OIG in the News

ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage woman pleaded guilty today to embezzling nearly $175,000 from the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission (ANHSC), which was primarily funded through federal grants issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

A federal grand jury in Denver, Colorado, returned an indictment charging Norman W. Fries Inc., dba Claxton Poultry Farms (Claxton), headquartered in Claxton, Georgia, with participating in a nationwide conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products.

NEW ORLEANS – The United States Attorney's Office announced that JAMES TASSIN, age 50, of Harvey, pled guilty on March 18, 2021 to violating the Clean Water Act in connection with an oil spill in 2016.

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation (Pilgrim's), a major broiler chicken producer based in Greeley, Colorado, has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to pay approximately $107 million in criminal fines for its participation in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products, the Department of Justice announced today.

NEW ORLEANS – The United States Attorney's Office announced that JAMES TASSIN, age 50, of Harvey, was charged on January 25, 2021with violating the Clean Water Act in connection with an oil spill in 2016.

The College of Staten Island (CSI), a college within the City University of New York (CUNY), has agreed to repay $98,237.86 in federal assistance awarded by the United States to perform research with the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to resolve a federal investigation concerning alleged fabricated research results.

A federal grand jury in the U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado, returned a superseding indictment charging six additional defendants for their roles in a previously indicted conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products, and containing additional allegations against the previously charged defendants in the same conspiracy, the Department of Justice announced today.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Nigerian national was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for his role in a computer hacking and identity theft scheme that defrauded vendors of nearly $1 million of office products after 'phishing' e-mail login information from government employees, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Cory Collin Fitzgerald Sanders, age 39, of Hagerstown, Maryland, on federal charges of wire fraud, false claims, and aggravated identity theft in connection with his companies' performance on federal contracts. The indictment was returned on July 8, 2020, and was unsealed at his initial appearance yesterday.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville, has agreed to pay $1 million to settle claims that it did not properly account for certain rebates and credits the university received on purchases it made in connection with federal grants and awards (Federal Awards).