The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio has announced the formation of a new interagency task force aimed at preventing procurement fraud and ensuring supply chain integrity. Known as the Supply Chain Oversight and Procurement Enforcement (SCOPE) Task Force, it was established in 2024 to bolster the efforts of the Government Supply Chain Investigations Unit (GSCIU). This unit is led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C.
The GSCIU focuses on investigating procurement and government contract fraud related to military, law enforcement, and public health sectors. It addresses issues such as substandard or fraudulent vaccines provided to veterans through Veterans Affairs and faulty electronics supplied to NASA or military operations. The unit also deals with counterfeit armor and munitions affecting law enforcement and military personnel.
U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio stated, "As the first of its kind in the district, this task force brings together the USAO’s white collar crime unit, Homeland Security Investigations, and numerous other federal investigative agencies to address large-scale supply chain and procurement fraud in government contracting." She added that vigilance is necessary concerning products entering government supply chains from prohibited sources or countries of concern due to potential national security risks.
The inaugural meeting of the task force is scheduled for early February. Discussions will focus on topics such as public health safety, vaccine fraud, counterfeit goods, intellectual property theft, and national security concerns. Participating regional federal agencies include FBI, NASA, HSI, NCIS, Intellectual Property Rights Center, Defense Criminal Investigative Services among others.