Federal Executive Branch
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LLNL Conducts Milestone Nuclear Survivability Experiment at NIF, Moving Weapons Modernization Forward
LIVERMORE, California, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news:
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LLNL conducts milestone nuclear survivability experiment at NIF, moving weapons modernization forward
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has conducted an experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to assess the ability of U.S. nuclear weapons to survive encounters with adversary missile defenses and reach their targets. This experiment demonstrated a new capability to analyze nuclear materials under extreme conditions, advancing stockpile modernization.
For
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LIVERMORE, California, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news:
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LLNL conducts milestone nuclear survivability experiment at NIF, moving weapons modernization forward
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has conducted an experiment at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to assess the ability of U.S. nuclear weapons to survive encounters with adversary missile defenses and reach their targets. This experiment demonstrated a new capability to analyze nuclear materials under extreme conditions, advancing stockpile modernization.
Forthe first time, weapons-grade plutonium samples were exposed to intense, pulsed thermonuclear neutron radiation in a safe and controlled laboratory setting at NIF. The experiment recreated some of the conditions that a U.S. weapon could encounter from enemy missile defense systems. The results provide data to assess the resilience of strategic weapons such as the W87-1 warhead in hostile threat environments. This is essential to the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) ongoing efforts to modernize the U.S. nuclear deterrent and ensure its reliability and effectiveness.
"This experiment demonstrates how cutting-edge science drives nuclear weapon design and production," said LLNL Deputy Director for Strategic Deterrence Brad Wallin. "By providing first-of-its-kind data on plutonium performance, NIF gives us the insight we need to modernize the stockpile and ensure the nation's deterrent remains credible for the future."
The October experiment delivered 2.065 megajoules (MJ) of laser energy to its target, producing a fusion yield of 3.6 MJ -- about 1.7 times more energy than was delivered to the target. Since first achieving fusion ignition in December 2022, the NIF team has performed successive experiments in support of stockpile modernization. The most recent results show the consistency of the ignition platform and demonstrate its use as an intense neutron source for survivability studies.
"This is exactly the kind of work that NIF was built to enable. After multiple successful ignition experiments we have made significant progress in using this incredible capability to advance our mission," said Laboratory Director Kim Budil. "By directly exposing these plutonium samples to extreme environments that are only possible at NIF, we are producing unmatched scientific data that will guide the future of the deterrent."
A plutonium pit is a core component of a nuclear warhead. For this experiment, researchers used small samples from a legacy W87-0 warhead pit produced in the late 1980s and a newly manufactured W87-1 pit produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The gram-quantity samples were securely sealed within specialized hardware and safely subjected to a high-fluence 14 MeV neutron environment. Following the experiment, the samples were removed and analyzed under strict safety protocols.
"As one of the NNSA's premier experimental facilities to support the nuclear weapons stockpile, NIF is fully delivering on its mission," Budil said.
Advancing survivability science
Central to this experiment was the cryogenic-compatible X-ray, neutron and blast snout (CryoXNBS), a diagnostic enclosure that safely positions materials near the igniting capsule. Built to endure the intense conditions of an ignition shot, the CryoXNBS features a 22-kilogram steel case that protects against X-rays and debris, allowing researchers to expose materials and electronics to the highest thermonuclear fusion neutron fluences available. Inside, containment vessels securely hold the material samples and instruments.
The CryoXNBS also integrates real-time diagnostics that provide nearly instant indications of shot performance. After each experiment, the system is retracted for safe disassembly and sample analysis, expanding what researchers learn from every experiment. Collected data will refine predictive models and inform how nuclear components perform under the combined stresses of heat, shock and radiation.
Successfully executing this experiment required years of preparation and coordination across many teams throughout the nuclear security enterprise.
"It was truly a tour de force for LLNL and our partners," Budil said. "Every aspect was carried out with an uncompromising focus on safety and scientific rigor."
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Original text here: https://www.llnl.gov/article/53686/llnl-conducts-milestone-nuclear-survivability-experiment-nif-moving-weapons-modernization-forward
IRS Issues Revenue Ruling on Section 995 - Taxation of DISC Income to Shareholders
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following revenue ruling (No. 2025-23) on Dec. 1, 2025, entitled "Section 995.--Taxation of DISC Income to Shareholders".
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Section 995(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code provides that a shareholder of a domestic international sales corporation ("DISC") shall pay interest for each taxable year in an amount equal to the product of the "shareholder's DISC-related deferred tax liability" for the year (as defined in section 995(f)(2)) and the "base period T-bill rate." Under section 995(f)(4), the base period T-bill rate is "the annual
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following revenue ruling (No. 2025-23) on Dec. 1, 2025, entitled "Section 995.--Taxation of DISC Income to Shareholders".
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Section 995(f)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code provides that a shareholder of a domestic international sales corporation ("DISC") shall pay interest for each taxable year in an amount equal to the product of the "shareholder's DISC-related deferred tax liability" for the year (as defined in section 995(f)(2)) and the "base period T-bill rate." Under section 995(f)(4), the base period T-bill rate is "the annualrate of interest determined by the Secretary to be equivalent to the average of the 1-year constant maturity Treasury yields, as published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, for the 1-year period ending on September 30 of the calendar year ending with (or of the most recent calendar year ending before) the close of the taxable year of the shareholder."
The base period T-bill rate for the period ending September 30, 2025, is 4.08 percent.
Pursuant to section 6622 of the Internal Revenue Code, interest must be compounded daily. The table below provides factors for compounding the 2025 base period T-bill rate daily for any number of days in the shareholder's taxable year (including for a 52-53 week taxable year). To compute the amount of the interest charge for the shareholder's taxable year, multiply the amount of the shareholder's DISC-related deferred tax liability for that year by the base period T-bill rate factor corresponding to the number of days in the shareholder's taxable year for which the interest charge is being computed. Generally, one would use the factor for 365 days. One would use a different factor only if the shareholder's taxable year for which the interest charge is being determined is a short taxable year, if the shareholder uses a 52-53 week taxable year, or if the shareholder's taxable year is a leap year.
For the base period T-bill rates for periods ending in prior years, see Rev. Rul. 2024-27, 2024-51 I.R.B. 1240; Rev. Rul. 2023-23, 2023-51 I.R.B. 1472; Rev. Rul. 2022-21, 2022-47 I.R.B. 468; Rev. Rul. 2021-22, 2021-47 I.R.B. 726; Rev. Rul. 2020-25, 2020-48 I.R.B. 1109; and Rev. Rul. 2019-27, 2019-51 I.R.B. 1378.
DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this revenue ruling is Stefan A. Pruessmann of the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International). For further information regarding the revenue ruling, contact Mr. Pruessmann at (202) 317-3800 (not a toll-free number).
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Table: ANNUAL RATE (4.08%), COMPOUNDED DAILY
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Original text here: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2025-49_IRB#REV-RUL-2025-23
From Inception to Ignition and Beyond: Suhas Bhandarkar's Target Fabrication Career
LIVERMORE, California, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news:
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From inception to ignition and beyond: Suhas Bhandarkar's target fabrication career
Tiny parts and absolute meticulousness define Suhas Bhandarkar's award-winning 20-year career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As group leader for Target Fabrication Science and Technology (S&T), he leads a team that helps transform LLNL's physicists' bold ideas into reality at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
Bhandarkar's path began with a B.S. and Ph.D.
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LIVERMORE, California, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news:
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From inception to ignition and beyond: Suhas Bhandarkar's target fabrication career
Tiny parts and absolute meticulousness define Suhas Bhandarkar's award-winning 20-year career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As group leader for Target Fabrication Science and Technology (S&T), he leads a team that helps transform LLNL's physicists' bold ideas into reality at the National Ignition Facility (NIF).
Bhandarkar's path began with a B.S. and Ph.D.in chemical engineering from the University of Rhode Island, followed by a decade at Bell Labs working in optical materials. In 2006, LLNL brought him on board for his expertise in photonics and fiber optics -- but target fabrication quickly became his calling.
"When I arrived, the need of the hour was in targets," he said. "So that was where I ended up, and I've never left."
Target fabrication stands among the Seven Wonders of NIF, the technological achievements that made the one-of-a-kind facility possible. At the heart of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments is a tiny fuel capsule, suspended inside a hohlraum that receives the energy of 192 lasers. The goal is to implode the capsule, causing the deuterium-tritium fuel to fuse and ignite. Continued advances in target fabrication are essential to the repeated achievement of fusion ignition on NIF.
These targets face extreme temperatures and pressures, so they require flawless design, fabrication, assembly and materials. The scale is astonishing, especially in contrast to the three-football-field size of NIF. The fuel capsule measures just 2 millimeters across and the hohlraum about 9 millimeters long and 5 millimeters wide, no bigger than a pencil eraser.
"When I joined, target fabrication as we now know it was just starting with one person making about four ICF targets a year, each of which did not quite cross the finish line due to a combination of difficult challenges," said Bhandarkar. "Today, we produce well over 350 targets each year with a 95% success rate."
As the Target Fabrication team grew, they pioneered new manufacturing and evaluation techniques for target assemblies with dozens of intricate parts and built the infrastructure needed for success. They partnered with Diamond Materials in Germany for the fuel capsule shells and strengthened collaboration with General Atomics in San Diego on characterization and component manufacturing.
"The tolerances on NIF targets are near-impossibly high," Bhandarkar said. "Coming from industry, it seemed like mission impossible. But if you put your mind to it and do the work, you can solve these problems."
Precision is everything. Components must be machined to within microns or better. For scale, a human hair is about 80 microns in diameter. Many features are well under 100 nanometers, which is 0.1 microns.
Inside these boundaries, Target Fabrication S&T keeps innovating to improve implosion quality and deepen understanding of the physics involved. Experimental physicists bring the ideas; Bhandarkar's team helps bring them to fruition.
"The starting point continues to be, well it's not impossible," said Bhandarkar.
From that spark, the team tackles feasibility and execution, sometimes over years of dedicated effort -- often with big results.
About a decade ago, Target Fabrication S&T created a cryogenically frozen fuel layer about 15 microns thick, over three times thinner than the typical 65-micron layer. This breakthrough enabled better study of the fuel and ice layer mixing during implosions, leading to crucial improvements.
Another challenge was the tiny fill tube used to inject fuel into the capsule, with the associated hole in the capsule wall also serving to leach out the mandrel material. Despite being only 10 microns in diameter, it left a footprint on the capsule surface that caused asymmetry in implosions. Working with General Atomics, the team shrank the fill tube to just 2 microns with a precisely designed shape.
Other projects have included improving the depleted uranium lining on hohlraums and creating foams on interior walls of the hohlraum. Most recently, fine-tuning the fuel capsule's outer layers has helped several experiments achieve ignition.
Bhandarkar credits his team's success, in part, to their diversity of experience and expertise.
"We've got physicists, chemists, materials scientists and mechanical engineers," he said. "Target Fabrication S&T draws from all of these areas. It takes a well-rounded, collaborative team."
In 2024, Bhandarkar received the Larry Foreman Award for innovation and excellence in ICF target fabrication. The award was named in memory of the late Larry Foreman, a renowned Los Alamos National Laboratory fusion physicist who was also an Edward Teller Award recipient. Previous LLNL recipients include Steve Letts, Masaru Takagi, Russell Wallace, Robert Cook, Carlos Castro and Abbas Nikroo.
"I am honored to receive this award. I think it's really a testament to this group," he said. "I'm so grateful for the opportunity afforded by the Lab to sustain these projects, enabling teams to work on hard problems over years and solve complex problems. And we can see that effort paid off with achieving and repeating ignition. That success is the ultimate reward."
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Original text here: https://www.llnl.gov/article/53646/inception-ignition-beyond-suhas-bhandarkars-target-fabrication-career
State Department Issues Public Schedule for Dec. 2, 2025
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for Dec. 2, 2025:
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SECRETARY MARCO RUBIO
Secretary Rubio attends meetings and briefings at the White House.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTOPHER LANDAU
Deputy Secretary Landau is on travel to Belgium from December 2-4, 2025.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES MICHAEL J. RIGAS
Deputy Secretary Rigas is on travel to Turkiye, Iraq, and Israel from November 26-December 5, 2025.
UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ALLISON M. HOOKER
Under Secretary Hooker attends meetings and briefings
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for Dec. 2, 2025:
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SECRETARY MARCO RUBIO
Secretary Rubio attends meetings and briefings at the White House.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTOPHER LANDAU
Deputy Secretary Landau is on travel to Belgium from December 2-4, 2025.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES MICHAEL J. RIGAS
Deputy Secretary Rigas is on travel to Turkiye, Iraq, and Israel from November 26-December 5, 2025.
UNDER SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ALLISON M. HOOKER
Under Secretary Hooker attends meetings and briefingsat the Department of State.
BRIEFING SCHEDULE
No Department Press Briefing.
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/12/public-schedule-december-2-2025/
OCC Maintains Assessment Rates for National Banks and Federal Savings Associations
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following news release on Dec. 1, 2025:
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OCC Maintains Assessment Rates for National Banks and Federal Savings Associations
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced that it is maintaining assessment rates for the 2026 Calendar Year.
OCC-regulated institutions will continue to benefit from the decrease in assessment rates that the agency made as recently as September 2025. For the September 30, 2025, semiannual assessment, the OCC reduced the rates in
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following news release on Dec. 1, 2025:
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OCC Maintains Assessment Rates for National Banks and Federal Savings Associations
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced that it is maintaining assessment rates for the 2026 Calendar Year.
OCC-regulated institutions will continue to benefit from the decrease in assessment rates that the agency made as recently as September 2025. For the September 30, 2025, semiannual assessment, the OCC reduced the rates inthe general assessment fee schedule by 30 percent for assets up to $40 billion and 22 percent for assets above $40 billion and reduced the rates in the independent trust and independent credit card assessment fee schedules by 22 percent.
The 2026 assessment rates will provide the OCC with sufficient resources to ensure a well-trained staff that keeps up with emerging trends and embraces new technologies in performing the agency's important mission to maintain the safety and soundness of the federal banking system.
The calendar year 2026 assessment rates will be in effect as of January 1, 2026, and will be reflected in assessments paid on March 31, 2026, and September 30, 2026.
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Related Link
Schedule (https://occ.gov/news-issuances/bulletins/2025/bulletin-2025-43.html)
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Original text here: https://occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2025/nr-occ-2025-115.html
NIH Center for Advancing Translational Sciences: New Algorithm Helps Track Calories Burned for People With Obesity
BETHESDA, Maryland, Dec. 2 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences issued the following news:
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A New Algorithm Helps Track Calories Burned for People With Obesity
NIH-supported researchers have created an open-source, machine learning algorithm (a free tool to study and understand data) that can be used in wrist-worn tools, such as smartwatches, to better track how many calories people with obesity burn during physical activity. People with a higher body mass index (BMI) often have different
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BETHESDA, Maryland, Dec. 2 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences issued the following news:
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A New Algorithm Helps Track Calories Burned for People With Obesity
NIH-supported researchers have created an open-source, machine learning algorithm (a free tool to study and understand data) that can be used in wrist-worn tools, such as smartwatches, to better track how many calories people with obesity burn during physical activity. People with a higher body mass index (BMI) often have differentwalking patterns, speeds and body postures than people without obesity, and they use energy differently while at rest. Because of these differences, most fitness trackers worn on the hip or wrist of people with higher BMIs do not accurately measure the number of calories burned.
Support from the NCATS-funded Northwestern University Clinical & Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) was vital for this research study. Led by Nabil Alshurafa, Ph.D., associate professor at Northwestern University, a team of researchers looked at this issue and created a more precise tool to measure how many calories people with obesity use.
The study had two parts: one in the lab and one outside the lab. In the lab, 27 people with obesity wore a smartwatch, hip-worn activity tracker and a metabolic cart (a device with a face mask that measures the amount of oxygen breathed in and carbon dioxide breathed out to calculate energy use). Outside the lab, 25 different participants with obesity wore both a smartwatch and a chest-worn camera to capture their daily activities. Altogether, the 52 participants performed a variety of common tasks -- including sitting, typing, eating, driving, walking and exercising.
The research team collected more than 16,000 minutes of data. To double-check the results, they carefully reviewed 573 minutes of the data by hand to confirm how much energy people used. This step helped them spot when the algorithm overestimated or underestimated energy use to improve its accuracy. When tested, the wrist-worn device worn on the dominant hand was more accurate than 11 existing algorithms already in use. Importantly, this was the first study to evaluate such tools specifically in people with obesity. The researchers published their findings in Scientific Reports.
"We turned everyday smartwatches into more accurate calorie burn trackers for people with obesity," stated Dr. Alshurafa.
Being able to trust what a device shows about calories burned is an important step for people who want to manage their weight. With this new algorithm, wrist-worn devices will give people with obesity more accurate results. That accuracy could help people with higher BMIs feel more confident about using the devices regularly and sticking with them over time.
Most calorie-tracking algorithms are owned by private companies, which limits data sharing. It also hinders upgrades that could help different types of people. In contrast, the algorithm made by Dr. Alshurafa's team is freely available in the GitHub repository, an online platform where people share computer code. They also posted the study data on Zenodo, a public data storage site. These steps make it easier for doctors and scientists to test and use the tool in both research and clinical studies. Wider use of the algorithm can help make it even more accurate and increase its suitability for more people. "Clinicians now have a low-cost, accurate tool that can be run on any smartwatch. This will enable more personalized, scalable care for obesity treatment and all conditions that are impacted by obesity," explained Dr. Alshurafa.
Michael Kurilla, M.D., Ph.D., director of NCATS' Division of Clinical Innovation, which administers the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program, stated, "Putting more accurate data in the hands of patients and their health care providers will go a long way to addressing the obesity epidemic in this country."
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Original text here: https://ncats.nih.gov/news-events/news/a-new-algorithm-helps-track-calories-burned-for-people-with-obesity
Manhattan Man Sentenced for Possessing Twenty-Two Kilograms of Cocaine
SYRACUSE, New York, Dec. 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York posted the following news release on Dec. 1, 2025:
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Manhattan Man Sentenced for Possessing Twenty-Two Kilograms of Cocaine
Sean Christianson, 45, of Manhattan, New York, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea,
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SYRACUSE, New York, Dec. 2 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York posted the following news release on Dec. 1, 2025:
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Manhattan Man Sentenced for Possessing Twenty-Two Kilograms of Cocaine
Sean Christianson, 45, of Manhattan, New York, was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea,Christianson admitted that on February 25, 2025, he traveled from the New York City area to Liverpool, New York, with twenty-two one-kilogram bricks of cocaine in his vehicle. Christianson intended to sell the cocaine in the Syracuse area. Law enforcement apprehended Christianson as he arrived in Liverpool. At the sentencing hearing, the evidence also established that Christianson maintained a New York City apartment for the purpose of drug distribution and illegally possessed firearms in connection with his drug activity.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: "Thanks to the investigative efforts of the DEA and our other law enforcement partners, another drug dealer and a huge quantity of narcotics have been put away for a long time. Drug dealers will not get away with selling narcotics in the Northern District of New York."
"Today's sentencing of Sean Christianson sends a clear message to those individuals who are looking to flood our upstate communities with illicit narcotics and violence" stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. "The DEA and our law enforcement partners understand the harmful effects dangerous drugs have on our communities and we will continue do everything we can to make sure justice is delivered."
United States District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Christianson is released from prison.
DEA investigated the case with assistance from the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Syracuse Police Department, and City of New York Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/manhattan-man-sentenced-possessing-twenty-two-kilograms-cocaine
