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July 14, 2009
DA 09-1529
VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED AND FACSIMILE (415-522-1506)
AND EMAIL (gsl@defendergroup.com)
Mr. Steven Newton
c/o Law Office of Garrick S. Lew
Attn: Garrick Sherman Lew
600 Townsend Street, Suite 329E
San Francisco, California 94102
Re: Notice of Suspension and Initiation of Debarment Proceedings,
File No. EB-08-IH-1928
Dear Mr. Newton:
The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC" or "Commission") has received
notice of your conviction of Wire Fraud, Aiding and Abetting, and
Collusion, in violation of 18 U.S.C. S:S: 2 and 1343, and 15 U.S.C. S: 1,
in connection with your participation in the schools and libraries
universal service support mechanism ("E-Rate program"). Consequently,
pursuant to 47 C.F.R. S: 54.8, this letter constitutes official notice of
your suspension from the E-Rate program. In addition, the Enforcement
Bureau ("Bureau") hereby notifies you that we are commencing debarment
proceedings against you.
I. Notice of Suspension
The Commission has established procedures to prevent persons who have
"defrauded the government or engaged in similar acts through activities
associated with or related to the schools and libraries support mechanism"
from receiving the benefits associated with that program. You pleaded
guilty and were sentenced to six months in prison in connection with your
participation in two schemes to defraud the E-Rate program. Specifically,
you admitted that as former Vice President at Premio Computers, Inc. and
principal manager of SEMA4, Inc. and Digital Connect Communications, Inc.
you participated in schemes to defraud the E-Rate program of money and
property through materially false and fraudulent pretenses for your own
enrichment. You did this, with the help of other co-conspirators or
defendants, by controlling the bidding, application, and implementation
and invoicing process of the E-Rate program. You submitted materially
false information to USAC regarding the cost and eligibility of equipment
services and intentionally misrepresented the school district's ability
and willingness to pay their portion of the E-Rate projects.
Pursuant to section 54.8 of the Commission's rules, your conviction on
criminal offenses arising out of activities associated with or related to
the schools and libraries support mechanism requires the Bureau to suspend
you from continuing to participate in any activities associated with or
related to the schools and libraries support mechanism. Activities arising
out of or related to the schools and libraries support mechanism include
the receipt of funds or discounted services through the schools and
libraries support mechanism, or consulting with, assisting, or advising
applicants or service providers regarding the schools and libraries
support mechanism.
Your suspension becomes effective upon the earlier of your receipt of this
letter or publication of notice in the Federal Register, pending the
Bureau's final debarment determination. In accordance with the
Commission's debarment rules, you may contest this suspension or the scope
of this suspension by filing arguments in opposition to the suspension,
with any relevant documentation. Your request must be received within 30
days after you receive this letter or after notice is published in the
Federal Register, whichever comes first. Such requests, however, will not
ordinarily be granted. The Bureau may reverse or limit the scope of
suspension only upon a finding of extraordinary circumstances. The Bureau
will decide any request for reversal or modification of suspension within
90 days of its receipt of such request.
II. Initiation of Debarment Proceedings
Your guilty plea and conviction of criminal conduct in connection with the
E-Rate program, in addition to serving as a basis for immediate suspension
from the program, also serves as a basis for the initiation of debarment
proceedings against you. Your conviction falls within the categories of
causes for suspension and debarment defined in section 54.8(c) of the
Commission's rules. Therefore, pursuant to section 54.8 of the
Commission's rules, your conviction requires the Bureau to commence
debarment proceedings against you.
As with your suspension, you may contest debarment or the scope of the
proposed debarment by filing arguments and any relevant documentation
within 30 calendar days of the earlier of the receipt of this letter or of
publication in the Federal Register. Absent extraordinary circumstances,
the Bureau will debar you. The Bureau will decide any request for reversal
or limitation of debarment within 90 days of receipt of such request. If
the Bureau decides to debar you, its decision will become effective upon
the earlier of your receipt of a debarment notice or publication of the
decision in the Federal Register.
If and when your debarment becomes effective, you will be prohibited from
participating in activities associated with or related to the schools and
libraries support mechanism for three years from the date of debarment.
The Bureau may, if necessary to protect the public interest, extend the
debarment period.
Please direct any response, if by messenger or hand delivery, to Marlene
H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 236 Massachusetts
Avenue, N.E., Suite 110, Washington, D.C. 20002, to the attention of
Rebekah L. Bina, Attorney Advisor, Investigations and Hearings Division,
Enforcement Bureau, Room 4-C330, with a copy to Michele Levy Berlove,
Acting Assistant Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division, Enforcement
Bureau, Room 4-C330, Federal Communications Commission. If sent by
commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and
Priority Mail), the response should be sent to the Federal Communications
Commission, 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, Maryland 20743. If
sent by first-class, Express, or Priority mail, the response should be
sent to Rebekah L. Bina, Attorney Advisor, Investigations and Hearings
Division, Enforcement Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th
Street, S.W., Room 4-C327, Washington, DC, 20554, with a copy to Michele
Berlove, Acting Assistant Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division,
Enforcement Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street,
S.W., Room 4-C330, Washington, DC, 20554. You shall also transmit a copy
of the response via email to Rebekah.Bina@fcc.gov and to
Michele.Berlove@fcc.gov.
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Bina via mail, by telephone
at (202) 418-7931 or by e-mail at Rebekah.Bina@fcc.gov. If Ms. Bina is
unavailable, you may contact Ms. Michele Levy Berlove, Acting Assistant
Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division, by telephone at (202)
418-1477 and by e-mail at Michele.Berlove@fcc.gov.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary S. DeNigro
Chief
Investigations and Hearings Division
Enforcement Bureau
cc: Kristy Carroll, Esq., Universal Service Administrative Company (via
e-mail)
Michael Wood, Antitrust Division, United States Department of Justice (via
e-mail)
Any further reference in this letter to "your conviction" refers to your
guilty plea and subsequent two count conviction on wire fraud, collusion,
and aiding and abetting. See United States v. Steven Newton, Criminal
Docket No. 3:05-CR-00208-CRB-10, Plea Agreement (N.D. Cal. filed and
entered Apr. 20, 2007) ("Newton Plea"). See also United States v. Steven
Newton, Criminal Docket No. 3:05-CR-00208-CRB-10, Judgment (N.D. Cal.
filed and entered Mar. 31, 2009) (Convicted on Counts 11 and 22)("Newton
Judgment"). See also generally United States v. Video Network
Communications, Inc. et al., Criminal Docket No. 3:05-CR-00208-CRB,
Superseding Indictment (N.D. Cal. filed Dec. 8, 2005 and entered Dec. 12,
2005), http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f213600/213626.htm (accessed May 1,
2008) ("VNCI Superseding Indictment").
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8 (2008). See also 47 C.F.R. S: 0.111 (delegating to the
Enforcement Bureau authority to resolve universal service suspension and
debarment proceedings). The Commission adopted debarment rules for the
schools and libraries universal service support mechanism in 2003. See
Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, Second Report
and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 18 FCC Rcd 9202
(2003) ("Second Report and Order") (adopting section 54.521 of the
Commission's rules to suspend and debar parties from the E-Rate program).
In 2007, the Commission extended the debarment rules to apply to all of
the Federal universal service support mechanisms. Comprehensive Review of
the Universal Service Fund Management, Administration, and Oversight;
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service; Schools and Libraries
Universal Service Support Mechanism; Lifeline and Link Up; Changes to the
Board of Directors for the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc.,
Report and Order, 22 FCC Rcd 16372, 16410-12 (2007) (Program Management
Order) (renumbering section 54.521 of the universal service debarment
rules as section 54.8 and amending subsections (a)(1), (5), (c), (d),
(e)(2)(i), (3), (e)(4), and (g)).
Second Report and Order, 18 FCC Rcd at 9225, P: 66; Program Management
Order, 22 FCC Rcd at 16387, P: 32. The Commission's debarment rules define
a "person" as "[a]ny individual, group of individuals, corporation,
partnership, association, unit of government or legal entity, however
organized." 47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(a)(6).
Newton Judgment at 1-2. See also VNCI Superseding Indictment at P:P: 4-6,
8-11, 15, 19, 22-24, 72-78, 133-137, 145-151.
Premio Computers, Inc. manufactures computers, software and peripheral
equipment, and sells them to wholesale, commercial, and government
entities. See In the Matter of Premio, Inc., Notice of Debarment, 22 FCC
Rcd 1019, 1021 (Jan. 22, 2007). Premio Computers, Inc. was debarred from
the E-Rate program for its involvement in E-Rate related fraud. See
generally id.
SEMA4 is a California company that provided equipment and services for a
project funded by the E-Rate program. See VNCI Superseding Indictment at
P:P: 74-75. The charges against SEMA4 were dismissed. See United States v.
SEMA4, Inc., Criminal Docket No. 3:05-CR-00208-CRB-3 (N.D. Cal. terminated
June 12, 2007).
Digital Connect Communications, Inc. was a California company that
provided telecommunication and Internet access equipment and services to
schools participating in the E-Rate program. See VNCI Superseding
Indictment at P:P: 134-135. The charges against this company were
dismissed. See United States v. Digital Connect Communications, Inc.,
Criminal Docket No. 3:05-CR-00208-CRB-4 (N.D. Cal. terminated June 12,
2007).
See VNCI Superseding Indictment at P:P: 4-6, 8-11, 15-16, 19, 22-24,
72-78, 133-137, 145-151.
Id.
These misrepresentations included inflating the costs of eligible
telecommunications equipment and services in applications to cover the
cost of ineligible equipment and services. See VNCI Superseding Indictment
at P:P: 8-11, 22-24, 78, 145-151.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(b)-(e); see also S: 54.8(a)(4).
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(a)(1); see also S: 54.8(a)(3).
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(a)(7), (e)(1); see also Second Report and Order, 18 FCC
Rcd at 9226, P: 69.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(e)(4).
Id.
Id.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(f); see also Second Report and Order, 18 FCC Rcd at
9226, P: 70.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(e)(5), (f); see also Second Report and Order, 18 FCC Rcd
at 9226, P: 70;
"Causes for suspension and debarment are the conviction of or civil
judgment for attempt or commission of criminal fraud, theft, embezzlement,
forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false
statements, receiving stolen property, making false claims, obstruction of
justice and other fraud or criminal offense arising out of activities
associated with or related to the schools and libraries support mechanism,
the high-cost support mechanism, the rural healthcare support mechanism,
and the low-income support mechanism." 47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(c). You were
convicted on various fraud charges. See supra note 4.
See 47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(b), (c).
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(e)(3), (5); see also Second Report and Order, 18 FCC Rcd
at 9226, P: 70.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(e)(5); see also Second Report and Order, 18 FCC Rcd at
9227, P: 74.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(e)(5), (f); see also Second Report and Order, 18 FCC Rcd
at 9226, P: 70.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(e)(5). The Commission may reverse a debarment, or may
limit the scope or period of debarment upon a finding of extraordinary
circumstances, following the filing of a petition by you or an interested
party or upon motion by the Commission. 47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(f).
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(a)(1), (d), (g); see also Second Report and Order, 18
FCC Rcd at 9225, P: 67.
47 C.F.R. S: 54.8(g).
Mr. Steven Newton
July 14, 2009
Page 2 of 5
Federal Communications Commission
Enforcement Bureau
Investigations and Hearings Division
445 12th Street, SW, Suite 4-C330
Washington, D.C. 20554