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Maine man pleads guilty in armed bank extortions, including at Y-12 Credit Union

Posted at 4:47 pm March 1, 2016
By John Huotari 1 Comment

Brian Witham

Brian Witham

Note: This story was last updated at 5:40 p.m.

A Maine man charged in several armed bank extortion plots, including at Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday, authorities said.

Brian Scott Witham, 45, of Waterville, Maine, pleaded guilty to the charges contained in a 15-count indictment from December 2015 involving armed bank extortions of the Y-12 Federal Credit Union in Oak Ridge, SmartBank in Knoxville, and Northeast Community Credit Union in Elizabethton, said Nancy Stallard Harr, acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee. Witham is one of two people charged in the bank extortion scheme.

As part of his plea agreement, Witham agreed to plead guilty to similar charges from three other federal jurisdictions including the Western District of North Carolina, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the District of Connecticut, authorities said. Witham, U.S. attorneys, and a federal judge all agreed to transfer the similar charges to U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee, a press release said. Those charges include being a felon in possession of a firearm in Haywood County, North Carolina; armed robbery of an Ingles in Arden, North Carolina; armed robbery of the Peoples Security Bank and Trust in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania; and attempted armed bank extortion of the Achieve Financial Credit Union in New Britain, Connecticut, authorities said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Front Page News, Knox County, Oak Ridge, Police, Police and Fire, Slider, U.S. Tagged With: armed bank extortion, attempted bank extortion, bank extortion, Brian Scott Witham, carjacking, Dave Lewen, Eastern District of Tennessee, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Mark Ziegler, Michael Anthony Benanti, Nancy Stallard Harr, Northeast Community Credit Union, Oak Ridge Police Department, SmartBank, U.S. Attorney, U.S. District Court, Y-12 Federal Credit Union

U.S. Attorney Killian resigning from ET post to join national law firm

Posted at 12:39 pm November 19, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Bill Killian

William C. “Bill” Killian

Note: This story was updated at 10:47 a.m. Nov. 20.

KNOXVILLE—William C. Killian, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, has submitted his resignation to President Barack Obama effective December 5. He is joining a national law firm.

Killian was sworn into office October 4, 2010, after he was nominated by Obama and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. He served on the following subcommittees of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee: Terrorism and National Security, Civil Rights, and Healthcare Fraud Working Group, a press release said.

Federal cases that originate in Oak Ridge are heard in the Eastern District of Tennessee, which has offices in Knoxville and uses courtrooms there. Among the cases heard there in the past few years, for example, are the case of three anti-nuclear weapons activities who broke into the Y-12 National Security Complex in 2012, the trademark lawsuit against Lake City when it changed its name to Rocky Top, and a methamphetamine manufacturing conspiracy in Anderson County. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Police and Fire, U.S. Tagged With: Barack Obama, Bill Killian, Bob Corker, Eastern District of Tennessee, Eric Holder, Lamar Alexander, Lincoln Davis, Loretta Lynch, Nancy Harr, U.S. Attorney, United States Senate, William Killian

Clinton police contribute to arrests on federal charges after Burger King robbery

Posted at 5:20 pm February 6, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Two Lenoir City residents face federal charges for their roles in a Jan. 30 robbery of a Burger King in Lenoir City, and the Clinton Police Department contributed to the arrests, federal officials said Thursday.

In a press release, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said Joshua Hayworth, 23, and Timothy E. Chudley, 35, both of Lenoir City, were charged Feb. 5 with federal Hobbs Act violations for their roles in the January robbery of the Burger King restaurant in Lenoir City.

Chudley was arrested in Knoxville on Feb. 5 without incident, and he appeared in federal court the same day, the press release said. Hayworth was arrested on state charges on Feb. 3 following a series of events which also resulted in federal carjacking charges against Hayworth. He will appear in federal court at a later date. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clinton, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Bob Gray Road, Burger King, Burger King robbery, carjacking, Clinton Police Department, FBI, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, federal charges, Hobbs Act, Joshua Hayworth, KCSO, Knox County Sheriff’s Department, Knoxville Police Department, KPD, Lenoir City, Lenoir City Police Department, Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, robbery, Timothy E. Chudley, U.S. Attorney, U.S. District Court, William C. Killian

Two orthopedic clinics to pay $1.85 million over Medicare billing allegations

Posted at 5:42 pm January 25, 2014
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Two orthopedic clinics in East Tennessee have agreed to pay a combined $1.85 million to resolve state and federal False Claims Act allegations that they knowingly billed state and federal health care programs for reimported osteoarthritis medications, known as viscosupplements, federal authorities said.

Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinics, P.C., with headquarters in Knoxville and nine locations in East Tennessee, will pay $1.3 million and Appalachian Orthopaedic Clinics, P.C., with headquarters in Kingsport and three locations in the Tri-Cities area, will pay $550,000, according to a press release from  the U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a press release. Killian is U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee.

The press release said viscosupplements, such as Synvisc and Orthovisc, are injections approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain in the knee. Viscosupplements are reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs at a set rate based on the average sales price of the domestic product. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Appalachian Orthopaedic Clinics, Department of Justice, Derrick L. Jackson, Douglas Estey, Eastern District of Tennessee, False Claims Act, FDA, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Food and Drug Administration, Genzyme Corp., injections, Medicaid, Medicare, Office of Inspector General, orthopedic clinics, Orthovisc, osteoarthritis pain, reimported osteoarthritis medications, reimported viscosupplements, Synvisc, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Orthopaedic Clinics, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorneys' Office, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, viscosupplements, William C. Killian

Clinton receives $112,000 hiring grant for community policing

Posted at 2:54 pm September 27, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Clinton has received a hiring grant valued at about $112,000 for community policing.

It was one of three awards announced Friday in the Eastern District of Tennessee by U.S. Attorney William C. Killian in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clinton, Federal, Government, Police and Fire, Top Stories Tagged With: Attorney General, City of Clinton, Clinton, community policing, COPS, COPS Hiring Program, COPS Office, Eric Holder, Joshua Ederheimer, law enforcement, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, school resource officers, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, William C. Killian

Y-12 fence that blocks protest area to remain up for now; judge questions lawsuit jurisdiction

Posted at 5:51 pm April 5, 2013
By John Huotari 8 Comments

Y-12 Fence on Scarboro Road

The temporary fence erected at the main entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex encloses an area, pictured above, that has been used for protests and vigils for years. Despite a court challenge Friday, the fence will stay up for now.

KNOXVILLE—The temporary fence that blocks a traditional protest area at the Y-12 National Security Complex will stay up for now.

A group that has used the grass field and small parking lot for protests and vigils near the Y-12 entrance at Bear Creek and Scarboro roads had sought to have the fence removed before an annual spring demonstration on Saturday. Workers started erecting it on Monday.

But the arguments about the fence and its alleged violations of the protesters’ First Amendment rights took a surprise turn in U.S. District Court in Knoxville on Friday.

District Judge Curtis L. Collier quickly raised a question about whether the court has jurisdiction to address the complaint filed Wednesday by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, its board members, and people affiliated with the nonprofit organization. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, National Nuclear Security Administration, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Curtis L. Collier, fence, First Amendment, Francis L. Lloyd Jr., John E. Eldridge, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, OREPA, protests, Ralph Hutchison, Suzanne H. Bauknight, trespassing, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. District Court, William C. Killian, Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 protesters face new national defense charge, longer prison sentence

Posted at 9:28 am December 5, 2012
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Transform Now Plowshares

The three anti-nuclear weapons activists pictured above allegedly cut through fences and vandalized a uranium storage building at the Y-12 National Security Complex in July and now face federal charges of property destruction, property depredation, and injuring national defense premises. From left to right the three are Michael R. Walli, Megan Rice, and Greg Boertje-Obed. (Submitted photo)

A new federal charge has been added against the three protesters who allegedly cut through fences at the Y-12 National Security Complex in July and splashed human blood and spray-painted slogans on a uranium storage building.

A three-count indictment returned against Greg Boertje-Obed, Megan Rice, and Michael Walli adds a new count of injuring national-defense premises, U.S. Attorney William C. Killian said in a Wednesday morning press release. The new charge carries a longer prison sentence of up to 20 years.

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Knoxville on Tuesday supersedes the earlier three-count indictment from August.

The new indictment does not include the earlier trespassing charge. However, it does include the previous charges of property destruction and property depredation. Including all the charges, the protesters, who are opposed to Y-12’s nuclear weapons work, now face jail sentences of up to 35 years and fines of up to $750,000.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Police and Fire, Top Stories, Y-12 Security Breach Tagged With: federal grand jury, Greg Boertje-Obed, injuring national defense premises, Jeffrey E. Theodore, Megan Rice, Melissa M. Kirby, Michael Walli, protesters, U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney, Y-12 National Security Complex

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Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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