WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 [Category: Political] -- America First Legal, a civil rights organization, issued the following news release: Today, America First Legal (AFL) announced that it has taken a series of actions aimed at the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of State, and the Department of Education, to expose and combat the Biden-Harris Administration's refusal to enforce our criminal, civil, and immigration laws against the foreign-funded an more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 (TNSres) -- The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology issued the following news release: Arlington, Va., August 21, 2024 -- On the heels of previous reports calling for nursing homes to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to improve compliance with infection prevention and control requirements and staffing in nursing homes, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new report estimating that, "2,568 for-profit nursing homes na more PR

PHOENIX, Arizona, Aug. 24 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona issued the following news release: Diana Marie Moore, 44, of Mesa, was sentenced this week by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 66 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Moore was also ordered to pay restitution to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System ("AHCCCS") in the amount of $21,730,674.04. In addition, the Court ordered the forfeiture of four single- more PR

RICHMOND, Virginia, Aug. 23 (TNSres) -- Virginia Attorney General Jason S. Miyares issued the following news release on Aug. 22, 2024: * * * Federal Government Unable to Account for Hundreds of Thousands of Unaccompanied Migrant Children * * * Attorney General Jason Miyares is demanding immediate action from the Biden-Harris administration in response to a troubling report released this week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The report revea more PR

MAXWELL AFB, Alabama, Aug. 20 -- The U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol issued the following news: Maj. Gen. Regena Aye assumed command of Civil Air Patrol on Aug. 17 in a time-honored ceremony steeped in military tradition. Aye became CAP's national commander and CEO during the organization's National Conference at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter. More than 800 CAP members gathered in Texas for the conference, and they were treated to a rousing acceptance speech from Aye after she more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release: Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a comprehensive update on current staffing levels at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals in Wisconsin. Senator Baldwin's request comes in light of increased VHA enrollment now that thousands of Wisconsin veterans can access their earned benefits following the enactment of the Baldwin-backed Sergeant First Class H more PR

SAN DIEGO, California, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California issued the following news release: Mohamed Muriidi Mohamed was sentenced in federal court today to 27 months in prison for participating in a childcare-benefits fraud scheme that bilked a California welfare and benefits program of millions of dollars. At today's hearing, U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro also ordered Muriidi to pay $3.7 million in restitution to Child Developmen more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12611) on Aug. 20, 2024, by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist: * * * DOD Replicator Initiative: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction Replicator, unveiled on August 28, 2023, is a Department of Defense (DOD) initiative, led by DOD's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), to field thousands of uncrewed systems by August 2025. Replicator's first line  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48163) on Aug. 19, 2024, entitled "Foreign Nationals in the U.S. Armed Forces: Immigration Issues" by immigration policy analyst Holly Straut-Eppsteiner. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Enlistment and appointment in the U.S. Armed Forces is currently limited to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and residents of certain Pacific Islands (Freely Associated Sta more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48155) on Aug. 14, 2024, entitled "Oversight of Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity: Current Policies and Options for Congress" by Todd Kuiken, science and technology policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In the United States, oversight of the life sciences, in particular laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, is exercised pursuant to a mixture of federal law, federal guidance, and more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47575) on Aug. 9, 2024, entitled "Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 118th Congress" by Income security specialists Julie M. Whittaker and Katelin P. Isaacs: * * * SUMMARY The Unemployment Insurance (UI) system is a joint federal-state partnership that consists of two types of benefits: (1) permanently authorized programs including the Unemployment Compensation (UC) and the Extended Bene more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47575) on Aug. 9, 2024, entitled "Unemployment Insurance - Legislative Issues in the 118th Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * President's Budget Proposal for FY2025 As in FY2024, the President's Budget Proposal for FY2025 budget request includes the same reform proposals intended to improve the administration and integrity of the UI program (see the section on "Proposed Program Integrity L more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following management advisory (No. DODIG-2024-121) on Aug. 15, 2024, entitled "Concerns with Elevated Radon Levels at Naval Support Activity Naples." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR ACQUISITION AND SUSTAINMENT COMMANDER, NAVY INSTALLATIONS COMMAND COMMANDER, NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING SYSTEMS COMMAND AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY SUBJECT: Management Advisory: Concerns with El more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2024: Audit Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the "Management Advisory: Concerns with Elevated Radon Levels at Naval Support Activity Naples" to bring immediate attention and resolution to a health and safety issue that could impact DoD personnel. This managem more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. xxx) entitled "Summary Report on Significant Single Audit Findings Impacting Programs for the Three-Month Period Ending March 31, 2024." Here are excerpts: * * * What We Looked At We queried and downloaded 60 single audit reports prepared by non-Federal auditors and submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse between January 1, 2024, and March 31, 2024, to identify significant findings related more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On July 11, 2024, Gregory and David Melton were convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia for their role in a conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate markets for sales of ready-mix concrete in Georgia and South Carolina. The conspiracy, which began as early as 2010 and continued until about July 2016 more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On July 22, 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced that it had entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with international bus parts supplier CBM and its wholly owned subsidiaries in the United States and Canada. CBM engaged in a scheme to defraud approximately 18 U.S. transit authority custome more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed an information charging Lee Maniatis with conspiracy to commit Federal program bribery. Maniatis was the vice president of a masonry restoration contractor that was serving as the main contractor on Amtrak's federally funded 30th Street Station Facade Repair a more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan filed an information charging David A. Coppola, Vice President Sales and Estimating of Al's Asphalt Paving Company, Inc., with conspiring to commit bid-rigging. On July 31, Al's Asphalt Paving Company was sentenced to a $795,661.81 fine and a $800 special asses more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office of Investigations issued the following investigation report: * * * On July 8, 2024, Ifediora Oli pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud. Oli also pleaded guilty to falsification of records. Oli was a Federal Government employee and the principal of Highbury Global Group, Inc. Oli provided money and other  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Education Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. F24CA0172) on Aug. 9, 2024, entitled "Burlington Community School District's Use of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Grant Funds." Here are excerpts: * * * To: McKenzie Snow, Director, Iowa Department of Education, 400 E 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50319 Dear Director Snow: Enclosed is our final report, "Burlington Community School District's Use of Elementar more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following 67-page report (No. 24-P-0052) on Aug. 5, 2024, entitled "The Agency Needs to Develop and Implement Information Technology Processes to Comply with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act for Fiscal 2023." Here are excerpts: * * * At A Glance Why We Did This Audit To accomplish this objective: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General conducted th more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following 67-page report (No. 24-N-0053) on Aug. 7, 2024, entitled "Compendium of Open and Unresolved Recommendations: Data as of May 31, 2024." Here are excerpts: * * * At A Glance Why We Published This Compendium The Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, requires each inspector general to prepare semiannual reports for Congress. As part of that reporting, the inspector general must identi more PR

OCALA, Florida, Aug. 21 -- 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 the arrest of Jessie Wooden (36, Miami) on a two-count indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of contraband by a federal prisoner. If convicted, Wooden faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A feder more PR

ALBANY, Georgia, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia issued the following news release: The final codefendant convicted of a fraud scheme that illegally sought more than $1 million from pandemic relief funds was sentenced to federal prison. Sharmaine Simpson, 37, of Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Aug. 15, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. On more PR

ATLANTA, Georgia, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia issued the following news release: The United States has filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) raising claims under the False Claims Act and federal common law alleging that those defendants failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. GTRC more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) are calling on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to halt DHS' obstruction of independent Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigations. The lawmakers' concerns stem from a recently released, heavily redacted DHS OIG report titled, "United States Secret Service Preparation for and Response to the Events of  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued the following news release: In a memo to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) submitted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the OIG finds that ICE cannot monitor the location and status of all unaccompanied migrant children released from DHS custody and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody. The HHS Office of Refugee  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-43) on Aug. 8, 2024, entitled "Progress in Implementing an Enhanced Personnel Vetting Program." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Richard D. McComb, Chief of Security Officer, Office of the Chief Security Officer FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: DHS Has Made Progress in Implementing an Enhanced Personnel Vetting Program Attached for your informati more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-44) entitled "Results of January 2024 Unannounced Inspections of CBP Holding Facilities in the Del Rio Area." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Troy Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: Results of January 2024 Unannounced Inspections of CBP Holding Fac more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Georgia, chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, issued the following news release on Aug. 20, 2024: Today, Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) and Senate Committee on the Budget Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent letters to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas demanding answers about DHS interference in the DHS Office of Inspector Genera more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-California, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 5 of 11) TITLE VI - OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM The Committee recommends the following appropriat more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 12 of 16) Changes in the Application of Existing Law Pursuant to clause 3(f)(l)(A) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and  more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 13 of 16) Title V--Independent Agencies Language is included for the Administrative Conference of the United States, Salaries and Expenses, that  more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 1 of 16) TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Departmental Offices SALARIES AND EXPENSES Appropriation, fiscal year 2024... $287,576,000 Budget more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 11 of 16) TITLE IX--ADDITIONAL GENERAL PROVISIONS SPENDING REDUCTION ACCOUNT Section 901. The committee includes a new provision establishing a  more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 5 of 16) TITLE V--INDEPENDENT AGENCIES Administrative Conference of the United States SALARIES AND EXPENSES Appropriation, fiscal year 2024...  more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 6 of 16) General Services Administration The Committee continues several reporting requirements for the General Services Administration (GSA) for more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The House Appropriations Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-581) in explanation of the accompanying bill (H.R. 8774) making appropriations for financial services and general government for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025. The report was advanced by Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, on June 17, 2024. * * * (Continued from Part 7 of 16) Office Of Government Ethics SALARIES AND EXPENSES Appropriation, fiscal year 2024... $23,037,000 Budget request, fiscal year 2025... 2 more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-LA-1001) on Aug. 2, 2024, entitled "Housing and Community Development Should Improve Its Fraud Risk Management Practices for Its ESG CARES Act Program." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Alice Walkup, Director, Office of Community Planning and Development, San Francisco Field Office, 9ADM4 From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Office of In more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release: Yesterday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David P. Pekoske requesting information related to the management of watchlists and screening procedures by TSA. This information is being requested in light of recent disclosures from whistleblowers, which raise more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: By: Sen. Joni Ernst and Adam Andrzejewski As published in New York Post Washington should have learned an important lesson after COVID-19: Stop sending our tax dollars to China for risky, secretive research. Yet, the feds keep funneling untold millions to China and other adversarial countries, hiding the details about the suspicious projects being funded, and admitting they cannot offer a full accounting of th more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 20 (TNSres) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release: * * * Recommended Improvements Go Unimplemented $23 billion remains unrecovered * * * Through several audits, Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General made dozens of recommendations for the Agency to prevent improper payments before they occur as well as to detect and correct existing improper payments. However, to date, many more PR

EAST ST. LOUIS, Illinois, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois issued the following news release: A federal grand jury returned indictments charging three Metro East residents for scheming to falsely obtain more than $20,000 each in pandemic relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program. In response to financial hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Small Business Administration utilized the Paycheck Protection Program to offer  more PR

HANSCOM AFB, Massachusetts, Aug. 20 -- The U.S. Air Force's Hanscom Air Force Base issued the following news: By Mark Wyatt, 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs Base officials will conduct readiness exercises, including an active shooter and public health scenario, from Sept. 9 to 13. 66th Air Base Group Inspector General's office officials encourage base personnel to remain aware of these scenarios to ensure both safety and effective participation. "These exercises are crucial for assessing  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The Interior Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2021-WR-020) on Aug. 13, 2024, entitled "Improvements Needed to DOI's and Bureaus' Oversight of Radio Infrastructure." Here are excerpts: * * * Memorandum To: Darren Ash, Chief Information Officer Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs Tracy Stone-Manning, Director, Bureau of Land Management Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Charles F. Sams III, Director, National P more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Aug. 20, 2024: Intrepid U.S.A. Inc., headquartered in Dallas, and various wholly-owned subsidiaries (Intrepid) have agreed to pay $3,850,000 to resolve allegations that Intrepid violated the False Claims Act in connection with two lines of its business: first, that Intrepid knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for home healthcare services for patients who did not qualify for the Medicare home healthcare more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Aug. 22, 2024: On Aug. 20, Christopher Domermuth, 49, and Domermuth Environmental Services LLC (DES), based in Knoxville, Tennessee, both pleaded guilty today to violating the Clean Water Act by knowingly discharging pollutants into a navigable waterway without a permit. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Domermuth faces a ma more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Aug. 22, 2024: The United States joined a whistleblower suit and filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GTRC) asserting claims that those defendants knowingly failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with the Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. GTRC is an affiliate of Georgia Tech that contracts with g more PR

WICHITA, Kansas, Aug. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas issued the following news release: A Kansas man was sentenced to 293 months in prison for using his former position as chief executive officer (CEO) of a bank to embezzle tens of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency scheme which led the bank to fail at a complete loss of equity for investors. According to court documents, Shan Hanes, 53, of Elkhart pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement by a bank of more PR

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, Aug. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky issued the following news release: Intrepid U.S.A. Inc., headquartered in Dallas, and various wholly-owned subsidiaries (Intrepid) have agreed to pay $3,850,000 to resolve allegations that Intrepid violated the False Claims Act in connection with two lines of its business: first, that Intrepid knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for home healthcare services for patients who did not qualify f more PR

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Aug. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release: A Nigerian man was arrested on Aug. 13, 2024 upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on charges that he, and others, conspired to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. Yomi Jones Olayeye, a/k/a "Sabbie," 40, of Lagos, Nigeria, is charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of w more PR

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, Aug. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota issued the following news release: Intrepid U.S.A., Inc., headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and various wholly-owned subsidiaries (Intrepid) have agreed to pay $3,850,000 to resolve allegations that Intrepid violated the False Claims Act in connection with two lines of its business: first, that Intrepid knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for home healthcare services for patients who did not qualif more PR

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Aug. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri issued the following news release: An indictment has accused a St. Louis County man and an Alabama woman of engaging in an illegal kickback scheme involving genetic and COVID-19 tests given to seniors. Willie Ann Cleveland and Timothy C. Peoples were indicted August 7 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of conspiracy to receive and pay health care kickbacks. Peoples, 56, of Bridge more PR

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2024: U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced a man who used his brother's identity to fraudulently obtain money from the Missouri Medicaid Program to six months of incarceration and six months of house arrest. Judge Clark also ordered Christopher J. Spencer, 46, to repay $56,173 to Missouri's Medicaid Program. Spencer made false more PR

NEWARK, New Jersey, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release: A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was indicted on charges that he fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Malak Faltawws, aka "Mark Andrews," 47, of Rutherford, New Jersey, is charged with three counts of wire fraud an more PR

NEWARK, New Jersey, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release: A Connecticut man admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) health care fraud and kickback scheme, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Jesse Foote, 58, of Fairfield, Connecticut, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a two-count information charging him with conspiracy to  more PR

TRENTON, New Jersey, Aug. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Aug. 20, 2024: A New Jersey couple admitted fraudulently obtaining approximately $790,000 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) payments, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Diana Valteri, 42, and Edmond Haxhillari, 43, of Sparta, New Jersey, and Cypress, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal co more PR

CAMDEN, New Jersey, Aug. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Aug. 20, 2024: A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier has been convicted of bribery, fraud, and conspiracy charges, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Emerson Pavilus, 49, of Union, New Jersey, was convicted on Aug. 15, 2024, on all three counts of an indictment charging him with receiving bribes as a public official, conspiring to defraud more PR

TRENTON, New Jersey, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2024: A former Monmouth County, New Jersey, financial counselor with the United States Army who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for admitted defrauding Gold Star families and related crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Caz Craffy, aka "Carz Craffey," 42, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, pleaded gu more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 19 -- 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, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General ("HHS-OIG"), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a civil fraud lawsuit against ORANGE MEDICAL  more PR

BUFFALO, New York, Aug. 24 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York issued the following news release on Aug. 23, 2024: U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Dexter Prescription Center a/k/a Dexter Pharmacy, has agreed to pay the United States $141,727 to resolve allegations that it violated the record keeping provisions of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and overcharged federal health care programs. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell, who  more PR

BROOKLYN, New York, Aug. 20 -- 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 Central Islip, former Congressman George Anthony Devolder Santos pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joanna Seybert. When sentenced, Santos faces a minimum sentence of two years' imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 22 years' impris more PR

ALBANY, New York, Aug. 24 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release on Aug. 22, 2024: Carl J. DiVeglia III, age 36, of Albany, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $1.6 million in unemployment insurance benefits by abusing his position with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. T more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on Aug. 20, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ANTHONY RICCARDI, an owner and manager of the Connecticut insurance firm Employee Benefit Solutions LLC ("EBS"), was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Between 2015 and 2019, RICCARDI and his co-conspira more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSrep) -- The National Science Foundation Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-1-012) on Aug. 12, 2024, entitled "Performance Audit of Incurred Costs - Iowa State University." Here are excerpts: * * * At a Glance WHY WE DID THIS AUDIT We performed this audit to determine if costs claimed by Iowa State University (ISU) on NSF awards were allowable, allocable, reasonable, and in accordance with relevant federal and NSF regulations. A full descripti more PR

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 20 -- National Nurses United issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2024: Registered nurses who work at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals around the country are holding a national week of action, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) today. Nurses are calling on the VA to lift what is in effect a hiring freeze that has contributed to more than tens of thousands of vacancies across the health system, including thousand more PR

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Aug. 24 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Justin Heimbach, 33, of Bath, Pennsylvania, has been charged by indictment with six counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud in connection with schemes to defraud the federal government and multiple local car dealerships. In March of 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relie more PR

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Aug. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jacqueline C. Romero and United States Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss announced that PA Green Wellness ("PA Green"), a business located within King of Prussia and Harrisburg, Pa., and Greenville and Lewes, Del., agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve liability under the  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-117-1-R24) on Aug. 13. 2024 entitled "East Bay Station in Charleston, S.C.: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service's mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) re more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-116) on Aug. 13, 2024, entitled "Efficiency of Operations at the Charleston Processing and Distribution Facility, North Charleston, S.C." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service needs effective and productive operations to fulfill its mission of providing prompt, reliable, and affordable mail service to the American public. It has a vast transportation network that m more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 23-149-R24) on Aug. 6, 2024, entitled "ePostage Oversight." Here are excerpts: * * * Background ePostage is an electronic postage program that provides small merchants a convenient way to print labels, pay postage, and drop off packages at a post office rather than designated facilities for large customers. The Postal Service collected billions in ePostage revenue in fiscal year 2023, and  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-085-R24) on Aug. 7, 2024, entitled "Florida 1 District: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * During the week of April 1, 2024, we performed a self-initiated audit at the Tallahassee Processing and Distribution Facility (P&DF) and three delivery units serviced by the P&DF. The delivery units included the Lake Jackson, Leon, and Westside Stations located in Tallahassee, FL. We i more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-117-2-R24) on Aug. 13, 2024, entitled "Mount Pleasant Post Office, Mount Pleasant, SC: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service's mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector Gener more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-117-3-R24) on Aug. 13, 2024, entitled "North Charleston Branch, North Charleston, S.C.: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service's mission is to provide timely, reliable, secure, and affordable mail and package delivery to more than 160 million residential and business addresses across the country. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector Gene more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. xxx) entitled "Postal Service's Adverse Weather Condition Procedures." Here are excerpts: * * * Background Every year, U.S. Postal Service employees risk illness and injury while working in extreme hot or cold temperatures. Mail carriers, especially, experience daily weather challenges and when exposed to extreme heat may be at risk of heat stress. Heat stress can result in heat stroke, he more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-117) on Aug. 13, 2024, entitled "South Carolina District: Delivery Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * During the week of June 3, 2024, we performed a self-initiated audit at the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and three delivery units serviced by the P&DC. The delivery units included the East Bay Station, Mount Pleasant Post Office, and North Charleston Branch loc more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari requesting a comprehensive investigation into the use of federal funds by Catholic Community Services' Casa Alitas in Tucson, Arizona. So far, in Fiscal Year 2024, Pima County has received $21,827,581 through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Shelter and Services Program more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 -- Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, issued the following news release: Atlanta, Ga. U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is fighting for Georgians facing unfair tax penalties due to mail delays. Today, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after receiving reports from Georgia constituents that they are being charged penalties and interest fees on late or missing filings and payments that they mailed to the IRS via USPS. As part of his inquiry, Sen. Ossoff more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Aug. 21, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David P. Pekoske requesting information related to the management of watchlists and screening procedures by TSA. Thi more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Today, ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell's speech at Jackson Hole tomorrow, Senator Rick Scott released the below statement slamming Chair Powell's refusal to represent the best interests of American families and massive failure to meet any targets for reducing the Fed's balance sheet. As Fed Chair, Powell has overseen a wildly unaccountable Fed, which has grossly mismanaged U.S. monetary policy, grown more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 -- Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, introduced the "Mandatory E-Verify Act" on June 13, 2024. The text of the bill was released on Aug. 17. S. 4529. A bill to permanently establish the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system, to mandate the use of E-Verify by all employers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Bill Cassidy, R-La., James Lankford, R-Okla., J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Joe Manchin, I-W more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement on the release of the final report of the independent commission established by Governor Janet Mills to investigate the facts of last October's tragedy in Lewiston. Senator Collins' statement is as follows: "As was the case with the Army Reserve and Army Inspector General reports, the Lewiston Commission's report contributes to our unders more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a memorandum (No. 052407) on July 23, 2024, entitled "Spouses Subject to Age Reduction and Government Pension Offset:" * * * To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Re: Office of Special Counsel Referral: Spouses Subject to Age Reduction and Government Pension Offset (OSC File No. DI-24-000154) more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a four-page memorandum (No. 032316) on July 3, 2024, entitled "Widow(er)s at or Beyond Full Retirement Age:" * * * To: Gina Clemons, Deputy Commissioner, Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit Subject: Widow(er)s at or Beyond Full Retirement Age We reviewed mother/father and disabled widow(er) beneficiaries  more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 31-page audit report (No. A-07-21-51018) on July 30, 2024, entitled "Challenges in Recovering Supplemental Security Income Overpayments." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Acting Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: Challenges in Recovering Supplemental Security Income Over more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 21-page audit report (No. 062308) on July 31, 2024, entitled "Cross-referred Social Security Numbers." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: Cross-referred Social Security Numbers The attached final report presents the results of the Office more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 15-page audit report (No. 062301) on July 31, 2024, entitled "Follow-up Review of Numident Death Information Not Included on the Death Master File." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: Follow-up Review of Numident Death Information Not Inc more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 25-page audit report (No. 012313) on July 29, 2024, entitled "Oversight of Medical Examinations for Disability Claims." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: Oversight of Medical Examinations for Disability Claims The attached final report more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 38-page informational report (No. 072401) on July 25, 2024, entitled "Preventing, Detecting and Recovering Improper Payments." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: Preventing, Detecting, and Recovering Improper Payments The attached final  more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 14-page audit report (No. 022329) on Aug. 7, 2024, entitled "Security of the Business Services Online." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: Security of the Business Services Online The attached final report summarizes Ernst & Young LLP's  more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 29-page audit report (No. 022323) on August 5, 2024, entitled "Social Security Administration's Enterprise Risk Management." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: Social Security Administration's Enterprise Risk Management The attached fina more PR

WOODLAWN, Maryland, Aug. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued a 21-page audit report (No. A-04-21-51033) on Aug. 8, 2024, entitled "The SSA's Processing of Priority Cases." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Martin O'Malley, Commissioner From: Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as Acting Inspector General Subject: The Social Security Administration's Processing of Priority Cases The attached final report p more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSrep) -- The State Department Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. ISP-I-24-23) entitled "Inspection of Embassy Malabo, Equatorial Guinea." Here are excerpts: * * * Highlights What OIG Inspected OIG inspected the operating environment, executive direction, policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management operations of Embassy Malabo. What OIG Recommends OIG made 30 recommendations to Embassy Malabo. In its com more PR

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Aug. 24 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee issued the following news release on Aug. 22, 2024: On August 20, 2024, Christopher Domermuth, 49, and Domermuth Environmental Services, LLC ("DES"), based in Knoxville, both pleaded guilty today to violating the Clean Water Act by knowingly discharging pollutants into a navigable waterway without a permit, in violation of 33 U.S.C. Sec.Sec. 1311 and 1319(c), in the United States District Cour more PR

HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: National Interventional Radiology Partners PLLC (NIRP) along with its founder and its CEO have agreed to pay to the United States $8,884,091 to resolve Federal False Claims Act (FCA) and Anti-Kickback Statute violation allegations, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The settlement claims NIRP and Dr. Andrew Gomes, 48, Sugar Land, illegally paid physicians fo more PR

MAXWELL AFB, Alabama, Aug. 20 -- The U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol issued the following news: An Idaho Wing colonel with decades of service in Civil Air Patrol and a high-achieving Illinois Wing cadet took top honors at CAP's 2024 National Conference this weekend in San Antonio. Col. Merle V. Starr was recognized as CAP's Senior Member of the Year, while Cadet Lt. Col. Soren Y. Koh was named CAP's Cadet of the Year at the conference. "I'm very honored," Starr said. "There are many more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-20S-034) on Aug. 14, 2024, entitled "Access to and Safeguarding Federal Tax Information, Investigating Unauthorized Access, and Ongoing Audits on the Security of Taxpayer Data." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER FROM: Danny R. Verneuille, Acting Deputy Inspector General for Audit SUBJECT: Final Memorandum - Access to and Safeguar more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia issued the following news release: Trayon White Sr., the D.C. Councilmember representing Ward 8, was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint charging him with bribery. White, 40, is Chair of the Council's Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which oversees several agencies including the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). The complaint alleges that, beginning in June 202 more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 24-00160-212) on Aug. 1, 2024, entitled "Deficiencies in Informed Consent for Admission and Against Medical Advice Discharge Processes for a Patient at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in Las Vegas." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a healthcare inspection to assess allegations regarding staff failure to follow  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Veterans Affairs Inspector General issued the following oversight report (No. 24-00803-222) on Aug. 7, 2024, entitled "OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Severe Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal 2024." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act (VACAA) of 2014 and VA Choice and Quality Employment Act (VCQEA) of 2017 requires the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) to determine, an more PR

RICHMOND, Virginia, Aug. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release: A Providence Forge man was arrested today related to his alleged embezzlement of funds from his former employer, the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program (Birth-Injury Program). John Hunter Raines, 38, the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director of the Birth-Injury Program, is charged in a criminal complaint with felony fraud. Th more PR