Showing posts with label scams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scams. Show all posts

Monday, April 13, 2020

Georgia Man Arrested for Attempting to Defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs in a Multimillion-Dollar COVID-19 Scam

Washington, D.C. - April 13, 2020 - (The Ponder News) -- Christopher Parris, a 39-year-old Atlanta, Georgia resident, was arrested today and charged in federal court in the District of Columbia with fraud for attempting to sell millions of nonexistent respirator masks to the Department of Veterans Affairs in exchange for large upfront payments, the Justice Department announced.

The criminal complaint charges Parris with wire fraud. It alleges that he made and caused to be made a series of fraudulent misrepresentations in an attempt to secure orders from the Department of Veterans Affairs for 125 million face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that would have totaled over $750 million. For example, the complaint alleges that Parris promised that he could obtain millions of genuine 3M masks from domestic factories when he knew that fulfilling the orders would not be possible. Parris also allegedly made similar false representations to other entities in an effort to enter into other fraudulent agreements to sell PPE to state governments.

“We will vigorously pursue fraudsters who exploit the COVID-19 pandemic to make money,” said Attorney General William Barr. “As this case demonstrates, even beyond the typical costs associated with unlawful behavior, COVID-19 scams divert government time and resources and risk preventing front-line responders and consumers from obtaining the equipment they need to combat this pandemic. The Department of Justice will not tolerate this conduct, especially when it involves this kind of egregious attempt to target and defraud our nation’s treasures – our veterans.”

After arrest, Parris appeared before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Alan J. Baverman in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where he was ordered detained. Parris will be extradited to the District of Columbia.

“During this time of crisis, fraud or attempted fraud impacting services for veterans, who have selflessly served this country, is unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea for the District of Columbia. “My office will devote whatever resources are necessary to stop scams aimed at exploiting Americans during this unprecedented pandemic.”

“We are committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer funds and ensuring the delivery of medical supplies necessary to provide quality healthcare to our nation’s veterans, and any attempt to exploit the current global COVID-19 pandemic for personal gain will be dealt with swiftly,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Today’s charges are the direct result of the expeditious and tireless efforts of special agents of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, working in tandem with our law enforcement partners at the Department of Justice and Homeland Security Investigations.”

“Homeland Security Investigations special agents have sworn an oath to protect the American public, particularly during this health crisis, from opportunistic individuals who seek to deliberately harm and deceive others for their own profit," said Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles, Homeland Security Investigations – New Orleans. “Today, our special agents have shown their commitment to that promise.”

A criminal complaint is an accusation by a federal law enforcement agent, and defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. Upon conviction for the wire fraud charge, the maximum statutory penalty is 20 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Trial Attorney Patrick Runkle of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Lallas and Zia Faruqui of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison Prout and Theodore S. Hertzberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia provided substantial assistance.

Information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc.

The public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or by e-mailing the NCDF at disaster@leo.gov.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Measles, God, Tariffs, Censorship, Scams

US measles cases still climbing, topping 800 for year
Source: KSLA
May 14, 2019
U.S. health officials say this year’s count of measles cases has surpassed 800, a growing tally that is already the nation’s highest in 25 years.

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‘So Help Me God’ No More: Democrats Give House Traditions a Makeover
Source: New York Times
May 11, 2019
“I think God belongs in religious institutions: in temple, in church, in cathedral, in mosque — but not in Congress,” said Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. What Republicans are doing, he continued, “is using God.”

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God, Government and Globalization
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Coast seafood supplier weighs in on Chinese seafood tariffs
Source: KXOL
May 10, 2019
President Donald Trump announced via Twitter that the United States would raise tariffs on seafood coming in from China from 10% to 25%. Some of the seafood includes tilapia, tuna, crab and shrimp.

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HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship (Inalienable Rights)
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Facebook Bans Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, Other Far-Right Figures
Source: Bloomberg
May 2, 2019
Facebook Inc. said it’s banning a number of controversial far-right figures, including Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos and Laura Loomer, for violating the social-media company’s policies on hate speech and promoting violence.

Read more...


Nebraska passes bill to outlaw scam calls from fake numbers
Source: NBC
May 2, 2019
Scam artists who use fake phone numbers to trick people into answering their calls would be violating the law in Nebraska under a bill passed in the Legislature.

Read more...


Thursday, February 9, 2017

Legal Council for Illegals ...and more.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA, 7th) is introducing her first bill, the Access to Counsel Act, to make certain that those held or detained while attempting to enter the United States are guaranteed access to legal counsel.

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Congressman Pete King (R-NY, 2nd) is warning constituents to be on the lookout for debt relief service scams targeting consumers with credit card debt by falsely promising to negotiate with their creditors to settle or otherwise reduce consumers' repayment obligations.

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U.S. Representatives Ann Kuster (D-NH, 2nd) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN, 2nd) this week reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help survivors of military sexual trauma (MST) access treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill, H.R. 927, makes MST survivors eligible for benefits to cover expenses when they need to travel long distances to receive treatment.

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Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) took to the House floor to address the recent announcement made by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai revoking Lifeline Broadband Provider status to nine companies that provide broadband access to low-income households.

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Rep. Raul R. Labrador (R-ID, 1st), has introduced a constitutional amendment imposing term limits in the House and Senate.

Labrador’s H.J. Res. 50 was introduced in the House and has 12 original cosponsors. The resolution would amend the Constitution to limit service to six two-year House terms and two six-year Senate terms.

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The House passed H.J. Res. 40, Providing for Congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act.

In December of 2016, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published a rule that finalizes the criteria for sending the names of certain beneficiaries to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). An individual’s name can be sent to the NICS if they receive disability insurance based on having a mental condition, are between the age 18 and the age of full retirement, and if the SSA determines that the individual needs a representative payee to manage their benefits. Once an individual’s name is added to the NICS list, there is no adequate due process for these individuals to have their name removed. This Joint Resolution will repeal this rule, and prevent a serious breach of Second Amendment and due process rights.

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Congressman Daniel Lipinski (D-IL, 3rd) introduced the Buy American Improvement Act of 2017 to create American jobs, promote the domestic manufacturing industry, increase transparency and accountability in government procurement, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in the U.S. whenever practicable.

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Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and Congressman Steve Stivers (OH-15) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to ensure no veteran seeking in-patient psychiatric care at a Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center is ever denied such care again. Last year, Sgt. Brandon Ketchum, a veteran from Davenport, Iowa, was turned away from a VA facility after seeking psychiatric help. After being denied care, he tragically took his own life. Sgt. Ketchum’s tragic death reinforces the need for a change at the VA to ensure any veteran who is suffering from a mental health issue gets the treatment they need and deserve. Simply put, under the Sgt. Brandon Ketchum Never Again Act, if a veteran asks for mental health care from the VA, they will get it.

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H.R. 861, a bill to close down the Environmental Protection Agency, has been introduced, and if implemented, would go into effect on December 31, 2018.

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By signing the Executive Order directing financial regulators to review the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act, the President has taken a bold step toward achieving the priority of faster economic growth and job creation, and expanded economic opportunity for hard-working Utahns. Moreover, by directing the Department of Labor to review and delay a rule that would make it harder and more expensive for average Americans to receive advice about their retirement savings, the Administration is helping to ensure that all of us can better plan for a secure financial future.

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Jeff Sessions has been confirmed as Attorney General.