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Tag: Federal

  • Two Federal Officers Fired Shots During Encounter That Killed Alex Pretti, DHS Tells Congress – KXL

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Two federal officers fired shots during the encounter that killed ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, a Customs and Border Protection official told Congress in a notice sent Tuesday.

    Officers tried to take Pretti into custody and he resisted, leading to a struggle, according to a notification to Congress obtained by The Associated Press. During the struggle, a Border Patrol agent yelled, “He’s got a gun!” multiple times, the official said.

    A Border Patrol officer and a CBP officer each fired Glock pistols, the notice said.

    Investigators from CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the analysis based on a review of body-worn camera footage and agency documentation, the notice said. The law requires the agency to inform relevant congressional committees about deaths in CBP custody within 72 hours.

    The notification came a day after President Donald Trump ordered border czar Tom Homan to take over his administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota following Pretti’s death, which was the second fatal shooting this month of a person at the hands of immigration law enforcement.

    Ecuador’s minister of foreign affairs, meanwhile, filed a protest with the U.S. Embassy after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tried to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis without permission Tuesday.

    A video of the attempt on social media shows a consulate staffer running to the door to turn the ICE agents away, telling them, “This is the Ecuadorian consulate. You’re not allowed to enter.” One ICE officer can be heard responding by threatening to “grab” the staffer if he touched the agent before agreeing to leave.

    International law generally prohibits law enforcement authorities from entering foreign consulates or embassies without permission, though sometimes permission may be assumed granted for life-threatening emergencies, like fires.

    “Consulate officials immediately prevented the ICE officer from entering the consular building, thus ensuring the protection of the Ecuadorians who were present at the time and activating the emergency protocols issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility,” the ministry wrote on X.

    A “note of protest” was filed with the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador so that similar attempts aren’t made at other consulates, the ministry said. The State Department, Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    Trump says a ‘big investigation’ is underway in Pretti’s killing
    By sending Homan to Minnesota, “we’re going to de-escalate a little bit,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’ “Will Cain Show.” That’s significant since White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, when questioned repeatedly Monday about Homan’s being dispatched to Minnesota, refused to say that doing so was an effort to calm the situation.

    The president added of Homan, “Tom, as tough as he is, gets along” with governors and mayors, even in Democratic areas.

    As he left the White House Tuesday, the president was asked whether Alex Pretti’s killing on Saturday was justified. He responded by saying that a “big investigation” was underway. In the hours after Pretti’s death, some administration officials sought to blame the shooting on the 37-year-old intensive care nurse.

    Trump said in an interview broadcast Tuesday that he had “great calls” with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday, mirroring comments he made immediately after the calls.

    The seemingly softer tone emerged as immigration agents were still active across the Twin Cities region, and it was unclear if officials had changed tactics following the shift by the White House.

    Walz’s office said Tuesday that the Democratic governor met with Homan and called for impartial investigations into the shootings involving federal officers. They agreed on the need to continue to talk, according to the governor.

    Frey and Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said they also met with Homan and had a “productive conversation.” The mayor added that city leaders would stay in discussion with the border czar.

    Homan posted on social media that the discussions “were a productive starting point.” Homan said that Walz, Frey, top law enforcement officials and he all agree that “we need to support our law enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets.”

    The White House had tried to blame Democratic leaders for the protests of immigration raids. But after Pretti’s killing and videos suggesting he was not an active threat, the administration tapped Homan to take charge of the Minnesota operation from Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.

    Trump says of sending Bovino to Minneapolis: ‘maybe it wasn’t good here.’
    Trump said Bovino, the go-to architect for the president’s large-scale city-by-city immigration crackdowns, was “very good” but added “he’s a pretty out-there kind of a guy” and “maybe it wasn’t good here.”

    Immigration enforcement activity witnessed by journalists in Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs on Tuesday appeared comparable with recent weeks. As before, most didn’t result in major confrontations with agents. Activists say they continue to monitor enforcement operations through social media and chats on messaging apps.

    In Texas, a federal judge issued a temporary order prohibiting the removal of a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father who were detained last week in Minnesota in an incident that further inflamed divisions on immigration under the Trump administration. U.S. Judge Fred Biery ruled Monday that any removal or transfer of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, is on hold while a court case proceeds.

    On Tuesday, federal immigration authorities released an Ecuadorian man whose detention led the chief federal judge in Minnesota to order the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear in his courtroom, the man’s attorney said.

    Attorney Graham Ojala-Barbour said the man, who is identified in court documents as “Juan T.R.,” was released in Texas. The lawyer said in an email to The Associated Press that he was notified in an email from the U.S. attorneys office in Minneapolis that his client had been freed.

    In an order dated Monday, Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz expressed frustration with the Trump administration’s handling of Juan’s and other immigration cases. He took the extraordinary step of ordering Todd Lyons, the acting director of ICE, to personally appear in his courtroom Friday.

    Schiltz had said in his order that he would cancel Lyons’ appearance if the man was released from custody.

    “This Court has been extremely patient with respondents, even though respondents decided to send thousands of agents to Minnesota to detain aliens without making any provision for dealing with the hundreds of habeas petitions and other lawsuits that were sure to result,” he wrote.

    Schiltz’s order followed a federal court hearing Monday on a request by the state and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul for a judge to halt the immigration enforcement surge. The judge in that case said she would prioritize the ruling but did not give a timeline for a decision.

    Schiltz wrote that he recognizes ordering the head of a federal agency to appear personally is extraordinary. “But the extent of ICE’s violation of court orders is likewise extraordinary, and lesser measures have been tried and failed,” he said.

    The Associated Press left messages Tuesday with ICE and a DHS spokesperson seeking a response.

    Jordan Vawter

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  • Shooting Involving Federal Agents In Portland – KXL

    PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal immigration officers shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, a day after an officer shot and killed a driver in Minnesota, authorities said.

    The Department of Homeland Security described the vehicle’s passenger as “a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” who had been involved in a recent shooting in Portland. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants Thursday afternoon, the driver tried to run them over, the department said in a written statement.

    “Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot,” the statement said. “The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene.”

    There was no immediate independent corroboration of those events or of any gang affiliation of the vehicle’s occupants. During prior shootings involving agents involved in President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement in U.S. cities, including Wednesday’s shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, video evidence cast doubt on the administration’s initial descriptions of what prompted the shootings.

    According to the the Portland Police bureau, officers initially responded to a report of a shooting near a hospital at about 2:18 p.m.

    A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in a residential area a couple of miles away. Officers then responded there and found the two people with apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured in the shooting with federal agents, police said.

    Their conditions were not immediately known. Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said during a Portland city council meeting that Thursday’s shooting took place in the eastern part of the city and that two Portlanders were wounded.

    “As far as we know both of these individuals are still alive and we are hoping for more positive updates throughout the afternoon,” she said.

    The shooting escalates tensions in an city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump’s recent, failed effort to deploy National Guard troops in the city.

    Portland police secured both the scene of the shooting and the area where the wounded people were found pending investigation.

    “We are still in the early stages of this incident,” said Chief Bob Day. “We understand the heightened emotion and tension many are feeling in the wake of the shooting in Minneapolis, but I am asking the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”

    Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the city council called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to end all operations in Oregon’s largest city until a full investigation is completed.

    “We stand united as elected officials in saying that we cannot sit by while constitutional protections erode and bloodshed mounts,” a joint statement said. “Portland is not a ‘training ground’ for militarized agents, and the ‘full force’ threatened by the administration has deadly consequences.”

    The city officials said “federal militarization undermines effective, community-based public safety, and it runs counter to the values that define our region. We’ll use every legal and legislative tool available to protect our residents’ civil and human rights.”

    They urged residents to show up with “calm and purpose during this difficult time.”

    “We respond with clarity, unity, and a commitment to justice,” the statement said. “We must stand together to protect Portland.”

    U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, urged any protesters to remain peaceful.

    “Trump wants to generate riots,” he said in a post on the X social media platform. “Don’t take the bait.”

    Tim Lantz

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  • What To Know About Trump Administration Freezing Federal Child Care Funds – KXL

    The Trump administration has said it is freezing child care funds to all states until they provide more verification and administrative data about the programs in a move fueled by a series of fraud schemes at Minnesota day care centers run by Somali residents.

    All 50 states will be impacted by the review, but the Republican administration is focusing most of its ire on the blue state of Minnesota. Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement Wednesday that he was “exploring all our legal options to ensure that critical childcare services do not get abruptly slashed based on pretext and grandstanding.”

    Minnesota will face additional hurdles to restart child care funding by needing to provide even more verification for child care centers in the state that are suspected of fraud. The administration is also calling for an audit of some Minnesota child care centers after a series of fraud schemes involving government programs in the state in recent years.

    It is unclear how much more robust the verification process for states will be than it was before the new measures were implemented.

    Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill called it a response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country” in a social media post announcing the change on Tuesday. Officials are also requiring all states to provide additional verification to get child care funds.

    Here are some things to know about these moves:

    More verification needed for all states to get child care funds
    All 50 states will have to provide additional levels of verification and administrative data before they receive more funding from the Child Care and Development Fund, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson. However, before Minnesota can receive child care funds again, it will have to provide even more verification for child care centers in that state that are suspected of fraud, such as attendance and licensing records, past enforcement actions and inspection reports.

    In his post on Tuesday, O’Neill said all Administration for Children and Families payments nationwide would require “justification and a receipt or photo evidence” before money is sent, but the HHS spokesperson said Wednesday that the additional verifications only apply to CCDF payments.

    Walz says Trump is politicizing the issue
    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, said in a social media post that fraudsters are a serious issue that the state has spent years cracking down on but that this move is part of “Trump’s long game.”

    “He’s politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans,” Walz said.

    State Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy condemned the move in a statement Wednesday.

    “Republicans are playing sick games and winning devastating prizes,” Murphy said. “And now, tens of thousands of Minnesota families will pay the price as Donald’s Trump’s agents strip away crucial funding. Our day care system is already stressed; this reckless decision could force a collapse that affects all of us.”

    Fraud investigations could stretch to other programs, states
    The administration launched efforts in recent weeks to track down fraud in other programs in Minnesota and is looking at fraud in other states. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview with “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that the administration is considering similar fraud investigations in other blue states, such as California and New York.

    The administration will continue to send officers to investigate “potential fraud sites” in Minnesota and deport undocumented immigrants, Leavitt said, adding that the Department of Homeland Security is considering plans to denaturalize citizens.

    The Department of Labor is also investigating the state’s unemployment insurance program, Leavitt said. The administration this month threatened to withhold SNAP food aid funding from Democratic-controlled states, including Minnesota, unless they provide information about people receiving assistance. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in December sent Minnesota a letter threatening to disqualify it from SNAP and cut funding unless it recertified the eligibility for over 100,000 households and interviewed them in-person within 30 days, according to a lawsuit filed by Minnesota’s attorney general, who Leavitt criticized.

    Attention focused on Minnesota
    The announcement came a day after U.S. Homeland Security officials conducted a fraud investigation in Minneapolis, questioning workers at unidentified businesses. Trump has criticized Walz’s administration over the cases, capitalizing on them to target the Somali diaspora in the state, which has the largest Somali population in the U.S.

    In his post Tuesday, O’Neill, who is serving as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, referenced a right-wing influencer who posted a video last week claiming he found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud.

    Meanwhile, there are concerns about harassment that home-based day care providers and members of the Somali community nationwide might face amid the vitriol, including Trump’s comments earlier this month, referring to Somali immigrants as “garbage.” Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown released a statement about home-based day care providers being harassed and accused of fraud, saying, “Showing up on someone’s porch, threatening, or harassing them isn’t an investigation. Neither is filming minors who may be in the home.”

    Jordan Vawter

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  • Federal Judge Says Trump Administration Must Restore Disaster Money To Democratic States – KXL

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters is photographed in Washington, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to reallocate federal Homeland Security funding away from states that refuse to cooperate with certain federal immigration enforcement.

    U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy’s ruling on Monday solidified a win for the coalition of 12 attorneys general that sued the administration earlier this year after being alerted that their states would receive drastically reduced federal grants due to their “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

    In total, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency reduced more than $233 million from Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. The money is part of a $1 billion program where allocations are supposed to be based on assessed risks, with states then largely passing most of the money on to police and fire departments.

    The cuts were unveiled shortly after a separate federal judge in a different legal challenge ruled it was unconstitutional for the federal government to require states to cooperate on immigration enforcement actions to get FEMA disaster funding.

    In her 48-page ruling, McElroy found that the federal government was weighing states’ police on federal immigration enforcement on whether to reduce federal funding for the Homeland Security Grant Program and others.

    “What else could defendants’ decisions to cut funding to specific counterterrorism programming by conspicuous round numbered amounts — including by slashing off the millions-place digits of awarded sums — be if not arbitrary and capricious? Neither a law degree nor a degree in mathematics is required to deduce that no plausible, rational formula could produce this result,” McElroy wrote.

    The Trump-appointed judge then ordered the Department of Homeland Security to restore the previously announced funding allocations to the plaintiff states.

    “Defendants’ wanton abuse of their role in federal grant administration is particularly troublesome given the fact that they have been entrusted with a most solemn duty: safeguarding our nation and its citizens,” McElroy wrote. “While the intricacies of administrative law and the terms and conditions on federal grants may seem abstract to some, the funding at issue here supports vital counterterrorism and law enforcement programs.”

    McElroy notably cited the recent Brown University attack, where a gunman killed two students and injured nine others, as an event where the $1 billion federal program would be vital in responding to such a tragedy.

    “To hold hostage funding for programs like these based solely on what appear to be defendants’ political whims is unconscionable and, at least here, unlawful,” the Rhode Island-based judge wrote in her ruling, issued little more than a week after the Brown shooting.

    Emails seeking comment were sent to the DHS and FEMA.

    “This victory ensures that the Trump Administration cannot punish states that refuse to help carry out its cruel immigration agenda, particularly by denying them lifesaving funding that helps prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell in a statement.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • Miami judge sentences man to prison for role in Jackson exec’s fraud scheme

    Yergan Jones, CEO of American Sound Design and AEE Productions, was sentenced Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Miami federal court to one year and nine months in prison for his role in the fraud scheme of former Jackson Health Foundation executive.

    Yergan Jones, CEO of American Sound Design and AEE Productions, was sentenced Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Miami federal court to one year and nine months in prison for his role in the fraud scheme of former Jackson Health Foundation executive.

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    Betrayal of Trust

    Former Jackson Health Foundation COO Charmaine Gatlin pled guilty to bilking millions in charity funds. A look at the investigation.

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    An Atlanta businessman who paid millions in bribes to an executive for the charity arm of Miami-Dade County’s public hospital system was sentenced Monday to one year and nine months in prison — thanks to his cooperation with federal authorities early on in the fraud investigation.

    Yergan Jones, 63, president of an audiovisual company, pleaded guilty in August in Miami federal court to conspiring to commit fraud with Jackson Health Foundation’s former chief operating officer, Charmaine Gatlin. She approved 53 wire payments totaling $2.1 million to Jones, even though he provided no services to the Foundation between 2019 and 2024.

    In return, Jones kicked back 74 payments via wires and checks totaling about $1.1 million to Gatlin, 52, who used the money to buy luxury Italian and French handbags, vacations in the Caribbean and a membership at an upscale golf club near her home in Weston.

    READ MORE: How a Girl Scouts bill exposed Jackson charity executive’s $7M fraud

    During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra chastised the out-of-towner for conspiring with Gatlin to steal millions of dollars from the nonprofit charity benefitting the county-subsidized Jackson Health System, as she stressed the importance of its healthcare services, especially for Miami-Dade low-income patients.

    Where did the money go?

    “In terms of fraud, this is as serious as it gets,” Becerra told Jones. “This is absolute rank, gross, disgusting greed.”

    At one point, the judge asked Jones’ defense attorney what the defendant did with the $1 million he kept in the billing scheme directed by Gatlin. “Where is that money?” Becerra asked.

    “Some of it went into his business,” attorney Hector Flores told her. “Some of it went into everyday life,” including a leased Porsche.

    In addition to prison time, the judge ordered Jones to pay about $2.1 million in restitution to Jackson Health System, along with imposing a $1.1 million forfeiture judgment that represents his portion of the ill-gotten funds stolen from the Foundation.

    According to court records, Jones plans to make a payment this month of $783,000 — funds that will go toward repaying the Foundation that raises money for Jackson Health System. Jones said he plans to sell his Atlanta business and other assets to pay back more of the stolen money.

    “I will continue to work until every dollar is repaid,” Jones told the judge, as he apologized for his crime. “I stand before you today fully accountable.”

    Becerra reluctantly allowed Jones to surrender on Feb. 21 to prison authorities in Atlanta, mainly because the judge said she wanted him to sell his audiovisual business and repay as much money as possible to the Foundation and Jackson. She almost made him surrender at the end of January, but allowed him a few extra weeks of freedom after he said that his daughter will be getting married in mid-February.

    The judge reached her decision on Jones’ prison term after federal prosecutor Elizabeth Young recommended that he receive a one-third reduction on his originally recommended sentence of 2-1/2 years because of his early assistance to the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami.

    While Young called his crime “an obviously egregious fraud scheme” because the Foundation and Jackson received no services for his theft, she noted that Jones is at least trying to back the stolen funds.

    She also pointed out that his co-conspirator, Gatlin, the leader of the billing scheme, committed a far worse crime, including stealing $55,000 in charity funds meant for burn victims at Jackson.

    Stealing funds meant for Jackson patients

    At Monday’s sentencing nearing, the Foundation’s chief executive officer, Flavia Llizo, said Gatlin and Jones “didn’t just steal money. They stole hope.”

    “They chose to steal from people they never met — patients fighting for their lives, families in crisis, neighbors who depend on Jackson for hope and healing,” Llizo told the judge.

    By comparison, last Wednesday, Gatlin was given a harsher sentence of six years and eight months by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom. She pleaded guilty in September to a wire-fraud conspiracy charge accusing her of stealing about $7 million from her employer, involving Jones and several other vendors.

    An unidentified man, left, escorts Arthur Gatlin and his wife Charmaine Gatlin, right, the former chief operating officer of the Jackson Health Foundation, for sentencing at Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Courthouse on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, in Miami, Florida.
    An unidentified man, left, escorts Arthur Gatlin and his wife Charmaine Gatlin, right, the former chief operating officer of the Jackson Health Foundation, for sentencing at Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Courthouse on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Miami, Florida. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com

    Gatlin, who was immediately sent to prison, must repay that sum to the Foundation — though she was only able to pledge $30,000 borrowed from a family member. She also faces a $1 million forfeiture judgment that accounts for the illicit funds Jones kicked back to her.

    READ MORE: She embezzled millions from Miami’s public hospital charity. Here’s how she did it

    Gatlin came to know Jones when they worked on charitable projects for a mentorship organization in Atlanta, where she had worked before she was hired by the Foundation in 2014.

    Before Jackson officials learned of her theft of the Foundation’s funds in the fall of 2024, Gatlin was making about $300,000 as the Foundation’s chief operating officer and was being considered for its top job as chief executive officer.

    Terminated in November

    But in late October, she was put on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation “related to potential misconduct” got underway. In early November, she was “terminated for cause” by the Foundation’s chairman. Her termination letter, obtained by the Miami Herald, did not elaborate.

    Jackson officials alerted the FBI and federal prosecutors.

    In May, Gatlin was arrested on charges of fleecing $3.6 million from her former employer, fabricating fake invoices from vendors — including Jones — and receiving kickbacks from them. Her defrauding of the Foundation, however, surpassed that figure as FBI agents dug deeper into her theft. Her billing scheme also extended well beyond Miami, according to an indictment and other court records.

    In his plea, Jones admitted that he submitted dozens of invoices to Gatlin through his company, American Sound Design, that were for “audiovisual services that did not occur” at Jackson Health System or the Foundation.

    Instead, those services were provided by his company to a civic organization in Atlanta, according to court records. The Herald confirmed that the organization is 100 Black Men of America, with chapters nationwide including South Florida. While at the Foundation, Gatlin continued to work with them as a part-time volunteer while Jones was a contractor for the organization.

    “At times, Charmaine Gatlin instructed [Jones] how to falsify invoices to the Foundation for services ASD did not provide,” according to a factual statement filed with his plea agreement signed by him, defense lawyer Hector Flores and the prosecutor, Young.

    For example, on Jan. 7, 2024, Jones emailed Gatlin’s personal email with a draft invoice extending audiovisual equipment at the Jackson “Holiday Parties” for two “additional days” for a total of $50,172.50, the statement says. The following day, Gatlin responded: “Get [the bill] to $58,477. When you email it over ask for the status of the payment.”

    On Jan. 16, Gatlin wired that same amount to the bank account of Jones’ company, ASD, which did not provide the invoiced audiovisual services at Jackson or the Foundation, according to the statement. Two days later, Jones wired a kickback of about $25,000 to Gatilin’s personal bank account — then, Jones made a $20,000 payment on his American Express card using the Jackson funds.

    In other instances, “to conceal the kickbacks, Charmaine Gatlin sent [Jones] false invoices making it appear as though she was consulting for” his company, American Sound Design, the statement says.

    On Jan. 31, 2021, for example, Gatlin emailed Jones the following false invoices: Jackson Rehab Ribbon Cutting ($29,625); MTI 50th Anniversary/Jungle Island ($21,625); Virtual Conference Jackson Residents ($26,215), and Jackson Covid Media Village ($43,562.50).

    “These payments were kickbacks to Charmaine Gatlin for paying [American Sound Design] via the Foundation,” the statement says.

    At Jones’ sentencing on Monday, Becerra zeroed on how long he collaborated with Gatlin in her billing scheme over six years. She discounted the words of a few of his supporters who appeared in court, including a pastor from his church in Atlanta.

    “It went to line your pockets so you could live a life better than the life you were living,” Becerra told Jones. “I cannot understand how you ended up doing this except for greed.”

    This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM.

    Jay Weaver

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  • Miami investment advisor faces prison after pleading guilty to $94 million swindle


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    A former investment advisor who lived in a Coconut Grove luxury high-rise condo has pleaded guilty to directing a Ponzi scheme that fleeced $94 million from Venezuelan investors and Catholic dioceses in the South American country over the past two decades.

    Andrew H. Jacobus, 64, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and money laundering this month. He now faces 15 years or more in prison at his sentencing in early February in Miami federal court after admitting that he bilked dozens of Venezuelans living in South Florida and abroad, according to his plea agreement and other court records.

    Jacobus, who was granted a bond after his arrest in July and now lives in a Fort Lauderdale apartment, must repay the victims of his investment scheme and assist federal investigators in tracking down their stolen funds, but it’s unclear from court records how much the former investment advisor still has available in assets.

    Jacobus induced the various Venezuelans — including a nonprofit group that supports the retirement and healthcare of Catholic priests — to invest tens of millions of dollars by promising them high-yield returns on fixed-income funds under his companies’ control, says a factual statement filed with his plea agreement. Jacobus admitted that he used those funds to pay off some investors while stealing from others to enrich himself between 2004 and 2024, the statement says.

    Jacobus, who operated two Coral Gables-based businesses, Finser International Corp. and Kronus Financial Corp., promised yearly investment returns of 12% to 15% on certificates of deposit and other fixed-income securities as he secretly swindled investors until some learned of his theft in 2022 and complained to federal authorities, leading to an Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation and grand jury indictment filed in Miami this year.

    Fictitious account statements

    The factual statement, underscoring Jacobus’ guilty pleas to two counts in the indictment, notes that one Venezuelan investor transferred $1 million to a Kronus bank account in July 2020 “based on the defendant’s false representations that the money would be used for investment purposes.” Instead, Jacobus moved $120,000 from that account to another so that he could pay other investors to perpetuate his international Ponzi scheme.

    “To conceal his fraud, Jacobus would create and provide to the victims fictitious account statements or balances purporting to show the investment portfolio and related balances, when in fact the victims’ accounts had significantly smaller balances,” Jacobus admitted in the factual statement signed by him, his defense attorney, Bruce Lehr, and federal prosecutor Robert Moore.

    In addition to the indictment, the Securities and Exchange Commission also sued Jacobus and his companies, alleging he committed the same fraud scheme in a civil lawsuit.

    The Venezuelan investors — 10 people are listed by their initials and two others as faith-based organizations in the indictment — turned to the United States as a safe haven to protect their money as their country collapsed economically during the administrations of the late President Hugo Chavez and current leader Nicolas Maduro.

    At least five lawsuits in Miami-Dade

    In recent years, several investors sued Jacobus and his firm, accusing them of fraud and civil theft involving tens of millions of dollars, according to civil court filings. They also notified the SEC, which had sanctioned Jacobus over pocketing exorbitant fees in a cease-and-desist order in 2020 when he and his firm, Finser International Corp., managed about $79 million in investment funds.

    Among Jacobus’ investment victims: a wealthy businessman who owns a crane business, a plastic surgeon and a renowned sculptor, all from Venezuela, according to court records.

    Jacobus’ investors accused the investment advisor of withholding and misappropriating their funds after they demanded he return their money, according to at least five lawsuits filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

    Miami attorney Michael Padula, who filed three of those suits against the former investment advisor, said Jacobus “preyed on churches and hard-working entrepreneurs and investors and cost people their life savings.”

    The first two cases accusing Jacobus of fraud and other civil violations were brought in 2022 by Padula, a former prosecutor at the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office who had focused on white-collar crime. Padula accused Jacobus of running a “Ponzi scheme” by using newer investors’ money to pay off older ones — an allegation that caught the attention of other Venezuelans who invested millions of dollars with Jacobus.

    Padula’s clients, Fermin Suarez, a wealthy Venezuelan crane business owner, and Tubalcain Morales, who lives in Venezuela and Spain, reached respective settlements with Jacobus totaling about $18.5 million and $650,000, according to court records. Jacobus made a few payments to both men, then defaulted, Padula said.

    Padula’s third client, Manuel Egea, a plastic surgeon residing in Venezuela, also filed suit in Miami, claiming he invested his “life savings” of about $9.5 million with Jacobus. The surgeon’s money was mostly placed in fixed-income investment funds that regularly yielded substantial monthly returns for years, his lawsuit states. But in 2023, Egea claims in his suit, the payments stopped, despite “several written requests to withdraw portions of [his] investment.”

    Egea received a final judgment for his loss against Jacobus’ entities for $30 million, Padula said. But recovering funds from Jacobus or his companies has proven difficult, he said.

    ‘Jacobus had cleaned out her account’

    Court records show other victims: Beatriz Aleman, an investment manager herself, and her husband, James Mathison, a sculptor whose work has been exhibited at shows in Miami, Venezuela and Europe, had an investment relationship with Jacobus dating back to 2012.

    In their lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, the couple said they invested about $2 million with Jacobus through the fall of 2022 and Aleman herself referred more than 20 investors to him over the past decade.

    The couple’s lawyer, Clarissa Rodriguez, said that before filing suit, she sent a letter to Jacobus demanding that he return the couple’s money — but he refused. The couple pursued legal action against Jacobus after they initially asked him to turn over about $760,000 in savings that he invested with the discount online firm, Interactive Brokers.

    According to the couple’s suit, Aleman grew suspicious of Jacobus when she asked him to transfer $200,000 from her Interactive account to her bank in May 2023.

    In an email, Aleman gave him instructions on where to wire the money, but Jacobus gave her excuses about transferring it, according to the suit. She then asked for a conference call with Jacobus, and he responded in an email that he was tired of repeating himself “ad nauseum” on the phone about the reasons for the delay. But they had never talked on the phone about the money transfer, leading Aleman to believe Jacobus “gaslighted” her, according to the couple’s suit.

    Aleman learned from Interactive that her log-in credentials no longer existed and that the email address on file for her account had been changed to Jacobus’, the suit states. She found out that “Jacobus had cleaned out her account,” leaving Aleman with only $15,000 in savings at Interactive. A representative told Aleman that the monthly statements Jacobus had sent her showing her savings intact were “fake.”

    On June 21, 2023, Jacobus admitted that he took her money for his own personal needs.

    “I want to begin this note by asking for your forgiveness,” Jacobus emailed Aleman in Spanish, which was translated in the couple’s court filing. “I needed to make an urgent payment and without consulting you first, I boldly borrowed funds in your account at Interactive, with all the intention of returning them to you with a 15% return and without causing you any loss.”

    But Aleman and her husband, Mathison, never got back their money, according to their lawyer.

    Jay Weaver writes about federal crime at the crossroads of South Florida and Latin America. Since joining the Miami Herald in 1999, he’s covered the federal courts nonstop, from Elian Gonzalez’s custody battle to Alex Rodriguez’s steroid abuse. He was part of the Herald teams that won the 2001 and 2022 Pulitzer Prizes for breaking news on Elian’s seizure by federal agents and the collapse of a Surfside condo building killing 98 people. He and three Herald colleagues were 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalists for explanatory reporting on gold smuggling between South America and Miami.

    Jay Weaver

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  • Cuban military veteran charged with visa, residency fraud in Florida

    A veteran of the Cuban Air Force has been arrested on charges of lying to the federal government when he applied for a visa and permanent residency in the United States by omitting his military history, authorities said Wednesday.

    Luis Raul Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez, 64, pleaded not guilty last week in Jacksonville federal court to charges of committing fraud on his visa form and making a false statement on his residency application to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. On Friday, a magistrate judge ordered that he be held before trial because he was deemed a risk of flight to Cuba.

    He was appointed a lawyer with the Federal Public Defender’s Office. His trial was scheduled for Jan. 6, 2026.

    If convicted, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

    “This man’s past as a longtime military pilot for the evil Castro regime — which has wrought untold suffering on the Cuban people — should have been front and center in his immigration file,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “This Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who lies about their past to take advantage of America’s immigration system.”

    According to an indictment, Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez submitted false applications in May 2017 for a U.S. visa and again in April 2025 for permanent residency with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In both instances, he omitted his prior membership in the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force from 1980 to 2009, the indictment says.

    Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez is accused of falsely stating he had never served in the Cuban military, when in reality, he had been a member of the country’s Air Defense Force for nearly three decades.

    A photo included in the indictment shows Gonzalez-Pardo Rodriguez actively serving in the Cuban military.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI in Miami and Jacksonville and prosecuted by federal prosecutors Kelly Milliron and Abbie Waxman.

    Jay Weaver

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  • President Trump urges Republicans to reopen government as shutdown marks longest in US history

    The government shutdown has reached its 36th day, the longest in U.S. history, as President Donald Trump pressures Republicans to end the Senate filibuster in order to reopen the government.”It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do, and that’s terminate the filibuster. It’s the only way you can do it,” Trump told senators Wednesday at the White House.The filibuster is a Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. Ending the filibuster would allow Republicans to pass a bill with a simple majority, but several Republicans warn that when Democrats are in power, they’d be able to do the same thing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said after breakfast at the White House, “It’s just not happening.”The president also said the shutdown was a “big factor, negative” in Tuesday’s election results.”Countless public servants are now not being paid and the air traffic control system is under increasing strain. We must get the government back open soon and really immediately,” Trump said.The shutdown is hitting home for many Americans, with lines stretching at food banks across the country as SNAP benefits are delayed and reduced for more than 40 million Americans. After-school programs that depend on federal dollars are closing. The Transportation Secretary said, starting Friday, there will be a 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports across the country.Republicans have pushed to reopen the government with a short-term spending bill. Democrats have rejected those bills, arguing that Republicans are leaving out a key provision: restoring expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans lower their health-insurance costs. Democrats say passing a short-term bill without those subsidies would leave families facing sudden premium spikes.”The election results ought to send a much needed bolt of lightning to Donald Trump that he should meet with us to end this crisis,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “The American people have spoken last night. End the shutdown, end the healthcare crisis, sit down and talk with us.”Republicans have said they’re willing to negotiate ACA subsidies, but only after the shutdown is over.See more government shutdown coverage from the Washington News Bureau:

    WASHINGTON —

    The government shutdown has reached its 36th day, the longest in U.S. history, as President Donald Trump pressures Republicans to end the Senate filibuster in order to reopen the government.

    “It’s time for Republicans to do what they have to do, and that’s terminate the filibuster. It’s the only way you can do it,” Trump told senators Wednesday at the White House.

    The filibuster is a Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. Ending the filibuster would allow Republicans to pass a bill with a simple majority, but several Republicans warn that when Democrats are in power, they’d be able to do the same thing.

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune said after breakfast at the White House, “It’s just not happening.”

    The president also said the shutdown was a “big factor, negative” in Tuesday’s election results.

    “Countless public servants are now not being paid and the air traffic control system is under increasing strain. We must get the government back open soon and really immediately,” Trump said.

    The shutdown is hitting home for many Americans, with lines stretching at food banks across the country as SNAP benefits are delayed and reduced for more than 40 million Americans. After-school programs that depend on federal dollars are closing.

    The Transportation Secretary said, starting Friday, there will be a 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports across the country.

    Republicans have pushed to reopen the government with a short-term spending bill. Democrats have rejected those bills, arguing that Republicans are leaving out a key provision: restoring expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that help millions of Americans lower their health-insurance costs. Democrats say passing a short-term bill without those subsidies would leave families facing sudden premium spikes.

    “The election results ought to send a much needed bolt of lightning to Donald Trump that he should meet with us to end this crisis,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “The American people have spoken last night. End the shutdown, end the healthcare crisis, sit down and talk with us.”

    Republicans have said they’re willing to negotiate ACA subsidies, but only after the shutdown is over.

    See more government shutdown coverage from the Washington News Bureau:

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  • Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration From Deploying Troops In Portland – KXL

    PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A federal judge in Oregon temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from deploying the National Guard in Portland, ruling in a lawsuit brought by the state and city.

    U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut issued the order pending further arguments in the suit. The plaintiffs say a deployment would violate the U.S. Constitution as well as a federal law that generally prohibits the military from being used to enforce domestic laws.

    Immergut wrote that the case involves the intersection of three fundamental democratic principles: “the relationship between the federal government and the states, between the military and domestic law enforcement, and the balance of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.

    “Whether we choose to follow what the Constitution mandates with respect to these three relationships goes to the heart of what it means to live under the rule of law in the United States,” she wrote.

    Generally speaking the president is allowed “a great level of deference” to federalize National Guard troops in situations where regular law enforcement forces are not able to execute the laws of the United States, the judge said, but that has not been the case in Portland.

    Plaintiffs were able to show that the demonstrations at the Portland immigration facility were not significantly violent or disruptive in the days or weeks leading up to the president’s order, the judge wrote, and “overall, the protests were small and uneventful.”

    “The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.”

    The Defense Department had said it was placing 200 members of Oregon’s National Guard under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property at locations where protests are occurring or likely to occur after Trump called the city “war-ravaged.”

    Oregon officials said that description was ludicrous. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in the city has recently been the site of nightly protests, which typically drew a couple dozen people in recent weeks before the deployment was announced.

    Trump The Republican president has deployed or threatened to deploy troops in several U.S. cities, particularly ones led by Democrats, including Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago and Memphis. Speaking Tuesday to U.S. military leaders in Virginia, the president proposed using cities as training grounds for the armed forces.

    Last month a federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of some 4,700 National Guard soldiers and Marines in Los Angeles earlier this year was illegal, but he allowed the 300 who remain in the city to stay as long as they do not enforce civilian laws.

    As for Portland, the Defense Department announced that it was placing 200 members of Oregon’s National Guard under federal control for 60 days to protect federal property at locations where protests are occurring or likely to occur.

    That announcement came after Trump called “war-ravaged” in late September, a characterization that Oregon officials called ludicrous while saying they do not need or want federal troops there.

    The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has been the site of nightly protests, and the demonstrations and occasional clashes with law enforcement have been limited to a one-block area in a city that covers about 145 square miles (375 square km) and has about 636,000 residents.

    A handful of immigration and legal advocates often gather at the building during the day. At night, recent protests have typically drawn a couple dozen people.

    A larger crowd demonstrated Sept. 28 following the announcement of the guard deployment. The Portland Police Bureau, which has said it does not participate in immigration enforcement and only intervenes in the protests if there is vandalism or criminal activity, arrested two people on assault charges.

    A peaceful march earlier that day drew thousands to downtown and saw no arrests, police said.

    Trump sent federal officers to Portland over the objections of local and state leaders in 2020 during long-running racial justice protests following George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police. The administration sent hundreds of agents for the stated purpose of protecting the federal courthouse and other federal property from vandalism.

    That deployment antagonized demonstrators and prompted nightly clashes. Federal officers fired rubber bulled and used tear gas.

    Viral videos captured federal officers arresting people and hustling them into unmarked vehicles. A report by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general found that while the federal government had legal authority to deploy the officers, many of them lacked the training and equipment necessary for the mission.

    The government agreed this year to settle an excessive force lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union by paying compensating several plaintiffs for their injuries.

    Grant McHill

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  • Washington Spirit offers ticket deals for furloughed workers

    (Photo credit: Hannah Foslien-Imagn Images)

    The NWSL’s Washington Spirit have offered free and discounted tickets to furloughed federal employees for Sunday’s match with the San Diego Wave on Sunday, Oct. 5.

    The 200 tickets that were offered via voucher were quickly claimed on Wednesday as the federal government was shut down.

    The club will also offer a limited number of $10 tickets to friends and families of the furloughed employees. Sunday’s game is nearly a sell-out at Audi Stadium, which holds 14,900 fans and is the home to the Spirit and the MLS’s DC United.

    ‘This is not a political statement,’ team CEO Kim Stone told The Athletic. ‘This is us saying you’re hurting, we see you, we want to help you. This is about kindness, love, and a sense of community. We’re not trying to be antagonists. On the contrary, we’re trying to be kind, inclusive, celebrate and give hope to people who you know need a little inspiration today.’

    The Spirit clinched a playoff berth with a resounding 4-0 win over Houston on Sunday. They reside in second place in the league standings and could sew up home-field advantage in the early stages of the playoffs with a win over San Diego and help from some other teams.

    Stone is considering extending the ticket offers to the team’s final regular season home game on Oct. 18 vs. Orlando and into the playoffs.

    –Field Level Media

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  • Portland Man Charged With Assaulting Federal Officer Near ICE Facility – KXL


    PORTLAND, Ore. – A Portland man was charged in federal court Monday after allegedly assaulting a federal officer during a protest near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland.

    Devin P. Montgomery, 49, faces one felony count of assaulting a federal officer.

    Federal court documents allege that on Sept. 4, Montgomery was seen operating a drone in a federally restricted airspace near the ICE building. Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers reportedly warned him that drone flights were prohibited in the area due to a Federal Aviation Administration restriction.

    Authorities said Montgomery ignored the warning and continued flying the drone. When approached by officers, he allegedly became belligerent and cursed at them. After being arrested, Montgomery allegedly spit in an officer’s face.

    Montgomery made his initial court appearance Monday before a U.S. magistrate judge and was released pending further proceedings.

    The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of up to eight years in federal prison if convicted.

    More about:


    Grant McHill

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  • Canadian citizen of Chinese origin deported for spying on US space force base

    Washington DC [US] August 29 (ANI): A Canadian citizen originally from China has been removed from the United States after being placed on probation for unlawfully using a drone to photograph a US defence facility, as reported by The Epoch Times (TET).

    A judge in Florida has sentenced Xiao Guang Pan, a resident of Brampton, Ontario, to 12 months of probation and has mandated his deportation to Canada. Earlier this year, Pan was charged by the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida with three offences related to utilising a drone to capture images of defence installations and equipment at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base (CCSFS) in Florida. He later admitted guilt to all three charges, as indicated in a court document filed on June 18, cited in the TET report.

    Pan, who was born in China, relocated to Canada in 2001, according to a biography provided by the Brampton Arts Organisation. He is characterised as an ‘enthusiastic’ drone photographer and videographer and previously worked at Best Buy for 18 years until his retirement in 2022. Between January 5 and 7, Pan captured nearly 250 drone photos and videos of ‘vital’ military installations at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as noted in the court document signed by Pan.

    This space force base supports the US’s space launch capabilities and features space launch complexes as well as US Navy submarine wharves. Under US federal law, unauthorised photography of significant defence installations or equipment is strictly prohibited, as highlighted by the TET report.

    NASA identified drone activity in the vicinity of the space force base on January 7 and notified local authorities, who subsequently discovered Pan operating a drone, a Mavic 3 Pro model manufactured by the Chinese company DJI, from a nearby parking lot. An investigation of Pan’s drone and phone revealed that he had taken 243 photographs and 13 videos of the military structures at the space force station.

    ‘At no time did Pan seek or obtain permission to capture images or videos of CCSFS,’ states the court document. The structures documented in Pan’s photos and videos included space launch complexes, a payload processing facility, mission control and power distribution systems, security checkpoints, and fuel and munitions bunkers.

    Pan’s situation has been investigated by several US security and intelligence entities, which include Homeland Security Investigations, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the TET report. (ANI)

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  • Graid Technology Inc. and KLC Group Forge Groundbreaking Partnership to Redefine High-Speed RAID and Data-at-Rest Security

    Graid Technology Inc. and KLC Group Forge Groundbreaking Partnership to Redefine High-Speed RAID and Data-at-Rest Security

    Protecting enterprise and military servers with unmatched NVMe RAID performance and the most advanced cybersecurity encryption on the market.


    SANTA CLARA, Calif., October 1, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    As data demands surge in today’s hyper-competitive landscape, organizations are constantly seeking solutions that balance cutting-edge security with uncompromised performance. A new strategic partnership between Graid Technology, creators of SupremeRAID™, and KLC Group, innovators behind CipherDriveOne Plus, is set to redefine this balance with a first-of-its-kind solution for high-speed storage and NSA CSfC-certified Data-at-Rest (DAR) Security.

    At the core of this collaboration is a novel approach to data security. Combining the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Data-at-Rest (DAR) Security guidelines, the joint solution integrates encryption, access controls, and authentication to deliver military-grade data protection. This breakthrough is designed to meet the critical needs of government contractors and organizations that require NSA CSfC-certified protection alongside high-performance RAID storage.

    While CipherDriveOne Plus provides robust hardware-based full-disk encryption, traditional RAID solutions have presented challenges, including drive-locking mechanisms that limit the performance of CSfC-compliant NVMe SSDs or spinning disks. SupremeRAID™ by Graid Technology offers a groundbreaking alternative. As a GPU-accelerated software RAID, SupremeRAID™ eliminates the bottlenecks and limitations of hardware RAID, allowing CSfC-compliant systems like CipherDriveOne Plus to operate without compromising authentication processes or drive performance. This results in superior data protection and seamless NVMe SSD operation.

    CipherDriveOne Plus, a Hardware Full Disk Encryption – Authorization Acquisition (AA) solution, is designed to meet the U.S. Government’s strict Data-at-Rest (DAR) standards. It provides key management, encryption, and authentication over OPAL 2.0 self-encrypting SSDs or HDDs, ensuring immediate data protection that is OS-agnostic and governed by FIPS-140-2 level key encryption with options for single, two-factor, or multi-factor authentication.

    “We are thrilled to embark on this new journey with our esteemed partner, where innovation meets collaboration. Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones and won several government customers in a short time. There is no other solution capable of our joint technology in the market today,” said Kurt Lennartsson, CEO of KLC Group.

    “By joining forces with KLC Group, we are redefining the performance and security benchmarks in high-performance computing, AI, and diverse industries reliant on data-intensive operations,” stated Leander Yu, President and CEO of Graid Technology. “The collaboration between SupremeRAID™ and CipherDriveOne Plus not only enhances performance but also ensures comprehensive data protection, scalability, and flexibility.”

    To explore the advanced data protection and storage performance offered by this partnership, download the solution brief.

    For more information:

    __________________________________________________

    About KLC Group and CipherDriveOne 
    KLC Group is a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions, dedicated to safeguarding organizations from evolving cyber threats. With a focus on innovation and excellence, KLC Group has consistently delivered cutting-edge security solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of its clients. Learn more: www.klc-group.com

    About Graid Technology and SupremeRAID™ 
    Graid Technology is led by a dedicated team of experts with decades of experience in the SDS, ASIC, and storage industries, and continues to push boundaries in data storage innovation by protecting NVMe-based data from the desktop to the cloud. Cutting-edge SupremeRAID™ GPU-based RAID removes the traditional RAID bottleneck to deliver maximum SSD performance without consuming CPU cycles or creating throughput bottlenecks, delivering unmatched flexibility, performance, and value. With headquarters in Silicon Valley supported by a robust R&D center in Taiwan, we are globally committed to spearheading advancements in storage solutions. For detailed product information, visit our website, or connect with us on Twitter (X) or LinkedIn.

    Source: Graid Technology Inc.

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  • Federal Cannabis Roundup: Nixon, DEA, Tobacco-Hemp . . . and the DOOBIE Act (*sigh*) – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news

    Federal Cannabis Roundup: Nixon, DEA, Tobacco-Hemp . . . and the DOOBIE Act (*sigh*) – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





    Federal Cannabis Roundup: Nixon, DEA, Tobacco-Hemp . . . and the DOOBIE Act (*sigh*) – Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news





























    AggregatedNews

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  • Florida Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison

    Florida Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison

    A Florida fentanyl trafficker has been sentenced to federal prison.

    This month, 39-year-old Patrick Ward, of Saint Lucie County, was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl.

    The sentence comes after Ward previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl on three separate occasions. According to the court record, on July 6, July 13, and August 18, of 2022, Ward sold a total of 47 grams of fentanyl in Port St. Lucie.

    U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Acting Chief Richard R. Del Toro, Jr., of the Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.

    DEA Miami Field Division and PSLPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.

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  • Health of several key sectors, including the U.S. consumer, plus an outlook from Fed’s Powell on radar this coming week

    Health of several key sectors, including the U.S. consumer, plus an outlook from Fed’s Powell on radar this coming week

    Recession fears are rising. Nothing beats fear better than good information and that’s what we will get this week. Investors and economists will get good insight into the mood of U.S. consumers and hear the last words of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell ahead of the central bank’s next interest-rate meeting on Dec. 12-13.

    November consumer confidence

    Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. Eastern

    Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal expect that consumer’s view on the outlook have soured over the past few weeks. Geopolitical…

    Master your money.

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  • Contracting Resources Group, Inc. Receives 2023 Hire Vets Platinum Medallion Award From the U.S. Department of Labor

    Contracting Resources Group, Inc. Receives 2023 Hire Vets Platinum Medallion Award From the U.S. Department of Labor

    For the 5th consecutive year, CRG is a recognized job creator and awarded for our leadership in recruiting, employing, and retaining military veterans


    WASHINGTON, November 8, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    U.S. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su recognized Contracting Resources Group, Inc. (CRG) as one of the 859 recipients of the 2023 HIRE Vets Medallion Award during a virtual award ceremony presented by U.S. Department of Labor.

    CRG earned the platinum award after applying earlier this year. The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) Medallion Program is the only federal award program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.

    “Receiving the 2023 Hire Vets Platinum Medallion Award for the fifth consecutive year is meaningful validation of our sincere dedication to veterans. At CRG, we deeply appreciate the sacrifices our warfighters make for us and our country. Their discipline, leadership, and diverse skill sets acquired through service are invaluable to our team. We take great pride in not only hiring veterans but in providing them with a supportive environment for long-term career growth and development.” Dina DiPalo, CEO & Founder

    CRG joins 858 other companies from 49 states, plus the District of Columbia, who have shown a commitment to hiring veterans, but also ensuring that they have a long-term career and growth plan that uses the diverse skills they acquired through their military service.

    Recipients of the 2023 HIRE Vets Medallion Award meet rigorous employment and veteran integration assistance criteria, including veteran hiring and retention percentages; availability of veteran-specific resources; leadership programming for veterans; dedicated human resource efforts; pay compensation and tuition assistance programs for veterans. More than 1,600 employers have earned a HIRE Vets Medallion Award since 2018.

    About Contracting Resources Group, Inc.:

    Established in 2002, Contracting Resources Group, Inc. (CRG) is a woman-owned small business headquartered in the Washington-Metropolitan Area. CRG specializes in providing professional support services to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian Federal agencies. Our dedicated team offers a range of services, including program support and project management, program evaluation and analysis, acquisition management support, and strategic communications planning and execution. At CRG, we are unwavering in our commitment to delivering the highest quality of Customer Service with integrity, sincerity, openness, professionalism, and Company Pride.

    About the HIRE Vets Medallion Program:

    The HIRE Vets Medallion Award is earned by businesses that demonstrate unparalleled commitment to attracting, hiring and retaining veterans. The 2023 HIRE Vets Medallion Award application period will open to employers on Jan. 31, 2024. For more information about the program and the application process, visit HIREVets.gov.

    Source: Contracting Resources Group, Inc.

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  • Government shutdown looms: Here’s how to help preserve your investment portfolio.  

    Government shutdown looms: Here’s how to help preserve your investment portfolio.  

    “ The economic impact of a shutdown and the potential implications on your portfolio depend largely on how long the shutdown lasts. ”

    The potential for a U.S. government shutdown can raise alarm for investors and send the phone of a financial adviser like me ringing off the hook. Headlines in front of them, my clients are increasingly asking about potential portfolio implications and how they should respond.

    There is certainly a measured response, which includes not overreacting to the headlines and sticking to your long-term investment plan, and I’ll show you how to draw it.

    Government shutdown explained

    First, it’s important to understand what is happening. During a shutdown, the federal government will suspend all services that are deemed nonessential until a funding agreement is reached. This is much different than a default — which can happen when the government can’t pay its debts or satisfy its obligations. A default can have significant ramifications on U.S. creditworthiness and in turn, the global financial system. You may recall lawmakers’ discussions earlier this year regarding raising the debt ceiling — a solution to avoid defaulting. 

    A U.S. default has never happened, but shutdowns have occurred more than 20 times since 1976. Unlike a default, a shutdown does not affect the government’s ability to pay its obligations, and many critical government services, like Social Security may continue. When weighing the two, one can presume that markets may react more negatively to a default.   

    Markets may experience heightened volatility in response to the shutdown uncertainty, but markets do not react consistently to the news. In the past we have seen U.S. stocks — as measured by the S&P 500
    SPX
    — finish positively after more than half of these shutdowns. Results are similar for fixed-income securities, as we’ve seen an even split between positive and negative returns in the bond markets in shutdowns since 1976. 

    Of course, all investing is subject to risk, past performance is not a guarantee for future returns, and the performance of an index is not an exact representation of any particular investment. 

    The economic impact of a shutdown — and the potential implications on your portfolio — depend largely on how long the shutdown lasts. The longer the shutdown, the more Americans experience dampened economic activity from things like loss of furloughed federal workers’ contribution to GDP, the delay in federal spending on goods and services, and the reduction in aggregate demand (which lowers private-sector activity). 

    Read: Government shutdown: Analysts warn of ‘perhaps a long one lasting into the winter’

    A measured response 

    A government shutdown is just one of many factors, both positive and negative, that can cause fluctuation in the market, so it’s important to treat it just as you would other fluctuations.

    With so many variables, it’s impossible to precisely predict the effects the shutdown will have or determine how long it will last. This can seem scary for many, so it’s important to remember your long-term financial plan and focus on the factors you can control.  

    First, do not try to time the market. Doing so based on short-term events is never a good idea, and volatility is unpredictable. Even if the markets fall, we don’t know when they might recover. If you make an emotionally charged decision, you run the risk of missing out on potentially substantial market gains. 

    Instead, focus on the following: align your asset allocation with your risk tolerance; control your costs; adopt realistic expectations; hold a broadly diversified portfolio and stay disciplined. Doing so can help you weather any form of market uncertainty, including a shutdown.

    Stick to healthy financial habits

    In addition to not making any sudden moves in your investment portfolio, now is a suitable time to make sure you are keeping up with healthy financial habits, especially if you are a federal employee facing a furlough. This can look like readjusting your budget based on your current needs, keeping high-interest debt to a minimum, paying the minimum on all debt to keep your credit score in good standing and continuing to save.

    Remember, using your emergency fund to navigate tight times is exactly what you have saved for and tapping it in this instance is considered a healthy financial habit. Just be sure to replenish it when you have the funds to do so. As a good practice, Vanguard recommends having three- to six months of expenses saved in readily accessible investments.

    With a level, long-term approach and a personalized financial plan, you can be prepared for this potential storm and the inevitable ones to come. 

    Lauren Wybar is a senior financial adviser with Vanguard Personal Advisor. 

    More: Bill Ackman says Treasury yields are going higher in a hurry, and that investors should shun U.S. government debt

    Plus: Social Security checks will still come if there’s a shutdown. But there are other immediate threats to America’s benefits.

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  • Jackson Hole recap: Fed rate hikes likely on hold for ‘several meetings’

    Jackson Hole recap: Fed rate hikes likely on hold for ‘several meetings’

    Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell set a high bar for additional interest-rate hikes, economists said Sunday in their commentary on all the talk at the U.S. central bank’s summer retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

    Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist for JPMorgan Chase, said that the Fed chair certainly did not give a clear signal that more tightening was coming soon. He noted that Powell stressed the Fed would “proceed carefully” and balance the risks of tightening too much or too little.

    “We remain comfortable in our view that the FOMC will stay on hold for the next several meetings,” Feroli said.

    Read: Powell unsure of need to raise interest rates further

    The caveat to this forecast is if inflation surprises to the upside or the labor market does not continue to soften.

    Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon, said that Powell’s speech seemed hawkish to some, particularly because the Fed chair made threats to hike again.

    But Shepherdson said he thought the Fed “is likely done.”

    “Behind the caveats, Mr. Powell’s speech fundamentally was optimistic, though cautious,” Shepherdson said.

    Boston Fed President Susan Collins also emphasized patience in an interview with MarketWatch on the sidelines of the Jackson Hole summit.

    Read: Fed has earned the right to take its time, Collins says

    Other regional Fed officials who spoke “hinted that further action may be needed, but also observed that inflation is moving in the right direction and that the surge in yields would help cool down the economy,” said Krishna Guha, vice chairman of Evercore ISI, in a note to clients.

    Traders in derivative markets expect a rate hike in November, but it is a close call, with the odds just above 50%.

    The Monday following Jackson Hole has historically been an active one in the markets, across asset classes.

    The 10-year Treasury yield
    BX:TMUBMUSD10Y
    ended last week just above 4.2%.

    Read: Market Snapshot on Powell’s stance

    The first test of the careful and patient Fed will come this coming Friday, when the government will release the August employment report.

    Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal expect the U.S. economy added 165,000 jobs in the month. That would be the weakest job growth since December 2020.

    In his speech on Friday, Powell emphasized that evidence that the labor market was not softening could “call for a monetary policy response.”

    Economists at Deutsche Bank think an upside surprise in the employment data could provide enough discomfort for the Fed, and raise expectations for further tightening.

    Other top global central bankers spoke at Jackson Hole, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda and Bank of England Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent.

    Guha of Evercore said he detected a careful effort by the officials not to surprise markets.

    The exception to this rule might have been Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel, who said in a television interview that it was too early for the ECB to think about a rate-hike pause.

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  • Republican debate: Why you may hear big numbers like 19% inflation, and how to make sense of it all

    Republican debate: Why you may hear big numbers like 19% inflation, and how to make sense of it all

    Economists don’t much like presidential-campaign seasons. For them, it’s a bit like seeing their manicured gardens getting trampled by schoolchildren having a water-balloon fight.

    Robert Brusca, the president of consulting firm FAO Economics, predicted that the political discussion of the U.S. economy in the 2024 campaign would be “a farce.”

    Talk of inflation is likely to dominate the Aug. 23 Republican debate, for example.

    Republicans, eager to lay the blame for higher prices at the feet of President Joe Biden, are going to make the strongest case they can for that. For them, it is a happy coincidence that inflation started to pick up right when Biden was sworn into office.

    Larry Kudlow, a former top economic adviser to President Donald Trump, put it succinctly. “I have numbers. The consumer-price index is up 16% since February 2021. Groceries are up 19%. Meat and poultry up 19%. New cars up 20%. Used cars up 34%,” Kudlow said in an interview on the Fox Business Network.

    From last month: Mike Pence says inflation is 16%, but CPI is 3%. This is his logic.

    Unlike Kudlow, the Federal Reserve doesn’t usually measure inflation over 29 months. Instead, the central bank favors using inflation data that looks at the past 12 months.

    By that year-over-year measure, CPI is up 3.2%. Groceries are up 3.6%. Meat and poultry prices are up 0.5%. New-vehicle prices are up 3.5%, but prices of used cars and trucks are actually down 5.6%.

    Economists, meanwhile, tend to like even shorter measures, such as the three-month annualized rate. They think the 12-month rate says more about the rate a year ago than it does about what is happening today.

    “Looking at year-over-year [data], the only new piece of information is the current month. You are looking at 11 months that you already know,” said Omair Sharif, president and founder of research company Inflation Insights.

    Using the shorter metric, headline CPI for the three months ending in July is up 1.9%, while food at home rose 1.1% and meat and poultry is down 4.5%, he said.

    Trends have been favorable in recent months, but that might not last. “It’s been a good summer,” Sharif said. “But unfortunately, the winter data won’t be as pleasant.”

    What caused the spike in inflation?

    Economists tend not to blame one political party or the other for spikes in inflation.

    In the 1970s, for example, the culprit was increases in oil prices by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

    This time, there was no one single factor. While the debate is not yet over, economists tend to focus on the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the move to end reliance on fossil fuels in order to combat climate change.

    Brian Bethune, an economics professor at Boston College, said prices started to rise when the healthcare industry had to adjust to a new, unforeseen risk. There were steep costs to dealing with the deadly coronavirus and developing vaccines.

    People working in frontline industries were able to command higher wages. And demand outstripped supply for many things, as shelves were emptied by consumers and supply chains were strained.

    Bethune also stressed recent moves toward renewable energy. The best way to explain inflation to your grandmother, he said, is to look at a chart of electricity prices.


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    The steady increase stems from efforts to move closer to a carbon-free economy, Bethune said. And those prices get passed along “right through the whole cost pressure of the economy,” including the price of refrigerated foods.

    Inflation boomed and is now coming off its peak, said Brusca of FAO Economics. Prices are still rising, but not at the same rapid clip. And they won’t roll back to prepandemic levels.

    “Consumers are caught in a trap,” he said. “If prices are going to come down, you have got to have deflation.”

    Deflation comes with its own unique set of woes. It can make the cost of borrowed money, like mortgages, much more expensive. And it can lead to serious economic weakness.

    “All of this is why the Fed targets price stability,” Brusca said.

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