Federal law enforcement has taken action to halt the conduct of over 2,300 “money mules” in the last two months, the Department of Justice recently announced. These actions occurred in every state in the country as part of the third annual Money Mule Initiative. This year’s effort almost quadrupled the 600 actions U.S. law enforcement took last year against money mules.

A VA police officer was removed by the Department of Veterans Affairs under the 2017 “accountability” law 38 U.S.C. § 714 that limited review of VA’s actions against general schedule employees. The removal was based on conduct occurring prior to the enactment of the law. The employee appealed to the MSPB, and the MSPB affirmed the removal. On December 7, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated the MSPB’s decision, and remanded the case to the MSPB with instructions to remand the case further back to the agency.

The largest DEA meth bust in history was recently uncovered in California. The heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine had an estimated street value of $18.5 million- enough to single dose every man, woman, and child in the U.S. and Mexico.

With only a few days left of Open Season, you still have a chance to reduce your health insurance costs. Let the federal benefits experts at NARFE help you save money!

Across the board, federal law enforcement officers have spent the vast majority of 2020 dealing with unprecedented challenges. Rising tensions between the public and law enforcement and the increasing dangers of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a landscape that has been tremendously difficult to navigate. While many of the struggles and successes of our law enforcement officers have been well-covered in the news, the challenges faced by two agencies have been comparatively underreported: the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services.

On the latest episode of the FEDtalk podcast, join host Jason Briefel for a final sit down with Open Season experts to review coverage options, changes from previous years, and all the virtual ways feds can learn about their insurance options. The discussion features Jay Fritz from the Open Season Program Office at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and Joan Melanson, Director of Education and Outreach at FedPoint.

Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari plans to conduct an audit into the agency’s surveillance and data collection practices after an October 23rd letter from Senators raised questions about Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s domestic surveillance practices. IG Cuffari’s November 25th letter responding to the Senators indicates he will he complete an audit to ensure that DHS and its components “have developed, updated, and adhered to policies related to cell-phone surveillance devices.”

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said she would be stepping down as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. She said, “After serving as the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee for four years, I will not seek the chairmanship or ranking member position in the next Congress.”

Hitesh Madhubhai Patel, an Indian national, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy and general conspiracy to commit identification fraud, access device fraud, money laundering, and impersonation of a federal officer or employee.

Law enforcement agencies in northern California were asked to show off their best trick shots as part of a safety campaign that aims to raise awareness about drunk driving during the holiday season and encourage designated drivers.

On November 3, 2020, the United States Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announced that it had reached two agreements with the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). A statement by OSC claimed that the “core goals of the agreements are to protect the independence of the respective Inspectors General and provide better outcomes to whistleblowers who report allegations of wrongdoing by OIGs.” The agreements are “the result of a years-long effort to clarify standards of procedure for such disclosures.”

With Open Season for federal employees running November 9 through December 14, 2020, now’s the perfect time to think about what you want from your health plan. At the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program, we offer the coverage and benefits to help you live healthy every day. That includes our Basic Option, that gives you great in-network coverage with no deductible.

On the most recent episode of FEDtalk, join host Tony Vergnetti for a discussion with the leading players in federal employee insurance. The discussion featured Shane Canfield, CEO of WAEPA, as well as David Yoder, Vice President of Member Care and Management at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and Bill Breskin, Senior Vice President of Government Programs at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

The Destination Zero program is designed to make it safer for those who serve. Destination Zero is a program of the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The program serves as a repository of information designed to assist law enforcement agencies with initiatives to keep officers safe, mentally and physically healthy, and emotionally resilient.

While conducting a narcotics investigation, the Monroe Police Department learned from drug dealers and cooperating witnesses that Matthew Beaudion and his girlfriend, Jessica Davis, were distributing drugs. Officers obtained Davis’s phone number from one witness. The witness also told the officers that Beaudion and Davis planned to drive from Houston to Monroe with four pounds of meth.

This week (November 15-21) is International Fraud Awareness Week, which is dedicated to the global effort to minimize the impact of fraud by promoting anti-fraud awareness and education. This event, held by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), is a time to share information about preventing fraud, identity theft, and security with peers, coworkers, and family members.

The Department of the Interior and the Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced that veterans and Gold Star families will be receiving free lifetime access to national parks, refuges, and other public lands. These families will have free access to approximately 2,000 public locations with many activities including hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, hunting, camping, stargazing and climbing.

A memorandum for Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) released Monday announced draft updates to federal hiring policy based on the Executive Order on Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates that was released by the Trump Administration in June 2020. The executive order directed agencies to expand the use of competency-based assessments and rely less on educational requirements when hiring for certain positions.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated November 17, 2020 alleges that conditions at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (MDOC) are violating the Constitution. A DOJ investigation concluded that the MDOC violates the eighth amendment rights of prisoners by denying them access to mental health services, not providing proper assistance when inmates are in a mental health crisis, and putting inmates on prolonged mental health watch in restrictive housing conditions. Prisoners in mental health crisis have engaged in self-harm leading to serious injury or death as a result of MDOC’s failures, according to the release.

Learn more about the U.S. Forest Service and what it means to be part of the Forest Service Law Enforcement team. This recruitment video discusses the qualifications necessary to join the team and what the officers do to protect forests and public lands.