A couple in the United States defrauded the government of nearly $500,000 (approximately Rs 4.2 Crore) to take dozens of lavish vacations to Walt Disney World while claiming they were travelling for work. According to the New York Post, 61-year-old Thomas Bouchard, who is an Army contractor, used his government connections to get his girlfriend, 53-year-old Cantelle Boyd, hired for a “no-show” job as his assistant so they could take numerous vacations, including 31 trips to Walt Disney World in Flordia. Their elaborate scheme cost the Department of Defence more than $490,000, prosecutors said. 

Citing the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Post reported that the couple claimed that they were travelling for work. Mr Bouchard, who was in charge of the US Army Natick Contracting Division in Massachusetts, reportedly used his “long-standing relationship with government contractor Evolution Enterprise Inc., to have Ms Boyd hired as an assistant to support him. She was paid a government salary of $487,658 and performed “little if any useful function” from 2014 to 2018, costing the government an extra $75,583 in travel expenses, prosecutors said. 

The couple reportedly booked vacations ranging from two to 15 days, and their travels – which were done during business hours – included staying a hotels, lounging by the pool and visiting Disney parks. In addition to this, the couple also travelled to Virginia and other Florida locations. Prosecutors said that the 61-year-old concealed the nature of their trips and sought reimbursement by falsifying and then approving expense records. 

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Federal authorities arrested the couple in July 2020. They each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of theft of government funds and false declarations. The 61-year-old was sentenced in August to one year and one day in prison and is required to pay $487,658 in restitution.

“Those of us who are privileged to work in public service owe a duty to the taxpayers to act with integrity at all times,” said Acting US Attorney Joshua S. Levy. 

“This defendant clearly failed in adhering to this solemn oath and abused his position of trust to line his own pockets, hire a friend into a phantom position and enjoy junkets all on the taxpayer’s dime. He will now pay the price for his inexcusable conduct,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Ms Boyd was sentenced to six months of home confinement on October 2. Prosecutors said she is required to pay restitution “at a later date”. 

Eight cruise ship passengers, including a pregnant woman and an elderly man with a heart condition, were left stranded on an African island after their Norwegian Cruise line ship departed without them, New York Post reported. A couple from South Carolina, said they are stuck on the Central African island of Sao Tome with four other American and two Australian passengers after the captain of the ship allegedly refused to let them reboard. 

The eight passengers left behind have now been struggling for days to catch up with their ship. 

”We have never had an experience like this before,” said one of the abandoned passengers.

Notably, the passengers were late getting back to the ship on March 27, according to a statement from Norwegian Cruise Line.

”Eight guests who were on the island on their own or with a private tour missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all-aboard time of 3 p.m. local time,” the statement said.

”While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.”

The stranded South Carolina couple Jill and Jay Campbell said there was an issue with their tour on the island, and the guide failed to return them to the ship on time on Friday. However, when they arrived at the port, the ship was still anchored, and the island’s Coast Guard assisted them in getting back onboard via a boat. However, the captain of the ship allegedly declined to let them reenter the vessel and they were left there without their possessions, money, or vital medications.

The couple told CNN affiliate WPDE that the passengers spent 15 hours travelling through six countries to try to rejoin their ship on Sunday in Gambia.

The Campbells also said that several members of the group are elderly, another is a paraplegic and one woman is pregnant. They said one member of the group had been without his heart medication for five days and had become ill.

The passengers are now heading to a port in Senegal, where the cruise is set to dock on Tuesday.

”We looked at some type of van transportation for eight people, the quadriplegic woman included, driving from here. We have to cross the ferry to get into Senegal,” Jay Campbell told WPDE.

”We just learned from the gentleman that the ferry hadn’t been working, but he said, ‘No problem if the ferry is not working, we will get another little boat and then pick up a car on the other side. And then once we get on the other side of Senegal, it’s another four-hour drive,” he added. 

Hazaribag (Jharkhand):

A US-based couple has adopted an eight-month-old girl who was found abandoned in a dustbin in Jharkhand’s Hazaribag town in June 2023, a senior district official said on Friday.

On June 16 last year, some youths found the newborn crying and informed the district administration and Korra police station.

Deputy Development Commissioner of Hazaribag, Prerena Dikshit, along with officer-in-charge of Korra police station Uttam Kumar Tiwari, recovered the child and transferred her to the newborn ward of Sheikh Bikhari Medical College and Hospital, Hazaribag.

Ms Dikshit, who also served as the administrator of Sheikh Bihari Medical College and Hospital, directed the hospital superintendent and other doctors to provide care for the baby.

Upon full recovery, she was handed over to the Child Welfare Department of Hazaribag, said Ms Dikshit.

Once the child was fully recovered, the Child Welfare Department informed higher authorities, including the Central Adoption Resource Authority, which issued an adoption notice through its portal.

Subsequently, the authorities of the Child Welfare Committee began searching for the biological parents of the abandoned child, but did not succeed. As per the rules, anyone can adopt the child after 60 days from the issuance of the notice.

An American couple has now agreed to adopt the child, who is currently eight months old.

Following the rehabilitation of the child by the American couple on Thursday, Ms Dikshit expressed satisfaction and thanked the couple for adopting the kid.