News published on Federal Newswire in February 2019

News from February 2019


News Release: PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges involving guns and drugs, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.


Atlanta real estate attorney receives 15-year sentence for defrauding his law firm out of millions of dollars

News Release: ATLANTA -Nathan E. Hardwick IV has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud his law firm out of millions of dollars. On Oct. 12, 2018, following a four-week trial, a federal jury convicted Hardwick of wire fraud, conspiracy, and making false statements to a federally insured financial institution.


Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Threatening Shooting Spree at Eugene Church

News Release: Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Threatening Shooting Spree at Eugene Church.


News Release: WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) and the top Republican on the Committee Kevin Brady (R-TX) released the following statement ahead of a full Committee hearing on the cost of rising prescription drug prices...


Metro Atlanta man sentenced for arranging to have sex with a minor

News Release: ATLANTA, Ga. - Mewael Berhane, who communicated on the Internet to arrange to meet a minor girl for sex, has been sentenced to federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.


Two more opioid dealers sentenced for their role in large drug conspiracy

News Release: ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; New York Division, and U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., announced that Robert J. Elford, 30, of Oneida, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 100 grams...


Life in Federal Prison for Former Tribal Official Convicted of 15 Counts of Sexual Abuse Crimes Involving Children

News Release: United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Lake Andes, South Dakota, man was sentenced to 12 concurrent life sentences and to 3 concurrent 10-year terms of imprisonment on Feb. 11, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.


News Release: ALBANY, NEW YORK - Arshad Nazir, age 54, of Ticonderoga, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud Medicaid, and conspiring to pay bribes and kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries who used his medical transportation service. He admitted to causing at least $550,000 in losses, and to paying at least $95,000 in bribes and kickbacks.


News Release: RICHLAND, Wash. - EM’s Office of River Protection (ORP) and its tank farm contractor have safely completed a pump removal of outdated, contaminated equipment.


News Release: WASHINGTON - Two owners and an employee of for-profit, non-accredited schools were sentenced during the last two days for bribing a public official at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in exchange for the public official’s facilitation of over $2 million in payments that were supposed to be dedicated to providing vocational training for military veterans with service-connected disabilities.


News Release: EUGENE, Ore.-Benjamin Jaramillo Hernandez, 69, of Eugene, pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime and illegal possession of ammunition charge arising from a series of progressively more threatening and violent actions targeting St. Mary Catholic Church in Eugene in September 2018. Assistant Attorney...


News Release: BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, the boss of the Sinaloa Cartel, also known by various aliases, including “El Chapo" and “El Rapido," was convicted Tuesday by a federal jury in Brooklyn of being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise, a count that includes 26 drug-related...


Madras Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security Payments from Disabled Adults

News Release: EUGENE, Ore.-Tayva Tucker, 41, of Madras, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to one count of theft of government funds for stealing nearly $40,000 in Social Security payments from ten mentally disabled adults.


News Release: SAN FRANCISCO - Harwood Francis McCovey was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for committing multiple armed robberies, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John Bennett. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Vince Chhabria, United States District Judge.


News Release: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On Feb. 11, 2019, a complaint was filed in U.S. District Court charging Joshua A. Baird, 35, of Seymour, Tennessee, with robbery of the Tennessee Connect Credit Bureau in Seymour, Tennessee, on the morning of Feb. 11, 2019.


News Release: Baltimore, Maryland - William E. Tyler, age 55, of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to the illegal transfer and possession of a machine gun. Tyler is the former Chief of Police in Taneytown, Maryland.


Sabine Parish felon sentenced to 68 months in prison for possessing four firearms at pawn shop

News Release: SHREVEPORT, La. - Joseph Seth Rivers, 36, of Converse, Louisiana, was sentenced Monday to five years and four months in prison by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following imprisonment.


News Release: MOOSE, WY- Grand Teton National Park staff are preparing for another significant winter weather event. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the area which forecasts winds from 15 to 20 m.p.h. and gusts over 30 m.p.h. tonight and tomorrow. This wind, compounded with snowfall, is expected to cause limited visibility and drifting snow.



News Release: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - On Feb. 11, 2019, a complaint was filed in U.S. District Court charging Joshua A. Baird, 35, of Seymour, Tennessee, with robbery of the Tennessee Connect Credit Bureau in Seymour, Tennessee, on the morning of Feb. 11, 2019.