Former Night Club Owner Gets 18 Months For Tax Evasion

From around 2003 to the time he left in June 2008, Adewale Victor Oshin was the owner or part owner of several strip clubs, including Majik City in Portsmouth, shown, Majik City II in Newport News, the former Foxy Ladies in Norfolk’s Ocean View, Fantasy Lounge in Portsmouth and The Flame, which had been in Ocean View and later on Lynnhaven Parkway in Virginia Beach, according to the indictment and State Corporation Commission records. (Google Earth Image, Street view from 2007)


By Scott Daugherty, The Virginian Pilot/Hampton Roads

The former owner of several nightclubs in South Hampton Roads was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison on tax evasion charges.

Adewale Victor Oshin, 51, of Portsmouth, put his head down on a courtroom table after learning his fate in U.S. District Court in Newport News.

And his wife – the current owner or co-owner of at least two of the clubs – broke down into tears.

“What has he done? Has he killed anyone?,” Folashade Oshin wailed at prosecutors as a half dozen friends and family members worked to escort her outside the courtroom. “Will someone please explain to me what he has done?”

Oshin pleaded guilty in February to one count of filing false tax returns and one count of structuring financial transactions to avoid reporting requirements.

According to court documents, Oshin was the owner or part-owner of several clubs, including Majik City in Portsmouth, Majik City II in Newport News, the former Foxy Ladies in Norfolk’s Ocean View, Fantasy Lounge in Portsmouth and The Flame, which had been in Ocean View and later on Lynnhaven Parkway in Virginia Beach. He also owned a muffler and brake shop.

Between 2003 and 2005, Oshin deposited more than $1.2 million into two personal bank accounts, including more than $745,000 in cash, court documents said.

An analysis of Oshin’s bank accounts revealed he failed to report all of his income on his tax returns, prosecutors said. A “conservative estimate” by the IRS indicates he failed to pay more than $86,000 in taxes.

Prosecutors said he also worked to avoid federal banking regulations that could have alerted the IRS to his wealth. Over about 18 months, he amassed more than $170,000 in a pair of personal bank accounts without making a single deposit for more than $10,000. Some of the deposits, which were eventually used to buy a $620,000 house in Portsmouth, were made on the same day.

In court, James Broccoletti, Oshin’s attorney, painted his client as a pillar of the Hampton Roads community who was both hardworking and generous. He recalled how Oshin grew up in Nigeria, moved to Virginia in 1980 and graduated from Norfolk State University; how he obtained his U.S. citizenship in 1996 and became a successful businessman.

Oshin’s family and friends sent 17 letters to the court on his behalf.

While agreeing Oshin had some good traits, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Samuels noted in court how he made his fortune: Strip clubs.

“What is that pillar based on?” the prosecutor said.

Federal agents informed Oshin he was under investigation in early 2008. In June of that year, he flew to Nigeria, where he built a house and lived for more than three years.

On Nov. 22, 2011, Oshin was arrested in Atlanta after he stepped off a plane from Nigeria.

Federal authorities claimed in court documents Oshin moved to Nigeria to avoid prosecution. Broccoletti countered his client simply wanted to reconnect with the family he left behind. He said Oshin didn't know the investigation resulted in any criminal charges.

“No one told him not to leave town,” he said.

Upon his release, Oshin will be on supervised probation for three years. He must pay $86,947 in restitution.

Broccoletti said Oshin was ready to pay $50,000 towards his bill.

14 Dead As Suicide Car Bomb Hits Church In Nigeria

Abuja: In the latest deadly attack on Christians in Nigeria, at least 14 people were killed and many injured when a suicide car bomber detonated his explosives inside a church compound in the country's north on Monday, police said.

The blast occurred at the Living Faith church near the capital of Nigeria's northern state of Bauchi, they said.

State police commissioner Mohammed Ladan said a police checkpoint has prevented the bomber from gaining access to his target.

"So he rammed the car into a security gate and the car exploded," said Ladan. While a police source said that security forces are still verifying the extent of damage. The source said the death toll from the blast could rise.

No group has claimed responsibility but the attack bears the signature of a radical Islamic militant sect - Boko Haram - which has been bombing churches and other public squares in the oil-rich African country with the intention of installing an Islamic state.

The group had targeted and killed several politicians and Muslim religious leaders in the northern region for not conforming to their aspiration.
O
n April 29, gunmen had killed at least 15 people in an attack on a university theatre being used by Christians in northern Nigeria's biggest city, Kano.

Nigeria has 160 million people and is split between a largely Muslim north and Christian south.
SOURCE: ZEE NEWS

NIGERIA: FG Cuts Supplies To Global Oil Traders

By Emmanuel Okubenji, Daily Times - Nigeria
The Federal Government has announced plans to award about $60 billion annual supply contracts to local firms.

According to a document sent to the winning firms, FG has allocated about 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) through term contracts to 21 Nigerian firms, and 29 global companies.

The number of companies on the list grew from last year’s 45 and included many small African firms such as Tempo and Benny Peters, the document showed.

The oil, which amounts to around 580 million barrels sold over the next 12 months, is worth nearly $60 billion based on current premiums of the light, sweet crude to Brent futures.

The tender result, awaited since April, showed that around 45 % of the allocated oil was assigned for companies either based in Nigeria or owned by Nigerian companies including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiary Duke Oil, which doubled the size of its contract from last year to 60,000 bpd.

Global oil traders such as Glencore, Vitol and Trafigura, who have traditionally had a strong presence in the country, last year had their supplies halved to 30,000 bpd while Gunvor and Mercuria, Swiss-based traders, stayed unchanged from 2011 at 30,000 bpd.

"The desire to encourage Nigerian participation is understandable, but it only helps the country if these are legitimate companies, chosen in a manner that was competitive and free from patronage," Alexandra Gillies, head of governance at Revenue Watch Institute, said.

She added that the list of companies should be scrutinised carefully to ensure that all are operational oil firms and were fairly chosen.

Meanwhile, other winners include Indian Oil Corp and China's Unipec, the trading arm of Sinopec Corp, which both received 60,000-bpd contracts.

The 2012 London Olympics Miles Images And Stories

Multicultural Intersection Between Two Worlds: This busy intersection in the centre of Stratford in the East London borough of Newham shows one slice of the neighborhood that is home to the Olympic stadium and park. This particular crosswalk is significant because it links the old Stratford Centre shopping mall, filled with low-end shops, market stalls and budget grocery stores, with the new Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, the largest urban shopping center in Europe. The £1.45bn complex houses more than 300 stores, 70 restaurants

Drumming Together: Children at Kingsmead Primary School in Hackney practice drumming for an end of year presentation. The school, close to the 2012 Olympic Games Village, takes cultural performance very seriously and all classes learn group drumming. It primarily serves children who live on the Kingsmead Estate. Its population is diverse which is reflected in the 42 different languages spoken by the children and 95% of them are from an ethnic minority. The largest ethnic group is African, followed by Afro Caribbean descents.

Nigerian Pentecostal Church: A moment of intense prayer at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Church. This Pentecostal church has grown from modest beginnings in Nigeria to have international branches in many cities around the world. The majority of people attending the service are originally from Nigeria. This church is housed in an old factory building in Hackney Wick, close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. Image: Gideon Mendel.

Roman Road Market: A busy Saturday afternoon scene in June at the Roman Road Market in Tower Hamlets, very close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. In the background the top of the new Olympic stadium at the center of the site can be seen. This area, which was traditionally a white working class East End community, now has a large Bengali population. The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal (now divided between Bangladesh and India) in South Asia. Image Gideon Mendel.

The Goose Pub: Customers enjoy their pints of beer at The Goose pub in Stratford, close to the site of the 2012 Olympic Games. This large pub has a mix of customers from all over the world, including many African, Irish and eastern European drinkers reflecting the diversity of the local community.

View of Newham Housing: An overhead view of some of the housing and streets of Newham, close to the main site of the 2012 Olympic Games. This is in Newham which is London’s poorest borough and the second-most deprived council area in England, according to the council’s statistics. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse places in Britain. This is taken from the Olympic Site Viewing Gallery at Holden Point in Newham.

Chatsworth Road Market: The new revitalised Sunday market on Chatsworth Road in Hackney, close to the main site of the 2012 Olympic Games. This market in an area which was once very run-down has sparked a fierce local debate about gentrification and regeneration in the area. The district which was once known as 'The Murder Mile' now has sharply rising property prices and an increasing population of young, more affluent people. Its close proximity to the Olympic site is another factor driving the fast changes in the area.

HMS Ocean: The British Royal Navy's largest ship HMS Ocean sails up the River Thames escorted by a flotilla of smaller vessels, in Greenwich, London. -- HMS Ocean is heading for Greenwich where it will act as a launch pad for helicopters during a major security exercise in preparation for the Olympic Games, called Olympic Guardian.

Church Attacks Kill 15, Wound 40 In Kenya

GARISSA: Members of the Kenyan security forces inspect the body of a woman killed in the attack at the African Inland Church in Garissa, Kenya yesterday.–AP

NAIROBI - ASSOCIATED PRESS: Gunmen killed two policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the congregation from inside and out yesterday , killing 15 people and wounding 40, security officials said. Two gunmen entered the simple wooden church in the city of Garissa at around 10:15 am yesterday, while two others waited outside, police commander Philip Ndolo said. When the congregation fled the attack inside, they ran straight into another hail of bullets from gunmen outside, he said. At least one grenade was detonated in the attack.

Overturned wooden benches littered the church afterward. A victim wearing a simple blue dress lay on the sandy earth outside. Witnesses reported seeing the four gunmen flee in dark blue outfits and masks. “We were deep in prayers preparing to give our offerings,” said a visibly shaken David Mwange, a churchgoer. “We first had a loud bang from outside which we mistook to be coming from the rooftops. We then had gun shots which made us to lie down. Within no time we had gunshots all over. Everybody was shouting and wailing in pain.”

The bloodiest of the two attacks came against the African Inland Church in Garissa, a city some 195 kilometers (120 miles) west of the Somali border. Ndolo said 15 people were killed and at least 40 wounded. A grenade attack against a second church in Garissa wounded three people. Garissa Mayor Ismail Garat called the church assault “evil.” “We are not used to witnessing such kinds of acts in our country, where people are just shot in broad daylight. We really want to know who the heartless people who did this are,” he said. Ndolo told reporters he wanted an investigation carried out before assigning blame to the group many people in this region assume is at fault: al-Shabab, the most dangerous militant group in Somalia.

Another security official said two attackers walked up to the two policemen guarding the church, shot them at point-blank range and took their rifles. The official spoke only on condition he wasn’t identified because he is not allowed to speak to media. The police were guarding the church because of the increasingly dangerous security situation near the border with Somalia and because Somalia’s Islamist militants have made Christian churches a common target.

Such a heinous attack could be a copycat strategy from Boko Haram, the group of Islamist militants in Nigeria that has made gruesome, deadly attacks against Christian churches one of their hallmarks. Garissa is one of two major Kenyan towns near the border with Somalia. It lies just to the west of the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses nearly 500,000 Somali refugees. On Friday armed attackers kidnapped four international workers with the Norwegian Refugee Council and are believed to have taken them over the border into Somalia.

A top security official suggested after that assault that the attackers came from within the camp. Kenyan officials have long complained Dadaab and its inhabitants are a threat to Kenya’s security. Kenyan officials hope to see the Dadaab refugees move back to Somalia, but they cannot force the refugees to move without breaking international law and courting wide international condemnation. Areas of northern and eastern Kenya along the border with Somalia have suffered a series of gunfire and grenade attacks over the last year. Militants attacked a church in Garissa in December, killing two people.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia last October to hunt Al-Shabab fighters. The militants, who are allied with Al-Qaeda, have threatened repeatedly to carry out revenge attacks for Kenya’s push into Somalia. Yesterday’s attacks appear to be part of that trend

NIGERIA: Heritage Spends $850m To Get Into Nigeria

By Rose Jacobs/Financial Times


Heritage Oil is spending $850m to buy into a cache of Nigerian oilfields in an agreed deal that will give the London-listed explorer significant production capacity and its first exposure to the oil-rich country.

The assets, called OML 30, are being sold by Shell, Total and ENI, and boost Herigate’s net production from 605 barrels per day to 11,500. The Nigerian state continues to hold the 55 per cent controlling stake.

Heritage, founded by former mercenary and security adviser Tony Buckingham, has focused up to now on exploration, with only a small production facility in Russia.

Paul Atherton, finance director, said the cash generated by the eight producing fields would go towards the company’s current exploration projects in Malta, Libya, Tanzania and Kurdistan – as well as exploration in Nigeria, which is estimated to have the biggest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa.

The group also has high hopes for ramping up production at the OML 30 sites, from 35,000 bpd today to 145,000 by 2018. Mr Atherton said that could be achieved with relative ease at properties neglected by the current owners. At peak production under Shell in 1971, the assets under licence yielded 280,000 bpd.

Heritage is financing the deal through a bridging loan from Standard Bank of South Africa and a rights issue underwritten by Canaccord and JPMorgan. The group yielded $1.45bn from the sale of Ugandan assets in 2010, but does not have access to that money while arbiters decide whether the company must pay capital gains tax on the transaction, as Uganda contends.

The Nigeria deal values proven and probable reserves at about $2.74 per barrel, the company said, compared with the $5.73 paid in “precedent transactions”.

The move comes on the heels of investor unrest over pay and bonus awards, with 16 per cent of shareholders – at a company 33 per cent owned by Mr Buckingham – voting down the remuneration report. Heritage reported a $69m loss last year, compared with a profit of $1.22bn in the previous year, helped by the Uganda sale.

Shares have fallen from highs of 465p early last year to 123p last week, as the shadow of the tax disputes with Uganda and Tullow Oil – which bought the Ugandan assets – loom.

Mr Atherton said he expected the Nigerian deal to complete in September.

Nigeria, A Rugged Road To High Returns

By Tim Cooks, Reuters
(Reuters) - Bomb blasts, gun attacks, airline crashes, kidnappings, industrial-scale oil theft, armed robberies and fraud costing billions of dollars.Such things might give pause to anyone thinking of opening a business. In Nigeria, they happen with alarming frequency, and yet investors just keep coming.

The reasons are many: alluring returns in this high-risk frontier market; a huge and growing population with latent potential for a consumer boom; light crude oil ideal for making motor fuel; and sophisticated financial markets.

"We know it's not risk free," says Charles Robertson, global Chief Economist at Renaissance Capital. "But look around the world and find another economy with 160 million people growing at 7 percent with such potential. It's a struggle to find them."

Nigeria can look like it's teetering on the cusp of chaos, but it is also Africa's second biggest economy and top oil producer.

"Nigeria is the best kept secret in the world. Anybody who doesn't invest in Nigeria only has himself to blame, going forward, if he misses out," industrialist Aliko Dangote told Reuters in an interview at his Lagos office.

"I don't really know of any place where you can make as much money as you make in Nigeria."

As Africa's richest man, he should know. Last year, the cement tycoon's Nigeria investments boosted his personal fortune more than fivefold - a bigger rise than anyone else on the Forbes list of world billionaires - to $13.8 billion.

Dangote is from northern Nigeria, where Islamist insurgents of the Boko Haram movement have killed hundreds in daily gun and bomb attacks this year in a bloody anti-establishment offensive.

Dangote, whose interests are mostly in the south, with some exposure to the north, does not let the violence affect his business decisions.
"Boko Haram have not destroyed any business here. They have not gone to any factory and planted a bomb," he said.

"Because of drugs barons fighting with the Mexican government, does it mean no one will go and invest in Mexico? No. People are rushing there."

"DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDEND" TRUMPS INSTABILITY?

Still, if you want an example of how violence and political instability in Nigeria can slice millions of dollars off your profit margin, look no further than PZ Cussons.

The soap maker announced two profit warnings in the first quarter of this year, blaming a hit to sales from social unrest in Nigeria, its biggest market, where it makes a third of its revenue.

The country erupted into strikes and protests in January when President Goodluck Jonathan's government made an abortive attempt to end a popular fuel subsidy. The strikes lasted only a week, but the central bank said they cost $617 million a day.

The violence in the north also worsened around that time.

"Insurgency in the north clearly had a detrimental impact on PZ's business, and on (food maker) UACN, which has distribution hubs there," Matthew Pearson, Standard Bank's head of African Equity Product, told Reuters on a visit to Lagos.

But in the longer term, both firms are betting Nigeria's big population will turn into a massive consumer market.

"The demographic dividend is colossal," Pearson said.

A failure to recognize such long-term opportunities in emerging markets astounds Stephen Jennings, CEO of investment bank Renaissance Group.

"Whether we are talking about political evolution in Russia, or economic development in Africa, there remains a clear overemphasis on current difficulties and constraints, and an under-appreciation of the pace and magnitude of modernization and structural change," he told an investor conference this week.

Some clearly appreciate it. The CEO of South Africa's Shoprite, Whitey Basson, said in February he saw scope for 700 stores in Nigeria, up from two now, arguing that even if 60 percent live in poverty, the other 40 percent still outnumber South Africans.

And oil companies like Shell are making enormous profits in Nigeria - and renewing onshore licenses - despite the fact that armed gangs steal a growing portion of their oil.

Foreign direct investment into Nigeria has hovered between $6 billion and $8.5 billion since 2007, World Bank figures show, apparently unresponsive to its various crises.

FEAR OF OFFICIALDOM

Business people say the risk from such insecurity pales compared with that of government interference.

Jonathan's administration says it is working to remove impediments such as corrupt officials and onerous bureaucracy, but they admit it is a huge task.

"Look at the port. That's a bigger investor concern than bomb blasts or plane crashes," said Tony Elumelu, chairman of Lagos-based Heirs Holdings, a fund that invests across Africa.

Corrupt officials at Lagos port - one of the busiest in Africa - slow down deliveries to extort money from importers, a bottleneck to growth and cause of Nigeria's high living costs.

"For many businesses, the difficulty of getting goods cleared ... is their biggest complaint," Elumelu said. "The good news is the government is now taking action to improve it."

Such "official risk" is what oligarchs like Dangote can use political ties to mitigate. Not everyone has such connections, but players with dominant positions in markets that don't require much government cooperation can still fare well.

"If you look at Nigeria Breweries, short of expropriation, it's going to continue to effectively print money, because of the size of the market ... irrespective of the management of the country," said Fola Fagbule, Vice President of Origination and Coverage at Africa Finance Corporation.

Other sectors, such as infrastructure, face daunting hurdles from obstructive officials. Telecoms firms need licenses. They need land to put up masts. They need permits to set up base stations.

All complain of extortion by officials to keep stations open.

The downside was enough to persuade Vodacom to pass up investing in Vmobil - now owned by Bharti Airtel - in 2005, citing an "inappropriate level of risk".

Yet telecoms is now one Nigeria's most profitable sectors, and Nigeria is Bharti's most profitable African market.

In his last year as Vodacom CEO in 2008, Alan Knott-Craig said he regretted the decision not to set up shop in Nigeria. Vodacom is now making moves to come back.

Rival MTN had no such qualms, and today it is Nigeria's leading operator.

Among the risks it faces are "poor infrastructure, lack of security, vandalism, multiple taxation, over-regulation ... unlawful interference with telco infrastructure by government agencies and ... prejudicial court judgments," says Funmilayo Omogbenigun, MTN Nigeria's corporate affairs manager.

Despite that discouraging litany, Nigeria remains MTN's biggest cash cow, making $2.5 billion in core profit in 2010 and again in 2011.

The telecoms success has raised hopes for Nigeria's moribund power sector, if the government gets round to privatizing it.

"Nigeria's often surprised on the upside, and telecoms is a classic example. People are looking at power in the same way," Fagbole said.

"It looks messy, it looks difficult, but if you sit on the sidelines and it turns out to be this massive honey pot, you'll live to regret it."

(Editing by Will Waterman)

NIGERIA: Sunday Papers July 01, 2012

COMPILED BY AMBROSE EHIRIM

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: Malian jihadist group threatens to attack Nigeria, others

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: Why Oba of Benin didn’t receive Jonathan •The ‘gods’ stopped him - Aide •Oba of Benin met Jonathan in private - Edo PDP

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: US has confidence in Dasuki - Ex-Attorney-General...As Boko Haram splits the North

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE: Police foil attempt to bomb bridge in Plateau

THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA: Kidnappers Renew Offensive In Abakaliki, Kill Pharmacist

THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA: Kidnapped Students Get Lawmakers’ N1m

PUNCH: ‘Why Nigerian businessmen can’t access funds in US’

PUNCH NIGERIA: Third Mainland Bridge closure: The anguish, pain begin today

PUNCH NIGERIA: Day all hell broke loose in Kaduna

NIGERIAN VANGUARD: 14 YEARS AFTER MKO’S DEATH: Abiola’s mandate had votes – Kola Abiola

THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA: Jonathan’s Stance On Asset Declaration Violates US, Nigeria Agreement

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES: Gunfire‚ explosions rock troubled Nigerian city

AFP GOOGLE WIRE: Mobile money firms seek Nigerian riches

LEADERSHIP NIGERIA: Other Cultures Lagging In Nigeria Movie Industry

LEADERSHIP NIGERIA: NAF To Commence Int’l Helicopter Training School

THIS DAY: New PIB Resolves Controversy over Fiscal Regime, Gas Pricing

LEADERSHIP NIGERIA: Anambra North Senatorial Seat: As Supreme Court Beckons

Nigeria's Kenneth Anokam Gets 12 1/2 Years In Health Care Fraud

[HOUSTON, TEXAS]—Kenneth Ibezim Anokam, 57, a naturalized United States citizen from the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been handed a 151-month federal prison term for his role in a massive health care fraud conspiracy that billed the Medicare and Medicaid programs for more than $45 million over a 2 ½ year period, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today.

Anokam was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, 27 counts of health care fraud and four counts of structuring to avoid reporting requirements by a Houston jury on May 27, 2011, following an almost three-week trial. Anokam was an employee and person in charge at City Nursing, where the fraud occurred. The owner of City Nursing, Umawa Oke Imo and Dr. Christina Joy Clardy, under whose Medicare and Medicaid provider numbers City Nursing billed the fraudulent claims, were also convicted at trial and sentenced to 327 and 135 months, respectively.

Joann Michelle White, an employee of City Nursing who pleaded guilty in February 2010, received a 46-month sentence. Godwin Chiedo Nzeocha, who was charged with Anokam with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, mail fraud and money laundering, was returned to Houston earlier this week from Nigeria to face the charges after federal agents were unable to arrest him in 2009. Nzeocha is presumed innocent until convicted through due process of law.

In arriving at Anokam’s sentence today, United States District Court Judge Melinda Harmon, who presided over the trial, considered Anokam’s role as a manager and supervisor at City Nursing, as well as the amount of fraud committed through the conspiracy. Judge Harmon sentenced Anokam to 120 months for the conspiracy conviction and each of the health care fraud convictions which will all be served concurrently.

He also received an additional 31 months for each of the structuring charges, to be served concurrent to each other but consecutive to the 120-month sentence—for a total sentence of 151 months in federal prison. Judge Harmon further ordered he pay restitution in the amount of $16,817,015.95 to Medicare and $2,230,530.95 to Medicaid, joint and several to the other convicted members of the conspiracy.

According to last year’s trial testimony, Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries were paid cash for going to City Nursing and signing undated blank treatment forms which were subsequently completed by Anokam and other City Nursing employees to reflect physical therapy treatment that was not provided. City Nursing employees who testified on behalf of the United States described how they handed out cash, usually $100-$150, given to them by Imo and Anokam to beneficiaries and “recruiters” also known as “marketers,” for coming to the clinic. Generally, beneficiaries were paid once a month when they came to City Nursing to see the doctor; however, those beneficiaries who took Medicare Explanation of Benefit statements into the office to complain about the fraudulent billing were given extra payments, sometimes $200-$300 to “settle” matters.

Anokam was one of the managers who dealt with the complaining beneficiaries with Medicare statements.

Despite billing more than $45 million for physical therapy services, the evidence at trial established there was never a single licensed or otherwise qualified physical therapist at City Nursing. One Medicare beneficiary testified that when she asked the doctor at City Nursing for physical therapy she was told the clinic did not provide that type of service and to go to her primary care physician for a referral to another clinic. Another Medicare beneficiary described the clinic as looking like an unemployment office with people just hanging out and referred to a day when he saw an employee direct a patient to make a pot of coffee.

The investigation into City Nursing was the result of the joint efforts by Special Agents of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigations, the Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General and investigators from the Texas Attorney general’s office—Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Redlinger and Mark Donnelly prosecuted the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Rollinson assisted with forfeiture and restitution.

SOURCE: 7TH SPACE INTERACTIVE

NIGERIA: U.S. Begins $119M Embassy Annex Project In Abuja

By Emmanuel Okubenji/Daily Times/Nigeria

The U.S., on Friday, commenced the construction of its embassy annex which will accommodate three of its agencies in the Diplomatic Drive, Central Area, Abuja.

The Ambassador, Terence McCulley, at the ground breaking ceremony said that the project, which will cover 7,500 square metres, would cost 119 million dollars.

McCulley said that the building will house the US Agency for International Development, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Defence.

He also listed a five-level parking garage, a swimming pool and a marine security guard quarters as part of the project.

"Many of these team members work out of other office buildings, and must travel to the Chancery building for regular meetings," he said.

"After the completion of this annex, they won’t have to leave this property for meetings. Their trips farther afield will be simplified within a coherent support structure. This effort will also improve the conditions under which we all work."

The envoy said the initiative was a signal that the US considered Nigeria as an important partner.

"Our presence here is critical to maintaining that partnership. It is also a sign that the US is solidifying its commitment to staying engaged in Nigeria."

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, said the timing of the project was important, given the nation’s current security challenges.

"America believes in Nigeria and its future, and takes a long term view on our relations. We will continue to work together for the success of our Bi-National Commission," Ashiru said.

The Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, said the new construction further indicated that Abuja was a safe destination for investment and tourism.

He commended the embassy for its contribution to the city’s development.

The event was witnessed by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger and members of the diplomatic corps.

The U.S. embassy in Nigeria was moved to Abuja in 2000. It still maintains a consulate in Lagos and plans to open one in Kano soon.

"Obamacare": "High-Tech Lynched Uppity Black Man" Justice Clarence Thomas

In this photo, U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Clarence Thomas is shown during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 1991. Thomas denies the charges of sexual harassment brought against him. His wife, Virginia, sits behind him.

On the Healthcare law upheld yesterday, the ruling handed Obama a campaign-season victory in rejecting arguments that Congress went too far in approving the plan. However, Republicans quickly indicated they will try to use the decision to rally their supporters against what they call "Obamacare," arguing that the ruling characterized the penalty against people who refuse to get insurance as a tax.

In that 5-4 decision Thursday upholding Obama's Health Care Programs for the country, Chief Justice John Roberts sided with liberals to uphold the insurance mandate while Justice Clarence Thomas dissented. The question here now is, what would be Thomas' legacy as Associate Justice of SCOTUS by way of succeeding Thurgood Marshall? What were his decisions that favored the ideals replacing Marshall?

From sources according to Wikipedia, Thomas grew up in Savannah, Georgia and was educated at the College of the Holy Cross and at Yale Law School. In 1974, he was appointed an Assistant Attorney General in Missouri and subsequently practiced law there in the private sector. In 1979, he became a legislative assistant to Missouri United States Senator John Danforth and in 1981 was appointed Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Thomas Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); he served in that position until 1990, when President George H. W. Bush nominated him for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

On July 1, 1991, after 16 months of service as a judge, Thomas was nominated by Bush to fill Marshall's seat on the United States Supreme Court. Thomas's confirmation hearings were bitter and intensely fought, centering on an accusation that he had made unwelcome sexual comments to attorney Anita Hill, a subordinate at the Department of Education and subsequently at the EEOC. The U.S. Senate ultimately confirmed Thomas by a vote of 52–48.

Since joining the Court, Thomas has taken a textualist approach, seeking to uphold what he sees as the original meaning of the United States Constitution and statutes. He is generally viewed as among the most conservative members of the Court. Thomas has often approached federalism issues in a way that limits the power of the federal government and expands power of state and local governments. At the same time, Thomas's opinions have generally supported a strong executive branch within the federal government.