News published on Federal Newswire in February 2022

News Release: The Justice Department announced today that Colton Donner, 27, pleaded guilty in federal court to threatening an African American man with a knife because of the man’s race, and in order to intimidate and interfere with the man’s right to fair housing.

DOI-BLM grant application closes on April 11

Bureau of Land Management Utah Cultural and Paleontological Resources Management grant opened on Feb. 10.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks to the Press En Route Melbourne, Australia

News Release: SECRETARY BLINKEN: Very good. First of all, this is an important moment because it’s the final leg of our four-leg trip, so I know you’re all feeling good about that.

Chairman Neal Praises USMCA Environmental Consultations with Mexico

By Commerce Newswire | Feb 10, 2022

News Release: SPRINGFIELD, MA - Today Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it is requesting Environment Consultations with the Government of Mexico under the Environment Chapter of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)...

John Banks Named as New NPS Fire and Aviation Customer Support IT Specialist

News Release: John Banks has been selected as an information technology (IT) specialist for the Division of Fire and Aviation’s Branch of Information Technology & Resource Management (ITRM) focused on customer support.

Former Tennessee law enforcement officer convicted of federal civil rights offenses

By Ariana Chiarenza | Feb 10, 2022

A former Tennessee law enforcement officer was convicted of federal civil rights offenses on Friday after using excessive force against two arrestees.

Casa Diablo IV geothermal development affecting recreation activities

News Release: BISHOP, Calif. - The Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office and the Inyo National Forest are limiting some winter recreation access north of Shady Rest Par for public safety during the construction of a geothermal pipeline. Ormat Technologies Inc. is undergoing pipeline construction as a component of the Casa Diablo IV Geothermal Development Project approved by the Inyo National Forest in August 2013. Work is expected to be completed this spring.

Fairfax Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges For Interfering And Assaulting Flight Attendant

News Release: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - Kameron C. Stone, 29, of Fairfax, Virginia, pled guilty on Tuesday to interfering with flight crew and assault by striking and wounding in special aircraft jurisdiction. The plea was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

Federal Inmate Sentenced For Possessing A Weapon In Prison

News Release: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on February 9, 2022, inmate Hugo Reynosa, age 26, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for possessing a weapon in prison. Reynosa’s sentence will run consecutively to his current 96-month federal sentence for conspiring to distribute nearly four kilograms of pure methamphetamine.

BLM to host wild horse and burro event in Springfield, Ohio

News Release: MILWAUKEE - The Bureau of Land Management is holding a wild horse and burro placement event March 4-5, offering approximately 60 excess animals gathered from western rangelands at the Champions Center, 4122 Laybourne Road, Springfield, Ohio.

Hancock County man admits to drug charge

News Release: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Samuel Anthony Spilios, of Newell, West Virginia, has admitted to a drug charge, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne Before Their Meeting

Release: FOREIGN MINISTER PAYNE: Well, good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Tony, it’s such a pleasure to be welcoming you here today. Our COVID protocols (inaudible) those that are speaking can speak without their mask. We will replace them once we’ve finished speaking.

Task Force to Increase Awareness of Human Trafficking

News Release: SAN ANTONIO - The South Texas Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) Human Trafficking Task Force, a coalition of prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in San Antonio, met this week to review goals for the coming year, announced U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff, San Antonio Mayor Ron Niremberg, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus and BCFS Health and Human Services Human Trafficking Interdiction Division (BCFS-HHS-HTI) Executive Director Chara McMichael.

Nine Members Of “Downtown Mafia” Indicted For Cocaine Trafficking

News Release: Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI") in New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD"), announced the unsealing of an indictment...

Federal Inmate Sentenced For Assault

News Release: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Willie Lamont Nash, age 31, was sentenced on February 9, 2022, to 96 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Defendant Pleads Guilty To April 2020 Murder

News Release: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Andres Bello pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to the April 18, 2020 murder of Jorge Miguel Cabrera. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel accepted the defendant’s guilty plea.

Five Sentenced to Prison in Cell Phone Store Armed Robbery

News Release: KANSAS CITY, KAN.- Five people have now been sentenced to prison terms in connection with an armed robbery at a Kansas City, Kansas cell phone store in which victims were bound.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken To Mission Australia Staff

Release: MR GOLDMAN: I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land where we’re meeting, and that’s the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I’d like to pay tribute and respect to their elders past, present, and emerging, and I’d also like to extend that respect to everyone who is indigenous or a Torres Strait Islander who is associated with this - and in particular people who are part of the Mission Australia team, both at the consulates and at the embassy.

Scranton Man Sentenced To 156 Months’ Imprisonment For Child Exploitation Offenses

News Release: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Robert Alexander Kusma, age 36, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 9, 2022, to 156 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, for two child exploitation offenses, each involving a different minor victim.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken Opening Remarks at a Conversation at University of Melbourne With Students and U.S. Government and Exchange Alumni