title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la Policía de Antioch, California, para resolver la investigación de discriminación por motivos de raza

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un acuerdo con la Policía de Antioch, California (APD, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Ciudad de Antioch para resolver una investigación de conducta racista y discriminatoria de agentes de la APD contra miembros del público en Antioch. El Departamento inició su investigación después de la divulgación pública de mensajes de texto discriminatorios que decenas de miembros del personal de la APD supuestamente intercambiaron entre septiembre del 2019 y enero del 2022. La División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia y la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Norte de California investigaron conjuntamente el cumplimiento de la APD con el Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI) y las disposiciones antidiscriminatorias de la Ley General de Control de Delitos y Calles Seguras (ley de Calles Seguras). El Título VI y la ley de Calles Seguras prohíben, en su conjunto, la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel, origen nacional, sexo o religión por parte de entidades que reciben apoyo financiero federal, tal como la APD. «La vigilancia policial justa y no discriminatoria es fundamental para la aplicación efectiva de la ley, especialmente para aquellas agencias que reciben financiación federal», comentó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Al trabajar con el Departamento de Justicia para instituir una reforma policial, la Policía de Antioch está enviando un mensaje fuerte que la discriminación y la conducta indebida que impulsaron esta investigación no se tolerarán. El acuerdo que hemos conseguido garantizará que las prácticas policiales de Antioch estén libres de discriminación en el camino futuro—la comunidad no merece menos». «La aplicación de la ley sólo es eficaz cuando inspira la confianza pública», afirmó Ismail Ramsey, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Norte de California. «Una fuerza policial que discrimina por motivos de raza y otras clases protegidas socava tanto la seguridad pública como la confianza pública. El acuerdo de hoy ayudará a garantizar que la vigilancia policial en Antioch se realice de manera constitucional y ayudará a restablecer la confianza pública». En respuesta a la investigación, la APD, la Ciudad de Antioch, y la Administradora de la Ciudad trabajaron en cooperación con el Departamento para alcanzar un acuerdo de resolución que encarnase un compromiso con la ausencia de discriminación en las operaciones de vigilancia policial de la APD y el avance de sus esfuerzos continuos por prevenir y abordar las prácticas discriminatorias de aplicación de la ley. En virtud del acuerdo, la APD contratará a un consultor experto en aplicación de la ley seleccionado conjuntamente por las partes para revisar y actualizar los procedimientos, políticas y capacitación de la APD sobre una variedad de temas, lo que incluye la vigilancia policial no discriminatoria, el uso de la fuerza, la contratación y ascensos, investigaciones de conducta indebida, la disciplina, la vigilancia comunitaria y el acceso lingüístico, entre otros temas. El acuerdo contempla una función para la Comisión de Supervisión de la Policía de Antioch y establece un marco para la recopilación de datos y la presentación de informes durante un período de cinco años de supervisión departamental, entre otras disposiciones. La no discriminación en virtud del Título VI y la ley de Calles Seguras es una de las principales prioridades de la División de Derechos Civiles. Hay más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles a www.justice.gov/crt . Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: The United States Reaches Proposed Consent Decree to Resolve Claims that Conditions Inside the Fulton County Jail Violate the Constitution  and Other Federal Laws

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that the United States has entered into a court-enforceable agreement to resolve the findings that conditions of confinement at the Fulton County Jail violate the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The United States filed a complaint and a proposed consent decree with Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff in federal court. “Our report from an investigation of Fulton County and the Fulton County Jail concluded that the Constitutional rights of incarcerated persons are being violated,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The proposed consent decree serves as a cooperative measure to address the grievous pattern of inhumane – and frequently violent – treatment of people in custody, along with the filthy and unsanitary living conditions they endure while awaiting formal charges or trials at the Fulton County Jail. This office is deeply invested in the well-being of all our residents, and we are hopeful that the systemic deficiencies revealed by our report will be remedied through the implementation of the requirements outlined in the decree, along with regular oversight of the progress of Fulton County and the Fulton County Jail, as overseen by an independent monitor.” “This proposed consent decree is a critical step toward correcting the dangerous and dehumanizing conditions that have persisted in the Fulton County Jail for far too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “When the Department announced findings from our investigation of the Fulton County Jail in November, we called on the County and Sheriff’s Office to remedy the troubling pattern of unsanitary living conditions, brutal physical attacks, and other dangerous issues at the Jail. We are encouraged that local officials have agreed to a plan that will begin to address the inhumane, unconstitutional conditions that were reflected in Lashawn Thompson’s horrific death.” “Our findings regarding the Fulton County Jail identified serious and life-threatening violations of the Constitution and other laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Detention in the Fulton County Jail amounted to a death sentence for dozens of people who have been murdered or who died as a result of inhumane conditions inside the facility. The proposed consent decree includes strong remedial provisions, an independent monitor and other remedies that make it a model for addressing these kinds of violations in jails and prisons across the nation. If fully implemented, this consent decree and its comprehensive remedies should reduce violence and unnecessary force; increase the quality of medical and mental health care; reduce the use of unnecessary isolation, particularly for people with mental illness and 17-year-old children; and afford children with disabilities the education to which they are entitled. We thank the County and Sheriff for working with the Justice Department on these long overdue reforms.” The proposed consent decree, which must still be approved by the court, would resolve the United States’ claims that the Jail engages in a pattern or practice of violating the rights of people incarcerated at the facility. Under the proposed consent decree, the Jail will, among other things: Develop plans and policies to keep incarcerated people safe from violence; Improve supervision and staffing; Maintain doors and locks in working order; Require staff to abide by constitutional standards when using force; Take steps to protect incarcerated people at risk of suicide and to afford incarcerated people adequate medical and mental health care; Develop and implement a comprehensive housekeeping plan and pest management system to keep the Jail clean, sanitary, and free of pests; Stop use of isolation or restrictive housing of vulnerable people who are at substantial risk of self-harm or other negative mental health outcomes, absent specific and significant protections; and Facilitate the provision of adequate special education services to children with disabilities in the Jail. The proposed consent decree provides for an independent monitor to assess the Jail’s implementation of the decree’s requirements. The monitor will issue public reports on the Jail’s progress every six months and members of the public can share information with the monitor regarding implementation of the decree and Jail conditions. The United States initiated its investigation of the Fulton County Jail in July 2023. The United States’ investigation proceeded under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), Americans with Disabilities Act, and Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. These statutes authorize the Attorney General to file a lawsuit in federal court to seek court-ordered remedies to eliminate a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct. The United States provided Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff with written notice of its findings, along with the supporting facts for its findings, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the violations found. The proposed consent decree seeks to address and resolve those violations. The case is being handled by Aileen Bell Hughes, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity & Civil Rights Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebeca Ojeda and Rahul Garabadu of the Northern District of Georgia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Johnson. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Middle Georgia Resident Admits to Robbing Macon Credit Unions in 2022

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident who brandished a firearm during two bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery in 2022—causing victims to suffer panic attacks and stealing a total of $38,274—is facing up to 25 years in prison. Felix Cordes, 57, of Macon, Georgia, pleaded guilty to bank robbery before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Jan. 2. Cordes faces a maximum of 25 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Bank tellers were terrified when Felix Cordes walked into their workplace and threatened them with a firearm, a scene he replayed again and then attempted a third time, his final act thwarted by brave credit union employees who saw him coming with a gun and quickly locked down the bank,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Individuals whose criminal actions terrorize our community will be held accountable for their crimes.” “Cordes terrified employees and customers of three businesses throughout his crime spree,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “We are extremely grateful that no one was physically hurt or killed during these violent robberies, and thankful that Cordes is off our streets and facing justice in our federal court system.” “Felix Cordes was a ruthless and relentless criminal who possibly could have killed innocent bank employees had he not been stopped by the diligent work of investigators,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis. “We can be grateful that justice has been served and he will be held accountable for spreading mayhem in our community.” According to the court documents and statements referenced in court, Cordes robbed MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union in Macon on April 2, 2022. Cordes attempted to disguise himself in overalls, a bandana and sunglasses. He approached the bank tellers on staff and brandished a handgun, ordering the tellers to “take the money out.” He went behind the counter and pulled cash out of two drawers, placed the money in a bag and left the scene. Some tellers experienced panic attacks from intimidation caused by Cordes. Cordes used some of the stolen money to purchase two cell phones at a Boost store. With the aid of an accomplice, Cordes robbed the Central Georgia Regional Credit Union in Macon on May 2, 2022. Wearing blue latex gloves and brandishing a firearm, he stole cash from the bank. He attempted to commit a third robbery on May 24, 2022, at another MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union location in Macon. This attempt was unsuccessful, because bank staff saw Cordes and an accomplice, both masked, approach the bank with a silver handgun drawn. The staff was able to lock down the bank and thwart the robbery attempt. No money was stolen. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence used by Cordes on April 6, 2022, and found a bandana matching the one seen on video during the first MidSouth Bank robbery video, blue latex gloves like those worn by Cordes during the second robbery, boxes corresponding to the cellphones purchased from Boost with the stolen money and a box of 9-millimeter ammunition. Cordes stole a total of $38,274 from the two credit unions. This case was investigated by FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Justice Department Finds State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and Oklahoma City Police Department Discriminate Against People with Behavioral Health Disabilities

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Note : View Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke's remarks here. The Justice Department announced today that it has reasonable cause to believe that the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities. Specifically, the department finds that: Oklahoma unnecessarily institutionalizes, or puts at serious risk of unnecessary institutionalization, adults with behavioral health disabilities in the Oklahoma County area, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); Oklahoma City and OKCPD engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when providing emergency response services, in violation of Title II of the ADA and the pattern or practice provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. “People with behavioral health disabilities in the Oklahoma County area are not receiving the support they need,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Instead of accessing treatment in the community, they are institutionalized repeatedly. Further, when they call 911 for a behavioral health emergency, they get a response by armed police, even when there is no public safety issue identified. As a result, urgent mental health needs often go unaddressed and crisis situations are needlessly escalated, sometimes leading to avoidable use of force. We recognize that the state and the city are taking preliminary steps to improve access for and treatment of people with behavioral health disabilities. The Justice Department is committed to working collaboratively with Oklahoma and Oklahoma City so that they implement the right services and supports their communities need and institute a lasting remedial plan.” The department’s investigation of the State of Oklahoma found that thousands of people with behavioral health disabilities are admitted to psychiatric hospitals in the Oklahoma County area each year, and many have long or repeated stays. Many also have long-term stays in nursing or residential care facilities. Most would prefer to live in their communities, surrounded by friends and family, and to have the freedom to make their own choices about their lives. These individuals could live successfully in their communities if they received critical community-based services that are proven to help people with behavioral health disabilities avoid unnecessary admissions or unnecessarily lengthy stays in segregated institutional settings. But Oklahoma does not provide sufficient services to prevent unnecessary institutionalization. As a result, many people with behavioral health disabilities never receive treatment until they are in crisis, when they instead end up needlessly hospitalized or in contact with law enforcement. For many in the Oklahoma County area, OKCPD is the law enforcement agency they encounter. The investigation also concluded that when a person calls 911 seeking assistance with a behavioral health issue, the city sends police as the sole responders in most cases. In many cases these calls for assistance could be more effectively resolved by a response by behavioral health professionals who can provide appropriate treatment, but the city rarely involves such professionals. Instead, armed OKCPD officers respond to situations involving behavioral health needs, often failing to help, escalating crises or even unnecessarily using force. During the department’s investigation, both the state and city initiated improvements to their systems. The state continued to expand its crisis system and released an updated Olmstead plan, and the city announced plans to develop and provide a behavioral health response to 911 calls, and began to make improvements within OKCPD that will help address these violations. The department will be conducting outreach to members of the Oklahoma community for input on remedies to address the department’s findings. People may also submit recommendations by calling (888) 473-3460 or emailing MentalHealth.Oklahoma@usdoj.gov . The department has opened 12 pattern and practice investigations into law enforcement agencies since 2021 pursuant to 34 U.S.C. 12601, and has been actively monitoring over a dozen agreements with law enforcement agencies that were secured prior to that period. Since 2021, the department has successfully concluded agreements and portions of consent decrees with the Yonkers, New York, Police Department ; the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Police Department ; the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department ; the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau ; and the Seattle Police Department . The department has issued findings reports concerning several agencies including: Louisville, Kentucky, Metro Police Department ; the Minneapolis Police Department ; the Phoenix Police Department ; the Lexington, Mississippi, Police Department ; the Trenton, New Jersey, Police Department ; the Memphis, Tennessee, Police Department ; the Worcester, Massachusetts, Police Department ; and the Mt. Vernon, New York, Police Department . Investigations are ongoing regarding the Louisiana State Police ; the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division ; and the Rankin County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Department . The department also reached a court enforceable agreement with Louisville to resolve its findings. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt . The Justice Department will hold a virtual community meeting on Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. CT. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the findings. Please register to join the meeting at www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_lZgzBC4lRJiw7tk3pfEXrw#/registration .


title: Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Nevada to Ensure Children with Behavioral Health Disabilities Can Live in Their Homes and Communities

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with the State of Nevada to resolve the department’s findings that Nevada violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. by unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in institutional settings like hospitals and residential treatment facilities. “Children with disabilities deserve to live with their families and in the communities they call home,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “These children should not be isolated in hospitals and residential treatment facilities, far from their homes. In this settlement, Nevada has committed that children with behavioral health disabilities will receive the services they need to remain in their communities. We look forward to partnering with Nevada as it implements this agreement and ushers in a new era of meaningful reform.” Under the ADA and the Olmstead decision, states must administer their services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. This agreement, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, will allow Nevada’s children with behavioral health disabilities to access the services they need without being forced to leave their homes, schools, and communities. To increase community integration for these children, Nevada has made significant commitments in this agreement, including: Children who may have a behavioral health disability will be screened and assessed, and provided with service coordination; Children with behavioral health disabilities will have access to expanded home- and community-based services. These services include wraparound facilitation, mobile crisis and stabilization services, respite care, individual and family therapy, behavioral support services, family peer support and youth peer support; Nevada will improve diversion and transition processes to ensure children with behavioral health disabilities are being diverted from, and transitioned as quickly as possible from, segregated placements; and Nevada will strengthen its quality assurance and performance improvement system. Earlier today, the department filed a complaint . At the same time, the parties asked the court to dismiss the complaint but retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement. An independent reviewer will evaluate the state’s compliance with the agreement. Children with disabilities have been a significant focus of the Civil Rights Division’s Olmstead enforcement work. In November 2024, the division entered an agreement with Maine resolving a lawsuit that alleged that Maine failed to serve children with behavioral health disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate; in July 2023, the division secured a court victory in a case challenging Florida’s unnecessary institutionalization of children with complex medical needs; and in December 2022, the division issued a report finding that Alaska violated Title II of the ADA by unnecessarily institutionalizing children with behavioral health disabilities. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Government Contractor Agrees to Pay $1M to Resolve False Claims Act  Allegations for Submitting Fraudulent Bids on Prime Vendor Contracts

component: Civil Division

body_text: Johnny Buscema Jr. of New Port Richey, Florida, and his companies, S.A.F.E. Structure Designs, based in Las Vegas, and U.S.A. Manufacturing, based in New Port Richey, have agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by causing a prime vendor for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to submit fraudulent contract bids to DLA that resulted in Department of Defense (DoD) customers being overcharged for goods and related services purchased under those contracts. The settlement is based on the settling parties’ ability to pay. Buscema owns S.A.F.E. Structure Designs, which sells safety equipment to government customers, and USA Manufacturing, a general construction company. Both companies provide third party logistics support, such as product acquisition, receiving, warehousing, transportation, shipping and returns, to military customers through DLA contracts for Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) for the Northeast and Southeast regions of the United States. The MRO contracts covered by the settlement are held by a “prime vendor,” which procures for DoD agencies supplies and equipment, such as chemicals, electrical supplies, hardware, HVAC/refrigeration, prefabricated structures and a variety of small tools. The goal of the MRO program is to achieve favorable product pricing through leveraged buying, infrastructure savings, and inventory cost reductions. To obtain the best price for items procured for the government, the MRO contracts require the prime vendor to engage in a competitive bidding process, soliciting bids from two independently competing vendors for transactions below $25,000 and from three independently competing vendors for transactions at or above $25,000. The United States alleged that, from 2016 to 2023, the settling parties conspired with other entities to rig bids for awards on the MRO contracts for the Northeast and Southeast regions of the United States. More specifically, Buscema allegedly submitted non-competitive bids, paid other vendors to submit non-competitive bids and submitted multiple bids from his own two companies on the same solicitations to assist the prime vendor to meet its obligation to obtain bids from two or three vendors and to make one of the bids appear more competitive. As a result of these alleged schemes, the United States contends it was overcharged for items purchased under the MRO contracts. “Those who seek to do business with the government are expected to compete fairly and independently to ensure that the government receives an appropriate price,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will hold accountable government contractors that engage in bid rigging or otherwise seek to defraud the American taxpayers.” “As evidenced in this settlement agreement, these contractors gamed the system to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “They manipulated and undermined the fair and open bidding process designed to save our military — and taxpayers — money. Contractors should be scrupulous in dealing with the government, not coordinating with each other to pad their bottom line. When defense contractors collude, rather than compete, they violate the law and the public’s trust.” “The DoD expects its contractors to compete in open and fair markets,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DoD’s Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Northeast Field Office. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of anticompetitive practices and ensure the integrity of the DoD’s procurement process.” “Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division works diligently to maintain the Army’s readiness and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to prevent and thoroughly investigate fraudulent activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID)’s Fraud Field Office. “CID is committed to providing expertise and capabilities supporting whole of government efforts to ensure the U.S. Army remains the most technologically advanced, capable, and ready fighting force in the world.” The resolution obtained in this matter was 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 Massachusetts, with assistance from DCIS, Army CID, Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Ross and Brian LaMacchia for the District of Massachusetts handled the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Booz Allen Agrees to Pay $15.875M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

body_text: Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (Booz Allen) has agreed to pay the United States $15,875,000 to resolve allegations that Booz Allen Hamilton Engineering Services LLC (BES), a wholly owned subsidiary of Booz Allen, violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting fraudulent claims to the United States in connection with a General Services Administration (GSA) task order to supply computer military training simulators and systems to Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, including the Air Force. Booz Allen, which is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, provides a range of management, consulting and engineering services to the government. BES was an engineering services firm located in Annapolis Junction, Maryland, with offices in Dayton, Ohio, and other locations. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that BES, through its former program managers John G. Hancock and Karen K. Paulsen, knowingly engaged in a fraudulent course of conduct with Keith A. Seguin, then a civilian Air Force employee and contracting official, and David J. Bolduc Jr., the co-owner and manager of a BES subcontractor, QuantaDyn Corporation, that resulted in GSA awarding BES a task order for training simulators. BES, in turn, awarded task orders (or “modules”) to QuantaDyn. The government alleges that Seguin improperly and illegally divulged confidential government contracting and budget information, a competitor’s confidential bid or proposal information and source selection information to Hancock and Paulsen, who used the illicit information despite knowing they were not authorized to possess it. Through this conduct, Hancock and Paulsen successfully influenced GSA to award the task order to BES. Additionally, the government alleges that, after the GSA award, Hancock, Paulsen, Seguin and Bolduc made use of confidential government budget information to formulate and submit price quotes to GSA for the individual modules that BES awarded to QuantaDyn on a sole-source basis. As a result of the conduct described above, BES, through Hancock and Paulsen, knowingly submitted fraudulent claims to GSA under the 37 modules awarded to QuantaDyn, which GSA paid. Hancock, Paulsen, Seguin and Bolduc previously resolved criminal charges related to this conduct. “Government contractors that improperly receive confidential government information during the procurement process corrupt the integrity of that process,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to protecting the integrity of the government’s procurement process.” “Over the past several years, my office has used every tool at its disposal — from civil settlements to criminal prosecution to asset forfeiture — to hold accountable the companies and individuals that helped a corrupt federal employee at Randolph Air Force Base defraud the United States by steering training simulator contracts,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I am grateful for the assistance of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division and our law enforcement partners in finally closing the book on this fraud scheme with the civil settlement announced today.” “This case demonstrates the unwavering dedication of the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue those who undermine the integrity of the DoD contracting process,” said the Honorable Robert P. Storch, Inspector General of the Department of Defense. “This settlement announcement highlights the steadfast commitment of DCIS and our investigative partners to holding accountable those who seek to enrich themselves by jeopardizing the welfare of America’s warfighter and defrauding American taxpayers.” “The GSA Office of Inspector General will continue working with law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars and the integrity of federal contracting,” said GSA Deputy Inspector General Robert C. Erickson. The civil resolution obtained in this matter was 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 Western District of Texas, with assistance from the GSA Office of Inspector General (OIG); DCIS; and the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), Headquarters, Operations Investigative Support Division (OIS). Attorneys Seth W. Greene and Art J. Coulter of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Parnham Jr. for the Western District of Texas handled the matter, with assistance from GSA OIG Special Agent Gregory A. Fallecker. In September 2020, the United States entered into a civil settlement agreement with QuantaDyn and William T. Dunn Jr., the majority owner, president and CEO of QuantaDyn. The claims resolved by the United States are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Government Contractors and Owner Agree to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Allegations of Submitting Fraudulent Bids

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – S.A.F.E. Structure Designs, U.S.A. Manufacturing, and their owner, Johnny Buscema, Jr., have agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting, or causing the submission of, false claims on a prime vendor contract with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which the Department of Defense (DoD) uses to purchase goods and services. S.A.F.E. Structure, based in Las Vegas, Nev., sells safety equipment, and USA Manufacturing, based in Port Ritchey, Fla., is a general construction company. Buscema, of Port Richey, owns and operates both companies. S.A.F.E Structure and USA Manufacturing were vendors to Noble Sales Co., Inc. d/b/a Noble Supply & Logistics (Noble), which is a Boston-based prime contractor to DLA for Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) contracts for the Northeast and Southeast regions. Under the MRO contracts, the DoD can place orders for goods and services through Noble, and Noble is required to solicit bids from two independently competing vendors for transactions below $25,000, and from three independently competing vendors for transactions at or above $25,000. According to DLA, MRO contracts are “a partnership aimed at achieving infrastructure savings, inventory cost reductions, and favorable product pricing through leveraged buying.” Pursuant to the settlement agreement , Buscema, S.A.F.E. Structure, and USA Manufacturing admitted that, from 2014 to 2023, they coordinated with Noble or other vendors to submit bids on the MRO contracts. For example, Buscema and his companies admitted that, at Noble’s request, they submitted over 100 bids—which they called “courtesy bids” or “comps”—where Buscema and his companies had no intention of winning the business. For these “courtesy bids” or “comps,” Noble provided Buscema and his companies with the specific prices that Buscema’s companies should bid or a price that the bids should exceed. As a result, vendors other than S.A.F.E. Structure or USA Manufacturing won the business. Buscema also admitted that he paid two other vendors to submit at least 60 “courtesy bids” or “comps,” so that S.A.F.E. Structure or USA Manufacturing won the business. Buscema also admitted that, on occasion, he provided a bid from S.A.F.E Structure and a bid from USA Manufacturing for the same solicitation, even though Buscema owned both companies, and that Noble was aware that Buscema owned both companies. The United States contends that claims under the MRO contracts resulting from these coordinated bids were false under the False Claims Act, and that the DoD paid more under the MRO Contracts as a result. “As evidenced in this settlement agreement, these contractors gamed the system to line their own pockets. They manipulated and undermined the fair and open bidding process designed to save our military – and taxpayers – money. Contractors should be scrupulous in dealing with the government, not coordinating with each other to pad their bottom line,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “When defense contractors collude, rather than compete, they violate the law and the public’s trust.” “Those who seek to do business with the government are expected to compete fairly and independently to ensure that the government receives an appropriate price,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will hold accountable government contractors that engage in bid rigging or otherwise seek to defraud the American taxpayers.” “The Department of Defense (DoD) expects its contractors to compete in open and fair markets,” said Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the DoD’s Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of anticompetitive practices and ensure the integrity of the DoD’s procurement process.” “Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division works diligently to maintain the Army’s readiness and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to prevent and thoroughly investigate fraudulent activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID)’s Fraud Field Office. “CID is committed to providing expertise and capabilities supporting whole of government efforts to ensure the U.S. Army remains the most technologically advanced, capable, and ready fighting force in the world.” “GSA OIG remains committed to working closely with its law enforcement partners to protect American taxpayer dollars and government programs from fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dattoria, U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General (GDS OIG), Northeast Field Investigations Division. U.S. Attorney Levy, Deputy AAG Boynton, DCIS SAC Hegarty, ARMY CID SAC Kelly and GSA SAC Dattoria made the announcement. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian LaMacchia and Lindsey Ross for the District of Massachusetts, and Trial Attorney Samson Asiyanbi of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.


title: Honduran National and Convicted Arsonist Sentenced to Nearly Two Years for Illegally Reentering United States

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Honduran national was sentenced in federal court on December 5, 2024, to twenty-one months in federal prison for being unlawfully in the United States after having been previously removed. According to court documents, on January 1, 2023, the Robertsdale Police Department arrested Marlon Pineda-Enamorado for arson, first degree. The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations of Mobile was notified of Pienda’s arrest. ICE officers investigated and determined that Pineda had been previously removed from the United States on two occasions. ICE verified that Pineda did not have any lawful authority to be voluntarily present in the United States when he was arrested by the Robertsdale Police Department for arson-related charges. Pineda was separately convicted in state court for arson first degree, and on November 11, 2024, Pineda was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Baldwin County Circuit Court. Upon release from imprisonment, Pineda will be delivered to a duly authorized immigration official for deportation proceedings. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Robertsdale Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Kopf prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Baton Rouge Man Indicted For Distribution Of Heroin And Fentanyl With Death And Serious Bodily Injury Resulting From The Use Of The Heroin And Fentanyl

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: A federal grand jury recently returned a two-count indictment charging Ecknozzio C. Jackson, Jr., age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with distribution of heroin and fentanyl with death and serious bodily injury resulting from the use of the heroin and fentanyl. On January 2, 2025, Jackson appeared for his arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges. According to court documents, on or about December 16, 2019, Jackson distributed a substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, with serious bodily injury resulting from the use of the heroin after being ingested by an individual. Then on or about December 17, 2019, Jackson distributed a substance containing detectable amounts of heroin and fentanyl with death and serious bodily injury of an individual resulting from the use of said heroin and fentanyl. The indictment counts are each punishable by a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 20 years and up to life. This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese. NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.


title: Kansas Man Sentenced To 18 Months For Stealing, Selling Human Remains

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann sentenced Angelo Pereyra, age 39, of Wichita, Kansas, to 18 months in prison for interstate transport of stolen human remains and body parts. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Pereyra previously pleaded guilty to a Criminal Information, admitting that between 2018 and 2022, Pereyra stole human remains and body parts from a Kansas hospital where he was employed as a pathology assistant and sold them. Pereyra stole organs and portions of organs, including human hearts, brains, spleen, testicle, intestine, and livers, amputated feet and toes, and other parts. Some of the specimens he stole came from deceased individuals, others from living patients. Most egregiously, Pereyra stole the corpses of miscarried and stillborn fetuses before they could be properly buried. Pereyra sold the stolen specimens to Andrew Ensanian, of Montgomery, Pennsylvania, and shipped them to him from Kansas to Pennsylvania via U.S. Postal Service. Ensanian previously entered a guilty plea to the same Information, and is awaiting sentencing. These charges resulted from a multi-year investigation into the nationwide trafficking of stolen human remains. Multiple defendants have been charged previously in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and five have thus far entered guilty pleas. An additional defendant has been charged and convicted in Arkansas. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Minnesota Man Sentenced To 15 Months For Trafficking In Stolen Human Remains

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann sentenced Matthew Lampi, age 50, of East Bethel, Minnesota, to 15 months in prison for interstate transport of stolen human remains. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Lampi previously entered a guilty plea to a felony Indictment, admitting that he had purchased and caused to be transported in interstate commerce stolen human remains. Lampi admitted that he had purchased human remains, including the corpse of a stillborn baby boy, from Jeremy Pauley, a resident of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pauley purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole the remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pauley sold many of the stolen remains he purchased to other individuals, including Matthew Lampi. Lampi and Pauley bought and sold from each other over an extended period of time and exchanged over $100,000 in online payments. Among the items Pauley sold and shipped to Lampi in Minnesota was the corpse of a stillborn baby named Lux. Lux’s mother, who had engaged a funeral home in the Little Rock area to cremate her son’s remains, was given ashes purported to be the cremains of her deceased son. Instead, Scott stole the baby’s body and sold and shipped it to Pauley, who then sold and shipped it to Lampi. In addition to 15 months in prison, Chief Judge Brann ordered Lampi to pay a fine of $2,000 and restitution to Lux’s mother of $1,700. Both Pauley and Chapman Scott are awaiting sentencing after entering pleas of guilty to federal charges in Pennsylvania and Arkansas, respectively. This case is part of a multi-year investigation into interstate trafficking of stolen human remains. Multiple defendants have been charged in this district ad Arkansas, and several have entered pleas of guilty. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Operations Manager Pleads Guilty to Kickback Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A New York operations manager pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans. Timothy Doyle, 45, of Selden, N.Y. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for April 3, 2025. From at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Doyle conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test. The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims. The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $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; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Hartford Man Who Trafficked Guns and Crack Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JACQUERIE LABRONZE GIBSON, also known as “Compton,” 44, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms and crack cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2021, law enforcement received information that Gibson was trafficking firearms that had been purchased by Jacintre Holley, and others on Holley’s behalf, in North Carolina; was distributing narcotics, which he sometimes traded for firearms; and was converting cocaine to crack cocaine at his Wethersfield Avenue apartment in Hartford. On August 12, 2021, investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at Gibson’s residence and seized a loaded Taurus Model G3 9mm handgun, additional ammunition, a bullet proof vest, approximately 90 grams of crack cocaine, various items used to process and package narcotics, and $860 in cash. Gibson was in the apartment at the time of the search and was arrested. The investigation revealed that Gibson’s firearm source in North Carolina had sold approximately 15 firearms to Gibson and approximately 50 firearms to another buyer in Connecticut. To date, at least 16 of these trafficked firearms have been recovered from crime scenes in and around Connecticut, including one that was used in homicide in Middletown on May 16, 2021. Gibson’s criminal history includes felony convictions for drug, burglary, and failure to appear offenses, and a conviction in April 2005 for assault in the first degree stemming from a knife attack of his then girlfriend. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Gibson has been detained since his arrest. On August 31, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”), and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. On February 23, 2023, Holley was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to 127 months of imprisonment. This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Middletown Police Department, and the Greenville (N.C.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr. 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Violent Crime in D.C. Hits 30 Year Low

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON - Total violent crime for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest it has been in over 30 years, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves. A breakdown of the data is available here . In addition to the overall violent crime reduction, homicides are down 32%; robberies are down 39%; armed carjackings are down 53%; assaults with a dangerous weapon are down 27% when compared with 2023 levels, with the District reporting the fewest assaults with dangerous weapons and burglaries in over 30 years. “The strategy this Office began to employ shortly after I came into this role has been to work with our law enforcement partners to focus on the drivers of violence - those gangs or crews of people who are dealing drugs, protecting turf, committing carjackings and other robberies, all while armed,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “It takes time to develop these investigations and prosecutions, but this is the fruit of that labor - a reduction in the violent crime - that D.C. is now seeing.” A central component of this strategy has been targeting those crews who have preyed upon certain neighborhoods in our community, often operating drug trafficking networks in these neighborhoods. These proactive investigations and prosecutions have yielded immediate reductions in violence that have had lasting impact. For instance, an MPD analysis of crime trends in the area around MLK Mellon before and after a crew operating a drug market in that area was arrested revealed that there was a 66% reduction in violent crime in the area when comparing the six months prior to the arrests to the six months after the arrests. Even two years after these arrests, there was a 56% reduction in the number of homicides that occurred after the arrests when compared to the two years before. Another key component of this proactive approach was implementing in April 2022, Project Safe Neighborhood - a daily review by the Office and our law enforcement partners of every firearms arrest in the District to determine, using objective criteria about the person arrested and the firearm recovered, whether the case should be charged in U.S. District Court or D.C. Superior Court. Since April 2022, the Office has accepted for prosecution in U.S. District Court more than 150 gun offenders under this initiative. Finally, the Office has continued to do all that it can to hold accountable those who commit violent crimes with firearms and those who illegally possess firearms. And the Office has committed to provide on a quarterly basis data related to these efforts - data that can be found here . This data reflects that in the first half of 2024, the Office was able to charge at the time of arrest more than 90% of arrests for violent crimes committed with guns and nearly 70% of gun possession arrests. The Office continues to investigate many of these arrests even if it does not charge on the day of arrest. Also in the first half of 2024, the Office obtained convictions in approximately 75% of these gun-related cases. These numbers related to firearms offenses are critical and stand in stark contrast to the overall day-of-arrest charging rate for every arrest in the District of Columbia, which is a significantly less informative metric. The vast majority of arrests in the District of Columbia are for misdemeanor offenses that are often non-violent in nature. For such offenses, the Office has had a longstanding practice of giving great weight to victims’ wishes about whether they want charges brought. For a variety of reasons, a substantial number of victims do not want criminal charges brought for these relatively minor offenses. In Fiscal Year 2019, the Office expanded into a new section the number of prosecutors devoted to reviewing arrests and examining body-worn camera (BWC) footage - Fiscal Year 2018 was the first Fiscal Year where BWC had been fully deployed for the entire year - to determine whether the BWC footage reflected issues that would later require the Office to dismiss a prosecution or if there were otherwise fatal flaws with the case. This section is called the Early Case Assessment Section (ECAS). The combination of BWC footage and ECAS’s early detection of arrests that, if charged, would later need to be dismissed led to relatively modest decreases in cases charged at the time of arrest in Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019. The overall day-of-arrest charging rate dropped dramatically in Fiscal Years 2020, 2021, and 2022, as the global pandemic brought the criminal justice system to a halt and the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences lost its accreditation in 2021. Our Office, along with our local partners, worked to overcome these challenges and the overall day-of-arrest charging rate in Fiscal Year 2024 of 57% is virtually identical to the 54% day-of-arrest charging rate that the Office reported in Fiscal Year 2019 after forming ECAS. More significantly, though, the Office dismissed far fewer of the cases it charged in Fiscal Year 2024 than it did in Fiscal Year 2018, so more arrests resulted in a prosecutorial outcome in Fiscal Year 2024 than in Fiscal Year 2018. For felonies, in particular, the percentage of cases with a prosecutorial outcome rose from 66% in Fiscal Year 2018 to 85% in Fiscal Year 2024. There is value in addressing the issues, such as the lack of drug testing, that were preventing our Office from charging, at the time-of-arrest, non-violent misdemeanor offenses. While charging more non-violent offenses can benefit the community and offenders are often sentenced to periods of probation with services that hopefully aid in rehabilitation, these cases typically do not identify and remove violent offenders from the community. As is universally recognized, targeting the relatively limited number of individuals responsible for driving gun violence is the most impactful thing that prosecutors can do to contribute to the kinds of sharp declines in violent crime the District saw in 2024. To that end, multiple proactive investigations are already underway that should further reduce violent crime in 2025. 2024 Violent Crime Outcomes ## Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Justice Department Reaches Proposed Consent Decree with Fulton County, Georgia, and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to Resolve Claims that Conditions Inside the Fulton County Jail Violate the Constitution and Other Federal Laws

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note : View Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke's remarks here. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced today that the Department has entered into a court-enforceable agreement to resolve the Department’s findings that conditions of confinement at the Fulton County Jail (the Jail) in Georgia violate the 8th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Today, the Department filed a complaint and a proposed consent decree with Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff in federal court. The proposed consent decree, which must still be approved by the court, would resolve the Department’s claims that that the Jail engages in a pattern or practice of violating the rights of people incarcerated there. Under the proposed consent decree, the Jail will, among other things: Develop plans and policies to keep incarcerated people safe from violence; Improve supervision and staffing; Keep doors and locks in working order; Require any use of force by staff comply with constitutional standards; Take steps to protect incarcerated people at risk of suicide and to afford incarcerated people adequate medical and mental health care; Develop and implement a comprehensive housekeeping plan and pest management system to keep the Jail clean, sanitary, and free of pests; Stop housing vulnerable people in isolation when they are at substantial risk of self-harm or other negative mental health outcomes absent specific and significant protections; and Facilitate the provision of adequate special education services to children with disabilities in the Jail. The proposed consent decree provides for an independent monitor to assess the Jail’s implementation of the decree’s requirements. The monitor will issue public reports on the Jail’s progress every six months and members of the public can share information with the monitor regarding implementation of the decree and Jail conditions. “This proposed consent decree is a critical step toward correcting the dangerous and dehumanizing conditions that have persisted in the Fulton County Jail for far too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “When the Department announced findings from our investigation of the Fulton County Jail in November, we called on the County and Sheriff’s Office to remedy the troubling pattern of unsanitary living conditions, brutal physical attacks, and other dangerous issues at the Jail. We are encouraged that local officials have agreed to a plan that will begin to address the inhumane, unconstitutional conditions that were reflected in Lashawn Thompson’s horrific death.” “Our findings regarding the Fulton County Jail identified serious and life-threatening violations of the Constitution and other laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Detention in the Fulton County Jail amounted to a death sentence for dozens of people who have been murdered or who died as a result of inhumane conditions inside the facility. The proposed consent decree includes strong remedial provisions, an independent monitor and other remedies that make it a model for addressing these kinds of violations in jails and prisons across the nation. If fully implemented, this consent decree and its comprehensive remedies should reduce violence and unnecessary force; increase the quality of medical and mental health care; reduce the use of unnecessary isolation, particularly for people with mental illness and 17-year-old children; and afford children with disabilities the education to which they are entitled. We thank the County and Sheriff for working with the Justice Department on these long overdue reforms.” “Our report from an investigation of Fulton County and the Fulton County Jail concluded that the Constitutional rights of incarcerated persons are being violated,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “The proposed consent decree serves as a cooperative measure to address the grievous pattern of inhumane — and frequently violent — treatment of people in custody, along with the filthy and unsanitary living conditions they endure while awaiting formal charges or trials at the Fulton County Jail. This office is deeply invested in the well-being of all our residents, and we are hopeful that the systemic deficiencies revealed by our report will be remedied through the implementation of the requirements outlined in the decree, along with regular oversight of the progress of Fulton County and the Fulton County Jail, as overseen by an independent monitor.” The Justice Department initiated its investigation of the Fulton County Jail in July 2023. The Department’s investigation proceeded under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), Americans with Disabilities Act, and Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law. These statutes authorize the Attorney General to file a lawsuit in federal court to seek court-ordered remedies to eliminate a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct. The Department provided Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff with written notice of its findings, along with the supporting facts for its findings, and the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the violations found. The proposed consent decree seeks to address and resolve those violations. The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize unconstitutional conditions and violations of federal law in correctional and juvenile justice facilities. It opened new investigations into prisons and jails in Tennessee , California , South Carolina , and juvenile justice facilities across Kentucky . The division also issued findings in its investigations of Mississippi prisons , Texas juvenile justice system’s facilities , the Georgia Department of Corrections , and San Luis Obispo County, California, Jail . The division entered into agreements, including consent decrees, regarding the Cumberland County, New Jersey, Jail , the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, the Broad River Road Complex in South Carolina, the Manson Youth Institution in Connecticut, and the Massachusetts Department of Correction . The division is also litigating matters related to the constitutionality of conditions in Alabama’s prisons for men and the incarceration of people beyond their release dates in Louisiana prisons . For more information about the Civil Rights Division and its Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section . You can also report civil rights violations by completing the complaint form available at civilrights.justice.gov/ . To provide information related to the Department’s investigation of the Fulton County Jail, please call 1-888-473-4092 or email the investigation team at FultonCountyJail@usdoj.gov .


title: Physician sentenced for prescription drug conspiracy resulting in death

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Shakeel Kahn, age 57, was sentenced to 25 years in prison with five years of supervised release to follow for crimes involving drug distribution, firearms possession, and money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Jan. 3, in Cheyenne. A federal jury convicted Khan on Dec. 15, 2024, following a six-week trial before U.S. District Court Alan B. Johnson in Casper. According to court records and trial evidence, between 2011 and 2016, Kahn was a licensed medical doctor who operated clinics in Casper, Wyoming, and Fort Mohave, Arizona. Kahn unlawfully distributed drugs by writing prescriptions for large quantities of opioids without any legitimate medical need in exchange for cash payments from his customers. Kahn possessed firearms in furtherance of his unlawful drug distribution, and at least one person died after overdosing on drugs distributed by Kahn. The United States Supreme Court overturned the original convictions, which Khan was found guilty of in 2019, due to a faulty jury instruction. The Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. This case was brought about by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a federal drug enforcement program in the United States , overseen by the Attorney General and the Department of Justice . The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the major drug trafficking operations, tackle related crimes, such as money laundering , tax and weapon violations, and violent crime, and prosecute those primarily responsible for the nation's drug supply. Case No. 17-CR-00029


title: Physicians Toxicology Laboratory And Its Owners To Pay $4.425 Million To Settle Allegations Of Unnecessary Drug Testing

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Physicians Toxicology Laboratory, LLC (PTL) of Tampa, Florida, has agreed to pay $4,425,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by causing physicians to order medically unnecessary urine drug testing and hormone testing and by submitting claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Program for those tests. Lund Capital Group, LLC (PTL’s grandparent company), PTL’s former president Matthew Ryan Lund, and Thomas C. Lund joined the settlement as jointly and severally liable co-defendants. “Lab tests should be ordered based on each patient’s medical needs and not just to increase laboratory profits,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “Laboratories and ordering practitioners must play by the rules. We will not tolerate conduct by Medicare-enrolled practitioners and laboratories that unnecessarily increases costs to the Medicare Program and wastes taxpayer funds.” WATCH: U.S. Attorney Mark Totten video concerning the settlement . The United States alleges that PTL provided laboratory services for several medical practices in Michigan. These practices ordered urine drug tests (UDTs) for their Medicare patients, and PTL ran these tests and billed Medicare. These practices routinely ordered two types of UDTs: presumptive and definitive. A presumptive UDT is an initial test to detect the presence or absence of a substance or class of substances in the body. A definitive UDT is a more advanced test that can identify individual drugs, distinguish between structural isomers, and report the results of drugs present in concentrations of nanograms per milliliter. Under its rules, Medicare requires that claims for UDTs be based on an individualized determination for each patient. Medicare does not cover “blanket” orders for UDTs. Despite these rules, the United States alleges that from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2019, PTL encouraged these medical practices in Michigan to order UDTs pursuant to blanket orders for all patients without an individualized determination of medical necessity Specifically, PTL created—and encouraged the practices to use—requisition forms that included a simultaneous order for both presumptive and definitive UDTs. PTL also employed and placed in-office urine collectors in the practices, and the collectors typically filled out the blanket orders before submitting them to PTL. As a result, the practices ordered medically unnecessary and non-covered UDTs from PTL, and PTL knowingly submitted these claims to Medicare. Additionally, the United States alleges that PTL billed Medicare for urine tests for hormone levels ordered by one of the practices with almost every UDT when the laboratory knew that the practice was ordering these tests as a form of specimen validity testing, which is already included in the reimbursed costs of UDTs. The United States previously settled allegations of FCA liability for ordering these tests with two of the Michigan practices for a total of $188,633.18. These practices include Family Health Partners, P.C. (and its owner Michael J. Septer, D.O.) of Grand Rapids, and Advanced Pain Solutions, PLLC d/b/a Vitruvian Health of Ionia. In connection with the settlement, PTL, Lund Capital Group, Matthew Ryan Lund, and Thomas C. Lund entered into a three-year Integrity Agreement (IA) with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The Integrity Agreement requires, among other things, that PTL establish and maintain a compliance program and employ a clinical director responsible for reviewing and approving policies and practices related to clinical decision-making and reviewing statements made in marketing materials or by sales staff related to medical necessity or clinical decision-making. The IA also requires PTL to engage an independent review organization to perform a review of claims to determine whether the items and services furnished were medically necessary and appropriately documented. “Health care providers are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Medicare program, but knowingly submitting claims for medically unnecessary services violates that trust and wastes valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) . “This settlement reflects the commitment of HHS-OIG and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect the integrity of the Medicare program by working together to hold providers that submit false claims accountable for their actions.” The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan and HHS-OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Hull and Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova from the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section), prosecuted this case. The claims resolved by these settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. # # #


title: Amite Man Charged with Kidnapping Resulting in Death and Transporting a Minor in Interstate Commerce with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DANIEL WAYNE CALLIHAN (“CALLIHAN”) , age 37, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, was charged today in a two-count bill of information with kidnapping resulting in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a) (Count 1), and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count 2). CALLIHAN was previously charged for his crimes in a federal complaint on June 14, 2024, and has remained in federal custody since that time. According to the bill of information, on or about June 13, 2024, CALLIHAN kidnapped Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 from Loranger, Louisiana, and transported them to the State of Mississippi, using a 2012 Chrysler 200. CALLIHAN's actions resulted in the deaths of Minor Victim 1 and Adult Victim 1. Additionally, the bill of information alleges CALLIHAN transported Minor Victim 2 from the State of Louisiana to the State of Mississippi with intent that Minor Victim 2 engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense, namely violations of criminal laws of the State of Louisiana, including La. Rev. Stat. 14.81 and La Rev. Stat. 43.1, and the State of Mississippi, including Miss. Code § 97-3-95 and Miss. Code § 97-5-23. For Count 1, CALLIHAN faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For Count 2, CALLIHAN faces a mandatory minimum of ten (10) years in prison, and up to life in prison, at least five (5) years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. A conviction on Count 2 may also require CALLIHAN to register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section(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 Justice.gov/PSC . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the United States Marshals Service, Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and Jackson (Mississippi) Police Department. Additionally, U.S. Attorney Evans commended the work of the U.S Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Sarah Dawkins, of the Violent Crime Unit, are in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Georgia Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. –A Southwest Georgia resident with a lengthy criminal history who distributed kilograms of fentanyl and other deadly drugs while in possession of firearms and ammunition was sentenced to serve 40 years in federal prison for his crimes. Larry Roger Sparks, Jr., 46, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 480 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie A. Gardner on Jan. 3. Sparks previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a heroin and fentanyl mixture; one count of distribution of methamphetamine; three counts of distribution of methamphetamine at a place where a person under age 18 resides; one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute at a premises at which a person under 18 resides; one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (a Sig Sauer Model P365 SAS 9mm pistol). There is no parole in the federal system. “Fentanyl and guns are a dangerous combination which will not be tolerated by this office or our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Repeat armed drug traffickers will be held accountable for committing crimes which wreck the peace and safety of a community.” “Locking away criminal drug dealers who choose to push poison on our streets will literally save lives as fentanyl is the number one killer among Americans aged 18-45,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Drug traffickers are poisoning our communities with drugs like fentanyl,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “This case serves as an example of our continued efforts to stop the drug traffickers who ruthlessly target Georgia communities. The GBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue working toward ridding our state of these deadly drugs.” According to court documents, a 2023 undercover GBI investigation into armed fentanyl trafficking in Southwest Georgia led agents to Sparks, who was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine from his Albany residence, where three minor children resided. Agents, working with a confidential source under surveillance and electronic recording, purchased controlled substances from Sparks five times, beginning on March 9, 2023, and ending with a final undercover purchase on May 3, 2023, when Sparks sold 478.2 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine. Agents executed a federal search warrant on May 16, 2023, at Sparks’ residence located at 1501 Pinecrest Drive in Albany. As agents made their approach, three suspected drug customers in the yard fled; one of the individuals discarded a small quantity of suspected heroin and fentanyl mixture. Inside the home, agents found 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine, needles, scales, Narcan, cash and other items associated with drug use and distribution. Agents found six firearms, including a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol. Lab results for the drugs seized at the residence are: 1,206 grams of fentanyl, 1,776 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine and 963 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine. The defendant was taken into custody during a traffic stop on May 16, and was in possession of a loaded Glock 10 mm semiautomatic handgun, a loaded 50-round drum magazine, a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and more than $5,000 in cash. Sparks admitted to receiving a four-kilogram shipment of fentanyl before the search, and said that he had sold all of it, less the 1.2 kilos recovered by agents in his home. Sparks has a lengthy criminal history and has been previously convicted of armed robbery and delivery of a controlled substance in Saginaw, Michigan, as well as possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in the Superior Court of Crisp County, Georgia. The case was investigated by the Worth County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the GBI Southwestern Regional Drug Enforcement Office (SWRDEO) and the DEA. Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Man Who Shot at a Father and His 6-Year-Old Child Gets 24 Year Prison Term

body_text: WASHINGTON –Deon Cannon, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for shooting at a father and his 6-year-old son on Labor Day weekend in 2021, at Naylor Gardens on Terrace Road SE, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Cannon was found guilty on August 7, 2024, of one count of assault with intent to kill while armed of a minor, one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon of a minor, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, one count of unlawful possession of ammunition, and one count of carrying a pistol without a license, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Cannon to serve five years on supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:40 p.m., on September 5, 2021, as Cannon paced the sidewalk on Terrace Road SE, he waited to cross paths with the victim. When the victim walked from a nearby playground with his 6-year-old son, Cannon fired two rounds aimed directly at the victims. In defense of his son, the father fired back, while a second shooter came from around the corner and fired 17 more rounds aimed at the victim. The victim’s son ran away. Cannon was arrested later that day and has been held in custody since. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). They also commended those who worked on the case from the United States Attorney’s Office, including Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Ans, Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa, Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Allen, and Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington. Finally, they commended Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Matar and Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case. ## Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Telehealth Company Pays $386,000 to Resolve Allegations of Overbilling for Medicare Telehealth Time

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky announced today that CompreCare Health LLC, and its affiliates, doing business as Meditelecare LLC, agreed to pay $358,514.00 to resolve allegations that Meditelicare billed Medicare for telehealth psychotherapy sessions that did not meet the minimum time requirements. CompreCare Health is a Connecticut business and provided services in at least 17 states including Kentucky. “I commend the outstanding effort of the attorneys and investigators who worked on this case on behalf of the United States,” said U.S Attorney Bennett. “Those who bill Medicare for timed services must do so accurately as we take these matters very seriously and will vigorously pursue claims that Medicare is being overcharged.” The United States alleged that, between January 1, 2017, and November 30, 2022, Meditelecare submitted and caused the submission of claims to Medicare for telehealth psychotherapy sessions that did not meet the minimum time requirements for payments and relied on false time records in support of these same telehealth services. The allegations arose from a whistleblower suit filed in federal court in Bowling Green, Kentucky. United States ex rel. Laura Cole and Tiffany Saylor v. MedOptions of Kentucky, et al. , 1:19-cv-171-GNS (WDKY). The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Matthew Weyand and William F. Campbell. The case was investigated by Auditor Phil Bezehertny and Federal Investigator Cristal Fox from the United States Attorney’s Office, as well as special agents from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Office of Inspector for the Department of Health and Human Services. ###