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Man tries to deposit '$1M bill'
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Authorities say a man who tried to deposit what he presented as a $1 million bill has been charged with drug possession in Iowa.
A criminal complaint says Sioux City police officers were called to a Northwest Bank branch Thursday to talk to a man who tried to deposit the bill into his account. The officers asked 33-year-old Dennis Strickland whether he had any more of the bills and that a baggie fell out when he emptied a pocket. The complaint says the baggie contained methamphetamine.
The U.S. Treasury Department says it has never produced a $1 million bill.
Iowa court records say Strickland is scheduled to be back in court Monday. His attorney hasn't returned a call Tuesday from The Associated Press.
Prison remains locked down
STILLWATER (AP) -- One of Minnesota's most secure prisons remains on lockdown three days after a fight broke out.
The Minnesota Department of Corrections says a brawl broke out among inmates on Saturday and the prison was locked down. Inmates are required to stay in their cells instead of going to work in the prison or participating in other programs.
Corrections spokeswoman Sarah Fitzgerald tells KARE -TV the lockdown will continue until the investigation into the fight is done.
PHH agrees to pay $74M settlement
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Federal prosecutors in Minnesota say PHH Corp. and two subsidiaries have agreed to pay over $74 million to settle allegations they violated standards for underwriting government-backed mortgages.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Gregory Brooker said in a statement Tuesday that Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based PHH submitted defective loans for government insurance, and that homeowners and taxpayers paid the price.
The settlement includes $65 million for alleged violations involving loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration, and nearly $9.5 million for loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The government says it incurred "substantial losses" in paying insurance claims on the FHA loans. About $9 million will go to a whistleblower who formerly worked for PHH.
PHH says it settled without admitting liability to avoid the distraction and expense of litigation.
Capitol workers to receive training
DES MOINES (AP) -- Some people who work at the Iowa Capitol have been offered training on how to respond to an armed attack on the premises, a move that comes after a law took effect allowing concealed handguns in the building.
Legislative employees who work for the House and Senate have been invited to attend a roughly two-hour training class in early September at a nearby state building in Des Moines. Staffers at the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, which reviews proposed policy and is housed at the Capitol, have also been invited. An agency spokesman said some of those employees have already received such training.
Staff members for Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who also work in the building, got the training in July, according to press secretary Brenna Smith.
Staff leaders for both Republican-controlled chambers requested the training about a month ago, though discussion has been ongoing for months.