Month: March 2023

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Defense News: SECNAV Renames Ticonderoga-class Guided Missile Cruiser USS Chancellorsville after Robert Smalls

Source: United States Navy

This renaming honors Robert Smalls, a skilled sailor and statesman born into slavery in South Carolina.  

The decision arrived after a congressionally mandated Naming Commission outlined several military assets across all branches of service that required renaming due to confederate ties. In September 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin accepted all recommendations from the naming commission and gave each service until the end of 2023 to rename their assets.  

“I am proud to rename CG 62 after Robert Smalls. He was an extraordinary American and I had the pleasure of learning more about him last year when I visited his home in South Carolina,” said Del Toro. “The renaming of these assets is not about rewriting history, but to remove the focus on the parts of our history that don’t align with the tenets of this country, and instead allows us to highlight the events and people in history who may have been overlooked. Robert Smalls is a man who deserves a namesake ship and with this renaming, his story will continue to be retold and highlighted.”

 

Robert Smalls (1839-1915) was born into slavery in South Carolina. He became a skilled sailor and was an expert navigator of southern coasts. Smalls was conscripted in 1862 to serve as pilot of the Confederate steamer Planter at Charleston. On 13 May 1862, he executed a daring escape out of the heavily fortified Charleston harbor with his family, other enslaved people, and valuable military cargo onboard, and successfully surrendered Planter to the U.S. Navy. Smalls continued as pilot of the ship, but also piloted ironclad Keokuk and other vessels. He ultimately became captain of Planter. An ardent advocate for African Americans, Smalls led one of the first boycotts of segregated public transportation in 1864. This movement led to the city of Philadelphia integrating streetcars in 1867. After the Civil War, Smalls was appointed a brigadier general of the South Carolina militia, and from 1868 to 1874 he served in the South Carolina legislature. In 1874, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served for five terms, advocating for greater integration. After his time in Congress, Smalls was twice appointed collector of the Port of Beaufort, South Carolina.  He died at Beaufort in 1915. 

The logistical aspects associated with renaming the ship will begin henceforth and will continue until completion with minimal impact on operations and the crew. CG-62 was commissioned in 1989 and named USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) to honor the Battle of Chancellorsville, a Confederate victory during the Civil War. CG-62 is currently assigned to Carrier Strike Group Five and is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.  

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GSA Awards Blanket Purchase Agreements for Construction Management and Consulting Services for Maine Land Port of Entry Projects

Source: United States General Services Administration

February 28, 2023

BOSTON – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced it has awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) for Construction Management and Consulting Services for several Land Port of Entry projects along the Maine border with Canada.

GSA awarded a one-year BPA with four option years, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for the Calais Ferry Point, Coburn Gore, Fort Fairfield, Houlton and Limestone Land Ports of Entry to Jacobs Technology, Inc. They will provide services including construction project management, project scheduling, cost estimating and claims analysis.

The estimated total value of the BPA over the potential five-year term is $15.1 million dollars.

Maine Land Port of Entry projects include the construction of new – or renovation of existing – Land Ports of Entry to accommodate the mission of Customs and Border Protection, part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

These projects will provide for the long-term safe and efficient flow of current and projected traffic volumes, including the movement of people and goods between the U.S. and Canada.

“We are excited for the opportunity to begin the process to improve these facilities, and the economic prospects these projects will bring to the region,” said GSA’s Region 1 Public Buildings Service Regional Commissioner and Acting Regional Administrator Glenn C. Rotondo. “The projects along the Maine border will enable our Federal inspection agency partners to better serve travelers entering Maine and the region.”

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, GSA is modernizing Land Ports of Entry along the Canadian and Mexican borders. GSA’s goal is to provide sustainable, climate resilient, superior facilities with low maintenance and operating costs; and which are functional, technologically efficient, and provide a welcoming gateway to the U.S.

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 the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

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Comptroller of Athletic Club Indicted in $1 Million Wire Fraud Scheme

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment on February 23, 2023, charging Zuleika Molina-Orozco with eight counts of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.

According to court documents, Molina-Orozco was the comptroller of Company A, a not-for-profit sports and social club located at a resort in Humacao, Puerto Rico, and had access and control over Company A’s bank account. Between October 2019 and March 2022, Molina-Orozco fraudulently made thirty-nine (39) unauthorized wire transfers from Company A’s bank account to three (3) of her credit cards and two (2) unauthorized wire transfers to another bank account, all totaling $1,100,283.36. The money the defendant obtained from the fraud scheme was used to pay the defendant’s personal credit card expenses, to purchase a 2020 Ford F-150 truck, and to transfer money to other individuals.

The defendant is scheduled for her initial court appearance today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marshal D. Morgan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, San Juan Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott H. Anderson is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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United States Enters Into Consent Decrees With Principals Of CISNE NY Construction, Inc. For Violating Lead Paint Safety Rules

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Lisa F. Garcia, the Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States entered into Consent Decrees settling a civil lawsuit against the principals of CISNE NY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (“CISNE”) — EDISON RUILOVA and JOSE PACCHA — for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) and EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (“RRP Rule”).  Defendants violated provisions of TSCA and the RRP Rule that protect public health by reducing the risk of lead poisoning during renovations in residential buildings that may contain lead paint.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “CISNE NY Construction, Inc. put the public health at risk by failing to abide by lead-safe work practices during renovations of residential buildings.  These consent decrees will help ensure that CISNE NY’s principals abide by safety standards moving forward and send a message that companies and the individuals that run them cannot prioritize profits over complying with health and safety regulations.”

EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said: “Protecting children from the harmful effects of lead exposure is a top priority for EPA.  In New York, where most housing predates the 1978 federal ban on lead in residential paint, lead exposure is a critical public health concern, particularly for children.  Exposure to chips and dust from lead-based paint can cause irreversible brain damage and other debilitating effects, making it essential for renovators to be certified and trained in lead-safe work practices and to implement these practices when disturbing lead-based paint in homes.  EPA remains committed to enforcing these vital federal requirements and increasing accountability and awareness to safeguard families and workers from lead exposure.”

The Consent Decrees, which are subject to public comment and approval by the District Court, would resolve a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court in 2022, which alleged that CISNE, its principals EDISON RUILOVA and JOSE PACCHA, and several related entities, violated TSCA and the RRP Rule in the course of renovating several Manhattan apartment buildings.  The lawsuit also alleged that the same defendants violated TSCA and the RRP Rule by failing to provide EPA with records necessary to enable EPA to monitor the defendants’ compliance. 

In the Consent Decrees entered today, JOSE PACCHA and EDISON RUILOVA admitted, acknowledged, and accepted responsibility for the fact that they were the principals of CISNE who were responsible for ensuring the firm’s compliance with the RRP Rule in 2017 and 2018 and that CISNE “violated the RRP Rule and TSCA” as a result of the following conduct during two Manhattan renovation projects: 

  • Failing to obtain an RRP firm certification prior to conducting renovation work;
  • Failing to have a certified renovator direct the renovations and to ensure that all other persons performing the renovations received training on lead-safe work practices;
  • Failing to post warning signs defining the work areas and cautioning occupants and other persons not involved in the renovation activities to keep out;
  • Failing to provide an EPA pamphlet on lead hazards, The Lead-Safe Certified Guide to Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools, to the owner of the units being renovated;
  • Failing to contain the renovation work areas to minimize the risk of lead exposure;
  • Failing to clean the work areas after the renovations were completed to ensure that no dust, debris, or residue remained in those areas; and
  • Failing to make available to EPA the records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the RRP Rule.

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Pursuant to the Consent Decrees, EDISON RUILOVA and JOSE PACCHA will each pay $25,000 in civil penalties, an amount based on each individual’s documented inability to pay the full civil penalty for which he otherwise would be liable.  Further, the Consent Decrees require each individual to receive training before conducting future RRP Rule-covered work and require them to operate any future renovation firm that they own, operate, or control in compliance with safe work practices and other RRP Rule requirements.  Failure to comply with the Consent Decrees will result in significant additional penalties. 

To provide public notice and afford members of the public the opportunity to comment on the Consent Decrees, the Consent Decrees will be lodged with the District Court for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval.

Mr. Williams thanked the attorneys and enforcement staff at EPA Region 2 for their critical work in this matter.

This case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Zack Bannon is in charge of the case.