FROM: U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
LAB News Release: [01/29/2015]
Release Number: 15-0038-NAT
International Labor Organization receives $8 million award from
US Labor Department to prevent and reduce child labor in Vietnam
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs today announced the award of an $8 million cooperative agreement to the International Labor Organization to implement a technical cooperation project to prevent and reduce child labor in Vietnam. This project will be undertaken in coordination with the Government of Vietnam.
"2015 marks the 15th year of our bilateral cooperation on labor issues with the Government of Vietnam," said Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs, Carol Pier. "The Government of Vietnam has taken great strides to enhance national and local capacity to address child labor, and the funding of this project highlights our continued partnership and underlines our commitment to provide assistance to vulnerable children and their families."
Supporting Vietnam's national plans of action on children, child protection and child labor, the project will increase the capacity of national institutions and stakeholders to identify and respond to child labor, raise awareness of child labor at all levels of society, and implement an area-based intervention model aimed at preventing and withdrawing children at risk of or in the worst forms of child labor in selected areas.
Of the estimated 1.75 million children in Vietnam who work as child laborers, most work in agriculture — tending crops and cattle or even logging — and come home to families who struggle to make ends meet. One in three child laborers works more than 42 hours a week, and of this group, very few see the inside of a classroom.
Since 1993, ILAB has produced reports to raise awareness globally about child labor and forced labor. ILAB has also provided funding for more than 280 projects in over 94 countries to combat the worst forms of child labor by providing assistance to vulnerable children and their families.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
DEFENDANTS IN DIPLOMA MILL CASE BANNED FROM SELLING ACADEMIC DEGREES
FROM: U.S FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Shuts Down Diploma Mill Operators
The principal owners of two Florida-based online diploma mills are permanently banned from marketing and selling academic degrees under settlements with the Federal Trade Commission.
Alexander Wolfram and IDM Services, LLC, and Maria Garcia have settled charges that they deceived consumers into enrolling in their programs by claiming they could obtain “official” and accredited high school diplomas and use them to enroll in college, apply for jobs, and “receive the recognition [they] aspire for in life.” The defendants also fabricated an accrediting organization to give legitimacy to their diploma mill operation, according to the FTC’s complaint.
Doing business as “Jefferson High School Online” and “Enterprise High School Online,” defendants led consumers to believe that those who passed their online multiple-choice exam and paid between $200 and $300 could obtain legitimate high school diplomas. The defendants claimed that their online test was styled like the GED test. On Sept. 16, 2014, a U.S. district court judge signed a temporary restraining order to halt the deceptive practices and freeze the assets of the defendants.
In addition to permanently shutting down their operation, the settlements also prohibit the defendants from making misrepresentations in connection with the marketing or sale of any other product or service.
The orders also impose a judgment of more than $11.1 million against the defendants and the corporate relief defendants, which will be partially suspended based on their inability to pay. Relief defendants Tiffany Chambers and Sylvia Gads also agreed to monetary judgments for the amounts they received from the scheme, which also are suspended because of their inability to pay.
If the defendants or relief defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition, their entire judgment would become immediately due in full.
The FTC is also seeking separate default judgments with similar prohibitions against two additional businesses operated by the defendants: Diversified Educational Resources (DER) LLC and Motivational Management & Development Services (MMDS), Ltd.
The Commission vote approving the orders was 5-0. The order against Wolfram and IDM was filed in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Florida on Jan. 12, 2015, and the order against Garcia was filed on Jan. 13, 2015. Both have been entered by the judge. In addition, the motion for default judgments against DER and MMDS was filed on Jan. 20, 2015.
Students interested in pursuing a degree online should review the FTC’s guidance on Diploma Mills.
NOTE: Stipulated orders and default judgments have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.
FTC Shuts Down Diploma Mill Operators
The principal owners of two Florida-based online diploma mills are permanently banned from marketing and selling academic degrees under settlements with the Federal Trade Commission.
Alexander Wolfram and IDM Services, LLC, and Maria Garcia have settled charges that they deceived consumers into enrolling in their programs by claiming they could obtain “official” and accredited high school diplomas and use them to enroll in college, apply for jobs, and “receive the recognition [they] aspire for in life.” The defendants also fabricated an accrediting organization to give legitimacy to their diploma mill operation, according to the FTC’s complaint.
Doing business as “Jefferson High School Online” and “Enterprise High School Online,” defendants led consumers to believe that those who passed their online multiple-choice exam and paid between $200 and $300 could obtain legitimate high school diplomas. The defendants claimed that their online test was styled like the GED test. On Sept. 16, 2014, a U.S. district court judge signed a temporary restraining order to halt the deceptive practices and freeze the assets of the defendants.
In addition to permanently shutting down their operation, the settlements also prohibit the defendants from making misrepresentations in connection with the marketing or sale of any other product or service.
The orders also impose a judgment of more than $11.1 million against the defendants and the corporate relief defendants, which will be partially suspended based on their inability to pay. Relief defendants Tiffany Chambers and Sylvia Gads also agreed to monetary judgments for the amounts they received from the scheme, which also are suspended because of their inability to pay.
If the defendants or relief defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition, their entire judgment would become immediately due in full.
The FTC is also seeking separate default judgments with similar prohibitions against two additional businesses operated by the defendants: Diversified Educational Resources (DER) LLC and Motivational Management & Development Services (MMDS), Ltd.
The Commission vote approving the orders was 5-0. The order against Wolfram and IDM was filed in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Florida on Jan. 12, 2015, and the order against Garcia was filed on Jan. 13, 2015. Both have been entered by the judge. In addition, the motion for default judgments against DER and MMDS was filed on Jan. 20, 2015.
Students interested in pursuing a degree online should review the FTC’s guidance on Diploma Mills.
NOTE: Stipulated orders and default judgments have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge.
U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS ON ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Commemorating the Third Anniversary of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
Remarks
Karen J. Hanrahan
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
National Press Building
Washington, DC
January 27, 2015
Good afternoon everyone and thank you for joining us here today. I want to thank Susan for that introduction and take the opportunity to recognize USAID’s leadership in implementing the National Action Plan. The team at USAID should be commended for its continued commitment to building a world where women are recognized as key actors in stabilizing their communities and in building peace between warring factions. I also want to recognize those here in the audience who are investing their time and resources in shoring up women’s roles in peace and security – and to thank you for the incredible work that you do. We see the fruits of this labor on a regular basis at the State Department.
We are here to commemorate the third anniversary of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. As you know, this is the first of its kind. Even better, President Obama released the NAP through an Executive Order in which he laid out concrete steps that this Administration would take to elevate and support women as critical participants in preventing and resolving conflict.
Together, the National Action Plan and the Executive Order represent a fundamental change in how the USG leverages its diplomatic, military, and development power to support women in conflict -- by ensuring that women’s perspectives and gender considerations are woven into the DNA of how the United States approaches peace processes, conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, and humanitarian assistance. We have also used these foreign policy tools to influence other nations.
Over the past three years we have seen these efforts generate concrete steps across the world – from South Sudan to Egypt to Afghanistan to DRC - to bring more women to negotiation tables; to integrate solutions and justice for women into peace agreements; to ensure our humanitarian responses protect women; to recruit and retain more women throughout security sectors and criminal justice systems; and to restructure how soldiers, peacekeepers, and police officers are trained and equip them with tools to respond to the unique needs of men and women alike. We have invested in these efforts because we know from our own history that when women play key roles in decision making and leadership structures, the result is greater stability, stronger communities and more durable peace.
Progress had been hard fought and a result of herculean efforts from civil society groups here in the US and in host countries, many of which are represented here today. Within the USG, the success of our efforts has required sustained collaboration across the State Department, USAID, and the Defense Department. And where our diplomacy, development, and defense reinforce each other, we have seen better outcomes, even as we face increasingly challenging threats to international peace and security.
One of many examples - the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor has galvanized a coalition within the US government to promote the inclusion of women in decision making for Syria’s future – including in peace negotiations. And while the United States is open-eyed about the prospects for near term stability in Syria and Iraq, the leadership and enthusiasm of these women offer a constant reminder that peace is possible. And we will continue to advocate for their formal inclusion in the peace process. At the same time, we are witnessing the Islamic State continues to kidnap, traffic and brutalize women and girls in Iraq and Syria – with a growing presence in other countries. We are discussing internally how to better protect these women and girls.
We are also looking internally at how to do more to implement the NAP; how to truly weave the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 into our diplomacy every day. The United States is committed to leading by example on Women, Peace, and Security, from investing in better training for diplomats to requiring gender analysis strategic planning for foreign assistance to integrating gender considerations into our procurement; we are improving how we do business.
But today, fifteen years after the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and twenty years since the Beijing Platform for Action, we must also be humble about the global track record. 2015 is truly the year for the agenda of women, peace and security – and it must be a year of resounding affirmation that including women in decision making isn’t a nice thing to do; it’s the strategic thing to do.
As many of you know, the United States’ review of our NAP is only one aspect of a global culmination of efforts to advance gender equality. The UN’s high level review of 1325 is converging with parallel efforts to take stock of the UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding architectures that have significant impact on women. At the same time, we are pushing to place gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls at the heart of the Post-2015 Development Agenda – an unprecedented opportunity for the global community to come together around a new set of global development priorities. Together, we must seize on these efforts and continue to push for more action, to continue to be innovative in how we implement the NAP and move this global Women, Peace, and Security agenda forward.
In the spirit of partnership with civil society, we look forward to working with you on these efforts, especially in designing a review of our National Action Plan that positions the United States to remain a global leader on Women, Peace, and Security – across diplomacy, development, and defense. Let us all continue to work together on this path to achieving the goals laid out in the National Action Plan. Thank you for all your attention.
Commemorating the Third Anniversary of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
Remarks
Karen J. Hanrahan
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
National Press Building
Washington, DC
January 27, 2015
Good afternoon everyone and thank you for joining us here today. I want to thank Susan for that introduction and take the opportunity to recognize USAID’s leadership in implementing the National Action Plan. The team at USAID should be commended for its continued commitment to building a world where women are recognized as key actors in stabilizing their communities and in building peace between warring factions. I also want to recognize those here in the audience who are investing their time and resources in shoring up women’s roles in peace and security – and to thank you for the incredible work that you do. We see the fruits of this labor on a regular basis at the State Department.
We are here to commemorate the third anniversary of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. As you know, this is the first of its kind. Even better, President Obama released the NAP through an Executive Order in which he laid out concrete steps that this Administration would take to elevate and support women as critical participants in preventing and resolving conflict.
Together, the National Action Plan and the Executive Order represent a fundamental change in how the USG leverages its diplomatic, military, and development power to support women in conflict -- by ensuring that women’s perspectives and gender considerations are woven into the DNA of how the United States approaches peace processes, conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, and humanitarian assistance. We have also used these foreign policy tools to influence other nations.
Over the past three years we have seen these efforts generate concrete steps across the world – from South Sudan to Egypt to Afghanistan to DRC - to bring more women to negotiation tables; to integrate solutions and justice for women into peace agreements; to ensure our humanitarian responses protect women; to recruit and retain more women throughout security sectors and criminal justice systems; and to restructure how soldiers, peacekeepers, and police officers are trained and equip them with tools to respond to the unique needs of men and women alike. We have invested in these efforts because we know from our own history that when women play key roles in decision making and leadership structures, the result is greater stability, stronger communities and more durable peace.
Progress had been hard fought and a result of herculean efforts from civil society groups here in the US and in host countries, many of which are represented here today. Within the USG, the success of our efforts has required sustained collaboration across the State Department, USAID, and the Defense Department. And where our diplomacy, development, and defense reinforce each other, we have seen better outcomes, even as we face increasingly challenging threats to international peace and security.
One of many examples - the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor has galvanized a coalition within the US government to promote the inclusion of women in decision making for Syria’s future – including in peace negotiations. And while the United States is open-eyed about the prospects for near term stability in Syria and Iraq, the leadership and enthusiasm of these women offer a constant reminder that peace is possible. And we will continue to advocate for their formal inclusion in the peace process. At the same time, we are witnessing the Islamic State continues to kidnap, traffic and brutalize women and girls in Iraq and Syria – with a growing presence in other countries. We are discussing internally how to better protect these women and girls.
We are also looking internally at how to do more to implement the NAP; how to truly weave the spirit of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 into our diplomacy every day. The United States is committed to leading by example on Women, Peace, and Security, from investing in better training for diplomats to requiring gender analysis strategic planning for foreign assistance to integrating gender considerations into our procurement; we are improving how we do business.
But today, fifteen years after the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and twenty years since the Beijing Platform for Action, we must also be humble about the global track record. 2015 is truly the year for the agenda of women, peace and security – and it must be a year of resounding affirmation that including women in decision making isn’t a nice thing to do; it’s the strategic thing to do.
As many of you know, the United States’ review of our NAP is only one aspect of a global culmination of efforts to advance gender equality. The UN’s high level review of 1325 is converging with parallel efforts to take stock of the UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding architectures that have significant impact on women. At the same time, we are pushing to place gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls at the heart of the Post-2015 Development Agenda – an unprecedented opportunity for the global community to come together around a new set of global development priorities. Together, we must seize on these efforts and continue to push for more action, to continue to be innovative in how we implement the NAP and move this global Women, Peace, and Security agenda forward.
In the spirit of partnership with civil society, we look forward to working with you on these efforts, especially in designing a review of our National Action Plan that positions the United States to remain a global leader on Women, Peace, and Security – across diplomacy, development, and defense. Let us all continue to work together on this path to achieving the goals laid out in the National Action Plan. Thank you for all your attention.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON MURDER OF KENJI GOTO BY ISIL
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
ISIL Murder of Japanese Journalist Kenji Goto
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 31, 2015
The United States condemns ISIL’s vicious murder of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. We extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to his wife, his family, and his loved ones, as well as to the people of Japan.
The barbaric killing of Kenji Goto, and of Haruna Yukawa before him, shows again ISIL’s brutality and extremist agenda.
The United States knows this pain on a personal level born of our own experience.
We share the sorrow and continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our ally Japan in confronting terrorism. We commend Japan’s support for those in the region who have been displaced by ISIL, the Syrian regime, and other militant groups.
Japan’s generous assistance to vulnerable communities fully reflects its commitment to international peace and development.
ISIL Murder of Japanese Journalist Kenji Goto
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 31, 2015
The United States condemns ISIL’s vicious murder of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. We extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to his wife, his family, and his loved ones, as well as to the people of Japan.
The barbaric killing of Kenji Goto, and of Haruna Yukawa before him, shows again ISIL’s brutality and extremist agenda.
The United States knows this pain on a personal level born of our own experience.
We share the sorrow and continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our ally Japan in confronting terrorism. We commend Japan’s support for those in the region who have been displaced by ISIL, the Syrian regime, and other militant groups.
Japan’s generous assistance to vulnerable communities fully reflects its commitment to international peace and development.
LANL ANNOUNCES NEW WAY TO GROW HIGH-EFFICIENCY SOLAR CELLS
FROM: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Los Alamos Develops New Technique for Growing High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers’ crystal-production insights resolve manufacturing difficulty
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., January 29, 2015—This week in the journal Science, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers reveal a new solution-based hot-casting technique that allows growth of highly efficient and reproducible solar cells from large-area perovskite crystals.
“These perovskite crystals offer promising routes for developing low-cost, solar-based, clean global energy solutions for the future,” said Aditya Mohite, the Los Alamos scientist leading the project.
State-of-the-art photovoltaics using high-purity, large-area, wafer-scale single-crystalline semiconductors grown by sophisticated, high temperature crystal-growth processes are seen as the future of efficient solar technology. Solar cells composed of organic-inorganic perovskites offer efficiencies approaching that of silicon, but they have been plagued with some important deficiencies limiting their commercial viability. It is this failure that the Los Alamos technique successfully corrects.
The researchers fabricated planar solar cells from pervoskite materials with large crystalline grains that had efficiencies approaching 18%, among the highest reported in the field of perovskite-based light-to-energy conversion devices. The cells demonstrate little cell-to-cell variability, resulting in devices showing hysteresis-free photovoltaic response, which had been a fundamental bottleneck for stable operation of perovskite devices.
“Characterization and modeling attribute the improved performance to reduced bulk defects and improved charge-carrier mobility in large-grain pervoskite materials,” said Mohite, “and we’ve demonstrated that the crystalline quality is on par with that observed for high-quality semiconductors like silicon and gallium arsenides.”
The researchers anticipate that their crystal growth technique will lead the field towards synthesis of wafer-scale crystalline perovskites necessary for the fabrication of high-efficiency solar-cells and be applicable to several other material systems plagued by polydispersity, defects and grain boundary recombination in solution-processed thin-films.
The work at Los Alamos National Laboratory was supported by a DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences proposal and by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. This work was done in part at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a DOE Office of Science User Facility.
Researchers include Wanyi Nie, Hsinhan Tsai, Jean-Christophe Blancon, Amanda J. Neukirch, Gautam Gupta, Jared J. Crochet, Sergei Tretiak, Hsing-Lin Wang and Aditya D. Mohite of Los Alamos, in addition to Reza Asadpour (Purdue University), Manish Chhowalla (Rutgers Univesity) and Muhammad A. Alam (Purdue University).
Los Alamos Develops New Technique for Growing High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells
Researchers’ crystal-production insights resolve manufacturing difficulty
LOS ALAMOS, N.M., January 29, 2015—This week in the journal Science, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers reveal a new solution-based hot-casting technique that allows growth of highly efficient and reproducible solar cells from large-area perovskite crystals.
“These perovskite crystals offer promising routes for developing low-cost, solar-based, clean global energy solutions for the future,” said Aditya Mohite, the Los Alamos scientist leading the project.
State-of-the-art photovoltaics using high-purity, large-area, wafer-scale single-crystalline semiconductors grown by sophisticated, high temperature crystal-growth processes are seen as the future of efficient solar technology. Solar cells composed of organic-inorganic perovskites offer efficiencies approaching that of silicon, but they have been plagued with some important deficiencies limiting their commercial viability. It is this failure that the Los Alamos technique successfully corrects.
The researchers fabricated planar solar cells from pervoskite materials with large crystalline grains that had efficiencies approaching 18%, among the highest reported in the field of perovskite-based light-to-energy conversion devices. The cells demonstrate little cell-to-cell variability, resulting in devices showing hysteresis-free photovoltaic response, which had been a fundamental bottleneck for stable operation of perovskite devices.
“Characterization and modeling attribute the improved performance to reduced bulk defects and improved charge-carrier mobility in large-grain pervoskite materials,” said Mohite, “and we’ve demonstrated that the crystalline quality is on par with that observed for high-quality semiconductors like silicon and gallium arsenides.”
The researchers anticipate that their crystal growth technique will lead the field towards synthesis of wafer-scale crystalline perovskites necessary for the fabrication of high-efficiency solar-cells and be applicable to several other material systems plagued by polydispersity, defects and grain boundary recombination in solution-processed thin-films.
The work at Los Alamos National Laboratory was supported by a DOE Office of Basic Energy Sciences proposal and by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. This work was done in part at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, a DOE Office of Science User Facility.
Researchers include Wanyi Nie, Hsinhan Tsai, Jean-Christophe Blancon, Amanda J. Neukirch, Gautam Gupta, Jared J. Crochet, Sergei Tretiak, Hsing-Lin Wang and Aditya D. Mohite of Los Alamos, in addition to Reza Asadpour (Purdue University), Manish Chhowalla (Rutgers Univesity) and Muhammad A. Alam (Purdue University).
REGULATORS RELEASE GUIDANCE ON CERTAIN PRIVATE STUDENT LOANS
FROM: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
January 29, 2015 Regulators Release Guidance on Private Student Loans With Graduated Repayment Terms at Origination
Federal financial regulatory agencies, in partnership with the State Liaison Committee (SLC) of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, today issued guidance for financial institutions on private student loans with graduated repayment terms at origination.
This guidance provides principles that financial institutions should consider in their policies and procedures for originating private student loans with graduated repayment terms.
The agencies—the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency—and the SLC recognize that the competitive job market, traditionally low entry-level salaries, and higher student debt loads can contribute to some borrowers preferring greater flexibility with their payments as they transition into the labor market. Graduated repayment terms are structured to provide for lower initial monthly payments that gradually increase.
Financial institutions that originate private student loans with graduated repayment terms should prudently underwrite the loans in a manner consistent with safe and sound lending practices. Additionally, financial institutions should provide disclosures that clearly communicate the timing and the amount of payments to facilitate a borrower's understanding of the loan's terms and features.
January 29, 2015 Regulators Release Guidance on Private Student Loans With Graduated Repayment Terms at Origination
Federal financial regulatory agencies, in partnership with the State Liaison Committee (SLC) of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, today issued guidance for financial institutions on private student loans with graduated repayment terms at origination.
This guidance provides principles that financial institutions should consider in their policies and procedures for originating private student loans with graduated repayment terms.
The agencies—the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency—and the SLC recognize that the competitive job market, traditionally low entry-level salaries, and higher student debt loads can contribute to some borrowers preferring greater flexibility with their payments as they transition into the labor market. Graduated repayment terms are structured to provide for lower initial monthly payments that gradually increase.
Financial institutions that originate private student loans with graduated repayment terms should prudently underwrite the loans in a manner consistent with safe and sound lending practices. Additionally, financial institutions should provide disclosures that clearly communicate the timing and the amount of payments to facilitate a borrower's understanding of the loan's terms and features.
'REVENGE PORN' BUSINESS OPEATOR SETTLES WITH FTC
FROM: U.S. FEDERAL TRADE
Website Operator Banned from the ‘Revenge Porn’ Business After FTC Charges He Unfairly Posted Nude Photos
Craig Brittain Allegedly Deceived Women on Craigslist, Offered Fake ‘Takedown’ Service
The operator of an alleged “revenge porn” website is banned from publicly sharing any more nude videos or photographs of people without their affirmative express consent, under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. In addition, he will have to destroy the intimate images and personal contact information he collected while operating the site.
The FTC’s complaint against Craig Brittain alleges that he used deception to acquire and post intimate images of women, then referred them to another website he controlled, where they were told they could have the pictures removed if they paid hundreds of dollars.
“This behavior is not only illegal but reprehensible,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “I am pleased that as a result of this settlement, the illegally collected images and information will be deleted, and this individual can never return to the so-called ‘revenge porn’ business.”
According to the FTC’s complaint, Brittain acquired the images in a number of ways, such as by posing as a woman on the advertising site Craigslist, and offering nude photos purportedly of himself in exchange for photos provided by women. When women provided him with the photos, Brittain posted them on his site without their knowledge or permission.
In addition to collecting and posting the images himself, Brittain solicited viewers of his site to anonymously submit nude photos of people to his site, according to the complaint. He required submissions to include sensitive personal information about the people in the photos, including their full name, town and state, phone number and Facebook profile.
The complaint also alleged that Brittain offered a “bounty system” on his site, wherein users could offer a reward of at least $100 in exchange for other users finding pictures and information about a specific person. Overall, Brittain’s site included photos of more than 1,000 individuals, according to the complaint.
Women whose photographs and information were posted on the site contacted Brittain to have the information removed, citing the potential harms to their careers and reputations. In addition, women cited unwelcome contact from strangers who had discovered their information on Brittain’s site. The complaint notes that in many cases Brittain did not respond to the women’s requests to remove the information.
In fact, the complaint alleges that Brittain’s site advertised content removal services under the name “Takedown Hammer” and “Takedown Lawyer” that could delete consumers’ images and content from the site in exchange for a payment of $200 to $500. Despite presenting these as third-party services, the complaint alleges that the sites for these services were owned and operated by Brittain.
Under the terms of the settlement, Brittain is required to permanently delete all of the images and other personal information he received during the time he operated the site. He will also be prohibited from publicly sharing intimate videos or photographs of people without their affirmative express consent, as well as being prohibited from misrepresenting how he will use any personal information he collects online.
The Commission vote to accept the proposed consent order for public comment was 5-0. The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement package in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through March 2, 2015, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Interested parties can submit comments electronically by following the instructions in the “Invitation To Comment” part of the “Supplementary Information” section.
NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.
Website Operator Banned from the ‘Revenge Porn’ Business After FTC Charges He Unfairly Posted Nude Photos
Craig Brittain Allegedly Deceived Women on Craigslist, Offered Fake ‘Takedown’ Service
The operator of an alleged “revenge porn” website is banned from publicly sharing any more nude videos or photographs of people without their affirmative express consent, under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. In addition, he will have to destroy the intimate images and personal contact information he collected while operating the site.
The FTC’s complaint against Craig Brittain alleges that he used deception to acquire and post intimate images of women, then referred them to another website he controlled, where they were told they could have the pictures removed if they paid hundreds of dollars.
“This behavior is not only illegal but reprehensible,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “I am pleased that as a result of this settlement, the illegally collected images and information will be deleted, and this individual can never return to the so-called ‘revenge porn’ business.”
According to the FTC’s complaint, Brittain acquired the images in a number of ways, such as by posing as a woman on the advertising site Craigslist, and offering nude photos purportedly of himself in exchange for photos provided by women. When women provided him with the photos, Brittain posted them on his site without their knowledge or permission.
In addition to collecting and posting the images himself, Brittain solicited viewers of his site to anonymously submit nude photos of people to his site, according to the complaint. He required submissions to include sensitive personal information about the people in the photos, including their full name, town and state, phone number and Facebook profile.
The complaint also alleged that Brittain offered a “bounty system” on his site, wherein users could offer a reward of at least $100 in exchange for other users finding pictures and information about a specific person. Overall, Brittain’s site included photos of more than 1,000 individuals, according to the complaint.
Women whose photographs and information were posted on the site contacted Brittain to have the information removed, citing the potential harms to their careers and reputations. In addition, women cited unwelcome contact from strangers who had discovered their information on Brittain’s site. The complaint notes that in many cases Brittain did not respond to the women’s requests to remove the information.
In fact, the complaint alleges that Brittain’s site advertised content removal services under the name “Takedown Hammer” and “Takedown Lawyer” that could delete consumers’ images and content from the site in exchange for a payment of $200 to $500. Despite presenting these as third-party services, the complaint alleges that the sites for these services were owned and operated by Brittain.
Under the terms of the settlement, Brittain is required to permanently delete all of the images and other personal information he received during the time he operated the site. He will also be prohibited from publicly sharing intimate videos or photographs of people without their affirmative express consent, as well as being prohibited from misrepresenting how he will use any personal information he collects online.
The Commission vote to accept the proposed consent order for public comment was 5-0. The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement package in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through March 2, 2015, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Interested parties can submit comments electronically by following the instructions in the “Invitation To Comment” part of the “Supplementary Information” section.
NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.
VA ON COUNTING HOMELESSNESS VETERANS AND FINDING THEM A HOME
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Counting Every Veteran on the Way to Ending Homelessness
January 28, 2015, 10:34:00 AM
Counting Every Veteran on the Way to Ending Homelessness
VA Leaders Join Community Partners and Volunteers in Nation-wide Homeless Count
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald is taking a firsthand look at the issue of homelessness among Veterans by participating in this year’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count in Los Angeles, California. The PIT Count typically takes place in locations around the country during the month of January.
Secretary McDonald remains committed to the goal of eliminating Veteran homelessness. The January 2014 PIT Count revealed that 49,993 Veterans were homeless on a single night representing a 33-percent decline in homelessness among Veterans since 2010. In FY 2014 alone, through VA’s various homeless programs, more than 72,000 Veterans and their family members were placed in permanent housing or prevented from becoming homeless.
“There is no question that the goal to end Veteran homelessness is within reach, and we remain laser-focused on it,” said Secretary McDonald. “Ending Veteran homelessness in America is more than hitting a number, it’s about helping communities put a system in place that can house every Veteran experiencing homelessness today and prevent it in the future. I am so heartened that over 440 mayors, governors, county executives and other local officials have joined us and are committed to ending Veteran homelessness in their communities. We will continue our work until all Veterans have a place to call home.”
By estimating the number of homeless Veterans, the PIT Count gauges progress in achieving President Obama and VA’s goal of ending Veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. Annual data from the PIT Count also assists VA staff and partner agencies in targeting homeless resources where they are needed most.
VA has a wide range of programs that prevent and end homelessness among Veterans, including health care, housing solutions, job training and education. Also since 2010 there has been nearly 43-percent reduction in unsheltered homeless Veterans.
As part of VA’s continued commitment to ending Veteran homelessness, Secretary McDonald, has directed his senior VA leaders to take part in this year’s count in cities across the United States and learn how the organizations they lead can continue to support VA’s efforts to end Veteran homelessness. Twenty senior VA leaders will participate in PIT counts everywhere from New York to California to places in between.
The PIT Count is led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) each year to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, who are homeless.
As a result of VA’s work with HUD, as well as the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and other federal, state and local partners, significant progress has been made since VA’s initiative to end Veteran homelessness began in 2010.
More information about VA’s homeless programs is available at www.va.gov/homeless. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless should contact their local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to a homeless coordinator.
Counting Every Veteran on the Way to Ending Homelessness
January 28, 2015, 10:34:00 AM
Counting Every Veteran on the Way to Ending Homelessness
VA Leaders Join Community Partners and Volunteers in Nation-wide Homeless Count
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald is taking a firsthand look at the issue of homelessness among Veterans by participating in this year’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count in Los Angeles, California. The PIT Count typically takes place in locations around the country during the month of January.
Secretary McDonald remains committed to the goal of eliminating Veteran homelessness. The January 2014 PIT Count revealed that 49,993 Veterans were homeless on a single night representing a 33-percent decline in homelessness among Veterans since 2010. In FY 2014 alone, through VA’s various homeless programs, more than 72,000 Veterans and their family members were placed in permanent housing or prevented from becoming homeless.
“There is no question that the goal to end Veteran homelessness is within reach, and we remain laser-focused on it,” said Secretary McDonald. “Ending Veteran homelessness in America is more than hitting a number, it’s about helping communities put a system in place that can house every Veteran experiencing homelessness today and prevent it in the future. I am so heartened that over 440 mayors, governors, county executives and other local officials have joined us and are committed to ending Veteran homelessness in their communities. We will continue our work until all Veterans have a place to call home.”
By estimating the number of homeless Veterans, the PIT Count gauges progress in achieving President Obama and VA’s goal of ending Veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. Annual data from the PIT Count also assists VA staff and partner agencies in targeting homeless resources where they are needed most.
VA has a wide range of programs that prevent and end homelessness among Veterans, including health care, housing solutions, job training and education. Also since 2010 there has been nearly 43-percent reduction in unsheltered homeless Veterans.
As part of VA’s continued commitment to ending Veteran homelessness, Secretary McDonald, has directed his senior VA leaders to take part in this year’s count in cities across the United States and learn how the organizations they lead can continue to support VA’s efforts to end Veteran homelessness. Twenty senior VA leaders will participate in PIT counts everywhere from New York to California to places in between.
The PIT Count is led by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) each year to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, who are homeless.
As a result of VA’s work with HUD, as well as the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and other federal, state and local partners, significant progress has been made since VA’s initiative to end Veteran homelessness began in 2010.
More information about VA’s homeless programs is available at www.va.gov/homeless. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless should contact their local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to a homeless coordinator.
Friday, January 30, 2015
FORMER IT MANAGER FOR DIGITAL CURRENCY SERVICE, LIBERTY RESERVE, SENTENCED TO PRISON
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, January 30, 2015
Former Liberty Reserve IT Manager Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison
The former information technology manager for Liberty Reserve, a company that operated one of the world’s most widely used digital currency services, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
Maxim Chukharev, 28, of San José, Costa Rica, pleaded guilty in September 2014 before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who also imposed today’s sentence.
According to allegations contained in the indictment and statements made in related court proceedings, Chukharev was an associate of Liberty Reserve founder Arthur Budovsky and served as Liberty Reserve’s information technology manager in Costa Rica. In that role, Chukharev was principally responsible, along with co-defendant Mark Marmilev, formerly Liberty Reserve’s chief technology officer, for maintaining Liberty Reserve’s technological infrastructure.
According to allegations in the indictment and statements made in related court proceedings, Liberty Reserve was incorporated in Costa Rica in 2006 and billed itself as the Internet’s “largest payment processor and money transfer system.” Liberty Reserve was created, structured and operated to help users conduct illegal transactions anonymously and launder the proceeds of their crimes, and it emerged as one of the principal money transfer agents used by cybercriminals around the world to distribute, store and launder the proceeds of illegal activity. Liberty Reserve was used extensively for illegal purposes, functioning as the bank of choice for the criminal underworld because it provided an infrastructure that enabled cybercriminals around the world to conduct anonymous and untraceable financial transactions.
According to court records, before being shut down by the government in May 2013, Liberty Reserve had more than one million users worldwide, including more than 200,000 users in the United States, who conducted approximately 55 million transactions through its system totaling more than $6 billion in funds. These funds encompassed suspected proceeds of credit card fraud, identity theft, investment fraud, computer hacking, child pornography, narcotics trafficking and other crimes.
Chukharev, Marmilev and Budovsky were among seven individuals charged in the indictment, which was unsealed on May 28, 2013. Three co-defendants—Marmilev, Vladimir Kats and Azzeddine El Amine—previously pleaded guilty. Marmilev was sentenced to five years in prison in December 2014; Kats and El Amine await sentencing. The indictment also charged Liberty Reserve with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, and the charges remain pending.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Secret Service’s New York Electronic Crimes Task Force. The Judicial Investigation Organization in Costa Rica, the National High Tech Crime Unit in the Netherlands, the Financial and Economic Crime Unit of the Spanish National Police, the Cyber Crime Unit at the Swedish National Bureau of Investigation and the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office also provided assistance.
This case is being prosecuted jointly by the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section (AFMLS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Complex Frauds Unit and Asset Forfeiture Unit in the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Trial Attorney Kevin Mosley of AFMLS and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serrin Turner, Andrew Goldstein and Christine Magdo of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Magdo is in charge of the forfeiture aspects of the case.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Former Liberty Reserve IT Manager Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison
The former information technology manager for Liberty Reserve, a company that operated one of the world’s most widely used digital currency services, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
Maxim Chukharev, 28, of San José, Costa Rica, pleaded guilty in September 2014 before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who also imposed today’s sentence.
According to allegations contained in the indictment and statements made in related court proceedings, Chukharev was an associate of Liberty Reserve founder Arthur Budovsky and served as Liberty Reserve’s information technology manager in Costa Rica. In that role, Chukharev was principally responsible, along with co-defendant Mark Marmilev, formerly Liberty Reserve’s chief technology officer, for maintaining Liberty Reserve’s technological infrastructure.
According to allegations in the indictment and statements made in related court proceedings, Liberty Reserve was incorporated in Costa Rica in 2006 and billed itself as the Internet’s “largest payment processor and money transfer system.” Liberty Reserve was created, structured and operated to help users conduct illegal transactions anonymously and launder the proceeds of their crimes, and it emerged as one of the principal money transfer agents used by cybercriminals around the world to distribute, store and launder the proceeds of illegal activity. Liberty Reserve was used extensively for illegal purposes, functioning as the bank of choice for the criminal underworld because it provided an infrastructure that enabled cybercriminals around the world to conduct anonymous and untraceable financial transactions.
According to court records, before being shut down by the government in May 2013, Liberty Reserve had more than one million users worldwide, including more than 200,000 users in the United States, who conducted approximately 55 million transactions through its system totaling more than $6 billion in funds. These funds encompassed suspected proceeds of credit card fraud, identity theft, investment fraud, computer hacking, child pornography, narcotics trafficking and other crimes.
Chukharev, Marmilev and Budovsky were among seven individuals charged in the indictment, which was unsealed on May 28, 2013. Three co-defendants—Marmilev, Vladimir Kats and Azzeddine El Amine—previously pleaded guilty. Marmilev was sentenced to five years in prison in December 2014; Kats and El Amine await sentencing. The indictment also charged Liberty Reserve with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, and the charges remain pending.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Secret Service’s New York Electronic Crimes Task Force. The Judicial Investigation Organization in Costa Rica, the National High Tech Crime Unit in the Netherlands, the Financial and Economic Crime Unit of the Spanish National Police, the Cyber Crime Unit at the Swedish National Bureau of Investigation and the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office also provided assistance.
This case is being prosecuted jointly by the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section (AFMLS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Complex Frauds Unit and Asset Forfeiture Unit in the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Trial Attorney Kevin Mosley of AFMLS and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serrin Turner, Andrew Goldstein and Christine Magdo of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Magdo is in charge of the forfeiture aspects of the case.
AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
More Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 30, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria, using fighter aircraft to conduct two airstrikes, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.
Separately, U.S. and coalition military forces conducted four airstrikes in Iraq, using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL terrorists, officials reported.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m., yesterday, and 8 a.m., today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Airstrikes in Syria
-- Near Kobani, two airstrikes struck two ISIL staging positions and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and one ISIL vehicle.
Airstrikes in Iraq
-- Near Al Asad, an airstrike struck an ISIL firing position.
-- Near Tal Afar, three airstrikes struck two ISIL fighting positions and destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL bunker and an ISIL shipping container.
All aircraft returned to base safely.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
More Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq
From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release
SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 30, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria, using fighter aircraft to conduct two airstrikes, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported.
Separately, U.S. and coalition military forces conducted four airstrikes in Iraq, using attack and fighter aircraft against ISIL terrorists, officials reported.
Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m., yesterday, and 8 a.m., today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
Airstrikes in Syria
-- Near Kobani, two airstrikes struck two ISIL staging positions and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and one ISIL vehicle.
Airstrikes in Iraq
-- Near Al Asad, an airstrike struck an ISIL firing position.
-- Near Tal Afar, three airstrikes struck two ISIL fighting positions and destroyed an ISIL building, an ISIL bunker and an ISIL shipping container.
All aircraft returned to base safely.
Part of Operation Inherent Resolve
The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations.
Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
FUGITIVE AND SHIP OF GOLD RECOVERY LEADER, ARRESTED BY U.S. MARSHALS
FROM: U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE
January 28, 2015 Brian Babtist, Senior Inspector
Southern District of Ohio
Ship of Gold Treasure Hunter Arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service
Columbus, OH – Peter Tobin, United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, announced today that Thomas Gregory Thompson, and his assistant Alison Louise Antekeier were arrested by the United States Marshals Service, Southern District of Florida (Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force) on arrest warrants issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
On August 13, 2012, an arrest warrant was issued by United States District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. for Thompson’s arrest after he failed to appear at various hearings for an on-going civil case that has been pending since 2006. At that hearing, attorneys who did appear on Thompson’s behalf stated they were hired by Thompson’s assistant, Alison Antekeier. The Court then directed that Antekeier appear to explain Thompson’s absence. Then, on 11/07/2012, after having failed to appear as directed, a similar arrest warrant was issued for Antekeier. The U.S. Marshals Service investigation, as well as various court documents and hearings, led investigators to believe Thompson and Antekeier have been on the run together ever since.
The multi-year investigation spanned the globe but ended not that far from the last documented sighting of the couple in Vero Beach, Florida. The U.S. Marshals Service in Southern Ohio worked in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals in West Palm Beach, Florida to conduct an exhaustive investigation that culminated in the arrest of Thompson and Antekeier at a local hotel. The couple offered no resistance at the time of the arrest and readily admitted to being the targets of the extensive investigation.
Thompson and Antekeier are being held in a local correctional facility pending appearance in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. At a later point in time, the couple will be removed to the Southern District of Ohio for proceedings on their respective charges.
“The United States Marshals Service, in the Southern District of Ohio, along with the three Judicial Districts that comprise the state of Florida, as well as many others, worked tirelessly on this case. They utilized all available resources and were able to accomplish what many thought would be nearly impossible,” said U.S. Marshal Tobin. “Thompson was one of the most intelligent fugitives ever sought by the U.S. Marshals and he had vast financial resources at his disposal. This investigation and these arrests reflect great credit upon the Deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service and our agency as a whole,” concluded Tobin.
January 28, 2015 Brian Babtist, Senior Inspector
Southern District of Ohio
Ship of Gold Treasure Hunter Arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service
Columbus, OH – Peter Tobin, United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, announced today that Thomas Gregory Thompson, and his assistant Alison Louise Antekeier were arrested by the United States Marshals Service, Southern District of Florida (Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force) on arrest warrants issued by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
On August 13, 2012, an arrest warrant was issued by United States District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. for Thompson’s arrest after he failed to appear at various hearings for an on-going civil case that has been pending since 2006. At that hearing, attorneys who did appear on Thompson’s behalf stated they were hired by Thompson’s assistant, Alison Antekeier. The Court then directed that Antekeier appear to explain Thompson’s absence. Then, on 11/07/2012, after having failed to appear as directed, a similar arrest warrant was issued for Antekeier. The U.S. Marshals Service investigation, as well as various court documents and hearings, led investigators to believe Thompson and Antekeier have been on the run together ever since.
The multi-year investigation spanned the globe but ended not that far from the last documented sighting of the couple in Vero Beach, Florida. The U.S. Marshals Service in Southern Ohio worked in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals in West Palm Beach, Florida to conduct an exhaustive investigation that culminated in the arrest of Thompson and Antekeier at a local hotel. The couple offered no resistance at the time of the arrest and readily admitted to being the targets of the extensive investigation.
Thompson and Antekeier are being held in a local correctional facility pending appearance in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. At a later point in time, the couple will be removed to the Southern District of Ohio for proceedings on their respective charges.
“The United States Marshals Service, in the Southern District of Ohio, along with the three Judicial Districts that comprise the state of Florida, as well as many others, worked tirelessly on this case. They utilized all available resources and were able to accomplish what many thought would be nearly impossible,” said U.S. Marshal Tobin. “Thompson was one of the most intelligent fugitives ever sought by the U.S. Marshals and he had vast financial resources at his disposal. This investigation and these arrests reflect great credit upon the Deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service and our agency as a whole,” concluded Tobin.
SCIENTIST SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ATOMIC ENERGY ACT VIOLATIONS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Scientist Sentenced to Prison for Atomic Energy Act Violations
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez for the District of New Mexico, Assistant Director Randall C. Coleman of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division and Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division announced that Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, a scientist formerly employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), was sentenced this morning for Atomic Energy Act and other violations relating to his communication of classified nuclear weapons data to a person he believed to be a Venezuelan government official.
Mascheroni, 79, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Argentina, was sentenced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson to 60 months in federal prison followed by the three years of supervised release. His wife, Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, 71, previously was sentenced in August 2014 to a year and a day of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for her conviction on conspiracy and false statement charges.
“The public trusts that the government will do all it can to safeguard Restricted Data from being unlawfully transmitted to foreign nations not entitled to receive it,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “We simply cannot allow people to violate their pledge to protect the classified nuclear weapons data with which they are entrusted. Today’s sentencing should leave no doubt that counterespionage investigations remain one of our most powerful tools to protect our national security. I thank the many people who worked to bring these convictions to fruition.”
“Our laws are designed to prevent ‘Restricted Data’ from falling into the wrong hands because of the potential harm to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Martinez. “Those who work at our country’s national laboratories are charged with safeguarding that sensitive information, and we must and will vigorously prosecute anyone who compromises our nation’s nuclear secrets for profit. I commend the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring about the convictions in this case. I also thank the Los Alamos National Laboratory for cooperating fully in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”
“This case demonstrates the consequences that result when those charged with protecting our nation’s secrets violate the trust placed in them by the American people,” said Assistant Director Coleman. “Safeguarding classified material is vital to the public interest, and the FBI will continue to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully threaten the national security of the United States through the unauthorized disclosure of protected information.”
“America trusts those who work with our country's classified information to keep it away from those who would harm us. Anyone who betrays that trust for his own gain puts our nation's security up for auction, and the price for us all could be very high indeed,” said Special Agent in Charge Lee. “Since World War II, the FBI has worked tirelessly to protect U.S. nuclear weapons data, and we are proud of our investigation in this case.”
Mascheroni, a Ph.D. physicist, worked as a scientist at LANL from 1979 to 1988 and held a security clearance that allowed him access to certain classified information, including “Restricted Data.” Roxby Mascheroni worked at LANL between 1981 and 2010, where her duties included technical writing and editing. She also held a security clearance at LANL that allowed her access to certain classified information, including “Restricted Data.” As defined under the Atomic Energy Act, “Restricted Data” is classified information concerning the design, manufacture or use of atomic weapons; the production of special nuclear material; or the use of special nuclear material in the production of energy.
Mascheroni and Roxby Mascheroni were indicted in September 2010 and charged with conspiracy to communicate and communicating Restricted Data to an individual with the intent to secure an advantage to a foreign nation, as well as conspiracy to convey and conveying classified information. The indictment also charged Mascheroni with concealing and retaining U.S. records with the intent to convert them to his own use and gain, and both defendants with making false statements.
Mascheroni pleaded guilty in June 2013, to counts seven and eight of the indictment, charging him with conversion of government property and retention of U.S. records, and counts 10 through 15, charging him with making false statements. Mascheroni also pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with two counts of communication of Restricted Data and one count of retention of national defense information.
In entering his guilty plea, Mascheroni admitted that in November 2008 and July 2009, he unlawfully communicated Restricted Data to another individual with reason to believe that the data would be utilized to secure an advantage to Venezuela. He also admitted unlawfully converting Department of Energy information to his own use and selling the information in November 2008 and July 2009, and failing to deliver classified information relating to the United States’ national defense to appropriate authorities and instead unlawfully retaining the information in his home. Finally, Mascheroni admitted making materially false statements to the FBI when he was interviewed in October 2009.
Roxby Mascheroni pleaded guilty in June 2014, to count six of the indictment, charging her with conspiracy, and counts 16 through 22, charging her with making false statements. She also pleaded guilty to a felony information charging her with conspiracy to communicate Restricted Data. Roxby Mascheroni admitted that between October 2007 and October 2009, she conspired with Mascheroni to convey Restricted Data belonging to the United States to another person with reason to believe that the information would be used to secure an advantage to Venezuela. She also admitted making materially false statements to the FBI when she was interviewed in October 2009.
The indictment in this case did not allege that the government of Venezuela or anyone acting on its behalf sought or was passed any classified information, nor did it charge any Venezuelan government officials or anyone acting on their behalf with wrongdoing. The indictment also did not allege any wrongdoing by other individuals working at LANL.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Albuquerque Division with assistance from the Department of Energy and LANL. The prosecution was handled by Senior Counsel Kathleen Kedian and Trial Attorney David Recker of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred J. Federici, Dean Tuckman and Holland S. Kastrin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Scientist Sentenced to Prison for Atomic Energy Act Violations
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez for the District of New Mexico, Assistant Director Randall C. Coleman of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division and Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division announced that Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni, a scientist formerly employed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), was sentenced this morning for Atomic Energy Act and other violations relating to his communication of classified nuclear weapons data to a person he believed to be a Venezuelan government official.
Mascheroni, 79, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Argentina, was sentenced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson to 60 months in federal prison followed by the three years of supervised release. His wife, Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, 71, previously was sentenced in August 2014 to a year and a day of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for her conviction on conspiracy and false statement charges.
“The public trusts that the government will do all it can to safeguard Restricted Data from being unlawfully transmitted to foreign nations not entitled to receive it,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “We simply cannot allow people to violate their pledge to protect the classified nuclear weapons data with which they are entrusted. Today’s sentencing should leave no doubt that counterespionage investigations remain one of our most powerful tools to protect our national security. I thank the many people who worked to bring these convictions to fruition.”
“Our laws are designed to prevent ‘Restricted Data’ from falling into the wrong hands because of the potential harm to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Martinez. “Those who work at our country’s national laboratories are charged with safeguarding that sensitive information, and we must and will vigorously prosecute anyone who compromises our nation’s nuclear secrets for profit. I commend the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring about the convictions in this case. I also thank the Los Alamos National Laboratory for cooperating fully in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”
“This case demonstrates the consequences that result when those charged with protecting our nation’s secrets violate the trust placed in them by the American people,” said Assistant Director Coleman. “Safeguarding classified material is vital to the public interest, and the FBI will continue to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully threaten the national security of the United States through the unauthorized disclosure of protected information.”
“America trusts those who work with our country's classified information to keep it away from those who would harm us. Anyone who betrays that trust for his own gain puts our nation's security up for auction, and the price for us all could be very high indeed,” said Special Agent in Charge Lee. “Since World War II, the FBI has worked tirelessly to protect U.S. nuclear weapons data, and we are proud of our investigation in this case.”
Mascheroni, a Ph.D. physicist, worked as a scientist at LANL from 1979 to 1988 and held a security clearance that allowed him access to certain classified information, including “Restricted Data.” Roxby Mascheroni worked at LANL between 1981 and 2010, where her duties included technical writing and editing. She also held a security clearance at LANL that allowed her access to certain classified information, including “Restricted Data.” As defined under the Atomic Energy Act, “Restricted Data” is classified information concerning the design, manufacture or use of atomic weapons; the production of special nuclear material; or the use of special nuclear material in the production of energy.
Mascheroni and Roxby Mascheroni were indicted in September 2010 and charged with conspiracy to communicate and communicating Restricted Data to an individual with the intent to secure an advantage to a foreign nation, as well as conspiracy to convey and conveying classified information. The indictment also charged Mascheroni with concealing and retaining U.S. records with the intent to convert them to his own use and gain, and both defendants with making false statements.
Mascheroni pleaded guilty in June 2013, to counts seven and eight of the indictment, charging him with conversion of government property and retention of U.S. records, and counts 10 through 15, charging him with making false statements. Mascheroni also pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with two counts of communication of Restricted Data and one count of retention of national defense information.
In entering his guilty plea, Mascheroni admitted that in November 2008 and July 2009, he unlawfully communicated Restricted Data to another individual with reason to believe that the data would be utilized to secure an advantage to Venezuela. He also admitted unlawfully converting Department of Energy information to his own use and selling the information in November 2008 and July 2009, and failing to deliver classified information relating to the United States’ national defense to appropriate authorities and instead unlawfully retaining the information in his home. Finally, Mascheroni admitted making materially false statements to the FBI when he was interviewed in October 2009.
Roxby Mascheroni pleaded guilty in June 2014, to count six of the indictment, charging her with conspiracy, and counts 16 through 22, charging her with making false statements. She also pleaded guilty to a felony information charging her with conspiracy to communicate Restricted Data. Roxby Mascheroni admitted that between October 2007 and October 2009, she conspired with Mascheroni to convey Restricted Data belonging to the United States to another person with reason to believe that the information would be used to secure an advantage to Venezuela. She also admitted making materially false statements to the FBI when she was interviewed in October 2009.
The indictment in this case did not allege that the government of Venezuela or anyone acting on its behalf sought or was passed any classified information, nor did it charge any Venezuelan government officials or anyone acting on their behalf with wrongdoing. The indictment also did not allege any wrongdoing by other individuals working at LANL.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Albuquerque Division with assistance from the Department of Energy and LANL. The prosecution was handled by Senior Counsel Kathleen Kedian and Trial Attorney David Recker of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred J. Federici, Dean Tuckman and Holland S. Kastrin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
FACT SHEET ON IAEA PEACEFUL INITIATIVE
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative and the NPT
Fact Sheet
Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
Washington, DC
January 1, 2015
The Initiative
During 2010, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI) to raise extrabudgetary contributions in support of Agency activities that promote the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
The PUI supports implementation of Article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which requires NPT States Parties that are “in a position to do so” to “cooperate in contributing alone or together with other States or international organizations to the further development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
Participation
At least 18 IAEA Member States and the European Union have together provided the PUI approximately $77 million in financial or in-kind contributions. The United States has provided over $50 million of this amount.
Impact
Since 2010, the PUI has provided the IAEA with additional flexibility and resources for high priority IAEA Member State projects, including responding to unforeseen challenges. These projects support human health, water resource management, food security, protection of the environment, nuclear power infrastructure development, and nuclear safety and security. They are administered by the IAEA Departments of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Technical Cooperation, and Nuclear Safety and Security.
The list of countries having benefited from PUI-supported IAEA projects has grown to more than 120 states worldwide. Examples of PUI-supported peaceful uses activities include:
Advancing Human Health: The PUI has supported the advancement of education and training in nuclear medicine, application of nuclear techniques to improve the treatment of cardiac patients, enhancement of early detection capabilities for Ebola in Africa, and strengthening of national capacities in states throughout the world to detect and treat cancer.
Supporting Water Resource Management: PUI funding has supported the design of a large-scale water management project to respond to sustained drought and widespread starvation and malnutrition in the Sahel region of Africa.
Ensuring Food Security: The PUI has helped to fund expanded laboratory capacities in Africa to improve the detection of transboundary animal diseases, and in Latin America to ensure food safety and reduce the fruit fly threat to agricultural resources. The PUI has also supported the development of a sustainable zone free of the tsetse fly in the Niayes region of Senegal to relieve the burden of trypanosomiasis and increase food and agricultural productivity.
Protecting the Environment: PUI contributions have helped to fund projects to better understand the effects of climate change, determine and trace pollution in marine waters, mitigate the effects of harmful algal blooms, and promote global actions against ocean acidification.
Developing Nuclear Power Infrastructure: The PUI has supported IAEA efforts to strengthen nuclear power infrastructure development in Member States, provide bilateral legislative assistance to nuclear newcomer countries, promote sustainable uranium mining practices, and enhance technical and management capacity in states considering nuclear power.
Promoting Nuclear Safety and Security: PUI contributions have helped to fund projects that strengthen the control of radioactive sources and radioactive waste, upgrade radiation protection infrastructures, support human resource development in nuclear security, and strengthen national capabilities for responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies.
Looking Forward
Though much has been achieved with the help of the PUI, there are always more needs to be met.
Providing funding to the PUI allows donors to address real needs in countries around the world, while simultaneously complementing their international assistance priorities and advancing the goals of the NPT. States are encouraged to explore with the IAEA Secretariat various projects to which they could contribute through the PUI, and to look for opportunities to partner with other governments on PUI-supported projects. Member States benefiting from the PUI are encouraged to highlight for others the impact of the PUI in advancing their national goals.
The IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative and the NPT
Fact Sheet
Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
Washington, DC
January 1, 2015
The Initiative
During 2010, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI) to raise extrabudgetary contributions in support of Agency activities that promote the peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
The PUI supports implementation of Article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which requires NPT States Parties that are “in a position to do so” to “cooperate in contributing alone or together with other States or international organizations to the further development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
Participation
At least 18 IAEA Member States and the European Union have together provided the PUI approximately $77 million in financial or in-kind contributions. The United States has provided over $50 million of this amount.
Impact
Since 2010, the PUI has provided the IAEA with additional flexibility and resources for high priority IAEA Member State projects, including responding to unforeseen challenges. These projects support human health, water resource management, food security, protection of the environment, nuclear power infrastructure development, and nuclear safety and security. They are administered by the IAEA Departments of Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Technical Cooperation, and Nuclear Safety and Security.
The list of countries having benefited from PUI-supported IAEA projects has grown to more than 120 states worldwide. Examples of PUI-supported peaceful uses activities include:
Advancing Human Health: The PUI has supported the advancement of education and training in nuclear medicine, application of nuclear techniques to improve the treatment of cardiac patients, enhancement of early detection capabilities for Ebola in Africa, and strengthening of national capacities in states throughout the world to detect and treat cancer.
Supporting Water Resource Management: PUI funding has supported the design of a large-scale water management project to respond to sustained drought and widespread starvation and malnutrition in the Sahel region of Africa.
Ensuring Food Security: The PUI has helped to fund expanded laboratory capacities in Africa to improve the detection of transboundary animal diseases, and in Latin America to ensure food safety and reduce the fruit fly threat to agricultural resources. The PUI has also supported the development of a sustainable zone free of the tsetse fly in the Niayes region of Senegal to relieve the burden of trypanosomiasis and increase food and agricultural productivity.
Protecting the Environment: PUI contributions have helped to fund projects to better understand the effects of climate change, determine and trace pollution in marine waters, mitigate the effects of harmful algal blooms, and promote global actions against ocean acidification.
Developing Nuclear Power Infrastructure: The PUI has supported IAEA efforts to strengthen nuclear power infrastructure development in Member States, provide bilateral legislative assistance to nuclear newcomer countries, promote sustainable uranium mining practices, and enhance technical and management capacity in states considering nuclear power.
Promoting Nuclear Safety and Security: PUI contributions have helped to fund projects that strengthen the control of radioactive sources and radioactive waste, upgrade radiation protection infrastructures, support human resource development in nuclear security, and strengthen national capabilities for responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies.
Looking Forward
Though much has been achieved with the help of the PUI, there are always more needs to be met.
Providing funding to the PUI allows donors to address real needs in countries around the world, while simultaneously complementing their international assistance priorities and advancing the goals of the NPT. States are encouraged to explore with the IAEA Secretariat various projects to which they could contribute through the PUI, and to look for opportunities to partner with other governments on PUI-supported projects. Member States benefiting from the PUI are encouraged to highlight for others the impact of the PUI in advancing their national goals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)