Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice

A white paper issued by the Chief FOIA Officer (CFO) Council Committee on Cross-Agency Collaboration and Innovation (COCACI) has been published on FOIA.gov.  The white paper, written by COCACI’s Working Group for Standardizing the Government Information Specialist (GIS) Position (Working Group), presents its findings and recommendations on ways to standardize the GIS job series.

The Working Group surveyed FOIA practitioners and agency executives about four key areas: work demographics, FOIA experience, workplace environment, and career plan.  Taking the data from this research, the Working Group held conversations with FOIA leadership at several federal agencies, with the goal of identifying existing approaches in improving the professionalization and standardization of qualifications for FOIA professionals and determining the transferability of these approaches to the GIS job series. Additionally, the Working Group aimed to understand what made a FOIA program successful, what challenges were faced by FOIA programs, and how a cross-agency approach could improve a FOIA, and therefore GIS, professional’s career.

The Working Group identified a series of trends in leadership support, career development, the hiring landscape, and retention.  After analyzing its data, the Working Group developed five recommendations to aid in the standardization of the job series:

1. Promote GIS careers and create opportunities to raise career-field awareness;
2. Implement both in-agency and cross-agency GIS career support;
3. Cultivate employee engagement and transparency to create a more desirable work environment;
4. Create clear career advancement opportunities and re-examine the job series; and
5. Consider a certification program to enhance the job series.

Agency FOIA professionals, agency FOIA leadership, GIS career professionals, and members of the public are encouraged to review this white paper and consider how its findings and recommendations could benefit the GIS job series and agency FOIA programs.

For additional information about the CFO Council’s work, visit the Council page on FOIA.gov.  For additional information on the Working Group for Standardizing the GIS Position, review the Working Group’s charter on COCACI’s FOIA.gov page. 

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Northern District of Georgia charging eight members and associates of the GoodFellas Gang for their alleged roles in a criminal enterprise engaged in attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and attempted carjacking in and around Atlanta.

According to the indictment, the GoodFellas are a violent gang that heavily recruits members in Atlanta neighborhoods, local jails, and Georgia Department of Corrections facilities. Members engage in violence to enhance the violent reputation of the gang.

As alleged in the indictment, six of the defendants shot and attempted to murder four victims. Additionally, two GoodFellas members and associates allegedly attempted a carjacking and assaulted three victims with a dangerous weapon.

Frank Hubbert, also known as Capo Frank, 38; Montavis Jones, also known as Nigel Woods, Jitt, and Git, 37; Darian Sheppard, also known as Lil D, 27; De’Andre Jackson, also known as Gen, Glock, and Glizzy, 22; Ephram Marshall, also known as Lil E, 24; Tahj Rankine, also known as Biggz, 26; and Leonunte Carson, also known as Lil Tae, 22, are each charged with multiple counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering and with using a firearm during these crimes.

Hubbert and Ahday Nelson-George, also known as Baby K, 25, are each charged with multiple counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and attempted carjacking.

Seven of the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison; Nelson-George faces a maximum penalty of 75 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fulton County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office; Georgia Department of Corrections; and the Atlanta Police Department.

Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Department of Justice congratulates Terrance C. “Terry” Cole on his nomination to be the next Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Terry Cole (DEA Administrator Nominee)

Mr. Cole has a distinguished record with over 28 years in law enforcement, most recently serving as Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Before this post, Mr. Cole served for over 20 years at the DEA, with tours in Oklahoma, New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C. While at the DEA, Mr. Cole also received several foreign assignments to Colombia, Afghanistan, Mexico, and the Middle East. Before joining the DEA, Mr. Cole served as a Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officer.

Mr. Cole graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and holds certificates in Leadership from the University of Viginia and the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business. Mr. Cole has also pursued continuing education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Executive School for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The General Manager of a company that produces and sells renewable fuel and fuel credits was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release for his role in a scheme that generated over $7 million in fraudulent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel.

Royce Gillham worked at a biofuel company based in Fort Pierce, Florida, that claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel. However, when reporting the number of gallons they produced to the IRS and EPA, Gillham and his employer vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators provided false information about their fuel production and customers.

Gillham previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to file false claims.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case.

Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Funk for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Today, the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism notified the local leaders of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston that it wanted to meet soon to discuss their responses to incidents of antisemitism at schools and on college campuses in their cities over the last two years. The Task Force, created pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, told the cities it wanted to engage with local leadership, including the mayors, district or city attorneys, and local law enforcement.

Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell informed Eric Adams of New York, Karen Bass of Los Angeles, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, and Michelle Wu of Boston that the Task Force was aware of allegations that the schools in their respective cities may have failed to protect Jewish students from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law. Mr. Terrell said he intends for the Task Force to meet with city leadership, impacted students, local law enforcement, and community members as it gathers information about these incidents and considers whether federal intervention is warranted.

“Too many elected officials chose not to stand up to a rising tide of antisemitism in our cities and campuses following the horrific events of October 7, 2023,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Actions have consequences – inaction does, too.”

“The Task Force looks forward to meeting with the mayors and other municipal leaders in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston to quickly and effectively identify ways that, working together or apart, we return safety, civility, and sanity to our nation’s schools,” said Mr. Terrell. “These meetings, in conjunction with our visits to university campuses around the country, are just two of the many actions President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are taking to end this scourge of anti-Semitism.”

If you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division, at civilrights.justice.gov. President Trump’s Executive Order can be found here: Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism – The White House.