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a28 U.s. news/obitUario
Diaranson 1 Juni 2022

Inspectors ask for authority to go after more COVID fraud

ment, to raise the maximum that they would like to prose- the funding from the federal
amount of a fraud claim that cute administratively involv- to the local level.
may be handled administra- ing hundreds of thousands Billions in loans were paid to
tively to $1 million. of dollars. Most U.S. attor- potentially ineligible recipi-
The request was highlighted neys would not pursue cases ents at the beginning of the
in the committee's semian- for under $1 million because pandemic because the Small
nual report to Congress re- they are overwhelmed with Business Administration
leased Tuesday. other fraud cases, he added. didn't check the Treasury De-
"It can't be the case that Republican Sen. Chuck partment's "do not pay" list,
people come away from this Grassley of Iowa is sponsor- the report said, and billions
thinking there's a certain ing a bill that would make went to applicants with for-
level of fraud that's just OK, the change. It has bipartisan eign IP addresses. Horowitz
or a certain level of improp- support, including from co- said "simple data matching"
er payments that's just OK," sponsor Democratic Sen. at the agency level should've
Horowitz said in an inter- Dick Durbin of Illinois, who flagged hundreds of applica-
view with The Associated chairs the Senate Judiciary tions using the same phone
Press before the report was Committee. number from a gas station in
released. "We don't believe The Pandemic Response Texas before the committee
that as IGs, and we want to Accountability Committee found it.
By JENNIFER McDER- ment of Justice is too busy get to the bottom of that. So was created by Congress in "That shouldn't be the case,
MOTT for cases under $1 million— it's a very important tool and March 2020. It brings to- right? An agency should be
Associated Press a gap that must be closed, every dollar matters." gether the inspectors general able to figure that out," he
Inspectors general need the Pandemic Response Ac- Out of more than $5 trillion offices to oversee pandemic said. "That's not sophisticated
more authority to go after countability Committee said. in pandemic relief spending, relief emergency spending data analytics."
fraud in the COVID-19 Michael Horowitz, head of more than 1 million awards and investigate fraud and im- Horowitz said agencies have
relief programs, the inde- the committee and the in- under $1 million have been proper payments spread out substantially improved their
pendent committee over- spector general of the De- given out, according to the among more than 400 pro- ability to verify eligibility for
seeing federal pandemic partment of Justice, said the committee. Inspectors gen- grams implemented by 40 pandemic relief payments,
relief spending said Tues- $150,000 threshold is far too eral nationwide are focused federal agencies. but "there is still a significant
day. low given the scope of the on multi-million dollar cas- Its report to Congress also way to go." That prompted
fraud in programs set up to es of alleged fraud that are stressed the need to bet- the committee to set up a
The agencies watchdogs' au- help businesses and people turned over to the Depart- ter use the data the federal data analytics center, which it
thority to administratively who lost their jobs due to the ment of Justice for prosecu- government already has, has asked Congress to keep in
prosecute fraudsters is lim- pandemic. He's asking Con- tion. Horowitz said he was and improve data collection, place to use when the federal
ited to fraud of $150,000 or gress to modify provisions in not aware of any cases being particularly when the prime government responds to fu-
less from COVID-19 relief the law on fraud committed brought for below $150,000, recipient of a grant shares it ture emergencies with relief
programs and the Depart- against the federal govern- though he does know of cases with sub-recipients to follow spending.

Familia Pastor Garay se une en la pena que embargo por la sencible Perdida de It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of:

Victor Pastor Sandoval
*03-11-1934 - †27-05-2022
Guo Yuan Wu
Esposa: Carmen Pastor Garay *27-01-1966 †30-05-2022
Hijos: Victor Alfonzo Pastor
Maria del Carmen Pastor He leaves to mourn his:
Rosario, Rosa y Jose Luis
Wife: Hong Yan Wu-Zheng
Nietos: Kandrew Gutierrez, Edrianne Pastor, Victor Alexander Pastor y Daughter: Xin Yi Wu
demas nietos en Peru Brother: Guo Sen Wu
Sister-in-law: Su Juan Wu-Zheng
Familiares: Luis Alberto Cano, Tio Manuel, Manongo, Tia Ada, Elena, Niece: Xin Yi Wu
Chabuca, Ana y todos los demas amigos Nephew: Yao Fang Wu
Additional family: Zheng Family, Wu Family
La colonia Peruana, amigos, compañeros de trabajo
Condolences and Sympaties are welcome at the Aurora Funeral Home
Muchas gracias a todos, Magda Hoevertsz y gracias a Pascual y Sandy Garcia, on Thursday 2nd of June 2022 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Mr. Wu will be
a los compañeros de trabajo y a todos gracias. cremated in close family kring.

Le invitamos a la despedida que sera el jueves 2 di junio 2022 de 2 a 4 pm. Our apologies if in our grief we forgot to mention someone.