Former Richwood correctional supervisor pleads guilty to role in physical assault of inmates

MONROE, La. – The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Roderick Douglas, a former supervisor at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates.

According to his guilty plea, Douglas worked as a Captain at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, where on October 30, 2016, he and other officers conspired to inflict cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Douglas admitted that he and the other officers attempted to hide their conduct by submitting a false story in their official reports concerning the incident.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/former-richwood-correctional-supervisor-pleads-guilty-role-physical-assault-inmates

Former High School Counselor Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud Scheme

BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mellissa Krystynak, 49, of St. Lucie, Florida, pled guilty to a mail fraud scheme she executed while employed as a counselor at Greenbrier West High School, in Charmco, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The investigation was conducted by the Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Education.

“This takes cheating to a whole new level,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. “We expect to find students cheating. We don’t expect a parent abusing a position of authority to inflate her daughter’s grades and, adding even more harm, to use those fake grades to obtain federal benefits and, potentially, keep a deserving student from a legitimate opportunity. I think it’s fair to say that Krystynak might not be the best role model to emulate. Very, very sad.”

Krystynak, was a school counselor at Greenbrier West from 2011 until 2017.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/former-high-school-counselor-pleads-guilty-mail-fraud-scheme

Mullens Family Clinic Doctor Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud Scheme

BECKLEY, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Dr. Manuel C. Barit, M.D., 71, of Raleigh County, and the only practicing physician at Mullens Family Clinic, pled guilty to executing a long-running healthcare fraud scheme. As part of the plea, Dr. Barit admitted that from about October 7, 2013 through January 24, 2018, he defrauded Medicare and Medicaid by submitting claims indicating that he treated patients at his clinic in Mullens on dates when he was outside the United States. As part of the plea, Dr. Barit agreed permanently surrender his West Virginia medical license as well as his Drug Enforcement Administration registration. By virtue of surrendering his license and registration, Dr. Barit will no longer be permitted to practice medicine or prescribe controlled substances in West Virginia. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdwv/pr/mullens-family-clinic-doctor-pleads-guilty-healthcare-fraud-scheme

California Man Sentenced for Lying to Federal Agents

Eun Soo Lee Lied About Making Threats Against Former Congressman Tom Garrett

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – A California man, who made threats of violence against then-United States Congressman Tom Garrett, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to serve six months in federal prison, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen announced.

Eun Soo Lee, 24, of Cypress, California, previously pleaded guilty to a one-count, felony Information charging him with lying to a federal agent.

“Although the First Amendment protects an individual’s right to free speech, it does not license threats of harm or violence,” U.S. Attorney Cullen stated today. “As this case illustrates, the Department of Justice will react swiftly and aggressively to unlawful threats made using social media or other communications platforms.”

In May of 2017, Lee, using a fake Facebook account and virtual private network to hide his identity, made threats against then-Congressman Garrett.

Those threats included, but were not limited to:

“You’re dead if I ever meet you in real life, fu*. I’ll fu** kill you.”

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdva/pr/california-man-sentenced-lying-federal-agents

UT Health Science Center Pays More than $2.3 Million to Resolve Allegations

HOUSTON – The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) at Houston has paid $2,396,769.76 to resolve allegations that its Human Genetics Center misappropriated grant funds the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provided for research related to the impact of genomic variation on individual health and the health of families and populations, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A component of UTHealth, UTHSCH is one of the largest research institutions in the United States.

“Misappropriating NIH grant funds intended to advance the health of individuals and families, as alleged here, will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge CJ Porter of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. “Patients can be assured the government will aggressively investigate and prosecute fraudulent use of these taxpayer funds.”

The United States began its investigation after receiving a tip that the Genetics Center had misappropriated funds under an NIH grant related to sequencing the human genome. According to the source, the center wanted to draw down a substantial portion of the money remaining on the grant before the end of the grant period so that it would not have to return unused funds to the NIH. To accomplish this, the source claimed the center placed an order for a large quantity of genetic sequencing material from Illumina Inc. just prior to the end of the subject grant. They then allegedly stopped shipment of that material and had Illumina establish a credit for the material, from which the Genetics Center then used to purchase goods and services after the close out of the grant.

A two-year investigation substantiated the information provided by the anonymous source. The evidence revealed that just prior to the end of the grant period in late September 2012, the Genetics Center placed an order for Human Omni 5 DNA Analysis Bead Chip Kits from Illumina in the amount of $1,198,384.88. The Genetics Center stopped delivery of the shipment after making payment to Illumina. This resulted in UTHSCH underreporting by that amount the unobligated federal funds remaining on the grant which were not returned to NIH.

This misappropriation of federal funds deprived NIH of grant funds to which it would have otherwise been entitled. These funds could have then been used for other grants.

Because Illumina had received payment for the shipment, it established a credit to the Genetics Center in the amount of $1,198,384.88. From October 2012 through to Dec. 31, 2017, the center used that credit to purchase goods and services from Illumina.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/ut-health-science-center-pays-more-23-million-resolve-allegations

Wife of Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer in El Paso Sentenced to Federal Prison

In El Paso, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer’s wife, who fled the country prior to sentencing on federal drug trafficking and bribery charges in 2010, was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash; Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), El Paso Division; Special Agent in Charge Kyle Williamson of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), El Paso Division; and, Special Agent in Charge Javy Pedroza of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) in El Paso.

During sentencing yesterday, Senior U.S. District Judge David Briones also ordered 41-year-old Ana Marie Hernandez to pay a $100,000 money judgment.

On June 21, 2010, the legal permanent resident in the U.S. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance and one count of aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official. By pleading guilty, Hernandez admitted that between June 2005 and October 2005, she conspired with others, including her husband, former DHS Customs and Border Protection officer Daniel Ledezma, to allow hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. without inspection through the Paso de Norte Port of Entry. For their actions, Hernandez and Ledezma received more than $100,000 in U.S. Currency.

An arrest warrant was issued for Hernandez when she failed to appear for sentencing on January 24, 2011.

On October 3, 2018, Hernandez was extradited from Mexico to El Paso. She has since remained in federal custody.

“This sentencing is a result of the ongoing partnership and collaboration between the FBI, DEA and our international partners to bring to justice an individual who corrupted U.S. law enforcement officials in order to import drugs into the U.S. The FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue and prosecute individuals that poison the communities of El Paso,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Buie.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/wife-former-us-customs-and-border-protection-officer-el-paso-sentenced-federal-prison

Marines Raid Water Park in Urban-Assault Training Held in Hawaii for 1st Time

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/01/31/marines-raid-water-park-urban-assault-training-held-hawaii-1st-time.html

>>4982583

interesting, very