Showing posts with label RECOVERY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RECOVERY. Show all posts

Thursday, January 15, 2015

U.S. TRIES TO RECOVER OVER $1.5 MILLION IN BRIBES GIVEN TO HONDURAN OFFICIAL

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Department of Justice Seeks Recovery of Approximately $1,528,000 in Bribes Paid to a Honduran Official

The Department of Justice filed today a civil forfeiture complaint seeking the forfeiture of nine properties worth approximately $1,528,000 that were allegedly purchased with funds traceable to a $2 million bribe paid by a Honduran information-technology company to the former Executive Director of the Honduran Institute of Social Security.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite, Jr. of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Executive Associate Director Peter T. Edge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.

“Mario Zelaya was the director of Honduras’s social security agency, but instead of building a social safety net for his country’s citizens, he allegedly used his position of public trust to steal public money for himself,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “Our action today highlights how the Criminal Division’s Kleptocracy Initiative, with our network of law enforcement partners around the globe, will trace and recover the ill-gotten gains of corrupt officials.  Criminals should make no mistake:  the United States is not a safe haven for the proceeds of your crimes.  If you hide or invest your stolen money here, we will use all the legal tools we have to find it and seize it.”

“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana is committed to working with our law enforcement partners, both domestically and internationally, to ensure that this district is not used to launder corruptly obtained funds, no matter the source of the corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Polite.

“ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations will continue to work in cooperation with our international law enforcement partners to ensure that our country is not used as a safe haven for corrupt foreign officials to hide their assets,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Edge.

From 2010 to 2014, Dr. Mario Roberto Zelaya Rojas, 46, of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, served as the Executive Director of the Honduran Institute of Social Security (HISS), a Honduran Government agency that provides social security services, including workers’ compensation, retirement, maternity, and death benefits.  According to allegations in the forfeiture complaint, Zelaya solicited and accepted $2.08 million in bribes from Compania De Servicios Multiples, S. de R. L. (COSEM) in exchange for prioritizing and expediting payments owed to COSEM under a $19 million contract with HISS.  Zelaya also allegedly instructed COSEM to make bribe payments to two members of the Board of Directors of HISS charged with overseeing the COSEM contract.  To conceal the illicit payments, COSEM allegedly sent the bribes through its affiliate company, CA Technologies.

As further alleged in the complaint, the bribe proceeds were then laundered into the United States and used by Zelaya and his brother, Carlos Alberto Zelaya Rojas, to acquire real estate in the New Orleans area.  Certain properties were titled in the name of companies nominally controlled by Zelaya’s brother in an effort to conceal the illicit source of the funds as well as the beneficial owner.  The current action seeks forfeiture of nine properties acquired with the proceeds of Zelaya’s alleged bribery scheme.

The investigation was conducted by HSI’s New Orleans and Miami Field Offices.  The case is being handled by Trial Attorneys Stephen A. Gibbons and Marybeth Grunstra of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Friel of the Eastern District of Louisiana.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Public Ministry of the Republic of Honduras and the HSI Attaché Tegucigalpa.

This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative.  Under that initiative, dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and federal law enforcement agencies to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where possible and appropriate, put forfeited corruption proceeds to use for the benefit of the people of the country harmed by the abuse of public office.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

W VIRGINIA AWARDED ADDITIONAL $242,000 GRANT FOR HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF

FROM:  U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT HURRICANE 
West Virginia awarded additional funding by US Labor Department to assist with continuing recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $242,000 National Emergency Grant supplemental award to assist with the continuing cleanup and recovery efforts in the wake of heavy snowfall associated with Hurricane Sandy that affected north-central West Virginia between Oct. 29 and Nov. 8, 2012. The funds are being awarded to WorkForce West Virginia and will provide for the continuation of temporary employment for eligible individuals to assist with the cleanup of affected areas.

"West Virginia has made substantial progress in the recovery efforts; however, the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy continues to linger," said Eric M. Seleznow, acting assistant secretary of labor for employment and training. "This funding will help with the continuing cleanup of several state parks, while also providing temporary work to those in need of employment."

On Nov. 27, 2012, the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared 18 West Virginia counties eligible for FEMA's Public Assistance Program, following damaged caused by heavy snowfall associated with Hurricane Sandy. This grant serves 5 of those 18 counties: Barbour, Preston, Tucker, Upshur and Webster.
The original National Emergency Grant was approved on Dec. 21, 2012, for $300,000, following the FEMA declaration. This supplemental funding brings the total funds awarded for this project to $542,000.

National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor's discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state's ability to meet specific guidelines.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

HURRICANE SANDY FEDERAL ASSISTANCE AT $5.3 BILLION

FROM:  FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
New Jersey Recovery From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers
Release date: 
July 9, 2013 
Release Number: 
4086-181 

TRENTON, N.J. -- Disaster assistance to New Jersey survivors of Superstorm Sandy by the numbers as of July 8:

Total Federal Assistance: $5.3 billion

$3.5 billion in total National Flood Insurance Program payments made on claims to date

$403.3 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households

$351 million for housing assistance

$56.6 million for other needs

$802 in SBA disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses

$650.5 million approved in FEMA Public Assistance grants to state agencies,
local communities and certain private nonprofit organizations that serve the public

261,817 people registered with FEMA for assistance

126,797 housing inspections completed

Search This Blog

Translate

White House.gov Press Office Feed