Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Shannon Pernell Brown (40, Tampa) guilty of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute it. Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison under the Armed Career Criminal Act. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 3, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Aetna Inc., a national insurer incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $117,700,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting or failing to withdraw inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis codes for its Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees in order to increase its payments from Medicare.
Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare beneficiaries may opt out of traditional Medicare and enroll in private health plans offered by insurance companies known as Medicare Advantage Organizations, or MAOs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pays MAOs a fixed monthly amount adjusted for various risk factors that affect expected health expenditures for the beneficiary. In general, CMS pays MAOs more for sicker beneficiaries expected to incur higher healthcare costs. To make these “risk adjustments,” CMS collects medical diagnosis codes from the MAOs.
The United States alleges that Aetna submitted inaccurate and untruthful patient diagnosis data to CMS in order to inflate the risk adjustment payments it received from CMS, failed to withdraw the inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis data and repay CMS, and falsely certified in writing to CMS that the data was accurate and truthful. The settlement announced today resolves these allegations.
“The government pays private insurers over $530 billion each year to care for Americans enrolled in Medicare Advantage,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable insurers that knowingly submit inaccurate or unsupported diagnoses to improperly inflate reimbursement.”
“The government pays Medicare Advantage Organizations to facilitate vital healthcare to our seniors and other vulnerable citizens. When corporations or individuals threaten the Medicare Advantage program by diverting those limited government resources through fraud, waste, or abuse, we will continue to pursue all available remedies against them,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“Medicare Advantage relies on accurate reporting and attempts to manipulate the system undermine both the program’s integrity and the beneficiaries it serves,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Today’s settlement makes clear that no company is beyond accountability, no matter how large or well known. Those who seek to exploit Medicare Advantage should expect to be identified and held responsible, and HHS‑OIG will continue to protect taxpayer funds and the integrity of this vital program.”
The United States contends that, for payment year 2015, Aetna operated a “chart review” program in which it paid diagnosis coders to review medical records (also known as “charts”) and identify all medical conditions that the charts supported. Aetna relied on the results of those chart reviews to submit additional diagnosis codes to CMS to obtain additional payments. However, Aetna’s chart reviews did not substantiate some diagnosis codes previously reported by Aetna to CMS. Aetna did not delete or withdraw those diagnosis codes, which would have required Aetna to reimburse CMS. The United States alleges that Aetna used the results of its chart reviews to identify instances where Aetna could seek additional payments from CMS while ignoring those same results when they indicated Aetna was overpaid.
The settlement also resolves further allegations that, for payment years 2018 to 2023, Aetna knowingly submitted or failed to delete or withdraw inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis codes for morbid obesity to increase the payments it received from CMS for beneficiaries enrolled in its MA plans. The medical records for individuals diagnosed as morbidly obese typically include one or more Body Mass Index (BMI) recordings. Aetna submitted or failed to delete inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis codes for morbid obesity for individuals whose recorded BMI was inconsistent with a diagnosis of morbid obesity, and these codes increased the payments made by CMS.
The civil settlement related to morbid obesity resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Mary Melette Thomas v. Aetna Inc., et. al., number 24-cv-339 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, a former Aetna risk-adjustment coding auditor, to receive a $2,012,500 share of the settlement amount.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with HHS-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud or 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Nelson Wagner and Edward Crooke and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Carr and Gregory B. in den Berken, and Civil Chief Gregory David, for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Yesterday, in federal court in Brooklyn, Maynor Perez Baten, a national of Guatemala, was convicted of illegal reentry into the United States having previously been deported after a conviction for an aggravated felony. In November 2022, Perez Baten was found in the Eastern District of New York without the consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for readmission. The verdict was returned after a two-day trial before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes. When sentenced, Perez Baten faces up to 20 years in prison.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will help some of America’s most vulnerable Veterans get the ongoing care they need.
VA cares for hundreds of Veterans who are unable to make their own health care decisions and have no family or legal representation to help them. This includes some Veterans who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The MOU gives DOJ the authority to appoint VA attorneys as special assistant U.S. attorneys. That appointment will give VA attorneys the legal authority to initiate and participate in state court guardianship or conservatorship proceedings in cases where a legal decision-maker is required for post-acute transitions of care for these vulnerable Veterans.
The appointment of a legal guardian or conservator can be a lifeline for Veterans in this situation. Among other things, a legal guardian or conservator can help Veterans avoid unwarranted continued hospitalization, protect their rights, and promote appropriate transitions of care from VA hospitalization to other forms of VA care or care in the community, if appropriate.
“The Department of Justice is proud to partner with the Department of Veterans Affairs to support our nation’s brave Veterans by ensuring that they have the best legal resources available when it comes to making medical decisions and receiving timely care,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We owe our Veterans a debt we can never fully repay — but we can give them the support they deserve.”
“Our new partnership with the Justice Department reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring that every Veteran receives timely, appropriate care, even in complex cases,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.
Under President Trump, VA is always improving benefits and services for Veterans. This includes:
Completing 82,083,918 direct care appointments in FY2025, up 4.1% from FY2024.
Offering Veterans more than 2.2 million appointments outside of normal operating hours. These early-morning, evening, and weekend appointments are giving Veterans more timely and convenient options for care.
Opening 33 new health care clinics during the second Trump Administration, expanding health care access for Veterans around the country.
Reducing the backlog of Veterans waiting for VA benefits by 64%, after it increased 24% during the Biden Administration.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Donschee Ricky Montrell Foster, 33, of Pensacola, Florida, was indicted a federal grand jury charging him with one count of possession of obscene material, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of being a registered sex offender while committing child exploitation crimes.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
Keith Wolf, a registered sex offender who spent nearly a decade in state prison for child molestation and sexual exploitation of children, has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a large collection of child sex abuse material. A law enforcement investigation revealed that Wolf started to build that collection and distribute images from it shortly after his release from state custody.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced on March 10, 2026, to 18 months in prison for stealing COVID-19 relief funds and ordered to pay $866,171 in restitution. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly imposed the sentence.
Source: United States Army
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – As a gesture of appreciation to the German communities surrounding Kaiserslautern, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz hosted its annual German-American Friendship Concert, March 7 at the Fruchthalle for an evening of music and friendship.
The evening’s program featured performances by the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Band and Chorus, whose musicians and vocalists guided the audience through a program ranging from classical compositions to contemporary favorites.
USAG Rheinland-Pfalz commander Col. Jeffery Higgins said the concert is a way to appreciate the German communities that have supported the U.S. military presence in the area for decades.
“Tonight’s concert is a way to build new bridges while reinforcing the historic bond between our communities,” he said. “Most importantly, it’s our opportunity to say, ‘thank you’ to this wonderful city and its incredible people.”
The annual tradition began in 2014 as a way to honor a partnership that dates back to the arrival of U.S. armed forces in the Kaiserslautern area over 70 years ago. Traditionally held in October, this year’s event marked the first time the concert was celebrated in the spring.
Petra Lessoing, the garrison’s host nation advisor, has been a key organizer of the event, connecting the German and American communities in the area.
“The German-American Friendship Concert is a highlight in my life,” Lessoing said. “The U.S. Army Europe and Africa Band and Chorus are such excellent performers. It is so much fun to listen to them and watch how they perform on stage.”
Lessoing said that when German community members pick up their tickets at the German-American Community Office, many describe the concert as a cherished tradition and a fixed date on their calendars.
The spirit of partnership continued both on and off stage. Musicians from the Koblenz Army Music Corps, Das Heeresmusikkorps Koblenz, joined the USAREUR-AF Band and Chorus for select performances, highlighting the close relationship between the two forces.
Soldiers from the garrison’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers organization demonstrated partnership in action as they worked alongside German student volunteers from the Burggymnasium High School in Kaiserslautern to support the event.
Anna Bluhm, a Burggymnasium student who volunteered for the event, said the experience was meaningful because it brought the two communities together.
“Working with U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Soldiers showed how cooperation and teamwork can make something special possible,” Bluhm said. “I’m happy I was able to be a part of it.”
USAREUR-AF Band and Chorus executive officer 2nd Lt. Andres Peltier-Salazar said the concert continues to highlight the partnership between the United States and Germany.
“The German-American Friendship Concert is a longstanding tradition that exemplifies the enduring partnership and mutual respect between the United States and Germany,” he said. “This event also provides a unique opportunity for U.S. Soldiers and their German counterparts to collaborate, learn from one another, and build lasting relationships.”
To learn more about the USAREUR-AF Band & Chorus, visit https://www.band.eur.army.mil/
U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz sets, serves and secures the total force community, enabling power
projection for the European Theater.
Connect with us: https://linktr.ee/usag_rp
Source: United States Army
Meet Steven Rakestraw, a postal operation clerk at the USAG Wiesbaden Postal Service Center. Rakestraw has been a member of the community for over four years.
I’ve been in Germany for coming on fourteen years. It’s been wonderful for me, mainly because I reconnected with the love of my life, whom I met 41 years ago, and that’s why I came back to Germany.
I started in Heidelberg in 2012, and that was when Heidelberg was closing, and then I got transferred to Kaiserslautern, and I worked there until I got picked up here at Wiesbaden four years ago. By far I love the Wiesbaden Garrison, it’s great.
Every day starts with a team meeting. We get our assignments for the day while we’re in the meeting, and we get news about the garrison and current events – things relevant to the post office and our operation specifically. Also, we meet new team members and bid farewell to those who are moving on.
After the team meeting, we divide up and start either processing parcels or setting up for open-door operations like parcel pickup, finance, in and out processing, and official mail. That’s usually until lunchtime. We have a split lunch, which means someone has to cover for the window while the other person has gone to lunch. This is so that we can keep the windows open for the parcel pickup and finance, which is our outgoing mail.
After lunch, we process parcels if we can, but we also have to contend with the delivery truck coming in. Now, the delivery truck is going to dictate the rest of the day. If there is a large delivery, then we are going to be spending the rest of the day and maybe part of the next morning, getting the mail sorted into its appropriate areas, so that can take us right up until the close of business, end of day.
It’s really hard to see from outside the building what is going on behind those lockers. And the sheer numbers of first-class mail and parcels that come through, I think, would be a surprise to many people within the garrison. Now, we’re fortunate enough to have people who come in sometimes that are assigned to us, (such as volunteers) which is very occasional. However, we are pushing the mail for well over 7,000, almost 7,500 mail receptacles and smart lockers. So it’s a lot of stuff moving, and it’s a dance; it’s a coordination that we have to do. Unless a person could see it and could actually get behind the scenes and observe the operations, they won’t understand. I think it would boggle their mind if they did see it. There are a lot of moving parts.
So that is the main thing that I think would surprise people, is just the magnitude of what goes on inside the post office.
Oh, that’s easy. I love customer service. That’s my thing, and I enjoy the parcel pickup, uniting customers with their treasures. That is like the best thing in the world. You know, a box from Grandma at Christmas or a car part that they needed. This is a wonderful feeling for me, and I really get a kick out of that.
On the other side, with the finance window, a lot of questions come in, and I tend to catch people before they start looking around for the question to ask them, “Hey, do you need something? Is there something here?” It’s part of my makeup that I want to reach out and help those who find the process difficult and make it easier for them, because then they go away, and they don’t feel like it’s a chore or something they had to fight through.
Well, the only thing I would really suggest is that for those who are confounded by why the post office doesn’t work the way they perceive it should work, it would be great if they would come in and volunteer. It doesn’t take long, not even an hour or a couple of hours. We appreciate every hand that can come in and assist us. If I can encourage someone to come behind the scenes, see what it’s really like, get the understanding of it, and then be able to appreciate that and share that with others, that would be great. Other volunteers in the past have done this as well.
I think the main thing I would wish, is for the community to come see what postal operations is like, because I was amazed when I first got here. After all, this is a big post office, and I really think that the community should be proud of what they have here with us.
—
Courtesy contribution by Lavender Pate, a Career Practicum Placement student at Wiesbaden High School, working with the Garrison Public Affairs Office.
Source: United States Army
CHON BURI PROVINCE, Thailand — Six Soldiers from the Washington Army National Guard partnered with members of the Royal Thai Army to conduct a Stryker Leader Course subject matter expert exchange from Jan. 19 – Feb. 6, in Ko Chan District, Chon Buri Province, Thailand, strengthening tactical knowledge and reinforcing the long-standing relationship between the two forces.
The training brought together Washington National Guard Soldiers from Joint Force Headquarters and the 1st Battalion, 205th Regimental Training Institute with Royal Thai Army Soldiers from the 11th Infantry Division, including the 111th Infantry Battalion and the 112th Stryker Regiment. The exchange was conducted as part of the State Partnership Program between Washington state and Thailand.
The Stryker Leader Course was designed to increase the Royal Thai Army’s ability to safely operate and effectively employ its Stryker vehicle fleet. Over several weeks, Washington Guard instructors shared technical knowledge and practical experience with Thai Soldiers through classroom instruction and hands-on training.
Course topics covered a wide range of essential Stryker operations, including safety procedures, preventive maintenance checks and services, vehicle recovery methods, driver’s compartment operations, hand-and-arm signals, tire replacement and hub isolation. Participants also trained on Stryker weapon systems, the commander’s remotely operated weapon station (CROWS), load planning, and vehicle movement and formations.
“This training allows us to exchange knowledge and build on the capabilities of both forces,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ricky Thomas, superintendent at the Washington Army National Guard’s Maneuver Area Training Equipment Sites at the Yakima Training Center. “Working side by side strengthens interoperability and helps ensure that soldiers are confident and capable when operating these systems.”
This iteration marked the seventh Stryker Leader Course subject-matter expert exchange with Royal Thai Army units since September 2022. The repeated engagements reflect the continued commitment of both militaries to developing professional skills and strengthening cooperation through regular training opportunities.
“The training increased knowledge and practical experience in operating and employing the Stryker platform with our Royal Thai Army partners, enhancing their ability to safely maneuver and sustain the vehicles in operational environments,” said Thomas. “These engagements also reinforce the enduring partnership between Washington state and Thailand through the State Partnership Program, which promotes military-to-military cooperation, shared expertise, and regional security through recurring training and exchanges.”
Related Links
The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil
State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil
The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard
The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard
The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard
The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard
The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard