Lisa O. Monaco
U.S. Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | Federal Agencies
Recent News About Lisa O. Monaco
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Court halts Alabama voter roll purge ahead of election
A federal court in Alabama has issued an order halting a voter removal program recently implemented by the state. The program, aimed at removing voters from registration rolls, must be stopped until after the November 5 general election. The court also instructed Alabama to guide counties to reinstate deactivated voters unless they requested removal or qualify for other reasons. -
Accountants sentenced for roles in billion-dollar tax scheme
Two accountants have been sentenced to 20 months in prison each for their involvement in a billion-dollar tax scheme involving syndicated conservation easement tax shelters. Victor Smith, a CPA and founding partner of an Atlanta-based accounting firm, promoted and sold these tax deductions from at least 2014 through 2019. His actions resulted in approximately $14 million in false deductions, causing a $4.8 million loss to the IRS. He received $491,400 in commissions for his role. -
Kansas man sentenced for racially-motivated threats and housing interference
A Kansas man has been sentenced to 80 months in prison for issuing race-based threats and interfering with housing rights. Austin Schoemann, 31, from Wichita, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including interference with federally protected activities and interstate threats. -
Data center CEO charged with fraud over false certification claims
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has indicted a Maryland man on charges of major fraud against the United States and making false statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The indictment accuses Deepak Jain, 49, from Potomac, of participating in a scheme to mislead the SEC about his company's data center certification. -
Ohio man sentenced for concealing Croatian war crime charge
An Ohio resident, Jugoslav Vidic, has been sentenced to three years in prison for immigration fraud. Vidic, 56, of Parma Heights, concealed his past war crime charges in Croatia when applying for U.S. residency. According to court documents, he falsely claimed no legal charges and understated his military service history during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. -
Former Louisiana sheriff's deputy sentenced for civil rights violation
A former deputy from the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana, Javarrea Pouncy, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for assaulting a detainee. Pouncy, aged 31, admitted to using excessive force during a strip search in September 2019, where he and another deputy repeatedly punched the detainee who posed no threat. The assault led to severe injuries including a broken eye socket and nose. -
Albuquerque seeks partial end to police consent decree after achieving high compliance
The Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque have jointly filed a motion seeking court approval to terminate certain parts of the consent decree involving the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). This move follows an independent monitor's report indicating that APD has achieved full compliance with 99% of the decree's terms, marking its highest level of compliance. -
Connecticut fisherman sentenced for tax evasion on fishing income
A Connecticut man has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for tax evasion related to his earnings from commercial fishing activities in Massachusetts. -
Office of Information Policy releases summary of 2024 Chief FOIA Officer Reports
The Office of Information Policy (OIP) has released its summary and assessment of the 2024 Chief FOIA Officer (CFO) Reports from various agencies. The report focuses on improvements in five key areas: FOIA leadership, fair administration, proactive disclosures, technology utilization for efficiency, and removing access barriers. -
Virginia contractor settles over data security failures involving Medicare beneficiaries
ASRC Federal Data Solutions LLC (AFDS), based in Reston, Virginia, has agreed to settle allegations related to the False Claims Act. The allegations involve a government contract concerning the storage of unsecured personal information of Medicare beneficiaries. As part of the settlement, AFDS will pay $306,722 and forgo any reimbursement rights for costs incurred during a data breach remediation, including at least $877,578 spent on notifying affected individuals and providing credit monitoring services. -
California businessman receives prison sentence for over $1 million tax evasion
A California businessman has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for tax evasion, following a conviction for failing to pay over $1 million in individual and corporate income taxes owed to the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board. -
Former Air Force member charged with sexual assault at UK base
A former U.S. Air Force member has been indicted for a 2019 sexual assault at Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. The indictment, unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida, charges James Loubeau, 36, from Miami, with one count of sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact. -
Massachusetts man pleads guilty to sex trafficking linked with drug offenses
A Massachusetts man, Marvin Pompilus, 39, from Stoughton, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to sex trafficking and drug offenses. The charges include four counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. -
Justice Department monitors voting rights compliance in Portage County
The Justice Department has announced its intention to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Portage County, Ohio. This monitoring will occur during the early voting period and on Election Day. The department's role is to ensure that all citizens have access to the ballot without facing intimidation or threats. -
California home health agency settles over false claims act allegations
Allstar Health Providers Inc., a home health agency based in California, and its owner, Maria Chua, have reached a settlement with the United States to pay $399,990. This resolves allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by receiving and retaining more than one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan before December 31, 2020. -
Justice Department sues Virginia over alleged violation of federal voter registration law
The Justice Department has initiated legal action against the State of Virginia, its State Board of Elections, and the Virginia Commissioner of Elections. The lawsuit challenges a state program that aims to remove voters from election rolls too close to the upcoming November 5 general election, allegedly violating the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). -
Justice Department convenes interagency meeting on equity in artificial intelligence
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division recently held a meeting to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and civil rights. This marks the fourth gathering of its kind by the division, coinciding with the upcoming one-year anniversary of President Biden’s Executive Order on AI development and use. -
Justice Department sues South Bend over alleged discriminatory police hiring practices
The Justice Department has initiated legal action against the City of South Bend, Indiana, accusing it of discriminatory practices in its police officer hiring process. The lawsuit claims that the South Bend Police Department's (SBPD) methods violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by employing a written examination that discriminates against Black applicants and a physical fitness test that disadvantages female applicants. -
U.S. soldier sentenced for aiding ISIS in plot against American troops
Cole Bridges, also known as Cole Gonzales, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison followed by a decade of supervised release. The 24-year-old from Stow, Ohio, was convicted for attempting to provide material support to ISIS and plotting to murder U.S. military service members. Bridges pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023. -
TD Bank pleads guilty to money laundering conspiracy; agrees to $1.8 billion penalty
TD Bank, the tenth largest bank in the United States, and its parent company TD Bank US Holding Company have pleaded guilty to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and money laundering conspiracy. The plea agreement involves a penalty exceeding $1.8 billion to settle the Justice Department's investigation.