EFTA00064699.pdf

From: DOJ Digests To: Rendon DOJ Alert Desk Bcc: " '< Subject: Morning Digest Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2020 11:51:42 +0000 Department of Justice Morning News Digest July 10, 2020 08:00 AM EDT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Washington & DOJ Schedule 2. Network Evening News Lineup 3. Morning Headlines 4. US Department of Justice News 5. COVID-19 6. Federal Law Enforcement Agencies 7. National Security 8. Immigration & Border Security 9. US Supreme Court 10. Criminal Law 11. Civil Law 12. Civil Rights 13. Antitrust 14. Environment 15. Tax 16. Criminal Justice/Corrections 17. Native American Affairs 18. Marijuana Legalization 19. Opioid Crisis 20. Administration 21. Congress WASHINGTON & DOJ SCHEDULE: JULY 10, 2020 DOJ • No scheduled events. NETWORK EVENING NEWS LINEUP: JULY 9, 2020 ABC: World News Tonight with David Muir CBS: Evening News with Norah O'Donnell NBC: Nightly News with Lester Holt EFTA00064699  • The United States has broken another coronavirus record reporting 60,565 new confirmed cases in 24 hours. Deaths from the virus also climbed by more than 800 for the third day in a row, pushing the national total past 133,000. America's three biggest states, California, Florida and Texas, are all reporting their largest single-day death toll since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, the UN has announced a review of the global health agency's response to the pandemic, which will be led by former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark and former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. [ABC CBS NBC] • The Supreme Court made a statement on the limits of presidential power, ruling that New York prosecutor Cy Vance can see Trump's tax returns saying the president cannot block the release of his financial records. [ABC CBS NBC] • Michael Cohen, President Trump's onetime lawyer and fixer, was taken back into custody on Thursday for failing to follow the rules of his home confinement. [ABC CBS] • New audio has emerged from the investigation into the death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot at home by police during the execution of a no-knock warrant. Newly released interviews with police and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who spoke to authorities hours after he survived the encounter that killed Taylor at their home on March 13 reinforce that the couple had no idea who was attempting to break into the apartment that night. [ABC CBS] • Transcripts from all of the present officers' body cameras captured chilling pleas from George Floyd in his final moments. The transcripts revealed that Floyd said the word "please" nearly five dozen times to the officers charged with aiding and abetting his murder. [ABC] • Another 1.3 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment insurance last week, the Department of Labor said Thursday. While the new jobless claims have leveled off some since peaking at 6.9 million in late March, they remain at historically high levels -- and have been in the millions each week for over three months. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the record for weekly unemployment filings was 695,000 in 1982. [ABC] • Former Vice President Joe Biden tore into President Donald Trump Thursday on the incumbent's signature issue, the economy, seeking to cast him as a divisive and incompetent leader while unveiling the first major plank of his economic recovery plan. [ABC] • The US Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a large swath of eastern Oklahoma remains a Native American reservation, a decision that could cast doubt on hundreds of convictions and possibly limit law enforcement actions in the area. The justices — in a 5-4 ruling — decided in a case involving Native American Jimcy McGirt that the site of a rape should have been considered part of a reservation based on the historical claim of the Muscogee, or Creek, Nation, making it out of bounds to state authorities. [ABC] • Glass vial shortage could delay deployment of coronavirus vaccine, Even if a coronavirus vaccine is proven safe and effective, there are concerns that a global shortage of glass for vaccine vials could delay mass production. [CBS] • Hospitals across the country struggling to obtain masks, gowns and gloves, forcing health care workers to reuse PPE, in a resurgence of the shortage faced at the beginning of the pandemic. [NBC] • As coronavirus cases surge across the country, teachers and parents are worried about sending kids back to school this fall even as months of virtual learning have taken their toll. [NBC] MORNING HEADLINES • "Coronavirus Live Updates: U.S. Nears 60,000 New Cases a Day" [NYT, WaPo WSJ] • "Trump's angry reaction to court underscores political risk" [WaPo NYT] • "World Health Organization acknowledges that coronavirus can linger in the air" [LAT] • "U.S. Stock Futures Slip Amid Flight to Government Bonds" [WSJ] US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NEWS KAIT-ABC (Jonesboro, AR): "Attorney General Barr visits Arkansas, discusses criminal justice," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 9:52 PM (EDT) Attorney General William Barr paid a visit to the Natural State Thursday, saying the support of local and state law enforcement plays a huge role in the overall issue of criminal justice. According to content partner KARK, the Attorney General was in Little Rock to attend a Federal and Local Law Enforcement Roundtable, plus met EFTA00064700 with Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tom Cotton and Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge among others. [Continue Reading] See also: KTHV-CBS (Little Rock. AR) Bloomberg: "Barr Says Probe Trump Sought of FBI May Yield Results in Summer,"Chris Strohm, July 09, 2020, 4:38 PM A criminal investigation into whether FBI officials acted improperly while probing Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and his associates may produce some results by the end of summer, Attorney General William Barr said. [Continue Reading] ABC: "Attorney General William Barr defends Justice Department against claims of politicization," Pierre Thomas, Lucien Bruggeman, Jack Date, Alexander Mallin, Luke Barr, July 09, 2020, 4:09 PM Attorney General William Barr offered a forceful defense of the Justice Department's independence on Wednesday amid criticism that its work has been leveraged as a political tool for President Donald Trump. "Where independence is most important and, in fact, essential is in the administration of criminal justice -- the decisions to charge people or not charge people," Barr said in an exclusive interview with ABC News. Continue Reading] ABC: "Unfair policing of African Americans a 'widespread phenomenon,' Attorney General Barr says," Pierre Thomas, Lucien Bruggeman, Jack Date, Alexander Mallin, Luke Barr, July 09, 2020, 4:02 PM Unfair policing of African Americans a 'widespread phenomenon,' Attorney General Barr says The nation's top law enforcement officer sat down for an ABC News exclusive. Amid nationwide unrest and frustration with law enforcement, Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday acknowledged that communities of color are often policed differently from white ones, calling the unfairness a "widespread phenomenon." [Continue Reading] ABC: "AG Barr announces new initiative 'Operation Legend' to tackle violent crime," Alexander Mallin, July 09, 2020, 3:35 PM AG Barr announces new initiative 'Operation Legend' to tackle violent crime Law enforcement officials will first be dispatched to to Kansas City, Missouri. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Attorney General William Barr announced the creation of a new nationwide law enforcement initiative -- dubbed 'Operation Legend' -- intended to send federal resources to states and cities seeing a recent surge in violent crime. [Continue Reading] See also: KMGH-ABC (Denver CO) KSHB-NBC (Kansas City MO) Salon WTVD-ABC (Durham NC) COVID-19 Law360: "Syrian Doc Sues To Keep Treating COVID-19 Patients In US," Craig Clough, July 09, 2020, 8:39 PM A Syrian medical doctor filed suit in D.C. federal court on Thursday challenging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's purported delay in processing his waiver request for an extension of his J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa, which he says he is requesting to continue treating COVID-19 patients. [Continue Reading] Princeton Daily Clarion (Princeton, IN): "Fort Branch women charged with wire fraud," Andrea Howe, July 09, 2020, 5:00 PM U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler reported the arrest Thursday of Rose Ann Azzarello, 60, and Andrea Renee Pytlinski, 38, both of Fort Branch, on wire fraud charges alleged to stem from COVID-19 check scams. "With any crisis, comes criminals looking for the opportunity to cash in for their own benefit. The coronavirus health crisis has not been immune from their fraudulent schemes" said Minkler. [Continue Reading] WVTF-NPR (VI): "Coronavirus Outbreak, Two Hospitalized, at ICE Facility in Farmville," Mallory Noe- Payne, July 09, 2020, 4:00 PM An outbreak of COVID-19 at an ICE detention facility in Central Virginia has advocates worried. More than 100 people detained there have now tested positive for the virus. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not reported any deaths at the facility in Farmville, but they do say two people have been hospitalized for respiratory issues. [Continue Reading] Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, NV): "ICE detainees bear brunt of COVID-19 spike in Nye County jails," Rio Lacanlale, July 09, 2020, 3:56 PM (EDT) Immigration detainees have been the hardest hit by a recent COVID-19 outbreak within the inmate population at the Nye County Detention Center in Pahrump, according to county and federal data. [Continue Reading] EFTA00064701 FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES KOTV-CBS (Tulsa, OK): "DEA Agents Combat Meth Threat In Oklahoma Through Operation Crystal Shield," Bonnie Campo, July 09, 2020, 9:43 PM Skilled at hiding in plain sight, agents with the Drug Enforcement Agency are on high alert. They said key players, connected to various Mexican cartels, are doing big business in our state. "Nearly 100 percent of all methamphetamine that arrives here in Oklahoma is smuggled across our southwest border from Mexico," said John Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration. [Continue Reading] Dothan Eagle (Dothan, AL): "DEA charges pharmacist in Wednesday's raid," Michele W. Forehan, July 09, 2020, 9:00 PM A Dothan pharmacist has been charged by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration after a raid at his business Wednesday, culminating a lengthy investigation by federal agents and Dothan police. Allen Strickland, who owns Allen's Pharmacy at 1518 W. Main St., was arrested late Wednesday and charged with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. [Continue Reading] See also: WTVY-CBS/MyNetworkTV (Dothan, AL) KRQE-CBS/Fox (Albuquerque, NM): "FBI looking for bank robber who escaped in convertible in northwest Albuquerque; FBI offers $5,000 reward," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 8:46 PM The FBI says a man made his escape in a convertible after robbing an Albuquerque bank Thursday morning. They say he showed a handgun and demanded money from a teller at Bank of the West inside the Smith's on 4th near Montano around 10:20 a.m. He left in a white Ford Mustang convertible with no license plates. [Continue Reading] Patch (Salem, NH): "Human Remains Found In Methuen By FBI Evidence Response Team," Jeffrey Hastings, July 09, 2020, 6:59 PM The FBI Evidence Response team using excavating equipment has been search an area of Milk Street for human remains for three days. Sources have confirmed to Patch that human remains were found at the site Thursday afternoon. Multiple sources have confirmed the remains they were looking for are that of a man from Manchester. [Continue Reading] See also: Boston Globe MassLive WBZ-CBS (Boston MA) WHDH (Boston MA) WOI-ABC (Des Moines, IA): [VIDEO] "FBI, DOJ investigating noose found at Facebook Data Center," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 6:51 PM The FBI and the Department of Justice are assisting the Altoona Police Department in investigating a noose found last month at the Facebook Data Center. [Watch] KRDO-AM (Colorado Springs, CO): "FBI, CBI return to Suzanne Morphew's home after two months of disappearance," Zachary Aedo, July 09, 2020, 5:17 PM After two months since her disappearance, state and federal investigators retumed to the home of Suzanne Morphew in Chaffee County on Thursday. Authorities said they searched the area again for any new information related to the 49-year-old woman's disappearance. [Continue Reading] WWBT-NBC (Richmond, VA): "ATF offers $5K reward for information about GRTC Pulse bus fire," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 5:01 PM The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for setting a GRTC Pulse bus on fire. The bus was set on fire on May 30 during protests that turned violent in downtown Richmond. Continue Reading] WITI-Fox (Milwaukee, WI): "MPD seeks information regarding homicide of 16-year-old girl; FBI offers $5,000 reward," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 3:52 PM The Milwaukee Police Department on Thursday, July 9 requested the public's help gathering information about the homicide of 16-year-old Qunyonce Louis-Moore. Police said Louise-Moore was shot and killed in an alley near 8th and Keefe on Tuesday night, June 30 around 10:30 p.m. She was walking in the alley when shots were fired and she was subsequently struck. [Continue Reading] KHQA-CBS/ABC (Hannibal, MO): "65K reward being offered in Hannibal Farm and Home Supply firearm burglary," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 3:30 PM EFTA00064702 The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hannibal Police Department announced Thursday a reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the June 26th theft of firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Hannibal. In the early moming hours of Friday, June 26th, two unknown suspects broke into Farm and Home Supply, located at 2959 Palmyra Road, stealing several firearms. [Continue Reading] KTTV-Fox (Los Angeles, CA): "Robert Fuller's death ruled a suicide after 'thorough' investigation overseen by state, FBI," Kelli Johnson, July 09, 2020, 3:00 PM After what officials said was a "thorough investigation" conducted in collaboration with the California Department of Justice and FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department on Thursday announced Robert Fuller's death has been ruled a suicide. [Continue Reading] See also: Forbes KTLA-CW (Los Angeles CA) Newsweek NATIONAL SECURITY Politico: "A top terrorism fighter's dire warning," Betsy Woodruff Swan, July 09, 2020, 10:03 PM America's intelligence agencies risk slipping back into dangerous pre-9/11 habits, a recently departed top counterterrorism official is warning in his first public remarks on the matter. Russell Travers, the former head of the U.S. government's hub for analysis of counterterrorism intelligence, was so alarmed that he shared his concerns with the intelligence community's top internal watchdog in his final weeks on the job. Continue Reading] Law360: "FBI Agent Grilled On Russian Officials' Integrity In Hack Trial," Zachary Aedo, July 09, 2020, 9:37 PM Counsel for a Russian national on trial in Califomia federal court over 2012 cyberattacks on Linkedln and Dropbox tore into an FBI agent who investigated the data breaches on Thursday, cross-examining the agent about the reliability of evidence provided by Russian authorities before resting his case without calling witnesses. Cross-examining the FBI agent who investigated 32-year-old Moscow resident Yevgeniy Nikulin's alleged connection to the data breaches that exposed over 100 million users' data, Nikulin's attomey highlighted uncertainties and questions left unanswered by the FBI's yearslong investigation. [Continue Reading] IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY BuzzFeed: "The Trump Administration Told A Judge ICE Should Not Release Parents And Children Who've Been Detained Together," Hamed Aleaziz and Adolfo Flores, July 10, 2020, 2:14 AM The US government told a federal judge late Thursday that immigrant families should not be released from custody more than a week after children were ordered released from ICE detention centers across the country, setting up scenarios in which they could be separated. [Continue Reading] KFOX-Fox (El Paso, TX): "Border Patrol agent runs over migrant near Ysleta port of entry," Erika Esquivel, July 09, 2020, 11:00 PM Officials with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Thursday a Border Patrol agent ran over a migrant who was allegedly avoiding Border Patrol. The incident happened July 1 around 9 p.m. when agents working at the Ysleta port of entry were searching for a group of three undocumented migrants who were allegedly trying to enter the U.S. illegally. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Calif. Blasts ICE's New Int, Student Attendance Policy In Suit," Lauren Berg, July 09, 2020, 8:53 PM California became the first state on Thursday to lodge a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's new requirement that international students whose universities go fully online during the pandemic leave the U.S. or risk deportation. [Continue Reading] See also: CNN LAT West Central Tribune (Wilmar, MN): "University of Minnesota joins schools challenging federal government's visa restrictions," Andee Erickson, July 09, 2020, 7:00 PM After U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced policy changes that would prevent international students from living in the country if they're only enrolled in online classes, University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel announced Thursday, July 9 the system is joining an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit that challenges the federal government. [Continue Reading] See also: WABI-CBS/CW+ (Bangor ME) WBAY-ABC EFTA00064703 (Green Bay WI) WBUR (Boston MA) WEAU-NBC (Eau Claire WI) WFXR-Fox (Roanoke VI) WIVT-ABC (Binghamton NY) WHP-CBS (Harrisburg PA) WOWK-CBS (Huntington WV) KVEO-NBC (Brownsville, TX): "Over 20 pounds of cocaine seized at Falfurria checkpoint," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 4:51 PM Border Patrol agents seized over 20 pounds of cocaine worth more than $678,000 at Falfurrias checkpoint. In a statement issued Thursday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says Falfurrias agents working at the checkpoint made an inspection on a tractor-trailer following a K-9 alert. Agents then discovered that the refrigerated trailer had more than 20 pounds of cocaine in a hidden compartment. [Continue Reading] Fox: "ICE deports illegal immigrant linked to El Salvador terror groups," Bradford Betz, July 09, 2020, 4:00 PM U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday deported an illegal immigrant who was wanted in El Salvador on charges of terrorism and leading terrorist organizations. Saul Alberto Benavides, 35, was flown on a charter flight coordinated by ICE's Air Operations Unit from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston to San Salvador, El Salvador, the agency said in a press release. [Continue Reading] NBC: "99 members of Congress demand withdrawal of restrictions on international students," Daniella Silva, July 09, 2020, 2:59 PM Nearly 100 members of Congress are demanding the Trump administration stop a policy that would strip intemational students of their visas if their coursework is entirely online when classes resume in the fall, according to a letter shared exclusively with NBC News on Thursday. [Continue Reading] US SUPREME COURT NPR: [AUDIO] "Chief Justice John Roberts' Major Role In The Recent Supreme Court Term," Nina Totenberg, July 09, 2020, 4:58 PM Chief Justice John Roberts has had a momentous term in which he played perhaps the most influential role of any chief justice in close to a century. [Listen] Law360: "Justices Told PTAB Constitutional Issues Persist Post-Arthrex," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 11:58 PM Duke University has told the U.S. Supreme Court that Patent Trial and Appeal Board judges remain unconstitutionally appointed and that the Federal Circuit is sidestepping Arthrex when it denies remands to parties that don't raise appointments clause challenges in their opening briefs. [Continue Reading] Law360: "High Court Sends Birth Control Coverage Cases To 9th Circ.," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 10:53 PM The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday undid a Ninth Circuit injunction that blocked a pair of Trump administration rules making it easier for employers to skirt the Affordable Care Act's contraception mandate, a day after the justices upheld the regulations in a similar case. [Continue Reading] Law360: [ANALYSIS] "Civil Rights Attys Fear Religious Turn At High Court," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 10:14 PM The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Trump v. Pennsylvania could devastate American workers who use birth control in the short term while chipping away at nondiscrimination protections in the long term, civil rights advocates say. [Continue Reading] Law360: "High Court Takes Up Christian Students' Free Speech Suit," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 10:11 PM The U.S. Supreme Court breathed new life Thursday into two former students' case alleging Georgia Gwinnett College stifled their free speech rights to speak on campus about their Christian faith, saying it would review an Eleventh Circuit decision affirming dismissal after the school changed disputed policies. [Continue Reading] Law360: "High Court Won't Pick Up Charter's Bid To Overturn TCPA," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 9:42 PM The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to take up Charter Communications' challenge to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act's autodialer restrictions, after a divided high court earlier this week upheld the statute's EFTA00064704 sweeping ban on robocalls but stomped on an exemption for government-backed debt collectors. Continue Reading] The Recorder: "SCOTUS Poised to Define Banned Technology in Facebook TCPA Case," Alaina Lancaster, July 09, 2020, 6:28 PM The U.S. Supreme Court is set to provide a crucial definition related to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act that could refine the scope of the law. [Continue Reading] Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL): "U.S. Supreme Court asked to allow former felons to vote, despite fines and fees, while case continues," Dara Kam, July 09, 2020, 5:05 PM Plaintiffs in a Florida voting-rights case have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate an appeals-court decision that would prevent hundreds of thousands of felons from registering and voting in next month's primary elections and could keep them from casting ballots in November. [Continue Reading] See also: AP NYT: [EDITORIAL] "The Supreme Court Lets Trump Run Out the Clock," Editorial Board, July 09, 2020, 5:00 PM In two major cases on Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected President Trump's attempt to avoid all legal scrutiny of his financial records and reaffirmed the principle that undergirds any democratic society: No one, not even the president, is above the law. [Continue Reading] WaPo: "Supreme Court says much of eastern Oklahoma remains Indian land," Ann E. Marimow, July 09, 2020, 4:58 PM The Supreme Court said Thursday that a large swath of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation, a decision with potential implications for nearly 2 million residents and one of the most significant victories for tribal rights in years. The land at issue contains much of Tulsa, the state's second-largest city. The question for the court was whether Congress officially eliminated the Muscogee (Creek) Nation reservation when Oklahoma became a state in 1907. [Continue Reading] See also: AP Bloomberg Law CNN Financial Times Law360 New York Daily News NYT New York Post VOA NPR: [AUDIO] "Presidents Don't Have Absolute Immunity," Scott Detrow, Ayesha Rascoe, Carrie Johnson, July 09, 2020, 4:41 PM The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected President Trump's claim that he is "categorically immune" from having his pre-presidential financial records investigated by a New York grand jury. But in a second decision on the House's request for similar information, the court questioned the breadth of congressional authority. Americans, almost certainly, will not see the president's taxes before Election Day. [Listen] See also: ABC CNN Financial Times The Hill LAT, NPR-1 NYT, Politico USA Today WaPo WSJ WaPo: [EDITORIAL] "The court rejects Trump's imperious arguments on subpoenas, but it doesn't go far enough," Editorial Board, July 09, 2020, 3:27 PM Several times in the Supreme Court's now-concluded 2019-2020 term, the justices stopped short of giving one side a complete victory on a hot-button issue. They did so again Thursday, the last day of the term, when the question was whether subpoenas for President Trump's financial records — one from Manhattan's district attorney, four from Congress — were enforceable. [Continue Reading] CRIMINAL LAW WDVM (Hagerstown, MD): "Philadelphia man faces 20 years in prison after distributing opioids in Berkeley County," Katie Rhee, July 09, 2020, 11:29 PM A step towards improving the opioid crisis in West Virginia after a Philadelphia man admitted to heroin and fentanyl distribution today. 45 year old Richard Gaines pled guilty to one count of "Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl." This comes after Gaines admitted to having the opioids in Berkeley County in June of 2017. [Continue Reading] KIII-ABC (Corpus Christi, TX): "Driver in deadly Robstown crash in June 2019 sentenced to federal prison," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 11:15 PM A Mexican citizen convicted of attempting to smuggling 18 undocumented immigrants across the border has been sentenced to federal prison. 31-year old Ivan Puga Moreno has been sentenced to 10 years. He will then be deported once time has been served. [Continue Reading] EFTA00064705 KGTV-ABC (San Diego, CA): "San Diego man sentenced for ID theft that took millions from military members," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 11:00 PM A San Diego man was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in federal prison for his role in a scheme that took millions of dollars from U.S. servicemembers by utilizing stolen identity information. Trorice Crawford, 33, pleaded guilty last December to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments for his part in facilitating the thefts of funds from thousands of military members' bank accounts. [Continue Reading] The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA): "W-B woman pleads guilty to straw purchases of guns," Eric Mark, July 09, 2020, 11:00 PM A Wilkes-Barre woman pleaded guilty this week to making false statements in connection with firearms purchases, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Laquanna Bacote, 25, entered a guilty plea in federal court on Tuesday, the Justice Department said, in a news release. In October 2019, a grand jury indicted Bacote on charges of conspiring to make false statements to acquire firearms and making false statements to acquire firearms. [Continue Reading] The Hour (Norwalk, CT): "New Haven woman pleads guilty to federal drug charge," Tara O'Neill, July 09, 2020, 10:17 PM A city woman pleaded guilty Thursday, admitting her role in conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, according to federal authorities. Jenna Defelice, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. That offense carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison. [Continue Reading] NJ.com: "Alleged mobster headed back to prison for dealing drugs, packing heat, feds say," Kevin Shea, July 09, 2020, 9:51 PM A federal judge sent an Ocean County man to prison Thursday for the second time in four years for basically the same criminal scheme - dealing cocaine. Mario Galli III, 28, of Toms River, an associate of the DeCavalcante crime family, was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison (four years and four months) for two crimes, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possessing a firearm during a drug crime, the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office announced. [Continue Reading] See also: Daily Voice WRGB-CBS (Schenectady, NY): "Queens man gets 70 months for trafficking heroin, other drugs in the Capital Region," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 9:30 PM The United States Department of Justice announced the sentencing of a man from Queens, who was arrested in 2018 for selling drugs in the Capital Region. According to police, 38-year-old Eric Soto traveled from New York City to the Capital Region on three occasions for the purpose of distributing both heroin and oxycodone at various locations in Albany County, including in Colonie, Guilderland and Watervliet. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Feds Indict 4 In Alleged $34M Pharma Kickback Scheme," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 8:54 PM A federal grand jury has indicted four men allegedly behind a $34 million scheme by a now-shuttered ScripsAmerica subsidiary pharmacy based in New Jersey that paid kickbacks to marketers in the form of referral fees, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday. [Continue Reading] See also: Courier Times (Bucks County PA) KPTV-Fox (Portland, OR): "Oregon men, including dad who left kids to inject meth, sentenced in separate cases for illegal gun possession," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 8:00 PM Three Oregon men have been sentenced in separate cases for illegally possessing firearms, including one man convicted of killing another man for spending the night with his girlfriend, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Mitch Bryan Schoonover, 37, of Portland, Isaiah Holt, 32, also of Portland, and Jay Rodney Ferdig, 44, of Salem, are convicted felons. They were sentenced this month to time federal prison in separate cases, ranging from 18 months to 37 months. [Continue Reading] WMTV-NBC (Madison, WI): "Madison man sentenced to 20 years for producing child pornography," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 7:35 PM 25-year-old Jeremy Schenck is set to spend 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the production of child pornography, according to a statement from U.S Attorney Scott C. Blader Thursday morning. The statement says Schenck's investigation began back in Dec. of 2018 after a social worker from Dane County Human Services contacted MPD. The social worker contacted MPD after a victim reported they were sexually abused by Schenck. [Continue Reading] EFTA00064706 Law360: "Romanian Programmer Cops To Role In $722M Crypto Fraud," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 7:34 PM A Romanian man pled guilty Thursday to plotting to sell unregistered securities in connection with his role in a $722 million cryptocurrency mining scheme known as the BitClub Network, New Jersey's top federal prosecutor announced. [Continue Reading] BuzzFeed: "A Mail Carrier Took People's Absentee Ballot Requests And Switched Their Party To Republican," David Mack, July 09, 2020, 7:30 PM A West Virginia mail carrier is facing prison time after admitting he attempted election fraud by changing the party registrations of people who had requested absentee ballots for the state's June primary, officials announced Thursday. Thomas Cooper, 47, of Dry Fork signed an agreement in which he pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to defraud the residents of West Virginia of a fair election and one count of injury to the mail. [Continue Reading] See also: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh PA) WCHS-ABC (Charleston WV) Register-Herald (Beckley, WV): "Whitesville man sentenced for child pornography," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 7:00 PM A Whitesville man was sentenced to federal prison for his second child pornography offense and possessing a firearm despite being a convicted felon, United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced. Daniel Runion was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for possession of child pornography and being a felon in possession of a firearm. [Continue Reading] Washington Times: "OSU researcher with ties to Chinese Talent Plan charged with grant fraud," Jeff Mordock, July 09, 2020, 7:00 PM A professor with ties to a controversial group that the Trump administration has accused of stealing U.S. intellectual property was charged with grant fraud, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday. Song Guo Zheng, 57, a rheumatology professor and researcher at the Ohio State University, was arrested in late May, the Justice Department said. [Continue Reading] See also: Bloomberg Bloomberg Law Columbus Dispatch (Columbus OH) Daily Beast WSYX-ABC (Columbia OH) KUSA-NBC (Denver, CO): "Colorado man pleads guilty to possessing more than 10,500 child porn files," Amanda Kesting, July 09, 2020, 7:00 PM (EDT) A man has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after investigators found an organized collection of more than 10,500 child porn images and videos in his home, the District Attorney for the 17th Judicial District said Thursday. Colorado's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force began investigating Jason Van Hoesen, 46, in December 2018. [Continue Reading] WDSU-NBC (New Orleans, LA): "Another indicted in failed First NBC Bank investigation," Chris Slaughter, July 09, 2020, 7:00 PM Another indictment was handed down in the large, ongoing federal investigation into the failure of the First NBC bank. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Metairie businessman Warren G Treme with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Fashion Mogul Wants 52 Women Cut From Sex Trafficking Suit," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 6:48 PM Canadian fashion executive Peter J. Nygard and his companies urged a New York federal judge on Wednesday to dismiss the claims of 52 of the 57 women accusing him of sex trafficking and rape, saying the allegations lack any connection to New York. [Continue Reading] Daily Voice: "NJ Feds: COVID Couldn't Slow Doc, Wife In Multi-Million Dollar Bribery Scam," Jerry DeMarco, July 09, 2020, 6:37 PM The coronavirus pandemic hardly fazed a Rockland doctor who with his wife continued to collect bribes and kickbacks in exchange for ordering millions of dollars in genetic tests, federal authorities said Thursday. Yitzachok "Barry" Kurtzer, 60, of Monsey operated an office in Scranton, PA, as did another physician, Lee Besen, 64, of Waverly, PA, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Craig Carpenito said. [Continue Reading] WJXT- CW (Jacksonville, FL): "Putnam County man accused of sex trafficking of children," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 5:00 PM Federal prosecutors said a 33-year-old Pomona Park man tried soliciting at least three children to engage in sex for money, according to an indictment released Thursday by the U.S. Attorney's Office. A grand jury charged EFTA00064707 Edward Alan Hardin with two counts of sex trafficking children and four counts of using a cellular phone to entice children to engage in unlawful sex acts. [Continue Reading] Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, MO): "Feds say St. Louis man admitted leading major drug ring," Robert Patrick, July 09, 2020, 5:00 PM A St. Louis man pleaded guilty Thursday to a drug conspiracy charge and admitted running a major drug ring that brought fentanyl, cocaine and heroin to the region, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Guy R. Goolsby, 44, now faces 10 years to life in prison after admitting that he and others used couriers and vehicles with secret compartments to ship drugs from Mexico to a home in Spanish Lake via Texas and Florida, prosecutors said. Goolsby admitted as part of his plea to conspiring to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine, over one kilogram of heroin, and over 400 grams of fentanyl from March 11, 2018, to March 12, 2019, they said. Continue Reading] WSJ: "Judge Appeals Order to Dismiss Charges Against Michael Flynn," Byron Tau, July 09, 2020, 4:56 PM A federal judge asked for a full appeals court to review an order telling him to dismiss the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan on Thursday asked the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review a decision that ordered him to drop the charges after the government sought a dismissal. [Continue Reading] See also: Axios CNBC CNN New York Post NYT, Politico Washington Examiner Washington Times WBBJ-ABC/CBS (Jackson, TN): "Benton County man sentenced after standoff, car chase," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 4:00 PM Shannon Pettigrew, 35, was convicted of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of ammunition as a convicted felon, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office. The release says deputies with the Benton County Sheriff's Office initially responded to a 911 call which indicated a man had threatened to kill his girlfriend. [Continue Reading] Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, GA): "Clarke County woman pleads guilty to selling meth after trafficking investigation," Shaddi Abusaid, July 09, 2020, 3:00 PM A Clarke County woman who was one of 68 people charged in a monthslong drug trafficking investigation has pleaded guilty in federal court, authorities said. Latasha Bishop, 33, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of distributing methamphetamine, prosecutors said. She faces up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and four years of supervised release. [Continue Reading] Freight Waves ( Chattanooga, TN): "Breaking: Charges dropped against trucker in $20M marijuana bust at US-Canada border," Nate Tabak, July 09, 2020, 3:00 PM A U.S. federal judge has dismissed the criminal case against a truck driver accused of attempting to smuggle $20 million of marijuana from Canada to the United States. U.S. Magistrate Jeremiah McCarthy dismissed the case against Prajbot Nagra, 26, during a hearing Thursday afternoon in Buffalo, New York, at the request of a federal prosecutor. [Continue Reading] KHOU-CBS (Houston, TX): "Suspect in shooting at El Paso Walmart faces new charges related to death of hospitalized victim," Lisa Carter, July 09, 2020, 2:33 PM A federal grand jury in El Paso on Thursday returned a superseding indictment against the suspect in the 2019 shooting at an El Paso Walmart that killed 23 people and injured 23 others. Patrick Wood Crusius, 21, has been indicted with a new hate crime and firearm charges stemming from the death of a hospitalized shooting victim. [Continue Reading] WKBT-CBS (La Crosse, WI): "La Crosse man facing federal drug, gun charges," Deb Brazil, July 09, 2020, 2:19 PM A La Crosse man is facing federal charges related to drug and gun crimes. The indictment alleges that Joshua Kletzke, 37, of La Crosse, on June 9, 2020, possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and also possessed a loaded .357 Magnum pistol. [Continue Reading] CIVIL LAW Law360: "Don't Trim Ripple Suit, Investors Urge Calif. Judge," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 11:24 PM EFTA00064708 Purchasers of the digital currency XRP who claim it's an unregistered security on Wednesday urged a California federal judge to let their full suit go forward against the currency's maker Ripple Labs Inc., saying they'd clearly explained in their complaint why they contend that the company lied. [Continue Reading] Law360: "CFPB Settlement Would Reduce $3.8M Sanction To Just $22K," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 10:43 PM The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has asked a federal court to sign off on a settlement with a student loan debt-relief company that would see a proposed $3.8 million sanction reduced to just $22,000 if the defunct company and its principals can pay that amount in 10 days. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Champion Petfoods Wins Toss Of False Ad Suit," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 9:59 PM A Wisconsin federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a proposed class action claiming Champion Petfoods deceptively marketed its products, saying that it would be "extraordinary" to hold the company accountable for trace amounts of bisphenol A in its dog food. [Continue Reading] Law360: "9th Circ. Kicks Costco PAGA Seating Suit Back To State Court," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 9:53 PM The Ninth Circuit ruled Thursday that a lower court erred by removing a Costco worker's Private Attorneys General Act lawsuit over unprovided seating to federal court, rejecting Costco's arguments that labeling a complaint as a "class action" is enough to meet removal requirements under the Class Action Fairness Act. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Ex-Wawa Workers Ink $22M Deal To End ERISA Class Action," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 9:49 PM A certified class of ex-Wawa workers urged a Pennsylvania federal judge Thursday to give preliminary approval to a $21.6 million settlement to end their Employee Retirement Income Security Act suit accusing the convenience store chain of forcing them to divest from the employee stock ownership plan. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Insurer Needn't Cover Trucking Co. In Human Trafficking Suit," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 9:07 PM A Pennsylvania federal judge told Landmark American Insurance Co. it doesn't need to pay defense costs in a migrant worker's suit accusing its policyholder, a trucking company, of human trafficking and workplace mistreatment, holding that the allegations in the underlying suit aren't covered under the insurer's policy. [Continue Reading] Law360: "JPMorgan Gets III. Futures Spoofing Suits Shipped To NY," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 7:15 PM An Illinois federal judge on Thursday sent to the Southern District of New York two proposed class actions accusing JPMorgan Chase of using an illegal trading strategy called spoofing to manipulate the futures markets since 2009. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Jones Day Must Hand Over Nationwide Associate Pay Data," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 7:07 PM A D.C. federal judge on Thursday told Jones Day that it must surrender nationwide associate salary data to female attorneys behind a pay discrimination proposed class action, after the firm argued the discovery request was overbroad and should be limited to certain states and offices. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Liberty Mutual Workers Fight Bid To Nix Suit Over 401(k) Plan," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 6:22 PM A group of Liberty Mutual workers and retirees have urged a Massachusetts federal judge not to toss their proposed class action claiming their retirement plan lost millions to excessive fees and poorly performing funds, saying they adequately alleged the company dropped the ball with the plan. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Acreage Subsidiary To Pay $250K Fine To Mass. Pot Board," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 6:13 PM Massachusetts' Cannabis Control Commission voted Thursday to approve a settlement with an Acreage Holdings subsidiary, under which the company will pay a $250,000 fine for failing to disclose its parent company's controlling relationship with two medical marijuana licensees. [Continue Reading] EFTA00064709 Law360: "Migrant Workers Say They Were Fired Over Housing Protests," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 5:34 PM A group of migrant workers has sued an Atlanta construction firm in Georgia federal court, alleging they were fired after protesting company requirements that they pay "excessive" rent to live in crowded housing prone to overheating. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Mass. Pot Board Fines Cos. $550K Over Pesticide Violations," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 5:06 PM Massachusetts cannabis regulators approved settlements with 4Front Ventures and another marijuana company Thursday over the use of improper pesticides on their plants, leveling a combined $550,000 in fines against the companies. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Weinstein Co. Floats $47M Ch. 11 Deal For Victims, Creditors," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 4:51 PM Attorneys for Harvey Weinstein's bankrupt former studio outlined a tentative $46.8 million agreement Thursday to settle victim and bankruptcy creditor claims against the convicted sexual predator in Delaware bankruptcy court and New York federal court. [Continue Reading] Law360: "Walgreens Wants Insurers' Overcharging Suit Tossed," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 4:50 PM Walgreens asked an Illinois federal judge on Wednesday to toss a "misguided" fraud suit accusing it of intentionally overcharging private insurers for prescription drugs, saying the case can't move forward without the pharmacy benefit managers that act as intermediaries in insurers' transactions with pharmacies. Continue Reading] Law360: "Pomerantz Nabs Lead Role In Cannabis Stock-Drop Suit," Lauren Berg, July 09, 2020, 4:30 PM A New York federal judge on Thursday appointed Pomerantz LLP as lead counsel to represent iAnthus Capital Holdings Inc. investors over claims the cannabis company tried to use the coronavirus pandemic to explain away a missed $4.4 million interest payment, after four firms vied for the position. [Continue Reading] Bloomberg Law: "Kik's Alleged $100 Million ICO Draws N.Y. Judge's Scrutiny," Andrew Ramonas, July 09, 2020, 4:15 PM Kik Interactive Inc.'s digital token sale came under scrutiny in a New York court, when a judge pressed the app maker if it followed securities laws in what the SEC said was an illegal $100 million initial coin offering. Judge Alvin Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York asked Kik to explain why its token called Kin wasn't a security during oral argument in a case over the sale Thursday. [Continue Reading] Law 360: "Williams-Sonoma Wants Thread-Count Suit In Arbitration," Unattributed, July 09, 2020, 4:09 PM Williams-Sonoma Inc. is asking a California federal court to send to arbitration a proposed class action alleging the company misled consumers about the thread count of its bedding, saying the proposed class representative agreed to arbitration when she made her purchases as recently as the day before she joined the suit. In a motion filed Wednesday, Williams-Sonoma told the court that Elizabeth Perlin, who was added in the suit's eighth amended complaint in June, made more than 150 purchases, and each time was warned that making the purchase meant agreeing to the site's terms and conditions. [Continue Reading] Bloomberg Law: "Sephora, Retail Equation Misused Customer Data, Lawsuit Alleges," Julia Weng, July 09, 2020, 3:57 PM Sephora USA Inc. allegedly shared customer data without permission to determine shoppers' likelihood of fraudulently returning product purchases, according to a proposed class action in California. Sephora's data sharing with The Retail Equation Inc. led to a "risk score" that resulted in the cosmetics retailer denying valid returns, the suit filed July 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California claims. Continue Reading] CIVIL RIGHTS Reuters: "U.S. Civil Rights Groups Protest 'Out-Of-Touch' Justice Department Police Commission," Sarah N. Lynch, July 09, 2020, 6:13 PM Prominent U.S. civil rights groups are refusing to appear before a Justice Department law enforcement commission set up to recommend ways to increase respect for police and reduce crime, calling it out of touch with public anger over policing. The Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of EFTA00064710 Justice was established in January, before the latest wave of mass protests over police use of force against Black Americans set off by the May killing of George Floyd. [Continue Reading] Kansas City Star (Kansas City, KS): "Four former Jackson County guards sentenced in 2015 beating that exposed jail problems," Katie Bernard, July 09, 2020, 7:21 PM Four former Jackson County corrections officers were each sentenced to at least two years in prison Thursday for civil rights violations in a 2015 beating that drew attention to poor conditions at the Jackson County Detention Center sparking conversations about building a new facility. The sentences were announced in a news release from the Department of Justice. [Continue Reading] WIBW-CBS (Topeka, KS): "Civil rights settlement agreement promises to transform foster care system," Sarah Motter, July 09, 2020, 5:55 PM A new federal civil rights settlement agreement has promised to transform Kansas' foster care system and end years of victimization and trauma for its children. Kansas Appleseed says o