Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 239 / Thursday, December 12, 2024 / Notices 100485 

much time as possible to process your 

request. 

Andrew D. Sawyers, 

Director, Office of Wastewater Management, 

Office of Water. 

[FR Doc. 2024–29240 Filed 12–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–6464.1–04–R10] 

Modification of the NPDES General 

Permit for Concentrated Animal 

Feeding Operations (CAFOs) Located 

in Idaho Excluding Tribal Lands 

(IDG010000) 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Modification of NPDES general 

permit. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA), Region 10, is modifying 

the National Pollutant Discharge 

Elimination System (NPDES) General 

Permit for Concentrated Animal Feeding 

Operations (CAFOs) in Idaho excluding 

Tribal lands (IDG010000). 

DATES: The issuance date of this 

modification is December 12, 2024. The 

modified general permit will be 

effective February 1, 2025. The general 

permit will expire on June 14, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the modified 

general permit, fact sheet addendums 

and response to comments document 

are available online: https://

www.epa.gov/npdes-permits/npdesgeneral-permit-concentrated-animalfeeding-operations-cafos-idaho. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests may be made to Audrey 

Washington at (206) 553–0523 or to 

Nicholas Peak at (208) 378–5765. 

Requests may also be electronically 

mailed to: washington.audrey@epa.gov 

or peak.nicholas@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

modification is a major modification 

pursuant to 40 CFR 122.62(a)(15). The 

EPA Region 10 reissued the NPDES 

General Permit for CAFOs in Idaho 

(IDG010000) on May 13, 2020; the 

general permit became effective on June 

15, 2020 (85 FR 28624). 

Subsequently, a Petition for Review 

was filed on September 22, 2020, in the 

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 

challenging the general permit on the 

basis that it did not contain 

representative effluent monitoring to 

ensure compliance with all applicable 

effluent limitations in violation of the 

Clean Water Act and implementing 

regulations (Food & Water Watch et al 

v. U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (No. 20–71554). The Court 

granted the petition holding that the 

general permit failed to include 

monitoring to ensure compliance with 

the discharge prohibitions in the general 

permit. The general permit remained in 

effect while the EPA worked to address 

the issues. The modified general permit 

includes new and revised conditions to 

address the Ninth Circuit Court of 

Appeal’s Order and Opinion filed on 

December 16, 2021 (Food & Water 

Watch et al. v. U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (No. 20–71554)). The 

modified general permit will transfer to 

the State of Idaho as part of the phased 

implementation of Idaho’s 

administration of the NPDES program. 

The EPA will remain the permitting 

authority for CAFO facilities located in 

Indian Country in Idaho. 

The EPA opened two public comment 

periods on proposed modifications to 

the existing general permit, one on July 

18, 2023 (88 FR 45900) and one on June 

6, 2024 (89 FR 48428). The EPA 

received comments from four 

organizations/entities on the 2023 

permit modification, and from five 

organizations/entities on the 2024 

permit modification. A Response to 

Comments document was prepared to 

respond to public comments received 

and explain any changes made to the 

draft modified general permit to 

produce a final modified general permit. 

Other Legal Requirements 

This permit modification action is not 

a significant regulatory action and was 

therefore not submitted to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review. Compliance with Endangered 

Species Act, Essential Fish Habitat, 

Paperwork Reduction Act, and other 

requirements are discussed in the 

original 2019 Fact Sheet to the general 

permit. 

Appeal of Permit 

Any interested person may appeal the 

final permit action on or before April 

11, 2025 (i.e., 120 days from the 

issuance date of this general permit) in 

the Federal Court of Appeals in 

accordance with section 509(b)(1) of the 

CWA, 33 U.S.C. 1369(b)(1). 

Mathew Martinson, 

Director, Water Division, Region 10. 

[FR Doc. 2024–29241 Filed 12–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

[DA 24–1131; FR ID 264852] 

Notice of Suspension and 

Commencement of Proposed 

Debarment Proceedings; Federal 

Lifeline Program 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Enforcement Bureau (the 

‘‘Bureau’’) gives notice of the 

suspension of Issa Asad from the federal 

Lifeline program (Lifeline Program) and 

all federal universal service support 

mechanisms. Additionally, the Bureau 

gives notice that debarment proceedings 

are commencing against Mr. Asad. Mr. 

Asad, or any person who has an existing 

contract with or intends to contract with 

Mr. Asad to provide or receive services 

in matters arising out of activities 

associated with or related to the Lifeline 

Program, may respond by filing an 

opposition request, supported by 

documentation. 

DATES: Opposition requests must be 

submitted within 30 days of receiving 

the suspension letter or by January 13, 

2025, whichever comes first. The 

Bureau will decide on any opposition 

request within 90 days. 

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications 

Commission, Enforcement Bureau, 

Investigations and Hearings Division, 45 

L Street, NE, Washington, DC 20554. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christina Thomas, Federal 

Communications Commission, 

Enforcement Bureau, Investigations and 

Hearings Division, 45 L Street, NE, 

Washington, DC 20554. Christina 

Thomas may be contacted by phone at 

(202) 418–1879 or email at 

Christina.Thomas@fcc.gov. If Ms. 

Thomas is unavailable, you may contact 

Mr. Christopher J. Sova, Acting Chief, 

Investigations and Hearings Division, by 

telephone at (202) 418–1868 or by email 

at Christopher.Sova@fcc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Bureau has suspension and debarment 

authority pursuant to 47 CFR 54.8 and 

47 CFR 0.111(a)(14). Suspensions 

ensure that suspended parties cannot 

continue to benefit from the Lifeline 

Program pending resolution of the 

debarment process. Attached is the 

public redacted version of the 

suspension letter, DA 24–1131, which 

was mailed to Mr. Asad and released on 

December 12, 2024. The complete text 

of the notice of suspension and 

initiation of debarment proceedings is 

available on the FCC’s website at 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
100486 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 239 / Thursday, December 12, 2024 / Notices 

1Any further reference in this letter to ‘‘your 

conviction’’ refers to your guilty plea agreement and 

factual proffer in United States v. Issa Asad, 

Criminal Docket No. 1:24–cr–20363–RAR, Plea 

Agreement (S.D. Fla., filed Oct. 15, 2024) (Plea 

Agreement). See also Lifeline and Link Up Reform 

and Modernization, WC Docket No. 11–42, CC 

Docket No. 96–45, WC Docket No. 03–109, Report 

and Order and Further Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking, 27 FCC Rcd 6656 (2012) (Lifeline 

Reform Order). 

2United States v. Issa Asad, Criminal Docket No. 

1:24–cr–20363–RAR, Factual Proffer, at 3 (S.D. Fla., 

filed Oct. 15, 2024) (Proffer). 

3 47 CFR 54.8. 

4 Id.; 47 CFR 0.111 (delegating to the Bureau 

authority to resolve universal service suspension 

and debarment proceedings). In 2007, the 

Commission extended the debarment rules to apply 

to all federal universal service support mechanisms, 

including Lifeline. See Comprehensive Review of 

the Universal Service Fund Management, 

Administration, & Oversight, 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), (a)(5), (c), (d), 

(e)(2)(i), (e)(3), (e)(4), and (g)). 

5 47 CFR 54.8(b); Plea Agreement at 3. 

6Program Management Order, 22 FCC Rcd at 

16387, para. 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 CFR 54.8(a)(6). 

7See Lifeline Reform Order, supra note 1, 27 FCC 

Rcd at 6662–67, paras. 11–18; see also 47 CFR 

54.400–54.422. 

8See 47 CFR 54.407(d). 

9United States Attorney’s Office, Southern 

District of Florida, Press Release, Nationwide 

Telecommunications Provider and its CEO Plead 

Guilty to Massively Defrauding Federal Government 

Programs Meant to Aid the Needy, October 15, 

2024, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/ 

nationwide-telecommunications-provider-and-itsceo-plead-guilty-massively-defrauding (last visited 

October 22, 2024). 

10Proffer, supra note 2, at 2–4. 

11See generally Proffer, supra note 2. 

12 Id. at 5. 

13 Id. at 6. 

14 47 CFR 54.8(a)(4); see Program Management 

Order, supra note 4, 22 FCC Rcd at 16387, para. 32. 

15 47 CFR 54.8(a)(1), (d). 

16 Id. § 54.8(e)(1). 

17 Id. § 54.8(e)(4). 

18 Id. 

19 Id. § 54.8(f). 

20 Id. §§ 54.8(e)(5), (f). 

21 ‘‘Causes for suspension and debarment are 

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.’’ Id. § 54.8(c). Associated activities 

‘‘include the receipt of funds or discounted services 

through [the federal universal service] support 

mechanisms, or consulting with, assisting, or 

advising applicants or service providers regarding 

[the federal universal service] support 

mechanisms.’’ Id. § 54.8(a)(1). 

22 Id. § 54.8(b). 

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/ 

attachments/DA-24-1131A1.pdf. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Christopher Sova, 

Acting Chief, Investigations and Hearings 

Division, Enforcement Bureau. 

November 8, 2024 

DA 24–1131 

VIA E–MAIL 

Mr. Issa Asad, Chief Executive Officer, Q 

Link Wireless LLC, 499 E Sheridan St., Ste 

400, Dania, FL 33004, issa@

quadrantholdings.com 

VIA E–MAIL and VIA HAND DELIVERY 

John T. Nakahata, Esq., HWG LLP, 1919 M 

Street NW, Eighth Floor, Washington, DC 

20036, JNakahata@hwglaw.com 

Samuel L. Feder, Esq., Jenner & Block LLP, 

1099 New York Avenue NW, Suite 900, 

Washington, DC 20001, SFeder@jenner.com 

Re: Notice of suspension and initiation of 

debarment proceeding File No. EB–IHD– 

24–00037459 

Dear Messrs. Asad, Nakahata, and Feder: 

The Enforcement Bureau (Bureau) of the 

Federal Communications Commission 

(Commission or FCC) has received notice of 

your conviction for conspiring to commit 

offenses against the United States, 

specifically, (a) wire fraud, (b) theft of 

government funds, and (c) defrauding the 

United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343, 

641, and 371, respectively, all in connection 

with fraudulent claims against the federal 

Lifeline program (Lifeline program).1 The 

conspiracy involved submitting and causing 

to be submitted ‘‘false and fraudulent claims 

to the FCC Lifeline program for [Q Link] 

customers who were not using their 

cellphones according to the FCC usage 

rules.’’ 2 Consequently, pursuant to 47 CFR 

54.8, this letter constitutes official notice of 

your suspension from the Lifeline program 

and all federal universal service support 

mechanisms.3

Effective immediately upon receipt of this 

letter, you are prohibited from participating 

in or receiving any benefit associated with 

the Lifeline program as well as any other 

program funded by federal universal service 

support mechanisms. 

The Bureau hereby is also commencing a 

proceeding to debar you from future 

participation in all federal universal support 

mechanisms.4 The Commission is required 

by its rules to debar Q Link ‘‘absent 

extraordinary circumstances, 

notwithstanding any criminal process to 

which you are subject.’’ 5

I. Notice of Suspension 

Any person that has ‘‘defrauded the 

government or engaged in similar acts 

through activities associated with or related 

to the [Lifeline program]’’ may be prohibited 

from receiving the benefits associated with 

that program.6 The Lifeline program is a 

federal government program that provides 

support to eligible telecommunications 

carriers (ETCs) that in turn offer discounts on 

telephone and broadband service for eligible 

low-income consumers.7 An ETC may 

receive reimbursement in connection with 

the Lifeline program only if it certifies as part 

of its reimbursement request that it is in 

compliance with the Lifeline rules.8

Since 2012, you served as the Chief 

Executive Officer of Q Link Wireless LLC (Q 

Link). On October 15, 2024, and your 

company, Q Link pleaded guilty to 

‘‘purposely defraud[ing] two critical federal 

programs helping individuals and businesses 

suffering financial hardship, unlawfully 

taking hundreds of millions of dollars for 

[your] own use and profit, while obstructing 

the United States’ ability to help people who 

. . . needed it.’’ 9 Your misleading practices, 

deceptive call activity, falsified documents 

and threatening customer service scripts, 

directed at Q Link customers, coerced them 

into accepting Lifeline services and agreeing 

to remain Q Link customers.10 Although the 

Lifeline usage rules required Q Link to 

disenroll and stop seeking reimbursement for 

customers who had not used their cellphones 

in a 45-day window (90-day window for 

2016), you continued to bill the Lifeline 

program for Q Link customers that you knew 

were no longer eligible because they were not 

using, and in some instances, no longer even 

had their cellphones.11 From 2013 to 2021, 

you personally amassed over $15,000,000 

through your fraudulent Lifeline schemes.12

Between 2013 and 2019, Q Link received 

$618,736,494 from the Lifeline program, 21 

percent of which resulted from fraudulent 

Lifeline claims.13

Pursuant to Section 54.8(b) of the 

Commission’s rules,14 your conviction 

requires the Bureau to suspend you from: (a) 

participating in any activities associated with 

or related to the Lifeline program, including 

receiving funds or discounted services 

through the Lifeline program, or consulting 

with, assisting, or advising applicants or 

service providers regarding the Lifeline 

program; and (b) participating in any 

activities associated with or related to all 

federal universal service support 

mechanisms.15 Your suspension becomes 

effective upon either your receipt of this 

letter or publication of the suspension in the 

Federal Register, whichever occurs first.16

In accordance with the Commission’s 

suspension and debarment rules, you may 

contest this suspension or its scope by filing 

arguments, with any relevant documents, 

within thirty (30) calendar days of its receipt 

of this letter or publication of the suspension 

in the Federal Register, whichever occurs 

first.17 Such requests, however, will not 

ordinarily be granted.18 The Bureau may 

reverse or limit the scope of a suspension 

only upon a finding of extraordinary 

circumstances.19 The Bureau will decide any 

request to reverse or modify a suspension 

within ninety (90) calendar days of its receipt 

of such request.20

II. Initiation of Debarment Proceedings 

In addition to your immediate suspension 

from all universal service support 

mechanisms, including the Lifeline program, 

your conviction is cause for debarment as 

defined in Section 54.8(c) of the 

Commission’s rules.21 Therefore, pursuant to 

Section 54.8(b) of the Commission’s rules, 

your conviction requires the Bureau to 

commence debarment proceedings against 

you.22


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 239 / Thursday, December 12, 2024 / Notices 100487 

23 Id. § 54.8(e)(3). 

24 Id. § 54.8(e)(5). 

25 Id. 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. Id. § 54.8(f). 

26 Id. § 54.8(d), (g). We note that under the Plea 

Agreement Q Link shall not participate, directly or 

indirectly, in any program administered by the FCC 

as of the time of sentencing currently scheduled for 

January 15, 2025. Plea Agreement, supra note 1, at 

para. 8. 

27 47 CFR 54.8(g). 

28 Id. § 54.8(e)(4). 

29See 47 U.S.C. § 214(e)(1)(a); see also Lifeline 

and Link Up Reform and Modernization; Lifeline 

and Link Up; Federal-State Joint Board on 

Universal Service; Advancing Broadband 

Availability Through Digital Literacy Training, WC 

Docket Nos. 11–42, 03–109, 96–45, and 12–23, 

Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking, 27 FCC Rcd 6656, 6813, para. 368 

(2012) (2012 Lifeline Order) (establishing the 

Lifeline compliance plan requirement as a 

condition to receiving forbearance from the statute’s 

requirement that ETCs offer service at least in part 

over their own facilities). 

30 2012 Lifeline Order, 27 FCC Rcd at 6816, para. 

379. 

31 Id. 

32See Wireline Competition Bureau Approves the 

Compliance Plans for Birch Communications, 

Boomerang Wireless, IM Telecom, Q Link Wireless, 

and TAG Mobile, WC Docket Nos. 09–197 and 11– 

42, Public Notice, 27 FCC Rcd 9184 (WCB 2012). 

33See Wireline Competition Bureau Reminds 

Carriers of Eligible Telecommunications Carrier 

Designation and Compliance Plan Approval 

Requirements for Receipt of Federal Lifeline 

Universal Service Support, WC Docket Nos. 09–197 

and 11–42, Public Notice, 29 FCC Rcd 9144, 9145 

(WCB 2014). 

34See id. 

As with the suspension process, you may 

contest the proposed debarment or its scope 

by filing arguments and any relevant 

documentation within thirty (30) calendar 

days of receipt of this letter or its publication 

in the Federal Register, whichever occurs 

first.23 The Bureau, in the absence of 

extraordinary circumstances, will notify you 

of its decision to debar within ninety (90) 

calendar days of receiving any information it 

may have filed.24 If the Bureau decides to 

debar the you, its decision will become 

effective upon either your receipt of a 

debarment notice or publication of the 

decision in the Federal Register, whichever 

occurs first.25

If and when your debarment becomes 

effective, you will be prohibited from 

participating in activities associated with or 

related to all federal universal service 

support mechanisms, including the Lifeline 

program for at least three years from the date 

of debarment.26 The Bureau may set a longer 

debarment period or extend an existing 

debarment period if necessary to protect the 

public interest.27 Pursuant to the 

Commission’s rules, should you choose to 

contest the scope or length of any such 

debarment, you must file arguments and any 

relevant documentation within thirty (30) 

calendar days of receipt of notice or 

publication in the Federal Register of such 

debarment, whichever is earlier.28

III. Non-Compliance 

In the 2012 Lifeline Order, the Commission 

implemented a compliance plan requirement 

for any carrier that is seeking to become an 

ETC without offering service, at least in part, 

over its own facilities.29 In its Lifeline 

compliance plan, a carrier must describe and 

adhere to certain protections designed to 

protect consumers and the Universal Service 

Fund.30 The Lifeline compliance plan must: 

(1) outline the measures the carrier will take 

to comply with program rules, including 

requirements related to enrollment, 

submitting claims for reimbursement, 

materials related to certifications, and 

program integrity safeguards, and (2) provide 

a detailed description of how the carrier 

offers service, the geographic areas in which 

it offers service, and a description of the 

carrier’s corporate structure and Lifeline 

service plan offerings.31 Q Link submitted a 

Lifeline compliance plan to receive 

forbearance from the statute’s facilities 

requirement, and that Lifeline compliance 

plan was approved on August 8, 2012.32

Following an investigation led by the 

Department of Justice, on October 14, 2024, 

Q Link pleaded guilty to conspiring to 

defraud and commit related offenses in 

connection with a scheme involving the 

Lifeline program which indicates Q Link has 

violated and is not in compliance with the 

terms of its compliance plan. The 

Commission is also aware [REDACTED] 

Corporate operations related to the control 

of an ETC are material aspects of a Lifeline 

compliance plan.33 As such, any change to 

the control of a non-facilities-based ETC 

without prior approval from the Wireline 

Competition Bureau is a violation of the 

Lifeline compliance plan requirement.34

Please direct any response as follows: 

If sent by messenger or hand delivery, or 

by commercial overnight mail (other than 

U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Priority 

Mail Express, and Priority Mail), the 

response must be sent to Marlene H. Dortch, 

Secretary, Federal Communications 

Commission, to the attention of Christopher 

J. Sova, Acting Chief, Investigations and 

Hearings Division, Enforcement Bureau, 

Federal Communications Commission, 9050 

Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 

20701. Hand-delivered or messengerdelivered paper filings for the Commission’s 

Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 

4:00 p.m. by the FCC’s mailing contractor at 

9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 

20701. All hand deliveries must be held 

together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any 

envelopes and boxes must be disposed of 

before entering the building. 

If sent by First-Class Mail, Priority Mail 

Express, or Priority Mail, the response must 

be sent to Christopher J. Sova, Acting Chief, 

Investigations and Hearings Division, 

Enforcement Bureau, Federal 

Communications Commission, 45 L Street 

NE, Washington, DC 20554. 

You must also transmit an electronic copy 

of the response and all Documents produced 

with the response via email to IHDTelecom@

fcc.gov. The electronic copy shall be 

produced in a format that allows the 

Commission to access and use it, together 

with instructions and all other materials 

necessary to use or interpret the data, 

including record layouts, data dictionaries, 

and a description of the data’s source. If you 

have any questions, please contact Christina 

Thomas at Christina.Thomas@fcc.gov or 

(202) 418–1879. 

Sincerely, 

Christopher J. Sova 

Acting Chief 

Investigations and Hearings Division 

Enforcement Bureau 

cc: Fred Theobald, Universal Service 

Administrative Company (via email) 

Matthew Menchel, Esq., Kobre & Kim LLP 

(via email) 

Michael Sherwin, Esq., Kobre & Kim LLP (via 

email) 

Evelyn Sheehan, Esq., Kobre & Kim LLP (via 

email) 

[FR Doc. 2024–29140 Filed 12–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

[DA 24–1130; FR ID 264820] 

Notice of Suspension and 

Commencement of Proposed 

Debarment Proceedings; Federal 

Lifeline Program 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Enforcement Bureau 

(Bureau) gives notice of the suspension 

of Q Link Wireless LLC (Q Link) from 

the federal Lifeline program (Lifeline 

Program) and all federal universal 

service support mechanisms. 

Additionally, the Bureau gives notice 

that debarment proceedings are 

commencing against Q Link. Q Link, or 

any person who has an existing contract 

with or intends to contract with Q Link 

to provide or receive services in matters 

arising out of activities associated with 

or related to the Lifeline Program, may 

respond by filing an opposition request, 

supported by documentation. 

DATES: Opposition requests must be 

submitted within 30 days of receiving 

the suspension letter or by January 13, 

2025, whichever comes first. The 

Bureau will decide on any opposition 

request within 90 days. 

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications 

Commission, Enforcement Bureau, 

Investigations and Hearings Division, 45 

L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christina Thomas, Federal 

Communications Commission, 

Enforcement Bureau, Investigations and 

Hearings Division, 45 L Street NE, 

Washington, DC 20554. Christina 


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