[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 184 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58540-58541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23267]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 12-1467]


Notice of Debarment

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Enforcement Bureau (the ``Bureau'') debars Jonathan M. 
Slaughter from the schools and libraries universal service support 
mechanism (or ``E-Rate Program'') for a period of three years. The 
Bureau takes this action to protect the E-Rate Program from waste, 
fraud, and abuse.

DATES: Debarment commences on the date Mr. Jonathan M. Slaughter 
receives the debarment letter or October 22, 2012, whichever date comes 
first, for a period of three years.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joy M. Ragsdale, Attorney Advisor, 
Federal Communications Commission, Enforcement Bureau, Investigations 
and Hearings Division, Room 4-C330, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 
20554. Joy Ragsdale may be contacted by telephone at (202) 418-1697 or 
by email at [email protected]. If Ms. Ragsdale is unavailable, you 
may contact Ms. Theresa Cavanaugh, Chief, Investigations and Hearings 
Division, by telephone at (202) 418-1420 and by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau debarred Mr. Jonathan M. 
Slaughter from the schools and libraries service support mechanism for 
a period of three years pursuant to 47 CFR 54.8. Attached is the 
debarment letter, DA 12-1467, which was mailed to Mr. Slaughter and 
released on September 10, 2012. The complete text of the notice of 
debarment is available for public inspection and copying during regular 
business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portal II, 445 
12th Street, SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. In addition, the 
complete text is available on the FCC's Web site at http://www.fcc.gov. 
The text may also be purchased from the Commission's duplicating 
inspection and copying during regular business hours at the contractor, 
Best Copy and Printing, Inc., Portal II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-
B420, Washington, DC 20554, telephone (202) 488-5300 or (800) 378-3160, 
facsimile (202) 488-5563, or via email http://www.bcpiweb.com.

Federal Communications Commission.
Theresa Z. Cavanaugh,
Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division, Enforcement Bureau.
September 10, 2012
DA 12-1467

SENT VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED AND EMAIL

Mr. Jonathan M. Slaughter, No. 13660-002
FCI Yazoo City Low
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 5000
Yazoo City, MS 39194
    Re: Notice of Debarment
    File No. EB-12-IH-0050
Dear Mr. Slaughter:
    The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) hereby notifies 
you that, pursuant to Section 54.8 of its rules, you are prohibited 
from participating in activities associated with or relating to the 
schools and libraries universal service support mechanism (E-Rate 
program) for three years from either the date of your receipt of this 
Notice of Debarment, or of its publication in the Federal Register, 
whichever is earlier in time (Debarment Date).\1\
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    \1\ 47 C.F.R. Sec.  54.8(g); see also 47 C.F.R. Sec.  0.111 
(delegating authority to the Enforcement Bureau to resolve universal 
service suspension and debarment proceedings).
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    On May 9, 2012, the Commission's Enforcement Bureau (Bureau) sent 
you a Notice of Suspension and Initiation of Debarment Proceeding 
(Notice of Suspension) \2\ that was published in the Federal Register 
on May 24, 2012.\3\ The Notice of Suspension suspended you from 
participating in activities associated with or relating to the E-Rate 
program. It also described the basis for initiating debarment 
proceedings against you, the applicable debarment procedures, and the 
effect of debarment.
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    \2\ Letter from Theresa Z. Cavanaugh, Chief, Investigations and 
Hearings Division, Enforcement Bureau, Federal Communications 
Commission, to Jonathan M. Slaughter, Notice of Suspension and 
Initiation of Debarment Proceeding, 27 FCC Rcd 5091 (Enf. Bur. 2012) 
(Attachment 1).
    \3\ 77 Fed. Reg. 31010 (May 24, 2012).
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    As discussed in the Notice of Suspension, on September 29, 2011, 
you pled guilty to converting approximately $892,000 in E-Rate checks, 
payable to six schools and 14 school districts located in 13 states, to 
your personal use while you were the owner and president of E-Rate 
Consulting Services, LLC (ECS).\4\ Between May 2006 and January 2009, 
you deposited those E-Rate funds into your ECS bank account for your 
personal use instead of transmitting them to your clients.\5\ Pursuant 
to Section 54.8(c) of the Commission's rules, your conviction of 
criminal conduct in connection with the E-Rate program is the basis for 
this debarment.\6\
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    \4\ United States v. Jonathan Slaughter, Case No. 2:11cr162-MEF-
01, Plea Agreement at 3-5 (M.D. Ala. 2011) (Plea Agreement); see 
Appendix.
    \5\ Id. at 4-5.
    \6\ 47 C.F.R. Sec.  54.8(c).
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    In accordance with the Commission's debarment rules, you were 
required to file with the Commission any opposition to your suspension 
or its scope, or to your proposed debarment or its scope, no later than 
30 calendar days from either the date of your receipt of the Notice of 
Suspension or of its publication in the Federal Register, whichever 
date occurred first.\7\ The Commission did not receive any such 
opposition from you.
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    \7\ 47 C.F.R. Sec. Sec.  54.8 (e)(3), (4). Any opposition had to 
be filed no later than June 13, 2012.
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    For the foregoing reasons, you are debarred from participating in 
activities associated with or related to the E-Rate program for three 
years from the Debarment Date.\8\ During this debarment period, you are 
excluded from participating in any activities associated with or 
related to the E-Rate program, including the receipt of funds or 
discounted services through the E-Rate program, or consulting with, 
assisting, or advising applicants or service providers regarding the E-
Rate program.\9\
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    \8\ Id. Sec. Sec.  54.8(e)(5), (g).
    \9\ Id. Sec. Sec.  54.8(a)(1), (5), (d).
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Sincerely,
Theresa Z. Cavanaugh,

Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division, Enforcement Bureau
cc: Johnnay Schrieber, Universal Service Administrative Company (via 
email)
Rashann Duvall, Universal Service Administrative Company (via email)
Andrew O. Schiff, Assistant United States Attorney, United States 
Department of Justice (via email)

[[Page 58541]]



                                Appendix
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                                                           Total amount
           ECS' clients                     State            converted
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Dermott Public School District....  Arkansas............       $6,809.24
Citrus County School District.....  Florida.............      678,288.69
Eckerd Halfway House/E-Ku Sumee...  Florida.............           5,670
Hendry County School District.....  Florida.............       39,031.19
Kuna Joint School District........  Idaho...............        3,523.67
Middleton School District 134.
The Winchendon School.............  Massachusetts.......        8,316.00
Northwood Children's Services.....  Minnesota...........       24,797.66
Prairie Academy...................  Minnesota...........        4,673.99
Poplar Bluff School District......  Missouri............        7,672.77
Red Cloud Community School          Nebraska............        2,254.52
 District.
SAU 41--Hollis Brookline Schools..  New Hampshire.......        1,765.18
Beaufort County School District...  North Carolina......        9,730.00
Middle Ohio Education.............  Ohio................           23.01
Penns Valley Area School District.  Pennsylvania........       10,966.83
Bedford County School District....  Tennessee...........       23,215.94
Banquete Independent School         Texas...............       18,655.72
 District.
Cleburne Independent School         Texas...............        7,231.32
 District.
Leander Independent School          Texas...............       31,872.31
 District.
Teague Independent School District  Texas...............        3,190.56
                                                         ---------------
    TOTAL.........................  ....................      891,987.85
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[FR Doc. 2012-23267 Filed 9-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P