A federal jury in the Eastern District of Michigan convicted an Indian national for orchestrating a $2.8 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy and engaging in money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and witness tampering. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Yogesh Pancholi, 43, of Northville, Michigan, owned and operated Shring […]
A 13-count indictment was unsealed charging two pharmacists and a physician for their roles in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud, kickback, and money laundering scheme. According to court documents, Shalondria Simpson, 45, of Houston, is a pharmacist who owned and operated two pharmacies in Houston: Advance Pharmacy (Advance) and TruCare Pharmacy (TruCare). Simpson’s twin sister, […]
(Missouri Independent) – Parents in Boone County, Kentucky, were outraged this past January when a ninth grader who had been suspended a year earlier for threatening violence against his fellow students returned to class as soon as his punishment time was up. The parents packed a school board meeting, excoriating the county superintendent and other […]
(Missouri Independent) – As Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown, the White House Monday warned that a program that helps millions of low income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts. The White House released a state-by-state breakdown, estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, […]
A Florida man pleaded guilty to distributing at least $16.7 million of adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country. According to court documents, Armando Herrera, 43, of Miami, and his co-conspirators established companies in Florida, Texas, Washington, and California that they used to sell and distribute adulterated prescription drugs, […]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has endorsed the first-ever vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for pregnant individuals. This move aims to safeguard their newborns from severe RSV complications. RSV stands as the primary reason for hospital admissions among U.S. infants. The newly introduced vaccine, named Pfizer’s bivalent RSVpreF vaccine and […]
(Missouri Independent) – The White House announced the formation of an Office of Gun Violence Prevention that will help states and local governments as they implement a gun safety legislative package President Joe Biden signed into law last year. Lacking additional action in Congress to curb gun violence, “the Office of Gun Violence Prevention along […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched $4.6 billion in competitive grants to fund state, local, and tribal programs and policies that cut climate pollution, advance environmental justice, and deploy clean energy solutions across the country. As part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) competitions will enable community-driven solutions […]
A Kansas man pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, Grant Lubbers, 37, of Wichita was arrested in April 2021 in Andover, Kansas. Law enforcement had been investigating Lubbers for fentanyl trafficking. Using a search warrant, agents searched Lubbers’ vehicle and found a […]
Three men were sentenced on Friday in Las Vegas for perpetrating a prize-notification scheme that stole more than $10 million from elderly and vulnerable victims. Mario Castro, 55, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to 240 months in prison. Miguel Castro, 58, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to 235 months in prison. Jose Luis Mendez, 49, […]
In April, HHS announced the ‘HHS Bridge Access Program For COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments Program’(“Program”) to maintain broad access to COVID-19 vaccines for millions of uninsured Americans. This week, the Bridge Access Program officially launches, providing continued free coverage for the estimated 25-30 million adults who would have otherwise lost access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines […]
Two brothers pleaded guilty to their participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $7.6 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to court documents, between April and September 2020, Larry Jordan, 45, […]
(Missouri Independent) – Salaried workers who have been ineligible for overtime pay would benefit from a proposed Biden administration regulation. The Department of Labor’s new rule would require employers to compensate full-time workers in management, administrative, or other professional roles for any overtime worked if they make less than $55,068 annually. Currently, the salary threshold […]
(Missouri Independent) – More than 4 million federal student loan borrowers are enrolled in the Biden administration’s new repayment program, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Education. With the pause of more than three years on federal student loan repayments coming to an end in October, and the Supreme Court’s summer decision […]
David Guidry III, of Independence, Louisiana, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years supervised release, with the special condition that Guidry complete 30 hours of community service, for possession of animals in an animal fighting venture. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for the Eastern District of Louisiana […]
(Missouri Independent) – Select U.S. restaurants have begun serving laboratory-grown chicken, spurring long wait times for reservations by diners curious to taste it. In June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture gave final approval for a few California-based companies to begin selling lab-produced chicken across the country. While it may be years before lab-grown meat is […]
(Missouri Independent) – Republican lawmakers are concerned that the Biden administration is interpreting last year’s bipartisan gun safety law to cut funding for school archery and hunting programs, though programs themselves say they haven’t been affected. A provision in the law – a bipartisan effort to curb gun violence that established new criminal offenses, and expanded […]
As youth voter turnout increases, so do the barriers these voters face to participate in elections. Republican-led legislatures – including in New Hampshire – have introduced bills to prevent out-of-state college students from voting on campus, or ban the use of student IDs to register. President of NextGen America Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez said the bills are […]
A Mexican man has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute nine kilograms (19.8 lbs) of fentanyl bound for Massachusetts from California. Ricardo Peinado Rivera, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 26 months in prison. On May 24, 2023, Peinado Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute […]
A federal jury in the Western District of Arkansas convicted four men for their lead roles in an investment fraud and money laundering conspiracy that cheated victims out of more than $18 million. “The defendants abused their positions of trust to entice victims into parting with more than $18 million,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General […]
