Sunday, June 9, 2024

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

GOVERNMENT HEADER

SENATOR RIVERA'S DAY CARE INSPECTION BILL PASSES THE SENATE

Last year, our community mourned the tragic passing of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici. This week, the New York State Senate passed Senator Rivera's legislation to strengthen daycare inspections and empower parents to ensure that no family experiences such a tragedy, especially in places they trust their children to be safe. This legislation will equip inspectors, parents, and childcare providers with resources to ensure daycares are safeguarded. Thank you to Council Member Pierina Sanchez for your collaboration in making this bill a reality. 

SENATOR RIVERA'S HOSPITAL CLOSURE BILL PASSES BOTH HOUSES

On the floor of the Senate, Senator Rivera spoke about his Local Input in Community Healthcare Act, which passed both houses this week. This legislation will address gaps in the state’s current review of proposed hospital and critical unit closures.



Senator Rivera thanks the lead sponsor of this legislation in the Assembly, Assemblymember Simon, who has been a leader on this bill for a decade. Senator Rivera also thanks his co-prime sponsors in the Senate, Senators Kavanagh, Gonzalez, Myrie, Hinchey, and Webb, and all of the advocates who pushed to make this bill a reality.


Senator Rivera hopes the Governor will sign this legislation soon to ensure communities have a say in their local hospital care access.

SENATOR RIVERA'S AUTO SHOP BILL PASSES THE SENATE

The New York State Senate passed Senator Rivera's bill requiring the DMV commissioner to consult with local communities as part of the review of motor shop licenses. Motor shops often participate in illegal activity such as occupying the sidewalk and residential parking spaces, this bill will allow the community to provide feedback on how motor shops are impacting their day-to -day lives. Senator Rivera, when discussing this bill on the floor of the Senate, thanked the community leaders in Community Board 6 for bringing this important issue to his attention.

SENATOR RIVERA ATTENDS BRONX INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES BLOCK PARTY

Senator Rivera joined community members at Bronx Independent Living Services Block Party. Senator Rivera was there to celebrate Bronx Independent Living Services' 40-year history of advocating and working with and for the disability community. Thank you to Bronx Independent Living Services Executive Director Margaret Della for inviting the Senator.

SENATOR RIVERA TOURS JERICHO PROJECT'S FORDHAM VILLAGE LOCATION

Last week, Senator Rivera toured Jericho's Project Fordham Village Veterans' permanent supportive housing residence. Senator Rivera discussed affordable permanent housing solutions and access to vital social services in New York City with stakeholders. Thank you to Jericho Project CEO Tori Lyon, Fordham Village Manager of Building Operations, Kennisha Lawrence, and Fordham Village Program Director, Dr. Shauntee Byron for hosting the Senator.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

& RESOURCES

WEDNESDAY 6/12: SENATOR RIVERA TO HOST NYC SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES MOBILE VAN

FRIDAY 6/14: SENATOR RIVERA HOSTS FREE HOUSING AND IMMIGRATION ASSISTANCE WITH NMIC!

SENATOR RIVERA'S OFFICE PROVIDING FREE LIFE-SAVING NALOXONE SPRAY AND TESTING KITS

WEDNESDAY 6/12: JUNETEENTH JUBILEE

SUNDAY 6/23: NORWOOD PRIDE

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NOTICE OF CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION GOVERMENT AND ELECTION REFORM FORUM AND BRONX PUBLIC INPUT SESSION

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Government and Election Reform Forum & Bronx Public Input Session

TIME AND LOCATION:

June 17, 2024, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
NYC Heath + Hospitals/Lincoln
234 East 149th Street, Bronx, NY 10451
(Entrance on Morris Avenue, off 149th Street)

Virtual location: See link to Zoom meeting posted at nyc.gov/charter.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC INPUT SESSION

The New York City Charter Revision Commission (“CRC”) will host a Government and Election Reform Forum and Public Input Session in the Bronx to discuss proposed changes to the New York City Charter. 

What is this Forum & Public Input Session about?

The New York City Charter (“Charter”) provides the structure of city government and key powers of city elected officials and agencies. The CRC is empowered to review the entire Charter. It may recommend changes that would help city government to work more efficiently and better serve all New Yorkers. 

The public is invited to testify about any matter of importance to city government and to suggest changes to the Charter, while experts will provide testimony on government and election reform proposals. You can find out more about the New York City Charter Revision by visiting us at our website: www.nyc.gov/charter.

Who can give input?

This meeting is open to the public, and the public will have the opportunity to testify before members of the Commission. Any member of the public may testify about their ideas for improving the City Charter for up to three (3) minutes. The Commission will hear testimony from people who attend the meeting in person and also from people who attend by Zoom. A group, organization or institution wishing to testify shall select a single designated representative. New Yorkers from any of the five boroughs may testify. The CRC will attempt to accommodate everyone who signs up to speak at this hearing, but if time does not permit that, the public is encouraged to utilize other opportunities to testify at subsequent public input sessions of the CRC or submit written comments to charterinfo@citycharter.nyc.gov.

Is there a deadline to submit written comments?

The public may submit written comments to charterinfo@citycharter.nyc.gov instead of or in addition to testifying live at a hearing. Written testimony must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, July 12.

When and where is the hearing?

Doors open to the public, at 5:00 pm on Monday, June 17, at the following location:

NYC Heath +Hospitals/Lincoln
234 East 149th Street, Bronx, NY 10451
(Entrance on Morris Avenue, off 149th Street)

The public may join the meeting virtually at the Zoom link posted to www.nyc.gov/charter at that same time.

What if I need assistance to observe or testify at the meeting?

American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation will be provided online and on-site. Please make language interpretation and/or other accessibility requests by 5:00 pm on Thursday, June 13 by emailing mopdcommissioner@cityhall.nyc.gov or by calling 212-788-0014 and leaving  a voicemail. All requests will be accommodated to the extent possible.

Attorney General James Warns New Yorkers of Online Romance Scams


New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert warning New Yorkers about increasingly common online scams in which fraudsters use dating apps, social media, and unsolicited text messages to befriend their victims and then convince them to make fraudulent investments. These online romance scams are also known as “pig butchering” – which is language scammers use to describe “fattening up” victims by gaining their trust before finally taking their money. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is encouraging New Yorkers to take steps to protect themselves from these schemes and to report these scams to the involved dating or social media app and to law enforcement.  

“New Yorkers hoping to find romance and personal connections online are instead being taken advantage of and victimized by heartless scammers,” said Attorney General James. “Sophisticated fraudsters are increasingly using dating apps and social media to trick users into bogus investment schemes. The personal and sometimes romantic nature of these scams can often leave their victims feeling ashamed and isolated. New Yorkers who fall victim to these frauds should know they are not alone. I encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of an online romance scam to contact my office.” 

Pig butchering schemes typically target victims online via dating websites and apps, social media, and unsolicited text messages. After a virtual meeting between the victim and scammer, the conversation generally transitions over to an encrypted chat platform such as WhatsApp or WeChat that can shield the scammer’s identity from law enforcement. 

The scammers typically spend a substantial amount of time making victims believe that they are in a romantic or otherwise close personal relationship. After the personal connection is made, the scammer shifts the conversation to trading or investment opportunities. Scammers will send screenshots of their own purported high balances on trading platforms or websites, as well as pictures of their supposedly luxurious lifestyles, to reinforce the appearance that they are highly successful investment experts. Once a victim places enough trust in the scammer, the scammer introduces the victim to an investment opportunity, often in cryptocurrency or foreign currencies. Scammers may even refer the victim to what appears to be a legitimate website by slightly misspelling the name of a familiar institution. From there, victims are led to believe that they are making incredible returns with the help and expertise of the knowledgeable scammer. 

Throughout the scam, victims typically see their account balances increase on purported online statements or investment platforms. In turn, the victims place more trust in the scammers and invest more of their funds. After the victims have deposited substantial sums of money into the scammer’s platform, ranging from tens of thousands to over a million dollars, they will be unable to withdraw their funds or will be asked to prepay fake withdrawal fees or taxes with the promise that their investment gains will be released. Eventually, the scammers will cut off contact.

Attorney General James recommends that New Yorkers take basic steps to avoid becoming the victim of a romance scam or other online fraud scheme. These include: 

  • In general, do not wire money, send cryptocurrency, or give cash to people you don’t know and haven’t vetted because these transactions are irreversible.
  • Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere. Keep in mind that scammers may be using stolen identities to create profiles that appear to be real, and their profiles, IDs, and photographs could be generated using AI. 
  • Be suspicious of individuals you encounter online who: 
    • Change their phone number throughout the “relationship” and/or tell you to delete the conversations. 
    • Promise to meet in person or by video call, but always come up with an excuse about why they cannot. 
    • Move conversations from text or email to WhatsApp or another encrypted platform. 
    • Attempt to isolate you from friends or family by advising you to keep the relationship or the investment opportunity they are offering a secret.
    • Ask you for detailed personal financial information or explicit or private photographs, which could later be used to extort you. 
    • Pressure you to withdraw from retirement accounts (even at a penalty), to borrow money from friends/relatives, or to apply for loans from a bank. 
  • Never rush into any investment. Be skeptical if the individual insists that you must invest money within a very short time frame, claiming you will lose out on the opportunity. 
  • Before investing, consult a trusted legal professional or financial advisor who can advise you if the investment is proper. You can check investment professional registration at FINRA’s BrokerCheck. 
  • Trust your instincts and think twice before investing. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. 
  • If you suspect fraud, report the individual to the dating or social media app and to law enforcement. Save all communications so that you can provide them to law enforcement if needed. 

Attorney General James encourages anyone who may have been a victim of this type of scam to report it to OAG by filing a complaint online or calling 1-800-771-7755. Any identifying information provided to OAG will be protected according to law and policies on the safeguarding of identifying information. 

Comptroller Lander Proposes Charter Revisions to Better Manage New York City’s Finances

 

Lander calls on Charter Revision Commission to demonstrate its independence & seriousness by adopting provisions to strengthen the City’s fiscal management, build reserves, achieve long-term efficiencies, overhaul capital planning, and pay vendors on time

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander proposed a comprehensive set of enhancements to New York City’s fiscal framework to solidify New York City’s financial foundation for the future. Five decades after adopting the Financial Emergency Act (FEA) during the City’s fiscal crisis of 1975, Comptroller Lander’s proposals build upon the FEA’s core provisions for both the City’s operating and capital budgets. The proposals presented in Comptroller office’s latest report, A Stronger Fiscal Framework for New York City, could be codified through amendment of the New York City Charter. Lander called on the hastily-appointed Charter Revision Commission empaneled by Mayor Adams to place them on the ballot this fall.  

“There is good reason to doubt Mayor Adams’ motives for appointing the Charter Revision Commission, but there’s no doubt that our City needs better management—including better fiscal stewardship,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “If the Charter Revision Commission wants to demonstrate that it is independent and serious, here are five constructive proposals to improve the way our City is run. Fifty years after the City’s fiscal crisis, it’s past time to ensure that we accumulate sufficient reserves for times of economic recession, run City agencies more efficiently while avoiding cuts to vital services, maintain the affordability of the City’s debt, and overhaul our capital planning to better face the future in an era of aging infrastructure and climate crisis. This is also a critical opportunity to start paying our vendors on time – including our nonprofit human service providers and MWBEs – something we have failed to do for many years.”  

New York City has the largest municipal budget in the country by far, with an annual operating budget of more than $110 billion, a capital budget with $88.1 billion in expected commitments, and debt issuers projected to borrow $70.6 billion over this and the next four fiscal years.  

In 1975, following the near bankruptcy of the City during its worst fiscal crisis caused by a combination of shifts in the global economy and the City’s own weak financial practices, the FEA established a framework that guided the City out of its fiscal crisis and put in place strong practices that credit rating and oversight agencies consistently praise. Nearly fifty years later, the City should reflect on the FEA framework (the emergency elements of which largely expired in 2008) and how it can be improved. Comptroller Lander’s proposals to better manage the City’s finances, which build on the FEA’s core provisions, include:

1. Adopt a policy to govern the target size, deposits, and withdrawals from the City’s rainy-day fund. Although voters established the rainy-day fund in 2019, there are no policies to govern its target size or deposits. As a result, the deposits into the fund are subject to the vicissitudes of annual budget negotiations, are far below what the City would need to get through a recession, and could be rapidly depleted by the mayor outside the context of a genuine economic downturn. The City Charter (Chapter 58, Section 1528) should be amended to require the adoption of a formula-driven policy to determine the City’s rainy-day fund target size, deposits, and withdrawals. The Mayor, the City Comptroller, and the City Council should determine the parameters and features of the policy. Reporting on implementation of the rainy-day fund policy should be required annually to the City Comptroller, the State Comptroller, the Financial Control Board, the City’s Independent Budget Office, and the public.

2. Mandate regular efficiency reviews and long-term savings targets, including making agencies accountable for judgments and claims against the City which are their responsibility. While the FEA mandates quarterly updates of the City’s financial plan, efficiency reviews and savings plans are not a part of that process. Instead, the Mayor can propose Programs to Eliminate Gaps (PEGs) on an ad-hoc basis and are predominantly comprised of short-term savings, budget re-estimates, and personnel accrual savings. At the same time, the City’s budgets often structurally and unreasonably underestimate recurring and non-discretionary expenses. To address these weaknesses, the Charter should be amended to require and facilitate the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to work with City agencies to set multi-year savings targets, implement efficiencies that produce recurring savings, eliminate the chronic underbudgeting of recurring and non-discretionary expenses, more accurately budget the cost of the City’s workforce, establish a regular framework for reporting on savings with oversight, and move financial responsibility for judgments and claims from central budget to agency budgets. On the same timelines, agencies could propose new programs for OMB and City Hall’s consideration, along with metrics for determining whether these programs are meeting their outcomes. These programs could then be funded with savings achieved through the efficiency planning process.

To provide the institutional framework for the achievement of these goals, the Comptroller proposes the following amendments to the City Charter: 

  • The budget process (Chapter 10) should be modified to include the formulation of annual efficiency reviews and long-term savings initiatives for City agencies. The Charter should mandate annual reporting to the City Council, the City Comptroller, and the City’s other fiscal monitors on the implementation of these efficiency measures and long-term savings initiatives, and allow fiscal oversight entities to access information that is necessary to provide independent assessments.  
  • The expense budget (Chapter 6) should be amended to require the creation within each agency’s expense budget of a unit of appropriation for judgments and claims. 

3. Require that debt service does not exceed 15 percent of City tax revenues and that the Capital Stabilization Reserve be used to ensure this target is maintained. Annual debt service (consisting of New York City General Obligation bonds, New York City Transitional Finance Authority Future Tax Secured bonds and City-related subject to appropriation debt) as a share of local tax revenue is a key measure of debt affordability. While the City’s 15 percent threshold is included in the City’s Debt Management Policy and is a widely accepted benchmark, there is currently no procedure for ensuring that the target is maintained.

The City Charter (Chapter 10, Section 258) should be amended to require that:

  • Annual debt service does not exceed 15 percent of City tax revenues in each year of the financial plan.
  • The financial plan includes a Capital Stabilization Reserve in each year of the plan in a minimum amount to be indexed over time. This reserve is already included by the Mayor in each year of the financial plan as a matter of policy.   
  • The City deploys the Capital Stabilization Reserve to pre-pay debt service in any fiscal year within the financial plan where debt service is projected to be above the 15 percent threshold.

4. Modernize the City’s approach to infrastructure assessment, capital planning and budgeting to comply with Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) and Municipal Finance Officers’ Association (MFOA) best practices. The City’s Asset Inventory Management System (AIMS) should provide an annual condition assessment of the City’s capital infrastructure, but the AIMS report does not accurately identify the true costs of maintaining the structural integrity of the City’s major infrastructure assets. Meanwhile, the Ten-Year Capital Strategy serves more as a list of agency-generated projects than a strategic set of priorities. The City needs to modernize its capital planning and budgeting process to include better infrastructure assessments (including more effective use of technology) and a process for prioritizing long-term infrastructure investments based on clear criteria that address aging infrastructure, climate resiliency, criticality, and the cost of deferred maintenance. 

The Office of the Comptroller proposes to amend Chapter 49, Section 1110-a of the City Charter to:  

  • Explicitly state that the purpose of the infrastructure assessment is to inform the Ten-Year Capital Strategy.  
  • Require the inventory to include pertinent details about the function, location, structural dependencies, estimated useful life, and most recent condition assessment of each asset.  
  • Require that each agency conduct a realistic assessment of its capital assets based on a protocol developed by the Office of Management and Budget.   
  • Require the identification of the capital needs to be included in the Ten-Year Capital Strategy based on considerations including the level of deterioration (particularly any asset conditions that jeopardize public safety), the criticality of an asset to an agency function or mission, and federal and state requirements that may apply to certain types of assets.   
  • Require a justification for the exclusion of recommended capital needs from the Capital Commitment Plan. 

5. Mandate timeframes for each stage of the contracting process. Late registration and payment of contracts is a longstanding flaw within the City’s financial management practices. Over three-quarter of the City’s contracts with nonprofit organizations are registered late, with an average retroactivity of eight months. As a result, nonprofit human service providers, MWBEs, and other vendors struggle with cash flow and face severe financial difficulties. 

In February 2022, Mayor Adams and Comptroller Lander released an Action Memo: A Better Contract for New York: A Joint Task Force to Get Nonprofits Paid On Time. The first recommendation was to establish timeframes for each stage of the procurement and contracting process in order to hold the City and vendors accountable for the timely registration of contracts, and in turn, so that the City has the ability to pay its vendors timely. Currently, there are no mandated timeframes that govern the City’s procurement process outside of the 30-day review period that is mandated by the City Comptroller’s Office as set forth in the Charter. Over two years later, the City has yet to implement this recommendation. 

The Office of the Comptroller proposes to amend Chapter 13, Section 311 of the City Charter to require that the Procurement Policy Board set prompt contracting timelines for each step of the procurement process and report regularly on how well each contracting and oversight agency is complying with those timelines. 

In addition to the five proposals to amend the New York City Charter, the Comptroller’s fiscal framework calls for making the core features of the FEA framework permanent. The core features of the FEA framework will expire after November 15, 2037, or earlier, if outstanding bonds that contain the State Covenant from subdivision one of section 10-a of the FEA were to be refunded. State law should make several of the main features of the FEA framework permanent, including:  

  • The General Debt Service Fund, which retains the City’s property taxes upon collection and prioritizes them for payment of GO debt service and any short-term debt.  
  • The FEA provisions that were added over time to the City Charter (budget balancing, GAAP accounting, four-year planning, etc.) 
  • The fiscal monitoring functions and the annual certification of the Financial Control Board (FCB), with the addition of provisions enabling fiscal oversight entities to collaborate more effectively.

In response to Comptroller Lander’s report, numerous fiscal watchdogs voiced support for its proposals. 

“This Charter Revision Commission presents an opportunity to review and improve the rules that govern our City,” said Independent Budget Office Director Louisa Chafee. “As an independent agency with a steadfast commitment to sound fiscal management, transparency, and government accountability, the IBO welcomes the proposals shared by the Comptroller as an important contribution to this effort. IBO looks forward to participating in a robust and wide-ranging examination of ways to enhance New York City governmental functions through this Charter Revision Commission process.”   

The Comptroller plans to present this fiscal framework to the Charter Commission in the coming days. Read in full here.

Saturday, June 8, 2024

NYC Council Votes to Pass Bill That Would Provide New Yorkers with Opportunity to Expand Council Advice and Consent to 20 More Commissioners, Increasing Public Transparency of Appointment Process

 

The New York City Council voted to pass legislation that would require the advice and consent of the Council as part of the appointment process for 20 additional city agency commissioners, upon subsequent approval by voters in a citywide election. Currently, the Council already has advice and consent power for more than a dozen roles, including the Corporation Counsel, Department of Investigations (DOI) Commissioner, and Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Commissioner.

The Council also voted to approve modifications to the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity citywide zoning text amendment. The Council’s modifications to 14 of the 18 proposals address concerns about the initial proposal by including limitations and safeguards, striking the right balance to expand opportunities for small businesses, create jobs, and protect neighborhoods and quality of life for all New Yorkers. The Council also secured commitments to regulate last-mile facilities, support the city’s industrial sector, and boost enforcement resources.

Additionally, the Council passed packages of legislation to address the pay disparity in the municipal workforce and to support the needs of migrants and new arrivals.

“Advice and consent is a safeguard of good government, ensuring the city’s agency leaders are qualified and their priority is the public interest,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “When you cut through the noise, the truth is that advice and consent is a common feature of representative democracy in cities and states across this country, including New York, and New York City is an outlier. Today’s vote to pass this legislation supports the Council’s efforts to advance transparency and is a first step in this important conversation about representative democracy that is accountable to its people, and the final decision ultimately must be made by voters.

“In our ongoing commitment to achieve pay equity for our municipal workforce, the Council is proud to pass a package of legislation to ensure our city employees, especially women of color, have equitable access to the opportunities and tools that help them advance their careers,” continued Speaker Adams. As a women-majority Council, and the most diverse in history, our goal is to make government and our entire city work for all New Yorkers.”

Increasing Transparency in Appointment Process for 20 City Agency Commissioners

Introduction 908-A, sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams, would require the advice and consent of the Council as part of the appointment process for 20 additional city agency commissioners, upon subsequent approval by voters in a citywide election. During this administration, the Council has approved over 35 appointments of nominees put forward by the mayor without issue. This bill takes an incremental approach to expanding advice and consent and includes guardrails to ensure the process does not delay appointments by requiring Council action within 30 days of receiving a nomination.

The commissioners of the following agencies are covered by the bill: Aging; Buildings;  Children’s Services; Citywide Administrative Services; Consumer and Worker Protection;  Cultural Affairs; Design and Construction; Environmental Protection; Finance; Health and Mental Hygiene; Homeless Services; Housing Preservation and Development; Information Technology and Telecommunications; Parks and Recreation; Sanitation; Small Business Services; Social Services; Transportation; Youth and Community Development; City Planning.

The legislation seeks to move the appointment process for commissioners out of the shadows for greater public transparency. It can ensure appointments of highly qualified commissioners, potential conflicts of interests and ethical issues are proactively resolved and provide an opportunity for appointees to demonstrate their qualifications, build working relationships of trust with stakeholders, and learn more about the range of diverse issues they will be expected to address.

Dual U.S.-Russian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Sending Weapon Components to Russia

 

A dual U.S.-Russian citizen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization.

According to court documents, from at least July 2020 to 2023, Dimitry Timashev, 58, coordinated with an associate in Russia to send weapon parts from the United States to Russia. In exchange, the associate paid tuition for Timashev’s daughter and rent for an apartment in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Timashev’s associate provided him with the names and addresses to which the firearm components and ammunition were sent. Before July 6, 2022, all the packages were shipped to Russia. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022, Timashev could no longer create a U.S. Postal Service label to send packages of firearm components to Russia. Instead, Timashev’s associate directed him to send the components to his relative’s apartment in Kazakhstan, from where the goods would be sent to Russia.

Timashev sent multiple packages of components to Kazakhstan, knowing they were ultimately bound for Russia. He also knew exporting the parts through Kazakhstan to Russia required a license from the Department of Commerce that he did not have. Timashev concealed the illegal exports by misrepresenting the contents of the shipments on the accompanying manifests.

Timashev pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations; ATF; Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement; U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case.