News published on Federal Newswire in October 2020

News Release: LITTLE ROCK-A Jonesboro man has been charged with producing child pornography. A federal grand jury has charged Justin Palmer, 41, with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography. Palmer was charged on October 8, 2020, and was arrested the following day. He was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Beth Deere.

Fort Wayne, Indiana, Woman Ordered to Pay $646,690.32 in Restitution

News Release: FORT WAYNE - Susanne “Suzi" Gawel, age 57, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after her plea of guilty to health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

USDA Issues Draft Select Agent Policy Statement on Studying Brucella Species in Large Animal Outdoor Containment

Release: The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is issuing a draft policy statement through the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) on research with Brucella species in outdoor settings. The policy statement will allow researchers to conduct brucellosis ...

Trump Administration Invests More Than $43 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Idaho, Oregon and Nevada

News Release: ReConnect Funding to Provide High-Speed Internet e-Connectivity to 1,064 Rural Households NAMPA, Idaho, Oct. 14, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $43.2 million in grants and loans to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program.

Trump Administration Invests $5.5 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Central South Dakota

News Release: ReConnect Funding to Connect 599 Rural Households to High-Speed Internet e-Connectivity BROOKINGS, S.D., Oct. 14, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $5.5 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in central South Dakota. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program.

Trump Administration Invests $1.5 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Eastern South Dakota

News Release: ReConnect Funding to Connect 413 Rural Households to High-Speed Internet e-Connectivity TEA, S.D., Oct. 14, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $1.5 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved rural areas in eastern South Dakota. This investment is part of the $550 million Congress allocated to the second round of the ReConnect Program.

Trump Administration Invests $10.8 Million in High-Speed Broadband in Rural Montana

News Release: ReConnect Funding to Provide High-Speed Internet e-Connectivity to Nearly 1000 Rural Households LIVINGSTON, Mont., Oct. 14, 2020 – The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $10.8 million to provide broadband service in unserved and underserved ...

J&F Investimentos S.A. Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay Over $256 Million to Resolve Criminal Foreign Bribery Case

News Release: J&F Investimentos S.A. (J&F), a Brazil-based investment company that owns and controls companies involved in multiple industries, including the meat and agriculture industry, has agreed to pay a criminal monetary penalty of $256,497,026 to resolve the department’s investigation into violations of the ...

Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation Legend at Roundtable in Albuquerque, New Mexico

News Release: At a roundtable with law enforcement in Albuquerque today, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates on Operation Legend, which was expanded to Albuquerque on July 22, 2020.

Final Member of Violent Baltimore "Trained to Go" Gang Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Drug Conspiracies

News Release: A Baltimore, Maryland, man was sentenced today to 138 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for federal charges of conspiring to participate in a violent racketeering enterprise known as Trained To Go (TTG), and for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled ...

Medical Device Maker Merit Medical To Pay $18 Million To Settle Allegations Of Improper Payments To Physicians

News Release: Medical device maker Merit Medical Systems Inc. (MMSI), of South Jordan, Utah, has agreed to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that the company caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE programs by paying kickbacks to physicians and hospitals to induce the use ...

Twenty-Four Defendants, Including Alleged Aryan Circle Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Firearms, and Drug Charges in Multiple States

News Release: Five indictments in three different states were unsealed today indicting a total of twenty-four defendants, including alleged Aryan Circle (AC) gang members and associates, on charges of racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, drug conspiracy, and unlawful firearms trafficking. ...

Arkansas Businessman Pleads Guilty to Income Tax Evasion

News Release: A Bentonville, Arkansas, resident pleaded guilty today to income tax evasion announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

Remarks by Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross at the Scaling Pandemic Resilience through Innovation and Technology (SPRINT) Challenge Announcement in St. Petersburg, Florida

By Commerce News Now | Oct 14, 2020

News Release: Introduced by Mike Meidel, Director, Pinellas County Economic Development Thank you, Mike, for that kind introduction and for your commitment to outreach, education and service to your community as a leader in economic development here in the Tampa Bay region.

Remarks by Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross at the Roundtable with the Tampa Bay Chamber in Tampa, Florida

By Commerce News Now | Oct 14, 2020

News Release: Introduced by Bob Rohrlack, President and CEO, Tampa Bay Chamber Thank you, Dr. Rohrlack, for the kind introduction. And a warm welcome to Mayor Castor who joins us today. And my congratulations to the Tampa Bay Chamber, as you celebrate 135 years of dedicated service to your mission of “enhancing the community by building business success” in Tampa.

Statement from U.S. Department of Labor

News Release: WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor released the following statement: This afternoon, doctors confirmed that U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia’s wife, Trish, tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Mrs. Scalia is experiencing mild symptoms but doing well. This evening, Secretary Scalia ...

U.S. Department of Labor and Comcast Corp. Reach Agreement To Resolve Alleged Pay Discrimination

News Release: PHILADELPHIA, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor and Comcast Corp. – headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – have entered into a conciliation agreement to resolve allegations of pay discrimination against African American and Hispanic employees identified by the Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

Statement from U.S. Department of Labor

News Release: WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor released the following statement: This afternoon, doctors confirmed that U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia’s wife, Trish, tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Mrs. Scalia is experiencing mild symptoms but doing well. This evening, Secretary Scalia ...

U.S. Department of Labor and Comcast Corp. Reach Agreement To Resolve Alleged Pay Discrimination