Julia Davis

Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General recently released the second part of its semiannual report to Congress . In response to OIG’s investigations, the DHS declined to prosecute 111 cases, accepted 56 investigations for prosecution and achieved 56 convictions. OIG audits resulted in questioned costs of $59,424,677, of which $2,679,489 did not have supporting documentation. As a result of disallowed costs, the DHS recovered or de-obligated $32,743,847. OIG issued 14 reports, identifying $898,468,917 in funds that could be put to better use by the DHS. OIG determined that the Department of Homeland Security cannot ensure it has sufficient personal protective equipment and antiviral medical countermeasures for a pandemic response. Previous OIG report , “DHS Has Not Effectively Managed Pandemic Personal Protective Equipment and Antiviral Medical Countermeasures,” found that the Department of Homeland Security is “ill-prepared for pandemic response.” The OIG report ...

On October 20, 2014, Billy Louis Nelms Sr., 54, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison . Nelms worked as an immigration officer in the Fraud Detection and National Security unit, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security ’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). One of his duties involved investigating marriage fraud on applications for an immigration benefit. Nelms was taking bribes from Cambodian immigrants, who were present in the United States without legal status, in exchange for immigration benefits. He managed to defraud not only the government, but also the immigrants who bribed him. Nelms promised them permanent legal status, in exchange for a bribe of $5,000 in cash. Instead, the stamps he used on the immigration documents in question provided their bearers with only a temporary legal status in the United States. Nelms attempted to cover up his crimes by using stamps that belonged to other government officials, or us...

On October 9, 2014, the seven-count indictment was unsealed against three Fort Hood soldiers for smuggling, transporting and harboring illegal aliens. It charges active-duty U.S. Army soldiers Eric Alexander Rodriguez, 20, Brandon Troy Robbins, 20, and Christopher David Wix, 21. The indictment was unsealed upon the arrests of Rodriguez, Robbins and Wix at Fort Hood in Texas. All three soldiers are privates , serving in the 1st Cavalry Division's 215th Brigade Support Battalion. Eric Alexander Rodriguez is an ammunition specialist, Christopher David Wix is an automated logistical specialist and Brandon Troy Robbins is a vehicle transport operator. They are facing criminal charges for one count of conspiracy to transport and harbor aliens, and six counts of transporting aliens. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/fort-hood-soldiers-charged-after-attempted-alien-smuggling-on-september-11

A U.S. immigration officer was sentenced on October 3, 2014 to two and a half years in federal prison, for accepting bribes in the form of cash and egg rolls from applicants seeking citizenship and green cards. Mai Nhu Nguyen, 48, served with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Santa Ana for eight years. She pleaded guilty to receiving bribes as a public official between July 2011 and May 2013. As an immigration service officer, Nguyen had the authority to approve or deny immigration applications. In one of the instances of bribery, Nguyen called a vendor to order 300 egg rolls. She then told an immigration applicant to pay for the $150 food order and deliver it to her workplace. Once the task was performed, Nguyen proceeded to approve the immigrant's paperwork. Continue reading:  http://www.examiner.com/article/department-of-homeland-security-official-took-bribes-cash-and-eggrolls