The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

Colorado Man Who Plotted to Bomb Synagogue Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison

According to a Department of Justice press release dated February 26, 2021, Richard Holzer, 28, was sentenced in federal court for planning to blow up a synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado. Holzer pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and explosives charges and was given a sentence of over 19 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

Owner of Sport Supplement Company Sentenced for Unlawful Distribution of Steroid-Like Drugs

According to a Department of Justice press release from February 16, 2021, a North Carolina sport supplement company owner, Brian Michael Parks, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing unapproved new drugs with the intent to mislead and defraud the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and consumers. He was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

Slidebelts Inc. Reaches PPP Fraud Settlement with DOJ

The first civil settlement to resolve fraud allegations against the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been entered, according to a January 12, 2021 press release from the Department of Justice. The PPP was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide up to $349 billion to small businesses and corporations to keep them afloat. In December 2020, Congress authorized nearly $285 billion in additional Paycheck Protection Program funding.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

Multiple Arrests Made Following U.S. Capitol Riot, Massive Investigation Grows

According to a Department of Justice press release from January 8, thirteen people have already been charged in federal court following the violence at the Capitol on January 6. About 40 others are being charged in Superior Court. Additionally, over 25 cases have been opened to investigate possible domestic terrorism charges following the events that transpired at the Capitol.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

$7 Million in Iranian Assets Collected for Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism

A Department of Justice press release dated January 5, 2021 announced that the United States has collected $7 million in Iranian assets to be distributed to American victims of international state-sponsored terrorism. The funds were collected as a part of civil forfeiture investigation that led to millions of dollars being claimed from several Iranian nationals and others who attempted to circumvent U.S. economic sanctions on Iran.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

Government Contractor Agrees to Pay $11 Million for Criminal and Civil Cost Inflation Scheme

Schneider Electric Buildings Americas Inc. as agreed to pay $11 million to end criminal and civil investigations into the company’s fraudulent activity regarding contracts with the U.S. government. Schneider Electric has faced probes regarding their contracts to install a variety of energy saving upgrades to federal buildings. The company was contracted install solar panels, LED lighting, and insulation at federal facilities.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

DOJ Files Race Discrimination Lawsuit Against Housing Authority in Oklahoma

This week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a lawsuit against the Housing Authority of the Town of Lone Wolf, Oklahoma and two of its former employees. A DOJ press release from December 15, 2020 announced a lawsuit that alleges that former employees David Haynes and Myrna Hess violated the Fair Housing Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they refused an African-American woman’s housing application for her and her five-year-old daughter on the basis of race.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

Actions Taken Against 2,300 ‘Money Mules’ in Annual Initiative

Federal law enforcement has taken action to halt the conduct of over 2,300 “money mules” in the last two months, the Department of Justice recently announced. These actions occurred in every state in the country as part of the third annual Money Mule Initiative. This year’s effort almost quadrupled the 600 actions U.S. law enforcement took last year against money mules.

Read More
The Takedown FEDagent The Takedown FEDagent

DOJ Alleges Massachusetts Department of Corrections Conditions Violate the Constitution

A Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated November 17, 2020 alleges that conditions at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (MDOC) are violating the Constitution. A DOJ investigation concluded that the MDOC violates the eighth amendment rights of prisoners by denying them access to mental health services, not providing proper assistance when inmates are in a mental health crisis, and putting inmates on prolonged mental health watch in restrictive housing conditions. Prisoners in mental health crisis have engaged in self-harm leading to serious injury or death as a result of MDOC’s failures, according to the release.

Read More