Author: Headsnipe01

Media Contact 202-226-8467

Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul joined Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” to discuss China and Russia’s “unholy alliance” and their efforts to disrupt the global balance of power, Secretary Blinken’s testimony at our committee hearing, the U.S. defense industrial base, and TikTok’s national security threat. 

Watch the interview here. 

On President Biden’s Continued Projection of Weakness on the World Stage: 

“When you project weakness, you invite aggression and war. When you project strength, like Reagan talked about, you invite peace. You are seeing… Iran getting aggressive and now, Putin invading Ukraine. and Chairman Xi and China – [he’s] threatening Taiwan and the Pacific. All these things are happening at the same time and it is not by accident, it is by design – and it’s a weak foreign policy out of fear.”

On Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin’s “Unholy Alliance:”

“This is an unholy alliance – they’re buying weapons from Iran and North Korea – they’re all tied together in this thing. It is a geopolitical fight between tyranny and oppression versus democracy and freedom in the West. You can’t dissect the two – they are tied together. What happens in Ukraine directly affects Taiwan and the Pacific, and we need to deter on both sides. My argument is this administration has wholly failed in that deterrence.”

On Calling the Admin’s Catastrophic Afghanistan Withdrawal a Turning Point in Foreign Adversary Aggression: 

“Because of [Biden’s] projection of weakness… When Afghanistan imploded… that is when Putin looked and not a question of if, but when Putin looked at Ukraine and Xi is looking at Taiwan. That is when everything changed. Afghanistan was a turning point. It was a disaster, we left Americans behind, Afghan partners behind. 

On Chairman McCaul’s Promise to Deliver a Subpoena to Secretary Blinken if He Fails to Submit Afghanistan Withdrawal Dissent Cable: 

“I don’t care about his internal policies, I care about the veterans and Gold Star Mothers and [servicemembers like] Marine Sgt. Vargas-Andrews, who had his arm blown off and his leg, who had the suicide bomber in his sights and wasn’t given permission to engage, that’s what I care about. And that’s why, if they don’t deliver by Monday, close of business, I will serve that subpoena.”

On the Serious National Security Threat TikTok Poses to the United States: 

“Every national security official in this administration has said that it is a national security threat, and you know, we banned it in the Congress, right? So if we banned it in Congress and it is too dangerous for us to have, why in the world is it safe enough for our children to have? It is a backdoor to your iPhone, it is a spy balloon into your phone – it can collect your data and message to you.

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Author: ForeignAffairs

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Author: Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

WASHINGTON, D.C. – When U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai appeared before the Ways and Means Committee on Friday to discuss the President’s trade agenda, she faced tough questions on whether that trade agenda even exists, why the White House is refusing to work with lawmakers despite the Constitution giving Congress legal authority over trade, and the Biden Administration’s failure to hold China accountable despite its predatory trade practices and human rights abuses.

1. Chairman Smith Extracts a Commitment to Protect American Farmers Against Mexican Infractions of USMCA

Following his letter to USTR urging the Biden Administration to initiate a dispute settlement over Mexico’s ban on American corn, Chairman Smith successfully pressed Ambassador Tai to commit to using the enforcement mechanisms in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to stop Mexico’s ban. Mexico is America’s top export market for corn, so it is critical that American farmers can continue to be able to sell their crop to the Mexican market.

Chairman Smith: “Effective enforcement is required to protect American workers and farmers, and I will insist on moving forward with a dispute settlement if our concerns are not addressed. What are the next steps the Administration is prepared to take to ensure enforcement of USMCA in this matter?”

USTR Tai: “All of the tools in the USMCA are there for a reason, and we stand ready to make use of those tools to help us to resolve this issue.”

2. Two Years into the Administration, America has Lost Momentum and Enforcement tools on Trade

The top Biden Administration trade czar insists on bypassing Congress and the American people in creating trade “frameworks,” rather than working with Congress as the Constitution calls for to help American workers, farmers, and secure supply chains. Ambassador Tai justified these changes on the basis of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, claiming that trade couldn’t be successful any other way – to which Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith (NE-03) replied, “If a trading partner were to blatantly go against the science as Mexico has done, then I worry there would not be any tools for enforcement” given the Biden Administration’s approach to trade that ignores congressional approval.

3. The Biden Administration Is Refusing to Recognize Congress’ Constitutional Role in Trade

After Ambassador Tai argued that her office has adequately consulted with Congress about current trade negotiations, Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) pushed back:

“USTR has been working to redefine Congress’s role in developing trade arrangements… I want my constituents to know what USTR believes qualifies as consultation with Congress. You believe that ‘close consultation with Congress’ is leaving documents in a SCIF [Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility] for members to read but not share with constituents, and holding two staff-level zoom hearings.”

4. Even Democrats Worry that the Biden Administration Isn’t Living Up to the Trade Successes of the Trump Administration

Democratic Representative Dan Kildee (MI-08) told Ambassador Tai that the Biden Administration should be following the model of President Trump’s successful USMCA that provided protections for American workers and was passed by the Ways and Means Committee and Congress – not “frameworks” that exclude the American people and their elected representatives:

“I do share the concern that some have expressed about the new frameworks that the Administration is pursuing. I believe it’s not the step in the right direction we ought to be taking. What we saw under USMCA, I think, is a good example of how we ought to build a framework…”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – When U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai appeared before the Ways and Means Committee on Friday to discuss the President’s trade agenda, she faced tough questions on whether that trade agenda even exists, why the White House is refusing to work with lawmakers despite the Constitution giving Congress legal authority over trade, and the Biden Administration’s failure to hold China accountable despite its predatory trade practices and human rights abuses.

1. Chairman Smith Extracts a Commitment to Protect American Farmers Against Mexican Infractions of USMCA

Following his letter to USTR urging the Biden Administration to initiate a dispute settlement over Mexico’s ban on American corn, Chairman Smith successfully pressed Ambassador Tai to commit to using the enforcement mechanisms in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to stop Mexico’s ban. Mexico is America’s top export market for corn, so it is critical that American farmers can continue to be able to sell their crop to the Mexican market.

Chairman Smith: “Effective enforcement is required to protect American workers and farmers, and I will insist on moving forward with a dispute settlement if our concerns are not addressed. What are the next steps the Administration is prepared to take to ensure enforcement of USMCA in this matter?”

USTR Tai: “All of the tools in the USMCA are there for a reason, and we stand ready to make use of those tools to help us to resolve this issue.”

2. Two Years into the Administration, America has Lost Momentum and Enforcement tools on Trade

The top Biden Administration trade czar insists on bypassing Congress and the American people in creating trade “frameworks,” rather than working with Congress as the Constitution calls for to help American workers, farmers, and secure supply chains. Ambassador Tai justified these changes on the basis of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, claiming that trade couldn’t be successful any other way – to which Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith (NE-03) replied, “If a trading partner were to blatantly go against the science as Mexico has done, then I worry there would not be any tools for enforcement” given the Biden Administration’s approach to trade that ignores congressional approval.

3. The Biden Administration Is Refusing to Recognize Congress’ Constitutional Role in Trade

After Ambassador Tai argued that her office has adequately consulted with Congress about current trade negotiations, Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) pushed back:

“USTR has been working to redefine Congress’s role in developing trade arrangements… I want my constituents to know what USTR believes qualifies as consultation with Congress. You believe that ‘close consultation with Congress’ is leaving documents in a SCIF [Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility] for members to read but not share with constituents, and holding two staff-level zoom hearings.”

4. Even Democrats Worry that the Biden Administration Isn’t Living Up to the Trade Successes of the Trump Administration

Democratic Representative Dan Kildee (MI-08) told Ambassador Tai that the Biden Administration should be following the model of President Trump’s successful USMCA that provided protections for American workers and was passed by the Ways and Means Committee and Congress – not “frameworks” that exclude the American people and their elected representatives:

“I do share the concern that some have expressed about the new frameworks that the Administration is pursuing. I believe it’s not the step in the right direction we ought to be taking. What we saw under USMCA, I think, is a good example of how we ought to build a framework…”

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HOUSTON – Two Houston residents are set to appear on allegations in an $8.7 million fraud scheme connected to a home health company they jointly owned and operated, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Caroline Zamora, 63, and Rommel Zamora, 59, are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew M. Edison at 2 p.m.

The indictment, returned March 1, alleges the Zamoras owned and operated 24/7 Stat Care Home Health Services Inc. aka Parkway Healthcare Services. From approximately February 7, 2014 through November 9, 2018, the couple allegedly conspired to pay illegal cash kickbacks to Medicare patients to sign up for home health services with Parkway. The Zamoras are also alleged to have conspired to pay kickbacks to doctors to certify and refer patients for home health who did not qualify.

The indictment further alleges the Zamoras fraudulently billed Medicare for home health services that were not provided or for patients who did not qualify for such services. Parkway billed Medicare $8.7M and was paid $6.7M, according to the indictment.  

If convicted, both face up to 10 years in prison on each count of health care fraud in addition to another five years for the conspiracy. All counts also carry as possible punishment a maximum $250,000 fine.

The Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the FBI conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Abdul Farukhi is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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LAREDO, Texas – A 45-year-old resident of Zapata is now in custody for defrauding financial institutions as well as state and federal welfare programs, lying to federal authorities and using someone else’s identity, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Authorities arrested Mirza Lydia Rodriguez today. She is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga March 27 at 9:30 a.m.

A federal grand jury returned 13-count indictment March 21, which was unsealed upon her arrest.

According to the charges, Rodriguez submitted fraudulent applications to the Laredo Housing Authority’s (LHA) Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP).

The HCVP is the federal government’s major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly and disabled to afford decent, safe and sanitary housing in the private market. Public housing agencies administer the housing choice vouchers who receive the finds from Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The LHA is the local agency responsible for the administration of the HCVP.

When submitting applications to the LHA, Rodriguez allegedly omitted material information relevant to considering whether she qualified for housing assistance. The charges allege she submitted paperwork to LHA under the guise that someone else was the property owner and landlord of where she was living, when this was not true. She then submitted a direct deposit authorization using this same falsified information for the property’s landlord, but included banking information allegedly belonging to herself, according to the indictment.

Falcon International Bank was responsible for maintaining LHA’s funds, according to the indictment. The bank would allegedly disburse housing and utility assistance payments, which are, under the HCVP, meant for the property’s landlord. However, the charges allege the funds were directly deposited into Rodriguez’s account.

According to the indictment, Rodriguez allegedly received more than $30,000 over the course of five years.

Rodriguez is also charged with three counts of wire fraud in connection with applications to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). The TWC is the state agency tasked with administering Texas’ unemployment insurance program.

Rodriguez allegedly represented herself as a tax preparer and would collect the personal identifying information for her clients when preparing returns. She would then tell people she could assist in obtaining unemployment benefits, according to the indictment. As part of the application process, Rodriguez allegedly used the personal information of others, but included a bank account associated with her. As a result of the scheme and in addition to the funds fraudulent acquired from HUD, Rodriguez allegedly obtained over $30,000 in unemployment benefits.

Rodriguez is further charged with one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with one of the fraudulent applications to the TWC, three counts of defrauding HUD and five counts of lying to a federal agency.

If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to 30 years for the bank fraud, 20 years for each count of wire fraud, up to two years for each count of HUD fraud and up to five years for each count of lying to authorities. She will also receive a mandatory two years for the identity theft, upon conviction, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.

The FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety-Texas Rangers, Zapata County Sheriff’s Office and Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Texas Workforce Commission and the LHA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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ATLANTA – John J. Woods, the former President of Southport Capital and manager of Horizon Private Equity, III, LLC, has pleaded guilty to operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of investors out of more than $25 million.

“Woods promised investors low-risk investments, profitable returns, and a diversified portfolio, all while secretly using money raised from new investors to primarily pay earlier investors,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Investors should respond with caution to financial offers that sound too good to be true and are cloaked in the promise of low risk and high rates of return.”

“It is the FBI’s hope that today’s guilty plea will provide some sense of relief to those victims that have suffered so much by Mr. Woods greed- fueled conduct,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case serves as another reminder that investors need to be careful, and do their research, when deciding who to trust with their hard-earned money.”

According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Woods operated a Ponzi scheme until being shut down by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2021. Woods solicited investors to invest in a fund called, “Horizon Private Equity.” Woods, and other investment adviser representatives acting under his direction, promised potential Horizon investors rates of return of six to seven percent on their investment and that Horizon would earn a return by investing their money in, for example, government bonds, stocks, or small real estate projects. Woods and his confederates also assured investors that Horizon investments carried minimal risk and were safe because Horizon had a diverse portfolio.

Contrary to these representations, the money received from new investors was not invested in a diverse portfolio; and money collected from new investors was used largely to pay returns to previous investors. In fact, Horizon was able to pay guaranteed returns to investors only by raising and using new investor money. As a part of the scheme, Woods caused Horizon to issue monthly statements to investors that fraudulently misled investors by failing to disclose that the Horizon investments had not generated a positive percentage of return sufficient to cover the interest. 

As of the end of July 2021, Horizon investors were owed more than $110,000,000 in principal investment amounts. And over 400 investors, residing in at least 20 different states, held investments in Horizon. Losses are still being calculated, but investors have lost more than $25 million because of Woods’s scheme to defraud.

Sentencing for John J. Woods, 58, of Marietta, Georgia, has not yet been scheduled. He pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging a single offense of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1343.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The SEC provided valuable assistance.  The SEC’s separate civil case is SEC v. Woods et al., No. 1:21-CV-03413-SDG (N.D. Ga.).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Adams and Stephen H. McClain are prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Surprise, Arizona, man was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, from summer of 2021 through March 2022, Elliott Velez, 38, used over 28 known fictitious social media accounts across multiple platforms to engage in sexually graphic conversations with girls under the age of 18. During these conversations with the victims, Velez would instruct them to engage in sexually explicit conduct, take photos or videos, and send the images to him. Velez would give explicit instructions on what he wanted them to do and who he wanted them to engage in sexually explicit conduct with, including other underage individuals. Review of just one account during the span of just one week Velez had engaged in over 7,000 lines of sexually graphic conversations with minors. Velez would use a recording device on his phone to ensure that he could keep these videos and images without the victim’s knowledge.

Velez was an active-duty Senior Master Sergeant in the Air Force who was located in Newport News during the time of his illegal conduct.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Heath prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Norfolk Child Exploitation Task Force (NCETF), as part of Project Safe Childhood. The NCETF is composed of FBI agents and detectives from the Chesapeake Police Department, Hampton Police Division, and Newport News Police Department. Assistance in this matter was also provided by federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children. Tips regarding child exploitation can be provided to the task force at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org. To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at [email protected].

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-28.

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TRENTON, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced to 24 months in prison for her role in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme that affected numerous corporate and individual victims throughout the nation, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Lucy Beswick, 31, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence on March 23, 2023, in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

From July 2017 to March 2018, Beswick and others participated in a BEC scheme designed to enrich its conspirators financially by stealing more than $400,000 in proceeds from individual and corporate victims. Conspirators recruited money mules to provide their personal identifying information in connection with the incorporation of sham businesses with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury under the money mules’ names. Under the instruction of conspirators, including Beswick, the money mules then opened bank accounts under the names of the sham corporations. 

A related cyber-attack arm of the scheme involved the creation of email addresses mimicking, but differing slightly from, legitimate email addresses of supervisory employees of various victim companies, of vendors that did business with those victim companies, of mortgage lenders and brokers that dealt with individual victims in connection with real estate purchases, and of advisors and accountants who performed financial services for their clients. Conspirators sent emails from these addresses to several victims, which appeared to request the payment of legitimate invoices or debts owed by the victims, but in actuality deceived the victims into transferring funds by wire into the bogus bank accounts. After the victims complied with the fraudulent wiring instructions, Beswick and others, under the direction of other conspirators, quickly debited from the bank accounts they had opened and which they controlled, thousands of dollars in cash through in-person and ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases, while also transferring by wire from the bogus bank accounts to foreign bank accounts controlled by conspirators hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen funds. Beswick ordinarily kept a fraction of the ill-gotten proceeds as compensation.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Beswick to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $328,467 in restitution and $15,000 in forfeiture.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James D. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jose Riera, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.

The government is represented by Eric A. Boden, Attorney in Charge of the Trenton Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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INDIANAPOLIS- Justin Herrington, 32, of Whitaker, Indiana, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.

According to court documents, in 2012, Herrington sexually abused Minor Victim 1, a 5-year-old child in his care, custody, or control, in Morgan County, Indiana. Herrington’s abuse of the child was discovered in 2012 and he was arrested and charged in state court. He was convicted of child molestation in 2014 and spent 446 days in prison before being released to serve the remainder of his sentence on probation. Herrington was also ordered to register as a sex offender against children for the remainder of his life.

After his release from prison, Herrington began distributing, receiving, and possessing child sex abuse material—including a previously unknown image he produced of Minor Victim 1 engaged in sexually explicit conduct in approximately 2012, when he was sexually abusing the child.

On March 6, 2019, law enforcement officials received a report from a drugstore employee who believed that Herrington had submitted images of child sexual abuse to the store for photo processing. Law enforcement officers arrested Herrington later that day when he arrived at the store to pick up the images. Further investigation of Herrington’s digital devices uncovered numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material of prepubescent children under the age of 12, including the image of Minor Victim 1. Many of the images, messages, and search terms located on Herrington’s devices demonstrate a sexual obsession with children in diapers.

Forensic investigation of all of Herrington’s digital devices proved that he belonged to a Russian-based website known by law enforcement for spreading child sexual abuse material. The investigation also revealed that Herrington was in the process of grooming a 13-year-old girl via Chat Hour and Snapchat. Online, Herrington claimed to be an 18-year-old and nearly enticed the girl to send him sexually explicit images of herself and meeting him in person.

At the time of his arrest, Herrington was in a relationship with an individual that had a 5-year-old child, in violation of the terms of his release for child molestation. Information on Herrington’s devices revealed that he attempted to get jobs at local daycares and as a babysitter, and even responded to a Craigslist advertisement seeking a babysitter for a 4-year-old.

On or about August 6, 2019, Herington was charged with federal offenses, and ordered detained pending trial. In August 2021, while in federal custody, Herrington used detention facility mail to send sexually suggestive depictions of children wearing diapers, including Minor Victim 1, that were produced to his attorneys during his state prosecution to at least 19 other inmates around the country.

Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, John Richards, Chief of Martinsville Police Department, Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Doug Carter, Indiana State Police Superintendent made the announcement.

“For years, this insatiable child sex predator demonstrated utter disregard for the safety and dignity of children to satisfy his own sick lusts,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “It is especially chilling that he was grooming an additional victim online and repeatedly sought to work in daycares and as a babysitter. The sentence imposed today demonstrates that a civilized society will simply not tolerate these heinous crimes against our children. I commend the Martinsville Police Department, Indiana State Police, and the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for working together to remove this dangerous pedophile from our community.”

Martinsville Police Department, Indiana State Police, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and FBI investigated the case. The Morgan County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office prosecuted the related state cases. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Herrington be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life following his release from federal prison. Herrington must continue to register as sex offender where he lives, works, and goes to school as required by law and has been ordered to pay restitution to Minor Victim 1.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. In fiscal year 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the Southern District of Indiana was second out of the 94 federal districts in the country for the number of child sexual exploitation cases prosecuted.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

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Author: Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

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Author: Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson

HOUSTON – Two Houston residents are set to appear on allegations in an $8.7 million fraud scheme connected to a home health company they jointly owned and operated, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Caroline Zamora, 63, and Rommel Zamora, 59, are set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew M. Edison at 2 p.m.

The indictment, returned March 1, alleges the Zamoras owned and operated 24/7 Stat Care Home Health Services Inc. aka Parkway Healthcare Services. From approximately February 7, 2014 through November 9, 2018, the couple allegedly conspired to pay illegal cash kickbacks to Medicare patients to sign up for home health services with Parkway. The Zamoras are also alleged to have conspired to pay kickbacks to doctors to certify and refer patients for home health who did not qualify.

The indictment further alleges the Zamoras fraudulently billed Medicare for home health services that were not provided or for patients who did not qualify for such services. Parkway billed Medicare $8.7M and was paid $6.7M, according to the indictment.  

If convicted, both face up to 10 years in prison on each count of health care fraud in addition to another five years for the conspiracy. All counts also carry as possible punishment a maximum $250,000 fine.

The Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the FBI conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Abdul Farukhi is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

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The White House

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Author: Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen convened a meeting of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) in executive session by videoconference.

During the meeting, the Council heard a presentation from staff of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on market developments.  The Council discussed current conditions in the banking sector and noted that while some institutions have come under stress, the U.S. banking system remains sound and resilient.  The Council also discussed ongoing efforts at member agencies to monitor financial developments.

In attendance at the Council meeting by videoconference were the following members: 

• Janet L. Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury (Chairperson of the Council)
• Jerome H. Powell, Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
• Michael J. Hsu, Acting Comptroller of the Currency
• Rohit Chopra, Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
• Gary Gensler, Chair, Securities and Exchange Commission
• Martin Gruenberg, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
• Rostin Behnam, Chairman, Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• Sandra L. Thompson, Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency
• Todd M. Harper, Chairman, National Credit Union Administration
• Thomas Workman, Independent Member with Insurance Expertise
• James Martin, Acting Director, Office of Financial Research (non-voting member)
• Steven Seitz, Director, Federal Insurance Office (non-voting member)
• Elizabeth K. Dwyer, Superintendent of Financial Services, Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation (non-voting member)
• Adrienne A. Harris, Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services (non-voting member)
• Melanie Lubin, Securities Commissioner, Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Securities Division (non-voting member)

Additional information regarding the Council and its work is available at http://www.fsoc.gov. 

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Media Contact 202-225-5021

Washington, D.C. – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul announced the full committee will hold a markup to consider various measures on Wednesday, March 29th. 

What: Markup of H.R. 314, H.R. 1704, H.R. 1690, H.R. 1684.  

Date: Tuesday, March 28th, 2023

Time: 10:00amET

Location: U.S. Capitol, HVC-210

MARKUP OF: 

***Coverage note: All Committee proceedings are webcast live here.***

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Author: ForeignAffairs

Expanding Protections for Pacific Remote Islands Toward Goal of Conserving 30% of U.S. Ocean by 2030

Following President Biden’s call to action at the White House Conservation in Action Summit and a Presidential Memorandum issued today, the Commerce Department directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to initiate a process to consider designating all U.S. waters around the Pacific Remote Islands as a national marine sanctuary. A sanctuary designation would provide additional layers of protection for the region’s important marine ecosystems, maritime heritage resources, and support the cultural heritage and values of communities. 

“Fulfilling our bold conservation goals are a priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and the Commerce Department,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Our National Marine Sanctuary System is critical to achieving these goals, as well as honoring the cultural heritage of coastal communities around the country. As President Biden noted, expanding protections for the Pacific Remote Islands would create the largest ocean area on the planet.”

The Pacific Remote Islands Coalition nominated an area totaling about 770,000 square miles for sanctuary designation. That area includes the existing as well as the submerged lands and waters surrounding the existing Monument to the limit of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The Pacific Remote Islands encompass seven islands, atolls, and a reef unit: Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnston, Wake, Palmyra, and Kingman.

Vulnerable to climate change impacts, the atolls, shoals, seamounts, banks and reefs in this unique and fragile area are home to some of the most diverse and remarkable tropical marine life on the planet and provides haven for a host of species from corals and fish to marine mammals and seabirds. 

“Ecosystems and cultural resources of the Pacific Remote Islands are increasingly under pressure from threats such as marine debris, invasive species, and climate change,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “The proposed sanctuary would also recognize the importance of Indigenous knowledge, stories, and cultural connections between lands and peoples, and celebrate distinct cultures.”  

Sanctuary designation would allow NOAA to augment the existing protections for the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument with additional regulatory and non-regulatory tools, and to conserve additional areas beyond the Monument’s existing boundary. The sanctuary designation would not include any terrestrial areas or diminish the protections of the existing monument designations. 

Within the next 30 days, NOAA will issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) to begin the public scoping process to initiate designation of a national marine sanctuary in the Pacific Remote Islands.

Following the President’s direction, the Commerce Department and the Department of the Interior will also conduct a public process to work with regional Indigenous cultural leaders to appropriately rename the existing Pacific Remote Islands National Monument, and potentially the Islands themselves, to honor the area’s heritage, ancestral pathways, and stopping points for Pacific Island voyagers, and to provide posthumous recognition for young Native Hawaiian men sent to secure U.S. territorial claim to the islands in the run up to World War II.

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Today, Deputy Secretary Graves met with Puerto Rico Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) Executive Director Robert Mujica to discuss efforts on economic development and the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities for the archipelago, which were framed around Economic Deliverables agreed upon during last December’s Joint Economic Dialogue. As Puerto Rico Economic Growth Coordinator, the Deputy Secretary highlighted the generational opportunity that exists for the archipelago by deploying post-disaster recovery funding together with programs available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (BIL), American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), that can help build a sustainable economy with just and equitable communities. They also discussed a vision in which a vibrant private sector, an active civil society and robust public institutions in Puerto Rico are empowered to build a more resilient and sustainable society.

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#ThisWeekatJustice

• Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke Delivered Remarks at St. Joseph AME Church, Durham, NC
• Six Additional Oath Keepers Members and Affiliates Found Guilty of Charges Related to Capitol Breach
• Law Enforcement Officials Announced the Largest Methamphetamine Seizure in West Virginia History
• Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke Traveled to Louisiana as Part of the Division’s Civil Rights Tour
• White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Issued Report to the President
• Two Co-Conspirators Indicted for Role in Prolific, Global Human Smuggling Conspiracy
• Justice Department Announced Charges and Sentence in Connection with Iranian Procurement Network’s Attempts to Acquire Sophisticated Military Technology

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The CEO and founder of Titanium Blockchain Infrastructure Services Inc. (TBIS) was sentenced today to four years and three months in prison for his role in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme involving TBIS’s initial coin offering (ICO) that raised approximately $21 million from investors in the United States and overseas.

According to court documents, Michael Alan Stollery, 54, of Reseda, California, touted TBIS – a purported cryptocurrency investment platform – as a cryptocurrency investment opportunity, luring investors to purchase “BARs,” the cryptocurrency token or coin offered by TBIS’s ICO, through a series of false and misleading statements. Although he was required to do so, Stollery did not register the ICO regarding TBIS’s cryptocurrency investment offering with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), nor did he have a valid exemption from the SEC’s registration requirements.

To entice investors, Stollery falsified aspects of TBIS’s white papers, which purportedly offered investors and prospective investors an explanation of the cryptocurrency investment offering, including the purpose and technology behind the offering, how the offering was different from other cryptocurrency opportunities, and the prospects for the offering’s profitability. Stollery also planted fake client testimonials on TBIS’s website and falsely claimed that he had business relationships with the Federal Reserve and dozens of prominent companies to create the false appearance of legitimacy. Stollery did not use the invested money as promised but instead commingled the ICO investors’ funds with his personal funds, using at least a portion of the offering proceeds for expenses unrelated to TBIS, such as credit card payments and the payment of bills for his Hawaii condominium. 

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Cory Nootnagel of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Western Region, made the announcement.

The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and the Federal Reserve Board OIG Western Region, San Francisco Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Andrew Tyler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

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HOUSTON — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Houston, with assistance from ERO Honduras and the Security Alliance for Fugitive Enforcement (SAFE) in Honduras, removed Juan Manuel Mena Dolmo, a 35-year-old previously deported Honduran national, from the U.S. on March 22. Mena is wanted in Honduras for murder.

A charter flight coordinated U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Air Operations Unit flew Mena from Alexandria, Louisiana, to the Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Upon arrival, he was transferred into the custody of Honduran law enforcement authorities.

Mena first illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location. On Dec. 27, 2013, he was encountered by ICE officers at the Summit County Jail in Akron, Ohio, following his arrest by the Cleveland Police Department for forgery, obstruction and driving a vehicle without an operator’s license. Mena was convicted of all three charges on March 26, 2014, in the Summit County Common Pleas Court and sentenced to a six-month suspended sentence. That same day, the Summit County Jail transferred Mena into ICE custody and he was placed into immigration proceedings. On June 2, 2014, an immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Mena removed from the United States. ICE officers removed Mena from the U.S. on July 1, 2014.

Mena illegally reentered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location. On April 22, 2022, he was arrested by the Harris County Constable’s Office in Texas following a routine traffic stop after it was discovered that he was wanted in Honduras for murder. The Harris County Constable’s Office transferred Mena into ERO Houston custody that same day. On Dec. 20, 2022, an immigration judge ordered Mena removed from the United States. ERO Houston removed Mena from the U.S. on March 22, 2023.

“ERO Houston is committed to working with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to identify and remove foreign fugitives hiding out in the United States,” said ERO Houston acting Field Office Director Gabriel Martinez. “By removing foreign fugitives from our communities and repatriating them to their country of origin, we eliminate a threat to public safety and ensure that they face justice for their alleged crimes.”

The SAFE Program is a fugitive enforcement and information sharing partnership that was created in 2012 to better use subject information derived from local in-country investigative resources and leads to locate, apprehend, detain, and remove individuals residing in the U.S. illegally who were subject to foreign arrest warrants. The SAFE Program operates under the respective host nation’s AAR, which constructs a SAFE task force composed of relevant foreign law enforcement agencies, immigration authorities, attorneys general, and national identification repositories — as well as other regional, national, state and local government agencies. The managing AAR ensures that each task force member complies with SAFE policies and standards consistent with the program’s standard operating procedures. Once established, the AAR-led SAFE task force generates new leads and vets existing SAFE fugitive referrals for ERO action.

Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.

For more news and information on how the ICE ERO Houston field office carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Southeast Texas follow us on Twitter @EROHouston.

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Commission meetings and hearings

On March 22, the Commission held a public hearing on proposed changes to regulations regarding the use of campaign funds by a candidate’s principal campaign committee to pay compensation to the candidate. Commissioners invited witnesses to submit materials in support of their testimony by 5:30 p.m. Eastern on March 29, 2023. Other interested members of the public may also submit comments on the rulemaking (REG 2021-01 (Candidate Salaries)).

Advisory Opinions

Request Received

Advisory Opinion Request 2023-03 (Colorado Republican State Central Committee) On March 21, the Commission made public an advisory opinion request by the Colorado Republican State Central Committee. The requestor, a state party committee, asks whether funds received and spent by its legal fund, established to challenge a state law, would be contributions and expenditures under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, and whether disbursements from the fund would be activity conducted in connection with an election. The Commission will accept written comments on the request during the 10-day period following publication of the request (no later than March 31, 2023) and must issue a response no later than 60 days after the receipt of the complete advisory opinion request, that is, by May 22, 2023.

Draft Advisory Opinion

Advisory Opinion Request 2023-02 (Humana Inc.) On March 24, the Commission made public a draft advisory opinion.

Enforcement

The Commission made public one Statement of Reasons, as follows. For more information, see the case documents in the Enforcement Query System.

MUR 7874 (Patriots of America PAC and Henry “Hank” Foley, in his official capacity as treasurer; Dan Backer in his personal capacity; Henry “Hank” Foley in his personal capacity; and Timothy Viens) On March 21, Commissioners Shana M. Broussard and Ellen L. Weintraub issued a Statement of Reasons.

Audits

Final Audit Report of the Commission on Sheila Jackson Lee for Congress. On March 23, the Commission issued the Final Audit Report of the Commission on Sheila Jackson Lee for Congress, covering campaign finance activity from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2020. The Commission approved findings related to Misstatement of Financial Activity, Receipt of Contributions in Excess of the Limit, and Receipt of Apparent Prohibited Contributions.

Litigation

Common Cause Georgia, et al. v. FEC (Case No. 22-3067) On March 17, the Commission filed a Motion for Summary Judgment and a Memorandum in Support of its Motion for Summary Judgment and in Opposition to Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

End Citizens United PAC v. FEC (Case No. 22-5277) On March 17, Plaintiff-Appellant filed a Reply Brief in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Ready for Ron v. FEC (Case No. 22-3282) On March 17, the Commission filed a Response to Plaintiff’s Supplemental Brief Opposing Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary Injunction and Plaintiff filed a Reply to the Commission’s Post-Argument Supplemental Brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Outreach

On March 21, Chair Dara Lindenbaum spoke at the William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, VA as a guest of its Election Law Society.

On March 21, Commissioner Weintraub spoke by videoconference at a Policy Forum, sponsored by the Institute for Politics and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University, on Understanding the Role and Amount of Money in American Elections.

On March 23, the Commission hosted an FECConnect OnTopic session 2023-2024 Contribution Limits.

Disclosure

The FEC’s electronic filing system will be offline for maintenance from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Saturday, March 25, 2023. During that time, users will be unable to submit, view or download electronically filed reports.

Press releases

FEC hears testimony on proposed changes to regulations regarding use of campaign funds to compensate candidates (issued March 22)

Upcoming Commission meetings and hearings

March 28, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

March 30, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

April 18, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to meet in executive session.

April 19, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to hold an open meeting.

Upcoming educational programs

March 29, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to host a FECFile webinar for candidate committees.

April 11-12, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to host a webinar for trade associations and their PACs

April 19, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to host an FECConnect OnTopic session Navigating FEC Website Resources.

May 2-3, 2023: The Commission is scheduled to host a webinar for political party committees.

For more information on upcoming training opportunities, see the Commission’s Trainings page.

Upcoming reporting due dates

April 15: April Quarterly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2023 Quarterly Reporting schedule.

April 20: April Monthly Reports are due. For more information, see the 2023 Monthly Reporting schedule.

Additional research materials

Contribution Limits. In addition to the current limits, the Commission has posted an archive of contribution limits that were in effect going back to the 1975-1976 election cycles.

Federal Elections 2020: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is now available. The data was compiled from the official vote totals published by state election offices.

FEC Notify: Want to be notified by email when campaign finance reports are received by the agency? Sign up here.

Additional research materials about the agency, campaign finance information, and election results are available through the Library section of the Commission website.

The Combined Federal State Disclosure and Election Directory is available. This publication identifies the federal and state agencies responsible for the disclosure of campaign finances, lobbying, personal finances, public financing, candidates on the ballot, election results, spending on state initiatives and other financial filings.

The Presidential Election Campaign Fund Tax Checkoff Chart provides information on balance of the Fund, monthly deposits into the Fund reported by the Department of the Treasury, payments from the Fund as certified by the FEC, and participation rates of taxpayers as reported by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information on the Presidential Public Funding Program, see the Public Funding of Presidential Elections page.

The FEC Record is available as a continuously updated online news source.

Other election-related resources

Videos on protecting U.S. elections. The FBI’s Protected Voices initiative provides videos designed to help political campaigns protect themselves from foreign influence. The 2019 videos offer guidance on ransomware, business email compromise, supply chain, social media literacy, and foreign influence operations. Other videos, released in 2018, include cyber hygiene topics such as social engineering, patching, router hardening, and app and browser safety.

Join the FEC on Twitter and YouTube

Follow @FEC on Twitter to receive the latest information on agency updates, news releases, and weekly activity. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, FECTube: FECConnect on Demand, to watch instructional videos that have been designed to help candidates and committees comply with federal campaign finance laws. Note that the FEC is not currently available through other social media platforms. The use of the agency’s logo, name, and likeness on other media has not been authorized by the FEC.

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