Defendant and Co-Conspirator Both Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Send Controlled Aircraft Components to Russia
Oleg Sergeyevhich Patsulya, a Russian national, was sentenced today to 70 months, or nearly six years, in prison for his role in a conspiracy to export controlled aviation technology to Russia and to launder money in connection with the illegal export scheme. In December 2024, Patsulya’s co-conspirator, Russian national Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the scheme.
In April 2024, Patsulya, 46, of Miami-Dade County, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to export items from the United States without a license in violation of the Export Control Reform Act and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza for the District of Arizona. found that Patsulya was an organizer and leader of the conspiracy and that the money laundering scheme – which employed numerous shell companies, offshore accounts, and multi-layered transactions – was sophisticated in nature, which led to the application of sentencing enhancements.
In handing down Patsulya’s 70-month sentence, Judge Lanza emphasized the seriousness of the offense, Patsulya’s leadership role in planning and carrying it out, and the fact that Patsulya committed these crimes not long after being granted the privilege of a visa to enter the United States. “It’s hard to imagine a bigger betrayal of the United States than what you did,” Judge Lanza said. The proceedings also established that Patsulya currently lacks legal status to be present in the United States.
According to court documents, beginning in or about May 2022, Patsulya and Besedin conspired with each other and several others to obtain orders for various aircraft parts and components from Russian buyers – primarily commercial airline companies – and then fulfill those requests by acquiring the parts from the U.S. suppliers and unlawfully exporting the parts to Russia. The defendants admitted to knowing the items were controlled and required a license from the Department of Commerce to export.
As part of the scheme, the defendants conspired to export multiple shipments of a carbon disc brake system used on Boeing 737 aircraft. When they contacted various U.S. suppliers in efforts to obtain the brake system, Besedin and Patsulya provided false information that the parts were intended for countries other than Russia. The United States was able to detain, prior to export, multiple shipments made by the defendants containing units of the brake assembly technology.
As part of their guilty pleas, Besedin and Patsulya admitted that they attempted to conceal the illegal exports and avoid detection by law enforcement, including by making false representations about the identities of their true customers and using straw buyer-companies located overseas to obscure the origin of revenue. For example, on Sept. 8, 2022, Besedin and Patsulya traveled to Arizona to close a deal with a U.S. company, in which the defendants sought to purchase units of the brake assembly technology. During their discussions with the company, the defendants misrepresented that the aircraft parts were going to be exported to Turkey, when they were in fact destined for Russia. The defendants made false statements to the company both orally and in signed export compliance forms. In connection with this transaction, the defendants received money from a Russian airline company to make the purchase. The funds were transferred to Patsulya’s American bank account from a Turkish bank account that had previously received the money from Russia.
In total, throughout the conspiracy, American bank accounts associated with MIC P&I LLC, Patsulya’s company, received at least $4,582,288.51 sent from Russian airline companies through Turkish bank accounts to purchase aircraft parts and components intended for unlawful export. As part of his plea and sentence, Patsulya is required to forfeit assets, including a luxury car and personal boat, in the amount of $4,582,288.51.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and Special Agent in Charge Richard Fitzpatrick of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.
The BIS Phoenix Field Office and the FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the BIS Boston Field Office, the FBI Miami Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Phoenix Field Office, Customs and Border Protection-Phoenix Field Office, and the U.S. Marshals Office in Miami.
Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Voit for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.
This case was coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. The Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
ICYMI: Murray Statement on Trump & Elon Plans to Decimate VA, Firing 80,000 Employees and Putting Veterans’ Care in Grave Danger
ICYMI: Senator Murray, VA Researchers, Employees, Contractors in WA State Slam Trump & Elon’s Plans to Decimate VA With Further Mass Layoffs, Harm Services Veterans Rely On
***Report HERE***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released a new report detailing how President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless mass firings at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are already harming veterans’ services and health care in Washington state and across the country.
Senator Murray has been outspoken in standing up for veterans, VA employees, and VA researchers against Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs that will undermine critical services our nation’s veterans rely on every day. Senator Murray, a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was among the first to raise the alarm about the layoffs of VA researchers and called on President Trump to immediately reverse the firings. She pressed VA Deputy Secretary nominee Dr. Paul Lawrence on the firings of VA researchers at the hearing on his nomination last week, held a press conference with a VA employee and veteran in Seattle who was abruptly laid off as part of the mass firings with zero justification, and put out a fact sheet on how the indiscriminate mass firings were hurting workers in Washington state, including VA researchers. In January, Murray and others called on President Trump to exempt all VA employees from the hiring freeze issued as part of his Day One Executive Orders.
The full report is available HERE and below:
National View: The Department of Veterans Affairs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves approximately nine million enrolled veterans every year. Washington state alone has around 232,000 veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. Its mission is to provide comprehensive care, support, and benefits to veterans of the United States military and their families. Core VA benefits and services include: health care including medical, mental health, and rehabilitation care; benefits and compensation including disability compensation, pensions, educational assistance, and housing loans; and burial and memorial services, including access to national cemeteries.
Like the rest of the federal government, VA employs high numbers of veterans and military spouses compared to private sector employers. Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, and the federal government is the largest single employer of veterans in the country.
On February 13, 2024, VA Secretary Collins terminated 1,000 VA employees, including a substantial number of veterans and military spouses, without cause.Then on February 24, Secretary Collins carried out another round of illegal terminations of VA employees. This mass firing brought the total number of fired VA employees to 2,400. Of those fired, a large proportion were themselves veterans and military spouses. On March 4, a leaked internal VA memo showed that Secretary Collins planned to terminate an estimated 83,000 employees – likely including an estimated 20,000 veterans – by the end of September of this year. This plan to reduce the VA workforce to September 2019 levels, coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency, its workforce, and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves.
These measures will reverse the progress made by the previous Administration, during which VA was able to deliver more care and benefits to more veterans than ever before. It would roll back the progress and massive expansion of care and benefits from the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of VA health care and benefits in decades. These mass firings also threaten to erode recent progress in lowering the veteran unemployment rate, which has been a longstanding, bipartisan priority.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Provides Necessary Services and Has Ripple Effects Across Washington State
Before these mass firings, the VA was already experiencing staff shortages. The recent additional staffing and funding cuts will exacerbate these shortages and negatively impact the care veterans receive.
Former VA employees describe likely irreversible damage to the VA system, including loss of innovation and increased strain on already scarce staff time and resources.
Future Zhou, a disabled Army veteran who worked as an Inventory Manager at the Puget Sound VA Medical Center in Washington state, was abruptly let go due to recent workforce cuts imposed by the Trump Administration. By eliminating inventory management positions, understaffed nurses will now be burdened with additional responsibilities as they work to provide top-notch care with already limited time. Veteran patients will need to wait longer for medication and equipment they need while they are receiving care.
“Unfortunately, I was not alone. Five other logistics personnel in our probationary phase were dismissed within hours of me, two mail clerks and three supply techs. The unprofessional manner in which these decisions were executed was incredibly disrespectful. I have since visited my office—because I still receive my care at the Seattle VA—and witnessed firsthand the undue stress and devastation that these indiscriminate firings have caused. Our supply team is now more than seven days behind on placing critical supply requests for medication and equipment in our hospital, and our supply techs have had to cut their night shifts, limiting deliveries to our clinics. I saw nurses going down to the warehouse to collect their own supplies in order to continue to provide quality care to our veterans. I am not confident that the hospital can remain open under these conditions.”
Christian Helfrich, who served twenty years with the Puget Sound VA Medical Center as a research investigator, was one of seven research employees laid off because their research terms were not renewed due to the hiring freeze.
“In terms of what the effect will be on veterans… it’s not having innovative care developed in the VA, like pulmonary teams using the Electronic Health Record to identify problems for veterans before they happen, preventing things like pneumonia, and it’s not doing things like having people systematically identifying problems with the new Oracle Electronic Health Record… Research is an investment in the future—and if we don’t invest in research today, we are not investing in the future of the VA. And I’ll just add, what’s going on right now isn’t a two-way door where you can tear down the VA and then see what happens, and if you don’t like it, go back to the way it was. This is a one-way door —if we tear it down now, it is going to take years or decades to build back.”
Raphael Garcia, a 100% disabled Army veteran and combat engineer, was abruptly fired from his role as a management analyst with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by the current administration.
“I swore an oath to serve our country—first in the U.S. Army and then at the VA—only to be suddenly terminated by the very institution that promised to care for those who have served … Removing key personnel, not only delays claim processing, it erodes the institutional knowledge built over years of service, and sacrifices the care and compassion our veterans deserve.”
All three of these VA employees provided essential services to improve the health and lives of veterans. Without these staff and the other dedicated VA employees who were unduly fired, health care access and disability claim decisions will be delayed, services will be eliminated, and overall care for veterans will be negatively impacted.
One veteran, who is a prominent member and advocate in his local veteran service organization, confirmed that these cuts will further stress these systems that veterans rely on.
Joshua Schrek is an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who now lives in Renton, Washington and serves as a Judge Advocate General of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He’s been active in the VFW for over 15 years, previously serving at the post, district, and department levels, including previously being the Department of Washington VFW state Chief of Staff. His comments represent his own views and not those of VFW.
“I have received information directly from an employee at the Seattle VA who expressed serious concerns. He shared that his department is responsible for overseeing 46 veteran-facing products and services, including My HealtheVet, Community Care Billing, Enrollment & Eligibility, and the Veterans Crisis Line. Out of 140 authorized positions, only 65 are filled – expected to drop to 59. He also noted that they rely on over 700 contractors, and with contract cancellations happening centrally and without local input, there’s a risk these systems could go offline with no available staff to restore them.”
“The situation has the potential to affect not only veterans but also the families who rely on VA support systems. If services like benefits processing, crisis response, and access to medical care are interrupted, it creates stress and instability for those trying to navigate an already complex system. One particularly alarming note shared with me was that if some systems break, they may ‘stay down indefinitely’ due to a lack of technical staff to fix them.”
The Trump Administration is Damaging Veterans’ Access to Care for Years to Come
Trump and Musk are putting the health care and benefits veterans have earned in grave danger. They are firing tens of thousands of people responsible for administering the services and care that over nine million veterans enrolled in VA health care across the country count on—and it’s a breach of the sacred commitment we make to our veterans to take care of them when they return home. These arbitrary mass layoffs, at the very least, are going to mean longer processing times for disability or education claims veterans are desperately waiting on and longer wait times for veterans to see a healthcare provider—to say nothing of the serious threat to patient safety or the threat of VA medical centers closing. For example, the Puget Sound VA already has 40 mental health position vacancies, 14 of which are psychology positions. Firing additional employees will only further decrease access to mental health care. The consequences will reverberate for generations—more veterans sick and unable to get their benefits, more veterans out of a job, and fewer men and women willing to sign up to serve a nation that shows it will not keep their promises to them.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
WASHINTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Vice Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, led 25 Democratic senators in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Christopher Wright demanding that he uphold his commitment to honor existing legal agreements and deliver funds passed into law by Congress.
The letter comes on the heels of recent reports that the Department of Energy is creating a “hit list” of awards, projects, and contracts—many of which have already began construction—it is considering canceling, which would break existing agreements and lead to job losses and reductions in the growth of new energy resources.
The senators detailed their serious concerns about the reports, telling Secretary Wright: “You assured us during your confirmation hearing that you believe that legal agreements should be honored (including managing the financial commitments you have inherited) and that you will follow the law.”
The senators added: “Indiscriminately canceling program funding and executed contracts, and refusing to execute on the funding directives Congress enacted, neither honors existing agreements nor is consistent with the spending laws that have appropriated funding for specific purposes.”
“Dissolving contracts, cancelling grants and loans, and reneging on loan guarantees without any intention to execute the laws is not only illegal, but is harmful to the public and energy consumers. Your indiscriminate cancellations of spending will increase energy prices, make our grid less secure, and stop energy innovation,” the senators continued. “If the Department has a policy disagreement and does not want to spend money on programs Congress has funded, the lawful response is to ask Congress to rescind that funding. The decision ultimately rests with Congress, not with the President, the Department of Energy, or the Department of Government Efficiency.”
The senators concluded the letter by demanding a detailed list and briefing that identifies which grants, loans, or loan guarantees Secretary Wright believes should be rescinded and why he thinks they should be rescinded.
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
Dear Mr. Secretary:
We are deeply troubled by recent news reports that the Department of Energy (Department) is creating a “hit list of clean energy projects” to “wipe out” for being inconsistent with the President’s priorities. This list reportedly includes hydrogen hubs and carbon capture, critical mineral, and battery storage projects that have already received grant and loan funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and annual appropriations bills.
You assured us during your confirmation hearing that you believe that legal agreements should be honored (including managing the financial commitments you have inherited) and that you will follow the law. Indiscriminately canceling program funding and executed contracts, and refusing to execute on the funding directives Congress enacted, neither honors existing agreements nor is consistent with the spending laws that have appropriated funding for specific purposes.
Our Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse and exclusive power to appropriate funds. Once a law is properly enacted, the Constitution requires the President to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” The President cannot substitute his policy preferences for requirements in law, and that includes refusing to spend funds Congress requires the President to spend.
In this instance, where Congress has authorized and appropriated funds for programs that support clean energy projects, the Department must faithfully execute the law and expend the funds for the purposes provided. For example, programs authorized that have received federal appropriations under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have requirements on timing of expended funds, purposes, and contractual expectations. An internal Office of Management and Budget guidance document cannot hide the Department’s obligation to follow the enacted law.
Dissolving contracts, cancelling grants and loans, and reneging on loan guarantees without any intention to execute the laws is not only illegal, but is harmful to the public and energy consumers. Your indiscriminate cancellations of spending will increase energy prices, make our grid less secure, and stop energy innovation. If the Department has a policy disagreement and does not want to spend money on programs Congress has funded, the lawful response is to ask Congress to rescind that funding. The decision ultimately rests with Congress, not with the President, the Department of Energy, or the Department of Government Efficiency. Please provide us a detailed list and briefing that identifies which grants, loans, or loan guarantees you believe should be rescinded and why you think they should be rescinded.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
April 02, 2025
Durbin questioned witnesses about the legal ramifications of President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship, his attacks on law firms
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing entitled “Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions.” Durbin first questioned Samuel Bray, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, about birthright citizenship. President Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship was blocked earlier this year.
“One judge, a Ronald Reagan appointee, said that efforts by the Administration are blatantly unconstitutional. If you accept the normal process which you described to us, how should that case (birthright citizenship) be handled if we’ve done away with the universal application of decisions?” Durbin asked.
Professor Bray responded that the judge blocking President Trump’s executive order is exactly how the “courts are supposed to work. The courts are going to decide the cases. In every single one, the courts will say there’s birthright citizenship under the Constitution [and] that [there] will not actually be a disagreement between the circuit courts and there won’t even need to be a decision from the Supreme Court.”
Durbin responded, “But assume the alternative—that there is a federal judge in some state who says, ‘I think the President is right. I believe birthright citizenship is unconstitutional.’ So you have a case in controversary, and it affects only the cases filed in that [circuit]?”
Professor Bray responded that if that scenario happens and the circuit courts are split, the case will go up to the Supreme Court. He continued, saying that “just because one branch goes beyond its constitutional bounds, doesn’t mean the judiciary should go beyond its [constitutional bounds].”
“In light of individuals personally affected by this [birthright citizenship executive order]—pregnant women, as an example—we just have to let the process play out, is that what you suggest?” Durbin asked to both Professor Bray and Professor Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center.
Professor Vladeck responded, “I think it’s worth underscoring the human consequences… because if it takes three years for that circuit split to get to the Supreme Court, you’re going to have three years where, in large parts of the country, children born to undocumented parents will not be citizens. Some of those children could be subjected to removal by the United States on the ground that they are not citizens.”
Video of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.
Durbin then asked Jesse Panuccio, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, about President Trump’s attacks on law firms. Over the past month, President Trump has issued executive orders attacking a number of law firms because they dared to employ attorneys who were involved in litigation or represented clients that President Trump didn’t like.
“What is the impact of those executive orders on the targeted firms?” Durbin asked.
Mr. Panuccio responded that Durbin would “have to ask those law firms what the impact has been,” despite working at a law firm himself.
“What message do you think these executive orders send to the legal community more broadly?” Durbin asked.
Despite working within the legal community, Mr. Panuccio again responded, “I think you’d have to ask the legal community more broadly.”
“I’m asking you—you’re with a law firm and it’s not unreasonable to ask you—has it come up in conversation the last two weeks among your colleagues?” Durbin asked.
Mr. Panuccio responded that he wasn’t invited before the Committee to testify on this topic.
Durbin posed the same question to Professor Vladeck.
Professor Vladeck responded that when the executive branch is openly threatening law firms that criticize the Administration, it threatens the separation of powers.
Video of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.
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A federal jury convicted a Louisiana chiropractor yesterday for his role in health care fraud and unemployment insurance fraud schemes totaling millions of dollars.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Benjamin Tekippe, 40, of New Orleans, was a chiropractor and owner of Metairie Chiropractic & Rehab in New Orleans. Tekippe solicited patients with insurance from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) at schools, public events, and on social media to receive chiropractic massages, which he misleadingly advertised as “free.” Tekippe would then routinely bill BCBSLA for chiropractic services he did not perform. In total, Tekippe fraudulently submitted over $2.3 million in claims to BCBSLA for services not performed and was reimbursed approximately $740,000 by the insurance provider. The fraudulent claims sought payment for thousands of chiropractic services purportedly provided by Tekippe during periods when he was out of the office, traveling on vacation, or incarcerated for past arrests. The evidence also showed that in response to a medical records request from a BCBSLA auditor, Tekippe fabricated patient records and instructed his staff to write them in their own handwriting to make it falsely appear that the services had been performed as billed. Evidence at trial showed that Tekippe spent the fraud proceeds on, among other things, luxury goods and gambling.
In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tekippe submitted weekly certifications falsely claiming that he was unemployed when he was billing for chiropractic services purportedly performed during his claimed unemployment. Through this scheme, Tekippe received $12,952 in unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled.
Tekippe was convicted of six counts of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count and 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Baton Rouge Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, 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.
Andre Muller, Robert Holland and others conspired to steal drugs from a Rangeley residence in 2016
BANGOR, Maine: Two New York man were sentenced today for conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery in connection with a violent home invasion in Rangeley in 2016.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Andre Muller, 54, to 200 months in prison, and Robert Holland, 45, to 188 months in prison. Both men were also sentenced to three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment. Muller and Holland were found guilty on November 23, 2023, after a three-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Bangor.
According to evidence presented during the trial, in July 2016, Muller, Holland and four coconspirators developed a plan to steal controlled substances from a Rangeley residence. On July 26, 2016, Muller traveled from New York City with Hector Munoz, 57, of Florida and one other coconspirator, meeting up with Holland and a fifth man at a location just outside Rangeley. On July 28, 2016, two of the coconspirators, including Munoz, entered the Rangeley residence armed with knives with the intent to take the controlled substances. During the commission of the robbery, the robbery’s intended target shot and killed the second coconspirator. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is not identifying that conspirator because they were not charged.
Muller and Holland were initially convicted following a five-day jury trial that concluded August 10, 2022. Judge Torresen granted a motion for a new trial, however, based on evidence of juror prejudgment, and the second trial was held in November 2023.
Hector Munoz pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery on January 15, 2020, and was sentenced to time served on January 12, 2024.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Maine State Police; the Rangeley Police Department; the U.S. Border Patrol; and the Carrabassett Valley Police Department investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Maine Office of the Attorney General.
A Minnesota man was sentenced yesterday to 21 years and 10 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) found in his apartment and for using the dark web to advertise and distribute CSAM images and videos.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Craig James Myran, 47, of Bemidji, was an active participant on a website only accessible through the dark web that was dedicated to discussing and trafficking CSAM. For years, he used an account with a unique username to make over a thousand posts in which he shared images of CSAM. In at least one post, Myran requested specific files of known CSAM from other users that he disturbingly referred to as his “holy grail.” In another post, he advertised over 100 images depicting the sadomasochistic sexual abuse of two prepubescent minors. On Dec. 8, 2022, FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Myran’s apartment in Bemidji, where they found a cell phone and numerous hard drives that contained evidence that he used the dark web to advertise, publish, and solicit CSAM. Agents also found thousands of other CSAM images.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Myran’s sexual exploitation of minors was not limited to his activity on just one particular dark-web site. He was simultaneously an active participant on multiple other dark-web sites dedicated to trafficking in CSAM, and he previously made posts on the dark web about producing his own CSAM by screen-recording minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct during online webcam interactions. On Nov. 20, 2024, a federal jury convicted Myran on two counts of advertising child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick for the District of Minnesota; and Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Minneapolis Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green for the District of Minnesota prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A Florida man pleaded guilty on Monday to purchasing Medicare identification numbers and using those numbers to cause over $8.4 million of false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare.
Corey Alston, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification numbers in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that were ineligible for reimbursement. According to court documents, Alston and his co-defendant, Latresia A. Wilson, conspired to unlawfully purchase Medicare beneficiary identification information (including Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers) and used that information to submit millions of dollars in claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that the beneficiaries did not want or request.
Over the course of just seven months, from July 2022 through February 2023, Alston, Wilson, and others, through companies they owned and controlled, submitted over $8.4 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare that were ineligible for reimbursement. Medicare paid over $2.6 million based on the false and fraudulent claims. Alston personally earned over $2.3 million from the scheme.
Wilson previously pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. Alston is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9. Alston and Wilson each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Keith Clouser and Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Acting Assistant Chief Justin Woodard assisted in charging 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 nine 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 the 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 Florida man pleaded guilty on Monday to purchasing Medicare identification numbers and using those numbers to cause over $8.4 million of false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare.
Corey Alston, 47, of Fort Lauderdale, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification numbers in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that were ineligible for reimbursement. According to court documents, Alston and his co-defendant, Latresia A. Wilson, conspired to unlawfully purchase Medicare beneficiary identification information (including Medicare Beneficiary Identification Numbers) and used that information to submit millions of dollars in claims to Medicare for COVID-19 test kits that the beneficiaries did not want or request.
Over the course of just seven months, from July 2022 through February 2023, Alston, Wilson, and others, through companies they owned and controlled, submitted over $8.4 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare that were ineligible for reimbursement. Medicare paid over $2.6 million based on the false and fraudulent claims. Alston personally earned over $2.3 million from the scheme.
Wilson previously pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to illegally purchase Medicare beneficiary identification. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. Alston is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9. Alston and Wilson each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Keith Clouser and Senior Litigation Counsel Catherine Wagner of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Acting Assistant Chief Justin Woodard assisted in charging 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 nine 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 the 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.
Queens District RCMP has charged a man with attempt to commit murder.
On March 28 at approximately 3:30 a.m., RCMP officers and EHS responded to a weapons call at a home on Hwy. 3 in Mill Village. When officers arrived at the scene, they located a man with life-threatening injuries and learned that another man had left in a vehicle. The victim was transported to hospital by EHS.
At approximately 7:45 a.m., officers located the suspect at home in Voggler’s Cove and he was safely arrested.
Investigators have determined that the victim, a 84-year-old man, sustained injuries consistent with being stabbed. The men were known to each other and no one else was inside the home at the time of the incident.
Derek Dominix, age 60, of Mill Village, was charged with Attempt to Commit Murder and was remanded into custody. He will appear in Bridgewater Provincial Court on April 10, 2025 at 9:30 a.m.
The investigation is continuing and is being led by Queens District RCMP with support from RCMP Forensic Identification Section and the Southwest Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit.
European Commission Statement Brussels, 02 Apr 2025 The new legislation, including Foreign Agents Registration Act and Law on Broadcasting, adopted by the parliament today, without due public consultations, give additional tools to the Georgian authorities to suppress dissent and tighten the policy of repression.
Disinfectant Wipes/Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
Trials
United States v. Don M. Rynn
No. 2:24-CR-00653 (District of South Carolina)
AUSA Winston Holliday
AUSA Amy Bower
On March 20, 2025, a jury convicted Don M. Rynn of making false statements to federal agents and falsifying fishing records (18 U.S.C. §§ 1001, 1519).
Rynn managed several commercial fishing vessels in the McClellanville area, including the Maximum Retriever and the Crystal C. The vessels docked at Carolina Seafood, a federally licensed dealer.
On March 21, 2023, the Maximum Retriever embarked on a commercial fishing trip captained by the defendant’s son, who Rynn instructed to catch as many fish as he could (ignoring federally imposed quotas). Rynn told his son he would “take care of things” when he returned.
The Maximum Retriever returned to McClellanville shortly after midnight on March 27, 2023, with almost three times the legal limit of snowy grouper on board, and one and a half times the allowable number of grey tilefish. Rynn was waiting for the boat to arrive. Once the Maximum Retriever was in place, the Crystal C was maneuvered so that the two boats were side-by-side.
Rynn then directed deckhands to move fish from the ice hold of the Maximum Retriever to the Crystal C. They removed additional fish from the Maximum Retriever to Rynn’s truck to take to another seafood dealer in Georgetown.
In the mandatory trip report filed shortly thereafter, Rynn reported his catch only up to the limit, hiding the fact that the Maximum Retriever had vastly overfished. He attributed a substantial portion of the catch to the Crystal C, which had remained moored at the dock.
On March 27, 2023, law enforcement officers received an anonymous tip alerting them to the excessive catch. The Georgetown seafood dealer that had received some of the overage initially lied to cover for Rynn. When he realized the agents were closing in, the dealer threw the fish in the river to get rid of them.
In October 2023, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) agents interviewed Rynn about the incidents in March. Rynn lied, saying the snowy grouper and tilefish had been contaminated by a fuel spill while at sea, and that he had disposed of them in a dumpster. Rynn further implied that a U.S. Coast Guard report addressing an unlawful discharge into Jeremy Creek was inaccurate and should have been attributed to the Crystal C, which would have bolstered his fuel spill story.
In total, the Maximum Retriever caught approximately 560 pounds of snowy grouper and 450 pounds of tilefish. The legal limit for grouper is 200 pounds and 300 for tilefish.
NOAA, the U. S. Coast Guard, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Saltwater Team conducted the investigation.
Photo from dock surveillance camera showing Rynn on back of boat directing two individuals to carry a tote of federally protected fish to his truck.
On March 14, 2025, a court unsealed a complaint charging the chief executive officer of a Georgia-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company with illegally importing 500 cylinders of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Peru.
William Randolph Hires is charged with violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) by unlawfully importing 500 cylinders of HFCs (42 U.S.C. §§ 7675, 7413).
In April 2022, on behalf of his company, Hires purchased 500 cylinders of HFCs in Peru. Over the next several months, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials explained to Hires’s employees that, under the AIM Act and its implementing regulations, Hires’s company could not lawfully import the HFCs into the United States because it did not have the required EPA-issued allowances. In a July 22, 2022, email to one of Hires’s employees, an EPA official stated “it is not possible to import bulk HFCs without consumption allowances.”
Hires’s employees conveyed this information from the EPA to Hires on several occasions. On one occasion, an employee forwarded an email to Hires that the employee had received from an EPA official which stated, “[t]he HFC you listed (R-410A) is a regulated substance. So, if you do not have allowances, you cannot import those bulk HFC refrigerants.” In another email exchange between Hires and an employee, the employee informed Hires that, based on a video conference the employee had with EPA officials, shipping without the necessary allowances would violate import laws so “[i]t is out of our hands.”
Hires nevertheless instructed his employees to illegally import the HFCs into the United States. In a July 28, 2022 email, Hires stated to his employees: “[y]eah you have to be careful what agencies you’re reaching out to because the EPA . . . can create a hassle and they can hold our stuff up in customs there[.]” In a subsequent email, Hires instructed his employees to “get [the HFCs] on the ship and get it out to sea . . . don’t care what it takes[.]” Hires later instructed his employees via email: “Do not call the EPA please do not.”
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Leshon E. Johnson
No. 6:25-CR-00012 (Eastern District of Oklahoma)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy
ECS Trial Attorney Sarah Brown
AUSA Jordan Howantiz
ECS Law Clerk Amanda Backer
On March 20, 2025, Leshon E. Johnson was arraigned on an indictment charging him with violating the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 2156(b) & 18 U.S.C. § 49). Specifically, Johnson possessed 190 pit bull-type dogs for the purpose of having the dogs participate in an animal fighting venture, and for selling, transporting, and delivering a dog for use in an animal fighting venture. Federal authorities seized the 190 dogs from Johnson in October 2024 as authorized under the Animal Welfare Act. This is believed to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case.
Johnson ran a dog fighting operation known as “Mal Kant Kennels” in both Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. He previously ran “Krazyside Kennels,” also out of Oklahoma, which led to his guilty plea on state animal fighting charges in 2004. Johnson selectively bred “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs — dogs that have respectively won three or five fights — to produce offspring with fighting traits and abilities desired by him and others for use in dog fights. Johnson marketed and sold stud rights and offspring from winning fighting dogs to other dog fighters looking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels “bloodline” into their own dog fighting operations. His trafficking of fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially. Trial is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Guilty Pleas
United States v. Terrell Williams
No. 4:23-CR-00692 (Eastern District of Missouri)
AUSA Jillian Anderson
On March 7, 2025, Terrell Williams pleaded guilty to an Animal Fighting Venture violation for hosting dog fights in his home and training dogs to fight (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)-(c); 18 U.S.C. § 49(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025.
Between September 2020 through May 2022, Williams hosted fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his home in Riverview, Missouri. He also owned and bred bull terriers and terrier mixes that were used for fights. On June 22, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home and seized eight bull terrier mixes and three Yorkshire terriers. The dogs bore scars consistent with fighting. Agents also removed equipment used to train and condition dogs, including weighted vests and a canine treadmill.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Dog rescued from defendant’s home during execution of search warrant. Photo included with detention motion filed with the court.
On March 11, 2025, Nicholas Dryden pleaded guilty to creating and distributing videos depicting the torture of monkeys (known as animal “crush” videos) (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(3)). Co-defendant Giancarlo Morelli entered a similar plea in December 2024.
Dryden commissioned videos from a 17-year-old in Indonesia who was willing to commit specified acts of torture on video in exchange for payment. Dryden utilized Telegram, a cross-platform messaging app that includes encrypted group messaging and private chats, to advertise the animal crush videos and solicit funding for additional videos. Within these private groups, Dryden shared snippets of videos that he commissioned and advertised that the full content was for sale. Co-defendants Morelli and Philip Colt Moss each sent money to Dryden more than a dozen times in exchange for monkey torture videos.
Thereafter, they frequently gave feedback on the videos and Morelli sometimes suggested torturous acts he’d like to see in future videos.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose Manuel Valenzuela
No. 3:24-CR-01037 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
AUSA Laura Sambataro
On March 18, 2025, Jose Manuel Valenzuela pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to present refrigerant tanks for inspection (19 U.S.C. §§ 1433, 1436). Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2025.
On April 22, 2024, Valenzuela (an HVAC technician) attempted to enter the United States from Mexico without declaring four 24-pound tanks of 404A refrigerant (a hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant) in his vehicle.
Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert C. Schmid
No. 3:25-mj-00011 (Eastern District of Virginia)
AUSA Carla Jordan-Detamore
On March 25, 2025, Robert C. Schmid pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(A), 1361(b)(1)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025.
Schmid owned the Atlantic Manufacturing Group, LLC (AMG), which manufactured and sold cleaning and janitorial products. AMG marketed and sold its products via various means, including a website, as well as through outside sales representatives. In September 2017, AMG entered into an agreement with “Company 1” to purchase a product called “Maquat 64-PD” for which Company 1 had obtained a registration from the EPA. AMG entered into this Agreement because it wanted to distribute and sell its liquid ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant, made with Company 1’s Maquat 64-PD.
In October 2017, the EPA approved the label for AMG’s ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant. The label made clear that the product was hazardous to humans and animals and was not for use on clothing or on skin.
Beginning in May 2020, and acting on behalf of AMG, Schmid began manufacturing and selling AMG “Hygienic Facility Wipes” that purportedly protected users from COVID-19. Schmid sold these wipes to janitorial services that supported government entities, gyms and health clubs, universities, and janitorial product retailers. AMG manufactured these wipes by applying the ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant to dry wipes and packaging the wipes in plastic buckets or plastic packages. These wipes, however, were not registered with the EPA pursuant to FIFRA and did not have EPA approved labels or safety guidance. Investigators also determined that Schmid, his employees, and outside sales reps made unauthorized claims about the efficacy and safety of these wipes to potential customers.
After Company 1 issued Schmid a cease-and-desist email in August of 2020 about the unauthorized use of its product, Schmid switched to “Company 2” to use its liquid, which was not registered with the EPA, in its wipes. Schmid, however, continued to claim that his wipes were an EPA-registered product. AMG also generated product labels claiming the wipes eradicated corona viruses, in addition to other falsified information (to include the ingredient list).
Between March and November 2020, AMG sold approximately 5,000 cases of the wipes, taking in close to $415,000 in sales and making approximately $33,000 in gross profit.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert J. Bullock, Sr.
No. 1:24-CR-10056 (District of Massachusetts)
AUSA Benjamin Tolkoff
On March 26, 2025, Robert J. Bullock, Sr., pleaded guilty to violating the Safe Drinking Water Act for tampering with public water systems (42 U.S.C. § 300i-1(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2025.
On the evening of November 29, 2022, Bullock, a former Stoughton Water Department employee, went into one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, water that had not been properly disinfected was introduced into the drinking water system.
When questioned by investigators, Bullock claimed to not have tampered with the water system. Specifically, Bullock said that he had not knowingly turned off the chlorine pump at Goddard Pumping Station 7 on the night of November 29, 2022, when in fact he had; and that he did not set the alarms for the chlorine level to zero that night, when he did.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Stoughton Massachusetts Police Department conducted the investigation.
Sentencings
United States v. National Water Main Cleaning Company
No. 3:25-CR-00002 (District of Connecticut)
AUSA Hal Chen
RCEC Man Chak Ng
On March 4, 2025, a court sentenced the National Water Main Cleaning Company (NWMCC) to pay a $500,000 fine, complete a three-year term of probation, and implement an environmental compliance program. The company will also employ an independent outside consultant to perform a compliance audit and identify an environmental compliance manager for its Connecticut facilities. NWMCC will also make a payment of $500,000 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) to fund aquatic ecosystem enhancement projects in the South-Central Coastal Watershed.
The company pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) for knowingly discharging a pollutant into Cuff Brook while refurbishing a large culvert pipe in Cheshire, Connecticut, in July 2019 (33 U.S.C. §§ 1319 (c)(2)(A); 1311(a)). The unauthorized discharge of uncured geopolymer mortar killed more than 150 fish and contaminated Cuff Brook.
At the time of the incident, NWMCC was operating under a Code of Conduct as part of a 2014 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to resolve civil allegations involving environmental pollution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
United States v. Fidelity Development Group LLC
No. 3:24-CR-00077(Southern District of Ohio)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
On March 4, 2024, a court sentenced Fidelity Development Group LLC (Fidelity) to pay a $100,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Fidelity pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for failing to inspect for the presence of asbestos (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(1)).
In 2015 or 2016, Fidelity purchased a building and planned to renovate it into a mixed-use property. Fidelity failed to perform or acquire an asbestos survey for the building prior to renovations. Around April 2020, a certified asbestos company conducted an asbestos survey in the Fidelity Building and identified more than 12,000 linear feet of 80% chrysolite asbestos pipe wrap insulation in friable condition.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc.,et al.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00235, 00250 (Middle District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA William Behe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc., to pay an $80,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Mechanic Leon Martin will complete a two-year term of probation, to include three months’ home detention, and pay a $500,000 fine.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) for tampering with the emission control systems for several heavy-duty diesel trucks (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Between 2018 and October 2023, Martin provided “tuning” or “reprogramming” services by modifying the engine control modules (ECMs) on diesel trucks. The ECM is a computerized system that manages and controls the engine’s performance. During that time, Martin tampered with the emissions diagnostic systems on the vehicles for many companies to prevent the diagnostic system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware.
Frock, a long-distance trucking company based in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, transports a variety of goods, including snack foods, refrigerated items, and produce. Ed Frock owned the company until his death in August 2022.
Between November 13, 2018, and December 28, 2018, Frock contracted with co-defendant Martin to disable and/or remove emission control components from eight of their diesel trucks. Frock removed the vehicles’ ECMs from their engines and shipped them to Martin for reprogramming. Once the devices were “tuned,” Martin shipped them back to Frock, where they were reinstalled on the trucks. Martin also tampered with the onboard diagnostic equipment (OBD) to delete factory-installed emission controls from Frock’s heavy duty diesel trucks. Martin’s tunes enabled those deleted trucks to operate without emission control devices, which are required by federal law.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On March 6, 2025, a court sentencedBenjamin Gathercole to complete a one-year term of probation, after he pleaded guilty to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for illegally transporting hazardous waste without a manifest (42 U.S.C. § 6928(d)(5)).
Gathercole lived in Tappahannock, Virginia, and worked at a local brake manufacturing facility. In 2019, a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) inspector determined that the brake manufacturing facility failed to make an accurate waste determination for 32 55-gallon drums stored on site. Some of the drums displayed labels noting they contained hazardous waste, but not in accordance with RCRA requirements. The DEQ issued a notice of violation to the facility in May 2019.
In September and October 2019, Gathercole removed 31 of the 55-gallon drums from the facility and transported them to his residence. He dug a hole near his property and buried the drums in the ground. He crushed some of them in the process, causing their contents to spill onto the ground.
In December 2020, a citizen tipped off the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the illegal burial. In November 2021, agents executed a search warrant on the defendant’s property. Gathercole admitted to burying the drums at the request of his employer and directed authorities to where he had buried them. Further testing confirmed the waste was ignitable hazardous waste. The EPA finished excavating the site in November 2022.
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division and the EPA National Enforcement Investigation Center conducted the investigation.
United States v. Keidrick D. Usifo, et al.
No. 24-CR-00040 (Eastern District of Arkansas)
AUSA Edward Walker
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Keidrick Usifo to pay a $5,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Co-defendant Deon Johnson will pay a $1,000 fine and complete an 18-month term of probation. Usifo and Johnson previously pleaded guilty to violating the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA)(16 U.S.C. §§ 3372 (e)(1)(A), 3373 (d)).
Lawmakers enacted the BCPSA in December 2022 to protect the public by prohibiting the private ownership of big cats (such as tigers and lions) as pets and by prohibiting exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including tiger cubs. This law places new restrictions on the commerce, breeding, possession, and use of certain big cat species.
In April 2023, a citizen tipped off local game authorities after seeing a tiger cub in a residential neighborhood in Conway, Arkansas. Further investigation confirmed that Usifo purchased a tiger in March 2023 from a broker in Dallas, Texas, and brought it back to his residence in Arkansas.
After receiving a second complaint about the tiger cub, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on April 21, 2023, arresting Usifo on a felony state warrant. The Conway Police Department then executed a search warrant at Usifo’s residence. The animal was not there, but they found evidence of its presence, including the fact that rooms in the house matched those in photos of the tiger that Usifo posted on Instagram.
While in the Pulaski County Detention Facility (PCDF), Usifo made several calls to Johnson, asking him to take care of the tiger while Usifo was held in detention. Johnson concealed his knowledge of the tiger when questioned by agents.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Conway Police Department, and the Little Rock Police Department.
Tiger cub, now named Fred, rescued by the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken by case agent June 2024.
United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00174 (District of Puerto Rico)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
AUSA Seth Erbe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced the final two Dominican nationals who attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. Frankluis Carela De Jesús will serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Domingo Heureau Altagracia will complete eight months of incarceration and three years of supervised release. Waner Balbuena and Juan Graviel Ramírez Cedano were each previously sentenced to serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. All the defendants pleaded guilty to Lacey Act trafficking and to smuggling wildlife from the United States (18 U.S.C. § 554; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), (a)(4), 3373(d)(1)(B)).
On May 3, 2024, the four Dominican nationals traveled in a flagless vessel departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. They intended to smuggle various species of tropical birds to the Dominican Republic for financial gain. When the vessel was approximately 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) approached the vessel and witnessed the crew tossing objects overboard. Following the boarding of the vessel, USCG authorities recovered several of the jettisoned objects, which were wooden cages containing tropical birds. Approximately 113 birds drowned as a result.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Travis Larson to pay a $40,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Larson will also pay $2,400 in restitution, to be divided between the State of Alaska and the Port Graham Authority. Larson will forfeit $150,000 and is prohibited from hunting anywhere in the world or providing any big game commercial services while under supervision. Larsen pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally transporting four black bears and making false records (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B); (d)(3)(A)).
Larson worked as a licensed big game transporter since 2010, and provided transport services through his company, Alaska Premier Sportfishing LLC (APS). Larson and APS offered paying clients transportation for multi-day hunting and fishing trips aboard a 65-foot liveaboard vessel, Venturess.
In May 2018, Larson transported eight hunters on a black bear hunt in the Nuka Bay area of the Kenai Peninsula. Each hunter paid $3,500 to participate in the hunt. The group included four Norwegian nationals. Larson knew all four people were not U.S. residents, nor were they accompanied by a licensed hunting guide or assistant guide, as required under state law.
On May 9, 2018, one foreign hunter was transported to a beach adjacent to Surprise Bay to hunt a black bear. The hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On May 10, 2018, Larson transported three foreign hunters to a beach adjacent to Beauty Bay to hunt black bears. Two of the hunters each shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the Port Graham Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation, and the other hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On both days, Larson transported the hunters and the illegally harvested black bears back to his vesselvia the smaller motorboat.
On May 11, 2018, Larson transported the four foreign hunters and the four illegally harvested black bears to Homer, Alaska, where he knew the black bears would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce following the hunt. The government dismissed the charges against Larson’s business.
The National Park Service Investigative Services Branch and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Dugan Paul Daniels to six months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release, for falsifying fishing records in violation of the Lacey Act and illegally taking a sperm whale in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(A), 1583(a)(1)(C), 1540(b)(1)). Daniels will also pay a $25,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service, and is banned from commercial fishing for one year.
Daniels is a commercial fisherman with 20 years of experience. Between October and November 2020, he submitted falsified fishing records to make it appear that he lawfully caught sablefish, aka “black cod,” in federal waters on two separate occasions. In fact, Daniels illegally harvested the fish in State of Alaska waters, specifically, in Chatham Strait and Clarence Strait. The total market value of the illegally harvested fish was $127,528.
In March 2020, Daniels and three crew members were fishing for sablefish southwest of Yakobi Island in the Gulf of Alaska when they came upon a sperm whale. During the encounter, Daniels directed a crewman to shoot the whale multiple times and also tried to ram the whale with his fishing vessel. Daniels documented the encounter in writing and through text messages sent from a GPS communication device. Some of the messages stated he wished he “had a cannon to blow” the whale out of the water and that he hoped “to be reeling in a dead sperm whale.” It is a violation of the ESA to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct involving an endangered species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
No. 2:23-CR-00177 (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA Christopher Parisi
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Bien King and Khalil King to each complete three-year terms of probation, to include six months’ home confinement. Bien King was also sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine. The defendants pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for selling a misbranded pesticide and for violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for selling misbranded animal drugs (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(E); 21 U.S.C. § 331(a)).
Bien King started “Little City Dogs” (LCD) a New York corporation with office space in New York City. Bien King also created a website that sold various products intended to treat diseases or pests in animals. Bien King’s son, Khalil, worked in the New York office. Khalil King was responsible for mixing ingredients and packaging various products for shipment. The defendants obtained the ingredients for these products from various suppliers in China. They knew that these suppliers routinely mislabeled shipments of these products to avoid detection by customs officials.
When LCD received orders from online sales, Khalil King and others shipped the products from the New York office to customers throughout the United States. An undercover agent placed several orders for various products through the LCD website. These purchases included a January 17, 2020, order for fipronil drops and ivermectin. Fipronil is designed to treat external parasites such as fleas and ticks. Ivermectin is designed to control heartworms in dogs and cats.
The defendants shipped the fipronil drops and ivermectin from New York to an address in Springfield, Pennsylvania. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the fipronil drops did not include information required by law. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the ivermectin likewise did not include required information. Furthermore, LCD’s facility in New York City was not registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose V. Fernandez
No. 1:24-CR-00071 (District of Rhode Island)
AUSA John McAdams
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Jose V. Fernandez to complete a two-year term of probation. Fernandez pleaded guilty to making false statements for distributing false asbestos abatement training certifications (18 U.S.C. § 1001 (a)(3)).
Fernandez owned the Rhode Island Safety Environment Training Center. The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDH) accredited the facility to provide asbestos abatement training. On multiple occasions between 2021 and 2023, Fernandez submitted false documentation to the RIDH attesting that nearly two dozen individuals paid for, attended, and successfully completed an Environmental Protection Agency-approved abatement training program when, in fact, no one attended any classes.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Rhode Island Department of Health conducted the investigation.
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Pedro Luis Bones-Torres to 12 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Bones-Torres pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act for illegally constructing and depositing material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (the “Jobos Estuarine Reserve”) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 403).
Starting in January 2020, Bones-Torres engaged in construction and land clearing activities on a property to the South of Camino de Galileo in the Las Mareas area of Salinas, Puerto Rico (the “Property”). Much of the Property supported mangrove trees with an open area that was occasionally partially submerged by the sea tides. This wetland area was within the Jobos Estuarine Reserve.
Between January 2020 and October 2022, Bones-Torres removed mangroves from the Property, depositing fill material onto the wetland area using excavation and earth moving equipment. After he filled the wetlands, he built a concrete pad, a concrete gazebo with an outdoor kitchen, a wooden gazebo, and a dock extending into Mar Negro. Bones-Torres did not seek or receive approval to fill the wetlands and was at no point permitted to fill wetlands on or near the Property.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
United States v. Royce Gillham
No. 2:24-CR-14046 (Southern District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
AUSA Daniel Funk
On March 13, 2025, a court sentenced Royce Gillham to 37 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Gillham, the former General Manager of a biofuel producer based in Fort Pierce, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to make false claims (18 U.S.C.§ 371).
This biofuel company produced and sold renewable fuel and fuel credits and claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel. When reporting the number of gallons produced to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Gillham and his employer vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators gave them false information about their fuel production and customers.
The scheme generated more than $7 million in fraudulent EPA renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
No. 2:24-CR-00161 (Central District of California)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors
ECS Trial Attorney Lauren Steele
AUSA Dennis Mitchell
ECS Law Clerk Maria Wallace
ECS Law Clerk Tonia Sibblies
On March 14, 2025, a court sentenced Sai Keung Tin, also known as Ricky Tin, to 30 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Tin will also pay a $5,000 fine for his role in smuggling protected turtles from the United States to Hong Kong. Tin pleaded guilty to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law (18 U.S.C. § 554).
Between February 2018 and June 2023, Tin, a Chinese citizen, assisted turtle smugglers in the United States. During that time, Tin aided and abetted the trafficking of approximately 2,100 turtles to Hong Kong. The turtles were intended to be sold as part of the illegal Asian pet trade. Based on a conservative, contemporary market valuation of $2,000 per turtle, the smuggled reptiles were valued at $4.2 million.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents arrested Tin in February 2024 as he arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
USFWS agents obtained a search warrant to seize Tin’s cell phones, and found evidence that Tin came to the United States to smuggle turtles. He planned to travel to New Jersey, Texas, and Washington — familiarizing himself with tourist locations to present a false story if apprehended. His ultimate plan was to pay for turtles in cash, ship them around the country, and eventually illegally export them to Hong Kong.
Tin was associated with international turtle smuggler Kang Juntao, of Hangzhou City, China, who was extradited from Malaysia in 2019 and later sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to money laundering. Kang caused the shipment of approximately 1,500 turtles (with a market value exceeding $2.25 million) from the United States to Hong Kong, which included shipments to Tin.
The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle and native to the United States. Turtles with colorful markings are highly prized pets, particularly in China and Hong Kong, and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
On March 19, 2025, Hino Motors, Ltd. (HML) was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $521.76 million, serve a five-year term of probation, during which it will be prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States, and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and reporting structure. Additionally, the court entered a $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment against the company.
Prosecutors charged HML in a single conspiracy count with five objects: to defraud the Environmental Protection Agency, to defraud the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, to violate the Clean Air Act, to commit wire fraud, and to smuggle goods into the United States, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Between 2010 and 2019, HML submitted and caused to be submitted false applications for engine certification approvals. Company engineers regularly altered emission test data, conducted tests improperly, and fabricated data without conducting any underlying tests. HML submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data, which resulted in the calculation of false fuel consumption values for its engines. Company engineers also failed to disclose software functions that could adversely affect engines’ emission control systems. As a result of the fraud, HML imported and sold more than 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00124, 1:21-CR-00016 (Northern District of New York)
AUSA Benjamin Clark
On March 20, 2025, a court sentenced Kyle Offringa to pay a $100,000 fine for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). His company, Highway and Heavy Parts, LLC (HHP), was sentenced on December 3, 2024, to pay a $25,000 fine. As part of the sentencing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will monitor the company for ongoing compliance for a two-year period. HHP and Offringa pleaded guilty to conspiring to tamper with a required monitoring device in violation of the CAA (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Between June 2017 and March 2019, HHP and Offringa conspired with a diesel truck operator, and others, including co-conspirators Daim Logistics, Inc., and Patrick Oare, to remove, delete, and tamper with monitoring devices that were required under the CAA to be installed on heavy-duty diesel trucks. Truck operators delete the emissions control hardware on heavy-duty diesel trucks to allow them to run at higher horsepower, with greater fuel efficiency, and with reduced maintenance costs. HHP charged its customers a fee for Offringa to reprogram the vehicles’ on-board detection equipment so regulators would not discover the tampering. Customers paid HHP between $1,000 and $1,500 for each truck Offringa altered.
Oare and Daim Logistics were sentenced in November 2024 for tampering with a monitoring device or method in violation of the CAA (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)). Oare was sentenced to time served and to pay a $15,000 fine; the company will pay a $13,000 fine. In addition, prior to sentencing, the EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation monitored Daim for approximately 18 months to ensure the company complied with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding the emission control devices installed on diesel vehicles owned or operated by the company.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 14 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to U.S. Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi inquiring into what policies and procedures she will commit to implementing in her capacity as AG to ensure that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will continue to meaningfully function in its intended capacity under Kash Patel’s stewardship.
In February, President Trump announced that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel would also serve as Acting Director of ATF, the primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for addressing gun-related crime and violence in America. However, the Senators’ letter to AG Bondi argues that Mr. Patel threatens to undo the significant gains made in recent years to ensure Americans’ safety as he lacks the relevant experience to lead ATF and has ties to the gun industry.
“As the primary federal law enforcement agency dedicated to curbing illegal firearm use and enforcing federal firearms laws and regulations, it is critical that ATF be led by an experienced Director who has been confirmed by the Senate for this role and is dedicated to upholding the agency’s mission. For the reasons outlined below, Mr. Patel is not that person,” the senators wrote. “We therefore write to inquire into what policies and procedures you will implement to ensure that ATF will continue to meaningfully function in its intended capacity.”
Gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis. In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory listing firearm violence—including homicide, suicide, nonfatal injuries, and unintentional injuries and deaths—as a “significant public health challenge[] that require[s] the nation’s immediate awareness and action.” Though under the Trump Administration, the Surgeon General has since removed the advisory, the report analyzed data from 2002 to 2022, finding that since 2020 the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in America has been gun violence, with rates higher than car crashes, poisoning, and cancer. In 2022 alone, 48,204 people died in the United States of gun-related injuries.
That said, following passage of the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and coordinated, nationwide efforts to curb gun violence during the Biden Administration, the United States is starting to see positive results. In 2023, provisional data indicates gun-related deaths totaled 46,728—representing a decline from 2022 by three percent or 1,476 fewer deaths. Violent crime has also declined significantly, due in part to ATF’s data collection, investigation, and enforcement efforts.
“While the decrease in violent crime and gun-related deaths is encouraging, 2023 still had ‘the third-highest number of gun-related deaths ever recorded in the United States,’ evidencing that significant challenges to America’s gun violence crisis remain,” the senators wrote. “The Department of Justice must do everything within its power to sustain this downward trend, including ensuring ATF is empowered to carry out its mandate and keep firearms from falling into the hands of those who should not have them. Now is not the time to pull back on ATF leadership and practices that helped bring about this progress.”
The senators’ letter went on to explain why Mr. Patel is not the right person to lead ATF.
“As an Acting Director, Patel’s appointment has not been subject to Senate confirmation, a crucial process for vetting those nominated by the President for significant leadership roles in the Executive, including ATF Director. Disturbingly, Mr. Patel would not affirm that firearm background checks—a well-established procedure for keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals—are constitutional during his confirmation hearing for FBI Director. Notably, Mr. Patel’s appointment has been applauded by extreme gun advocacy groups seeking to rollback commonsense gun regulations,” they continued. “Mr. Patel’s appointment threatens to undo the lifesaving progress ATF has made to reduce gun violence in America.”
The senators concluded: “Attorney General Bondi, you have served as a prosecutor for much of your career. During your Senate confirmation hearing, you testified about the importance of keeping Americans safe, prosecuting criminals and gunrunners, reducing recidivism, and enforcing existing gun laws. During one exchange, you assured the Committee: ‘I will do everything in my power to prevent illegal gunrunners in our country.’ In discussing your time as Florida Attorney General and mass shooting responses, you reiterated: ‘I am an advocate for the Second Amendment, but I will enforce the laws of the land.’”
To better understand how AG Bondi intends to accomplish these goals, the senators asked that she promptly respond to a series of questions.
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
Full text of letter is available HERE and below:
Dear Attorney General Bondi:
We write with great concern regarding President Trump’s appointment of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel as Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). As the primary federal law enforcement agency dedicated to curbing illegal firearm use and enforcing federal firearms laws and regulations, it is critical that ATF be led by an experienced Director who has been confirmed by the Senate for this role and is dedicated to upholding the agency’s mission. For the reasons outlined below, Mr. Patel is not that person. We therefore write to inquire into what policies and procedures you will implement to ensure that ATF will continue to meaningfully function in its intended capacity.
Gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis. In 2024, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory listing firearm violence—including homicide, suicide, nonfatal injuries, and unintentional injuries and deaths—as a “significant public health challenge[] that require[s] the nation’s immediate awareness and action.” Analyzing data from 2002 to 2022, the Surgeon General reported that since 2020 the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in America has been gun violence, with rates higher than car crashes, poisoning, and cancer. In 2022 alone, 48,204 people died in the United States of gun-related injuries.
That said, following passage of the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and coordinated, nationwide efforts to curb gun violence during the Biden Administration, we were starting to see positive results. In 2023, provisional data indicates gun-related deaths totaled 46,728—representing a decline from 2022 by three percent or 1,476 fewer deaths. Violent crime has also declined significantly, due in part to ATF’s data collection, investigation, and enforcement efforts.
For example, ATF’s crime gun intelligence tools eTrace, which “is used to trace the purchase and/or use history of firearms used in violent crimes,” and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, which “is the only interstate automated ballistic imaging network in operation in the United States,” together “have transformed crime-solving by generating over 1.1 million investigative leads from ballistic evidence and linking suspects to major crimes within hours.” ATF has also worked to increase DNA matches from cartridge casings and has expanded Crime Gun Intelligence Centers, which use “data-driven strategies” to foster “cross-agency collaboration.”
ATF has also focused on eliminating firearms trafficking networks that unlawfully smuggle guns from the United States to Mexico, arming dangerous cartels which, in turn, send illicit drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. And ATF created an Emerging Threats Center, which among other things, has focused on the proliferation of privately-made firearms, or ghost guns, and machine-gun conversion devices, or Glock switches. These represent only some examples of ATF’s nationwide initiatives to reduce gun violence and keep Americans safe.
While the decrease in violent crime and gun-related deaths is encouraging, 2023 still had “the third-highest number of gun-related deaths ever recorded in the United States,” evidencing that significant challenges to America’s gun violence crisis remain. The Department of Justice must do everything within its power to sustain this downward trend, including ensuring ATF is empowered to carry out its mandate and keep firearms from falling into the hands of those who should not have them. Now is not the time to pull back on ATF leadership and practices that helped bring about this progress.
Mr. Patel is, quite simply, not the right person to lead the ATF. As an Acting Director, Patel’s appointment has not been subject to Senate confirmation, a crucial process for vetting those nominated by the President for significant leadership roles in the Executive, including ATF Director. Disturbingly, Mr. Patel would not affirm that firearm background checks—a well-established procedure for keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals—are constitutional during his confirmation hearing for FBI Director. Notably, Mr. Patel’s appointment has been applauded by extreme gun advocacy groups seeking to rollback commonsense gun regulations. Last year, Mr. Patel spoke at the inaugural summit for group Gun Owners of America, a “no-compromise gun lobby” that has announced it “look[s] forward to dismantling gun control with Kash.” Mr. Patel’s appointment threatens to undo the lifesaving progress ATF has made to reduce gun violence in America.
Attorney General Bondi, you have served as a prosecutor for much of your career. During your Senate confirmation hearing, you testified about the importance of keeping Americans safe, prosecuting criminals and gunrunners, reducing recidivism, and enforcing existing gun laws. During one exchange, you assured the Committee: “I will do everything in my power to prevent illegal gunrunners in our country.” In discussing your time as Florida Attorney General and mass shooting responses, you reiterated: “I am an advocate for the Second Amendment, but I will enforce the laws of the land.” To better understand how you intend to accomplish these goals, please promptly respond to the following questions:
Recently, we have seen notable success in curtailing gun violence. While the United States experienced a spike in gun-related crimes and deaths during the pandemic, through bipartisan congressional action and the previous Administration’s efforts, that trend has begun to reverse. Given ATF’s central role in curbing violent crime, it is of paramount importance that the agency be staffed by experienced leaders, agents, and others who support ATF’s core mission, without the appearance of or actual conflict, in order to continue this downward trend. By contrast, firearm-industry personnel advocate for gun companies’ bottom lines by pushing for the repeal of commonsense gun regulations in order to sell more weapons and weapons accessories. Hiring such individuals for critical public-safety positions at ATF would endanger the agency’s core mission and Americans’ safety while prioritizing increases in private company profits.
Will you place constraints on the hiring of firearm-industry personnel for ATF positions? If not, why?
ATF must comply with all existing legal obligations. This includes exercising statutorily-required regulatory authority over the firearms industry, fully implementing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and complying with the Administrative Procedures Act if changing existing ATF regulations. However, Acting Director Patel lacks experience with ATF’s core responsibilities, including ATF’s regulatory oversight of the gun industry. Moreover, Acting Director Patel was only temporarily appointed under the Vacancies Reform Act and has not been subject to the Senate’s advice and consent process for this role. It is therefore particularly important that you exercise your authority as Attorney General to give final approval of all actions ATF takes under Acting Director Patel’s stewardship, including all policy changes.
Will you commit to personally reviewing for approval all new or revised ATF policies and actions? If not, why?
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
PHILADELPHIA—The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is now accepting applications for our Teen Academies for summer 2025. Our Teen Academy programs give high school students an opportunity to get a look into today’s FBI.
Open to rising 9th through 12th grade high school students, this program gives an inside look at some aspects of the FBI from national security to cyber and violent crimes. Students also get visibility of our division’s critical response groups to include weapons of mass destruction, crisis negotiations, SWAT, and our Evidence Response Team.
This year, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office will be hosting three academies: Abington and York, Pennsylvania, and Gloucester, New Jersey.
“FBI Philadelphia is proud to once again offer local teens a rare opportunity to engage directly with our dedicated personnel and gain a behind-the-scenes look at the Bureau,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “If you’re a student who feels inspired by our mission—to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution—we encourage you to apply to our Teen Academy and explore what it means to serve with purpose.”
Applicants must submit materials by Thursday, May 19, 2025.
The Teen Academy Applications and additional information can be found here: Community Outreach — FBI
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
ALBUQUERQUE – A Thoreau man was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for the accidental shooting of his friend during a drunken altercation in 2022.
According to court documents, on August 20, 2022, Gerrick Mariano, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and John Doe were drinking and shooting Mariano’s recently purchased AR-15 at Doe’s home, located on the Navajo Nation. Mariano pointed his new rifle at one of Doe’s pets, which upset Doe, who demanded Mariano leave his home. This angered Mariano, who then pointed his rifle at Doe’s chest, intending to frighten Doe. Doe quickly pushed the barrel away, which resulted in Mariano inadvertently pulling the trigger once. The bullet struck John Doe in his upper-right shoulder.
Post-crime photo of the weapon on Doe’s bed.
Doe required an airlift to a hospital. Mariano initially said the shooting was accidental and alleged Doe had been attempting suicide. Interviewed later, Mariano admitted responsibility and apologized to Doe. Doe continues to experience pain and restricted movement because of the gunshot injury.
Mariano will be subject to five years of supervised probation. During this period, he cannot consume alcohol or drugs, he must maintain gainful employment or enroll in school, and he must not break any additional laws—federal, state, or tribal. Should he do so, Mariano will face the revocation of probation, which could result in a prison sentence. As a convicted felon, Mariano cannot possess any sort of gun.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation, New Mexico State Police, and New Mexico Park Rangers. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
LOS ANGELES – Bilal A. “Bill” Essayli was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California following his appointment Tuesday by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
The appointment of Mr. Essayli, 39, was made pursuant to Title 28 United States Code Section 546, which provides that “the Attorney General may appoint a United States Attorney for the district in which the office of United States Attorney is vacant.”
Mr. Essayli, who was sworn in this morning in a private ceremony by Chief United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, now oversees the largest United States Attorney’s Office outside of Washington, D.C. The office, which currently employs more than 250 lawyers, serves approximately 20 million residents in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to lead the United States Attorney’s Office and serve the people of the district that I have called home for so many years,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “As our district’s chief federal prosecutor, I will work diligently and tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to implement the priorities of the President and the Attorney General and to protect our communities from criminals. Our citizens deserve no less.”
Mr. Essayli returns to the office after serving as a twice-elected member of the California State Assembly, representing California’s 63rd State Assembly District from December 2022 until Tuesday. The 63rd District is comprised of communities including parts of Riverside and Corona, and the cities of Menifee and Norco.
In October 2019, he founded and was a partner at the Newport Beach-based law firm Essayli & Brown LLP.
From October 2014 to February 2018, Mr. Essayli served as an assistant United States attorney in our district, serving in the Los Angeles and Riverside offices. As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Essayli brought justice to victims of violent and organized crime, identity theft, bank fraud, securities fraud and other white-collar crimes.
Notably, Mr. Essayli was part of the team of federal prosecutors that responded to the terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino in December 2015. He also obtained a conviction in August 2015 at the conclusion of a three-week criminal trial of a Santa Barbara doctor charged with unlawfully prescribing opiates, which resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen patients.
For two years prior to first joining the office, Mr. Essayli served as a deputy district attorney in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Before becoming a prosecutor, Mr. Essayli was an associate attorney at the law firm of Paul Hastings LLP, focusing on employment law.
Mr. Essayli is the son of Lebanese immigrants and a graduate of Centennial High School in Corona. He was the first in his family to graduate college, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Kellogg Honors College of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He received his juris doctorate from Chapman University School of Law.
Defendant Allegedly Engaged in Disturbing, Violent Online Conversations With Victim He Knew Was a Minor
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Aniruth Kuppusamy, 25, of Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, was charged by indictment with one count each of manufacturing child pornography, receiving child pornography, possessing child pornography, and the use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
As detailed in court filings, the defendant, who has been in custody since his arrest last month pursuant to a federal complaint and warrant, allegedly engaged in disturbing and violent conversations with Minor #1, who he knew was under the age of 18, and elicited sexually explicit videos of her.
In addition, the indictment alleges that the defendant knowingly received those visual depictions of Minor #1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that he possessed images constituting child pornography on an iPhone 15 that had been shipped and transported using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce.
The indictment further alleges that Kuppusamy used a facility and means of interstate and foreign commerce, namely the internet and cellular telephone service, to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce Minor #1 to engage in sexual activity for which any person could be charged with a criminal offense, that is, the manufacture and receipt of child pornography.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Bateman.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SCST commences visit to Beijing Miss Law briefed the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the HKMAO, Mr Xia Baolong, on the major work in the last four months and future plans of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB). She expressed sincere gratitude to Mr Xia and the HKMAO for their guidance and unwavering support. Mr Xia encouraged the Secretary to lead the CSTB in taking forward its duties by staying principled and innovative, to utilise the rich local resources in tourism in particular and pursue innovation, with a view to telling the good stories of Hong Kong.
Also joining the visit to Beijing are the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum; the Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs Angelina Cheung; the Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong), Mr Yeung Tak-keung; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; the Deputy Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Winnie Tse; the Commissioner for Sports, Mr George Tsoi; and the Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, Mr Victor Tsang.
Accompanied by the delegation, Miss Law called on the Minister of the GASC, Mr Gao Zhidan, and briefed him on the preparatory work of the 15th National Games and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games in Hong Kong. Asserting that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attaches great importance to the mega sports event co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, Miss Law said not only does it demonstrate Hong Kong’s ability in hosting major sports events, but it also deepens collaboration between the three places and promotes development of the Greater Bay Area, laying the foundation for hosting more mega events in future.
In the afternoon, Miss Law and the delegation visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and met with the Director of the Museum, Mr Li Zongyuan. Miss Law said it was the second time she visited the Museum and she had a stronger impression this time. Noting that Hong Kong is planning for the construction of a museum to showcase the development and achievements of the country, Miss Law said the content of the Museum of the CPC’s permanent exhibition matches with one of the themes about the CPC’s history and development in the museum-in-planning. She hoped that support and professional guidance from the Museum of the CPC could be given in future exhibitions and collaborations.
At night, Miss Law and some members of the delegation watched a performance by Wiener Symphoniker at the National Centre for the Performing Arts to experience high-level arts and cultural exchanges.
Miss Law and the delegation will continue their visit to Beijing tomorrow (April 3).
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Inaugurates Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 “Democracy Thrives on Constructive Conversations, Not Arguments” – Dr. Mandaviya
Adopt Nation First Mindset, Dr. Mandaviya Inspires Youth to Shape India’s Future
Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament is a Platform that Nurtures Future Young Leaders: Union Minister
Day 1 Witnesses 105 State-level Winners from across Country Showcase their Ideas and Perspectives
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 5:58PM by PIB Delhi
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the National Round of the 2-day Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament Festival 2025 in New Delhi today. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Raksha Khadse was also present on the occasion. The journey to this grand event began when the District Youth Parliament was organized from 16th March 2025 to 27th March, 2025. The winners of the District Youth Parliament-2025 participated in the State Youth Parliament from 23rd – 31st March, 2025 which were organised in many State Legislative Assemblies. A total of 105 State-level winners from across the country earned their place at the national stage.
Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in his inaugural speech, highlighted that this year’s Youth Parliament has been integrated with the vision of Viksit Bharat. He emphasized the enthusiasm of the youth, noting that over 75,000 young individuals submitted one-minute videos to be part of this initiative. After rigorous selection at the district and state levels, the participants are finally gathered in the prestigious Parliament, a place where leaders and policymakers have shaped India’s present, he added.
Dr. Mandaviya encouraged young participants to adopt a ‘Nation First’ mindset, regardless of their profession. He spoke about the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament as a platform that nurtures future leaders, allowing young individuals to engage in meaningful discussions. He emphasized that democracy thrives not on arguments but on winning the hearts of citizens through constructive conversations.
Union Minister praised India’s diversity, stating that despite its differences, the Parliament stands as a symbol of unity. Expressing hope for the future, he wished that many of the youth present today would return to Parliament as Members of Parliament or Ministers. He also underscored the strength of democracy, which provides equal opportunities to all, noting that in India, even a person from humble background can become the Prime Minister.
Dr. Mandaviya advised young people to focus on taking a pledge towards Viksit Bharat and moving forward without worrying about the results. Concluding his address, he encouraged the participants to remain open to learning, stating that these two days would be highly enriching for those willing to receive knowledge and experience.
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, Smt. Raksha Khadse highlighted that the dialogues led by these young minds during Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 will pave the way for India’s future. She emphasized the significance of this year’s Youth Parliament, aligning with Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making India a Viksit Bharat, where the youth will not only contribute but also lead the nation toward progress.
In her welcome address, Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Smt. Meeta Rajivlochan emphasized that Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament 2025 represents our collective commitment to democracy and serves as a forum where young people from across the country can actively contribute to public policy.
The day began with a powerful Inaugural Ceremony, followed by opening remarks by the participants, which was judged by a jury comprising of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Sushri Shambhavi Chaudhary, Member of Parliament.
The event proceeded with the two Question Hour sessions, which formed the heart of the Youth Parliament experience. Each Question Hour session featured 18 teams participating: 9 teams representing MPs and 9 teams representing Ministers. The youth MPs raised insightful, policy-based questions, and the ministers responded with structured and detailed answers.
During Question Hour 1, teams discussed One Nation, One Election (ONOE), examining governance, administrative feasibility, political stability, and legal challenges, with insights from a distinguished jury, including Smt. Raksha Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, and Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, MP. Question Hour 2 focused on Viksit Bharat, where youth MPs debated youth empowerment, education, skill development, and sustainability, assessed by a jury comprising MPs Shri Satnam Singh Sandhu, Shri Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel, and Shri Nitesh Kumar Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
This was followed by an insightful master class on oratory skills by Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, Member of Parliament. This master class provided participants with valuable insights into the art of effective public speaking, a crucial skill for leadership and parliamentary debates.
The Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament on Day 1 was a resounding success, which concluded on an inspiring note, setting the stage for an engaging and impactful second day of discussions, debates, and policymaking exercises.
The Day 2 will be followed with a visit to the new Parliament building, where they will witness live proceedings and experience the legislative process firsthand. This will be followed by a focused discussion on the One Nation, One Election, examining its potential implementation models, electoral dynamics, and implications for Centre-State relations. The agenda also includes a deliberation session led by a team representing the Ministry of Law and Justice, who will be initiating a motion in the house for voting. Later in the day, the National Youth Awards for the years 2021-22 and 2022-23 will be presented, celebrating exceptional contributions to youth leadership along with the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament Awards, 2025.
On 7 April 2025, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Budgetary Control will hold a joint public hearing on the “Lessons learnt from the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism and ways to make it more effective for the future”.
Four years after the entry into force of the Rule of law conditionality Regulation, Members will hear from different stakeholders how they assess the functioning of the legislation, including its impact on the ground, and discuss how the functioning of the mechanism could be improved going forward. The hearing, which complements the recent exchange of views with Commissioner Serafin on the implementation of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, should feed into the forthcoming BUDG-CONT implementation report on the Conditionality Regulation.
Question for written answer E-001100/2025/rev.1 to the Commission Rule 144 Marieke Ehlers (PfE)
Regulation (EU) 2018/18601[1] requires Member States to register return orders into the Schengen Information System (SIS) to facilitate the enforcement of return decisions for non-EU nationals who do not have the right to stay in the EU.
In this regard:
1.According to the 2023 SIS report[2] by the EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), Member States introduced 321 549 SIS alerts on returns between 7 March 2023 and 31 December 2023, leading to 10 005 confirmed returns recorded in the SIS. However, Eurostat data[3] indicates that 484 000 third-country nationals (TCNs) were ordered to leave in 2023 and roughly 65 000 TCNs actually returned after receiving a return decision in the same period. How does the Commission assess this discrepancy between the SIS data and the Eurostat figures?
2.Does the Commission have information on whether all Member States are fully complying with their obligation to enter return orders into the SIS?
3.In how many cases does a Member State that has not itself issued the return order execute the return, rather than transferring the individual back to the Member State that issued the return order?
Submitted: 14.3.2025
[1] Regulation (EU) 2018/1860 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 November 2018 on the use of the Schengen Information System for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals, OJ L 312, 7.12.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1860/oj.
[2] European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA), ‘SIS 2023 Statistics Report’, 13 May 2024, https://www.eulisa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/SIS%202023%20Annual%20Statistics%20-%20Report.pdf.
[3] Eurostat, ‘Third-country nationals returned following an order to leave, by type of return, citizenship, country of destination, age and sex – quarterly data’, 17 March 2025, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/migr_eirtn1__custom_16030221/default/table?lang=en.
The Commission places great importance on ensuring that all EU Member States uphold rule of law. It has various instruments at its disposal to actively promote and protect the rule of law, as part of its rule of law toolbox.
This includes monitoring through the annual Rule of Law Report and in the context of the European Semester, as well as the possibility to initiate infringement procedures when necessary.
Further, the Conditionality Regulation[1] applies in case of breaches of the principles of the rule of law, which affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget or the protection of the financial interests of the EU in a sufficiently direct way.
The Commission also provides technical and financial assistance to the Member States to support judicial reforms, ultimately boosting the rule of law.
The Commission does not comment on the role of the Senate in the Spanish constitutional system, which is a matter of Spanish law.
In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission remains committed to taking necessary measures to ensure compliance with EU law in all Member States and will continue to work with the Spanish authorities to promote the rule of law.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today reintroduced legislation aimed at addressing reductions in Medicare Advantage (MA) access and benefits. The bill addresses reimbursement shortfalls to local MA plans from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Specifically, the bill allows CMS to adjust benchmark amounts based on local wage indices that have increased by 20 percent or more to ensure enrollees continue to receive comprehensive benefits and quality care.
Rep Tenney was joined in introducing this legislation by Representatives Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Nick Langworthy (NY-23), and Mike Lawler (NY-17).
In 2023, CMS made a needed adjustment to the wage index for Upstate New York hospitals, treating geographically rural and rural reclassified hospitals equally. This change led to wage index increases of 20-40% across Upstate New York. While this provided significant relief for hospitals that had been severely underpaid by the fee-for-service program, it inadvertently placed substantial financial pressure on regional MA plans, which are predominantly non-profit organizations. Because CMS did not account for these new costs in their benchmark rates for 2024, MA plans have experienced significant financial challenges that jeopardize plans’ ability to provide affordable, quality coverage to their beneficiaries. Without relief, health plans will be forced to cut benefits and increase premiums for seniors who can least afford it.
Last week, Rep. Tenney sent a letter to CMS urging the agency to reassess the ongoing misalignment between hospital wage index increases and MA benchmark adjustments in Upstate New York.
“Our community’s seniors deserve continued access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Unfortunately, the payment disparity has already affected local plans’ offerings and limited seniors’ coverage choices. By adjusting the benchmark rates to reflect the increased costs faced by our regional plans, we can restore MA options for our seniors and protect them from higher premiums in the future. This bill will ensure that Medicare Advantage plans continue to provide the robust benefits that so many members of our community rely on,” said Congresswoman Tenney.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
EXCLUSIVE: GOP Sens Seek Answers For Taxpayers Who Picked Up Tab For Biden’s DEI InitiativesAdam PackMarch 31, 2025
Senate Judiciary Republicans are seeking accountability for taxpayers who footed the bill for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives under former President Joe Biden.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas and Ashley Moody of Florida wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Thursday to ask the nonpartisan watchdog to perform an audit of the DOJ’s DEI practices under the Biden-Harris administration. The senators asked that GAO investigate how much time and money were spent executing the Biden administration’s executive orders cementing DEI initiatives across the federal government, according to the letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“The Biden-Harris EO [Executive Order] was a divisive bureaucratic burden on the Executive Branch,” the GOP senators wrote to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro. “The taxpayer deserves to know how much time and money the Biden-Harris DOJ spent on these efforts.”
“Specifically, the taxpayer has a right to know how many DOJ employees were hired to work on DEIA [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility] programs or initiatives and how much money the DOJ spent on these functions, including salaries, fringe benefits, rent for office space, and supplies for employees,” the senators said.
Senate Republicans’ request for an audit of the Biden administration’s DEI initiatives comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to roll back Biden’s DEI practices, which Trump has referred to as “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
“[N]early every Federal agency and entity [under Biden] submitted ‘Equity Action Plans’ to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs [sic] infiltration of the Federal Government,” Trump wrote in his executive order banning government DEI initiatives on Jan. 20. “The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination. That ends today. Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans are specifically requesting that the GAO probe the Biden administration’s EO 14035 titled, “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce,” issued in June 2021.
“As the Nation’s largest employer, the Federal Government must be a model for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect,” Biden wrote.
The EO led to the creation of new DEI offices in the federal government and new federal spending on DEI initiatives. The GOP senators cited a Parents Defending Education analysis that found that the Biden-Harris DOJ alone spent more than $100 million on promoting DEI initiatives in K-12 school districts.
The EO also required federal agencies to create individual “strategic plans” to advance DEI priorities. “GAO should review the time and money the DOJ dedicated to these efforts,” the senators wrote.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has worked to undo the Biden DOJ’s DEI practices and carry out Trump’s EO prohibiting certain DEI practices in the private sector and in educational bodies that receive federal funds.
The DOJ announced an investigation into four California universities Friday for allegedly using DEI practices in their admission policies.
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Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) confirmed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) numerous concerns about abuse in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) unaccompanied alien children (UAC) program. Under the Biden-Harris administration, more than 500,000 children crossed the Southern border and entered the UAC program, while cartel trafficking activity surged.
Grassley repeatedly warned that the Biden-Harris UAC program’s inadequate safeguards, lax vetting procedures and limited inter-agency communication allowed children to be lost or released to dangerous adult sponsors. DHS OIG’s report validated all of Grassley’s findings. Notably, the report exposed how DHS was prevented from receiving key HHS information to follow up on potential criminal sponsors. Grassley broke through this inter-agency firewall last year by submitting a law enforcement referral to DHS containing HHS information provided to Grassley by legally protected whistleblowers. DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations followed up on 102 investigative targets Grassley identified.
“My oversight revealed the Biden-Harris administration prioritized speed and optics over the safety and security of hundreds-of-thousands of migrant children. DHS OIG’s report echoes my longstanding concerns and further fuels the fire of my investigative and legislative work. I’ll continue fighting to ensure abuse like this never happens again,” Grassley said.
The DHS OIG report found that:
HHS and DHS lost track of hundreds of thousands of migrant children.
HHS failed to provide DHS complete sponsor addresses for over 31,000 unaccompanied migrant children. Without sponsor addresses, law enforcement is unable to keep track of migrant children.
DHS law enforcement officers additionally estimated that addresses collected by HHS were incorrect 80 percent of the time.
DHS officers failed to enroll over 233,000 migrant children who crossed the border since January 2021 in immigration proceedings, increasing their risk of trafficking and exploitation.
Of those enrolled, more than 43,000 children failed to appear.
HHS failed to provide updated sponsor information to DHS when sponsors changed addresses, further hindering DHS’s ability to find children.
HHS placed migrant children with potentially dangerous sponsors.
In Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, HHS released more than 24,100 migrant children to unrelated sponsors or distant relatives. Law enforcement officers note these children are at the highest risk for trafficking.
HHS frequently placed migrant children in rundown apartment complexes and dilapidated motels with barred windows, appliances stacked on patios and apartments with no doors or kitchens.
Local police noted many of these properties were located in areas with high violent crime rates, daily shootings and gang activity.
Multiple DHS offices confirmed HHS released children to incomplete or commercial addresses, and ICE officials at one field office noted the Biden HHS released 34 children to two addresses that didn’t exist.
The Biden-Harris administration limited HHS employees’ communication with law enforcement.
HHS failed to provide DHS law enforcement officers with accurate or timely information regarding the status and safety of migrant children.
A 2021 Biden-Harris inter-agency agreement restricted HHS from sharing sponsors’ biometric information with law enforcement officers.
DHS law enforcement noted this restrictive agreement prevents law enforcement from having input regarding children’s sponsors.
DHS law enforcement officers stated they were open to sharing information with HHS, but HHS did not share information with them. One officer noted, “Getting information from HHS is like pulling teeth.”
According to these officers, the Biden-Harris HHS feared that sharing sponsor information could lead to law enforcement actions against sponsors, especially those with criminal history or lacking legal immigration status.
The vast majority of migrant children discussed in the report date to the Biden-Harris administration, according to a related DHS OIG report released in August.
Read the full DHS OIG report HERE.
Grassley discussed the report in a speech on the Senate floor.
Background:Grassley has led efforts to protect unaccompanied migrant children from exploitation and abuse for more than a decade. See an overview of his work below:
03.11.2025 | Grassley Reignites Oversight of HHS’s Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
01.14.2025 | Grassley, Blackburn Introduce Legislation to Halt Child Trafficking at the Border
10.18.2024 | Biden-Harris HHS Can’t Account to Congress for Status of Thousands of Unaccompanied Minors
10.16.2024 | ICYMI: Grassley Recognized for Work to Combat Sex-Trafficking Crisis: ‘The Only Person in a Position of Power Who Cares’
09.23.2024 | Grassley Leads Bicameral Colleagues in Calling Out Abuses in the Biden-Harris Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
09.18.2024 | Democrats Block Grassley Effort to Protect Unaccompanied Migrant Children from Sexual Harm
09.17.2024 | Grassley: Not One More Child Should Have to Suffer Abuse Because of Biden-Harris Policies
09.04.2024 | Grassley Puts HHS Vetting, Information-Sharing under Microscope amid Biden-Harris Admin’s Neglect to Protect Migrant Children
07.11.2024 | RECORDS: HHS Sent Unaccompanied Minors to Sponsors with MS-13 Ties, Potential Trafficking Rings
07.09.2024 | Grassley Highlights Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children During Senate Roundtable
07.09.2024 | Grassley Delivers Opening Remarks At Roundtable On Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
07.08.2024 | ICYMI: WSJ Reveals Alarming ‘Dilemma’ At The Heart Of Biden’s Unaccompanied Minors Program
06.12.2024 | Grassley Discusses Effort To End Biden Admin’s Abuse Of Unaccompanied Minors Program
06.05.2024 | Grassley Moves To Overturn Biden Admin Rule Enabling Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
04.30.2024 | Grassley Scrutinizes HHS’s Improper Care Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
03.14.2024 | Grassley Goes Head-To-Head With HHS Secretary On Immigration And Rural Health Care
01.24.2024 | Grassley Alerts DHS, FBI To Evidence Of Human Trafficking; Calls For Immediate Action To Locate & Rescue Migrant Children
12.04.2023 | Grassley And Senate Republicans Demand Changes To Biden Admin Rule Endangering Safety And Wellbeing Of Unaccompanied Alien Children
10.28.2021 | Grassley, Wyden Release Investigation On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
05.09.2019 | Grassley, Wyden Demand Answers On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
03.14.2016 | Feds Skip Child Abuse Checks For Some Sponsors Of Child Immigrants As Surge Continues
02.23.2016 | The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children
02.22.2016 | Feds Fall Short In Care, Tracking Of Unaccompanied Children
02.19.2016 | Grassley, Cornyn Continue To Press Administration On Vetting Of Sponsors For Unaccompanied Minors
11.24.2015 | Obama Administration Allegedly Releasing Unaccompanied Minors Into Criminals’ Custody
10.10.2014 | Grassley, Hatch, Coburn Press For GAO Study On The Office Of Refugee Resettlement Efforts With Unaccompanied Minors
08.22.2014 | Grassley: Unanswered Questions Plague HHS Response To Unaccompanied Minors
07.17.2014 | Grassley Presses For Answers On Housing For Unaccompanied Minors Crossing Southern Border
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Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Statement for the Congressional Record by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
“Nomination of Matt Whitaker to be U.S. Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization”
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
The Senate [voted yesterday] to confirm my good friend and fellow Iowan, Matt Whitaker, to be the U.S. Ambassador to NATO.
I want to take a few minutes to express my support for his nomination…
Matt is someone who’s well known back home in Iowa, and he’s earned the respect of many here in Washington, too.
He has a long record of service to our country, from his time as Acting Attorney General in the first Trump administration to his work as Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice.
He’s traveled around the world meeting with leaders on important issues, including dealing with the fentanyl crisis and talking with Chinese officials.
During the George W. Bush administration, Matt served our home state as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District from 2004 to 2009, where he worked hard to keep our communities safe.
In Iowa, he’s known not just for his work, but for his deep pride in his home state.
He never lets you forget that he’s a proud graduate of the University of Iowa, where he earned his undergraduate degree, MBA and law degree.
In fact, he even played football for the Hawkeyes, which speaks to his work ethic and commitment to teamwork.
Matt carries that same commitment and drive in every role he takes on.
Whether it’s on the football field, as a U.S. Attorney, or in his leadership in national law enforcement.
This dedication is exactly what he’ll bring to his work with NATO.
I’m proud to support a true friend and fellow Iowan who has always shown the highest standards of service to our country.
I ask my colleagues to support Matt Whitaker’s confirmation.
He’ll serve with the same passion and energy that he brings to his love of Iowa football, and I have no doubt that he will represent the United States on the world stage with the same level of commitment.
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A swift and effective implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum[1] (Pact) is a top priority for the Commission. Almost all Member States have submitted their national implementation plans to the Commission.
The Commission is in regular contact with all Member States and is supporting them in making sure that they will be ready to fully implement the Pact in June 2026.
The Commission will regularly inform the European Parliament and the Council about the state of play with regard to the implementation of the Pact, in line with its obligations under the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation[2].
The Commission also kindly refers the Honourable Members to the exchanges taking place within the Working Group on Asylum — Implementation of the Pact/Common European Asylum System (Asylum Working Group) of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
Yesterday, a federal court in Massachusetts entered a consent decree requiring SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter) to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties and implement and maintain a robust compliance program to prevent future illegal conduct, the Justice Department announced.
In a complaint filed April 6, 2023, the government alleged that SunSetter failed to timely report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a defect affecting approximately 270,000 protective covers used with SunSetter retractable awnings. According to the complaint, removal of the defective awning cover could cause the retractable awning to unexpectedly spring open with enough force to knock over anyone in the awning’s path, putting consumers using ladders to access the awning at risk of death or serious injury. The complaint alleged that multiple consumers were injured, and one killed, as a result of this defect. The complaint alleged that SunSetter violated the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) by failing to report the defect until 2017, despite being aware of consumer complaints as early as 2012 and completing its own simulation testing in 2015 that confirmed the safety hazard. SunSetter recalled the covers in August 2019.
“The failure to immediately report dangerous products puts consumers at unnecessary risk,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work with the CPSC to hold accountable companies that fail to follow the law.”
“This settlement makes clear that companies must prioritize consumer safety and comply with their legal obligations to report hazardous defects in a timely manner,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “SunSetter’s failure to do so had tragic consequences. We will continue to hold companies accountable when they put the public at risk by disregarding federal safety laws.”
“This consent decree is an important reminder of the affirmative obligation to report product hazards in a timely manner,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I appreciate the work of CPSC staff and our partners at DOJ in resolving this matter and keeping American consumers safe.”
Trial Attorneys Brett Ruff and Nicole Frazer of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anuj Khetarpal for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel and Amelia Hairston-Porter of CPSC’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations, are handling the case.
For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch visit the Branch’s website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a $61.5 million pavement improvement project is underway on the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90, in Ontario and Monroe counties. The project includes pavement rehabilitation and safety enhancements on a 4.3-mile stretch of the Thruway just east of Exit 44 to west of Exit 45 — Canandaigua, Victor, NY Route 332 to Rochester, Victor, Interstate 490. More than 60,000 vehicles per day travel on this stretch of the interstate daily.
“We are making important investments in infrastructure to provide motorists with a safe and dependable roadway,” Governor Hochul said. “The improvements made on this section of the Thruway will benefit the thousands of New Yorkers who travel through Ontario and Monroe counties and strengthen our transportation infrastructure.”
Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “The I-90 corridor in the Finger Lakes region is a busy section for commuters, tourism and the commercial trucking industry. Investing in these critical infrastructure projects enhances the safety and reliability of the Thruway system, offers some of the lowest toll rates in the nation for customers and maintains the Thruway as one of the safest superhighways in the country.”
State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “This project will be vital for the safety of drivers who rely on our New York State Thruway each and every day. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment to bolstering our infrastructure statewide and am proud to be her partner in providing the kind of transportation system New Yorkers deserve.”
Assemblymember William B. Magnarelli said, “Investing in pavement rehabilitation and safety improvements on our highways ensures that they remain safe and sustainable for all users. The New York State Thruway system helps encourage statewide commerce and travel. I am happy to see it and other roads and infrastructure being maintained and strengthened.”
Ontario County Board of Supervisors Chair Jared Simpson said, “This project will go a long way to enhance the safety of this well-traveled corridor. This section of the Thruway is one of the main gateways into Ontario County, whether for visitors shopping at Eastview Mall, tourists visiting Canandaigua Lake, or people travelling to and from work. The tens of thousands of people who traverse this section of highway each day will appreciate a new, modern and safe roadway. Thank you to our leaders in Albany and to the New York State Thruway Authority for implementing the project.”
Monroe County Executive Adam J. Bello said, “I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for continuing to invest in New York State’s infrastructure, and this latest road improvement project on the New York State Thruway covering the roadway between Exits 44 and 45 is particularly important for local motorists. This section of the Thruway is used by tens of thousands of Monroe County residents each year, whether for commuting to work or heading out on vacation. These improvements will make Thruway driving safer and more pleasant for people who live, work and visit in Monroe County.”
To improve the driving surface, crews will utilize a method called “crack and seat” in both directions on I-90 from milepost 347.1 to milepost 351.4. “Crack and seat” involves cracking the concrete pavement, rolling the concrete with a heavy proof roller and overlaying the surface with asphalt. After the crack and seat is completed, the area will be paved with asphalt on the mainline and shoulders.
Additional work includes milling and replacing the asphalt pavement on the Exit 44 and Exit 45 interchange ramps, replacing the concrete median barrier and replacing the Variable Message Sign (VMS) structure at milepost 349.51 with a new digital sign structure that can display important real-time safety information for drivers.
The project also includes work at four bridge culverts located at mileposts 350.77, 349.97, 348.67 and 347.81. Concrete repairs will be made to the deck of the bridges, which will then be covered with a waterproof membrane and asphalt wearing surface. Repairs will also be made to the existing bridge railing and drainage systems. These improvements will extend the life of the Thruway and the culverts and enhance safety for motorists. The four bridge culverts included in this project carry traffic on I-90 eastbound and westbound, and conduct traffic on Willowbrook Road, High Street, Victor Egypt Road, and Brownsville Road below the Thruway. During work on the bridge culverts, a section of Willowbrook Road and Victor Egypt Road will be closed with a posted detour for several weeks. The closures on a section of Brownsville Road and High Street at the bridge culvert locations will be conducted at a later date.
Other improvements in the project include installing a snow fence to prevent blowing snow at Exit 44, a new guiderail, new traffic signs — such as milepost markers, delineators and snow plow markers — and adding new reflective line striping along the mainline and Exit 44 and Exit 45 ramps.
Villager Construction, Inc. of Fairport, New York is the project contractor following a competitive bidding process. The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2026.
Motorists may encounter lane closures on the highway along with traffic shifts and stoppages while construction is underway. All work is weather dependent and subject to change. Motorists are urged to be alert and follow the posted work zone speed limits. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone.
To further enhance safety for workers in a work zone, Governor Hochul signed legislation establishing the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program. The safety enforcement program began in April 2023 and is in effect in various active construction zones on the Thruway. Work zones with speed camera enforcement will have clear signage leading up to it and motorists violating the posted speed limit within the work zone will be fined.
For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download the Thruway Authority’s mobile app which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go. Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority’s interactive Traveler Map which features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert emails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.
About the Thruway Authority
The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, built in the early 1950s, is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. The maintenance and operation of the Thruway system is funded primarily by tolls. The Thruway Authority does not receive any dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars and is paid for by those who drive the Thruway, including one-third of drivers from out of state.
In 2024, the Thruway Authority processed more than 400 million transactions and motorists drove 8.2 billion miles on the Thruway. The Authority’s approved 2025 Budget invests a total of $477.3 million in dedicated funding for capital projects across the Thruway system beginning in 2025, an increase of more than $33 million compared to the approved 2024 budget. The increased investment will lead to work on approximately 61 percent of the Thruway’s more than 2,800 pavement lane miles as well as the replacement or rehabilitation of 20 percent of the Thruway’s 817 bridges.
The Thruway is one of the safest roadways in the country with a fatality rate far below the nationwide index, and toll rates are among the lowest in the country compared to similar toll roads. The Thruway’s base passenger vehicle toll rate is less than $0.05 per mile, compared to the Ohio Turnpike ($0.06 per mile), the New Jersey Turnpike (up to $0.39 per mile) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike ($0.16 per mile).
The Thruway Authority’s top priority is the safety of our employees and customers. In 2024, two Thruway Authority employees died and another was seriously injured in separate incidents while working on the Thruway. The lives of Thruway Authority employees, roadway workers and emergency personnel depend on all of those who travel the highway. Motorists should stay alert and pay attention while driving, slow down in work zones and move over when they see a vehicle on the side of the road. New York State’s Move Over Law, which was expanded in March 2024, requires drivers to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped along the roadway. Safety is a shared responsibility.
For more information, follow the Thruway on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram, or visit the Thruway website.
Yesterday, a federal court in Massachusetts entered a consent decree requiring SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter) to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties and implement and maintain a robust compliance program to prevent future illegal conduct, the Justice Department announced.
In a complaint filed April 6, 2023, the government alleged that SunSetter failed to timely report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a defect affecting approximately 270,000 protective covers used with SunSetter retractable awnings. According to the complaint, removal of the defective awning cover could cause the retractable awning to unexpectedly spring open with enough force to knock over anyone in the awning’s path, putting consumers using ladders to access the awning at risk of death or serious injury. The complaint alleged that multiple consumers were injured, and one killed, as a result of this defect. The complaint alleged that SunSetter violated the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) by failing to report the defect until 2017, despite being aware of consumer complaints as early as 2012 and completing its own simulation testing in 2015 that confirmed the safety hazard. SunSetter recalled the covers in August 2019.
“The failure to immediately report dangerous products puts consumers at unnecessary risk,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work with the CPSC to hold accountable companies that fail to follow the law.”
“This settlement makes clear that companies must prioritize consumer safety and comply with their legal obligations to report hazardous defects in a timely manner,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “SunSetter’s failure to do so had tragic consequences. We will continue to hold companies accountable when they put the public at risk by disregarding federal safety laws.”
“This consent decree is an important reminder of the affirmative obligation to report product hazards in a timely manner,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I appreciate the work of CPSC staff and our partners at DOJ in resolving this matter and keeping American consumers safe.”
Trial Attorneys Brett Ruff and Nicole Frazer of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anuj Khetarpal for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel and Amelia Hairston-Porter of CPSC’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations, are handling the case.