BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release: A New York man was sentenced on Jan. 5, 2024 in federal court in Springfield for drug trafficking charges involving fentanyl. Chanty Reynoso Vasquez, 28, of Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years in prison. In July 2023, Reynoso Vasquez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentan  more

SEATTLE, Washington, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: A 30-year-old New York City man was convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of three counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud related to his abuse of the COVID-19 Pandemic Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Donte Jamal McClellon was a resident of Seattle when he submitted fals  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 13 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Northeast Regional Information Office issued a report on Jan. 12, 2024, entitled "Average Energy Prices, New York-Newark-Jersey City - December 2023": * * * Gasoline prices averaged $3.504 a gallon in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area in December 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that area gasoline prices were down 9.6 cents compared  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Northeast Regional Information Office issued a report on Jan. 11, 2024, entitled "Consumer Price Index, New York-Newark-Jersey City - December 2023": * * * Area prices up 0.1 percent over the month and 2.9 percent over the year * * * The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area ticked up 0.1 percent in December, following two consecutive declines, the   more

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Northeast Regional Information Office issued a report on Jan. 4, 2024, entitled "New York Area Employment - November 2023": * * * Total nonfarm employment for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, metropolitan area increased by 122,200 over the year in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that the local   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued the following news release: As part of the Biden-Harris administration's goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is inviting the public to review and comment on a draft potential development of six wind lease areas offshore New York and New Jersey, in an area known as the New York Bight. BOEM estimates that full d  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Jan. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the following news release: Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to build a health care system that benefits all Americans, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved an amendment to New York's Medicaid section 1115 demonstration that bundles a series of actions to advance health equity and strengthen access to primary and beh  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the following news release: New, innovative efforts will establish base rates for safety net providers, address critical social needs for millions of Medicaid recipients, and grow the health care workforce across the state Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to build a health care system that benefits all Americans, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved an amendment to Ne  more

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Jan. 9 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut issued the following news release on Jan. 8, 2024: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two New York men were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford for engaging in a wide-ranging mortgage fraud scheme involving 24 mortgage loans on numerous multifamily housing properties in Hartford totaling nearly $50 million. J  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration issued the following news release: * * * Focused on New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands * * * The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a multi-year program to reduce worker fatalities and injuries in the tree and landscape services industries in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 222 workers in these indu  more

CINCINNATI, Ohio, Jan. 12 -- The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: Today, the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (EM) issued a Final Request for Proposal for the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) Phase 1B cleanup at the WVDP site in western New York. The Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity contract will be an end state contract with a maximum value of up to $3.0 billion. The contr  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with COIM USA, Inc. (COIM) for allegedly violating the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) at their chemical manufacturing facility in West Deptford, New Jersey. Failure of facilities to accurately disclose chemical information deprives local community members and officials of their right to know about   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Jan. 9, 2024: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with Allied Waste Niagara Falls Landfill, LLC (Allied) for violating the federal Clean Air Act at its landfill in Niagara Falls, New York. Under the proposed settlement, Allied will pay a $671,000 penalty and operate a gas collection and control system to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals, primarily methane, as  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Jan. 8, 2024: Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement between the agency and Best Petroleum Corp. to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at its gasoline storage and loading facility in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Best Petroleum agreed to pay a $316,721 civil penalty to resolve its past violations. "This settlement exemplifies EPA's commitment to hold co  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Jan. 8, 2024: As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of New Jersey-based applicant to receive nearly $19 million through EPA's first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The awards, which are made possible through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, will help selectees  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Jan. 8, 2024: As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting children and improving air quality, today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of three New York-based applicants to receive nearly $69 million through EPA's first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The awards, which are made possible through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, will help sele  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued the following news release on Jan. 8, 2024: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has entered a Voluntary Compliance Agreement for Shore Hill Apartments resolving a compliance review concerning non-discrimination in marketing and tenanting procedures. Shore Hill Apartments is a 558-unit multifamily property comprised of studio and one-bedroom units in Brooklyn, New York. Th  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: Trevor Bickford, 20, of Wells, Maine, today pleaded guilty to multiple counts of attempting to kill officers and employees of the U.S. government and persons assisting them based on his jihadist attack using a machete-style knife against three New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 2022. "Last New Year's Eve, Trevor Bickford attacked cou  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Clinical laboratory RDx Bioscience Inc. (RDx), of Kenilworth, New Jersey, and its owner and Chief Executive Officer Eric Leykin, of Brooklyn, New York, have agreed to pay to the United States $10,315,023 to resolve False Claims Act allegations involving illegal kickbacks and medically unnecessary laboratory testing. RDx and Leykin will pay an additional $2,934,977 to the State of New Jersey, which jointly f  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the following news release: * * * Community Health Center of Richmond, Inc. violated employee's legal rights, OSHA found * * * In March 2020, as COVID-19 became a global pandemic, an employee of a Staten Island community health center asked permission to allow a regularly scheduled meeting to be held by teleconference - and then changed the format of the meeting to teleconference - rather t  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that Francisco Javier Mecina Barrera, a/k/a "Angel," was sentenced to 21 years in prison for MECINA's leadership of a large-scale firearms trafficking and methamphetamine distribution and importation operation he called the "Cartel de Houston" -  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Jan. 11 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Jan. 10, 2024: A clinical laboratory and its owner and chief executive officer have agreed to pay $13.25 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations involving illegal kickbacks and medically unnecessary laboratory testing, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. RDx Bioscience Inc. (RDx), of Kenilworth, New Jersey, and its owner and chief executive o  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: A New York man was indicted today for conspiring to illegally obtain over $444,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jose Tavares, 35, of Bronx New York, is charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tavares' alleged conspirators, Yanira Abreu, 42, of Keasby, New Jersey, and   more

NEW YORK, Jan. 13 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Jan. 12, 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 today that Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC ("MORGAN STANLEY") entered into a non-prosecution agreement (the "NPA") with the U.S. Attorney's Off  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 10 -- 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, announced today SDNY's criminal enforcement priorities for 2024. In addition, U.S. Attorney Williams announced the creation of a Whistleblower Pilot Program designed to proactively uncover criminal conduct in the District. A copy of the Whistleblower Pilot Program is attached to this press  more

BROOKLYN, New York, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York issued the following news release: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a five-count indictment was unsealed charging Ariana Charles with conspiring to illegally traffic 18 firearms to Brooklyn. The defendant is charged under the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress and the President enacted in June 2022. The Act is the first federal   more

BROOKLYN, New York, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York issued the following news release: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, former federal correction officer Quandelle Joseph, formerly employed by the United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP), pleaded guilty to receiving bribes in exchange for providing contraband to individuals detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. Today's proceeding was held before United States Di  more

ALBANY, New York, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: John T. Cox, age 61, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to mail fraud and stealing money from a federally funded governmental agency. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge o  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 -- 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, announced the guilty pleas of ANTHONY VIGGIANO and his co-conspirator, STEPHEN FORLANO, Jr., in connection with their participation in a scheme to commit insider trading securities fraud based on information that VIGGIANO misappropriated from two leading global financial firms while VIGGIA  more

BROOKLYN, New York, Jan. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York issued the following news release: An indictment was unsealed earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Daniel Vernon, Yveler Marcellus, Felix Marcial and Tatiana Williams with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Defendants Vernon and Marcial were arrested earlier today in the Eastern District of New York and their initial appearances wer  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FRANCISCO JAVIER MECINA BARRERA, a/k/a "Angel," was sentenced to 21 years in prison for MECINA's leadership of a large-scale firearms trafficking and methamphetamine distribution and importation operation he called the "Cartel de Houston" -- Spanish fo  more

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States, Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced today that TREVOR BICKFORD   more

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that STEVEN JONES was sentenced to 200 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas for his distribution of heroin and fentanyl that resulted in the death of Jamie Elliott, a 26-year-old woman from Cochecton, New York. Today's sentencing followe  more

PATCHOGUE, New York, Jan. 12 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release on Jan. 11, 2024: The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that deer removal operations, approved through the Fire Island National Seashore White-tailed Deer Management Plan, will be implemented during the months of January and February on NPS-lands on Fire Island and at the William Floyd Estate, a unit of Fire Island National Seashore located on Long Island. The  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 9 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: BOSTON - A New York man was sentenced on Jan. 5, 2024 in federal court in Springfield for drug trafficking charges involving fentanyl. Chanty Reynoso Vasquez, 28, of Bronx, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years in prison. In July 2023, Reynoso Vasquez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute  more

WELLESLEY ISLAND, New York, Jan. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) in February 2022 that analyzed potential effects resulting from proposed construction and operation of a new Border Patrol station in the U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Sector, Wellesley Island Station area of responsibility. The proposed project includes the construc  more

WEST POINT, New York, Jan. 12 -- The Military Academy issued the following academic news: By Meghan Dower-Rogers, USMA Academic Research Division To be effective on the battlefield and during intense training, Soldiers need to have equipment that is strong, durable and lightweight. Now, two faculty members from the U.S. Military Academy's Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME) will have more resources to advance their research in materials development and manufacturing, leading t  more

WEST POINT, New York, Jan. 13 -- The U.S. Military Academy issued the following news: By Meghan Dower-Rogers, USMA Academic Research Division To be effective on the battlefield and during intense training, Soldiers need to have equipment that is strong, durable and lightweight. Now, two faculty members from the U.S. Military Academy's Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME) will have more resources to advance their research in materials development and manufacturing, leading to th  more