|
How a stockpile of 39 million masks was exposed as fake
[LATimes] A powerful California union that claimed to have discovered 39 million masks for healthcare workers fighting the novel coronavirus was duped in an elaborate scam uncovered by FBI investigators, the U.S. attorney’s office said Friday.U.S. Atty. Scott Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania said FBI agents and prosecutors stumbled onto the arrangement while looking into whether they could intercept the masks for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Defense Production Act. The federal government has been quietly seizing supplies across the country, taking the orders placed by hospitals and clinics and not publicly reporting where the products are being routed. But in this case, there was no warehouse, and there were no masks to seize.  Brady said investigators tracked the tip back to a Pittsburgh businessman, who said he had been working with the union to secure millions of masks, some of which were purported to be sitting in a Georgia warehouse. Brady said the businessman had been using WhatsApp to connect with a broker in Australia and a supplier in Kuwait, who are both now the target of a federal investigation. Brady, the federal prosecutor, said the Pittsburgh businessman told investigators he was buying the masks at $3.50 each and turning a "slight profit" in the SEIU-led deal. The union said the masks were being purchased for $5 and that SEIU was not making any money. How about anyone affiliated with SEIU? It’s unclear whether the Pittsburgh middleman intended to pocket the entire $9 million profit. Well, my goodness. Why am I thinking "60/40"? Related: Scam: 2020-04-10 US charges 2 with terror crimes over threats to spread virus, another cues herself up in Tahoe Scam: 2020-04-01 Sheriff Villanueva ousted as as head of emergency operations Scam: 2020-03-22 Criminals Posing as CDC Visit Homes in Lab Coats and Masks to Attempt Robbery Related: Federal Emergency Management Agency: 2020-01-29 Establishment Media Zone in on Biden Family's Culture of Corruption Federal Emergency Management Agency: 2019-12-14 Federal Judge Backs People-Powered We Build The Wall, Inc. – Shreds Federal Lawyers For IBCW Federal Emergency Management Agency: 2019-11-20 Feds Hosted Meditation, Massage And Social Justice Retreat For 450 Employees, Including IRS Workers Related: Defense Production Act: 2020-04-11 Biden and Trump Agreed to Keep Details of Their Call Private. Then Biden Told Us Everything He Said Defense Production Act: 2020-04-04 White House changes national stockpile definition amid criticism its keeping supplies from states Defense Production Act: 2020-04-03 3M Says It Needed Chinese Approval To Sell Medical Masks In The US Posted by: Anomalous Sources 2020-04-13 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=568592 |