Abuja, Nigeria – Today, the Unites States government, through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the launch of the “Make a Difference” hotline and reward program that will offer up to $10,000 (approximately two million naira) for information concerning the illegal distribution of stolen and falsified anti- malaria medication in Nigeria. The announcement came as the world health community marked World Malaria Day and World Intellectual Property Day.

Memphis, TN – An Egyptian citizen was arrested Thursday evening for his alleged role in defrauding a U.S. foreign aid program, which resulted in the distribution of defective water pumps by a Collierville establishment to the Egyptian Water Authority. The illegal acts accounted for more than $500,000 in fraudulent sales.

TRENTON, N.J. – The former president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of a New Jersey-based international engineering consulting company was sentenced today to 12 months of home confinement and fined $4.5 million for conspiring to defraud the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with respect to billions of dollars in contracts over a nearly 20-year period, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Memphis, TN — An Egyptian citizen has been sentenced to time served, amounting to nearly 4 months in prison, for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a U.S. foreign assistance program of more than $500,000. The illegal acts resulted in the distribution of defective water pumps by  a company in Collierville, TN to the Egyptian Water Authority under a program established by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Washington, D.C. — The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced the indictment of a citizen of Burkina Faso for his role in a scheme to procure and distribute approximately two million fraudulent and substandard mosquito nets in the West African nation. The indictment charges Malamine Ouedraogo with one count of wire fraud involving more than $12 million meant to support the country’s anti-malarial effort.

Washington, D.C. — Today, Ann Calvaresi Barr became the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) fifth Inspector General. Ms. Calvaresi Barr was nominated to become Inspector General by President Obama in May 2015 and confirmed by the Senate earlier this month. She brings more than 30 years of experience in the federal oversight community to her new position.

WASHINGTON – A former government contractor employee was sentenced to 46 months in prison today for his role in a bribery scheme involving a federal program in Afghanistan and conspiracy to structure financial transactions to avoid currency transaction reporting requirements.

Alexandria, VA — Pax Mondial LLC, doing business as Mondial Risk Management Company (MRMC), agreed to pay the United States $44,000 to settle civil fraud claims that it illegally exported firearms accessories from the United States to Afghanistan in 2012. At the time, MRMC was providing security services to support work on the Kandahar Helmand Power Project, a United States Government reconstruction project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that the government has filed suit under the False Claims Act against Derish M. Wolff and Salvatore J. Pepe, respectively the former CEO and CFO of Louis Berger Group Inc. (LBG), for conspiring to overbill the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other government agencies for costs incurred performing reconstruction contracts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries, the Justice Department announced today. LBG is based in East Orange, New Jersey.

The Justice Department announced today that Jacintoport International LLC (Jacintoport) and Seaboard Marine Ltd. (Seaboard Marine) have agreed to pay $1.075 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the companies violated the False Claims Act in connection with a warehousing and logistics contract for the storage and redelivery of humanitarian food aid. Jacintoport is a cargo handling and stevedoring firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, and Seaboard Marine, an affiliate of Jacintoport, is an ocean transportation company headquartered in Miami, Florida.