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In May 2023, eight members of Congress expressed concerns with fraud related to freight-hauling, including stolen truck loads and brokerage fraud schemes. Their letter asked us to consider establishing a permanent task force for investigating, referring, and prosecuting cases of freight, household goods moving, ransom, and double-brokering fraud in coordination with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Our Office of Investigations has a long and successful history of partnering with FMCSA and the U.S.
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08.24.2023
On August 8, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts sentenced Mia Cox-Johnson, a former manager of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), to 4 months of incarceration and 1 year of supervised release with the first 6 months to be served under home confinement. Cox-Johnson was also ordered to pay a $5,500 fine and a $300 special assessment. On March 30, Cox-Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion and one count of conspiring to commit extortion.
 
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08.23.2023
On July 27, 2023, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida sentenced the Royal Air Museum, Inc., to 5 years of probation and ordered it to pay $4 million in restitution, $1 million in fines, and a $400 court assessment. In addition, three Learjet aircraft and a King Air aircraft were seized and auctioned off to authorized purchasers, which resulted in the recovery of $545,100.
 
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08.23.2023

What We Looked At
We queried and downloaded 93 single audit reports prepared by non-Federal auditors and submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse between April 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023, to identify significant findings related to programs directly funded by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

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08.17.2023

In December 2022, Congress passed the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023 requiring the Maritime Administrator to establish within the United States Merchant Marine Academy Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program an information management system to track and maintain, in such a manner that patterns can be reasonably identified, information regarding sexual assault or sexual harassment claims involving cadets and other Academy personnel.

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08.16.2023
On August 3, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania sentenced Philadelphia auto mechanic Emiliano Rodriguez to 1 day of incarceration, 36 months of supervised release including 21 months of home detention, and a $200 court assessment.
 
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08.16.2023
On August 2, 2023, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Kevin Neslund pleaded guilty for aiming a laser pointer at a Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter operated by the Dale County, Alabama Sheriff's Office. On May 31, 2023, the U.S. Attorney charged Neslund by information.
 
According to the plea agreement, on September 28, 2022, Neslund knowingly aimed the beam of laser pointer at the helicopter, jeopardizing the safety of the pilots and individuals around Neslund’s residence in Slocomb, Alabama.
 
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08.16.2023

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) invested about $660 billion in funding for new and existing DOT programs—more than twice the amount in the previous 5-year authorization law. In 2022, DOT established a goal to hire 1,400 employees in its surface transportation Operating Administrations (OA) to respond to identified IIJA-related needs between fiscal years 2022 and 2026.

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08.15.2023
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) is responsible for improving the U.S. marine transportation system to meet the Nation’s economic, environmental, and security needs. As part of its broad mission, MARAD oversees the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)—one of five Federal service academies—which is tasked with educating and graduating licensed Merchant Marine Officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces to serve America’s maritime transportation and defense needs.
 
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08.14.2023
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) invested approximately $350 billion in Federal funding during fiscal years 2022 through 2026 for the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) surface transportation programs. The act significantly increases investment in the Nation’s highway infrastructure and strengthens Made in America laws. Under these laws, an agency may not obligate funds for an infrastructure project unless all iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States.
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08.08.2023