New Federal Task Force TF2 Targets Taxpayer Fraud in Eastern North Carolina
The US Attorney's Office in Eastern NC has launched TF2, a multi-agency task force to investigate and prosecute fraud against government programmes. Federal prison is promised for offenders.
Eastern North Carolina Launches Multi-Agency Taxpayer Fraud Task Force
The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina has announced the creation of the Taxpayer Fraud Task Force — known as TF2 — a coordinated federal initiative targeting fraud against government-funded programmes and public benefits, justice.gov reported.
The announcement followed a leadership meeting in Raleigh at which representatives from participating agencies formally pledged their commitment to the effort.
"Government fraud is not a victimless crime. I am a taxpayer; you are a taxpayer. They're stealing our money," said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. "Every dollar stolen through fraud is a dollar diverted from the taxpayers who fund these programmes and from the citizens who need these programmes."
Boyle did not leave the warning abstract. "We will find you, we will prosecute you, and a federal prison cell waits for you. Cheaters. Never. Win."
A Coalition of Federal Investigators and Inspectors General
TF2 brings together the U.S. Attorney's Office, federal investigative agencies, and multiple Offices of Inspector General (OIG). The task force is designed to pool subject-matter expertise across a wide range of programme areas, including healthcare, housing, disaster relief, agriculture, small business lending, and tax administration.
The Office recently added two federal prosecutors to its Fraud Section and expects to expand that roster further in the coming months, significantly increasing its capacity to pursue complex fraud cases across the Eastern District.
Reid Davis, FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina, described the initiative as a "whole of government approach." He said the FBI was committed to "identifying, investigating, and disrupting these schemes to ensure taxpayer funds are safeguarded and public resources reach their intended beneficiaries."
Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation's Charlotte Field Office, pointed to a track record of past collaboration. "These collaborations, from healthcare fraud investigations to finding criminals through forensic accounting, have produced meaningful results," Eakins said. "This new task force will build on earlier successes by uniting our resources and expertise to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud against taxpayer-funded programmes."
Military Installations Add Strategic Dimension
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is also among the participating agencies, a reflection of the Eastern District's significant military footprint. Kelly Parrish, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Carolinas Field Office, said the district holds "one of the most critical Department of War footprints in the nation."
"The Eastern District's Taxpayer Fraud Task Force represents a powerful alliance," Parrish said. "NCIS is proud to stand alongside the EDNC U.S. Attorney's Office and our federal partners to aggressively root out those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our military readiness, our national security, and American taxpayers."
Health and Veterans' Programmes in Scope
The Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General, T. March Bell, confirmed HHS-OIG's participation and cited the importance of protecting "critical HHS programmes" that millions of Americans depend on. "By working together, we can more effectively safeguard taxpayer dollars, disrupt criminal schemes, and hold accountable those who seek to exploit these programmes," Bell said.
Cheryl L. Mason, Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, also emphasised the local dimension. "As a North Carolina resident, I know this task force will help protect the many veterans who reside in this community," Mason said, adding that TF2 would strengthen the VA OIG's ability to uncover fraud and recover misappropriated funds.
Increased Referrals and Earlier Detection
Beyond prosecutions already in progress, TF2 is structured to increase fraud referrals and detect schemes at an earlier stage. By concentrating investigators, auditors, and prosecutors in a single coordinated body, the task force aims to pursue more complex cases more efficiently and recover taxpayer dollars wherever possible.
Participating agencies have been asked to continue identifying new opportunities for collaboration over the coming months and years, and to share ideas on improving fraud detection, case development, and prosecution strategies. The U.S. Attorney's Office described TF2 as a "force multiplier" — a structure intended to make the collective expertise of its federal partners greater than the sum of its parts.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)