Mounir R. Khouri; Public Interest Exclusion Order, 4739 [2016-01630]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 17 / Wednesday, January 27, 2016 / Notices By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of Proceedings. Tia Delano, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2016–01642 Filed 1–26–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Office of the Secretary Mounir R. Khouri; Public Interest Exclusion Order Office of the Secretary, DOT. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: On January 20, 2016, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a decision and order under the Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs that excludes a service agent, Mounir R. Khouri, from providing drug and alcohol testing services in any capacity to any DOT-regulated employer for a period of 5 years. Mr. Khouri provided Consortium/Third Party Administrator Services (C/TPA) and Medical Review Officer (MRO) services to DOT-regulated trucking companies. Mr. Khouri pled guilty to criminal charges that he made materially false statements that an MRO had reviewed drug test results, when a qualified MRO had not done so. This Federal Register publication serves as notice to the public that DOT-regulated employers or their service agents must stop using the services of Mounir R. Khouri for administering their DOT-regulated drug and/or alcohol testing programs. DATES: The effective date of the Public Interest Exclusion is January 20, 2016 and it will remain in effect until January 20, 2021. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrice M. Kelly, Acting Director, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590; (202) 366– 3784 (voice), (202) 366–3897 (fax), or patrice.kelly@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: Background In accordance with the provisions of the Department’s regulation at 49 CFR part 40 (Part 40), Subpart R, Public Interest Exclusions (PIE), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a Notice of Proposed Exclusion (NOPE) to Mr. Khouri on August 27, 2015, notifying him that he had engaged in serious noncompliance. In the NOPE, the FMCSA stated that the Department’s Office of the Inspector VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:41 Jan 26, 2016 Jkt 238001 General had conducted a criminal investigation that revealed that Mr. Khouri subverted the MRO’s role in the testing process. Specifically, Mr. Khouri held out as performing C/TPA services and he: Received laboratory confirmed drug test results and falsely certified that those results were reviewed by a qualified MRO; acted as an MRO, without qualifications to do so, by verifying laboratory confirmed positive test results; and prepared false Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Forms (CCFs) for untested specimens and misrepresented that the specimens had tested negative. In the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, Mr. Khouri pled guilty and was convicted for making false statements on a CCF. Those false statements indicated that an MRO had reviewed a drug test, when Mr. Khouri knew that had not occurred. Public Interest Exclusion Decision and Order On January 20, 2016, the Department issued a PIE against Mounir R. Khouri. This PIE prohibits all DOT-regulated employers and service agents from utilizing Mounir R. Khouri for drug and alcohol testing services in any capacity for a period of 5 years. A full copy of the Department’s Decision and Order can be found at https://www.dot.gov/ odapc. In accordance with the terms of the Department’s Decision and Order and per 49 CFR 40.403(a), Mounir R. Khouri is required to directly notify each of the affected DOT-regulated employer clients in writing about the issuance, scope, duration, and effect of the PIE. The Department is notifying employers and the public about this PIE by publishing it in a ‘‘List of Excluded Drug and Alcohol Service Agents’’ on its Web site at https://www.dot.gov/odapc/ and will make the list available upon request. As required by 49 CFR 40.401(d), the Department is publishing this Federal Register notice to inform the public that Mounir R. Khouri is subject to a PIE for 5 years. After January 20, 2021, Mounir R. Khouri, will be removed from the list and the public will be notified of that removal, also in accordance with 49 CFR 40.401(d). Any DOT-regulated employer who uses the services of Mounir R. Khouri between January 20, 2016 and January 20, 2021 may be subject to a civil penalty for violation of Part 40. PO 00000 Frm 00132 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 4739 Dated this 20th day of January, 2016, at Washington, DC. Patrice M. Kelly, Acting Director, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance. [FR Doc. 2016–01630 Filed 1–26–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of the Secretary List of Countries Requiring Cooperation With an International Boycott In accordance with section 999(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Department of the Treasury is publishing a current list of countries which require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott (within the meaning of section 999(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986). On the basis of the best information currently available to the Department of the Treasury, the following countries require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott (within the meaning of section 999(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986). Iraq Kuwait Lebanon Libya Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria United Arab Emirates Yemen Dated: January 19, 2016. Danielle Rolfes, International Tax Counsel, (Tax Policy). [FR Doc. 2016–01622 Filed 1–26–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4810–25–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Multiemployer Pension Plan Application To Reduce Benefits Department of the Treasury. Notice of availability; Request for comments. AGENCY: ACTION: The Board of Trustees of the Iron Workers Local 17 Pension Plan, a multiemployer pension plan, has submitted an application to Treasury to reduce benefits under the plan in accordance with the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of 2014 (MPRA). The purpose of this notice is to announce that the application submitted by the Board of Trustees of the Iron SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\27JAN1.SGM 27JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 17 (Wednesday, January 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 4739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01630]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary


Mounir R. Khouri; Public Interest Exclusion Order

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On January 20, 2016, the Department of Transportation (DOT) 
issued a decision and order under the Procedures for Transportation 
Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs that excludes a service 
agent, Mounir R. Khouri, from providing drug and alcohol testing 
services in any capacity to any DOT-regulated employer for a period of 
5 years. Mr. Khouri provided Consortium/Third Party Administrator 
Services (C/TPA) and Medical Review Officer (MRO) services to DOT-
regulated trucking companies. Mr. Khouri pled guilty to criminal 
charges that he made materially false statements that an MRO had 
reviewed drug test results, when a qualified MRO had not done so. This 
Federal Register publication serves as notice to the public that DOT-
regulated employers or their service agents must stop using the 
services of Mounir R. Khouri for administering their DOT-regulated drug 
and/or alcohol testing programs.

DATES: The effective date of the Public Interest Exclusion is January 
20, 2016 and it will remain in effect until January 20, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrice M. Kelly, Acting Director, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy 
and Compliance, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590; (202) 
366-3784 (voice), (202) 366-3897 (fax), or patrice.kelly@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In accordance with the provisions of the Department's regulation at 
49 CFR part 40 (Part 40), Subpart R, Public Interest Exclusions (PIE), 
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a Notice 
of Proposed Exclusion (NOPE) to Mr. Khouri on August 27, 2015, 
notifying him that he had engaged in serious noncompliance. In the 
NOPE, the FMCSA stated that the Department's Office of the Inspector 
General had conducted a criminal investigation that revealed that Mr. 
Khouri subverted the MRO's role in the testing process. Specifically, 
Mr. Khouri held out as performing C/TPA services and he: Received 
laboratory confirmed drug test results and falsely certified that those 
results were reviewed by a qualified MRO; acted as an MRO, without 
qualifications to do so, by verifying laboratory confirmed positive 
test results; and prepared false Federal Drug Testing Custody and 
Control Forms (CCFs) for untested specimens and misrepresented that the 
specimens had tested negative. In the United States District Court for 
the District of Vermont, Mr. Khouri pled guilty and was convicted for 
making false statements on a CCF. Those false statements indicated that 
an MRO had reviewed a drug test, when Mr. Khouri knew that had not 
occurred.

Public Interest Exclusion Decision and Order

    On January 20, 2016, the Department issued a PIE against Mounir R. 
Khouri. This PIE prohibits all DOT-regulated employers and service 
agents from utilizing Mounir R. Khouri for drug and alcohol testing 
services in any capacity for a period of 5 years. A full copy of the 
Department's Decision and Order can be found at https://www.dot.gov/odapc.
    In accordance with the terms of the Department's Decision and Order 
and per 49 CFR 40.403(a), Mounir R. Khouri is required to directly 
notify each of the affected DOT-regulated employer clients in writing 
about the issuance, scope, duration, and effect of the PIE. The 
Department is notifying employers and the public about this PIE by 
publishing it in a ``List of Excluded Drug and Alcohol Service Agents'' 
on its Web site at https://www.dot.gov/odapc/ and will make the list 
available upon request. As required by 49 CFR 40.401(d), the Department 
is publishing this Federal Register notice to inform the public that 
Mounir R. Khouri is subject to a PIE for 5 years. After January 20, 
2021, Mounir R. Khouri, will be removed from the list and the public 
will be notified of that removal, also in accordance with 49 CFR 
40.401(d).
    Any DOT-regulated employer who uses the services of Mounir R. 
Khouri between January 20, 2016 and January 20, 2021 may be subject to 
a civil penalty for violation of Part 40.

    Dated this 20th day of January, 2016, at Washington, DC.
Patrice M. Kelly,
Acting Director, Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2016-01630 Filed 1-26-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.