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Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Otay Mesa Detention Center
During our unannounced inspection of Otay Mesa in San Diego, California, we identified violations of ICE detention standards that compromised the health, safety, and rights of detainees. Otay Mesa complied with standards for classification and generally provided sufficient medical care to detainees. In addressing COVID-19, Otay Mesa did not consistently enforce precautions including use of facial coverings and social distancing. Overall, we found that Otay Mesa did not meet standards for grievances, segregation, or staff-detainee communications. Specifically, Otay Mesa did not respond timely...
Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity Theft Charges Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
BOSTON – A Worcester man pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and then spending the money on personal expenses.
West L.A. Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Approximately $9 Million in COVID-Relief Loans, Some of Which Was Gambled Away
A West Los Angeles man pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from a scheme that used a series of corporations he controlled to fraudulently obtain approximately $9 million in loans from COVID-relief programs, some of which he used on gambling excursions to Las Vegas and transferred to his stock trading accounts.
Former Movie Producer Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Role in Financing Fraud Scheme
A self-described film financier was sentenced today to 156 months’ imprisonment for orchestrating a scheme to steal over $60 million from investors and producers seeking financing for movies and Broadway shows.
Michigan Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud
A Michigan man was sentenced today to 32 months in federal prison for fraudulently seeking nearly $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Former Owners of Two Illicit Massage Parlors Charged with COVID-Relief Fraud
BOSTON – Two former owners of massage parlors have been charged in connection with filing for and obtaining fraudulent pandemic-related loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for their respective illicit businesses where workers engaged in commercial sex acts with customers.
ICE’s Management of COVID-19 in Its Detention Facilities Provides Lessons Learned for Future Pandemic Responses
ICE has taken various actions to prevent the pandemic’s spread among detainees and staff at their detention facilities. At the nine facilities we remotely inspected, these measures included maintaining adequate supplies of PPE such as face masks, enhanced cleaning, and proper screening for new detainees and staff. However, we found other areas in which detention facilities struggled to properly manage the health and safety of detainees. For example, we observed instances where staff and detainees did not consistently wear face masks or socially distance. In addition, we noted that some...
One-Time EDD Employee Agrees to Plead Guilty for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1.6 Million in COVID-Related Jobless Benefits
A former California Employment Development Department (EDD) employee has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge for causing nearly 200 fraudulent COVID-related unemployment relief claims to be filed in other people’s names, resulting in more than $1.6 million in ill-gotten gains, the Justice Department announced today.
Dayton man sentenced to federal prison for fraudulently obtaining Social Security, COVID relief funding in his deceased father’s name
DAYTON, Ohio – A 55-year-old Dayton man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 15 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining Social Security and COVID-19 relief funding in his deceased father’s name.
Lehigh Acres Couple Indicted For COVID Relief Fraud
Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Amber Rewis Bruey (34) and Anthony James Bruey (35), a married couple from Lehigh Acres, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and illegal monetary transactions. The indictment also notifies the Brueys that the United States intends to forfeit a 2019 GMC Yukon XL, 2021 Chevrolet Spark LS, 2020 Honda Talon, 2020 Polaris RZR, real property in North Carolina, and $881,058.35, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the...
Three South Florida Men Guilty of Conspiring to Launder Fraudulently Obtained Covid-19 Relief Money and Proceeds from Business Email Compromise Schemes
Yesterday, Broward County residents Jimpcy One, 35, Gousman Lemy, 42, and Frantz Guillaume, Jr. a/k/a Sandro Saintfloeur, 44, pled guilty in federal district court to conspiring with each other to launder proceeds obtained from business email compromise schemes and fraudulently obtained Covid-19 relief loans. Each defendant admitted to laundering close to $2 million dollars to disguise the nature and source of the illicit funds.
Lessons Learned in Oversight of Pandemic Relief Funds
The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) supports independent oversight of $5 trillion worth of relief funds provided by Congress to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. This is an unprecedented amount of money, and it was disbursed quickly. The PRAC has worked with dozens of Inspectors General across the federal government to examine whether it was spent correctly and reached those it was intended to help. Together, we have issued more than 275 oversight reports that reveal common challenges facing agencies across major relief programs like unemployment insurance and loans to...
California Department of Housing and Community Development: It Failed to Expedite Access to Federal Funding to Address the Impact of the COVID‑19 Pandemic on California’s Homeless Population
The California Department of Housing and Community Development administers the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, which received $316 million in federal funding to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic (ESG-CV) for individuals who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Th e following report details our conclusion that the department failed to expedite access to federal funding to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the homeless population.
National COVID-19 Data Quality Audit: District of Columbia
The Office of the District of Columbia Auditor is participating in the National Data Quality COVID-19 Audit effort led by the Delaware State Auditor. This multistate audit seeks to gather information about what COVID-19 data states are collecting and reporting to provide a basis for improved and more consistent data collection nationally in the future. DC Health has built detailed systems and teams to collect, analyze, and report COVID-19 data. At the same time, opportunities exist for reporting more information that the public needs.
Laboratory Owner Pleads Guilty to $73 Million Medicare Kickback Scheme
A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday in the Southern District of Florida for his role in a $73 million conspiracy to defraud Medicare by paying kickbacks to a telemedicine company to arrange for doctors to authorize medically unnecessary genetic testing. The scheme exploited temporary amendments to telehealth restrictions enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic that were intended to ensure access to care for Medicare beneficiaries.
CMS's COVID-19 Data Included Required Information From the Vast Majority of Nursing Homes, but CMS Could Take Actions To Improve Completeness and Accuracy of the Data
The United States currently faces a nationwide public health emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal regulations, effective May 8, 2020, required nursing homes to report COVID-19 information, such as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among residents, at least weekly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Healthcare Safety Network. Each week, CDC aggregates the reported information and sends the data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for posting to the CMS website. These data are used to assist with national surveillance of...
Miami-Dade County Employee Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud
Fifty-eight-year-old Willie Curry, of Miami-Dade County, pled guilty yesterday in Miami federal court to a felony Information charging him with wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a low-interest COVID-19 relief loan.
U.S. Postal Service Protection Against External Cyberattacks
Our objective was to determine if the Postal Service has an effective security posture to protect its Information Technology (IT) infrastructure from external cyberattacks and prevent unauthorized access to restricted data.
Office on Violence Against Women's Administration Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The OIG is conducting an audit of the Office on Violence Against Women’s Grant Administration due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The preliminary objectives are to assess: (1) the grant administration and monitoring during the pandemic and (2) the guidance and assistance provided to grant recipients for addressing any increased risks to effective program implementation and to violence against women.
Former Department of Unemployment Assistance Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Identity Theft Charges Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
BOSTON – A former employee of the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) pleaded guilty today to fraud and identity theft charges arising from her claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds.
Owner of Jet Charter Company Settles False Claims Act Allegations Regarding Misappropriation of Payment Protection Program Loan
Seth A. Bernstein, the owner of jet charter company All in Jets LLC dba JetReady, located in Florida, has agreed to pay $287,055 to settle allegations that he misappropriated Payment Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds for his personal expenses. JetReady is a jet charter operator with its principal place of business in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
How'd We Do? Families Deserve More Details on COVID Vaccination Rates at Delaware Long-Term Care Facilities
This special report compares the metrics of Delaware’s dashboard to other states’ dashboards, and identifies key data metrics that should be considered for inclusion on Delaware’s data dashboard as they pertain to vaccine administration in LTCFs. A review of Delaware’s data dashboard revealed a lack of LTCF data such as total doses administered to residents, total residents partially vaccinated, and total residents fully vaccinated. Delaware’s dashboard does include vaccine dosages administered to the 65+ population, but this data is not specific to LTCF residents
Examination of Jeanne Jugan Long-Term Healthcare Facility
The State of Delaware is required to ensure that the fiscal records at nursing care facilities are retained and properly support the cost report – which is the financial report showing the cost and charges related to Medicaid activities – submitted to the Medicaid Agency. These costs must comply with federal and state regulations. This examination could not be completed because of a severe lack of documentation. Administration at the Jeanne Jugan Residence was unable to produce sufficient data showing how many patients were served each day. Without accurate patient census data, it was...
Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Unemployment Benefits Fraud Scheme
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Woodlands, Texas, man pleaded guilty today for his role in an unemployment insurance benefits scheme to defraud the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
Inconsistent Grantee and Subgrantee Reporting of Education Stabilization Fund Subprograms in the Federal Audit Clearinghouse
The purpose of this flash report is to share with the U.S. Department of Education (Department) observations made by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) concerning grantees and subgrantees inconsistently reporting audit data on Department subprograms, or unique components of a program, to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC), the designated repository of single audit data. We found that grantees and subgrantees are not consistently reporting expenditures of Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) subprogram awards in the FAC. Specifically, when entering Federal award information into the Data...
The Department of Energy's Implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Related to Contractor Paid Leave.
The review will determine: (a) how the Department is administering, recording, and reporting contractor paid leave reimbursements, (b) who is responsible for selecting the labor categories/positions that qualify and under what circumstances, and (c) the amount of contractor paid leave reimbursements under the CARES Act for the period examined.
The Department of Energy's Unclassified Cybersecurity Program - 2021
This review is a culmination of the OIG's work on FISMA as well as additional cybersecurity and technology work performed by the OIG throughout the year. The review this fiscal year includes additional work to address questions raised by members of Congress related to information technology and cybersecurity during the Department of Energy's maximum telework posture.
New Jersey Man Arrested for Unemployment Fraud Related to COVID-19 Pandemic
BOSTON – A New Jersey man was arrested today in connection with his alleged involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19-related unemployment assistance.
COVID-19—Oversight of the Emergency Food Assistance Program-Interim Report
The objective of our ongoing inspection is to evaluate FNS’ oversight of TEFAP—this report provides interim results on whether FNS identified risks related to the safeand efficient distribution of USDA-food assistance to States during the COVID-19pandemic.
COVID-19—Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019
OIG reviewed FNS’ controls over the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.