title: Missouri Physicians and Pain Management Practices Agree to Pay Over $650,000 to Settle Kickback Allegations Involving Laboratory Testing

component: Civil Division

body_text: Gregory Stynowick, M.D. and his pain management practice, Pain Management Medical Center LLC, of Florissant, Missouri, and Chad Shelton, M.D., Michael Boedefeld, M.D., and their pain management practice, Pro Pain LLC, of St. Louis, have agreed to pay a total of $653,796 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they received illegal kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute in return for referring patients for laboratory testing. The parties also have agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigations of, and litigation against, other participants in the alleged schemes. “Kickbacks are designed to improperly influence healthcare providers’ medical decisions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Patients should not have to wonder if their doctors’ medical decisions are being driven by unlawful inducements.” The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients. The settlements announced today resolve allegations that Drs. Stynowick, Shelton and Boedefeld, and their medical practices received kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute in return for making referrals to laboratories in Texas, California, and Florida. Stynowick and Pain Management Medical Center. Dr. Stynowick and his pain management practice, Pain Management Medical Center, have agreed to pay $257,436 to resolve two allegations. First, from May 2017 to July 2018, Pain Management Medical Center allegedly received thousands of dollars in payments from a purported management service organization (MSO) named Beachwood Services LLC (Beachwood) in return for Dr. Stynowick ordering laboratory tests from Landmark Diagnostics LLC (Landmark), a clinical laboratory in Houston, Texas, and Sprint Diagnostics LLC (Sprint), a clinical laboratory in Santa Ana, California. Second, from August 2018 to January 2020, Pain Management Medical Center allegedly received thousands of dollars in payments from a purported MSO named Alari Group LLC (Alari) in return for Dr. Stynowick ordering laboratory tests from Genesis Reference Laboratories LLC (Genesis), a clinical laboratory in Orlando, Florida, and InHealth Diagnostic LLC (InHealth), a clinical laboratory in Dallas, Texas. Shelton, Dr. Boedefeld, and Pro Pain. Dr. Shelton, Dr. Boedefeld, and their pain management practice, Pro Pain, have agreed to pay $396,360 to resolve two allegations. First, from February 2017 to September 2018, Pro Pain allegedly received thousands of dollars in MSO payments from Beachwood in return for Dr. Shelton and Dr. Boedefeld ordering laboratory tests from Landmark and Sprint. Second, from July 2018 to October 2020, Pro Pain allegedly received thousands of dollars in MSO payments from Alari in return for Dr. Shelton and Dr. Boedefeld ordering laboratory tests from Genesis, InHealth and American Institute of Toxicology Inc. (AIT), a clinical laboratory in Denton, Texas. “Kickbacks can compromise medical practitioners’ judgment by creating financial incentives for certain medical decisions,” said U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Doctors and clinical laboratories are on notice that kickback-for-test schemes like those alleged here can violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. We will continue to use all appropriate tools to safeguard the integrity of the federal healthcare systems.” “Individuals and entities that participate in the federal healthcare system are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Certain violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute can induce medically unnecessary testing and inappropriately steer medical tests to providers who may not return timely or quality results.” The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from HHS-OIG. The settlements announced today were handled by Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kruti Dharia for the District of New Jersey. The United States has recovered over $34 million relating to conduct involving MSO kickbacks to healthcare providers, including False Claims Act settlements with 39 physicians. The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Pro Pain Settlement PMMC Settlement


title: Bridgeport Man Admits Lying During Grand Jury Testimony

body_text: On September 19, 2023, TAE’RON WOMACK, 22, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to making a false declaration before a federal grand jury. Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. On July 20, 2020, Womack appeared before a grand jury in New Haven. Womack had been called to testify because his car was used during the shooting and killing of Myreke Kenion on January 26, 2020. The grand jury had developed information that Jaheim Warren was involved in the shooting. Womack was shown a picture of Warren and was asked “Have you seen this person before?” Womack, under oath, responded, “No.” He was then asked “You don’t recognize this person at all?” Womack responded, “Probably like seen him around but like overall, I don’t know him.” Shortly after Womack’s grand jury testimony, investigators discovered a YouTube rap video in which Warren and Womack appeared together throughout the video. Womack was arrested on September 9, 2020. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for December 12, at which time Womack faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing. Jaheim Warren, 19, was shot and killed on December 20, 2020. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state, and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Yale University and Its Professor Agree to Pay $1.5 Million For Failure to Share Patent Royalties with VA

body_text: Yale University and Dr. John Krystal have agreed to pay $1,507,743.67 to resolve False Claims Act and common law allegations that they failed to disclose certain patents and failed to share patent royalties with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for inventions made by Dr. Krystal when he worked for both institutions. The settlement resolves alleged conduct between March 2006 and February 2023. “Universities and their professors must properly disclose and share royalties on inventions they discover while working for the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will ensure that those who benefit from government funding and resources properly compensate the taxpayers.” “It is critical that inventions funded with taxpayer money be fully and timely disclosed to the government,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This settlement shows our commitment to ensuring that the government is fairly compensated for all taxpayer funded inventions.” “The VA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring the VA is appropriately and fairly compensated for all intellectual property developed through VA-funded research projects,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA OIG) Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the Department of Justice for its efforts to reach this settlement.” At the time of the inventions, Dr. Krystal was employed part time at Yale in various positions and with various research responsibilities, including as a Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Psychology, and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the Yale School of Medicine. He was also employed part time by the VA as a salaried clinical psychiatrist with research responsibilities at the VA Medical Center located in West Haven, Connecticut. VA and Yale are parties to an agreement under which Yale and the VA agreed to promptly and in confidence disclose to each other all “Joint Inventions,” which included “any future invention or discovery, which is or may be patentable… in which at least one employee with compensation from the VA and at least one person who has an appointment with Yale is named as a co-inventor.” In addition, VA regulations require all VA employees to promptly disclose their inventions to the VA so the VA can make a determination as to whether it is entitled to ownership. Beginning in March 2006, Dr. Krystal and four co-inventors applied for several patents related to the use of intranasal ketamine for treatment of depression and suicidal ideation. The patent applications allegedly acknowledged VA funding support. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued three patents. Dr. Krystal assigned his interests in those three patents to Yale. In February 2015, Yale and Dr. Krystal began receiving royalty payments arising from the three ketamine patents. The United States alleged they never shared these royalty payments, now totaling more than $3 million, with the VA, and did not disclose the patents to the VA until 2017. In September 2017 and then again in January and June 2019, another school (which had been assigned as agent for the ketamine patents), in coordination with Krystal and Yale, allegedly submitted documents to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office removing the acknowledgement of VA support from the three ketamine patents. The United States alleged that after a VA employee reminded Dr. Krystal of VA employees’ obligations to disclose inventions to the VA, in December 2017, Dr. Krystal submitted the required disclosure to the VA of the three ketamine patents. The VA then issued a determination that it was entitled to an ownership interest in the patents. Dr. Krystal appealed that determination to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the VA prevailed. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that during the time-period from March 2006, when Dr. Krystal and the other co-inventors filed the first patent application, to Dec. 8, 2017, when Dr. Krystal disclosed the ketamine patents to the VA, Yale and Dr. Krystal knowingly and improperly avoided their obligations to disclose the ketamine patents to the VA and to pay the VA its share of the royalty payments for the patents. The settlement also resolves allegations that from the date that Dr. Krystal disclosed the patents through Feb. 3, Yale and Dr. Krystal were in breach of contract and unjustly enriched by their failure to share the royalty payments. As part of this settlement, Dr. Krystal agreed to forego any entitlement to share in the settlement paid to VA, pursuant to rights that he would otherwise have as a VA employee inventor. Simultaneously with this settlement, Yale, Dr. Krystal and the VA also entered into a separate agreement, under which Yale and VA agreed to share future royalties associated with the ketamine patents and assign the patents to the VA. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and the VA’s Office of General Counsel. Fraud Section Attorney Jonathan T. Thrope and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot for the District of Connecticut handled this matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Nurse Practitioner Convicted of $200M Health Care Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Miami convicted a Florida nurse practitioner yesterday for her role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting more than $200 million in false and fraudulent claims for expensive genetic testing and medical equipment that the Medicare beneficiaries did not need. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Elizabeth Hernandez, 45, of Homestead, signed thousands of orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests, resulting in fraudulent Medicare billings in excess of $200 million. As part of the scheme, telemarketing companies would contact Medicare beneficiaries to convince them to request orthotic braces and genetic tests, and then send pre-filled orders for these products to Hernandez, who signed them, attesting that she had examined or treated the patients. In reality, she had never spoken with many of the patients. In 2020, Hernandez ordered more cancer genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries than any other provider in the nation, including oncologists and geneticists. She then billed Medicare as though she were conducting complex office visits with these patients, and routinely billed more than 24 hours of “office visits” in a single day. Hernandez personally pocketed approximately $1.6 million in the scheme, which she used to purchase expensive cars, jewelry, home renovations, and travel. The jury convicted Hernandez of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, in addition to four counts of health care fraud and three counts of making false statements relating to health care matters. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy, 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count, and five years in prison on each false statement count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated this case. Trial Attorney Andrea Savdie and Assistant Chief Kate Payerle and of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Laurens County man sentenced to federal prison for possession of sexually explicit images of children

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: A Laurens County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to possession of sexually explicit images of children. Christopher Scott Andrews, 41, of East Dublin, Ga., was sentenced to 96 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Andrews to pay fines and restitution of $4,000, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Christopher Andrews sought and downloaded sexually explicit images of children, thereby perpetuating their victimization,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With our vigilant law enforcement partners, we will identify and hold accountable those who engage in such predatory behavior.” As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office in December 2022 received a CyberTip alerting them to potential child pornography linked to a cell phone number located in the greater Dublin area. With assistance from the FBI, investigators identified Andrews and questioned him at his residence, located in the rear of a retail store in East Dublin. Investigators found hundreds of sexually explicit images of children in devices seized from Andrews. He was indicted on federal charges in March 2023 and pled guilty in May. “Collecting sexually explicit images and videos of children is a despicable act,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden of FBI Atlanta. “Our continued work to investigate individuals who possess, receive and distribute child pornography should serve notice to those who may consider engaging in this behavior that it will not be tolerated.” The case was investigated by the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard. Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/ .


title: Columbia County man sentenced to federal prison for distributing sexually explicit images of children

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: A Columbia County man who serves in the U.S. Army has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after uploading sexually explicit images of children to the internet. Joshua Paul Barnhill , 41, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 151 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen also ordered Barnhill to pay restitution of $21,000, to register as a sex offender, and to serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Joshua Barnhill shared sexually explicit images of young children to online messaging applications for exploitation by other viewers,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Such exploitative conduct has earned him substantial prison time.” As described in court documents and testimony, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a CyberTip to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to alert investigators about sexually explicit images and videos of children shared by the KIK internet messaging app. Agents learned the images originated from Barnhill’s location, and found hundreds of images and videos on devices Barnhill used to upload images to the KIK and Wickr applications. Barnhill is a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, serving as a recruiter operating from Fort Jackson, S.C. “The GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation,” said Chris Hosey, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “We are grateful for the partnerships we maintain with our local and federal agencies to bring these predators to justice.” The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard. Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/ .


title: Former Dona Ana County Deputy Sheriff Charged with Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction Offenses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Michael Andrew Martinez has been arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with deprivation of rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. Martinez, 33, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, will appear in federal court for an initial appearance today. According to the criminal complaint, on or about April 30, 2023, Michael Andrew Martinez, while working in his official capacity as an officer with the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office (DASO), allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted the victim, Jane Doe, thereby depriving Jane Doe of her Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Martinez allegedly then obstructed justice by attempting to destroy evidence related to his kidnapping and sexual assault of the victim. A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted on the current charges, Martinez faces up to life imprisonment. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ong and Matilda McCarthy Villalobos are prosecuting the case. In addition to the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office, Martinez was previously employed by the New Mexico State Police and Hatch Police Department. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim of Martinez, or if you have information about this ongoing investigation, please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or submit their tips online at tips.fbi.gov. Filed Criminal Complaint # # # 23-234


title: Camden County woman sentenced to more than three decades in prison for producing child pornography

body_text: BRUNSWICK, GA: A Camden County woman has been sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production of sexually exploitive images of a child. Lesley Henry, 47, of St. Marys, Ga., was sentenced to 420 months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Production of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood scheduled a hearing for Oct. 24 to determine restitution in the case, and ordered Henry to register as a sex offender and serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Lesley Henry and her co-defendant sentenced a child to a lifetime of devastating trauma with their horrific actions,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This prosecution will not heal that trauma, but it will protect the community from Henry for decades.” As described in court documents and testimony, FBI agents in Milwaukee, Wis., infiltrated an online messaging group in which members shared images and videos of child sexual abuse. That investigation led FBI agents to Michael Williams Kersey , 45, of St. Marys, Ga., where agents found multiple images depicting sexual exploitation of a child on Kersey’s cell phone. Agents also identified Henry and determined she produced sexually explicit images and sent them to Kersey. After Henry pled guilty to two counts of Production of Child Pornography, Kersey pled guilty to Conspiracy to Engage in Sexual Exploitation of Children; three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children; and Possession of Child Pornography. He awaits sentencing and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. “Henry's actions are the worst of depravity and no sentence can lessen the harm she has caused. But at least she will no longer be able to pursue these egregious acts,” said FBI Savannah Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Will Clarke. “We hope this sentencing sends a strong warning to predators that the FBI will go to great lengths to protect our most vulnerable citizens from those who seek to manipulate and do them harm.” The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States of America by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tania D. Groover and Jennifer J. Kirkland. Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/ .


title: Port Charlotte Armed Career Criminal Pleads Guilty To Methamphetamine And Heroin Distribution Offenses And To Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Edward Lindsey (47, Port Charlotte) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. Under the Armed Career Criminal Act, Lindsey faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, Lindsey is a multi-time convicted felon for narcotics distribution and violent offenses dating back to 1996. On June 9, 2022, officers from the North Port Police Department (NPPD) conducted a traffic stop in the area of 12145 Tamiami Trail in North Port and found Lindsey in possession of a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition and approximately 1.6 grams of methamphetamine. As NPPD officers approached Lindsey’s vehicle, Lindsey consumed a large quantity of drugs by emptying the contents of a bag into his mouth. The 1.6 grams of methamphetamine were all that NPPD could recover after Lindsey had consumed the remainder. On November 13, 2022, NPPD officers arrested Lindsey on an active warrant. During a search incident to his arrest, the officers found Lindsey in possession of distribution quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the North Port Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha C. Beckman. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Round Rock Pastor Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A Georgetown man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin on Wednesday to 70 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for an enhanced charge of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, David Lloyd Walther, 57, knowingly searched for, downloaded, distributed and possessed child sexual abuse material, including child pornography—some of which depicted prepubescent minors—using BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. During a search of Walther’s home and vehicle in November 2022, two large computer hard drives were located and found to contain more than 100,000 images and more than 5,000 videos of child sexual abuse material. At the time of his arrest, Walther was the pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Round Rock. In addition to the prison and supervised release terms, the judge also ordered Walther to pay restitution of $61,000. “Many families in the Round Rock area placed their trust in this man when he served as a leader in faith for their community,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I hope that those families can find comfort in knowing our law enforcement partners and justice system are committed to protecting them, ensuring that predators such as Walther cannot continue to pose a threat to innocent children.” “This case was especially disturbing given the defendant’s position of trust in the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr. for the FBI San Antonio Division. “This sentencing sends a strong message to child predators that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will never relent in our duty to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation wherever these crimes are present in our nation.” The FBI San Antonio Division's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with assistance from the Round Rock Police Department, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, the Williamson County Sheriff's Office and the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Devlin prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Tampa Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced To 15 Years For Leading A Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Ahmoi Cecil Lewis (32, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and armed drug trafficking. The court also ordered Lewis to forfeit $10,000 and five firearms. Lewis had pleaded guilty on June 27, 2023. According to court documents, from October 2020 through February 2022, Lewis oversaw a drug trafficking organization operating in Tampa. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Lewis distributed or caused to be distributed over 400 grams of fentanyl, over 100 grams of cocaine base, and over 28 grams of cocaine. In February 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lewis’s home in Tampa and seized 188 grams of fentanyl, over one kilogram of cocaine, 89 grams of methamphetamine, over eight kilograms of marijuana, three pistols, two assault rifles, a high capacity drum-style magazine, and $10,000 in cash. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Hancock County manufacturer to pay $1.9 million for environmental violations

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Messer, LLC, an industrial gas manufacturing facility located in New Cumberland, West Virginia, will pay a $1.9 million civil penalty for violations of its Clean Water Act permit and the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act. The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into waters of the United States, except in compliance with a permit issued by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and administered by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Messer, LLC’s permit imposed limits for the discharge of specific pollutants, including copper, aluminum, iron, residual chlorine, and phenolics. According to court documents, Messer, LLC exceeded permit limits when it discharged pollutants into the Ohio River on at least 186 occasions since February 2016. “We all have a right to safe and clean drinking water, and whenever that right is threatened the Justice Department will take action,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. In addition to the civil penalty, Messer, LLC must take steps to prevent future violations of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, including the construction of a new treatment system at its New Cumberland facility, implementation of a response plan in the instance of future violations, mandatory internal inspections, and quarterly reporting requirements to federal and state agencies. The civil penalty will be equally divided between the U. S. Department of Justice and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maximillian Nogay served as local counsel for the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U. S. Department of Justice in this matter. A Consent Decree was entered by the United States District Court on September 11, 2023. Messer, LLC did not admit any liability to the United States or the State of West Virginia arising out of the transactions or occurrences alleged in the complaint.


title: Ocala Men Sentenced For Robbing Postal Carriers

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Jacoby Jules Colon (20, Ocala) and Darius Rodney Capers (Ocala, 19) in connection with their robbery spree of postal carriers. Colon was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to rob postal carriers, armed postal robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Capers was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to rob postal carriers and attempted robbery of a postal carrier. Both had pleaded guilty in July 2023. According to court records, Colon and Capers robbed three postal carriers. In addition, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier. On September 14, 2022, Colon and Capers robbed a postal carrier in Ft. Lauderdale and stole his arrow key, which is a master key used to open U.S. mail receptacles. A few weeks later, on October 4 and 6, 2022, the men robbed two postal carriers in Orlando and stole their arrow keys. During the October 6 robbery, Colon brandished a firearm and threatened the carrier. During all three robberies, Capers was the lookout and getaway driver. On October 25, 2022, Capers attempted to rob a fourth postal carrier in Tampa but abandoned his effort when the carrier resisted. Colon approaching the victim postal carrier on October 4, 2022. Capers speeding away from the scene with Colon immediately after the robbery on October 4, 2022. U.S. Postal Inspectors witnessed Capers and Colon using one of the stolen arrow keys to access a mail collection box in the parking lot of the Azalea Park Post Office in Orlando. The pair admitted to stealing mail to further engage in check fraud. U.S. Postal Inspectors executed search warrants at a hotel in Orlando where Capers had been staying and at the homes of Colon and Capers in Ocala. They recovered several pieces of stolen mail, fraudulent checks, ski masks, and several firearms. They also located a photo sent by Colon to Capers which depicted one of the stolen arrow keys worn by Colon. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Miami Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in the Special Maritime Jurisdiction of the United States

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Yesterday, Josbel Fernandez Echevarria, 37, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter arising from the deaths of Javier M. Perez and Carolyn Alvarez. According to the factual basis in support of the defendant’s guilty plea, on July 2, 2020, Echevarria was the operator of a 32-foot powerboat in waters off the coast of Bimini in The Bahamas. Echevarria’s girlfriend, Perez, and Alvarez were also onboard the boat. At around 10:29 p.m., the boat hit North Turtle Rock, a high-tide elevation marked on all navigational charts, as well as on the boat’s navigation system during the crash. The boat was traveling at 43.4 miles per hour at the time of impact. Echevarria and his girlfriend were injured, but Perez and Alvarez did not survive the crash. Perez’s body was found on North Turtle Rock. Alvarez’s body has not yet been found. Perez and Alvarez’s death occurred due to Echevarria’s failure to maintain a proper lookout and failure to proceed at a safe speed in violation of Parts 5 and 6 of the International Steering and Sailing Rules. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Margelot, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, announced the guilty plea. CGIS investigated the case, with assistance from the Royal Bahamian Police Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Watts-FitzGerald and Yara Dodin are prosecuting the case. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen M. Williams. Echevarria faces up to eight years in prison as to each count, criminal fines of up to $250,000 as to each count, and a period of supervised release of up to three years. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20256. ###


title: North Fort Myers Felon Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Chester Lewis Risco, III (20, North Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Risco faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Risco has agreed to forfeit the Taurus pistol and ammunition he possessed during this offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on April 27, 2023, Risco fled from a deputy on his bicycle after committing several traffic violations. When apprehended, Risco was in possession of a loaded Taurus pistol, in a holster, inside his waistband. At the time, Risco had a prior felony conviction and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Risco was also under court-ordered supervision when he was found in possession of the loaded pistol. This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Queens Physician Settles Health Care Fraud Claims for $1.3 Million and Enters into Integrity Agreement to Ensure Future Compliance

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today a settlement agreement with Queens-based physician Arun Arora. The settlement agreement addresses allegations that Dr. Arora violated the federal False Claims Act by billing Medicare for critical care services to residents of nursing homes when, in fact, he provided only routine care. “Our Medicare program, which provides health care services to the elderly, works only if its funds are expended properly,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “When health care providers overbill the program, Medicare cannot ensure that services are going to the people who need them most.” Mr. Peace thanked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work on this case. Dr. Arora provided care to residents of nursing homes. That care was, for the most part, routine care, such as regular medical checkups. The Government contends that, rather than billing for his services as routine care, Dr. Arora billed Medicare for critical care services. Critical care services involve imminent life-threatening deterioration of the patient’s condition. Medicare reimburses health care providers at a higher rate for critical care services than for routine care. By billing for critical care services when he provided only routine care, as the Government contends, Dr. Arora received extra payment for care that he did not provide. Under the terms of the agreement with the United States, Dr. Arora will pay $1.3 million for conduct that took place in the years 2019 to 2023. In addition to the payment to resolve the government’s fraud claims, Dr. Arora has entered into a separate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The Integrity Agreement imposes a number of obligations on Dr. Arora, all of which are meant to ensure that he complies with Medicare rules and regulations going forward. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no admission of or determination of liability. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Blume of the Office’s Civil Division.


title: Woodbridge Man Sentenced for Defrauding the Elderly in Romance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiring to launder money in relation to romance and investment frauds. According to court documents, from 2014 to March 2019, Ishmael Kayede, 40, conspired and agreed with multiple co-conspirators to launder funds derived from mail or wire fraud schemes, including romance fraud, gold and diamond investment fraud, and other fraud scams. During his participation in this money laundering conspiracy, Kayede received funds in his bank accounts from victims of those romance and other fraud schemes while working with and at the direction of associates located in foreign jurisdictions, including Ghana. Kayede’s co-conspirators largely targeted elderly victims in the United States, primarily using online dating websites such as match.com. They would befriend potential victims on the dating websites using false pretenses and would then exploit that trust to convince the victims to send money to Kayede’s bank accounts. Kayede would then transmit the funds to Ghana. If he had trouble moving the money, he would lie to bank officials about the source and nature of the funds. Some victims targeted by the scheme lost thousands of dollars; others lost more than a hundred thousand dollars to the defendant’s activities. In total, Kayede received and laundering approximately $1.3 million over the course of his involvement with the scheme. Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. It is a term used to describe five subtypes of elder abuse: physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness. This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Keim and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Carina Cuellar prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-94.


title: Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: HARRY BATCHELOR, also known as “Bookie,” 27, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 50 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering offense stemming from his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang. Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Batchelor has been a member of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns. The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport. These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End. East End gang members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed at least six murders and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals. East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities. On June 5, 2023, Batchelor pleaded guilty to one count conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity and specifically admitted that he distributed narcotics, that he knew the East End gang was involved in violent activity, and that a firearm that belonged to him was used by another East End member to shoot a rival O.N.E. member on October 17, 2019. Batchelor has been detained since May 6, 2021. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rahul Kale, Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, and Stephanie T. Levick. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Z-43 pleads guilty to trafficking tons of cocaine into United States

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A former high-ranking member of the Los Zetas cartel has entered a guilty plea to a conspiracy to import tons of cocaine into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jose Maria Guizar-Valencia, 43, of Tulare, California, is considered one of the last numbered Los Zetas and was a regional leader in charge of the Guatemala/Central America region. “Today the cartels were put on notice,” said Hamdani. “After a long and hard fought battle, we brought another ruthless cartel leader to justice. Jose Maria Guizar-Valencia may have thought he was untouchable, but now he feels the reach, power and persistence of the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He once led the drug activity in a large swath of Central America. Those days are over, and the residents of the Southern District of Texas are now safer.” “The guilty plea of Guizar-Valencia is another example of our success in the fight against Mexican drug cartels operating in the United States and exemplifies the commitment of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to battle against global drug trafficking organizations,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division. “DEA continues our pursuit to hold accountable high ranking members of Mexican drug cartels who profit from the sale of dangerous drugs to our citizens, and threaten the security of the United States.” In 2012, law enforcement began an investigation into the illegal drug trafficking activities of the Los Zetas. At the time, they were a Mexican-based drug cartel in control of much of the Mexico/U.S. border to include the Texas corridor. The investigation revealed Los Zetas had expanded their control of the drug trade to Central and South America. This enabled them to control the importation of drugs from countries including Guatemala, Honduras and Colombia into the Republic of Mexico and then into the United States. The investigation revealed that from 2007 to 2014, Guizar-Valencia was responsible for controlling a large portion of Guatemala and for coordinating the transportation of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Guatemala, Guatemala to Mexico and then from Mexico into the United States for further distribution. Guizar-Valencia also managed the receipt of millions of dollars in U.S. currency the cartel obtained from the sale of cocaine in the United States. Guizar Valencia had been under indictment and was on the run for many years. He evaded apprehension until Feb. 9, 2018, when Mexican authorities and its military arrested him in Mexico City, Mexico. He later waived extradition. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will sentence Guizar-Valencia at a later date, at which time he will be facing a possible punishment of up to life in prison and a $10 million maximum fine. He will remain in custody. The DEA spearheaded the long term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) MaryLou Castillo, Lance Watt and former AUSA James Hepburn of the Southern District of Texas and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case.


title: Lafourche Parish Man Pleads  Guilty to Violating Federal Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DILLON TOUPS , age 33, a resident of Larose, Louisiana, pled guilty on September 19, 2023 to possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on December 18, 2021, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop of TOUPS on Highway 1 in Raceland, Louisiana. After smelling marijuana in the vehicle, deputies searched the vehicle and found a bag containing 1,317 grams of methamphetamine on the back seat. During the investigation, deputies searched TOUPS’s residence in Larose, Louisiana and located 411 grams of methamphetamine and .91 grams of fentanyl. TOUPS faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00 at least five years of supervised release after any term of imprisonment and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: U.S. Government Contractor Arrested on Espionage Charges

body_text: A U.S. government contractor was arrested on Aug. 24 based on espionage charges in a complaint unsealed today. Abraham Teklu Lemma, 50, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Ethiopian descent, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is charged with delivering national defense information to aid a foreign government, conspiracy to deliver national defense information to aid a foreign government, and the willful retention of national defense information. According to the criminal complaint, between on or about Dec. 19, 2022, and Aug. 7, 2023, Lemma copied classified information from intelligence reports and deleted the classification markings from them. Lemma then removed the information, which was classified as SECRET and TOP SECRET, from secure facilities at the Department of State. This material related to a specific country and/or geographic region. Lemma accessed, copied, removed, and retained this information without authorization. According to the charging documents, Lemma used an encrypted application to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign government official associated with a foreign country’s intelligence service. In these communications, Lemma expressed an interest and willingness to assist the foreign government official by providing information. In one communication, the foreign official stated, “[i]t’s time to continue ur support.” Lemma responded, “Roger that!” In other chats, the foreign official tasked Lemma to focus on information related to particular subjects, and Lemma responded “[a]bsolutely, I have been focusing on that all this week . . . .” As alleged in the criminal complaint, the classified national defense information Lemma transferred to the foreign official included satellite imagery and other information regarding military activities in the foreign country and region. The two espionage charges carry a potential penalty of death or any term of years up to life in prison, and the willful retention charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI’s Washington Field Office, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Alexandra Hughes for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Heather Schmidt and Kathryn DeMarco of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Lemma complaint Lemma affidavit


title: Missouri Physicians and Pain Management Practices Agree to Pay Over $650,000 to Settle Kickback Allegations Involving Laboratory Testing

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Three doctors and two medical practices in Missouri have agreed to pay more than $650,000 to resolve kickback allegations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, announced. Doctors Gregory Stynowick, and his pain management practice, Pain Management Medical Center LLC, of Florissant, Missouri; Chad Shelton and Michael Boedefeld, and their pain management practice, Pro Pain LLC, of St. Louis, Missouri, have agreed to pay a total of $653,796 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they received illegal kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute in return for referring patients for laboratory testing. The parties have agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s investigations of, and litigation against, other participants in the alleged schemes. “Kickbacks can compromise medical practitioners’ judgment by creating financial incentives for certain medical decisions. Doctors and clinical laboratories are on notice that kickback-for-test schemes like those alleged here can violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. We will continue to use all appropriate tools to safeguard the integrity of the federal healthcare systems.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Kickbacks can compromise medical practitioners’ judgment by creating financial incentives for certain medical decisions,” U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. “Doctors and clinical laboratories are on notice that kickback-for-test schemes like those alleged here can violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. We will continue to use all appropriate tools to safeguard the integrity of the federal healthcare systems.” “Kickbacks are designed to improperly influence healthcare providers’ medical decisions,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said. “Patients should not have to wonder if their doctors’ medical decisions are being driven by unlawful inducements.” “Individuals and entities that participate in the federal healthcare system are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients,” Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said. “Certain violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute can induce medically unnecessary testing and inappropriately steer medical tests to providers who may not return timely or quality results.” The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Stynowick, Shelton, and Boedefeld, and their medical practices, received kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute in return for making referrals to laboratories in Texas, California, and Florida. Stynowick and Pain Management Medical Center. Stynowick and his pain management practice, Pain Management Medical Center, have agreed to pay $257,436 to resolve two allegations. From May 2017 to July 2018, Pain Management Medical Center allegedly received thousands of dollars in payments from a purported management service organization (MSO) named Beachwood Services LLC (Beachwood) in return for laboratory tests Stynowick ordered from Landmark Diagnostics LLC (Landmark), a clinical laboratory in Houston, Texas, and Sprint Diagnostics LLC (Sprint), a clinical laboratory in Santa Ana, California. From August 2018 to January 2020, Pain Management Medical Center allegedly received thousands of dollars in payments from a purported MSO named Alari Group LLC (Alari) in return for laboratory tests Stynowick ordered from Genesis Reference Laboratories LLC (Genesis), a clinical laboratory in Orlando, Florida, and InHealth Diagnostic LLC (InHealth), a clinical laboratory in Dallas, Texas. Shelton, Boedefeld, and Pro Pain. Shelton, Boedefeld, and their pain management practice, Pro Pain, have agreed to pay $396,360 to resolve two allegations. From February 2017 to September 2018, Pro Pain allegedly received thousands of dollars in MSO payments from Beachwood in return for laboratory tests Shelton and Boedefeld ordered from Landmark and Sprint. Second, from July 2018 to October 2020, Pro Pain allegedly received thousands of dollars in MSO payments from Alari in return for laboratory tests Shelton and Boedefeld ordered from Genesis, InHealth, and American Institute of Toxicology Inc. (AIT), a clinical laboratory in Denton, Texas. The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from HHS-OIG. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kruti Dharia of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section). The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. propain.settlement.pdf pmmc.settlement.pdf


title: Houston Man Sentenced to 360 Months Imprisonment for Trafficking 13-Year-Old Female into the New Orleans Area to Perform Commercial Sex Acts

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – RANDI LEWIS (a/k/a “Teddy,” a/k/a “Teddy P.”) , age 35, from Houston, Texas, was sentenced on September 20, 2023 to 360 months in prison by United States District Judge M. Lance after previously pleading guilty to Count 2 of the indictment pending against him, charging LEWIS with sex trafficking of a child under the age of 14, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1591(a) and 1591(b)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Judge Africk also sentenced LEWIS to supervision after his release from prison for a term of life, a $100 mandatory special assessment fee and restitution to the victim’s guardian in the amount $620. Additionally, LEWIS will be required to register as a sex offender. The charges stem from LEWIS’s role in transporting a thirteen-year-old female from Houston to New Orleans in June 2021, to engage in commercial sex acts. According to court documents, LEWIS met his co-conspirator, Chelsea Gee, a female born in 2003, in about late 2019 or early 2020, when Gee was a minor. LEWIS recruited Gee to engage in commercial sex acts under his direction, and she complied. LEWIS also instituted a series of rules for Gee to follow, including how to behave, what to wear, with whom she was allowed to interact ( i.e. , look at and speak to), as well as the amount of money she was expected to earn from engaging in daily commercial sex acts. LEWIS routinely tracked Gee’s location using a location sharing cellular phone application and regularly engaged in sexual acts with Gee. Together, LEWIS and Gee met the thirteen-year-old victim, in the Houston, Texas area not later than June 21, 2021. At LEWIS’s direction, Gee recruited the victim to perform commercial sex acts. After the victim agreed, LEWIS arranged for he, Gee, and the victim to travel to New Orleans on a Greyhound bus so that Gee and the victim would then engage in commercial sex acts. Between June 22, 2021, and June 24, 2021, Gee and the victim performed multiple commercial sex acts in the New Orleans area. LEWIS required Minor Victim to turn over all, or most, of the money she earned from commercial sex acts to LEWIS . LEWIS and Gee instructed the victim on the manner in which to successfully perform commercial sex activities. These instructions included how to behave, what to wear, how to identify and avoid law enforcement, and how to solicit and engage in commercial sex activities, all under LEWIS’s direction. On LEWIS’s direction, Gee and the victim solicited commercial sex “dates” in several ways. First, they walked the streets soliciting customers. Additionally, LEWIS advertised using an online sexual service, classified ad service used to market sexual services for money. As a result, LEWIS received telephone calls, text messages, and messages via social media applications inquiring about, and scheduling, prostitution calls with Gee and the victim. LEWIS used sexually explicit pictures of the victim in the advertisements. Further, LEWIS and Gee drugged the victim with illicit and mood-altering drugs, including marijuana, to control her behavior, and/or to encourage her to engage in commercial sex acts. Law enforcement authorities recovered the victim at a hotel in Terrytown, Louisiana, on June 24, 2021. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Use Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Purchase Vehicles

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today to his role in a scheme to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and other merchandise and apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards. Joshua Cruz, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and false representation of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2024. The defendant and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020 . According to charging documents, between December 2018 and January 2019, the defendant visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, the defendant provided stolen biographical information of real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards in those identities as proof of identification. Cruz was charged with using stolen identities to obtain car loans and purchase three cars worth over $170,000, collectively. The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Palm Beach County Resident of Participating in Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: MIAMI – A Palm Beach County resident has been convicted by a federal jury of participating in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Belas Shelson Rosier, 34, of Greenacres, Florida, was found guilty on all counts following a four-day jury trial in Fort Pierce, Fla., before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. Rosier was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, in addition to fentanyl analogs and cocaine. According to court documents, the investigation into Rosier was initiated, by federal and local investigators, based on evidence recovered during the successful prosecution of one of Rosier’s long-term street level fentanyl and cocaine distributors. The evidence presented at trial established that Rosier was responsible for the distribution of at least six kilograms of fentanyl during the time period of October 4, 2021 through March 9, 2022. During the investigation, federal agents seized and administratively forfeited over $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in jewelry that had been recovered from Rosier’s possession. Rosier is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cannon on December 19, 2023, in Fort Pierce. Rosier faces a mandatory minimum ten-year term of imprisonment, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, as to each count of conviction. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, Christopher A. Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, Frank Adderly, Chief of Police, West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD), and Ric L. Bradshaw, Sheriff, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement. HSI Miami and ATF Miami Field Office investigated this case jointly with their local partners from WPBPD and PBSO. AUSA John McMillan is prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Zloch is handling asset forfeiture. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under Case No. 23-CR-80045. ###


title: Former CFO of Russian Natural Gas Company Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: Mark Anthony Gyetvay of Naples, Florida, was sentenced today to 86 months in prison for a scheme to hide millions of dollars of income in undisclosed Swiss bank accounts and submitting a false filing with the IRS. Gyetvay was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $350,000 fine and approximately $4,021,074 in restitution to the United States. A federal jury convicted Gyetvay in March of failing to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR), making a false statement to the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, 2005 to 2015, Gyetvay concealed his ownership and control over substantial offshore assets and did not file tax returns or pay taxes on millions of dollars of income. After working as a certified public accountant (CPA) in the United States and Russia, Gyetvay became the chief financial officer of Novatek, a large Russian natural gas company. Beginning in 2005, Gyetvay opened two different accounts at a bank in Switzerland to hold large sums of money, which at one point had an aggregate value of over $93 million. Over a period of several years, Gyetvay took steps to conceal his ownership and control over these funds, including removing his name from the accounts and making his then-wife, a Russian citizen, the beneficial owner of the accounts. Additionally, and despite being a CPA, Gyetvay did not file personal tax returns for 2013 and 2014. Moreover, Gyetvay did not file FBARs, as required, to disclose his control over the Swiss bank accounts, even rejecting his accountant’s recommendation to do so. In an unsuccessful attempt to avoid significant financial penalties, Gyetvay made a false filing with the IRS using the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures, which is only available to taxpayers whose failure to report offshore assets and income is due to non-willful conduct. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Stanley J. Okula Jr., Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division prosecuted the case with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with UPS to Resolve Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination Claims

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS). The settlement resolves the department’s determination that UPS violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when the company discriminated against a lawful permanent resident based on his immigration status and then retaliated against him. The department also determined that UPS routinely rejected valid documentation that certain non-U.S. citizens presented to obtain an airport badge, which they needed to perform certain job duties at an UPS airport facility. “Employers cannot create unlawful barriers based on workers’ immigration status at any point during the hiring process,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will vigorously enforce the law to ensure employers conduct all parts of the hiring process fairly and that workers are not retaliated against for exercising their rights.” Under the settlement, UPS will pay nearly $100,000 in back pay, front pay and associated benefits to the affected worker. It will also pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its staff on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, revise its policies and procedures and be subject to monitoring by the department. The department’s investigation arose from a complaint alleging that UPS discriminated and retaliated against a lawful permanent resident in its airport badging process at its Logan Airport facility in Boston. The department concluded that UPS discriminated against the lawful permanent resident when UPS rejected the documentation that the worker provided to receive an airport badge, even though the worker provided valid and acceptable documentation according to airport authority rules. According to the department, because UPS rejected the worker’s documentation, it refused to submit a badge application to the relevant airport authority on his behalf, which made it impossible for him to complete certain job duties. The department determined that UPS later retaliated against the worker by firing him after he complained to UPS about the discrimination. The department also found that the UPS facility had a policy or practice of rejecting valid documentation that some non-U.S. citizens show to obtain an airport badge, such as Machine Readable Immigrant Visas (MRIVs) with an I-551 stamp. The investigation concluded that the airport authority was not involved in the alleged discrimination and its badging policies were the same regardless of a person’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Under the INA, employers generally cannot discriminate based on citizenship, immigration status or national origin at any stage of the hiring process. Employers also cannot retaliate against a person for asserting their rights under the law. The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; and retaliation and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring and recruiting on IER’s website . Learn more about how IER protects workers’ rights in this video . For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER. ups_settlement_agreement_september_21.pdf


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con UPS para resolver una acusación de discriminación en el empleo relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS). El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que UPS vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando la compañía discriminó a un residente permanente legal por motivos de su estatus migratorio y, posteriormente, tomó represalias en su contra. Por otra parte, el Departamento también determinó que UPS, de manera rutinaria, rechazó documentación válida que ciertos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. presentaron para obtener una credencial de identificación del aeropuerto, la cual necesitaban para realizar ciertas tareas laborales en las instalaciones aeroportuarias de UPS. «Los empleadores no pueden, en ningún momento durante el proceso de contratación, crear barreras ilícitas con base en el estatus migratorio», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles hará cumplir esta ley con firmeza, con el fin de garantizar que los empleadores completen cada parte del proceso de contratación de una forma justa y que los trabajadores no sean víctimas de represalias por haber hecho valer sus derechos». Conforme el acuerdo, UPS pagará casi $100,000 por concepto de pagos retroactivos, pagos por anticipado y beneficios asociados al trabajador afectado. También pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a su personal en cuanto a la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, revisará sus políticas y procedimientos y se someterá a la supervisión del Departamento. La investigación del Departamento surgió de una demanda que alegó que UPS había discriminado y tomado represalias contra un residente permanente legal durante su proceso de emisión de la credencial de identificación aeroportuaria en sus instalaciones en el Aeropuerto Logan en Boston. El Departamento concluyó que UPS había discriminado al residente permanente legal al rechazar la documentación que el trabajador brindó para sacar una credencial de identificación aeroportuaria, a pesar de haber entregado documentación que, según las normas de las autoridades aeroportuarias, era aceptable. Según el Departamento, ya que UPS rechazó la documentación del trabajador, se negó a entregar una solicitud de una credencial de identificación a la autoridad aeroportuaria relevante en su nombre, por lo que le fue imposible para él realizar ciertas tareas laborales. El Departamento determinó que posteriormente, UPS tomó represalias contra el trabajador al despedirlo después de que se quejó a UPS de la discriminación. Asimismo, el Departamento halló que las instalaciones de UPS tenían la política o práctica de rechazar documentación válida que algunos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. presentan para poder sacar una credencial de identificación aeroportuaria, tal como las visas de inmigrantes de lectura mecánica (MRIV, por sus siglas en inglés) con un sello I-551. La investigación concluyó que la autoridad aeroportuaria no formaba parte de la alegada discriminación y que sus políticas de emisión de credenciales de identificación eran iguales, independientemente de la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen de la persona. Conforme a la INA, los empleadores no pueden, en ningún punto durante el proceso de contratación, discriminar con base en el estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía o bien por la nacionalidad de origen. Los empleadores tampoco pueden tomar represalias contra una persona por hacer valer sus derechos en virtud de esta ley. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Hay más información disponible en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en los procesos de contratación y reclutamiento. Aprenda más sobre cómo la IER protege los derechos de los trabajadores en este video . Para más información sobre protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo en virtud de las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase a un seminario en línea en vivo o vea una presentación a la carta; envíe un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visite los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER. ups_settlement_agreement_september_21.pdf


title: Voorhees Man Sentenced to 80 Months in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography in Camden County

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 80 months in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Bruce Makley, 68, of Voorhees, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence on Sept. 20, 2023, in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Aug. 14, 2020, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence. Makley admitted possessing more than 600 images of child sexual abuse, including images of sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence, or sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Makley to 10 years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $152,000 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz; the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Camden County Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay; officers of the Voorhees Police Department, under the direction of Chief Louis Bordi; and officers of the Mt. Laurel Police Department, under the direction of Chief Judy Lynn Schiavone, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Harberg of the United States Attorney’s Office in Camden.


title: Yale University and Its Professor Agree to Pay $1.5 Million For Failure to Share Patent Royalties with VA

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: WASHINGTON – Yale University and Dr. John Krystal have agreed to pay $1,507,743.67 to resolve False Claims Act and common law allegations that they failed to disclose certain patents and failed to share patent royalties with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for inventions made by Dr. Krystal when he worked for both institutions. The settlement resolves alleged conduct between March 2006 and February 2023. “Universities and their professors must properly disclose and share royalties on inventions they discover while working for the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will ensure that those who benefit from government funding and resources properly compensate the taxpayers.” “It is critical that inventions funded with taxpayer money be fully and timely disclosed to the government,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut. “This settlement shows our commitment to ensuring that the government is fairly compensated for all taxpayer funded inventions.” “The VA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring the VA is appropriately and fairly compensated for all intellectual property developed through VA-funded research projects,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA OIG) Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the Department of Justice for its efforts to reach this settlement.” At the time of the inventions, Dr. Krystal was employed part time at Yale in various positions and with various research responsibilities, including as a Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Psychology, and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the Yale School of Medicine. He was also employed part time by the VA as a salaried clinical psychiatrist with research responsibilities at the VA Medical Center located in West Haven, Connecticut. VA and Yale are parties to an agreement under which Yale and the VA agreed to promptly and in confidence disclose to each other all “Joint Inventions,” which included “any future invention or discovery, which is or may be patentable… in which at least one employee with compensation from the VA and at least one person who has an appointment with Yale is named as a co-inventor.” In addition, VA regulations require all VA employees to promptly disclose their inventions to the VA so the VA can make a determination as to whether it is entitled to ownership. Beginning in March 2006, Dr. Krystal and four co-inventors applied for several patents related to the use of intranasal ketamine for treatment of depression and suicidal ideation. The patent applications allegedly acknowledged VA funding support. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued three patents. Dr. Krystal assigned his interests in those three patents to Yale. In February 2015, Yale and Dr. Krystal began receiving royalty payments arising from the three ketamine patents. The United States alleged they never shared these royalty payments, now totaling more than $3 million, with the VA, and did not disclose the patents to the VA until 2017. In September 2017 and then again in January and June 2019, another school (which had been assigned as agent for the ketamine patents), in coordination with Krystal and Yale, allegedly submitted documents to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office removing the acknowledgement of VA support from the three ketamine patents. The United States alleged that after a VA employee reminded Dr. Krystal of VA employees’ obligations to disclose inventions to the VA, in December 2017, Dr. Krystal submitted the required disclosure to the VA of the three ketamine patents. The VA then issued a determination that it was entitled to an ownership interest in the patents. Dr. Krystal appealed that determination to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the VA prevailed. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that during the time-period from March 2006, when Dr. Krystal and the other co-inventors filed the first patent application, to Dec. 8, 2017, when Dr. Krystal disclosed the ketamine patents to the VA, Yale and Dr. Krystal knowingly and improperly avoided their obligations to disclose the ketamine patents to the VA and to pay the VA its share of the royalty payments for the patents. The settlement also resolves allegations that from the date that Dr. Krystal disclosed the patents through Feb. 3, Yale and Dr. Krystal were in breach of contract and unjustly enriched by their failure to share the royalty payments. As part of this settlement, Dr. Krystal agreed to forego any entitlement to share in the settlement paid to VA, pursuant to rights that he would otherwise have as a VA employee inventor. Simultaneously with this settlement, Yale, Dr. Krystal and the VA also entered into a separate agreement, under which Yale and VA agreed to share future royalties associated with the ketamine patents and assign the patents to the VA. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and the VA’s Office of General Counsel. Fraud Section Attorney Jonathan T. Thrope and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Molot for the District of Connecticut handled this matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.