News and reports from the Department of Labor.

The operator of a Culver’s franchise restaurant in Wixom, Mich., has paid $13,212 in penalties for violating federal child labor laws.

A Fort Smith man was arrested yesterday in Austin, Texas on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of an unregistered destructive device; namely, an improvised explosive bomb, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law.

A Passaic County, New Jersey, attorney was arrested today for fraudulent acts he committed in connection with COVID-19 relief funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

A Detroit man was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison on charges of conspiring to defraud multiple government agencies out of more than $2.2 million in Covid-19 pandemic assistance funds and also to defraud the United States Postal Service (USPS) of more than $200,000, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.

U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph Stevens, 58, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to making a materially false statement to a probation officer, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

A home healthcare company providing services in several states, including Ohio, to U.S. Department of Energy employees and contractors, among others, who were injured or became ill on the job has paid $9 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act.

U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul LaRocco, 60, of Ocala, Florida, who was convicted of mail fraud, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. LaRocco was also ordered to pay restitution totaling approximately $688,000

A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk investigation led to a guilty plea from a Midlothian, Virginia man Jan. 31 for conspiring to defraud and commit offenses against the United States, including human trafficking of individuals from Central America; benefiting from forced labor; money laundering; and harboring undocumented noncitizens.

Gladstone Njokem, age 36, of Hyattsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2023, to federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1.3 million in COVID-19 CARES Act unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

A former Arkansas State Senator was sentenced today to 46 months in prison in the Eastern District of Arkansas for accepting multiple bribes and tax fraud in connection with a multi-district investigation spanning the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and the Western District of Missouri.

Onekey, LLC, and Finbar O’Neill Convicted on Charges of Willfully Violating OSHA Regulations Resulting in Death of Construction Worker

– Following a nine-day trial, Ahamefule Aso Odus has been convicted by a federal jury on 12 counts of money laundering stemming from his role in a massive money laundering operation. Odus fled after testifying during his trial and is currently a fugitive.

Melanie Calhoun began as a chemical engineer at the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration and today leads MSHA’s Directorate of Technical Support.

Investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer failed to pay one housekeeper for any hours worked, a minimum wage violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered a total of $41,221 for 22 workers employed by a West Hartford moving and storage company and its subsidiary that provided bulk mail delivery service under a contract with the U.S. Postal Service.