Category: US Department of Justice

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

A federal jury convicted a Nevada man today for defrauding three banks of more than $11.2 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds intended to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Meelad Dezfooli, 30, of Henderson, engaged in a scheme to submit fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a program that provided loans to help small businesses continue paying employee salaries and certain other basic business expenses during the pandemic. Dezfooli submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications to federally insured banks, purportedly for the benefit of companies that the defendant controlled, and obtained more than $11.2 million in proceeds from those loans.   

The evidence at trial showed that Dezfooli falsely represented certain material information in his loan applications, including information about payroll, employees, and use of the loan proceeds. After fraudulently obtaining more than $11.2 million in PPP funds, Dezfooli laundered and/or spent the proceeds by, among other things: buying approximately 25 residences and two luxury cars, funding a personal investment account, and gambling extensively. After he was originally charged, Dezfooli continued laundering criminal proceeds by selling five of the residences that he acquired with the fraudulently obtained PPP funds. 

The jury convicted Dezfooli of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of money laundering, and four counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each of the bank fraud counts, 20 years in prison on each of the money laundering counts, and 10 years in prison on each of the counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General (FRB-CFPB OIG), Western Region; Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the Small Business Association Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Western Region; and Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), San Francisco Region made the announcement.

The IRS-CI, FRB-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and SBA-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Taylor G. Stout of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Schiess for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case. Legal Assistant Alexa Stiles and Paralegal Holly Butler of MLARS provided substantial assistance throughout the investigation and trial.  

MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Abraham Yusuff, of Round Rock, Texas — the leader of a scheme to defraud the IRS of over $110 million — was sentenced today to more than 14 years in prison. Meghan Inyang, of San Antonio, and Christopher Eduardo, of Round Rock, two of Yusuff’s co-defendants, were also sentenced today to over three years and over two years in prison, respectively. In total, seven individuals have now been sentenced to prison for their involvement in the scheme. 

“Yusaf and his codefendants secured $30 million in fraudulent refunds from the IRS — and sought even more,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “They stole the identities of honest taxpayers, filed hundreds of returns in those taxpayers’ names seeking bogus refunds and assumed the identities of real-life CPAs and other professionals to trick the IRS into directing the refunds into accounts and debit cards they controlled. The significant sentences handed down by the court reflect not only the injury caused to the Treasury, but also the financial harm and stress the defendants imposed on the innocent taxpayers and accounting professionals swept up in their scheme.”

“Yusuff and co-defendants didn’t just steal money, they stole the lives of hundreds of victims by changing all their contact information with the IRS and posing as authorized representatives for the taxpayers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office. “This insidious and complex scheme victimized both the real tax professionals and the people they represent, which is why IRS-CI special agents help take down criminal enterprises and put criminals behind bars.”

“Stealing someone’s identity is abhorrent and despicable behavior. This week’s sentencing serves as a stark reminder that fraud and the pursuit of quick gains comes with severe consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS-CI Dallas Field Office. “I’m proud of the women and men of IRS-CI for their commitment to protect our tax system and their resolve to ensure that those who engage in fraudulent activities face the full extent of the law.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2018 to 2021, Yusuff led a stolen-identity-refund-fraud scheme with Eduardo and Inyang, as well as Christian Mathurin, of Nashville, Tennessee; Dillon Anozie, of San Antonio; Babajide Ogunbanjo, of Austin, Texas; and Aydin Mammadov, of Houston.

As part of the scheme, and to avoid fraud detection procedures the IRS established, Yusuff recruited and directed Eduardo, Mathurin, Anozie, Ogunbanjo and Mammadov to provide addresses to him for the purpose of receiving mail, including IRS correspondence such as identity verification letters. Yusuff and others then contacted the IRS posing as authorized agents of multiple taxpayers. They used stolen information relating to the taxpayers and their real tax preparers to falsely persuade the IRS they were legitimate representatives. The defendants then directed the IRS to change the addresses on file for the taxpayers and to send their tax information, including account transcripts and wage records, to the addresses and emails the defendants controlled. Communicating over Telegram, Yusuff instructed his defendants to send him photographs of the mail the IRS had sent and then instructed them to destroy the mail. 

The defendants used this information to electronically file more than 370 tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds and directed the IRS to split the refunds among several prepaid debit cards registered in the names of the victim taxpayers. Prior to issuing tax refunds to some taxpayers, the IRS sent verification letters to the addresses the defendants controlled, and the defendants and others, pretending to be the taxpayers, instructed the IRS to release the refunds.

Yusuff, Inyang, Eduardo, Anozie, Ogunbanjo and Mammadov obtained the prepaid debit cards that were to be used to receive the fraudulently claimed refunds. Once the refunds were deposited onto the prepaid debit cards, they further concealed the funds by purchasing, among other things, money orders from local stores in amounts that were designed to avoid having to furnish identification or trigger reporting requirements. They also used prepaid debit cards and money orders to purchase designer clothing, home renovation materials and used cars at auction. The defendants kept or received money orders purchased with the fraudulent refunds as their share of the illegal proceeds.

At sentencing, the government offered victim impact statements from several individuals whose identities were stolen, including victim taxpayers and accountants. The victims spoke of the financial harm and stress that Yusuff and his co-defendants caused them. 

In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pittman for the Western District of Texas sentenced Yusuff to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution and a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $30,370,365. Eduardo was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,823,377 in restitution to the IRS. Inyang was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $762,512 in restitution to the IRS.

Judge Pittman previously sentenced the other co-defendants to prison:

• Dillon Anozie (30 months)
• Aydin Mammadov (18 months)
• Babajide Ogunbanjo (16 months) and
• Christian Mathurin (12 months).

IRS-CI and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case.

Assistant Chief Michael Boteler and Trial Attorneys Mary Frances Richardson and Curtis Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas assisted in this matter.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Note: View the complaint here.

A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was arrested on Sept. 4 in Canada in connection with a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. Khan was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

“The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Thanks to the investigative work of the FBI, and the quick action of our Canadian law enforcement partners, the defendant was taken into custody. As I said to Canada’s Minister of Public Safety yesterday, we are deeply grateful to our Canadian partners for their critical law enforcement actions in this matter. Jewish communities — like all communities in this country — should not have to fear that they will be targeted by a hate-fueled terrorist attack. The Justice Department will continue to work closely with our domestic and international partners to aggressively counter the threat posed by ISIS and other terrorist organizations and their supporters.”

“The defendant was allegedly determined to kill Jewish people here in the United States, nearly one year after Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel. This investigation was led by the FBI, and I am proud of the terrific work by the FBI team and our partners to disrupt Khan’s plan.” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to commit violence in the name of ISIS or other terrorist organizations. Fighting terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority.”

As alleged in the complaint, Khan, who resided in Canada, attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS in or about November 2023, when, among other things, Khan distributed ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Subsequently, Khan began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the UCs).

During those conversations, Khan confirmed that he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out an attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1). Among other things, Khan said that he had been actively attempting to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out a “coordinated assault” in City-1 using AR-style rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].” During subsequent conversations, Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified the specific locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also provided details about how he would cross the border from Canada into the United States to conduct the attacks. During these conversations with the UCs, Khan emphasized that “Oct 7th and oct 11th are the best days for targeting the jews” because “oct 7 they will surely have some protests and oct 11 is yom.kippur.”

On or about Aug. 20, Khan changed his target location from City-1 to New York City. After initially suggesting certain neighborhoods in New York City to the UCs, Khan decided to target Location-1, a Jewish center located in Brooklyn, New York. Khan told the UCs that he planned to carry out this attack on or around Oct. 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas, a designated FTO, which, on Oct. 7, 2023, launched a wave of violent, large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel. In support of his choice of New York City as his target location, Khan boasted that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population In america” and therefore, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan proclaimed that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and sent a photograph of the specific area inside of Location-1 where he planned to carry out the attack. 

Thereafter, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for his attack, including “some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats.” Khan repeatedly reiterated his desire to carry out the attack in support of ISIS, and discussed planning for the attack, including by identifying rental properties close to Location-1 and paying for a human smuggler to help him reach and cross the border from Canada into the United States. During one communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”

On or about Sept. 4, as Khan said he planned to do in connection with his attack, Khan attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border. To do so, Khan used three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the United States, before he was stopped in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.

Khan is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence 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.

The FBI New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles Field Offices are investigating the case. The Justice Department is grateful to Canadian law enforcement for their actions in this matter. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division is seeking the extradition of Khan from Canada. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A complaint 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

Medical device manufacturer THD America Inc., located in Natick, Massachusetts, and its corporate parent, THD SpA of Italy (collectively, THD), have agreed to pay $700,000 to resolve allegations that THD violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing physicians to use incorrect codes to obtain inflated reimbursement from Medicare and State Medicaid programs for the use of THD’s hemorrhoid removal system called the Slide One Kit (the Kit).

The Kit was sold to physicians for use in transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization, a surgical procedure that involves cauterizing certain blood vessels. The United States alleged that, between 2014 and 2017, physicians performing procedures using the Kit were required to bill for the procedure using a temporary code, also known as a “T-Code,” assigned for new and emerging services. Because a procedure that is assigned such a code is considered experimental, reimbursement for the use of the Kit was often denied. To avoid such denials and increase potential reimbursement, THD allegedly encouraged colorectal and general surgeons improperly to bill Medicare and Medicaid programs using the T-Code plus an additional Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code or to bill for CPT codes other than the T-code.

The federal share of the civil settlement is $598,121.23, and the state Medicaid share of the civil settlement is $101,877.77. State Medicaid programs are jointly funded by the federal and state governments.

“The integrity of federal healthcare programs depends upon compliance with coding and billing rules that are used to make coverage and reimbursement decisions,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable health care providers that knowingly submit false claims to federal health care programs that do not accurately reflect and bill for the work they perform.”

“This case is emblematic of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to pursuing and holding accountable those who seek to defraud federal health care programs and to recouping taxpayer dollars obtained falsely,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “We will continue our efforts tirelessly in prioritizing rooting out fraud and protecting the public fisc.”

“Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid enrollees is required of all health care companies,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of companies violating the federal False Claims Act.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Amber Arthur, a former employee of THD America. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The relator’s share from the proceeds of the settlement will be $115,500. The qui tam action is captioned U.S. ex rel. Arthur v. THD America, et al., No. 16-cv-2571 (DMD). 

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from HHS-OIG.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Counsel Jay D. Majors of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled the matter.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Thank you, Director Dettelbach, for that kind introduction.  

Before I begin, I want to echo the Director and express my sympathies to the families and loved ones impacted by Wednesday’s horrific school shooting in Georgia. The Department stands with all law enforcement and community members responding to this tragedy.

Now, turning to our mission today.

I’m grateful to Director Dettelbach, and the leadership and vision from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in gathering the group around this table — folks from law enforcement, academia, and the private sector — coming together to tackle the spread of machine gun conversion devices and the violence they leave in their wake.

I also want to extend a special welcome and thank you to our partners from Dartmouth College, Wichita State University, Oak Ridge National Lab, and representatives from the 3-D printing industry for coming together to address the abuse and misuse of technology to accelerate violence in our communities.

Thank you for your engagement over the last year as we work together to identify ways to get these deadly devices off our streets.

The Department of Justice has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe.

We’ve been all-in on reversing the violent crime uptick that started during the pandemic in 2020 — an uptick defined by an increase in gun crimes in too many communities. 

Gun crimes made more violent and more deadly by machine gun conversion devices.

Since 2021, the Justice Department has been executing a comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime — one rooted in local communities and built on four pillars:

1. Going after the most significant drivers of violent crime — like gun crimes, dangerous weaponry, and violent repeat offenders;
2. Fostering trust and earning legitimacy in the communities we serve;
3. Investing in community-based prevention and intervention programs; and
4. Measuring the results of our efforts by impact, through actual decreases in violent crime.

Our strategy is having an impact, in the form of crimes prevented and lives saved.

According to available data from 2023 — murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault show considerable declines from 2022.

And in nearly 90 major cities across the country, violent crime has continued to drop during the first six months of this year compared to the same time period last year, including a 17% decrease in homicides.

While these are promising trends, we can’t afford to let up.

Far from it.

We must continue our focus on the most significant drivers of violent crime and identifying emerging threats to our communities. 

We’re here to discuss one such emerging threat: machine gun conversion devices — or MCDs — also known as “switches” or “auto sears.”

These highly dangerous devices, that are often just a small piece of metal or plastic, can convert a run-of-the-mill firearm into a weapon of war.

From a shooting at a sweet sixteen party in Dadeville, Alabama, which claimed four lives — to a drive-by in Cincinnati, Ohio killing an 11-year-old boy in the crossfire — MCDs can transform a street corner into a combat zone, devastating entire communities.

The law classifies an MCD as an illegal machinegun.

I want to be clear — because of its destructive effect, the possession of an MCD is illegal under federal law.

So, the proliferation of these MCD devices requires our immediate and sustained attention.

Machinegun conversion devices convert handguns and rifles into machine guns.

The result is a deadly combination — more rapid firing — amounting to hundreds of bullets in mere minutes — with one pull of a trigger.

So even as the number of shootings goes down — when the spread of MCDs is unchecked, the number of fatalities can go up.

Using MCDs is illegal. Selling MCDs is illegal. And being in possession of MCDs is also illegal.

They’re cheap. They’re not hard to manufacture, often with 3-D printers. And they’ve been proliferating for years.

Today, MCDs are the most frequently recovered type of illegal firearm.

The growing use of MCDs by criminals presents a danger to the public and to brave members of law enforcement who put their lives on the line everyday — and who should not have to face such dangerous weaponry. 

So, given the clear danger MCDs pose to our communities, today, I am issuing a Department-wide directive, and we are taking action to confront this rising threat in three ways.

First, I am establishing the Justice Department’s Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machinegun Conversion Devices — or ANTI-MCD for short.

The ANTI-MCD Committee will be co-chaired by ATF and one of our U.S. Attorneys who’s been employing innovative strategies to address the MCD threat.

The committee will include representatives of the Department’s law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial components.

I’ll be asking the ANTI-MCD Committee for recommendations on how to best deploy Department resources to reduce the proliferation of MCDs.

To ensure seamless coordination, spot trends, and gather intelligence, the ANTI-MCD Committee will work with the Department’s law enforcement components to update the tracking of MCD seizures and prosecutions in real time.

And the Committee will help drive best practices for work across law enforcement and across government on joint initiatives and prosecution efforts to crack down on MCDs.

Key to getting MCDs off the streets is training those on the front lines confronting these deadly devices on the latest MCD technologies and enforcement authorities.

So, the second action I’m announcing today is the creation of a national MCD Training Initiative — spearheaded by ATF and designed to equip law enforcement and prosecutors with the tools they need to combat MCDs.

Given how quickly MCD design and distribution networks are evolving, ATF will continually update training driven by the latest intelligence.

Just today, the Bureau of Justice Assistance and ATF are releasing a new training module for law enforcement around the country, educating them on detecting and identifying MCDs.

And while we’re improving our training and data, we’ll also be adding to our capabilities.

ATF will designate a National MCD Coordinator — to serve as a hub of expertise for all our partners.

Now, as law enforcement adapts to the MCD landscape, so too must Department prosecutors, led by the U.S. Attorney community.

U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are already doing great work here — and I want to thank Chris Kavanaugh for his leadership representing our U.S. Attorneys today and for his work on this issue with the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.

So, today, to continue building on that work, I’m directing all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to prioritize MCD prosecutions by employing comprehensive and district-specific MCD enforcement strategies.

Over the next 90 days, each U.S. Attorney’s office will meet with federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners to identify promising MCD-related enforcement practices.  

Many U.S. Attorneys are already doing this.

For example, Project Switch Off was launched late last year by Bob Troester, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. 

And working with ATF, his federal prosecutors have trained nearly 500 Oklahoma City police to recognize and refer MCD offenses for federal prosecution. 

His office has also provided training to the district’s judges to underscore the dangers posed by MCDs. 

Bob’s office is prioritizing the prosecution of MCD offenses.

In less than a year, the Western District of Oklahoma has charged nearly 40 individuals with MCD-related offenses — that’s compared to eight total between 2020 and 2022, before this initiative.

And you know what?

Switches aren’t appearing like they used to on their streets or on social media.

A member of the Oklahoma City Police Department recently reported to the U.S. Attorney the impact of these federal prosecutions, saying:  

“Gang members are scared to death to use the switches because their buddies are going to federal prison…”

“It is very clear your prosecutions are making a huge difference in our community.”

This is a powerful example of how — working together — we can make a difference for our communities. 

And that’s why I’ve asked Bob to serve as the co-chair of our ANTI-MCD Committee.

Now as we focus on getting MCDs off our streets, this much is clear: law enforcement can’t do this alone.

Today’s convening is a critical step, but we’re still at the beginning of this work — work that can’t be limited to how we train law enforcement and prosecute offenders.

It must also include stopping these devices from reaching criminals in the first place.

While many MCDs are manufactured in the United States, others are imported from overseas markets like China. 

We need to do more to disrupt that illicit flow.

We need to engage software developers, technology experts, and leaders in the 3-D printing industry to identify solutions in this fight. 

And we have to do all of this while raising public awareness about the deadly threat posed by MCDs.

Combating this threat will take all of us — industry, academia, and government — working together. 

Because, you know your industries and this technology better than anyone.

You are the ones leading the research that will inform the next innovations

You are the ones on the cutting edge in your sector.

You all bring different expertise to this challenge, but we all share the same goal: ensuring that those innovations and that technology isn’t being used to harm communities.

We will keep at this work — trying to stop the proliferation of MCDs.

Our ask is that when you return to your companies, agencies, and institutions, that you do the same. 

Today, with your help, your ideas and your commitment, we are moving this forward.

Once again — thank you — all of you — for leading the way.

I look forward to seeing where we go from here in our collective efforts to keep our communities safe.