News

An Athens, Alabama computer store owner has been charged with exploiting a government computer surplus program for his personal benefit. A federal grand jury today returned its indictment of Steven Mays, 50, of Athens, Ala. The indictment alleges that from 2007 to late 2017, Mays engaged in a scheme to defraud “Computers for Learning,” a program administered by the General Services Administration. The CFL program facilitated the transfer of computers and related equipment owned by the federal government but excess to its needs, directly to schools and some educational nonprofit organizations at no cost.

A retired soldier pleaded guilty today to receiving and selling stolen government property that had been initially delivered to at Fort Eustis.

A Missouri man pleaded guilty today to committing fraud to obtain millions of dollars in government contracts, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

On Wednesday, July 11, 2018, at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) will host an all-day conference to educate the public about the impact of the Inspector General Act of 1978 and the work of federal Inspectors General in the 40 years since passage of the Act. Discussion will feature distinguished speakers including Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and other Members of Congress, Inspectors General, academics, and others in the oversight community.

United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced today that three defendants agreed to plead guilty to an Information charging them with federal crimes related to a long-term fraud scheme led by Brian L. Ganos involving government-funded contracts intended to benefit small businesses.

Today, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) released its first-ever report of the top management and performance challenges facing multiple federal agencies. For nearly 20 years, individual Inspectors General have created management challenges reports identifying the most critical, systemic problems facing the agencies they oversee. Today’s report marks the first time that the Inspectors General, through CIGIE, have examined these reports from across the federal government to identify and analyze challenges that are common to their agencies.

United States Attorney Matthew D. Krueger for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on April 3, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a twenty-two count Indictment charging three defendants with a 12-year fraud and money laundering scheme involving over $200 million in government-funded contracts intended to benefit small businesses. The Indictment named individuals Brian L. Ganos (age: 57) of Muskego and Mark F. Spindler (age: 56) of Menomonee Falls, and the business Sonag Company, Inc. as defendants. In a related case, Nicholas Rivecca, Sr. (age: 68) of Hartland, agreed to plead guilty to an Information charging him with conspiring to defraud the United States.

Toyobo Co. Ltd. of Japan and its American subsidiary, Toyobo U.S.A. Inc., f/k/a Toyobo America Inc. (collectively, Toyobo), have agreed to pay $66 million to resolve claims under the False Claims Act that they sold defective Zylon fiber used in bullet proof vests that the United States purchased for federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, the Justice Department announced today.

On February 15, 2018, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Wellco Enterprises, Inc. (Wellco) and Tactical Holdings Operations, Inc. (Tactical Holdings), Vincent Lee Ferguson, 66, of Knoxville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Wellco’s former Senior Vice President of Sales, Matthew Lee Ferguson, 41, of Geneva, Illinois, and former Director of Marketing and Communications, Kerry Joseph Ferguson, 36, of Houston, Texas, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

A Utah man pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in federal court Tuesday afternoon for his role in a fraud scheme he devised to obtain government construction contracts set aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses.