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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
6 April 2020
Department of Justice Makes $850 Million Available to Help Public Safety Agencies Address Covid-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington announced that the Department of Justice is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
U.S. Attorney Hyslop stated, “Our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners are dedicated to keeping our communities safe by making arrests and investigating cases on a daily basis. These public safety funds will enhance their ability during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue performing their important work. I encourage our law enforcement partners to apply for this emergency funding.”
“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for this emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Box Elder Man Charged with Attempting to Entice a Minor Using the InternetRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Box Elder, South Dakota, man was charged in federal district court with Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet.
Adam Swift, age 30, was charged on March 25, 2020. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on March 25, 2020, and pleaded not guilty to the charge. The penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The charge relates to Swift communicating with the parent of 5-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover agent, with the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the minor female. The charges are merely an accusation and Swift is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins is prosecuting the case.
Swift was detained pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
5 April 2020
U.S. Attorney Keefe Announces Nearly $60 Million in Grants Available to Support Prisoners' Successful Reentry into Their CommunitiesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced that communities across northern Florida are eligible to apply for a portion of nearly $60 million in Department of Justice grants nationwide that is available to help communities address public safety by supporting successful reentry of adult and juvenile offenders into their communities.
“Our nation is facing difficult public safety challenges that demand strong and immediate action.
The high rate of recidivism poses a dire threat to community safety and is being met with a robust response by this Administration,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney
General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). “The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight to meet this persistent challenge. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”“Our law enforcement efforts do our communities little good if the offenders we send away come back only to resume their criminal activities,” added U.S. Attorney Keefe. “We must support programs that help released offenders find a positive way to live within our communities, and this grant program is an important tool to help produce that good result.”
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including adult and juvenile reentry initiatives and research projects designed to improve our knowledge of what works in reentry programming.
A number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.
Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Reduction Strategies Program https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17104
Total Available $7.2 million Deadline 4/27/2020Improving Community Supervision Outcomes through Swift, Certain, and Fair Responses https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17096
Total Available $3 million Deadline 4/28/2020Improving Reentry for People with Substance Use Disorders Program https://bja.ojp.gov/SCASUD20
Total Available $13.2 million Deadline 4/27/2020Innovations in Reentry Initiative: Building System Capacity & Testing Strategies to Reduce
Recidivism https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17281
Total Available $4 million Deadline 5/4/2020Research and Evaluation on Promising Reentry Initiatives https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17295
Total Available $6 million Deadline 5/5/2020Review and Validation of the First Step Act Risk Assessment Tool https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-fsa
Total Available: Determined after selection Deadline 4/10/2020Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17110
Total Available $13.5 million Deadline 5/4/2020Second Chance Act Evaluation Participation Support https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17680
Total Available $4 million Deadline 4/28/2020Second Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry Program https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/media/document/ojjdp-2020-17350.pdf
Total Available $7 million Deadline 4/28/2020
For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
4 April 2020
United States Attorney's Office Opposes Release of Violent OffendersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia filed a response in opposition to a motion by the Public Defender Service seeking the wholesale and indiscriminate release of all misdemeanor defendants currently serving sentences after being convicted of their crimes in a court of law.
“These misdemeanor defendants include violent criminals convicted of offenses involving vicious and armed assaults, assault on police officer and other first responders, bomb threats, voyeurism, stalking, indecent exposure to minors, and domestic violence,” said United States Attorney Timothy J. Shea. “This pandemic should not be used as a basis to release violent criminals onto the streets of Washington. “Now more than ever, as law enforcement authorities are being stretched thin due to the impact of COVID-19, the rule of law must be maintained.”
In its filing, the United States Attorney’s Office wrote that each defendant’s “sentence was imposed by an impartial judge after consideration of the crime of conviction, the impact on the victim, the criminal history of the offender, and other relevant statutory and prudential factors. Wholesale relief without regard to these factors would neither do justice nor serve public safety.”
The filing also expressed concern about the release of individuals convicted of domestic violence offenses. According to the supplemental response filed on April 3, 2020, “categorically releasing all domestic violence offenders at this point is likely to create an even greater increased risk of violence in the community.” The filing went on to express the concern that granting “early release to all of those offenders, at the same time, with little notice to victims, into a community facing severe public health restrictions[, would] uniquely put those members of the community in increased danger.”
Releasing all inmates who have committed the aforementioned crimes, without taking into account the victims impacted by their conduct, without concrete evidence that their release would benefit the health of people both inside and outside the jail, and without a case-by-case assessment of whether a defendant poses an ongoing danger to the community, would offend sensible notions of justice and public safety. Consistent with the March 26, 2020, directive of the U.S. Attorney General, however, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is undertaking a careful, case-by-case review – taking into consideration, among other things, the nature of the defendant’s conviction, the potential risk posed by the defendant to the community, and the possibility of release conditions that will assure the safety of the community – in order to facilitate the release of some vulnerable, non-violent inmates who are not likely to pose a risk to public safety.
Puerto Rico U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS Criminal Investigation Warn Taxpayers to be Alert for Scams Related to Covid-19 Economic Impact PaymentsRead the Press Release
San Juan, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. De Palma of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) today warned taxpayers to be alert about possible scams relating to COVID-19, especially in connection with economic impact payments. The announcement is an effort to prevent taxpayers in need from being victimized by criminals using the recently approved payments as an opportunity to commit a crime.
U.S. Attorney Muldrow stated, "Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing to justice fraudsters who are preying on vulnerable citizens during this unprecedented public health crisis. We will also continue our outreach efforts to make the public aware of scams and frauds. I urge citizens to remain vigilant and to be skeptical of any telephone calls, e-mails, or websites that request personal information or banking information, while promising money or services that seem too good to be true."
Michael J. De Palma Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Miami Field Office warned, "Even as our Nation is enduring a State of Emergency, criminals will continue to engage in heinous acts to further enrich themselves demonstrating no sympathy by exploiting you during your most difficult circumstance."
In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 economic impact payments will be on their way. For most Americans, this will be a direct deposit into your bank account. For the unbanked individuals who have traditionally received tax refunds via paper check, they will receive their economic impact payment through the mail. The Treasury Department from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will also be providing assistance to individuals and small businesses via checks and direct deposits.
Scammers may try to get you to sign over your check to them or get you to "verify" your filing information in order to steal your money. Your personal information could then be used to file false tax returns in an identity theft scheme. Because of this, everyone receiving a COVID-19 economic impact payments is at risk.
U.S. Attorney Muldrow offers the following information and tips to spot a scam and understand how the COVID-19 related economic impact payments will be issued.
- The IRS or Puerto Rico Treasury Department will deposit your payment into the direct deposit account you previously provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
- The IRS or the Puerto Rico Treasury Department will NOT call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do NOT give your bank account number, debit account number, or PayPal account information to anyone—even if someone claims it is necessary to get your check. This is a scam.
- If you receive a call, do NOT engage with scammers, even if you want to tell them that you know it is a scam. Just hang up.
- If you receive texts or e-mails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal identifying information or clicking on links, delete these texts and e-mails. Do NOT click on any links in those texts or e-mails.
- There are many reports about fake checks. If you receive a "check" in the mail now, it is a scam. It will take the U.S. Treasury Department a few more weeks to mail out the COVID-19 economic impact payments. If you receive a "check" for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a check that requires you to verify the check online or by calling a number, it is a scam.
In these uncertain and trying times, we need to remain vigilant. Please help law enforcement protect your community by telling family, friends, and elderly neighbors to be on the lookout for these potential scams. You work hard for your money, do NOT become a victim of these scams. If something sounds too good to be true, it is probably fraudulent.
For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus or DOJ’s website at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
- https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud
- https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
- https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Dominican National Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for False Identity CrimeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court yesterday for fraudulent use of a Social Security number.
Jairo Samuel Andujar Ruiz, 27, formerly of Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number. After accepting Andujar Ruiz’s guilty plea, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani sentenced him to time served, approximately 7 ½ months, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Andujar Ruiz is also subject to deportation proceedings.
On Oct. 30, 2018, Andujar Ruiz used the Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to fraudulently obtain a valid Massachusetts state identification card under the victim’s name. In order to obtain a Massachusetts ID card, Andujar Ruiz fraudulently provided various documents to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in Haverhill including a Social Security card, bearing the victim’s name. In addition, Andujar Ruiz obtained a Massachusetts driver’s license in the victim’s name.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. Deitch of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
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Department of Justice Issues Business Review Letter to Medical Supplies Distributors Supporting Project Airbridge Under Expedited Procedure for COVID-19 Pandemic ResponseRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge collaborative efforts of McKesson Corporation, Owens & Minor Inc., Cardinal Health Inc., Medline Industries Inc., and Henry Schein Inc. (together, Medical Supplies Distributors) to expedite and increase manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution of personal-protective equipment (PPE) and coronavirus-treatment-related medication. These collaborative efforts are part of an emergency response developed and led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address supply needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“These Medical Supplies Distributors should be applauded for their efforts to both assist the United States in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay within the bounds of antitrust law,” says Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim. “I also applaud the attorneys and economists of the Antitrust Division, who worked expeditiously to finish in days a review process that ordinarily takes many months.”
Under the collaboration, the Medical Supplies Distributors work at the direction of the United States government to help resolve supply challenges presented by the pandemic. One such initiative, Project Airbridge, was developed by the United States as a partnership between the Medical Supplies Distributors, among others, in addition to logistics companies, under the direction of FEMA and HHS. Project Airbridge’s purpose is to quickly source and airlift PPE, including masks, gowns, gloves, and other equipment designed to protect against infection, as well as to distribute coronavirus-treatment-related medication to areas of greatest need across the country.
The Medical Supplies Distributors submitted their business review request pursuant to the expedited, temporary review procedure, detailed in the Joint Antitrust Statement Regarding COVID-19 (the "joint statement") and issued on March 24 by both the department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In the Joint Statement, the department announced its aim to resolve COVID-19-related business review requests within seven calendar days of receiving all necessary information.
Copies of the business review request and the department’s response are available on the Antitrust Division’s website at https://www.justice.gov/atr/business-review-letters-and-request-letters, as well as in a file maintained by the Antitrust Documents Group of the Antitrust Division. After a 30-day waiting period, any documents supporting the business review will be added to the file, unless a basis for their exclusion for reasons of confidentiality has been established under the business review procedure. Supporting documents in the file will be maintained for a period of one year, and copies will be available upon request to the FOIA/Privacy Act Unit, Antitrust Documents Group at [email protected].
3 April 2020
Waynesboro Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – Iva Lacey, 44, of Waynesboro, was sentenced Wednesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lacey was previously convicted on multiple instances of felonious possession of controlled substances. On January 24, 2019, while executing a search warrant at Lacey’s house, law enforcement found a firearm stored in a secret compartment hidden in his bathroom. Lacey subsequently admitted to possession of the firearm on a recorded jail phone call.
Lacey was indicted on September 25, 2019. He pled guilty before Judge Starrett on November 26, 2019.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waynesboro Police Department investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.
Utah Man Sentenced to Prison for Domestic Assault on Navajo NationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On February 24, Gregg Larry Holiday, 47, of Goulding, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Holiday previously pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate partner or dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury.
Holiday committed the assault on his partner in 2016. During the assault, Holiday strangled the victim. The assault occurred at a residence on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, in Arizona. Both Holiday and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Alexander W. Samuels, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-19-08096-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-042_Holiday# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Urbana University High School Teacher, Girls' Cross Country Coach Arrested on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Savoy, Ill., man, Douglas O. Mynatt, 56, made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon via video-conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, after Mynatt was arrested today on child pornography charges. Mynatt, of the 100 Block of Dropseed Ave., Savoy, Ill., is employed as a physical education teacher at Urbana’s University High School and serves as coach of the girls’ cross country program.
Mynatt waived preliminary and detention hearings and was ordered to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint alleges that on numerous dates in January 2020, Mynatt distributed, received and possessed images of child pornography including minor girls as young as six to nine years old. According to the affidavit, Mynatt allegedly used Application A, an instant messaging application known for its feature that preserves users’ anonymity but logs IP addresses, to upload and share 15 digital files containing child pornography on five occasions in January 2020.
According to the affidavit, on March 20, 2020, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office received a CyberTip referral that was made by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Application A self-reported to NCMEC that one of its online social media users possessed content believed to be images and movies of child pornography. Application A reported several IP addresses for logins by the user, identified as Mynatt, including from his home address in Savoy and at the University of Illinois in Champaign / Urbana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson is representing the government in the prosecution. U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, and the Urbana Police Department are conducting the investigation. This is an ongoing investigation; anyone with information is encouraged to call the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office at 217-384-1213.
If convicted, Mynatt faces penalties of up to 20 years in prison.
Members of the public are reminded that a complaint is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative led by U.S. Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division=s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), to marshal federal, state and local resources to 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
United States Attorney’s Office Supports Advocacy Day for Access and Independence and Accessible Polling PlacesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr., announced today that in its continued efforts to support the commitments in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in Advocacy Day for Access and Independence.
This annual event was led by Able SC, which is a Center for Independent Living organization, a consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability nonprofit that provides an array of independent living services to people of all ages with all types of disabilities. Its mission includes empowering people with disabilities to live active and self-determined lives. Traditionally held on the South Carolina State House grounds, this year Able SC Executive Director Kimberly Tissot, Director of Advocacy Robbie Kopp, and the Able SC staff conducted the event virtually through Facebook and YouTube. State legislators, officials, and activists from the disability community spoke about the barriers that South Carolinians with disabilities regularly face and the ways they can be remedied.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Sneed spoke on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. AUSA Sneed’s remarks focused on the Department of Justice’s unflagging support for and enforcement of the ADA. Sneed highlighted how 2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the ADA. He also discussed the ADA Voting Initiative, which was launched in 2015 by the DOJ Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The initiative’s goal is to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in the voting process. DOJ and other U.S. Attorney Offices have opened several investigations across the country to survey whether barriers to access exist. In South Carolina in recent years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office surveyed polling places in Richland and Anderson Counties and has ADA Polling Place Agreements in place with these entities.
“People with disabilities who live in South Carolina deserve equal access to polling places, and we are committed to making sure that they have it,” said U.S. Attorney McCoy.
The year 2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. The Justice Department will continue to use its enforcement and technical assistance tools to eliminate unlawful discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
United States Attorney William M. McSwain Announces More Than $159 Million Available to Fight Drug Addiction CrisisRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that more than $159 million in Department of Justice grants are available to help communities address America’s drug addiction crisis.
“Our Office participates in numerous outreach programs that focus on addiction awareness, prevention, and recovery,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “These grants are one aspect of that effort: through these grants, we are providing those affected by addiction with a path forward to long-term recovery. This is an important initiative that helps those directly and indirectly affected by addiction, while making our communities safer at the same time.”
“Our nation is facing the difficult challenge of curbing substance addiction, which threatens public safety and is among the Administration’s top domestic priorities,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight to meet this challenge. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”
The funding is available through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs designed to prevent overdose deaths and break the cycle of addiction and crime.
The following funding opportunities are currently available, with additional ones coming in the near future:
- Family Drug Court Program
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17090
Total Available: $18.2 million
Deadline: April 8, 2020
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Family Drug Court Program seeks to build the capacity of state and local courts, units of local government, and federally recognized tribal governments to enhance existing family drug courts or to implement statewide or countywide family drug court practices that increase collaboration with substance abuse treatment and child welfare systems. The following entities are available to apply for this grant: states and territories; state and local courts; units of local government; and federally recognized Indian tribal governments acting on behalf of a single jurisdiction drug court.
- Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-16930
Total Available: $48 million
Deadline: April 13, 2020
This program supports the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth populations that are at risk for juvenile delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement. Mentoring services can be one-on-one, group, peer, or a combination of these types. This solicitation offers five program categories, each with different eligibility criteria outlined in the link provided above. Applicants in all categories must initiate mentoring services to youth who are 17 years old or younger at the time of admission to the program. Funding can be used to support new mentoring matches or continue existing mentoring matches at the time of application.
- Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17051
Total Available: $7.2 million
Deadline: April 13, 2020
This program provides resources to state, local, and tribal governments to create and enhance juvenile drug treatment court programs for youth in the justice system who have substance abuse problems specifically related to opioid abuse. This solicitation is composed of two grant categories, and information regarding the specific eligibility requirements for each category is provided in the link above. Applicants must clearly designate the category for which they are applying.
- Opioid Affected Youth Initiative
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17352
Total Available: $9 million
Deadline: April 20, 2020
This program will support the efforts of states, communities, tribal jurisdictions, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations and institutions of higher education to implement programs and strategies that identify, respond to, treat, and support children, youth, and families impacted by the opioid epidemic. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funding pursuant to this solicitation: states and territories; units of local government; federally recognized Indian tribal governments; nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations; and institutions of higher education.
- Research and Evaluation on Drugs and Crime
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17275
Total Available: $1 million
Deadline: April 20, 2020
The National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ) Drugs and Crime Research Program supports rigorous applied research on evidence-based tools, protocols, and policies for state, tribal, and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies that address drug trafficking, drug markets, and drug-related violence. The focus of this research solicitation is narcotics-related criminal investigation, prosecution, intelligence, and community surveillance relevant to law enforcement and death investigation activities. The FY2020 solicitation’s drug priorities are methamphetamine and other stimulants, including diverted pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and their analogues. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funding pursuant to this solicitation: states and territories; units of local government; federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions; nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations; and institutions of higher education.
- Enhancing Community Responses to America's Addiction Crisis: Serving Our Youngest Crime Victims
https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-enhancing-community-responses-to-drug-crisis.pdf
Total Available: $19 million
Deadline: May 4, 2020
The U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is seeking applications to support direct services for children and youth who are crime victims as a result of the current addiction crisis; and to provide training and technical assistance to the direct services grantees. This program furthers the Department’s mission by enhancing the field’s response to young victims of the addiction crisis. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funding pursuant to this solicitation: states and territories; units of local government; federally recognized Indian tribal governments; nonprofit, non-governmental victim and social service organizations with the capacity to serve young crime victims affected by the addiction crisis; for-profit organizations with the capacity to serve young crime victims affected by the addiction crisis; and institutions of higher education.
- Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17754
Total Available: $28.1 million
Deadline: May 5, 2020
The Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) enhances the capacity of regulatory and law enforcement agencies and public health officials to collect and analyze controlled substance prescription data and other scheduled chemical products through a centralized database administered by an authorized agency. PDMPs help state and local governments to detect and prevent the diversion and abuse of pharmaceutically controlled substances such as opioids and other prescription drugs. Eligibility criteria is outlined in the link provided above.
- Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court Discretionary Grant Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17098
Total Available: $1.75 million
Deadline: May 14, 2020
This program provides financial and technical assistance to states, state courts, local courts, units of local government, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments to enhance the operations of drug courts or to implement new veterans’ treatment courts. These courts effectively integrate evidence-based substance abuse treatment, random drug testing, equitable sanctions and incentives, and transitional services in judicially-supervised court settings with jurisdiction over offenders to reduce recidivism, substance abuse, and prevent overdoses. Eligibility criteria is outlined in the link provided above.
- Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17023
Total Available: $27 million
Deadline: May 21, 2020
The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) was developed as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) legislation. COSSAP’s purpose is to provide financial and technical assistance to states, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments to develop, implement, or expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by illicit opioids, stimulants, and other drugs of abuse. Eligibility criteria is outlined in the link provided above.
For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, please visit: https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities
Union County Man Charged in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man has been arrested for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy in which he allegedly set up a drug mill in his apartment, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Brad Toby, 35, of Linden, New Jersey, was arrested April 2, 2020, and charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to possess heroin and cocaine with intent to distribute. He made his initial appearance via videoconference today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer and was released on $200,000 secured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Law enforcement officers have been investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in New Jersey and New York and learned that Toby is a member of that organization. During a lawful search of Toby’s residence, law enforcement officers recovered: five kilograms of heroin; four kilograms of cocaine; $100,000 in currency; drug packaging; drug paraphernalia, including scales and kilogram presses; a handgun; and ammunition.
The conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million.
This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited the special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark, and the members of the City of Linden Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Hart, with the investigation leading to today’s charges and arrest.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Brandley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation Warn of Potential Fraud Scams Surrounding COVID-19 Economic Impact PaymentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - The United States Attorney’s Office and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) warned western Pennsylvania taxpayers today to be alert about possible scams relating to COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments.
U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady and Michael Montanez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI Philadelphia Field Office, offer the advice today in an effort to prevent taxpayers from being victimized by criminals using the recently approved federal payments as an opportunity to commit a crime.
Taxpayers should be extra vigilant for unsolicited phone calls or emails concerning their economic impact payments. The IRS will not call or email you about your payment.
"With the COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments due to be sent out soon, we want all Americans to be on high alert for fraudsters," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "These charlatans will try every trick in the book to try to steal your money. If you sense you are being deceived, hang up, exit the email, slam your door and contact us right away!"
Citizens who suspect fraud can reach the U.S. Attorney’s Office at:
• Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force’s Toll Free Hotline:
1-888-C19-WDPA or 1-888-219-9372
• Western Pennsylvania COVID-19 Fraud Task Force’s email address:
"Unfortunately there are fraudsters out there who will attempt to victimize vulnerable people during these trying times", said IRS-CI Acting SAC Montanez. "Everyone should be wary of swindlers trying to steal their COVID-19 Economic Impact Payment, as well as crooked individuals trying to take advantage of the crisis by tricking people into unnecessarily turning over their personal, sensitive information. All Americans should be cautious in this regard and it is asked that everyone also be on the lookout for the interests of the elderly and other susceptible family members and friends."
Anyone with information about fraud in this area or any other tax related fraud is asked to please contact IRS-CI at [email protected].
The Treasury Department and the IRS announced that distribution of Economic Impact Payments will begin in the next three weeks and will be distributed automatically. Most individuals do not need to take any action. The IRS will calculate and automatically send payment to those eligible. For most Americans, this will be a direct deposit into your bank account. For those without a bank account, the elderly or other groups that have traditionally received tax refunds via paper check, they will continue to receive payments in that manner.
U.S. Attorney Brady and SAC Montanez offer the following information and tips to spot a scam and understand how the COVID-19 related Economic Impact Payments will be issued:
First, every American should know that the IRS will NOT contact you to request your banking information, will NOT ask you to confirm personal information to send or expedite your Economic Impact Payment, and will NOT require you to pay a fee.
Most IRS impersonation scams try to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communications from the IRS, tax industry professionals or tax software companies. We expect to see a surge of these scams when fraudsters find a new opportunity— like the stimulus checks being sent.
Here are things to watch out for and tips to protect yourself and your loved ones from these scams:
• The IRS will deposit your economic impact payment into the direct deposit account your previously provide on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check). The IRS will NOT call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do not give out your bank account, debit account, or PayPal account information – even if someone claims it is necessary to get your economic impact payment. If you receive a call, do not engage with scammers or thieves. Just hang up!
• Scam emails ask taxpayers about a wide range of topics – related to refunds, filing status, ordering transcripts, and verifying PIN information – in order to steal your personal information or file tax returns. When people click on links from these emails, their computers are infected with malware designed to steal their files or record their keystrokes. Don’t get scammed. These emails are not from the IRS!
• We are starting to see reports of bogus stimulus checks. If you receive a "check" in the mail now, it’s fraud – it will take the Treasury Department a few weeks to distribute the payments. If you receive a "check" for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a check that requires that you verify the check online or by calling a number, it’s fraud.
• The IRS will NOT ask you to send money before it will issue your Economic Impact Payment. If someone asks you to send money to get your payment, do not send money. If you receive texts or emails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal information or clicking on links, don’t respond or click the links! Report them right away.
Don’t be a victim! Education is the best way to avoid being defrauded by scammers. For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus.
U.S. Attorney urges public to report potential hoarding of supplies needed to fight COVID-19Read the Press Release
BILLINGS—U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme today urged the public to report potential stockpiling or price gouging of medical supplies needed to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Department of Justice is getting reports of persons using the coronavirus crisis to stockpile urgently needed medical supplies to make windfall profits at the expense of public health and safety. Hoarding these items makes it difficult for healthcare providers and first responders to resist the spread of COVID-19.
“Hoarding critically needed medical supplies to get rich quick during a pandemic is not only morally reprehensible, it’s illegal. Stockpiling supplies and price gouging puts the health and safety of individuals at risk and hampers efforts to stop the spread of this deadly virus. It cannot and won’t be tolerated.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
A recent Executive Order authorized a Defense Production Act provision that prohibits hoarding of designated items. The Justice Department’s COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force is working with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which designates items, and with the Federal Emergency Management Service, to seize stockpiles of healthcare and medical items where appropriate. Designated supplies include items like masks, ventilators and disinfectants.
This stockpiling prohibition does not apply to regular Americans who are stocking up on daily necessities, businesses needing supplies or manufacturers.
The goal is to locate potential stockpiles of designated materials, quickly confiscate the items and redistribute the supplies where they are needed. Persons caught stockpiling supplies could face prosecution.
Please report COVID-19 hoarding, price gouging and fraud scams to the Department of Justice’s fraud hotline at 866-720-5721 or email [email protected].
“I want to assure Montanans that my office and our law enforcement partners are fully engaged and ready to investigate and prosecute these cases.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.
For more information on the coronavirus, visit Justice.gov/coronavirus.
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U.S. Attorney and IRS Advise Caution Regarding IRS Economic Impact PaymentsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, TX – The Internal Revenue Service will begin making COVID-19 economic impact payments in a matter of weeks. For most Americans, this will be a direct deposit into your bank account. For the unbanked, elderly or other groups who have traditionally received tax refunds via paper check, they will receive their check in this same manner.
United States Attorney Joseph D. Brown and IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tamera Cantu want to warn local Texans that criminals are well-aware of these payments and will be actively attempting to steal these funds when they are most needed. Unsolicited phone calls, emails, text messages or other communications pretending to be from the IRS are likely a scam.
“We want the public to be very careful as these checks and payments go out,” said United States Attorney Joe Brown. “We want these funds to be used for the right purposes. People need to use healthy skepticism about any contact they receive that deals with the payments they will soon be receiving.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Tamera Cantu of the Dallas Field Office offers the following information and tips to spot a scam and how citizens can report fraudulent activities:
- The IRS will NOT call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do NOT give your bank account, debit account, or PayPal account information to anyone - even if someone claims it's necessary to get your check. It's a scam.
- If you receive a call, do NOT engage with scammers, even if you want to tell them that you know it's a scam. Just hang up.
- If you receive texts or emails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal identifying information or clicking on links, delete these texts and emails. Do NOT click on any links in those texts or emails.
- If you receive a “check” for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a check that requires you to verify the check online or by calling a number, it’s a scam.
- Remember, scammers change tactics. Callers can be aggressive and threatening. Do not be bullied into disclosing information or in making any payment.
- You can get the most up-to-date information directly from the IRS at irs.gov/coronavirus.
- Residents of Eastern Texas can contact the local IRS-CI field office with violations and suspected fraud at [email protected].
Special Agent in Charge Cantu warns the public, “As the agency responsible for issuing economic impact payments, the IRS unfortunately expects some bad actors to execute fraud schemes in an attempt to take advantage of the situation. IRS-CI will work diligently with the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Texas, and all of our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle any fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the time for every American to be vigilant in this fight against criminals and safeguard your personal and other privileged information.”
To report suspected fraud, please contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud by calling 866-720-5721 or sending an email to [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey Announces Nearly $60 Million in Grants Available to Support Prisoners’ Successful Reentry into Their CommunitiesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey today announced that nearly $60 million in Department of Justice grants is available to help communities address public safety by supporting successful reentry of adult and juvenile offenders into their communities.
“Our nation is facing difficult public safety challenges that demand strong and immediate action. The high rate of recidivism poses a dire threat to community safety and is being met with a robust response by this Administration,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight to meet this persistent challenge. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including adult and juvenile reentry initiatives and research projects designed to improve our knowledge of what works in reentry programming.
A number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.
- Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Reduction Strategies Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17104
Total Available $7.2 million. Deadline 4/27/2020.
- Improving Community Supervision Outcomes Through Swift, Certain, and Fair Responses
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17096
Total Available $3 million. Deadline 4/28/2020.
- Improving Reentry for People with Substance Use Disorders Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/SCASUD20
Total Available $13.2 million. Deadline 4/27/2020.
- Innovations in Reentry Initiative: Building System Capacity & Testing Strategies to Reduce Recidivism
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17281
Total Available $4 million. Deadline 5/4/2020.
- Research and Evaluation on Promising Reentry Initiatives
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17295
Total Available $6 million. Deadline 5/5/2020.
- Review and Validation of the First Step Act Risk Assessment Tool https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-fsa
Total Available: Determined after selection. Deadline 4/10/2020.
- Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17110
Total Available $13.5 million. Deadline 5/4/2020.
- Second Chance Act Evaluation Participation Support
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17680
Total Available $4 million. Deadline 4/28/2020.
- Second Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry Program
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/media/document/ojjdp-2020-17350.pdf
Total Available $7 million. Deadline 4/28/2020.
For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities
RELEASE NUMBER: 2020-041_Reentry Grants
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.- Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Reduction Strategies Program
U.S. Attorney Keefe Announces More Than $83 Million Available to Support School SafetyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSE, FLORIDA – Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, today announced that communities across northern Florida are eligible to apply for a portion of more than $83 million in Department of Justice grants nationwide to help communities, including those across northern Florida, improve school security and protect students, teachers, and faculty from threats of violence.“School violence is no longer an abstract threat but has become a tragic reality in too many of
America’s communities. Moving to meet this challenge is among the Administration’s top domestic priorities,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). “The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight to meet this challenge. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”“Even here in Northern Florida, our children are not free from the threat of school violence. By seeking funding from this grant program, our communities can take bold steps forward to keep safe our children and the teachers and others who work every day to educate them in a safe, nourishing environment,” added U.S. Attorney Keefe.
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs designed to tighten school security and improve the reporting of threats.
A number of funding opportunities for school safety are currently open, with another opening in the near future: Research and Evaluation on School Safety https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17308
Total Available $5 million Deaddline 4/13/2020STOP Act School Violence Program (FY20) https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17308
Total Available $71.4 million Deadline 4/13/2020Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17926
Total Available $7 million Deadline 4/27/2020For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.U.S. Attorney Brady Announces Nearly $60 Million in Grants Available to Support Prisoners’ Successful Reentry into Their CommunitiesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady today announced that nearly $60 million in Department of Justice grants is available to support the successful reentry of justice involved individuals into communities. These funding opportunities are available for state and local governments, non-profit and for profit organizations, and institutes of higher education to support the successful reentry of adult and juvenile offenders into their communities.
"Ensuring the safe and successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals is an important component of our crime reduction strategy," said U.S. Attorney Brady. "These grants provide communities with the opportunity to develop and implement comprehensive and collaborative programs that effectively serve the needs of reentrants."
"Our nation is facing difficult public safety challenges that demand strong and immediate action. The high rate of recidivism poses a dire threat to community safety and is being met with a robust response by this Administration," said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. "The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight to meet this persistent challenge. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions."
The funding is available through OJP, the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including adult and juvenile reentry initiatives and research projects designed to improve our knowledge of what works in reentry programming.
A number of funding opportunities are currently open, with several more opening in the near future.
Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Reduction Strategies Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17104
Total Available $7.2 million Deadline 4/27/2020
Improving Community Supervision Outcomes Through Swift, Certain, and Fair Responses
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17096
Total Available $3 million Deadline 4/28/2020
Improving Reentry for People with Substance Use Disorders Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/SCASUD20
Total Available $13.2 million Deadline 4/27/2020
Innovations in Reentry Initiative: Building System Capacity & Testing Strategies to Reduce Recidivism
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17281
Total Available $4 million Deadline 5/4/2020
Research and Evaluation on Promising Reentry Initiatives
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17295
Total Available $6 million Deadline 5/5/2020
Review and Validation of the First Step Act Risk Assessment Tool
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-fsa
Total Available: Determined after selection Deadline 4/10/2020
Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17110
Total Available $13.5 million Deadline 5/4/2020
Second Chance Act Evaluation Participation Support
https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-17680
Total Available $4 million Deadline 4/28/2020
Second Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry Program
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/media/document/ojjdp-2020-17350.pdf
Total Available $7 million Deadline 4/28/2020
For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, visit https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities.
For resources and additional information on applying for OJP grant opportunities, please see the WDPA Grants Resource Page at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/grants.
U.s. Attorney's Office and IRS Warn the Public About Scammers Targeting Economic Relief PaymentsRead the Press Release
Detroit, MI – U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider and Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) in Detroit, warned Michigan residents to watch out for scammers attempting to steal COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments.
”The people of Michigan will soon be receiving coronavirus relief checks and scammers are ready to take advantage of us,” stated United States Attorney Matthew Schneider. ”I urge everyone to protect themselves by hanging up on robocalls, ignoring online offers and fact-checking information before giving out any personal information. If you feel you’ve been the victim of a scam, please contact the federal hotlines listed below.”
“I urge the public not to fall victim to fraudsters attempting to steal Economic Impact Payments being sent out. The IRS will not call, text, email or otherwise contact you to ask for your information. This money is meant for you. Don’t fall victim to scammers,” said IRS Special Agent in Charge Kull.
The Treasury Department and the IRS announced that distribution of Economic Impact Payments will begin in the next three weeks and will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. Information from the 2018 or 2019 tax return, if filed, will be used to calculate payment. Most individuals do not need to take any action. Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file to receive a payment. Instead, payments will be automatically deposited into their bank accounts. The IRS will calculate and automatically send payment to those eligible. The IRS will deposit the economic relief check into the direct deposit account previously provided in the tax returns. If banking information was not provided, the IRS will send a check via mail. The IRS will NOT contact anyone to request banking info, will not ask for confirmation of personal information to send or expedite an economic impact payment, or require payment of a fee.
If anyone receives a call claiming to be from the IRS or any entity related to the Economic Impact Payment, the call is a scam and recipients should not engage with the scammer and absolutely should not give out bank account, debit account or PayPal account information-- even if the person claims it is necessary to get the relief check.
It will take a few weeks before the Treasury mails out the Economic Impact Payments. If a person receives a “check” for an odd amount or a check that requires verification of the check online or by calling a number, it is a fraud. U.S. Attorney Schneider and IRS Special Agent in Charge Kull reminded everyone to be vigilant about promptly collecting mail from their mailbox in order to prevent the theft of any economic relief checks delivered there.
Don’t be a victim! Visit www.irs.gov for the latest information on new scams and schemes. The IRS has set-up a “hotline” email address for Michigan residents to report fraud to the IRS: [email protected] To find out more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Residents can also report Suspected Fraud to the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 and [email protected] .
###Two Winnemucca Residents Charged with Conspiracy to Steal Multiple Firearms from Federal Firearms LicenseeRead the Press Release
RENO, Nev. — George Wyatt Elms and Travis Klyn made their initial appearances today for allegedly conspiring to steal dozens of firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Frederic D. Winston for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
As alleged in the complaint, on February 19, 2020, Elms, 31, and Klyn, 39, both Winnemucca residents, conspired to steal 25 firearms from an FFL in Winnemucca. Surveillance footage from that day depicted an individual — wearing what appears to be a clown mask — pacing back and forth, and shining a flashlight through a warehouse. According to video surveillance, three individuals were able to gain entry to the warehouse by first removing a panel in the roof. They dropped down approximately ten feet onto a nearby staircase, and then broke through a door. On surveillance video, one individual used a pickaxe to break the glass of a gun case, and the others loaded firearms into their backpacks.
Elms and Klyn are charged with one count of conspiracy to steal, take, or carry away firearms from the premises of an FFL. Elms is also charged with one count of theft of firearms from the premises of an FFL. Elms and Klyn appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carla Baldwin, who scheduled a preliminary hearing on April 16, 2020.
If convicted, the statutory maximum sentence for conspiracy to steal, take, or carry away firearms from the premises of an FFL is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and theft of firearms from the premises of an FFL is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of a defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct for purposes of establishing probable cause, not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is the product of an investigation by the ATF and the Winnemucca Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Rachow is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
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Two Rochester Men Arrested, Charged for Their Roles in Three Home InvasionsRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Robert Forbes, Jr., a/k/a Ra Ra, a/k/a Henny, 34, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, aiding and abetting the possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, a crime of violence, and aiding and abetting. In addition, Eric Lowe, 26, also of Rochester, was arrested and charged with Hobbs Act robbery and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of, and carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, a crime of violence. The Hobbs Act charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and the firearms charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the defendants are facing charges for their roles in three home invasions in the City of Rochester: • In the early morning hours of January 7, 2020, Rochester Police Officers responded to a home invasion at a residence on Glide Street in Rochester. When officers arrived, the victim stated that when he returned home with his girlfriend, he found two individuals, one who was armed with a handgun, inside his residence wearing ski masks. The victim advised investigators that a large gold chain, which had a unique medallion of Jesus on it, approximately one ounce of marijuana, a PlayStation, Apple IPad, and $600.00 cash was taken during the home invasion. In addition, the victim stated that the suspects kept asking where the money was.
• Late in the evening of March 25, 2020, Rochester Police Officers were dispatched to a residence on Avenue E in Rochester, for the report of another home invasion robbery. When officers arrived, the victim indicated that two males forced their way into her residence with handguns and robbed her. The victim stated she was tied up with a bed sheet and the suspects kept asking her where the drugs and money were.
• Just a few hours later, in the early morning hours of March 26, 2020, Rochester Police Officers were dispatched to a residence on Wellington Avenue in Rochester. One of the residents stated that the suspects began asking where the money and drugs were. One of the suspects held a knife to a female victim while the other pointed a gun at a male victim. The suspects eventually left the residence with a Gucci purse, which contained credit/debit cards and two Louis Vuitton wallets, a Sony PlayStation 4, two cell phones, a key fob for a Lexus parked in the driveway, and approximately $2,000.00 in cash.Later in the day on March 26, 2020, Forbes’ vehicle was stopped by police on Upper Falls Boulevard. A search of the vehicle located surgical masks in the glove box, a black ski mask in the front passenger door, and zip ties in the rear seat behind the rear center console, items commonly used in homes invasions.
On April 1, 2020, while conducting surveillance, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Forbes at North Clinton Avenue and Norton Street. Forbes immediately fled from officers and took them on a 13 minute, high-speed chase which ended when Forbes crashed into a marked Rochester Police car on West Ridge Road. After being taken into custody, police found 10 waxine baggies of a powdery substance which field-tested positive for the presence of heroin.
Eric Lowe was arrested on March 27, 2020. He made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was detained. Robert Forbes was arrested on April 1, 2020. He made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was also detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief La’Ron Singletary; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice Holds Teleconferences Related to Social Problems Impacting Public SafetyRead the Press Release
This week, the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice held hearings on social problems impacting public safety, specifically homelessness, federal programming, and substance abuse. The hearings were held over three days via teleconference. Each teleconference featured a panel of expert witnesses who provided testimony and, subsequently, answered questions from the Commissioners.
On Tuesday, March 31, the Commission received testimony regarding homelessness from Salt Lake City (Utah) Police Chief Mike Brown; John Ashmen, President/CEO of Citygate Network, and; Chief Brian Redd of the Utah Department of Public Safety, State Bureau of Investigation.
Testimony and discussions focused on the intersection of public safety and homelessness. Chief Brown asserted that “law enforcement is consistently put in the position of triaging homelessness, which often is a symptom of underlying mental health and/or substance use issues.” John Ashmen, CEO of Citygate Network, suggested that the number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States “confirms that homeless services providers and the law enforcement community need to collaborate like never before.” Chief Brian Redd provided a detailed account of the successes of Operation Rio Grande, an initiative to address public safety issues in the Rio Grande District of downtown Salt Lake City near Utah’s 1,000-bed homeless shelter. An additional encampment of more than 2,000 individuals had formed around the shelter, resulting in an open-air drug market, violence, victimization, and public health concerns. The Operation deployed a three-pronged approach: law enforcement, treatment and housing, and dignity of work – designed to help individuals become self-sufficient.
The panelists also outlined the pressures law enforcement professionals are currently experiencing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether mitigating the risks of the virus from hitting the homeless population or balancing public safety with prisoner safety.
On Wednesday, April 1, the Commission heard testimony regarding federal programming from Christopher M. Patterson, Regional Administrator of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Region IX; Dr. Matt Miller, Acting Director for Suicide Prevention, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and; Dr. Robert Marbut, Jr., Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Testimony and discussions focused on federal programming for social issues. Chris Patterson of HUD spoke of the Foster Youth to Independence program. As youth age out of foster care, they become vulnerable to homelessness, trafficking, and other dangers. Mr. Patterson underscored that it is crucial to get youth into proper housing through a voucher program as they age out of the foster care system. Dr. Miller called attention to the term “lethal means safety,” which “refers to decreasing the mortality associated with certain forms commonly used to implement suicide.” He stated that suicide is often an impulsive act, further noting that the chances of suicide and death by suicide increase “up to six times” when individuals have access to firearms. Dr. Robert Marbut, Jr. argued that officers often have more success getting homeless into recovery programs through innovative law enforcement programs that feature constant engagement with those requiring assistance.
On Thursday, April 2, the Commission heard testimony regarding substance abuse from Carson Fox, CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals; Mike Sena, Executive Director of the Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA); Middlesex County (Mass.) Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian; Sue J. DeLacy, Chief Deputy Probation Officer for the Orange County (Calif.) Probation Department, and; Michael B. Stuart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Testimony and discussion focused on public safety and substance abuse. Mr. Fox asserted that law enforcement plays a role in the success of treatment courts across the nation. When law enforcement work side-by-side with other providers and agencies, it significantly affects the outcome. Mike Sena argued that to successfully address substance abuse in our communities, the public safety community needs real-time data. He suggested that HIDTA’s ODMap, which tracks real-time overdose data, be adapted nationwide. Sheriff Koutoujian addressed the need for Medicated Assisted Treatment programs to treat those who are experiencing opioid dependence throughout jail and prison systems nationwide. U.S. Attorney Stuart called attention to the opioid crisis in the Southern District of West Virginia. He called for a substantive discussion for developing a picture of what victory over substance abuse would look like.
For more information on the Commission, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/ag/presidential-commission-law-enforcement-and-administration-justice. Audio recordings and transcripts of the hearings will be posted online once available.
Please note, these hearings were originally to take place in person in Orange County, Calif., but were changed to teleconference format in response to CDC recommendations regarding Covid-19.
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and IRS Criminal Investigation Warn Taxpayers to be Alert for Scams Related to Covid-19 Economic Impact PaymentsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Maryland U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur and Special Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) today warned taxpayers to be alert about possible scams relating to COVID-19, especially in connection with economic impact payments. The announcement is an effort to prevent taxpayers in need from being victimized by criminals using the recently approved payments as an opportunity to commit a crime.
U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur stated, “My office and the entire law enforcement community are committed to bringing to justice fraudsters who are preying on citizens during this unprecedented public health crisis. We will also continue our outreach efforts to make the public aware of scams and frauds. I urge citizens to remain vigilant and to be skeptical of any telephone calls, e-mails, or websites that request personal information or banking information, while promising money or services that seem too good to be true.”
“During this time of crisis, scammers and thieves prey on those most vulnerable in our community in an attempt to personally benefit by stealing their money and personal identifying information,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Kelly Jackson. “Please help us protect everyone in your community by telling family, friends and elderly neighbors to be on the lookout for these potential scams.”
In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 economic impact payments will be on their way. For most Americans, this will be a direct deposit into your bank account. For the unbanked individuals who have traditionally received tax refunds via paper check, they will receive their economic impact payment through the mail.
Scammers may try to get you to sign over your check to them or get you to “verify” your filing information in order to steal your money. Your personal information could then be used to file false tax returns in an identity theft scheme. Because of this, everyone receiving a COVID-19 economic impact payment is at risk.
U.S. Attorney Hur and Special Agent in Charge Jackson offer the following information and tips to spot a scam and understand how the COVID-19 related economic impact payments will be issued.
- The IRS will deposit your payment into the direct deposit account you previously provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
- The IRS will NOT call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do NOT give your bank account number, debit account number, or PayPal account information to anyone—even if someone claims it's necessary to get your check. It's a scam.
- If you receive a call, do NOT engage with scammers, even if you want to tell them that you know it's a scam. Just hang up.
- If you receive texts or e-mails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal identifying information or clicking on links, delete these texts and e-mails. Do NOT click on any links in those texts or e-mails.
- Reports are swirling about bogus checks. If you receive a “check” in the mail now, it’s a scam. It will take the Treasury Department a few more weeks to mail out the COVID-19 economic impact payments. If you receive a “check” for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a check that requires you to verify the check online or by calling a number, it’s a scam.
In these uncertain and trying times, we need to remain vigilant. Please help law enforcement protect your community by telling family, friends, and elderly neighbors to be on the lookout for these potential scams. You work hard for your money, do NOT become a victim of these scams. If something sounds too good to be true, it is probably fraudulent.
For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus or DOJ’s website at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
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- The IRS will deposit your payment into the direct deposit account you previously provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
Man Who Sold Heroin and Fentanyl Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
An Alabama man who sold heroin and fentanyl in Iowa was sentenced today to eight months in prison.
Torrance Brown, age 27, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, received the prison sentence after a November 12, 2019 guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance.
Information disclosed at sentencing and in a plea agreement showed that in July and August 2019, Brown sold a substance containing heroin and fentanyl on two occasions in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In total, Brown sold 1.54 grams of heroin in exchange for a total of $440. Cedar Rapids police officers attempted to arrest Brown in August 2019. However, Brown would not get out of his car or follow commands and a K-9 unit was required to get Brown out of his car.
Brown was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Brown was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-CR-94.
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Man Found with Gun and Drugs After Assaulting Woman Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Dubuque man who unlawfully possessed a loaded gun while a drug user was sentenced today to five years in prison.
Anthony Vincenzo Smith, age 27, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison sentence after an October 15, 2019 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Information disclosed at sentencing and in a plea agreement showed that on May 19, 2019, Dubuque police officers were dispatched to a residence to investigate an assault. Officers spoke with a woman who Smith had punched in the head several times. The woman told officers that Smith had guns and drugs with him. Officers located Smith at a nearby hotel. They searched Smith’s hotel room and found a digital scale, a loaded magazine containing seven rounds of ammunition, a loaded Taurus PT709 handgun, $815 in United States currency, and 25.88 grams of cocaine. The gun had previously been reported stolen. Smith was under the influence of marijuana and cocaine at the time. He also admitted that he intended to distribute some of the cocaine in his possession. Smith has a prior felony drug conviction from 2014.
Smith was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Smith was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from its Project Guardian partners. For more information about Project Guardian, please see /media/1122011/dl?inline.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 19-CR-1030.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Lawton Bank Robbery Suspect ArrestedRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – John Scott Brooks, 36, of Lawton, has been arrested and charged with robbing the Southwest Oklahoma Federal Credit Union (SOFCU), announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.
According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed today, Brooks pulled into a drive-thru lane of SOFCU, located at 6714 West Gore Boulevard during the morning on March 23. He allegedly handed a demand note to a teller, along with what appeared to the teller to be an explosive device. Brooks then held up a tablet that was counting down time, and the teller then provided cash to Brooks. After bank surveillance photos were published in the media and a search warrant was executed at Brooks’ residence in Lawton, law enforcement obtained information that led to Brooks’ arrest yesterday.
Today, Brooks made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Suzanne Mitchell in Oklahoma City, and he was ordered detained pending further proceedings in the case. If found guilty of bank robbery, Brooks faces a maximum potential penalty of twenty years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, and mandatory restitution.
This case is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Oklahoma City Field Office and the Lawton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Kumeiga is prosecuting the case.
The public is reminded that this charge is merely an allegation and that Brooks is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Reference is made to public filings for more information. To download a photo of U.S. Attorney Downing, click here.
Lake Worth Businessman Pleads Guilty to Evading Taxes on Millions in Income, Stashing Funds in Secret Accounts Around the WorldRead the Press Release
A Lake Worth, Florida, businessman pleaded guilty today to tax evasion and willful failure to file a Report of Foreign Bank or Financial Account, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan for the Southern District of Florida.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dusko Bruer owned and operated a company that bought U.S.-made agricultural machinery and parts and sold them throughout the world. Beginning in 2003, the company did not pay Bruer a salary. Instead, Bruer used millions of dollars from the company’s bank accounts to pay his personal expenses, make investments abroad, and make transfers to an employee and his family. From 2007 through 2011, Bruer transferred over $5.8 million of the company’s profits to foreign financial accounts. Bruer used the company’s profits to buy a yacht, purchase a waterfront home for his girlfriend and himself, purchase a home for an employee, and buy real property in Serbia. Between 2007 and 2014, Bruer failed to report more than $7.7 million in income and did not pay taxes of more than $2.7 million that were due to the United States.
Although Bruer’s company had a number of employees and reaped millions of dollars in profits, Bruer never filed a corporate tax return for the company nor did the company ever pay taxes on its income. Bruer also never filed employment tax returns during those years reporting wages that the company paid to its employees nor did the company withhold and pay over payroll taxes.
From 2007 through 2015, Bruer maintained financial accounts in Croatia, Germany, Serbia, and Switzerland. He did not report his ownership of the accounts to the Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN) by filing a Report of Foreign Bank or Financial Account (FBAR), despite knowing he had an obligation to do so. In 2010, an account he held at a subsidiary of Credit Suisse AG in Zurich, Switzerland reached a year-end high value of $6,177,586. Bruer used the assets in his foreign accounts for personal use, including the purchase of a yacht for $1,350,000 and a 3,200 square foot home in Lake Worth, Florida, with 100 feet of waterfront frontage for approximately $1,650,000.
From 1999 to 2014, Bruer never filed a personal tax return nor did he pay tax on his income. In 2015, Credit Suisse closed his account in Switzerland and advised him to enter the IRS’s Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), by which taxpayers could avoid criminal prosecution by making a voluntary disclosure directly to IRS-Criminal Investigation, filing six years of delinquent or amended income tax returns, as well as delinquent or amended FBARs, paying back taxes, interest, and certain penalties on the six tax years in the disclosure period, and paying a penalty on the highest aggregate account balance of their noncompliant offshore assets. Bruer did not enter into the OVDP because he determined that the cost would be too high. Instead, Bruer made a “quiet” disclosure that involved filing several delinquent tax returns with the IRS, not flagging the returns in anyway or paying the taxes, penalties and interest that would be paid in OVDP.
The returns Bruer filed as part of his “quiet” disclosure were false because they disclosed only the funds he held in the Credit Suisse account and not the funds he held in the accounts in Croatia, Germany, Serbia, nor did they report the income he earned from his company.
United States District Court Judge Senior District Judge Kenneth A. Marra scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2020. Bruer faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each charge, three years of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Senior Litigation Counsel Mark F. Daly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aurora Fagan, who are prosecuting the case. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zuckerman and U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan also thanked the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Croatia for their assistance in this matter.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Justice Department Settles Retaliation Claim Against Texas OrganizationRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Southwest Key Programs (SKP), an organization that operates detention centers in several states, including Texas. The settlement resolves a claim that SKP retaliated against a former employee in violation of the antidiscrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
“Employers should never retaliate against workers for stating that they will file a discrimination complaint with the government,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will vigorously pursue claims involving employers that retaliate against workers and we are pleased to have recovered financial compensation from Southwest Key Programs for the affected worker.”
According to the Department’s investigation, a former SKP employee applied for several jobs with SKP after receiving his renewed employment authorization documentation. However, an SKP human resource staffer told the former employee that SKP would not rehire him because he previously stated that he would file a discrimination complaint regarding a dispute about his employment documentation. The Department also concluded that the SKP staffer further retaliated against the former employee by spreading misinformation about him to SKP colleagues to prevent him from being rehired.
The INA’s antidiscrimination provision generally prohibits employers from retaliating against workers because they intend to file a discrimination complaint, or for exercising rights protected under that provision.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, SKP will, among other things, give the former employee front pay, and back pay plus interest, totaling over $68,000; pay a civil penalty; train its workers; and be subject to departmental monitoring.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the antidiscrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination against individuals who are authorized to work based on their citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
Employers can find information on how to avoid unlawful discrimination based on citizenship status or national origin here. Workers can find information about their rights under the antidiscrimination provision of the INA here. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under the INA, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email [email protected]; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; discrimination in the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin; or retaliation can file a charge or contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on March 30 was:
Marc Buetow, 52, of San Diego, CA, on charges of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute. If convicted of the most serious crime, Buetow faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Buetow was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 18-89.
Appearing on April 2 was:
Courage Dane DeCrane, 20, of Pryor, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. If convicted of the most serious crime, DeCrane faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years to life of supervised release. DeCrane was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 20-16.
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on March 31 was:
Amanda Jean Holland, 38, of Sunburst, on charges of theft of mail by postal employee and destruction of mail by postal employee. If convicted of the most serious crime, Holland faces a maximum five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Pacer case reference. 20-16.
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Warn Against Teleconferencing Hacking During Coronavirus PandemicRead the Press Release
As our country finds new ways of communicating during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan residents have turned to video-teleconferencing (VTC) platforms, such as Zoom, to stay connected. Unfortunately, as the FBI reported this week, there has been a rise in the number of so-called “Zoom-bombing,” or video hacking across the United States. The State of Michigan has seen several instances of such hacking just this week. Hackers are disrupting conferences and online classrooms with pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language.
Michigan’s chief federal, state, and local law enforcement officials are joining together to warn anyone who hacks into a teleconference can be charged with state or federal crimes. Charges may include – to name just a few – disrupting a public meeting, computer intrusion, using a computer to commit a crime, hate crimes, fraud, or transmitting threatening communications. All of these charges are punishable by fines and imprisonment.
“You think Zoom bombing is funny? Let’s see how funny it is after you get arrested,” stated Matthew Schneider, United States Attorney for Eastern Michigan. “If you interfere with a teleconference or public meeting in Michigan, you could have federal, state, or local law enforcement knocking at your door.”
Western District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge advised video conference users: “Whether you run a business, a law enforcement meeting, a classroom or you just want to video chat with family, you need to be aware that your video conference may not be secure and information you share may be compromised. Be careful. If you do get hacked, call us.”
“It is a shame that during a pandemic which is causing fear and anxiety across the globe that there are wrongdoers seeking to disrupt virtual environments which have become essential to communication, teleworking and online learning,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono. “While Michiganders are sheltering in place, it is important to practice good cyber hygiene. We encourage our communities to visit fbi.gov or ic3.gov to learn more about tips they can take to keep their devices secure.”
“We were alerted to this problem by a Michigan reporter who participated in a Zoom conference that was hijacked,” stated Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Since then we have learned of other incidents around the country. There are steps people can take to protect their cybersecurity and we encourage all users to follow the proper procedures to ensure their teleconferences are secure.”
Robert Stevenson, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police stated, “While the state is practicing social distancing, our law enforcement partners are coming together to help keep the people of Michigan safe during this crisis. Please report any incidents of hacking or any other type of fraud to your local, state or federal law enforcement agency.”
As individuals continue the transition to online lessons and meetings, law enforcement recommends exercising due diligence and caution in your cybersecurity efforts. The following steps can be taken to mitigate teleconferencing threats:
- Do not make the meetings or classroom public. In Zoom, there are two options to make a meeting private: require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guest.
- Do not share a link to a teleconference or classroom on an unrestricted publicly available social media post. Provide the link directly to specific people.
- Manage screensharing options in Zoom, change screensharing to “Host Only.”
- Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January, 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provider added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.
- Lastly, ensure that your organization’s telework policy or guide addresses requirements for physical and information security.
If you were a victim of a teleconference hijacking, or any cyber-crime for that matter, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx. Click here for more information regarding teleconference hijacking: https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200401.aspx.
Additionally, if you receive a specific threat during a teleconference, please report it to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/ or call the FBI Detroit Division at (313) 965-2323.
Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement Warn Against Teleconferencing Hacking During Coronavirus PandemicRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - As our country finds new ways of communicating during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan residents have turned to video-teleconferencing (VTC) platforms, such as Zoom, to stay connected. Unfortunately, as the FBI reported this week, there has been a rise in the number of so-called "Zoom-bombing," or video hacking across the United States. The State of Michigan has seen several instances of such hacking just this week. Hackers are disrupting conferences and online classrooms with pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language.
Michigan’s chief federal, state, and local law enforcement officials are joining together to warn anyone who hacks into a teleconference can be charged with state or federal crimes. Charges may include – to name just a few – disrupting a public meeting, computer intrusion, using a computer to commit a crime, hate crimes, fraud, or transmitting threatening communications. All of these charges are punishable by fines and imprisonment.
"You think Zoom bombing is funny? Let’s see how funny it is after you get arrested," stated Matthew Schneider, United States Attorney for Eastern Michigan. "If you interfere with a teleconference or public meeting in Michigan, you could have federal, state, or local law enforcement knocking at your door."
Western District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge advised video conference users: "Whether you run a business, a law enforcement meeting, a classroom or you just want to video chat with family, you need to be aware that your video conference may not be secure and information you share may be compromised. Be careful. If you do get hacked, call us."
"It is a shame that during a pandemic which is causing fear and anxiety across the globe that there are wrongdoers seeking to disrupt virtual environments which have become essential to communication, teleworking and online learning," said Special Agent in Charge Steven M. D’Antuono. "While Michiganders are sheltering in place, it is important to practice good cyber hygiene. We encourage our communities to visit fbi.gov or ic3.gov to learn more about tips they can take to keep their devices secure."
"We were alerted to this problem by a Michigan reporter who participated in a Zoom conference that was hijacked," stated Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. "Since then we have learned of other incidents around the country. There are steps people can take to protect their cybersecurity and we encourage all users to follow the proper procedures to ensure their teleconferences are secure."
Robert Stevenson, Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police stated, "While the state is practicing social distancing, our law enforcement partners are coming together to help keep the people of Michigan safe during this crisis. Please report any incidents of hacking or any other type of fraud to your local, state or federal law enforcement agency."
As individuals continue the transition to online lessons and meetings, law enforcement recommends exercising due diligence and caution in your cybersecurity efforts. The following steps can be taken to mitigate teleconferencing threats:
• Do not make the meetings or classroom public. In Zoom, there are two options to make a meeting private: require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guest.
• Do not share a link to a teleconference or classroom on an unrestricted publicly available social media post. Provide the link directly to specific people.
• Manage screensharing options in Zoom, change screensharing to "Host Only."
• Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January, 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provider added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.
• Lastly, ensure that your organization’s telework policy or guide addresses requirements for physical and information security.
If you were a victim of a teleconference hijacking, or any cyber-crime for that matter, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx. Click here for more information regarding teleconference hijacking: https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200401.aspx.
Additionally, if you receive a specific threat during a teleconference, please report it to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/ or call the FBI Detroit Division at (313) 965-2323.
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El Departamento de Justicia Resuelve una Denuncia contra una Organización en Tejas Motivada por RepresaliasRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Southwest Key Programs (SKP), una organización que opera centros de detención en varios estados, entre ellos Tejas. El acuerdo resuelve una denuncia que afirmó que SKP había tomado represalias contra un exempleado, en contra de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés).
«Los empleadores nunca deben tomar represalias contra un trabajador porque el mismo haya declarado que va a presentar una denuncia de discriminación ante el Gobierno», afirmó Eric Dreiband, el Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles. «El Departamento de Justicia seguirá persiguiendo enérgicamente denuncias relacionadas con empleadores que toman represalias contra sus trabajadores por haber hecho valer sus derechos y nos complace haber recuperado compensación monetaria de Southwest Key Programs para el trabajador afectado».
Según la investigación del Departamento, un exempleado de SKP había solicitado varios puestos con SKP tras recibir su documentación renovada de autorización para trabajar. No obstante, un miembro del personal de recursos humanos de SKP le dijo al exempleado que SKP no lo iba a recontratar por haber declarado anteriormente que iba a presentar una denuncia de discriminación motivada por una discusión acerca de su documentación de empleo. Más aún, el Departamento concluyó que el miembro del personal de SKP tomó represalias adicionales contra el exempleado al difundir mala información errónea sobre él ente colegas de SKP para prevenir que fuera recontratado. Por lo general, la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores tomen represalias contra sus trabajadores porque los mismo tengan la intención de presentar una denuncia de discriminación o por haber hecho valer sus derechos en virtud de esa disposición.
Conforme a los términos del acuerdo conciliatorio, entre otras cosas, SKP pagará pagos anticipados, y pagos retroactivos más intereses, al exempleado, un total que asciende a 68.000 $; pagará una sanción civil; capacitará a sus trabajadores y se someterá a la supervisión del Departamento.
La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe que se discrimine a individuos que cuentan con la debida autorización para trabajar con base en su estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; las prácticas documentales injustas; las represalias o la intimidación.
Los empleadores encontrarán más información sobre cómo evitar la discriminación ilícita por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen aquí. Los trabajadores encontrarán más información acerca de sus derechos en virtud de la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA aquí. Para más información sobre las protecciones que ofrece la INA contra la discriminación en el empleo, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase a un seminario en línea gratuito; envíe en correo electrónico a [email protected]; o visite las páginas web de la IER en inglés y español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.
Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido sometidos a: discriminación por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; discriminación en el proceso de la verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) con base en su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen; o represalias pueden presentar una denuncia o deben llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores para pedir ayuda.
Dominican National Charged with Unlawful Reentry Following Alleged Involvement in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominical national was arrested and charged today with one count of unlawful re-entry of a deported alien.
Joel Perez Matos, 35, who resided in Boston, was charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. According to the charging documents, Perez Matos unlawfully re-entered the United States after being deported in December 2019. Perez Matos had previously been removed in February 2016, and had unlawfully returned to the United States later that year. Following his appearance in federal court today, Perez Matos was detained.
According to court documents, on March 22, 2020, within a few months of having been removed from the United States, Perez Matos was arrested by the Stow Police Department and charged with a heroin-related offense. At the time of his arrest, Perez Matos was in possession of a cell phone that had allegedly been used the previous day to set up a drug transaction with a Massachusetts resident. On March 22, 2020, that resident died of an apparent drug overdose. When arrested, Perez Matos presented police with an out-of-state driver’s license in a fake name.
Perez Matos faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Marcos D. Charles, Acting Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Boston, made the announcement today. The Stow Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Deputy Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Department of Justice makes $850 million available to help public safety agencies address COVID-19 pandemicRead the Press Release
Indianapolis – The Department of Justice announced that it is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented Indiana law enforcement and first responders with challenges they have not seen before.” said United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler. “They are on the frontlines for the citizens of Indiana and deserve to be protected. This funding will help keep our public safety professionals safe.”
“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for this emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years
Department of Justice Makes $850 Million Available to Public Safety Agencies to Aid Covid-19 ResponseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND—This week, the Department of Justice announced that it is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. State, local and tribal law enforcement agencies in Oregon are eligible to receive nearly $10 million in supplemental funding.
The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation passed by the Congress and signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately to receive these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available within days.
“In a matter of weeks, I have seen countless examples from across our state and country of law enforcement officers and other public safety professionals going far above and beyond their regular duties to serve our communities in this time of great need,” said U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. “I’m pleased to join the department in announcing this much needed funding and will do everything in my power to expedite its distribution to eligible law enforcement agencies here in Oregon.”
“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund applicants on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, purchase protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program recipient agencies are candidates for direct emergency funding. A complete list of jurisdictions eligible for direct funding and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.
Jurisdictions not eligible for direct funding are advised to contact the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to determine how they can receive funding through the state distribution.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Department of Justice Makes $850 Million Available to Help Public Safety Agencies Address the COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that the Department of Justice is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
The State of Louisiana is eligible to apply for $9,688,333 to distribute throughout the state. In addition, law enforcement agencies in Louisiana that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations. The amount allocated for these Louisiana agencies is $5,039,792.
“Law enforcement officers and first responders are working harder than ever during this crisis and need our support,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph. “The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) Program will provide them additional financial support as we battle the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will fund overtime and new hiring, buy personal protective equipment, provide training, pay for travel expenses, and address the medical needs of inmates in Louisiana’s jails and detention centers.”
“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to January 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
Attachments:
- BJA FY 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding State
- FY 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Allocations - State
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Department of Justice Makes $850 Million Available to Help Public Safety Agencies Address COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
BOISE – The Department of Justice announced that it is making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
There are 16 eligible county and municipal government agencies throughout Idaho with eligible program allocations ranging from $33,705 to $363,360. The total available award amount for Idaho is $1,567,287.
“Amidst waning resources and challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, local agencies must continue their mission critical work,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis. “I am pleased the Department of Justice has made more than $1.5 million available for Idaho’s front line responders. Providing this emergency funding to our public safety partners will help reinforce their essential mission of keeping Idaho communities safe.”
“This is an unprecedented moment in our nation’s history and an especially dangerous one for our front-line law enforcement officers, corrections officials, and public safety professionals,” said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Congress for making these resources available and for the show of support this program represents.”
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
Agencies that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are candidates for this emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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DOJ Makes $850 Million Available to Help Public Safety Agencies Address Covid-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that $5,382,711 in grant funding has been made available to Alaska public safety agencies to help them address the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is part of the Department of Justice’s announcement in making $850 million available to help public safety agencies respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak. The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, authorized by the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Trump, will allow eligible state, local and tribal governments to apply immediately for these critical funds. The department is moving quickly to make awards, with the goal of having funds available for drawdown within days of the award.
“Now more than ever, it is important that our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have the resources they need to ensure our communities are safe during this pandemic,” said Bryan Schroder, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. “I strongly encourage our front-line public safety professionals to apply for these funds, which could be used for protective equipment and supplies that can save lives.”
The solicitation, posted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will remain open for at least 60 days and be extended as necessary. OJP will fund successful applicants as a top priority on a rolling basis as applications are received. Funds may be used to hire personnel, pay overtime costs, cover protective equipment and supplies, address correctional inmates’ medical needs and defray expenses related to the distribution of resources to hard-hit areas, among other activities. Grant funds may be applied retroactively to Jan. 20, 2020, subject to federal supplanting rules.
Alaska’s allocation as well as other state/territory allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/fy20-cesf-state-allocations.pdf. In addition to the state’s allocation, several Alaska jurisdictions that were eligible for the fiscal year 2019 State and Local Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program are also eligible to apply to BJA for additional emergency funding. A complete list of eligible jurisdictions and their allocations can be found at https://bja.ojp.gov/program/fy20-cesf-allocations.
For more information about the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, please visit https://bja.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18553. For more information about the Office of Justice Programs, please visit https://www.ojp.gov/.
Cedar Rapid Man Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Prison for Helping Bring Meth to IowaRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who worked with others to bring drugs from California to Iowa was sentenced today to more than eleven years in federal prison.
Kasey Charles Konzem, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 15, 2019, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Konzem admitted going to California with another individual who brought pounds of methamphetamine back to Iowa. Konzem also admitted sending money transfers to facilitate the drug trafficking. Konzem’s criminal history includes a 2002 conviction for inflicting corporal injury upon a spouse or cohabitant, battery, burglary, and multiple theft offenses. Konzem has previously been convicted for drug offenses in California and Iowa.
Konzem was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Konzem was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Konzem is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 19-CR-0023.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
2 April 2020
Wasilla Man Charged with Identity Theft and False StatementsRead the Press Release
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Jay Osmond Gardner, 55, of Wasilla, has been charged with identify theft and false statements, after allegedly obtaining a state ID using the identification of another individual to travel interstate and avoid contact with law enforcement. Gardner was a person of interest in a homicide investigation and had multiple warrants out for his arrest.
According to the charging document, on Dec. 3, 2019, Gardner was contacted by law enforcement at his Wasilla residence regarding an unrelated investigation being conducted by the Alaska State Troopers. Gardner’s sister, Cher Jammes, who lived in a trailer on the same property, was also interviewed by law enforcement.
Gardner’s true Alaska state ID card was issued in his birth name and identity of Jay Osmond Gardner on March 1, 2019. It is alleged that, on Jan. 22, 2020, a renewal of an Alaska state ID was issued to Gardner after he fraudulently presented himself to be Cher Jammes, in name and appearance.
On March 25, 2020, Gardner allegedly presented the fraudulently obtained ID card to several Alaska Airlines employees at the Anchorage Airport in an attempt to check in for a flight reserved in the name of Cher Jammes. While attempting to check in for the flight, Gardner was approached by an AST investigator and a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Gardner was asked to verify him name, boarding pass, and identification. In doing so, Gardner stated his name was Cher Jammes and presented the fraudulent ID card, but asked to be called “Janey” because he was teased while growing up with the name Cher. Gardner was subsequently arrested and is currently in federal custody.
If the public has any further information regarding Gardner and any suspected criminal activity, please contact the Alaska State Troopers at (907) 746-9111.
If convicted, Gardner faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in federal prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Alaska State Troopers (AST) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
WARNING: Potential Fraud Scams Surrounding COVID-19/Economic Impact PaymentsRead the Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The United States Attorney’s Office and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) warned Kentucky taxpayers today to be alert about possible scams relating to COVID-19 economic impact payments.
U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Cincinnati Field Office, made the announcement today in an effort to prevent taxpayers in need from being victimized a second time by criminals using the recently approved payments as an opportunity to commit a crime.
“Despite the uncertainty of recent events, some things remain crystal clear: the men and women of federal law enforcement remain on the job to protect Kentucky families; dedicated and talented special agents of IRS Criminal Investigative Division and career federal prosecutors stand ready to protect the tax payer,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman. “Please consult the safety tips to stop fraud before it happens.”
“Ruthless criminals will take this opportunity to prey upon our fears in order to try and line their own pockets by stealing your money or your personal information,” said Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.”
COVID-19 economic impact payments will be on their way in a matter of weeks. For most Americans, this will be a direct deposit into your bank account. For the unbanked, elderly or other groups we have traditionally seen receive tax refunds via paper check, they will receive their economic impact payment in this manner as well.
Scammers may try to get you to sign over your check to them or use this as an opportunity to get you to “verify” your filing information in order to receive your money, using your personal information at a later date to file false tax returns in an identity theft scheme. Because of this, everyone receiving money from the government from the COVID-19 economic impact payment is at risk.
United States Attorney Coleman and Special Agent in Charge Jackson offer the following information and tips to spot a scam and understand how the COVID-19 related economic impact payments will be issued.
- The IRS will deposit your check into the direct deposit account you previously provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
- The IRS will not call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do not give out your bank account, debit account, or PayPal account information - even if someone claims it's necessary to get your check. It's a scam.
- If you receive a call, don't engage with scammers or thieves, even if you want to tell them that you know it's a scam, or you think that you can beat them. Just hang up.
- If you receive texts or emails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal information or clicking on links, delete them. Don't click on any links in those emails.
- Reports are also swirling about bogus checks. If you receive a “check” in the mail now, it’s a fraud - it will take the Treasury a few weeks to mail those out. If you receive a “check” for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a check that requires that you verify the check online or by calling a number, it’s a fraud.
Don’t become a victim by allowing criminals to exploit your emotions. Stay strong, tell your family, friends and neighbors about these scams.
For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus.
Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force, IRS-CI Warn of Potential COVID-19 Economic Impact Payment ScamsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) are warning taxpayers to be alert about possible scams relating to COVID-19 economic impact payments.
United States Attorneys Thomas T. Cullen and G. Zachary Terwilliger, along with Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Washington DC Field Office, made the announcement today in an effort to prevent taxpayers in need from being victimized by criminals using the recently approved payments as an opportunity to commit a crime.
“During this time of crisis, scammers and thieves prey on those most vulnerable in our community in an attempt to personally benefit by stealing their money and personal identifying information,” Special Agent in Charge Jackson said today. “Please help us protect everyone in your community by telling family, friends and elderly neighbors to be on the lookout for these potential scams.”
“While most act selflessly and responsibly in a crisis like this, there are fraudsters out there who are attempting to scam and exploit good people,” said U.S. Attorney Terwilliger. “We are likely to see an uptick in government check scams tied to coronavirus-relief, including advanced-fee schemes promising government relief checks, student loan relief, and adjustments in other government benefits, such as increased social security payments. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
“As we have seen over the past few weeks, the worst among us are finding new ways to exploit a global pandemic and prey upon the vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Cullen. “Americans need to be extremely vigilant in protecting their personal, financial, and tax information. Assume all unsolicited phone calls and emails regarding IRS or COVID-19 refunds and are potentially fraudulent. Do not respond and report them to law enforcement.”
In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 economic impact payments will be on their way. For most Americans, this will be a direct deposit into your bank account. For the unbanked individuals who have traditionally received tax refunds via paper check, they will receive their economic impact payment through the mail.
Scammers may try to get you to sign over your check to them or get you to “verify” your filing information in order to steal your money. Your personal information could then be used to file false tax returns in an identity theft scheme. Because of this, everyone receiving a COVID-19 economic impact payment is at risk.
Special Agent in Charge Jackson offers the following information and tips to spot a scam and understand how the COVID-19 related economic impact payments will be issued.
- The IRS will deposit your payment into the direct deposit account you previously provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
- The IRS will NOT call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do NOT give your bank account, debit account, or PayPal account information to anyone - even if someone claims it’s necessary to get your check. It’s a scam.
- If you receive a call, do NOT engage with scammers, even if you want to tell them that you know it’s a scam. Just hang up.
- If you receive texts or emails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal identifying information or clicking on links, delete these texts and emails. Do NOT click on any links in those texts or emails.
- Reports are swirling about bogus checks. If you receive a “check” in the mail now, it’s a scam. It will take the Treasury a few more weeks to mail out the COVID-19 economic impact payments. If you receive a “check” for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a check that requires you to verify the check online or by calling a number, it’s a scam.
- Remember, the federal government will not ask you to pay anything up front to get a legitimate benefit. No fees. No charges. Anyone who asks for an up-front payment for a promised benefit is a scammer.
The Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdva/covid-19-fraud
Western Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Baudinet, [email protected] or 540-278-1494.
Eastern Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin G. Cooke, [email protected] or 804-819-5416.
To report a COVID-19 fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or sending an email to [email protected].
For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus
FBI at: https://www.ic3.gov or 804-261-1044.
To report fraudulent activity to the Virginia State Police, Virginians can contact the Virginia Fusion Center (VFC) at [email protected].
For continuing information on the COVID-19 virus and the federal response, check https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
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United States prevails in lawsuit by State of New Mexico and City of Albuquerque challenging Department of Homeland Security’s policies for parole of asylum seekersRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – United States Attorney John C. Anderson announced today that the federal government has prevailed in a lawsuit filed by the State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque challenging the practices of the Department of Homeland Security and certain high-ranking federal immigration officials in temporarily paroling aliens seeking asylum in the United States.
United States District Judge James O. Browning dismissed the lawsuit on March 31 after finding DHS fully complied with the law. The court found DHS acted within its power and discretion by paroling aliens in New Mexico and elsewhere without providing them with travel assistance to other parts of the country.
The State of New Mexico and City of Albuquerque previously filed the lawsuit on June 10, 2019. In dismissing the lawsuit, the court found sovereign immunity protected the federal government from liability and the defendants’ claims were not reviewable under the Administrative Procedures Act. The court also found that the federal government’s policies satisfied the Due Process Clause and other constitutional standards.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Lucero represented the United States in this matter.
United States Attorney’s Office and IRS warn of possible economic impact payment scamsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman and Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Cincinnati Field Office, Bryant Jackson, warned Ohioans today to be alert for possible scams related to upcoming economic impact payments made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone should expect that scammers will try to take advantage of this crisis and the upcoming economic impact payments,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “They will try to find a way to get recipients to divulge personal information such as a Social Security number or bank account information. Alternatively, fraudsters may try to pressure recipients into making phony payments or otherwise relinquishing funds. We are strongly encouraging everyone to be on high alert, both before and after the payments arrive, for potential scams.”
“Ruthless criminals will take this opportunity to prey upon our fears in order to try and line their own pockets by stealing your money or your personal information,” said Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced this week that COVID-19 economic impact payments will begin in the next three weeks. For many Americans, this will be done through direct deposit into their bank account. For the unbanked, elderly or other groups that have traditionally seen receive tax refunds via paper check, economic impact payments will be received similarly.
United States Attorney Herdman and Special Agent in Charge Jackson offer the following information and tips to spot a scam and understand how the COVID-19 related economic impact payments will be issued.
- The IRS will deposit your check into the direct deposit account you previously provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
- The IRS will not call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do not give out your bank account, debit account, or PayPal account information - even if someone claims it's necessary to get your check. It's a scam.
- If you receive a call, don't engage with scammers or thieves, even if you want to tell them that you know it's a scam, or you think that you can beat them. Just hang up.
- If you receive texts or emails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal information or clicking on links, delete them. Don't click on any links in those emails.
- Be on the look-out for bogus checks. If you receive a “check” in the mail now, it’s a fraud - it will take the Treasury a few weeks to mail those out. If you receive a “check” for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a check that requires that you verify the check online or by calling a number, it’s a fraud.
- Scammers will often attempt to trick you into signing over your stimulus check or pressure you into “verify” your filing information in order to receive your money. They will then use your personal information at a later date to file false tax returns.
Report fraud related to the COVID-19 crisis to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or email tips to the United States Attorney’s Office at [email protected]
For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus.
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Timothy J. Shea Announces Launch of Metropolitan Area COVID-19 Anti-Fraud Task ForceRead the Press Release
The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 poses an unprecedented threat to the public health and economic security of the District of Columbia and this country. Unfortunately, some have chosen to profit from public panic by exploiting vulnerable citizens—like the sick and elderly—and to take advantage of vital public institutions combatting the pandemic—including hospitals, urgent care providers, and emergency response agencies. The pandemic is dangerous enough without abusive scams and manipulations that prey on fear and undermine the heroic efforts of nurses, doctors, and others serving on the front lines of the public health crisis. Such conduct cannot be tolerated.
That is why the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is spearheading the formation of the Washington Metropolitan Area COVID-19 Anti-Fraud Task Force, a coalition of local and federal law enforcement agencies, Inspectors General, and the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. The Task Force is committed to detecting, interfering with, and deterring fraud, price-gouging, hoarding schemes, and other wrongdoing aimed at capitalizing on the public health emergency. This collaboration will afford law enforcement the opportunity to communicate on investigative leads, leverage investigative resources, and deploy all available tools to address the threat, including criminal investigations and prosecutions and civil enforcement actions.
In announcing the formation of the Task Force, U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea stated, “The challenges posed by the spread of COVID-19 threaten the safety and security of the District of Columbia and our nation. We will not allow anyone to take advantage of our citizens during this public health emergency. We are committed to detecting, investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting these fraudsters and will devote whatever time, energy, and resources are necessary to do so. This Task Force is the centerpiece of this effort. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners, including Attorney General Racine and our federal partners throughout the Metropolitan Area for joining in this initiative. It is the least we can do to support the efforts of the front-line heroes combatting this crisis—nurses, doctors, emergency responders, and public health officials—who put their lives on the line each day.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is pleased to announce that the following agencies are part of the Task Force:
- District of Columbia, Office of the Attorney General
- District of Columbia, Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking
- District of Columbia, Enforcement & Consumer Protection Division
- District of Columbia, Office of Inspector General
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office
- Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Washington Field Office
- Homeland Security Investigations, Washington Field Office
- Metropolitan Police Department, District of Columbia
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Inspector General
- Pension Benefits Guaranty Corporation, Office of Inspector General
- United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General
- United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, Washington-Metro Fraud Resident Agency
- United States General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Mid-Atlantic Division
- United States Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Washington, D.C. Resident Agency
- United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, Major Frauds & Corruption Unit
- United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Washington Regional Office
- United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General
- United States Department of Treasury, Inspector General for Tax Administration
- United States Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General
- United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division Office
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General
- United States Secret Service, Washington Field Office
- United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Inspector General
- United States Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General
- Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Office of the Inspector General
The Task Force will work to identify scams aimed at exploiting fears and spreading disinformation about the pandemic. So far, law enforcement in the District of Columbia and throughout the country have received reports of individuals and businesses using the internet to sell fake cures for COVID-19, market products falsely claiming to mitigate COVID-19, and fraudulently retail COVID-19 supplies, such as face masks and hand sanitizer. There are also reports of suppliers hoarding vital supplies, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), and attempting to sell it at inflated prices. There also are reports of phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reports of malware being inserted onto mobile apps designed to track the spread of the virus. Collaborating through the Task Force will position local and federal agencies to rapidly investigate such reports and put a stop to wrongdoing.
As part of this launch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has already provided training via teleconference to local and federal law enforcement partners on criminal and civil enforcement measures available to combat COVID-19 fraud schemes, created a Pandemic Fraud Hotline through which citizens can report suspected scams via phone or email, released multiple consumer advisories, and begun to share investigative leads.
These steps are in line with the U.S. Attorney General’s direction to prioritize the detection, investigation, and prosecution of all criminal conduct related to the current pandemic. The Task Force will work in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice’s broader federal effort to address price gouging and hoarding schemes through the COVID-19 Anti-Hoarding and Anti-Price Gouging Task Force led by the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
Citizens and others who suspect fraud or other criminal wrongdoing related to the pandemic should report it to the COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud Hotline by phone at 202-252-7022 or by email at [email protected]. District of Columbia residents can also submit complaints of suspected scams to the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia by calling its Consumer Protection Hotline at 202-442-9828 or by emailing [email protected].
United States Attorney William M. McSwain Announces More Than $36 Million Available to Fight Human Trafficking and Assist VictimsRead the Press Release
PHILADEPHIA, PA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that more than $36 million in Department of Justice grants are available to help communities combat human trafficking and serve adults and children who are victimized in trafficking operations.
“Human trafficking is horrific crime – one that strips victims of their dignity and often leaves them traumatized, with lasting physical and emotional scars,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “Human traffickers pose a serious threat to public safety, which is why the Department of Justice and my Office have made prosecution of these crimes a top priority. This is both a national and local problem, and these grants will help fund programs designed to assist those directly and indirectly affected by this serious issue.”
“Human traffickers pose a dire threat to public safety and countering this threat remains one of the Administration’s top domestic priorities,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “The Department of Justice is front and center in the fight against this insidious crime. OJP is making historic amounts of grant funding available to ensure that our communities have access to innovative and diverse solutions.”
The funding is available through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the federal government’s leading source of public safety funding and crime victim assistance in state, local, and tribal jurisdictions. OJP’s programs support a wide array of activities and services, including programs that support human trafficking task forces and services for human trafficking survivors.
The following funding opportunities are currently available, with several more coming in the near future:
- Missing and Exploited Children Training and Technical Assistance Program
https://ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/ojjdp-2020-17351
Total Available: $1.8 million
Deadline: April 6, 2020
Through this program, OJP seeks to improve and expand the development and implementation of training and technical assistance on effective responses to missing and exploited children’s issues for multidisciplinary teams of prosecutors, state and local law enforcement, child protection personnel, medical providers, and other child-serving professionals. Additionally, this program will provide support for the implementation of all National Missing Children’s Day activities. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funds pursuant to this grant: nonprofit and for-profit organizations and institutes of higher education.
- Research and Evaluation on Trafficking in Persons
https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/nij-2020-17324
Total Available: $2.5 million
Deadline: April 20, 2020
Through this solicitation, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) – a research, development, and evaluation arm of the Department of Justice – continues to build upon its efforts to better understand, prevent, and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States. Applicants should propose research projects that, first and foremost, have clear implications for criminal justice policy and practice in the United States. NIJ is also particularly interested in research projects addressing both sex and labor trafficking. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funds pursuant to this grant: states (including territories); units of local government; federally recognized Indian tribal governments that perform law enforcement functions; nonprofit and for-profit organizations; and institutes of higher education.
- Specialized Training and Technical Assistance on Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking
https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-specialized-tta-on-housing-for-victims-of-human-trafficking.pdf
Total Available: $2 million
Deadline: May 14, 2020
The selected applicant will work with victim service providers assisting trafficking victims to identify challenges and opportunities to better meet the full range of housing needs of survivors of human trafficking. Priority support will be given to current grantees of the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). The selected applicant must be able to assist service providers on a national scale in leveraging existing federal, state, local, and private housing programs and initiatives that trafficking survivors may qualify for, and should demonstrate partnerships with relevant housing stakeholders. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funds pursuant to this grant: nonprofit, nongovernmental victims’ service organizations with the capacity to serve human trafficking victims.
- Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking
https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-ht-improving-outcomes-for-child-and-youth.pdf
Total Available: $6 million
Deadline: May 18, 2020
OVC is seeking applications for states or tribes to develop, enhance, and coordinate programs and activities geared toward improving outcomes for child and youth victims of sex and labor trafficking. The overall goal of the program is to improve responses for child and youth victims of trafficking with a focus on coordination at the statewide or tribal jurisdiction level to create effective change across systems. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funding pursuant to this grant: states (including territories) and federally recognized Indian tribal governments.
- Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking
https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-services-for-minor-victims-of-labor-trafficking.pdf
Total Available: $8 million
Deadline: May 18, 2020
The purpose of this program is to develop, expand, or strengthen victim service programs for minor victims of labor trafficking, whose victimization occurred when they were under the age of 18. Organizations funded under this program will provide (directly and through partnerships) services that minor victims of labor trafficking often require to address their needs for safety, security, and healing. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funding pursuant to this grant: states and territories; units of local government; Indian tribes; and nonprofit, nongovernmental victims’ services organizations with the capacity to serve human trafficking victims.
- Services for Victims of Human Trafficking
https://www.ovc.gov/grants/pdftxt/fy-2020-services-for-victims-of-human-trafficking.pdf
Total Available: $16.5 million
Deadline: May 18, 2020
OVC is seeking applications to support services for victims of all forms of human trafficking throughout the United States. This program furthers the Department’s mission by enhancing the field’s response to victims of human trafficking. The following entities are eligible to apply for and receive funding pursuant to this grant: states and territories; units of local government; Indian tribes; and nonprofit, nongovernmental victims’ services organizations with the capacity to serve human trafficking victims.
For more information regarding all OJP funding opportunities, please visit: https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities.
United States Attorney William D. Hyslop Announces Efforts to Combat Covid-19 ScamsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – William D. Hyslop, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that the United States Department of Justice has established a coordinated, nationwide response to allegations of a wide array of fraudulent and otherwise illegal schemes to exploit the national emergency caused by COVID-19 (the coronavirus).
United States Attorney Hyslop stated, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with its law enforcement partners, is fully operational and is continuing to fulfill its public safety mission, including ferreting out COVID-19 fraud schemes. Essential law enforcement functions including investigations, the preparation and execution of warrants, filing of charges, and case litigation continue. Make no mistake, the Eastern District of Washington’s federal prosecutors and support staff are working with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to safeguard our justice system and protect the safety and security of our nation during this challenging time.”
If you (or someone you know) believe you have been the target or victim of a coronavirus-related scam, you are strongly encouraged to make a report to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline (866.720.5721), or to the NCDF email address ([email protected]). The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. The NCDF’s mission is to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal conduct related to emergencies, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, and to advocate for the victims of such conduct. The NCDF Hotline is available to receive reports from the public of potential fraud 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers will be connected with a live operator or can leave a message detailing their report.
In addition, the public may also make such reports to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center by visiting www.IC3.gov. The FBI is alert to fraudsters attempting to exploit the COVID-19 outbreak. The FBI has extensive expertise in cybercrime and is presently monitoring issues relating to phishing attempts and efforts to infect emails, links, and postings with malware. Crime tips of any kind, including alleged civil rights violations, can be submitted to the FBI by visiting
tips.fbi.gov or by calling the FBI Seattle Field Office, which has a robust presence in Eastern Washington, at 206.622.0460. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington has appointed a Coronavirus Coordinator to: (a.) serve as the legal counsel on matters relating to the coronavirus in Eastern Washington; (b.) oversee prosecution of coronavirus-related cases; and (c.) support public outreach and awareness activities relating to the coronavirus.
Fraudsters devise numerous methods for defrauding people, such as creating websites, contacting people by phone and email, and posting disinformation on social media platforms. Examples of scams linked to COVID-19 include:
• Testing scams: Scammers are selling fake at-home test kits or going door-to-door performing fake tests for money.
• Treatment scams: Scammers are offering to sell fake cures, vaccines, and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19.
• Provider scams: Scammers are contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or relative for COVID-19, and demanding payment for that treatment.
• Phishing scams: Scammers posing as national and global health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are sending phishing emails designed to trick recipients into downloading malware or providing personal identifying and financial information.
• App scams: Scammers are creating and manipulating mobile apps designed to track the spread of COVID-19 to insert malware that will compromise users’ devices and personal information.
• Investment scams: Scammers are offering online promotions on various platforms, including social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure COVID-19, and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often styled as “research reports,” make predictions of a specific “target price,” and relate to microcap stocks, or low-priced stocks issued by the smallest of companies with limited publicly available information.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office again urges the public to report coronavirus-related scams and to take precautionary measures to protect themselves from known and emerging scams, such as:
• Independently verify the identity of any company, charity, or individual that contacts you regarding COVID-19.
• Check the websites and email addresses offering information, products, or services related to COVID-19. Be aware that scammers often employ addresses that differ only slightly from those belonging to the entities they are impersonating. For example, they might use “cdc.com” or “cdc.org” instead of “cdc.gov.”
• Be wary of unsolicited emails offering information, supplies, or treatment for COVID-19 or requesting your personal information for medical purposes. Legitimate health authorities will not contact the general public this way.
• Do not click on links or open email attachments from unknown or unverified sources. Doing so could download a virus onto your computer or device.
• Make sure the anti-malware and anti-virus software on your computer is operating and up to date.
• Ignore offers for a COVID-19 vaccine, cure, or treatment. Remember, if there is a medical breakthrough, you won’t hear about it for the first time through an email, online ad, or unsolicited sales pitch.
• Check online reviews of any company offering COVID-19 products or supplies. Avoid companies whose customers have complained about not receiving items.
• Research any charities or crowdfunding sites soliciting donations in connection with COVID-19 before giving. Remember, an organization may not be legitimate even if it uses words like “CDC” or “government” in its name or has reputable looking seals or logos on its materials. For online resources on donating wisely, visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website.
• Be wary of any business, charity, or individual requesting payments or donations in cash, by wire transfer, gift card, or through the mail. Don’t send money through any of these channels.
• Be cautious of “investment opportunities” tied to COVID-19, especially those based on claims that a small company’s products or services can help stop the virus. If you decide to invest, carefully research the investment beforehand. For information on how to avoid investment fraud, visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website.
For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov, the World Health Organization www.who.int, and the Washington Department of Health www.doh.wa.gov websites.
U.S. Attorney, IRS warn of potential fraud scams surrounding COVID-19 economic impact paymentsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) warned Ohio taxpayers today to be alert about possible scams relating to COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments.
U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-CI Cincinnati Field Office, made the announcement today in an effort to prevent taxpayers in need from being victimized by criminals using the recently approved federal payments as an opportunity to commit a crime.
“As your stimulus checks come in, so will the scams,” U.S. Attorney DeVillers said. “Beware of anyone seeking personal information in exchange for promises about your check.”
“Ruthless criminals will take this opportunity to prey upon our fears in order to try and line their own pockets by stealing your money or your personal information,” said Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office.”
COVID-19 economic impact payments will be issued in the coming weeks. For most Americans, the checks will be a direct deposit into a bank account. For the unbanked, elderly or other groups who have traditionally received tax refunds via paper check, they will receive their economic impact payment by paper check as well.
Scammers may try to get taxpayers to sign over their checks or “verify” filing information.
U.S. Attorney DeVillers and Special Agent in Charge Jackson offer the following information and tips to spot a scam and understand how the COVID-19 related economic impact payments will be issued:
- The IRS will deposit your check into the direct deposit account you previously provided on your tax return (or, in the alternative, send you a paper check).
- The IRS will not call and ask you to verify your payment details. Do not give out your bank account, debit account, or PayPal account information – even if someone claims it's necessary to get your check. It's a scam.
- If you receive a call, don't engage with scammers or thieves, even if you want to tell them that you know it's a scam, or you think that you can beat them. Just hang up.
- If you receive texts or emails claiming that you can get your money faster by sending personal information or clicking on links, delete them. Do not click on the links.
- Bogus checks may also exist. If you receive a “check” in the mail now, it is not legitimate. Treasury checks have not yet been mailed. If you receive a “check” for an odd amount (especially one with cents), or a “check” requiring you to verify the “check” online or by calling a phone number, it is a fraud.
- The IRS will not ask you to send money before it will issue your economic impact payment. If someone asks you to send money to get your payment, do not send money.
For more information, visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov/coronavirus.
To report fraud related to the coronavirus, email [email protected] or call 1-866-720-5721.
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U.S. Attorney's Office and IRS Caution the Public About Scammers Targeting Economic Relief PaymentsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, NC – Watch out for scammers attempting to steal your COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) Economic Impact Payments, is the warring issued today by U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray and Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) in Charlotte.
“We continue to warn the public about scammers taking advantage of the Coronavirus crisis to line their own pockets. With economic relief payments soon on the way, scammers will get even more aggressive and more creative to get their hands on your money. Remain vigilant and warn your friends and family about COVID-19 scams. Also, do your part in helping us catch scammers and report suspected fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Murray.
“I urge the public not to fall victim to fraudsters attempting to steal Economic Impact Payments being sent out. The IRS will not call, text, email or otherwise contact you to ask for your information. This money is meant for you. Don’t fall victim to scammers,” said Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI, Charlotte Field Office.
The Treasury Department and the IRS announced that distribution of Economic Impact Payments will begin in the next three weeks and will be distributed automatically, with no action required for most people. Information from 2018 or 2019 tax return, if filed, will be used to calculate payment. Most individuals do not need to take any action. The IRS will calculate and automatically send payment to those eligible.
The IRS will deposit the economic relief check into the direct deposit account previously provided in your tax returns. If banking information was not provided, the IRS will send you a check via mail. The IRS will NOT contact you to request your banking info, will not ask you to confirm personal information to send or expedite your economic impact payment, or require you to pay a fee.
If you receive a call claiming to be from the IRS or any entity related to the Economic Impact Payment, do not engage scammers or thieves. Do not give out your bank account, debit account or PayPal account information, even if someone claims it is necessary to get your check. It’s a scam!
It will take a few weeks before the Treasury mails out the Economic Impact Payments. If you receive a “check” for an odd amount or a check that requires you to verify the check online or by calling a number, it is a fraud. Also, be vigilant about collecting your mail soon after it is delivered, to prevent the theft of economic relief checks arriving in your mailbox.
Don’t be a victim! Education is the best way to avoid being defrauded by scammers. Visit www.irs.gov for the latest information on new scams and schemes. To find out more about Department of Justice resources and information, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
To report suspected fraud the Justice Department urges you to call the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline by calling 866-720-5721 or sending an email to [email protected].