News published on Federal Newswire in January 2018

News from January 2018


News Release: Two California Urologists Agree to Pay More than $1 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related to Radiation Therapy Referrals.


Monterey Park Man Sentenced to Federal Prison after Admitting He Smuggled nearly 2 Dozen Live King Cobras into United States

News Release: LOS ANGELES - A Monterey Park man has been sentenced to five months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a smuggling charge stemming from the seizure of three king cobras hidden in potato chip canisters.


Shreveport felon pleads guilty to possessing pistol

News Release: SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Shreveport felon pleaded guilty to possessing a pistol even though he was a convicted felon.


News Release: TUCSON, Ariz. - Robert Francis Krebs, 75, of Daytona Beach, FL., was arrested on Jan. 13, 2018 and subsequently charged by complaint with bank robbery with the use of a dangerous weapon.


Michigan felon pleads guilty to federal gun crime

News Release: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A Michigan man pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal gun charge, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Quadralon Mayberry-Figures, 20, of Wyoming, Michigan, entered his guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hurricane Police Department for the investigation.


Former Nursing Home Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling Over $80,000

News Release: CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A former nursing home employee who embezzled over $80,000 was sentenced today to a year and a month in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart. Veneford Blankenship, 35, of Bluefield, previously pleaded guilty to mail fraud. She was also ordered to pay $81,486.15 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Stuart commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service.


Lexington County Hells Angel Pleads Guilty to Murder for Hire of Ex-Wife

News Release: Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Jerry Oliver, age 52, of Lexington County, South Carolina, has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Columbia, to Murder for Hire, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958. United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.


Georgia Man Sentenced for $258,000 Identity Theft, Tax Refund Scheme

News Release: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Georgia man has been sentenced in federal court for using dozens of stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns seeking $258,063 in refunds.


News Release: FARGO - United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers announces that on Jan. 23, 2018, DANIEL MICHAEL TWOHEARTS, age 24, of Fort Totten, ND, was sentenced before Circuit Court Judge Ralph R. Erickson (sitting by designation), on drug trafficking and firearms charges, specifically: Possession of a Firearm...


News Release: LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, Matthew Ryan Murdoch, 35, has been sentenced to 175 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for knowingly receiving child pornography.


News Release: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing to discuss the performance of our nation’s electric power system during cold weather events, particularly the recent bomb cyclone that affected Northeast states. The committee heard from representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), PJM Interconnection, ISO New England, and Goodgrid.


News Release: BIRMINGHAM - A Mountain Brook man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to cyberstalking, including threatening to kill, a former girlfriend and a second woman associated with the woman he had dated, announced U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr.


News Release: John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that KEVIN DUNN, 49, of Watertown, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to a conspiracy offense related to a bribery scheme.


Two California Urologists Agree To Pay More Than $1 Million To Settle False Claims Act Allegations Related To Radiation Therapy Referrals

News Release: SAN FRANCISCO - Drs. Aytac Apaydin and Stephen Worsham, urologists based in Northern California, will pay $1.085 million to resolve allegations that they submitted and caused the submission of false claims to Medicare for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) that was referred and billed in violation...


National POW Museum 20th Anniversary Lecture Series

News Release: National POW Museum 20th Anniversary Lecture Series.


News Release: Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA) issued the following statement in response to statements by their respective Republican Chairmen regarding text messages between two FBI officials released to the Committees...


Oak Ridge Contractor Earns 87 Percent of Available Fee for Second Half of FY17

News Release: OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) cleanup contractor URS | CH2M Oak Ridge (UCOR) earned almost $3.3 million for its performance from April through September 2017, nearly 87 percent of the total award fee available for the evaluation period.


FBI Pittsburgh Offers Condolences on Passing of Huntington Police Chief

News Release: FBI Pittsburgh Offers Condolences on Passing of Huntington Police Chief.


News Release: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that the painting contractor on the George Wade Bridge Project, Andrew Manganas, age 60, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania and Panthera Painting, Inc., headquartered in Canonsburg, pled guilty on Jan. 22, 2018, to theft from union plans, wire fraud, and discharge of pollutants into the Susquehanna River.


News Release: DES MOINES, Iowa - On Jan. 23, 2018, Jonathan Lee Decker, 28, of Chariton, Iowa, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge John A. Jarvey to 70 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. On March 11, 2017, Decker was caught in possession of methamphetamine, as well as a machete with a 12-inch sharpened blade.