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Anonymous ID: 098dec Feb. 9, 2023, 11:12 a.m. No.18314647   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5093 >>5235 >>5307 >>5364

Houston-area man convicted for role in $35M COVID-19 relief fraud scheme

 

WASHINGTON — A Houston-area man was convicted Feb. 8 for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain and launder millions of dollars in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

 

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston, the SBA’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

 

A federal jury convicted Abdul Fatani, 57, of Richmond, Texas, of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of unlawful monetary transactions (money laundering). He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy and wire fraud and 10 years in prison for money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Fatani conspired with others to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications by falsifying the number of employees and the average monthly payroll expenses of the applicant businesses. In total, the co-conspirators sought over $35 million through more than 80 fraudulent PPP loans. Fatani distributed over $500,000 in fraudulent loan proceeds to his co-conspirators and himself using bogus payroll checks and laundered a portion of the proceeds by transferring the funds from one of his bank accounts to another bank account he controlled.

 

In addition, 15 other individuals have pleaded guilty to their involvement in the loan fraud scheme.

 

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of HSI Houston; Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the SBA-OIG; Special Agent in Charge Catherine Huber of the FHFA-OIG; Acting Inspector General Tyler Smith of the FDIC-OIG; and Inspector General J. Russell George of TIGTA made the announcement.

 

Trial Attorneys Kate McCarthy, Spencer Ryan, Della Sentilles and Louis Manzo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

 

Anyone with information about suspected COVID-19-related fraud or other criminal activity is encouraged to report it to HSI by emailing the Department of Homeland Security’s S.T.O.P. COVID-19 Fraud Tipline at covid19fraud@dhs.gov.

 

HSI launched Operation Stolen Promise (OSP) in April 2020 to protect the homeland from the increasing and evolving threat posed by COVID-19-related fraud and criminal activity. Since the operation’s inception, HSI has capitalized upon its unique and expansive federal criminal investigative authorities; its strong intelligence analysis capabilities and resources; its expansive domestic and international footprint; and its robust law enforcement and private sector partnerships to lead the government’s investigative response to pandemic-related crime.

 

For more news and information on HSI’s efforts to aggressively investigate COVID-19-related fraud and criminal activity in Southeast Texas follow us on Twitter @HSIHouston.

 

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

 

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/houston-area-man-convicted-role-35m-covid-19-relief-fraud-scheme

Anonymous ID: 098dec Feb. 9, 2023, 11:14 a.m. No.18314664   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5093 >>5235 >>5307 >>5364

If Biden’s Federal Elections Takeover Is ‘Free And Fair,’ Why Are The Plans Completely Redacted?

 

Despite finally fulfilling a FOIA request, Biden’s Department of the Interior sent Citizens United a heavily-redacted document.

 

After several executive agencies in the Biden administration were sued for refusing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests from conservative advocacy group Citizens United over the White House’s attempt to federalize elections, the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Indian Affairs finally turned over its first batch of requested documents. There’s one problem: More than half of the 54-page document is completely redacted.

 

“The Biden administration is the least transparent in history, and these absurd redactions are just the latest example. What are they trying to hide from the American people?” Citizens United President David Bossie told The Federalist.

 

As The Federalist previously reported, in March 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order directing hundreds of federal agencies to engage in a federal takeover of election administration. It also permitted federal agencies to work with “nonpartisan” third-party entities to get voters registered, yet left-wing dark money group Demos publicly admitted it’s worked with federal agencies, “in close partnership with the ACLU and other allies,” to advance the aims of Biden’s directive.

 

Such an order set off alarm bells among Republicans and good government groups, reminiscent of the widespread takeover of government election offices by Democratic activists and donors in the blue counties of key swing states during the 2020 presidential election. Through their infiltration of state and local offices, Democrats were able to conduct partisan get-out-the-vote operations and swing the election in then-candidate Biden’s favor. This order is a taxpayer-funded version of that effort, turning federal agencies — including those that dole out federal benefits — into voter registration hubs and partisan get-out-the-vote centers.

 

Citizens United wanted to find out more about it, which is why last June, it filed FOIA requests with the DOI and State Department seeking email and text messages that mentioned both the executive order and the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits executive branch employees from engaging in election activities. When the agencies failed to comply, Citizens United sued. On Jan. 31, DOI sent its first round of documents per Citizens United’s request.

 

But the 54-page PDF sent to Citizens United is mostly redacted, save for logistical emails between White House staff and agency department heads. The plan and implementation scheme for the “Promoting Access to Voting” executive order itself are completely redacted.

 

In a cover letter sent with the documents, the Biden administration defended the redactions under U.S.C. § 552(b)(5), which allows agencies to withhold information under the “Presidential Communications Privilege” (exists to ensure “the President’s ability to obtain candid and informed opinions from his advisors and to make decisions confidentially”) and the “Deliberative Process Privilege” (“protects the decision-making process of government agencies and encourages the frank exchange of ideas on legal or policy matters”).

 

But according to Jason Foster, president and founder of Empower Oversight, a transparency and government accountability group that frequently files FOIA requests, these redactions are a prime example of the federal government’s blatant over-redacting and censorship.

 

https://thefederalist.com/2023/02/09/if-bidens-federal-elections-takeover-is-free-and-fair-why-are-the-plans-completely-redacted/

Anonymous ID: 098dec Feb. 9, 2023, 11:16 a.m. No.18314678   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Reestablishment of Khazaria in Ukraine in Progress [English Subtitles] Edward Hodos

 

https://www.onenewspage.com/video/20230110/15315277/Reestablishment-of-Khazaria-in-Ukraine-in-Progress-English.htm

Anonymous ID: 098dec Feb. 9, 2023, 11:20 a.m. No.18314702   🗄️.is 🔗kun

Minnesota Congresswoman Assaulted In DC Apartment Building, Office Says

 

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1623751409433813002

Anonymous ID: 098dec Feb. 9, 2023, 11:22 a.m. No.18314713   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>5093 >>5235 >>5307 >>5364

Lia Thomas exposed penis in changing room with female swimmers: report

 

"In that locker room, we turned around and there's a 6’4" biological man dropping his pants and watching us undress and we're exposed to male genitalia," Gaines recalled.

 

In an interview with Fox News’ "American Reports" on Wednesday, former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who tied with transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships, recalled being exposed to Thomas’ "male genitalia" in a women’s locker room after a swim meet.

 

"We were not forewarned beforehand that we would be sharing a locker room with Lia. We did not give our consent. They did not ask for our consent. But in that locker room, we turned around and there's a 6’4" biological man dropping his pants and watching us undress and we're exposed to male genitalia," Gaines recalled.

 

Thomas was seen rocketing through the women’s swim ranks last year during Thomas’ first season competing in the women’s division. Previously, Thomas had competed on the male swim team.

 

Thomas’ season culminated in qualifying for the NCAA championships, where Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle race, and tied with Gaines in the 200-yard freestyle race.

 

While on the podium for the race, Gaines, who tied with Thomas for fifth place, was told that Thomas would be given the fifth place trophy to hold, and she would receive the sixth place trophy to hold on the podium. Her fifth place trophy was to be sent in the mail.

 

"Not even probably a year or two years ago, this would have been considered some form of sexual assault, voyeurism. But now, not even are they just allowing it to happen, it's almost as if these large organizations are encouraging it to happen," Gaines continued.

 

"Of course, after NCAA championships, the NCAA then nominated Thomas for NCAA Woman of the Year. So we're celebrating this movement. This isn't something that happened by chance on a one off basis. They're encouraging men to compete in women's sports," she added.

 

America Reports host John Roberts noted that after graduating in May of 2022, Gaines had hoped to go to dental school. In the aftermath of Lia Thomas though, Gaines has decided to put dental school on hold to advocate for women’s sports remaining a place for biological females.

 

Roberts questioned why more women weren’t speaking out against the inclusion of biological males, to which Gaines said, "you know, people are terrified, especially speaking from my experience of talking to other NCAA swimmers specifically, Lia Thomas’ teammates even."

 

"They're told their school has made their stance for them. They're told that if they feel uncomfortable seeing male genitalia in the locker room, then they should seek counseling resources. They're told that they will never get into grad school if they speak out. All of these terrible awful things that aren't true. They're told of course, they'll be called a bigot and hateful and transphobic," said Gaines.

 

"But it doesn't make you any of those things to acknowledge that there are two sexes. You cannot change your sex and women deserve respect and equal opportunities," Gaines concluded.

 

https://thepostmillennial.com/lia-thomas-exposed-penis-in-changing-room-with-female-swimmers-report