Month: September 2022

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Security News: Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty To Escaping From Halfway House

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daryl D. Shack (32, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to escaping from federal custody. Shack faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, in 2018, Shack was convicted in federal court of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. While completing his sentence, the Bureau of Prisons transferred Shack into the custody of Keeton Corrections, Inc. Jacksonville Residential Reentry Center. When he arrived at that halfway house, a Keeton official advised Shack that his failure to remain at Keeton would be deemed an escape from the custody of the Attorney General, which could subject him to prosecution and further punishment.

In the evening of March 3, 2021, an alarm sounded at Keeton’s men’s dormitory, indicating that someone had exited the dorm without authorization. In response, an official conducted a count of all residents. Shack was not present. After searching the facility, Keeton officials could not locate him.

On July 26, 2022, Deputy U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers arrested Shack in Jacksonville. In the intervening period (more than 16 months), Shack never returned to Keeton or Bureau of Prisons custody.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Florida-Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. 

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Security News: Former CEO of Health Clinic Convicted of Medicaid Fraud

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A federal jury convicted a former CEO of a health clinic for defrauding the Louisiana Medicaid Program over several years. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Victor Clark Kirk, 73, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was the CEO of St. Gabriel Health Clinic Inc. (St. Gabriel), a Louisiana nonprofit corporation that provided health care services to Medicaid recipients and others. St. Gabriel was a federally qualified health center (FQHC) that contracted with the Iberville Parish School Board to provide medical services within the school district. As a FQHC, St. Gabriel could provide primary care services to students as well as services related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses – provided that such services were medically necessary – among other requirements.

Evidence at trial showed that St. Gabriel practitioners, at Kirk’s direction, provided character development and other educational programs to entire classrooms of students during regular class periods. Kirk then caused the fraudulent billing of these programs to Medicaid as group psychotherapy. To facilitate the fraudulent scheme, Kirk directed that St. Gabriel practitioners falsely diagnose students with mental health disorders. From 2011 through 2015, Kirk caused over $1.8 million in fraudulent claims for purported group psychotherapy services.

Kirk was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and five counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; Director Jodi Edmonds LeJeune of the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI, MFCU, and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Gulf Coast Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.

The Health Care Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 16 strike forces operating in 27 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

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Defense News: VQ-1 “World Watchers”, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Participate in Raijin 22-2

Source: United States Navy

Raijin 22-2, named for the Japanese god of lightning, thunder, and storms, consisted of a gift and brief exchange, group discussions, static displays, and rider embark flight.

“VQ-1 and VQ-81 have a long history of cooperation and mission success and I am incredibly honored to continue this unique and valuable partnership,” said Cmdr. Nick Bullard, VQ-1 commanding officer. “This opportunity to learn and train together face-to-face is invaluable and more important than ever.”

VQ-1 and VQ-81 continue a history of cooperation that spans almost three decades. Bilateral exchanges improve tactical skills and the interoperability between the JMSDF and the U.S. Navy.

VQ-1 is part of Commander, Task Force 72. Based out of Whidbey Island, Washington, the “World Watchers” are currently operating from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The squadron conducts naval operations as part of a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

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Defense News: Republic of Korea and United States navies conduct Joint Maritime Counter-Special Operations Exercise

Source: United States Navy

The U.S. routinely conducts CSG operations in the waters around the Republic of Korea to exercise maritime maneuvers, strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance, and improve regional security. U.S. Navy units participating in this Maritime Counter-Special Operations Exercise (MCSOFEX) are the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Five, USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Barry (DDG 52), USS Benfold (DDG 65) and staff from Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Five.

“Our combined ROK-U.S. naval force is demonstrating its strength and resolve by conducting this exercise together to build our combat readiness,” said Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly, commander, Task Force (CTF) 70/CSG 5. “The Republic of Korea and U.S. share one of the strongest alliances in the world and we grow stronger as an alliance because of our routine exercises here in South Korea and the close relationship and ties that we forge from operating at sea together.”

The exercises are defensive in nature and consist of routine bilateral training, subject matter expert exchanges, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare drills, communication drills, air defense exercises, boarding drills, and combined live fires, as well as formation sailing. Additional U.S. Navy commands participating included Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72 and Commander, Task Force (CTF) 74. From the U.S. Army, the 2nd Combat Air Brigade and U.S. Air Force’s 7th Air Force, joined with units from U.S. Special Operations Command Korea for the exercises.

“This exercise will improve ROK-U.S. combined operational capabilities and bolstered interoperability,” said Rear Adm. Kwak, Kwang Sub, Commander, ROK Navy Maritime Battle Group (MBG) 1. “Two navies will continue to maintaining combined naval defense posture based on iron-clad ROK-U.S. alliance”

The U.S. Navy maintains a presence in the Indo-Pacific region to help preserve peace and security and further our partnerships with friends and allies.

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability, and prevent conflict.

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GSA Announces Site Selection Process for New FBI HQ

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 23, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) today announced the site selection process for the new suburban FBI headquarters campus in the National Capital Region (NCR).

As part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress directed the GSA Administrator to select a site “as expeditiously as possible” from one of the three previously identified sites during project planning in 2016: Greenbelt, Md.; Landover, Md.; and Springfield, Va.

“GSA and the FBI are continuing to move forward to accomplish the key milestones outlined by Congress for the FBI headquarters campus,” said GSA Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service (PBS) Nina Albert. “We look forward to undertaking a fair and transparent process to select a site that will best serve the FBI for generations to come.”

“From the beginning, it has been our priority to identify a new headquarters solution that best meets the needs of the FBI and our workforce, and is a good deal for the taxpayers,” said FBI Assistant Director for the Finance and Facilities Division Nicholas Dimos. “We appreciate the efforts of GSA to work in tandem with the FBI to craft a clear process to select the location for the FBI’s suburban campus within the National Capital Region.”

GSA’s site selection approach is based on best practices in public real estate acquisitions and its long-standing expertise in developing federal facilities. The process also incorporates federal agency goals and directives from law, regulations, and executive orders. To provide transparency to the public and stakeholders about how this determination will be made, GSA is publicly providing a summary fact sheet of the evaluation process and a copy of the site selection plan. These can be found in GSA’s FOIA Reading Room.

GSA anticipates making a selection in the coming months. In parallel, efforts are underway to identify critical space for an FBI downtown DC facility, complementing the new suburban campus, in accordance with the FY 2023 President’s Budget. This site will allow for continued FBI accessibility to the Department of Justice and other key partners.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.