Month to prepare active-duty, civilian-Marines and military families for emergencies. The theme for April's campaign is "don't stall, make the call." The goal of this month-long campaign is to educate base personnel about how and when to dial 9-1-1.
"When you need help call for help, don't hesitate. We have an expression that we use in dispatch ... when in doubt, send themout," Brandi Mitchell, dispatcher, Marine Corps Police Department, MCLB Albany, remarked.
For the past three years, Mitchell has been in the business of helping others.
"My dad was a police officer. My mom was a nurse ... helping people, serving people that's kind of my passion in life," Mitchell said.
And it's the very reason why she wants to get the word out about the proper use of 9-1-1.
In 2008, Congress established April as National 9-1-1 Education Month. According to MCPD Chief Sean Lamonzs, since 2016, MCLB Albany has implemented several consolidated equipment and software enhancements to provide a standardized level of rapid emergency response services.
"This is what 9-1-1 is, it's a tool for you to use," Mitchell added. "If you're in trouble, if you're hurt, if there's something happening that you feel life (or) property (are) in danger or someone is sick, use this number."
This year marks 51 years since the first 9-1-1 call was placed. Since that time, 9-1-1 usage has become the universal number for all emergencies. To combat misuse of the resource, it is critical to increase the awareness of the proper use of the emergency number to ensure fire, medical and law enforcement resources are available to those in need.
What's an emergency?
"An emergency ... something that is happening right now ... so if it's a hit and run ... if it's a fight ... something that when (police) get there they can diffuse the situation and investigate and find out what's going on," Mitchell explained.
Bottom line, anything with urgency that may threaten life or property or a medical situation warrants a 9-1-1 call.
On a 12-hour shift, dispatchers may get one or two 9-1-1 calls which averages about 30 in total each month. Many of them are medical assists that range from hit-and-runs, car accidents or damage to property reports. But often times, Mitchell said base personnel abuse the number.
What's a non-emergency?
"If it's something that happened last week, it's not an emergency," Mitchell remarked. "I've had too many calls where people call me and they were like, 'ooh, let me tell what happened last month.'"
Other non-emergency calls include questions about sponsoring someone on the installation or a general question on the base opening or closing or a request for a police report.
"There's no consistency to (non-emergency calls but) there are enough people who don't know the number," Mitchell added.
Base personnel with emergencies should follow these steps when dialing 9-1-1.
Proper protocol during emergency
1. When speaking with the dispatcher, remain calm. Give the dispatcher your location, name and phone number.
2. Briefly describe the emergency (fire, injury, crime, etc.) and what type of assistance you need.
3. Be prepared to provide detailed information on where you are so that help can get to you as quickly as possible. If the location of the emergency is difficult to find, give the dispatcher a landmark where you or someone will meet the first-responders to guide them to the location.
4. Until you are instructed to do otherwise, stay on the line so you can provide any necessary information or assistance to the 9-1-1 call taker. Even if you accidentally call 9-1-1, don't hang up. Inform the call taker that you dialed accidentally and that there is no emergency. In taking these steps, you improve the safety, security, readiness and resilience of you and those around you.
"It's very important that a person is specified to call 9-1-1 because what (happens is) when there's a medical emergency in the warehouse, everybody hears about it and everyone starts to call about it," Mitchell explained. "We have four 9-1-1 lines and they all light up ... and that delays (police officers and medics to respond)."
Emergency numbers
* 9-1-1 - Base phones (639 prefix)
* 229-639-5911 - Cell phones, phones located in Base quarters and other commercial phones aboard the base (recommend placing this as a speed dial number on your phone)
Note: When simply dialing 9-1-1 from a cell phone or other commercial numbers on the installation, the call will be routed to the Albany/Dougherty County Dispatch Center located outside the Installation, the caller will need to tell the emergency services dispatcher that they are located on the Installation if that is where the emergency is located. The Albany/Dougherty County Emergency Dispatch Center will then transfer the emergency call to the MCLB Albany Emergency Dispatch Center.
Non-Emergency numbers
Remember improper use of 9-1-1 system ties up resources and can interfere with emergency services response times.
* 229-639-5181/82/83
Other 9-1-1 resources
READY Marine Corps at http://www.ready.marines.mil or follow #ATREADYUSMC on Twitter, and like it on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/readyusmc.
ITC Receives Complaint From Dried Tart Cherry Trade Committee
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission received the following complaint (Docket No. 3381):
Commodity: Dried Tart Cherries
Investigation Number: 701-TA-622 and 731-TA-1448
Filed By: Elizabeth Drake
Firm/Organization: Schagrin Associates
Behalf Of: Dried Tart Cherry Trade Committee
Confidential: Yes
Country: Turkey
Description: Letter to Lisa R. Barton, Secretary, USITC; requesting that the Commission conduct an investigation under sections 701 & 731 of the Tariff Act of 1930 regarding the Imposition of Countervailing and Antidumping Duties on Dried Tart Cherries
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission received the following complaint (Docket No. 3381):
Commodity: Dried Tart Cherries
Investigation Number: 701-TA-622 and 731-TA-1448
Filed By: Elizabeth Drake
Firm/Organization: Schagrin Associates
Behalf Of: Dried Tart Cherry Trade Committee
Confidential: Yes
Country: Turkey
Description: Letter to Lisa R. Barton, Secretary, USITC; requesting that the Commission conduct an investigation under sections 701 & 731 of the Tariff Act of 1930 regarding the Imposition of Countervailing and Antidumping Duties on Dried Tart Cherriesfrom Turkey.
Status Dropdown: Instituted
Gang Member Sentenced for RICO Conspiracy and Attempted Murders
NORFOLK, Virginia, April 23 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, G. Zachary Terwilliger, issued the following news release:
A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for RICO conspiracy and multiple attempted murders on behalf of the Nine Trey Gangsters, a violent Bloods street gang.
According to court documents, Malek Lassiter, aka Leeko, 23, joined other gang members on a mission, ordered by co-defendant Antonio Simmons, to kill high-ranking members of a rival "line" of the Nine Trey Gangsters. When Lassiter and the other men were unable to locate the
... Show Full Article
NORFOLK, Virginia, April 23 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, G. Zachary Terwilliger, issued the following news release:
A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for RICO conspiracy and multiple attempted murders on behalf of the Nine Trey Gangsters, a violent Bloods street gang.
According to court documents, Malek Lassiter, aka Leeko, 23, joined other gang members on a mission, ordered by co-defendant Antonio Simmons, to kill high-ranking members of a rival "line" of the Nine Trey Gangsters. When Lassiter and the other men were unable to locate thefirst two individuals they intended to kill, they went to a house in Portsmouth looking for another gang member they planned to shoot. After being told the man they sought was not at home by the woman who opened the door, one of Lassiter's co-conspirators shot her six times. The woman's life was saved by the quick response of local EMTs and officers of the Portsmouth Police Department. Meanwhile, Lassiter and the other gang members who fled the shooting fired their guns again when they saw witnesses in the neighborhood looking out of their windows and doors to see what was happening.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Martin Culbreth, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office, Angela Greene, Interim Chief of Portsmouth Police, Larry D. Boone, Chief of Norfolk Police, James A. Cervera, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, Col. K.L. Wright, Chief of Chesapeake Police, and Thomas E. Bennett, Chief of Suffolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla, Andrew Bosse, and John F. Butler, and Trial Attorney Teresa A. Wallbaum of the Justice Department's Organized Crime and Gang Section, prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Billy Club. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation's illegal drug supply.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:16-cr-130-5.
'Rake the Lake' at Sutton Lake on May 18
HUNTINGTON, West Virginia, April 23 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the following news release:
Every spring, dozens of volunteers come to Sutton Lake in Sutton, W.Va., and pick up trash and debris as part of the annual "Rake the Lake" event. This year's clean-up campaign is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register, but anyone may register the day of the event at the launch ramp in Bee Run Day Use Area, or in Gerald Freeman or Bakers Run Campground.
Some take their boat to their favorite cove and pick up trash; others will
... Show Full Article
HUNTINGTON, West Virginia, April 23 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the following news release:
Every spring, dozens of volunteers come to Sutton Lake in Sutton, W.Va., and pick up trash and debris as part of the annual "Rake the Lake" event. This year's clean-up campaign is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register, but anyone may register the day of the event at the launch ramp in Bee Run Day Use Area, or in Gerald Freeman or Bakers Run Campground.
Some take their boat to their favorite cove and pick up trash; others willdrive to an area and pick up trash. Over eight tons of trash and hundreds of tires have been removed from Sutton Lake during previous events.
After the weather this past winter, there is a lot of trash on and around the lake. If you have a kayak, canoe, jon-boat or pontoon boat you can pick up trash on aand around the lake. You can also clean up on foot along the Left Fork of Holly River or any of the dozens of creeks flowing into Sutton Lake. Gloves, trash grabbers, and bags will be available at each Registration Station, along with instructions for disposal.
In recognition and appreciation for their service, the first 100 participants will receive a T-shirt. To celebrate the day's work, all participants are invited to a BBQ at Sutton Lake Marina, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Sutton Lake's "Rake the Lake" is sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Sutton Lake Marina, and other community sponsors.
Come join us for a day of fun and work to make Sutton Lake just a little cleaner! For more information or to pre-register, please call the Sutton Lake Office at 304-765-2816, or e-mail SuttonLake@usace.army.mil.
