Security News in Brief: Six Language Recruiters Indicted for Recruiting Unqualified Linguists for Deployment with U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia returned an indictment Wednesday charging six former employees of a government contractor for their role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a U.S. government contract to recruit and deploy qualified linguists to Afghanistan where they would provide language services in Dari and Pashto to the U.S. military, including interacting with Afghan civilians and military forces.

Security News in Brief: Justice Department Warns Taxpayers to Avoid Fraudulent Tax Preparers

Source: United States Department of Justice News

With less than one month left in this year’s tax season, the Department of Justice urges taxpayers to choose their return preparers wisely. Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams. Unscrupulous preparers who include errors or false information on a customer’s return could leave a taxpayer open to liability for unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest.

Defense News in Brief: USS Philippine Sea Returns Home from Deployment

Source: United States Navy

MAYPORT, Fla. –The “War Dogs” of the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and the embarked “Vipers” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 48 returned to Naval Station Mayport marking the end of their nearly 10-month deployment to the U.S. 2nd, 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.

Security News in Brief: Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco’s First Day

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Today, Lisa O. Monaco was sworn in as the 39th Deputy Attorney General (DAG) of the United States. She returns to the Department of Justice where she first arrived as an intern 26 years ago, and went on to hold a variety of leadership roles at both the Department and the FBI. DAG Monaco held a series of meetings with DOJ staff and received briefings on the January 6th Capitol Attack investigation and on national security. In an all hands meeting with her immediate staff, DAG Monaco reiterated her commitment to reaffirming the Department’s foundational mission and core values, pursuing the Constitution’s promise of equal justice, and ensuring the safety of all who call America home. Late in the day she sent an email to the DOJ workforce thanking them for their dedication, and conveying how honored she is to serve alongside them.