LAS VEGAS – The month of June is World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada and the FBI Las Vegas Division are reinvigorating its efforts to protect older citizens from fraudulent and other criminal schemes that cost the United States billions of dollars and threaten to victimize over 100,000 elder Americans each year.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protect our seniors from fraudulent schemes targeting their hearts and bank accounts,” said United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI and other partner agencies to investigate and prosecute financial exploitation crimes and bring criminals to justice.”
“It is essential that we educate the public, specifically our seniors, about the devastating effects of elder fraud schemes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafik Mattar for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “These schemes are critical to protecting them and their hard-earned money. The far-reaching consequences of these elaborate schemes can decimate the life savings of elderly individuals. The FBI works with our local and federal partners to ensure that our seniors, their caregivers, families, and friends know the signs to look for to keep Americans safe from falling victim to these deceitful criminals.”
Romance Fraud
United States v. Aurora Phelps. A 21-count superseding indictment charged Aurora Phelps, who has residences in Las Vegas and Guadalajara, Mexico, for allegedly luring older men she met through online dating services and stealing their monies for her personal benefit. In September 2023, a grand jury indicted Phelps with seven counts of wire fraud; three counts of mail fraud; six counts of bank fraud; three counts of identity theft; one count of kidnapping; and one count of kidnapping resulting in death. Phelps is currently in custody in Mexico.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
National Elder Fraud Hotline
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help older Americans is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage, which can be found at elderjustice.gov. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.
CONCORD – A Dominican Republic national was arrested yesterday, in connection with an enforcement action last week, for his role in a drug trafficking organization operating out of Massachusetts and distributing illegal narcotics in Manchester, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Cesar Joel Perez Mejia, age 30, a Dominican Republic national unlawfully residing in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, was arrested on one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He will appear in federal court today at 4:30pm.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on June 23, 2025, the defendant facilitated a drug sale with an undercover officer. When the defendant arrived at the agreed upon location, law enforcement searched the defendant’s vehicle and found small individually wrapped bags containing approximately 57 grams of suspected fentanyl and 43 grams of suspected crack cocaine.
Possession with intent to distribute carries a maximum prison term of 20 years, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least three years and up to life.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Major Offender Task Force and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. DEA New England, HSI New England, and the Boston, Attleboro, Methuen, Lynn, and Providence Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Shannon and Heather Cherniske are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The State of Qatar participated in the 35th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, held in New York from Jun. 23 to 27.
Assistant Secretary of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the Law of the Sea Omar Ali Al Ali affirmed in the State of Qatar’s statement, delivered during the discussion of the 2024 annual report of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Qatar’s support for the important role played by the Tribunal in resolving disputes by peaceful means, based on the rights and obligations stipulated in the Convention.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Hill (AR-02), Rep. Gottheimer (NJ-05), Rep. Kean Jr. (NJ-07), Rep. Lawler (NY-17), and Rep. Moskowitz (FL-23) introduced the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, which would create a designation for countries or nonstate actors that engage in the unlawful or wrongful detention of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, empowering the Secretary of State and Congress to hold them accountable.
Rep. Hill said, “When Americans are wrongfully detained abroad, it’s not just a personal tragedy — it’s a direct attack on the United States. Those who wrongfully detain Americans must know that there will be real consequences for using U.S. citizens as political pawns. That’s why our bill gives the State Department the tools it needs to hold bad actors accountable while keeping Congress firmly engaged in the process. This bipartisan bill is a strong step toward protecting Americans by deterring and punishing them.”
Rep. Gottheimer said, “As the United States faces increasing threats from foreign adversaries, protecting Americans abroad must remain a top priority. I am proud to help introduce the bipartisan Countering Wrongful Detention Act alongside Congressman Hill to ensure the State Department has the tools it needs to hold bad actors accountable.
“This bipartisan bill will help bring home Americans wrongfully detained around the world and strengthen efforts to prevent future hostage taking. To those being held, and their families, our message is clear: we stand with you and we are fighting every day to bring you home.”
Rep. Kean Jr. said, “My constituent, Sarah Moriarty, lost her fath
er, Robert Levinson, after he was taken hostage by Iran in 2007. Her family spent years wondering where he was, not knowing if he was alive or if they would ever see him again. Sadly, far too many American families have lived through that same kind of fear and heartbreak.
“Hostile regimes like Iran continue to use innocent Americans as bargaining chips, dehumanizing and mistreating them—and in some cases, even taking their lives. The Countering Wrongful DetentionAct makes it clear that there will be consequences for this kind of behavior, and the United States will always go to great lengths to protect its citizens.”
Rep. Lawler said, “As a co-lead on the Countering Wrongful Detention Act, I’m proud to be joining a bipartisan group of colleagues working to protect Americans held hostage by rogue nations as political pawns. This legislation will provide the State Department with the necessary tools to exert pressure while ensuring that Congress maintains accountability. American families deserve nothing less.”
Rep. Moskowitz said, “For years, my constituent Bob Levinson was illegally, unjustly, and unacceptably held by the Iranian regime. Bad actors like these can’t detain Americans without cause and think they can get away with it. I’m helping lead the Countering Wrongful Detention Act becausethis bipartisan bill puts real tools in place that’ll crack down on this practice and send a strong, bipartisan signal that our government will hold accountable any state or nonstate actors who threaten Americans in this way.”
Sarah (Levinson) Moriarty, Co-Founder of R. A. Levinson & Associates and Fellow, New America Future Security Program, said, “Since the introduction of PPD30 ten years ago, and the Robert A. Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage Taking Accountability Act in 2019, we have seen marked improvement in how our government handles the cases of American nationals held hostage by state and nonstate actors.
“This important bipartisan legislation, coming at such a critical time when Americans continue to be taken on a weekly basis as political bargaining chips, is a giant leap forward in creating tangible deterrence that stops bad actors from continuing this horrific practice. Thank you to Representatives Hill, Gottheimer, Kean Jr., Lawler, and Moskowitz for their leadership on this issue.
“We hope to see this legislation passed by Congress and swiftly signed into law, as we know it will help prevent so many Americans from falling victim to the suffering that my father, my family, my friends in the hostage community, and far too many others have experienced.”
“The Foley Foundation supports the bipartisan introduction of this bill in the House of Representatives by Reps. Hill, Kean Jr, Lawler, Gottheimer, and Moskowitz to ensure hostile regimes that take American nationals for political leverage face greater and targeted consequences. We welcome oversight provisions to require public testimony or public reporting that will allow the American people to better understand the threat of international hostage-taking.”
Background:
The bipartisan legislation creates a new authority for the Secretary of State to formally designate countries or nonstate actors as state sponsors of unlawful or wrongful detention, creating a deterrent framework similar to the existing state sponsors of terrorism designation. Once designated, the Secretary may impose a range of penalties on those governments, including diplomatic and economic consequences.
The bill provides congressional oversight by requiring that all state sponsors of unlawful or wrongful detention designations expire unless Congress passes a joint resolution to approve them within six months. Congress would also have the authority to terminate a designation through a joint resolution, ensuring these decisions reflect the interests of the American people and are subject to public accountability.
This legislation further directs the Secretary of State to brief Congress on whether the following countries should be designated under this new authority:
China
Russia
Iran
Afghanistan
Eritrea
Nicaragua
Syria
Venezuela
Belarus
A one-pager on the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025 is available HERE.
Good afternoon. Thank you to Chairman Atkins for convening today’s roundtable and thank you to the moderators and panelists for joining us to discuss this important topic. On a recent trip to Alaska, one of the most striking sights was the rich forests of Sitka spruces clustering on steep mountainsides climbing up from the sea. I quickly stowed my binoculars in favor of taking in the whole scene. Absent a distinguishing feature—a different tree type, an intriguing root system, a bald eagle perched on its branches, or a bear lurking in its shade—the grandeur of the forest is lost when focusing on any one tree. Trying not to lose sight of the forest for the trees in beautiful Alaska brings me back to the ugly reality of executive compensation disclosure. Over the years, executive compensation disclosure has become increasingly unwieldy and expensive and decreasingly useful. The SEC’s rules focus excessively on random trees rather than giving a realistic view of the forest. They direct readers’ attention to a set of executive compensation items that, largely, entertain the onlooker rather than educate the investor. Preparing the lengthy and complex disclosures eats up lots of resources—management time and attention, attorneys’ and accountants’ billable hours, and even trees as pages of disclosures pile up—and distort corporate decision-making.
Done right, disclosure rules are one form of investor protection. Material information provided to prospective investors arms them with “a rational basis to evaluate [a company and] its securities.”[1] My primary question for today’s panels is whether our current disclosure rules on executive compensation accomplish that goal.
Some executive compensation rules seem more responsive to the general public’s curiosity than a genuine investor need for material information. Painstakingly calculated tallies of perks, like rides on the corporate jet, housing allowances for overseas assignments, or car services give us a tiny window into executives’ lives, but do little to fill out an investor’s picture of the company. Lately, our rulemakings have taken a “more is better” approach to executive compensation disclosure. These tack-on rules to the growing alphabet of Item 402 of Reg S-K—we are almost all the way through the alphabet[2]—do not provide new information. Instead, these rules re-package and re-present data that investors mostly already have. Or they add details that are immaterial. Do investors even look at this “new” information? And if they do, are we confident it gives them a rational basis to evaluate a security’s price?
Consider, for example, pay ratio disclosure and pay-versus-performance disclosure. In his statement of dissent on the pay ratio rule, then Commissioner Dan Gallagher noted that it could have been “marginally less useless” if it were limited to U.S. full-time employees.[3] While not a ringing endorsement of the rule or any of its possible permutations, his comment highlights that even with respect to a rule mandated by Congress as this rule was, the Commission retains some latitude to implement it in the best way possible. More recently, pursuant to another Dodd-Frank mandate, the Commission adopted the pay-versus-performance rule. The overarching feedback I hear on the rule is that it is a regulatory “tax” on public companies without a corresponding benefit for investors. Management, and the high-priced consultants and lawyers they hire, spend hours preparing the various narratives, tables, and graphs that produce nothing but yawns of disinterest from investors.
More concerning than the direct costs of producing executive compensation disclosures are the costs that arise from the distortion of corporate behavior in response to executive compensation disclosure mandates. Perhaps a company opts for a compensation scheme that is less effective at aligning incentives because of the way such a scheme will be reflected under SEC disclosure rules that do not necessarily represent economic reality. Or perhaps a company opts not to provide security for its executives because it appears in a laundry list of examples of perks in a 2006 Commission release that incidentally declines to define what a perk is.[4] Now may be time for the Commission to return to a more nuanced approach to personal security disclosure that considers the context in which those measures are provided.[5] Some companies have even gone so far as to eliminate perks altogether while offsetting such “cost-saving” measures with increases to base salaries. Executive compensation disclosure, along with other disclosures, should reflect rather than direct corporate actions.
The age-old philosophical question is whether a falling tree makes a sound when nobody is around to hear it. The more relevant and less philosophical question for today’s discussion is if the disclosures we are mandating do not provide investors a rational basis to assess a company, why mandate them at all? I look forward to hearing from today’s moderators and panelists about how we can improve our executive compensation mandates so that they serve investors.
[1] Alan B. Levenson, The Role of the SEC as a Consumer Protection Agency, 27 Bus. Law. 61, 62 (1971) (“The economic justification for disclosure as the keystone of investor protection lies in the belief that material corporate and financial information disseminated to prospective investors provides a rational basis to evaluate securities and this is a necessary precondition to efficient markets.”).
[2] Executive compensation disclosure mandates run from Regulation S-K 402(a) to 402(x).
[5] Disclosure of Management Remuneration, 43 Fed. Reg. 6,060, 6,063 (Feb. 13, 1978) (“The taking of various security measures for the protection of executives may not result in any remuneration to such executive if the individual’s life has been threatened because of his position in the company or if the company reasonably believes that the individual’s safety is in jeopardy.”), https://archives.federalregister.gov/issue_slice/1978/2/13/6057-6065.pdf#page=4.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), announced a $5.8 million grant from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which will assist with expansion and modernization improvements to the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (BTV). The funds are made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The award will support the reconstruction of the airport’s second-floor corridor and the replacement of four jet bridges to increase accessibility and safety for passengers.
“This federal investment in infrastructure enhances the travel experience for both Vermonters and visitors alike and is vital to supporting our state’s economy and vibrant tourism industry. This funding will provide important modernization improvements at the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport to improve the traveler experience and safety for everyone traveling to and from the Green Mountain State,” said the Vermont Congressional Delegation. “We’re proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to boost economic growth and generate good-paying jobs in Vermont.”
“Thanks to the continued support of our federal delegation, we are able to meet the moment for our passengers and our region. As we approach potential record-breaking passenger numbers, the most direct flights in our history, and growing demand for safe, modern airport travel experiences, these federal investments are absolutely critical to the continued success of Leahy BTV. This funding ensures we can keep pace with that demand and deliver the world-class airport experience Vermonters and visitors deserve,” said Nic Longo, C.M., Director of Aviation, Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Raskin Introduce Bicameral Bill to Cut Off Federal Contracts to Gun Dealers Whose Firearms Are Consistently Linked to Violent Crime
Legislation would bar government contracts with bad-apple dealers whose guns are overrepresented in violent crime data
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced a bicameral bill to prevent the federal government from contracting with federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) that have a documented history of selling guns that are frequently used to commit violent crimes.
Existing federal law requires FFLs that have sold 25 or more guns over the course of a single year that are subsequently traced to violent crimes within three years of their sale to report additional information on their sales practices under ATF’s Demand 2 program to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act would leverage this ATF data to identify the small number of FFLs that are consistently and dramatically overrepresented in criminal activity and render them ineligible for federal contracts.
“Far too often, lucrative federal contracts are inexplicably awarded to firearm dealers who have been linked to dangerous crime,” said Senator Padilla. “The federal government should not be doing business with repeat offenders who are fueling our national gun violence epidemic. Our commonsense legislation aims to combat senseless and preventable gun violence by ensuring that gun dealers keep guns from falling into the wrong hands.”
“The federal government should not be rewarding gun dealers whose inventory keeps ending up at crime scenes,” said Ranking Member Raskin. “The Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act prevents federal agencies from contracting with firearm dealers who have a documented history of selling guns that are used in violent crimes. I’m proud to team up with Senator Padilla on this bicameral, commonsense bill to ensure taxpayer dollars aren’t supporting bad-apple gun dealers.”
“Year after year, a small percentage of firearms dealers are the source of the vast majority of guns quickly diverted to crimes, yet some are awarded federal contracts. The Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act will ensure that dealers that supply large numbers of crime guns do not have the privilege of doing business with the federal government, and that only responsible actors in the gun industry receive coveted federal procurement contracts. Brady thanks Representative Raskin and Senator Padilla for introducing this important legislation and for their continued commitment to ending the American gun violence epidemic,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy for Brady.
The ATF established the Demand 2 Program over two decades ago to improve its clearance rate for tracing firearms used in crimes. Crime gun tracing, administered by the National Tracing Center, establishes the chain of custody of firearms recovered by law enforcement agencies in criminal investigations, from their importer or manufacturer to their first retail purchase at an FFL, creating critical investigative links between a suspect and a recovered firearm.
The Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act is endorsed by the following groups: Brady, Community Justice Action Fund, Everytown, GIFFORDS, Jewish Democratic Council of America, and the National Council of Jewish Women.
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
Senator Padilla is a strong advocate for commonsense, lifesaving gun safety reforms. Earlier this year, Padilla co-led the bicameral reintroduction of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025, legislation to reinstate a nationwide ban on military-style assault weapons. He also led 18 Senators in introducing the Age 21 Act, legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21, the same age requirement that already applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers. In June 2022, Padilla voted to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun safety legislation in almost 30 years. In 2023, Padilla joined 27 of his Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Keep Americans Safe Act, renewing efforts to ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
Full text of the bill is available here.
In response to a rise in extortion threats against members of the South Asian community, BC Crime Stoppers is launching a digital media campaign to raise awareness and encourage reporting of extortion activity.
“The recent surge in extortion threats targeting members of the South Asian community is very concerning, and we are doing everything we can to support police efforts in investigating these crimes,” said Garry Begg, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Reporting is the most important step in stopping extortion and keeping people safe, so if you are a victim of extortion, or have any information that could help solve a crime, I urge you to contact Crime Stoppers.”
With support from the federal government’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, the B.C. government has provided $100,000 to help BC Crime Stoppers run a 60-day extortion awareness campaign. The campaign is launching Thursday, June 26, 2025, and shares important information about recognizing and reporting extortion threats, helping individuals, business owners and families stay safe and informed.
The campaign was developed in consultation with individuals with deep knowledge of extortion, experience in policing and lived experience within the South Asian community. The goal is encouraging people to report extortion threats to help police stop those responsible. The campaign will be available in English and Punjabi, and will include advertisements on radio, podcasts, Spotify, social media and television.
“Since 1982, BC Crime Stoppers and its local programs have offered the community an anonymous way to report criminal activity,” said Gillian Millam, executive director, BC Crime Stoppers. “In partnership with the provincial government, BC Crime Stoppers aims to educate the community on how to recognize and report cases of extortion. The primary goal of this campaign is to inform the public and help solve crime.”
The Province continues to take action to combat serious and organized crime with more than $100 million invested annually to bolster provincial firearm forensic capabilities, strengthen gang enforcement and suppression initiatives, and support community-based prevention and intervention programs.
Provincial efforts are supported by the federal government’s Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, with the B.C. government receiving nearly $11 million from Public Safety Canada for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The funding will go toward anti-gang and crime initiatives throughout the province, including the Organized Crime Agency of BC, and police departments to support operations in dismantling serious and organized crime.
Quotes:
Chief Const. Colin Watson, Abbotsford Police Department –
“The Abbotsford Police Department remains dedicated to safeguarding our community and local businesses from the threat of extortion. Through focused investigations, strong partnerships with other agencies, and proactive community engagement, we strive to prevent further harm and ensure those responsible are held accountable. We continue to support affected individuals and urge anyone with information related to extortion to contact their local police department.”
Chief Const. Harj Sidhu, Delta Police Department –
“I want to thank the Province and BC Crime Stoppers for raising awareness about the growing issue of extortion, which has impacted the South Asian community and others. These cases are often linked to organized crime and have created real fear. Early reporting is critical. Delta Police are committed to supporting victims, working with partners, and keeping our community safe. If you receive a threat or have information, please report it. We are here to help.”
Chief Const. Norm Lipinski, Surrey Police Service –
“Surrey Police Service’s dedicated Extortion Investigations Team is actively working with our policing partners to identify and arrest those engaged in extortion so we can relieve victims and residents of the understandable fear that these crimes create. We remind individuals who are victims of an extortion attempt to report it to your local police as soon as possible. Every detail can help police unravel these highly complex and sophisticated investigations.”
Chief Supt. Duncan Pound, BC RCMP Lower Mainland District –
“The RCMP Lower Mainland District is working with municipal, provincial and federal partners to investigate and disrupt organized crime groups engaged in extortion across the region. The number of victims or complaints have spanned multiple jurisdictions and communities and therefore our investigative approach has been cross jurisdictional and collaborative, to determine any connections or similarities. While progress is being made, police continue to stress the importance of anyone impacted to come forward. The public is urged to report any instances of extortion or suspicious activity to the police, as unreported incidents can enable organized crime to continue operating.”
Quick Facts:
BC Crime Stoppers is a non-profit society and registered charity that receives anonymous tip information about criminal activity and provides it to investigators.
Anonymous tips may be provided by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 or online at bccrimestoppers.com or https://solvecrime.ca/index.php/en/
BC Crime Stoppers accepts tips in a variety of languages and will pay a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest, a charge, recovery of stolen property, seizure of illegal drugs or guns or denial of a fraudulent insurance claim.
Learn More:
To view the campaign webpage, visit: https://bccrimestoppers.com/extortion/
Watch the 30-second campaign in English here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xOhv77PTJqpHJBu1C8xbV9K0t4oQY5BG/view
Watch the 30-second campaign in Punjabi here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PCzPvE801NE1utwarto7y2etxtojVAdG/view
To learn more about government’s action to combat serious and organized crime, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024PSSG0040-000714
Victims and their immediate family members may be eligible for benefits to support in their recovery through the Ministry’s Crime Victim Assistance Program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/bcs-criminal-justice-system/if-you-are-a-victim-of-a-crime/victim-of-crime/financial-assistance-benefits
To locate a victim service program in your community, contact VictimLinkBC: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/victims-of-crime/victimlinkbc
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations special agents, in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, executed a federal search warrant at Buckeye Fire Equipment Company June 25 as part of an active, ongoing criminal investigation. This operation specifically focused on serious allegations of aggravated identity theft and potential federal crimes.
As a result of the initial investigation, 30 people were arrested onsite.
“This operation underscores HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our nation’s financial and identification systems. Identity fraud is not a victimless crime — it fuels a range of criminal activity and puts innocent people at risk,” said HSI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Cardell T. Morant, who also oversees North and South Carolina. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HSI will continue to pursue those who exploit these systems for personal gain and hold them accountable under federal law.”
The following agencies participated in the operation: ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP’s Air and Marine Operations, IRS Criminal Investigations, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the North Carolina National Guard, the DEA, the ATF, King’s Mountain Police, the Gaston County Sheriff’s Department and the Gaston County Police Department.
If you or someone you know has information related to financial crimes, contact law enforcement using the online tip form. Your cooperation is vital in helping protect vulnerable individuals and ensuring accountability.
For more information about HSI’s work, follow us on X at @HSI_Charlotte.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament, & Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy, University of Divinity
Wars are often waged in the name of religion. So what do key texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism say about the justification for war?
We asked three experts for their views.
The Bible
Robyn J. Whitaker, University of Divinity
The Bible presents war as an inevitable reality of human life. This is captured in the cry of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes:
for everything there is a season […] a time for war and a time for peace.
In this sense, the Bible reflects the experiences of the authors and communities who shaped the texts over more than a thousand years as they experienced both victory and defeat as a small nation among the large empires of the ancient near east.
When it comes to God’s role in war, we cannot shirk from the problematic violence associated with the divine. At times, God orders the Hebrew people to go to war and enact horrendous violence. Deuteronomy 20 is a good example of this: God’s people are sent to war with the blessing of the priest but told to first offer terms of peace. If peace terms are accepted, the town is enslaved. Certain enemies, however, are decreed worthy of total annihilation, and the Hebrew army is commanded to destroy anyone and anything that doesn’t produce food.
On other occasions, war is interpreted as a tool, a punishment where God uses foreign nations against the Hebrew people because they have gone astray (Judges 2:14). You can also find an underlying ethic to treat the captives of war justly. Moses commands that women captured in war are to be treated as wives, not slaves (Deuteronomy 21), and in 2 Chronicles, captives are allowed to return home.
In contrast to war as divinely authorised, many of the Hebrew prophets express hope in a time where God will bring peace and people will “neither learn war any more” (Micah 3:4) but rather turn their weapons into tools for agriculture (Isaiah 2:4).
War is viewed as a result of human sinfulness, something that God will ultimately transform into peace. And that peace (Hebrew: shalom) is more than an absence of war. It is about human flourishing and unity between peoples and God.
Most of the New Testament was written during the first century CE, when Jews and emerging Christians were a minority within the Roman Empire. The military power of Rome is harshly critiqued as evil in resistance texts such as the Book of Revelation. Many early Christians refused to fight in the Roman army.
In this context, Jesus says nothing specific about war but generally rejects violence. When Jesus’s disciple Peter seeks to defend him with a sword, Jesus tells him to put away his sword because a sword only leads to more violence (Matthew 26:52). This is consistent with Jesus’s other teachings such as “blessed are the peacemakers” or his commands to “turn the other cheek” when struck or to “love your enemies”.
The reality is that we find various war ideologies in the Bible’s pages. If you want to find a justification for war in the Bible, you can. If you want to find a justification for peace or pacifism, that is there too. Later Christians would develop ideas of “just war” and pacifism based on biblical ideas, but these are developments rather than explicit within the Bible.
For Christians, Jesus’s teaching provides an ethical framework for interpreting earlier war texts through the lens of love for enemies. This counterpoint to divine violence and war points readers back to the prophets, whose hopeful visions imagine a world where violence and suffering are no more and peace is possible.
The Quran
Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University
Islam and Muslims emerged onto the world stage in the hostile environment of the seventh century. In response to major challenges, including warfare, Islam introduced pioneering legal and ethical reforms. The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad’s example laid out clear legal and ethical guidelines for the conduct of war, well before similar frameworks appeared in other societies.
Islam did this by defining a new term, “jihad” rather than the usual Arabic word for war, “harb”. While harb refers broadly to warfare, jihad was defined within Islamic teachings as a legal, morally justified struggle, which includes but is not limited to armed conflict. In the context of warfare, jihad refers specifically to fighting in a just cause under clear legal and ethical guidelines, rather than belligerent or aggressive warfare.
Between 610-622, Prophet Muhammad practised active non-violence in the face of the constant suffering, persecution and economic embargo he and his followers endured in Mecca, despite insistent approaches by his followers to take up arms. This showed that armed struggle cannot be taken up within the members of the same society, as this would lead to anarchy.
After leaving his home town to escape persecution, he established a pluralistic and multi-faith society in Medina. He took active steps to sign treaties with neighbouring tribes. Despite following a deliberate strategy of peace and diplomacy, the hostile Meccans and allied tribes attacked the Muslims in Medina. Engaging these attackers in an armed struggle was unavoidable.
The permission to fight was given to Muslims by the Quran verses 22:39-40:
The believers against whom war is waged are given permission to fight in response, for they have been wronged. Surely, God has full power to help them to victory. Those who have been driven from their homeland against all right, for no other reason than that they say, “Our Lord is God” […]
This passage not only permits armed struggle but also offers a moral justification for just war. It means war is clearly just when defensive — while aggression is unjust and condemned. Elsewhere, the Quran emphasises this point:
If they withdraw from you and do not fight against you, and offer you peace, then God allows you no way (to war) against them.
Verse 22:39 outlines two ethical justifications for warfare. The first is when people are driven from their homes (and land) – in other words, through occupation by a foreign power. The second is when people are attacked because of their beliefs to the point of violent persecution and attack.
Importantly, verse 22:40 includes churches, monasteries and synagogues. If believers in God do not defend themselves, all places of worship would be destroyed, so this is to be prevented by force if necessary.
The Quran does not allow for aggression, since “God loves not the aggressors” (2:190). It also provides detailed regulations on who is to fight and who is exempted (9:91); when hostilities must cease (2:193); and prisoners should be treated humanely and with fairness (47:4).
Verses such as 2:294 emphasise that warfare and any response to violence and aggression must be proportional and within limits:
Whoever attacks you, attack them in like manner as they attacked you. Nevertheless, fear God and remain within the bounds.
In the event of unavoidable war, every opportunity to end it must be pursued:
But if the enemy inclines towards peace, then you must also incline towards peace and trust in God.
The aim of military action is to end hostilities and remove the reason for warfare, not to humiliate or annihilate the enemy.
Military jihad cannot be pursued for personal ambition or to further nationalistic or ethnic disputes. Muslims cannot wage war on nations that have no hostility towards them (60:8). But if there is open hostility and attack, Muslims have a right to defend themselves.
The Prophet and the early caliphs specifically warned military leaders and all combatants that they must not act treacherously or engage in indiscriminate killing and pillage. He said:
Do not kill women, children, the elderly, or the sick. Do not destroy palm trees or burn houses.
Because of these teachings, Muslims have had legal and ethical guidelines throughout much of history to help limit human suffering caused by war.
The Torah
Suzanne D. Rutland, University of Sydney
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else, and prayers for peace are central to Jewish liturgy. At the same time, there is a recognition of the need to fight defensive wars, but only within certain boundaries.
In the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, the recognition of the need for war is clear. Throughout their journeying in the desert, the Israelites (Children of Israel) fight various battles. At the same time, in Deuteronomy, the Israelites are instructed (chapter 12, verse 10):
When you go forth against your enemies and are in camp, then you should keep yourself from every evil thing.
The story of Amalek is the symbol of ultimate evil in Jewish tradition. Scholars argue this is because his army attacked the Israelites from the rear – killing defenceless women and children.
The Torah also stresses that army service is compulsory. Yet, Deuteronomy elaborates four categories of people who are exempt:
someone who has built a home but has not yet dedicated it
someone who has planted a vineyard but has not yet eaten of its fruit
someone who is engaged or in his first year of marriage
someone who is afraid, in case he influences other soldiers with his fear.
Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else. Shutterstock
It is important to point out that the disdain of war is so strong that King David was not permitted to build the temple in Jerusalem because of his military career. His son, Solomon, was allocated this task, but no iron was to be used in the building because this represented war and violence, while the temple was to represent peace, the ideal virtue.
The vision of peace for all humanity is further developed in the prophetic writings and the concept of the Messiah. This is seen particularly in the writings of the prophet Isiah, who envisaged an age when, as he describes in his idyllic vision:
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
The Mishnah, the first part of the Talmud, raises the concept of an “obligatory war” (milhemet mizvah). This encompasses the biblical wars against the seven nations said to inhabit the Promised Land, the war against Amalek, and the Jewish nation’s defensive wars. It is, accordingly, a clearly defined and recognisable class.
Not so the second category, “permitted war” (milhemet reshut), which is more open-ended and, as scholar Avi Ravitsky writes, “could relate to a preemptive war”.
After the Talmudic period, which ended in the 7th century, this debate became theoretical, since Jews living in Palestine and the diaspora no longer had an army. This was largely the case from the time of the defeat of the Bar Kokhba Rebellion against the Romans (132–135 CE), apart from a few small Jewish kingdoms in Arabia.
However, with the return of the early Zionist pioneers to the Land of Israel in the late 19th and 20th century, the rabbinic debates of what constitutes an obligatory, defensive war and what is a permitted war, as well as the characteristics of a forbidden war has reignited. This is a subject of deep concern and controversy for both academics and rabbis today.
Robyn J. Whitaker is affiliated with The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy.
Mehmet Ozalp is affiliated with Islamic Sciences and Research Academy
Suzanne Rutland has received an Australian Research Council grant for her research on the Australian Jewry and funding from the Pratt Foundation, as well as an Australian Prime Ministers Centre (APMC) fellowship for her research on Soviet Jewry and Australia. She is also involved with numerous NGOs, including the Australian Jewish Historical Society (patron), the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (past president and committee member), and the Australian government’s expert delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. In addition, she is a board member of the Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry at ANU; she is on an academic advisory committee at the Sydney Jewish Museum; she is the director of the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism; and she is an Australian board member for Boys Town Jerusalem and a board member of Better Balance Futures for faith communities These roles are all undertaken in an honorary capacity. She is also writing the history of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in an honorary capacity.
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County resident was charged for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Isiah J. Jordan, 27, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre and was released on $100,000 bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Jordan was part of a multi-person scheme to steal checks from the mail and deposit those checks into bank accounts controlled by his co-conspirators. For example, in June 2023, Company-1 mailed out a business check for over $50,000. That check was stolen and altered by Jordan and his co-conspirators such that the payee information on the original check was changed so that the check could be deposited into an account controlled by the conspirators. Then in July 2023, after the stolen check cleared, Jordan and his co-conspirators withdrew the money from the account and split the proceeds.
Jordan and his coconspirators then continued to actively recruit other members to participate in and join the conspiracy. Specifically, they recruited individuals who had long-standing bank accounts to continue the scheme of depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds before the bank or the victims whose checks were stolen were aware of the illegal activity.
The bank fraud conspiracy and the bank fraud charges both carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
MIDLAND, Texas, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) (“Diamondback”), today announced that it plans to release second quarter 2025 financial results on August 4, 2025 after the market closes.
In connection with the earnings release, Diamondback will host a conference call and webcast for investors and analysts to discuss its results for the second quarter of 2025 on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. CT. Access to the live webcast, and replay which will be available following the call, may be found here. The live webcast of the earnings conference call will also be available via Diamondback’s website at www.diamondbackenergy.com under the “Investor Relations” section of the site.
About Diamondback Energy, Inc.
Diamondback is an independent oil and natural gas company headquartered in Midland, Texas focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. For more information, please visit www.diamondbackenergy.com.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University
It’s quite unsettling to discover something so central to our cultural rituals – the “slop” in the Aussie mantra of “Slip! Slop! Slap!” – can no longer be trusted.
We’ve never really had to scrutinise sunscreen. We slop it on because Sid the Seagull (in his role as spokesbird for the Cancer Council) told us to. We’ve learned about sun protection factors (SPF) and made choices to protect ourselves. We do it because it works.
Or so we thought.
Consumer group Choice recently tested 20 sunscreen brands and found only four met their labelled SPF claims. The findings have shaken consumers’ trust in the brands that make these products, and perhaps, in the institutions responsible for regulating them.
Trust is the silent architecture of our lives that makes everything from catching a bus to undergoing surgery feel possible. Indeed, we are born into trust. From infancy, we are wired to trust, first in our caregivers, then later in life in the cues and symbols such as endorsements, SPF ratings, brands or rankings that help us navigate a complex world.
The original Sid the Seagull video from the Cancer Council.
The role of power in trust relationships
Trust, and its erosion in public life, has become such a critical issue that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has made it a focus of Friday’s Consumer Congress, titled “Who can we trust? Regulating in an environment of declining consumer trust”.
Something that is often missed in discussions around trust is that it is also a social arrangement, shaped by power and vulnerability. Trust is nearly always asymmetric; those with the least power are usually required to place their trust first and most fully.
The powerful rarely have to reciprocate that vulnerability. They hold the information, set the rules and shape the narrative. When things go wrong, the powerful often walk away relatively unscathed, while the vulnerable are left to navigate complex complaints or refund systems.
Increasingly, we are told to be savvy, to read the fine print and to “do the research”.
But putting the responsibility on the individual reframes structural failures as personal shortcomings. It places the burden of vigilance and scrutiny on people who lack the time or expertise to meaningfully assess risk.
A breach of faith
The issue is compounded by a wider trend across many businesses that have misread their relationship with consumers. Much of our trust in brands is automatic.
We are more inclined to trust claims from familiar or warm-sounding sources, with research showing warmth comes first. People tend to judge others and institutions by their perceived warmth before considering their competence. So a brand that feels benevolent often earns our trust before we assess its actual performance.
Qantas, a brand that built its entire identity around the idea that it was “us”, trashed our trust when it began acting like a transactional retail business, rather than one built on relationships.
Management and the board failed to grasp they had been given something rare: a kind of cultural endearment underpinned by trust and perceived reciprocity that made Australians feel personally invested in its success.
While Qantas does retain market share, the erosion of this emotional bond means many customers are more willing to try its competitors. It will struggle to rebuild that trust simply with price deals or heartstring-tugging ad campaigns.
One of Qantas’ ad campaigns with an emotional appeal to customers.
The response matters
For organisations such as the Cancer Council, whose trustworthiness is built on moral authority, the response to failure matters deeply. Its decision to acknowledge the findings and commit to retesting was more than public relations. It was an act of relational repair.
In contrast, some of the other corporate brands in the survey responded by disputing Choice’s methodology. That reveals an outdated corporate reflex – one that attacks the messenger rather than engaging with the message. This defensive posture reflects a mindset shaped more by legal risk and brand control than by public accountability or ethical responsibility.
Still, individual responses are not enough. We need systems designed with human limits in mind. Trust cannot be sustained if it is constantly tested by complexity, misinformation and opaque accountability.
Consumer bodies such as Choice provide a public service by filling the gap between what people assume and what they can verify. But more broadly, businesses and regulators must treat trust as a relationship, not a marketing goal.
The system needs to prevent harm, not deal with the fallout
Rebuilding trust means putting people at the centre of consumer regulation. A human-centred system does not treat people as problems to be managed. It treats them as participants in a shared moral project. It requires systems grounded in evidence, designed around real human behaviour and focused on preventing harm rather than managing fallout.
One way to do this is through collaborative regulation. This approach brings together consumer representatives, regulators, behavioural experts and industry to design rules and standards that reflect how people actually behave (as opposed to how we hope they behave). This reduces asymmetries of power, and ensures trust is earned and maintained over time.
This collaborative approach has been successfully adopted in local government and health. But it only works when collaboration is approached in good faith by all parties, not just a “tick-the-box” exercise.
Of course, this approach runs counter to a legal system that tends to prioritise the system over the people it serves, and process over outcomes. But the goal shouldn’t be to force better ideas into outdated frameworks. Instead, we should design systems that lead to better outcomes for everyone.
Paul Harrison has received research funding from ASIC, the Consumer Action Law Centre, ACCAN, Victorian Health Association, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
June 26, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation that aims to curb Donald Trump’s egregious misuse of the military in civilian law enforcement capacities and keep our nation’s servicemembers focused on their core mission of protecting and defending Americans from foreign threats abroad. The Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act would reform gray areas in laws that Trump is exploiting to deploy members of our military to police their fellow Americans, diverting taxpayer dollars and attention away from the military’s core mission and undermining the Administration’s own stated goal to focus our military on warfighting. Along with Duckworth, this legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Dick Durbin (D-IL).
“The unjustified, un-American deployment of our military into our cities is pulling resources and attention away from our Armed Forces’ core missions to the detriment of our national security,” said Senator Duckworth. “This egregious abuse of our military did not start in California—it’s been a plan since Trump’s first day in office. And with every executive order he’s signed to ‘use national security assets for law and order,’ the Administration continues to blur the lines between our military and law enforcement. Enough is enough—my legislation would curb the misuse of our military for civilian law enforcement, help protect and restore public trust in our Armed Forces and preserve Americans’ civil rights.”
The Trump Administration’s deployment of American servicemembers to California is just the latest in a deliberate, systematic and dangerous politicized campaign to reorient our military away from warfighting and toward intimidating Americans in their own communities. Beginning on his first day in office, Trump signed a series of executive orders redirecting the Defense Department’s priorities toward supporting domestic law enforcement, including one in April that tells the Department to “use national security assets for law and order.” The legislation introduced today would have made it harder for the Trump Administration to argue that it is legal on Title 10 orders for the military to operate in American neighborhoods because they are only in support roles to law enforcement.
Senator Duckworth’s Military in Law Enforcement Accountability Act would draw a brighter line between the military and civilian law enforcement in the United States by:
Restricting and Enhancing Oversight over Indirect Military Support to Civilian Law Enforcement: Reforming sections of Title 10 Chapter 15 to prohibit indirect military support to civilian law enforcement except in specific emergency circumstances and requiring Congressional approval for any dedication of military or defense assets for that purpose when it lasts longer than 14 days. This reform limits permissible indirect support to only the following scenarios: humanitarian crises; natural disasters; public health emergencies; attacks on critical infrastructure; nuclear attacks; domestic terrorist incidents and preparations for a major U.S. event, in which the domestic response needs are expected to exceed the capacity of civilian law enforcement.
Prohibiting Dual-Hat Roles between Defense and Civilian Law Enforcement: Prohibiting individuals from simultaneously holding any position in the Department of Defense and in any civilian law enforcement entity, except if they are members of the Reserves and National Guard and hold law enforcement roles in their civilian capacities only.
Strengthening Requirements for Self-Identification of Armed Forces or Federal Law Enforcement within the United States: Changing 10 USC 723 to expand the conditions under which members of the Armed Forces or Federal law enforcement are required to visibly display their identifier and name of their organization to include all scenarios involving support to civil authorities, not just under “civil disturbances” only.
Duckworth joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities. And, while questioning the Commandant of the Marine Corps during a hearing this month, Duckworth slammed the Trump Administration’s deployment of 700 Marines into Los Angeles. The Senator said, “I don’t condone violence or property destruction, but using active-duty Marines this way sets a dangerous precedent that risks damaging public trust in our military and politicizing a military force that must remain mission-focused. President Trump is asking Marines to be away from their families for a situation that the President himself said was ‘simmering, but not very much.’”
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) voted for, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed, the Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act to bar illegal immigrants from entering the United States if they have committed or been convicted of a drunk driving offense and makes a DUI a deportable offense.
“According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, 35% of Iowa’s fatal car accidents involved an impaired driver in 2022,” said Rep. Feenstra. “It’s why I voted to deport illegal immigrants convicted of driving while drunk so that we keep our kids, law enforcement officers, and communities safe. Back in 2016, the illegal immigrant who killed 21-year-old Iowan, Sarah Root, was driving drunk, and should have never been in our country. Drunk driving is already a serious issue that claims too many lives; there is no need to exacerbate the situation.”
In January, President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which includes Feenstra’s bill – Sarah’s Law – to detain without bail and punish illegal immigrants who harm or kill American citizens.
A satellite image from Aug. 13, 2024, shows an algal bloom covering approximately 320 square miles (830 square km) of Lake Erie. By Aug. 22, it had nearly doubled in size.NASA Earth Observatory
Federal scientists released their annual forecast for Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms on June 26, 2025, and they expect a mild to moderate season. However, anyone who comes in contact with toxic algae can face health risks. And 2014, when toxins from algae blooms contaminated the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, was a moderate year, too.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prediction for harmful algal bloom severity in Lake Erie compared with past years. NOAA
1. What causes harmful algal blooms?
Harmful algal blooms are dense patches of excessive algae growth that can occur in any type of water body, including ponds, reservoirs, rivers, lakes and oceans. When you see them in freshwater, you’re typically seeing cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.
These photosynthetic bacteria have inhabited our planet for billions of years. In fact, they were responsible for oxygenating Earth’s atmosphere, which enabled plant and animal life as we know it.
The leading source of harmful algal blooms today is nutrient runoff from fertilized farm fields. Michigan Sea Grant
Algae are natural components of ecosystems, but they cause trouble when they proliferate to high densities, creating what we call blooms.
The main sources of harmful algal blooms are excess nutrients in the water, typically phosphorus and nitrogen.
Historically, these excess nutrients mainly came from sewage and phosphorus-based detergents used in laundry machines and dishwashers that ended up in waterways. U.S. environmental laws in the early 1970s addressed this by requiring sewage treatment and banning phosphorus detergents, with spectacular success.
How pollution affected Lake Erie in the 1960s, before clean water regulations.
Today, agriculture is the main source of excess nutrients from chemical fertilizer or manure applied to farm fields to grow crops. Rainstorms wash these nutrients into streams and rivers that deliver them to lakes and coastal areas, where they fertilize algal blooms. In the U.S., most of these nutrients come from industrial-scale corn production, which is largely used as animal feed or to produce ethanol for gasoline.
2. What does your team’s DNA testing tell us about Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms?
Harmful algal blooms contain a mixture of cyanobacterial species that can produce an array of different toxins, many of which are still being discovered.
These novel molecules cannot be detected with traditional methods and show some signs of causing toxicity, though further studies are needed to confirm their human health effects.
Blue-green algae blooms in freshwater, like this one near Toledo in 2014, can be harmful to humans, causing gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. They can be lethal for pets. Ty Wright for The Washington Post via Getty Images
We also found organisms responsible for producing saxitoxin, a potent neurotoxin that is well known for causing paralytic shellfish poisoning on the Pacific Coast of North America and elsewhere.
Our research suggests warmer water temperatures could boost its production, which raises concerns that saxitoxin will become more prevalent with climate change. However, the controls on toxin production are complex, and more research is needed to test this hypothesis. Federal monitoring programs are essential for tracking and understanding emerging threats.
The toxins can cause acute health problems such as gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. Dogs can die from ingesting lake water with harmful algal blooms. Emerging science suggests that long-term exposure to harmful algal blooms, for example over months or years, can cause or exacerbate chronic respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems and may be linked to liver cancers, kidney disease and neurological issues.
The water intake system for the city of Toledo, Ohio, is surrounded by an algae bloom in 2014. Toxic algae got into the water system, resulting in residents being warned not to touch or drink their tap water for three days. AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari
In addition to exposure through direct ingestion or skin contact, recent research also indicates that inhaling toxins that get into the air may harm health, raising concerns for coastal residents and boaters, but more research is needed to understand the risks.
The Toledo drinking water crisis of 2014 illustrated the vast potential for algal blooms to cause harm in the Great Lakes. Toxins infiltrated the drinking water system and were detected in processed municipal water, resulting in a three-day “do not drink” advisory. The episode affected residents, hospitals and businesses, and it ultimately cost the city an estimated US$65 million.
4. Blooms seem to be starting earlier in the year and lasting longer – why is that happening?
Warmer waters are extending the duration of the blooms.
Scientific studies of western Lake Erie show that the potential cyanobacterial growth rate has increased by up to 30% and the length of the bloom season has expanded by up to a month from 1995 to 2022, especially in warmer, shallow waters. These results are consistent with our understanding of cyanobacterial physiology: Blooms like it hot – cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures.
5. What can be done to reduce the likelihood of algal blooms in the future?
The best and perhaps only hope of reducing the size and occurrence of harmful algal blooms is to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the Great Lakes.
In Lake Erie, where nutrients come primarily from agriculture, that means improving agricultural practices and restoring wetlands to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of farm fields and into the lake. Early indications suggest that Ohio’s H2Ohio program, which works with farmers to reduce runoff, is making some gains in this regard, but future funding for H2Ohio is uncertain.
In places like Lake Superior, where harmful algal blooms appear to be driven by climate change, the solution likely requires halting and reversing the rapid human-driven increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Gregory J. Dick receives funding for harmful algal bloom research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Institutes for Health. He serves on the Science Advisory Council for the Environmental Law and Policy Center.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the Government Commission for the implementation of the comprehensive state program of the Russian Federation “Development of physical culture and sports”.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Sports Mikhail Degtyarev, the head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency Veronika Skvortsova, the Governor of the Tula Region, Chairman of the State Council Commission on Physical Culture and Sports Dmitry Milyaev, as well as representatives of sports federations and leagues, state corporations, joint-stock companies and regions.
Dmitry Chernyshenko recalled that the key task of the commission is to develop a unified position on the comprehensive development of sports in the country and to pool resources to achieve national goals. To do this, it is important to collect feedback from residents of each region.
“Our task is to identify the drivers that influence the involvement and development of sports in the country. The opinion of Russian citizens is the main indicator in the development of sports in the country. It is important to hear everyone: coaches, mentors, medical workers. This will allow us to make a deeper, more meaningful analysis and understand how to more accurately and effectively move towards fulfilling the instructions of President Vladimir Putin,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that in order to achieve the state program indicators, it is necessary to assess the contribution of each region to the development of sports, identify best practices and disseminate them throughout the country.
He instructed the Ministry of Sports to develop a rating system based on the fulfillment of the state program’s target indicators, including compliance with the construction deadlines for sports facilities, the involvement of SVO veterans, disabled people, people with disabilities, and all citizens in general in sports.
In addition, on the instructions of the head of state, the Government is developing directives for joint-stock companies with a Russian Federation shareholding of more than 50% on the regular submission of information on extra-budgetary expenditures in the field of sports and the coordination of regions in the construction of sports infrastructure.
Dmitry Chernyshenko also noted the regions where good results are achieved with lower financial costs; there, the share of citizens involved in systematic sports activities is higher than the all-Russian indicator.
These included: the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Crimea, the Chuvash Republic, Altai Krai, Stavropol Krai, Kirov, Kostroma, Kurgan, Saratov, Tambov, Tula, and Ulyanovsk regions.
In turn, Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev emphasized that the implementation of the comprehensive state program “Sports of Russia” is proceeding in full compliance with the approved parameters.
“The implementation of the state program is going according to plan, without critical deviations. Based on the results of last year, all but one of the key indicators were exceeded, which allows us to predict their successful implementation this year,” he noted.
The Minister reported up-to-date data on key indicators of the development of the sports industry.
“As of May 2025, the share of citizens systematically engaged in physical education and sports amounted to 60.8%, the level of provision of citizens with sports facilities was 63.3%,” the minister cited the figures.
Mikhail Degtyarev paid special attention to issues of regional financing and planned budget indicators.
“In 60 regions, budget expenditures on sports reached or exceeded 2%. The planned funding of regional state programs for 2025 is 449 billion rubles. The main expenses are related to the construction and maintenance of sports facilities, as well as sports training within the framework of state assignments,” he emphasized.
At the same time, the minister noted that the high volume of investment in the industry does not always directly correlate with the achievement of planned indicators for the availability of sports infrastructure and citizens’ satisfaction with opportunities for sports.
“However, it is important to understand that there is no direct correlation between the volume of expenditure on sports and the achievement of indicators for citizen engagement and satisfaction. In 15 regions, which do not yet reach the level of 2% of the budget, everything is still going well with the development of sports, but in 19, where, on the contrary, there is a good level of funding, the KPIs have not been achieved. This is a subject for study,” he said.
An important topic of discussion was the use of extra-budgetary sources. The Minister spoke about the volumes of additional funds planned for attraction.
“We have analyzed the main sources of extra-budgetary financing of sports. Events worth a total of 60 billion are potentially ready for inclusion in the comprehensive state program “Sports of Russia”. In particular, 89 all-Russian sports federations plan to spend almost 24 billion rubles of their own and attracted funds this year, sports leagues – 1 billion rubles, expenses have been allocated for two of the seven state corporations, as well as for several of the largest private companies, but this information is still being supplemented,” said Mikhail Degtyarev.
In turn, the Governor of the Tula Region, Chairman of the State Council Commission on Physical Culture and Sports Dmitry Milyaev emphasized that the level of satisfaction of citizens with the conditions for physical culture and sports is one of the key indicators for assessing the effectiveness of the activities of senior officials of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and executive bodies of state power in the regions, as well as the comprehensive state program. The State Council Commission on Sports believes that it is necessary to conduct surveys with an expanded set of questions within the framework of the comprehensive program.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
June 26, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Steve Cohen (TN-09), along with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), re-introduced legislation that would ban hazardous cyanide bombs from public lands. Their bill, Canyon’s Law, would protect families, pets, and wildlife from dangerous M-44 ejectors – spring-loaded devices made up of sodium cyanide used to kill predatory animals and pest species.
“Cyanide bombs have proven to be deadly for families, pets, and wildlife – regardless of their intended target – and have no business being on our public lands,” said Rep. Huffman. “People and their pets should not be threatened by cruel and indiscriminate devices when they are trying to enjoy the outdoors, especially when there are far safer, proven methods to protect livestock. Our bill will help ensure this unnecessary use of hazardous devices comes to an end.”
“The use of M-44 cyanide bombs to control wildlife is inhumane and unjustifiable. I am pleased to join Congressman Huffman and my other colleagues in ending this barbaric practice. With the passage of Canyon’s Law, hikers, campers and their pets will be able to traverse federal lands without the fear of harm or death from these inconspicuous devices,” said Rep. Cohen.
“Cyanide bombs do not belong on public lands, and we must permanently ban these dangerous devices that threaten our ability to safely enjoy our natural treasures,” said Sen. Merkley. “These bombs have no safeguards to protect you, your family, your pets, or unintended wildlife from the dangers they pose. More effective, safe, and humane options exist for predator control—their intended purpose—and those should be the only options used on public lands given the harms cyanide bombs can cause to humans and animals alike.”
M-44s are small traps driven into the ground and loaded with the powdered poison, sodium cyanide. Once set, M-44s resemble sprinkler heads, and when triggered, these traps eject a cloud of cyanide intended to kill coyotes, wild dogs, or foxes. As a byproduct, these devices sometimes harm humans and their pets around public lands.
Canyon’s Law is named after Canyon Mansfield, an Idaho boy whose dog came into contact with an M-44 while walking along public lands in 2017. His dog accidentally activated a M-44 device, and Canyon watched helplessly as his beloved companion suffered a cruel and painful death. Fortunately for Canyon, the wind pushed much of the cyanide away from him, yet he still suffers health effects to this day.
“No one should have to experience what my family and I went through with the death of our dog and the near death of our son,” said Dr. Mark Mansfield, Canyon’s father. “Cyanide has no place being used anywhere in the U.S. as a pesticide or ‘lethal control’ weapon, such as an M-44 ‘cyanide bomb.’ All Americans can and should get behind this simple, common-sense law, ‘Canyon’s Law’.”
The Agriculture Department acknowledges that there are hundreds of unintended wildlife deaths every year as a result of these devices. These cyanide bombs also cause severe, irreparable harm to people who have been exposed, either inadvertently or while trying to save their pets.
The legislation was originally introduced in the House by now-retired Congressman Peter DeFazio (OR-04). Last Congress, Rep. Huffman oversaw the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife hearing on this legislation. View his line of questioning with Dr. Mark Mansfield, Canyon’s father here.
This bill is endorsed by Predator Defense, Animal Welfare Institute, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity, and Animal Legal Defense Fund, Humane World Action Fund, Humane World for Animals.
“Working side by side with the Mansfield family since their tragedy, as well as with other M-44 victims for over 30 years, I have witnessed the pain and loss these indiscriminate devices inflict,” said Brooks Fahy, Executive Director of Predator Defense. “Since M-44s can never be used safely, they must be banned. This is not a partisan issue. It’s a public safety issue.”
“Wildlife Services’ refusal to end the use of M-44 sodium cyanide devices shows both an unwillingness to transition away from archaic lethal methods, as well as a cruel indifference to the threats posed to people, pets, and wildlife,” said Susan Millward, Executive Director and CEO of the Animal Welfare Institute. “These dangerous devices have no place on America’s public lands. We urge Congress to stand up to Wildlife Services and end the use of this inhumane method.”
“Targeting native wildlife with cyanide bombs is a barbaric and unacceptable practice,” said Erik Molvar, Executive Director for Western Watersheds Project. “These chemical weapons need to be outlawed before the next child, pet, or unsuspecting creature is poisoned.”
“It’s horrifying to think that cyanide bombs are still being used today when we know they indiscriminately kill and injure children, pets and endangered species,” said Rachel Rilee, Policy Specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We should be allowed to hike and enjoy our public lands in peace. It’s time to ban these cruel wildlife-killing traps once and for all.”
“M-44 sodium ‘cyanide bombs’ are indiscriminate devices that pose deadly risks for people, pets, and wildlife,” said Allison Ludtke, Legislative Affairs Manager at Animal Legal Defense Fund. “These poisons — which have injured people, taken the lives of pets, and decimated wildlife — do not belong on public lands, and their use is unjustifiable at a time when countless humane, non-lethal alternatives exist.”
Original co-sponsors of the legislation in the House include Representatives Suzan K. DelBene, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jan Schakowsky, and Dave Min. In the Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders, Ron Wyden, Sheldon Whitehouse, Chris Van Hollan, Martin Heinrich, Adam Schiff, and Angela Alsobrooks.
Please attribute to Counties Manukau District Commander, Superintendent Shanan Gray:
One person has died, and another is in a critical condition following an incident in Manurewa overnight.
A critical incident investigation is now underway, which will establish the full circumstances of what unfolded.
At about 1am, a Police unit was travelling along Roscommon Road after attending an unrelated job.
Staff have then sighted a Mitsubishi vehicle pulling out of Sharland Road closely followed by an Isuzu.
Officers were concerned the Mitsubishi was being chased by the Isuzu and signalled for the Isuzu to stop on Roscommon Road.
Moments after lights and sirens were activated the Isuzu made contact with the Mitsubishi, causing the vehicle to leave the road and collide with a tree.
Officers immediately rendered first aid, however the passenger of the vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver was transported to hospital in a critical condition, where they remain.
The driver of the Isuzu was arrested at the scene and transported to hospital with minor injuries.
A scene examination has been completed by the Serious Crash Unit and the road has since reopened.
There are several investigations now underway, which will work to establish all the facts surrounding this morning’s tragic incident.
This includes notifying the Independent Police Conduct Authority, as is standard procedure.
We are also working to support those affected and their families, as well as our staff who were involved.
As part of our investigation, we are seeking information from witnesses who may have been in the area at the time, or prior to this incident occurring.
If you have information, please update Police online now or call 105.
WASHINGTON — A Canadian national accused of operating fraudulent prize notice schemes was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in Las Vegas federal court on June 18, the Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.
Patrick Fraser, 44, of Alberta, Canada, will face federal charges of conspiracy and mail fraud. Fraser was arrested on June 15, 2023, by Canadian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request and was surrendered to the United States this month. A detention hearing was held on June 23, and Fraser was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, the defendant conspired with others to operate fraud schemes through which he mailed fraudulent prize notifications to individuals in the United States and in other countries. The prize notifications falsely represented that the victims had been specifically chosen to receive a large cash prize, typically over $1 million, and would receive the prize upon payment of a small free. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable.
“The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting and pursuing those who perpetrate fraud schemes targeting America’s seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank Canada for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States. The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners in the United States and the world to identify and pursue transnational criminals who prey on older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through our Elder Justice Initiative, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff are combating elder financial exploitation and fraud. This extradition is another example of the outstanding collaboration between federal law enforcement and international partners.”
“Postal inspectors protect the vulnerable. If you use fake prize offers to scam others, we’ll find you—and you will be held accountable,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen.
Fraser is charged in a nine-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Las Vegas. If convicted, Fraser faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Trial Attorney Charles B. Dunn of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department is grateful to the Vancouver Police Department, who provided assistance through official requests. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Fraser from Canada.
The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
A Michigan doctor was sentenced today to four years in prison for a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme in which elderly and disabled patients were sent thousands of orthotic braces that they did not need.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 56, of Bloomfield Hills, prescribed over 7,900 orthotic braces to more than 2,600 Medicare patients during a six-month period. The patients were solicited through deceptive television commercials offering free back braces. When they called the advertised telephone number, they were persuaded to accept braces for other parts of their bodies, with the promise that Medicare would pay. Toya spoke to some of these patients briefly over the phone, and she had no contact at all with the others. Toya nonetheless signed orders prescribing more than 7,900 braces, including prescribing four or more braces to nearly 1,000 patients.
Toya prescribed as many as 136 braces in a day, 12 braces for a single patient, and numerous braces for undercover agents posing as Medicare beneficiaries after speaking with them by telephone for less than a minute. The prescriptions and accompanying medical records signed by Toya falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. In the case of one patient, to whom Toya prescribed five braces for which Medicare was billed $3,883, she falsely attested that she evaluated the patient and that the patient was mobile when, in fact, the patient had long been confined to a wheelchair, could not walk or stand, and was suffering from a dangerous spinal infection that could not be treated by braces but instead required spinal surgery.
Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 by purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions.
On May 10, 2024, Toya was convicted following an eight-day trial on one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Toya was also ordered to pay $3,606,935 in restitution and $120,475 in forfeiture.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal 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 the case. The case was charged as part of Operation Rubber Stamp, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation that targeted medical professionals who participated in fraudulent telemedicine schemes.
Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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.
A Michigan doctor was sentenced today to four years in prison for a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme in which elderly and disabled patients were sent thousands of orthotic braces that they did not need.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 56, of Bloomfield Hills, prescribed over 7,900 orthotic braces to more than 2,600 Medicare patients during a six-month period. The patients were solicited through deceptive television commercials offering free back braces. When they called the advertised telephone number, they were persuaded to accept braces for other parts of their bodies, with the promise that Medicare would pay. Toya spoke to some of these patients briefly over the phone, and she had no contact at all with the others. Toya nonetheless signed orders prescribing more than 7,900 braces, including prescribing four or more braces to nearly 1,000 patients.
Toya prescribed as many as 136 braces in a day, 12 braces for a single patient, and numerous braces for undercover agents posing as Medicare beneficiaries after speaking with them by telephone for less than a minute. The prescriptions and accompanying medical records signed by Toya falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. In the case of one patient, to whom Toya prescribed five braces for which Medicare was billed $3,883, she falsely attested that she evaluated the patient and that the patient was mobile when, in fact, the patient had long been confined to a wheelchair, could not walk or stand, and was suffering from a dangerous spinal infection that could not be treated by braces but instead required spinal surgery.
Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 by purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions.
On May 10, 2024, Toya was convicted following an eight-day trial on one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Toya was also ordered to pay $3,606,935 in restitution and $120,475 in forfeiture.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal 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 the case. The case was charged as part of Operation Rubber Stamp, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation that targeted medical professionals who participated in fraudulent telemedicine schemes.
Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted 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, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, 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.
In extreme conditions, please limit yourself to essential travel only, ensure you have had your brakes and windscreen wipers checked. Reducing speed, using headlights and watching your visibility will also ensure a safe trip.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Today, a Mexican national was sentenced to 100 months in prison for his role in arranging for the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of the proceeds, or their equivalent value, to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, a/k/a Meño, served as a “money broker” in an organization that aided the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) by collecting, laundering, and repatriating drug proceeds generated in the United States to the cartel in Mexico. Martinez personally arranged for the laundering of $5,462,289 that was proceeds of drug trafficking crimes. Martinez used a network of co-conspirators to pick up those drug proceeds all over the United States. After money was delivered in the United States, Mr. Martinez provided instructions for the transfer of those funds via cryptocurrency, including providing a cryptocurrency wallet address, or a bank account. Martinez worked for “commissions,” or a percentage of the money laundered successfully.
As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, DEA Lexington and its domestic partners seized a staggering quantity of drugs, including approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 52.77 kilograms of cocaine, 7,078.63 kilograms of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of charcoal lumps, 170 gallons of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of coconut oil, 140 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine. DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency.
“The successful prosecution of Martinez disrupted the flow of vital drug proceeds back to CJNG, and removed substantial quantities of dangerous drugs from American communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “While the fight against cartel-sourced drug trafficking is far from over, today’s result is a step in the right direction, and is a testament to our law enforcement partners’ collaboration and constant commitment to justice.”
“Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez helped Mexican drug traffickers to wash their ill-gotten gains from the sale of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in U.S. neighborhoods and communities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“This prosecution should serve as a warning of the Department of Justice’s focus on holding to account anyone who seeks to help launder cartel’s money and underpins a system that delivers dangerous drugs that destroy our neighborhoods and communities.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt the flow of drugs across our borders and the flow of money back to Mexico by cartel operatives and bring these individuals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners in this case and commend them for their dedication to public safety.”
On March 7, Martinez pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and concealment money laundering.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division, and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division.
Deputy Criminal Chief Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that CARLOS INESTI, 29, of West Haven, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in April 2025, the FBI arrested an individual in Utah for possession of child pornography. Analysis of a cell phone seized during the investigation revealed videos involving an adult male, subsequently determined to be Inesti, engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler-aged girl. The investigation revealed that Inesti had recorded the videos and shared them through the Telegram application.
Inesti appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond into home detention with location monitoring. He is prohibited from accessing the internet and having any contact with minors.
The complaint charges Inesti with sexual exploitation of children, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 year, and with distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s New Haven and Salt Lake City Field Offices, with the assistance of the West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
WASHINGTON — A Canadian national accused of operating fraudulent prize notice schemes was extradited to the United States and made his initial appearance in Las Vegas federal court on June 18, the Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.
Patrick Fraser, 44, of Alberta, Canada, will face federal charges of conspiracy and mail fraud. Fraser was arrested on June 15, 2023, by Canadian authorities pursuant to a U.S. extradition request and was surrendered to the United States this month. A detention hearing was held on June 23, and Fraser was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, the defendant conspired with others to operate fraud schemes through which he mailed fraudulent prize notifications to individuals in the United States and in other countries. The prize notifications falsely represented that the victims had been specifically chosen to receive a large cash prize, typically over $1 million, and would receive the prize upon payment of a small free. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable.
“The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting and pursuing those who perpetrate fraud schemes targeting America’s seniors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “I thank Canada for assisting in extraditing this individual to face charges here in the United States. The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement partners will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims from outside the United States.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with the Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners in the United States and the world to identify and pursue transnational criminals who prey on older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through our Elder Justice Initiative, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff are combating elder financial exploitation and fraud. This extradition is another example of the outstanding collaboration between federal law enforcement and international partners.”
“Postal inspectors protect the vulnerable. If you use fake prize offers to scam others, we’ll find you—and you will be held accountable,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Eric Shen.
Fraser is charged in a nine-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Las Vegas. If convicted, Fraser faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Trial Attorney Charles B. Dunn of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. USPIS investigated the case. The Justice Department is grateful to the Vancouver Police Department, who provided assistance through official requests. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Fraser from Canada.
The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Consumer complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Apparent police collusion is allowing trafficking and enslavement of huge numbers of people
More than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified continue to operate after police raids
First-hand testimony exposes massive and extremely violent criminal operation
‘They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up’ – Survivor Siti*
‘The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to’ – Montse Ferrer
The Cambodian government is deliberately ignoring human rights abuses including slavery, human trafficking, child labour and torture that are being carried out by criminal gangs on a vast scale in more than 50 scamming compounds located across the country, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.
Survivors interviewed for the 240-page report, I Was Someone Else’s Property, believed they were applying for genuine jobs but were instead trafficked to Cambodia, where they were held in prison-like compounds and forced to conduct online scams in a billion-dollar shadow economy defrauding people around the world.
Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said.
“Deceived, trafficked and enslaved, the survivors of these scamming compounds describe being trapped in a living nightmare enlisted in criminal enterprises that are operating with the apparent consent of the Cambodian government.
“Jobseekers from Asia and beyond are lured by the promise of well-paid work into hellish labour camps run by well-organised gangs, where they are forced to scam under the very real threat of violence.
“Amnesty’s research reveals the horrifying magnitude of a crisis the Cambodian authorities are not doing enough to stop. Their failures have emboldened a criminal network whose tentacles extend internationally, with millions of people impacted by the scams.”
Amnesty’s findings suggest there has been coordination and possibly collusion between Chinese compound bosses and the Cambodian police, who have failed to shut down compounds despite the slew of human rights abuses taking place inside.
Held by force
In the most comprehensive documentation yet of the issue, Amnesty’s report identified at least 53 scamming compounds in Cambodia and interviewed 58 survivors of eight different nationalities, including nine children. Amnesty also reviewed the records of 336 other victims of Cambodian compounds. Those interviewed had either escaped from compounds, been rescued or had a ransom paid by their families.
The interviewees’ testimony gives a detailed insight into a sprawling, violent criminal operation that is taking place often with the full knowledge of the Cambodian authorities, whose woefully ineffective – and at times corrupt – response to the scamming crisis demonstrates its acquiescence and points towards state complicity in the human rights abuses taking place.
One survivor, Lisa*, who was 18 and looking for work during a break from school in Thailand when she was trafficked, said:
“[The recruiters] said I would work in administration… they sent pictures of a hotel with a swimming pool… the salary was high.”
Instead, Lisa was taken across a river at night into Cambodia, where she was held for 11 months against her will by armed security guards and forced to work on scams. When she tried to escape, she was severely beaten. She said:
“There were four men… three of them held me down while the boss hit me on the soles of my feet with a metal pole… They told me that if I don’t stop screaming, they’re going to keep hitting [me] until I stop.”
Sold into slavery
As part of its 18-month-long research, Amnesty visited all but one of the 53 scamming compounds located in 16 towns and cities across Cambodia, as well as 45 similar sites also strongly suspected to be scamming compounds. Many of the buildings were formerly casinos and hotels repurposed by criminal gangs – mostly from China – after Cambodia banned online gambling in 2019.
Compounds appeared designed to keep people inside, with features such as surveillance cameras, barbed wire around perimeter walls and large numbers of security personnel, often carrying electric shock batons and in some cases firearms. Survivors reported that “escape was impossible”.
Most victims had been lured to Cambodia by deceptive job advertisements posted on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. After being trafficked, survivors said they were forced to contact people using social media platforms and begin conversations aimed at defrauding them. These included fake romances or investment opportunities, selling products that would never be delivered, or building trust with victims before financially exploiting them – known as “pig-butchering”.
All but one of the survivors interviewed were victims of human trafficking, while everyone had been subjected to forced labour under the threat of violence. In 32 cases, Amnesty concluded the survivors were victims of slavery as defined under international law, with compound managers exerting a level of control over them that amounted to de facto ownership. Survivors also reported being sold into compounds or witnessing the sale of other people. Many others were told they owed a debt to the compound which they had to work to repay.
Forty of the 58 survivors interviewed had suffered torture or other ill-treatment – almost always carried out by compound managers. Some compounds had specific rooms – often known as “dark rooms” – which were designated places for torture of people who did not or could not work or meet work targets, or who contacted the authorities.
Survivors frequently mentioned deaths inside the compounds or nearby; one survivor described hearing a body hitting the roof of a building. Amnesty also confirmed the death of a Chinese child inside a compound.
Survivor Siti* described seeing a Vietnamese person beaten by compound bosses for around 25 minutes. He said:
“They just keep beating [the Vietnamese person] until their body was…purple…then [using] the electric baton beat the Vietnamese until he can’t scream, can’t get up…then the boss tell me that they wait until another compound want to buy him.”
Of the nine children interviewed, five were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.Sawat*, a 17-year-old Thai boy, was beaten by several managers before being told he would be stripped and forced to jump off the building.
Police in league with compound bosses
Amnesty’s report found that the Cambodian government has failed to adequately investigate widespread human rights abuses at scamming compounds despite being repeatedly made aware of them.
The Government has claimed to be addressing the scamming crisis through its National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking and a number of ministerial task forces, which have overseen a series of police “rescues” of victims from compounds. However, more than two-thirds of the scamming compounds identified in the report continued to operate even after police raids and “rescues”. At one compound in Botum Sakor, human trafficking has been widely reported by media and police have intervened multiple times to rescue victims, yet the site remains open.
Police failings stem from their collaboration or coordination with compound bosses. For example, in many of the “rescues”, instead of entering the compounds and investigating, police would simply meet a manager or security guard at the gate, where they would be handed the individual(s) who had called in for help. Business then continued as usual.
In other instances, several survivors said they were beaten after their secretive efforts to contact police for help were somehow uncovered by bosses. One Vietnamese survivor told Amnesty that police “work for the compound and will report requests for help back to the compound bosses”.
Those “rescued” from compounds were often subsequentlydetained in immigration detention centres in poor conditions for months at a time – the Cambodian authorities having failed to recognise them as victims of human trafficking and provide them with the support required under international law.
Meanwhile, the authorities have targeted others speaking out about scamming compounds. Several human rights defenders and journalists working on the issue have been arrested, while the news outlet Voice of Democracy was closed in 2023, apparently in retaliation for its reporting on the scamming crisis.
Amnesty sent its findings to theNational Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which responded by sharing vague data on interventions at compounds, none of which clarified whether the Government has identified, investigated or prosecuted individuals for human rights abuses other than deprivation of liberty. It also did not respond to Amnesty’s list of scamming compounds or suspicious locations.
Montse Ferrer, Amnesty International’s Regional Research Director, said.
“The Cambodian authorities know what is going on inside scamming compounds, yet they allow it to continue.
“Our findings reveal a pattern of state failures that have allowed criminality to flourish and raises questions about the Government’s motivations.
“The Government could put a stop to these abuses, but it has chosen not to. The police interventions documented appear to be merely ‘for show’.
“Cambodia’s authorities must ensure no more jobseekers are trafficked into the country to face torture, slavery or any other human rights abuse. They must urgently investigate and shut down all scamming compounds and properly identify, assist and protect victims. Slavery thrives when governments look away.”
Survivors interviewed for Amnesty’s report were from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ethiopia, but Amnesty also had access to records of hundreds of others from India, Kenya, Nepal and the Philippines and many more.
Press conference
Amnesty will be presenting the findings of the report in a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday 26 June. For further information or to register for the event, visithttps://forms.office.com/e/tZivUqtUv4
*All survivors using pseudonyms for security reasons
