National Security Division Announces Enhanced Foreign Agents Registration Act Website (07-395)

Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, today announced the launch and availability of the next generation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) website, which provides greatly improved access to public information about registered foreign agents and their activities in this country. (Read more)

Landmark Settlement Aims to Clean Up Raw Sewage Discharges in Allegheny County (07-394)

In a landmark settlement with federal, state and county authorities, the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) has agreed to a comprehensive plan to greatly reduce the annual discharge of billions of gallons of untreated sewage into local waterways. (Read more)

Producer Paul Little Indicted on Obscenity Charges (07-393)

A Hollywood director and producer, along with an entertainment company, have been indicted on obscenity charges, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney James R. Klindt for the Middle District of Florida announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Requires Divestitures in $1.5 Billion Merger of Monsanto and Delta & Pine Land (07-392)

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Monsanto Company and Delta & Pine Land Company (DPL) to divest a significant seed company, multiple cottonseed lines, and other valuable assets in order to proceed with their $1.5 billion merger. (Read more)

Justice Department Requires Divestitures in $1.5 Billion Merger of Monsanto and Delta & Pine Land (07-391)

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Monsanto Company and Delta & Pine Land Company (DPL) to divest a significant seed company, multiple cottonseed lines, and other valuable assets in order to proceed with their $1.5 billion merger. (Read more)

Cameroonian Couple Sentenced on Human Trafficking Charges (07-390)

Evelyn and Joseph Djoumessi, both Cameroonian nationals, were sentenced late last night by a judge in Detroit, Mich., to 218 months and 60 months, respectively, for conspiracy related to their holding a young girl from Cameroon in involuntary servitude. Judge Arthur Tarnow also ordered the defendants to pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim. (Read more)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Pleads Guilty to Lying to the Federal Government About Deal Involving Blood-Thinning Drug (07-388)

The Department of Justice announced today that Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $1 million criminal fine for lying to the federal government about a patent deal involving a popular blood-thinning drug. The Department said that BMS’s illegal actions threatened to reduce competition for the drug Plavix that could have reduced the cost of blood-thinning drugs sold to heart attack, stroke and other patients. (Read more)

Statement of Assistant Attorney General Eileen J. O’connor on the United States Court of Federal Claims Decision in H. J. Heinz Company v. United States of America (07-387)

"Yesterday’s decision in H. J. Heinz Company vs. United States is another in a series that have concluded that regardless what labels are used, or how complicated are the transactions, courts will look at what really happened when deciding if a taxpayer has actually incurred the losses claimed on a tax return." (Read more)

Iowa Man Sentenced To 30 Years For Producing Child Pornography (07-386)

WASHINGTON – Brian Patrick Street, 39, of Griswald, Iowa, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography, (Read more)

Nineteen Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, Money Laundering, and Related Offenses (07-385)

A federal grand jury in San Diego has indicted 19 defendants on charges related to an alleged racketeering enterprise and a scheme to cheat casinos across the country out of millions of dollars, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Karen P. Hewitt announced today. (Read more)

Thomas O. Barnett to Participate in Sixth Annual International Competition Network Conference in Moscow, Russia (07-384)

Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett will participate in the sixth annual International Competition Network (ICN) Conference in Moscow, Russia, from May 30 – June 1, 2007. At the conference, senior government antitrust officials, private sector antitrust experts from around the world, and representatives from intergovernmental organizations will meet to discuss competition issues. (Read more)

Statement of Brian Roehrkasse, Acting Director of Public Affairs, in Response to Today’s Hearing on The U.S. Attorney Resignation Matter (07-383)

After several hours of testimony by Monica Goodling; more than 6,800 pages and an additional 1,500 pages made available to Congress; two extensive public hearings with the Attorney General; and many hours of interviews and testimony from senior Department of Justice officials, it remains clear that the Attorney General did not ask for the resignation of any individual in order to interfere with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain. (Read more)

Fourth Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Trafficking-Related Charge (07-380)

Shengji Wang, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in Hawaii yesterday to one count of conspiracy to violate the civil rights of women who were smuggled into the U.S. Territory of American Samoa. According to the plea agreement, Wang, along with several co-defendants, was involved in a scheme to recruit and import Chinese women and hold them in prostitution in nightclubs and brothels in American Samoa. Fu Sheng Kuo, another Chinese national, pleaded guilty to the same offense on May 10, 2007. (Read more)

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association and Its Subsidiary (07-379)

The Department of Justice and the state of Arizona today announced that it has reached a settlement with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) and its subsidiary, prohibiting the organizations from setting uniform bill rates paid to nurse staffing agencies. The Department’s Antitrust Division said that the parties’ actions caused the bill rates paid to agencies, and ultimately the wages paid to temporary nurses in Arizona, to stagnate and fall below competitive levels. (Read more)

Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Daily Gazette Company and Medianews Group (07-378)

The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in Charleston, W.Va., alleging that the Daily Gazette Company and MediaNews Group Inc. (MediaNews) violated the antitrust laws when they entered a series of transactions in May 2004 that resulted in the acquisition by Daily Gazette Company of the Daily Mail newspaper from MediaNews. The Department’s lawsuit seeks an order requiring the parties to undo their transactions and restore the competition that existed before May 2004. (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Regarding Conditions of Confinement at Maryland Juvenile Justice Facility (07-377)

The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with the state of Maryland regarding conditions of confinement at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center. The settlement resolves a 22-month investigation into the facility. (Read more)

Oregon Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography Via “Webcam” (07-373)

A Beaverton, Ore., man, Joshua Kistler, was sentenced to 293 months in prison for producing child pornography, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Karin J. Immergut for the District of Oregon announced. (Read more)

Former Oregon Chemical Company Executive Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns (07-376)

The U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore., today sentenced a former Oregon chemical company executive to serve 18 months in prison and to pay a $50,000 criminal fine following his conviction on two counts of filing false U.S. federal income tax returns, the Department of Justice announced. The executive was also sentenced to pay restitution for all taxes due, which will be determined by the Internal Revenue Service. (Read more)

Justice Department Sues New York City for Discriminating Against Black and Hispanic Firefighter Applicants (07-375)

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit alleging that the City of New York uses written examinations that discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in the hiring of entry-level firefighters in the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). According to the United States’ complaint, of the FDNY’s 11,000 uniformed firefighters in all ranks, only about 3% are black and 4.5% are Hispanic. (Read more)

Texas Hedge Fund Manager Will Pay Civil Penalty for Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification Requirements (07-374)

A Texas hedge fund manager has agreed to pay a $250,000 civil penalty to settle charges that he violated premerger reporting requirements, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Kinder Morgan, SFPP Agree to Pay Nearly $5.3 Million to Resolve Federal and State Environmental Violations ()

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, and SFPP, have agreed to pay nearly $5.3 million to resolve liability under the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, Endangered Species Act, and California’s Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act, for three oil spills in 2004 and 2005. (Read more)

Hercules Inc. Pays $124 Million for Superfund Cleanup Costs Incurred by the U.S. Government (07-372)

The U.S. government received a $124 million payment today from Hercules Incorporated to repay costs the EPA incurred in cleaning up the Vertac Chemical and Jacksonville Landfill Superfund Sites in Jacksonville, Ark., the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. (Read more)

Petraia Maritime Ltd. Found Guilty of Environmental Crime (07-371)

A jury in Maine returned a guilty verdict against Petraia Maritime Ltd. late yesterday, for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution From Ships (APPS). (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Honors Law Enforcement Officers for Efforts to Help Missing and Exploited Children (07-370)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today commemorated National Missing Children's Day by honoring law enforcement and citizens nationwide for their efforts to recover missing and exploited children at a Department of Justice ceremony. The Attorney General was also joined by family members of missing and abducted children to release a guide for siblings of abducted children, What About Me? Coping with the Abduction of a Brother or Sister. (Read more)

Kansas City, Missouri School District & Justice Department Resolve E-Rate Internet Program Fraud Claims (07-368)

The Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD) has agreed to relinquish over $13.6 million in claims for federal funds and to pay the United States $66,000 as a civil settlement relating to false claims and false statements in connection with the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program from 2002 to 2006, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Department of Justice Announces Proposed National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification, and $25 Million in Grants (07-366)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today released proposed National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification, as required by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. (Read more)

Kerr-McGee to Spend $18 Million to Reduce Emissions from Natural Gas Production Facilities in Colorado and Utah (07-365)

Kerr-McGee Corp. will spend $18 million on pollution controls in the first comprehensive settlement under the Clean Air Act that will reduce harmful emissions and conserve natural gas at production facilities across Utah and Colorado. The control measures and operational improvements are expected to reduce annual emissions of air pollutants by more than 2,500 tons in Utah and more than 3,000 tons in Colorado, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)

Alaska Lobbyist Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Obtain Bribe Payments for State Lawmaker (07-364)

A lobbyist from Anchorage, Alaska, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to obtain bribe payments for a former elected member of the Alaska House of Representatives, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

Two Sentenced in $1.4 Million Virgin Islands Bribery Scandal (07-363)

former U.S. Virgin Islands fireman and an Atlanta businessman were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands for their role in an elaborate bribery and kickback scheme to defraud the U.S. Virgin Islands government of approximately $1.4 million in federal and local funds, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Jenkins of the District of the Virgin Islands announced. (Read more)

Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Contractor Pleads Guilty to Removing Classified Information (07-362)

Jessica Lynn Quintana, a former employee of a contractor at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), has pleaded guilty to knowingly removing classified information from the national security research laboratory, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Kenneth L. Wainstein announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Reaches Settlement to Resolve Litigation at Oceana Naval Base (07-361)

The Justice Department and the U.S. Navy have reached a settlement agreement with approximately 3,400 property owners in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, Va., regarding litigation relating to jet noise at a naval air base. Under the terms of the agreement, the participating plaintiffs agree to dismiss their claims and acknowledge that the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability by the United States. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces New Efforts to Combat Violent Crime (07-360)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today unveiled new Department of Justice efforts to assist federal, state and local law enforcement in combating violent crime. Part of the Department’s Initiative for Safer Communities, today’s announcement calls for more prosecutors, new training, additional funds, enhanced prevention efforts and a crack down against America’s most violent offenders. (Read more)

Overton County Sheriff’s Officers Sentenced for Violating Inmate’s Civil Rights (07-359)

The former Sheriff’s Jail Administrator in Overton County, Tenn., Michael Gilpatrick, and former Lieutenant James Loftis were sentenced today for their roles in violating the civil rights of an inmate detained in the Overton County Jail in 2005. (Read more)

Justice Department Reaches Settlement Regarding Conditions at Ft. Bayard Medical Center and Nursing Home (07-358)

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the state of New Mexico concerning civil rights violations at the Ft. Bayard Medical Center and Nursing Home in Bayard, N.M. (Read more)

Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the Resignation of Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty (07-357)

"The Department of Justice will be losing a dynamic and thoughtful leader with the departure of Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty. Paul announced today that he would leave the Department later this summer after more than eight years of service." (Read more)

Justice Department Expresses Concerns to Tennessee State Legislature on Bill that Would Deny Consumers Cash Rebates in Real Estate Transactions (07-356)

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division sent a letter to the Tennessee House of Representatives indicating that House Bill 2095, would deny Tennesseans the opportunity of receiving cash rebates from real estate brokers when they buy and sell their homes. The Department said that if enacted, the legislation would impede real estate brokers from competing on price and force Tennesseans to pay more in real estate commissions. The Department also noted that the amended legislation would effectively override recent actions of the Tennessee Real Estate Commission that enable brokers to provide cash rebates. (Read more)

Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Commercial Child Pornography Website Case (07-354)

A Boston man has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sell, transport, reproduce, distribute and receive child pornography, and one count of money laundering, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee of the Western District of Virginia announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Focuses on Efforts to Protect Intellectual Property Rights (07-353)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today highlighted the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to protect intellectual property rights, and announced a comprehensive legislative proposal entitled the “Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007,” before members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (07-352)

The Justice Department today announced that on May 15, 2007, it will monitor municipal elections in Boston, Mass., and in Philadelphia and Reading, Pa., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Federal Court in Chicago Shuts Down Tax Prep Firm (07-351)

A federal court in Chicago has barred Neal and Royanne Reddy and their corporation, Royanne & Company Inc., from preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The court found that the Reddys, whose business offices are in Marseilles and Princeton, Ill., prepared more than 15,000 tax returns between 2002 and 2005. (Read more)

Software Piracy Crackdown ‘Operation Fastlink’ Yields 50th Guilty Plea (07-350)

The 50th felony conviction from Operation FastLink, a major Department of Justice initiative to combat online piracy worldwide, was announced today by Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg of the Eastern District of Virginia. (Read more)

Federal Settlement Will Work to Improve Conditions At St. Elizabeth’s Hospital (07-347)

The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with the District of Columbia to resolve allegations of civil rights violations at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, located in Washington, D.C. Under the five-year agreement, the city is required to implement reforms to ensure that individual patients at the mental health facility are adequately protected from harm and provided adequate mental health services. (Read more)

Justice Department Reaches Fair Housing Act Settlement with Las Vegas Developer and Architect (07-345)

The Justice Department today settled a lawsuit filed in November 2005, against Pacific Homes and Pacific Properties and Development Corp., the developers and builders, and Michael Milburn, the architect, of the Pacific Legends West condominium complex in Las Vegas. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, was brought to enforce provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act that require recently constructed dwellings to include features designed to make the dwellings more accessible to persons with physical disabilities. (Read more)

The Scooter Store to Pay United States $4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations (07-344)

The SCOOTER Store Inc. will pay the United States $4 million, and give up many millions more in pending claims for reimbursement to Medicare, to settle allegations that the company violated the civil False Claims Act and defrauded the United States, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Former Corrections Officer and National Guardsman Sentenced for Participating in Bribery and Extortion Conspiracy (07-343)

A former corrections officer and a former Arizona Army National Guardsmen were sentenced this week for their roles in a widespread bribery and extortion conspiracy, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. The defendants were sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Tucson Division, by the Honorable Cynthia K. Jorgenson. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas (07-342)

The Justice Department today announced that on May 12, 2007, it will monitor local elections in the Denton Independent School District, Fort Bend County, Farmers Branch, and Killeen, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Statement of Brian Roehrkasse, Acting Director of Public Affairs, in Response to the Attorney General’s Hearing Today on the U.S. Attorney Resignation Matter (07-341)

(Read more)

Strike Force Formed to Target Fraudulent Billing of Medicare Program by Health Care Companies (07-339)

Thirty-eight people have been arrested in the first phase of a targeted criminal, civil and administrative effort against individuals and health care companies that fraudulently bill the Medicare program, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and Secretary Michael Leavitt of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Civil Contempt Claim Against Allied Waste Industries Inc. (07-338)

Allied Waste Industries Inc. has agreed to pay $125,000 as part of a civil settlement with the Department of Justice that resolves Allied’s alleged violations of a 2000 consent decree entered in connection with Allied’s acquisition of Browning-Ferris Industries Inc. (BFI). (Read more)

Federal Government, State of Hawaii, and City and County Of Honolulu Agreement Will Address Vulnerabilities That Led to Waikiki Sewage Spill (07-337)

The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office, and the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) have reached an interim agreement with the City and County of Honolulu (CCH) that will correct the most significant problems in Honolulu’s wastewater collection system. This settlement resolves a civil enforcement action that the United States and the state have filed against CCH. (Read more)

Medicis Pharmaceutical To Pay U.S. $9.8 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations (07-336)

Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation of Scottsdale, Ariz., will pay the United States $9.8 million to settle allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act with respect to claims submitted to Medicaid, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement resolves allegations that Medicis promoted the use of a topical skin preparation, Loprox, for use on children under the age of 10, without approval by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). (Read more)

U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Issue Report on Competition in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry (07-335)

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today issued a joint report, “Competition in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry.” The purpose of the report is to inform consumers and others involved in the industry about important competition issues involving residential real estate, including the impact of the Internet, the competitive structure of the real estate brokerage industry, and obstacles to a more competitive environment. (Read more)

Justice Department Releases New Americans with Disabilities Act Technical Assistance Materials (07-334)

The Department of Justice today released new technical assistance materials to help state and local governments comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The materials are part of the “ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments,” a project announced by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales in October 2006. (Read more)

Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of VECO Corporation Plead Guilty to Corruption and Tax Charges (07-333)

Bill J. Allen, chief executive officer and part-owner of VECO Corporation, and Richard L. Smith, vice president of community affairs and government relations of VECO Corporation, have pleaded guilty to providing more than $400,000 in corrupt payments to public officials from the state of Alaska, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on its Decision to Close Its Investigation of Smithfield Inc.’s Acquisition of Premium Standard Farms Inc. (07-331)

“After a careful investigation of Smithfield’s proposed acquisition of Premium Standard Farms, the Antitrust Division determined that the merged firm is not likely to harm competition, consumers or farmers." (Read more)

Three Current and Former Alaska State Legislators Indicted on Public Corruption Charges (07-330)

A current elected member of the Alaska State House of Representatives and two former members, including a one-time Speaker of the House, have been indicted and arrested on multiple charges arising out of a federal investigation into public corruption in the state of Alaska, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

Court Rules in Government’s Favor On Cancelled Navy Contract for A-12 Stealth Attack Aircraft (07-329)

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has upheld the Navy’s termination for default of a contract with McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics for the A-12 stealth attack aircraft, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to Appoint Kenneth E. Melson as Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (07-328)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced that he will appoint Kenneth E. Melson as Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) at the Department of Justice effective on May 14, 2007. (Read more)

Federal Court Bars Illinois Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-327)

A federal court in Chicago, Ill., has permanently barred Bertha Steverson of Chicago from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The court found that Steverson, the owner of Bertha’s Tax Service, prepared tax returns for customers that contained deductions for fictitious expenses. The court found that Steverson has prepared an estimated 1,224 returns since 2004 that have caused an estimated loss to the U.S. Treasury of more than $3 million. (Read more)

Two Former Memphis Police Officers Plead Guilty to Civil Rights Violations (07-326)

Trennis Swims and Harold McCall, both former officers with the Memphis Police Department (MPD), pleaded guilty today in federal court to felony civil rights charges. Swims and McCall are the latest former officers to either plead guilty or be indicted in the ongoing criminal investigation into the MPD. (Read more)

2007 National Money Laundering Strategy Released (07-325)

The 2007 strategy addresses the priority threats and vulnerabilities identified by the Money Laundering Threat Assessment released in 2006, the product of an extremely valuable investigation into the current and emerging trends and techniques used by criminals to raise, move and launder proceeds. The Assessment – the first government-wide analysis of its kind – brought together the expertise of regulatory, law enforcement and investigative officials from across the government, culminating in a comprehensive analysis of specific money laundering methods, patterns of abuse, geographical concentrations, and the associated legal and regulatory regimes. (Read more)

Former Government Official Sentenced in $1.4 Million Virgin Islands Bribery Scandal (07-324)

The former director of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Division of Environmental Protection has been sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to defraud the Virgin Islands government of approximately $1.4 million, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Jenkins of the District of the Virgin Islands announced today. (Read more)

Two Former St. Louis Area Police Officers Plead Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charge (07-323)

Former Velda City, Mo., police officer Lewis McGee and former detective Mark Winger both pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to violate the civil rights of a jailed man. (Read more)

Eight Executives Arrested on Charges of Conspiring to Rig Bids, Fix Prices, and Allocate Markets for Sales of Marine Hose (07-322)

Eight executives from the United Kingdom (U.K.), France, Italy, and Japan were arrested today in Houston and San Francisco and charged for their role in a conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices, and allocate markets for United States sales of marine hose used to transport oil, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Department of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Single-Firm Conduct to Conclude On May 8 (07-319)

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that the final session in a series of joint public hearings designed to examine the implications of single-firm conduct under the antitrust laws will take place on May 8, 2007, in Washington, D.C. (Read more)

Justice Department Settlements Will Ensure Accessibility of Casino Resorts in Las Vegas and Mississippi (07-318)

The Department of Justice today announced two comprehensive settlements with casino resorts under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The first settlement agreement, with Mandalay Corporation, resolves a compliance review of the Mandalay Bay Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. The second settlement agreement, with Circus Circus Mississippi Inc., settles a complaint against the Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Miss. Under the settlement agreements, each casino resort has agreed to ensure that its facility complies with the new construction standards of the ADA. (Read more)

Department of Justice Files Amended Complaint in Antitrust Case Following Rinker Board of Directors’ Approval of Cemex Takeover Bid (07-311)

The Department of Justice filed an amended complaint today in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., naming Rinker Group Limited as a defendant in the Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Employment Discrimination Lawsuit with City of Ville Platte, Louisiana (07-310)

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the City of Ville Platte, La., to resolve allegations that the city engaged in discriminatory hiring practices on the basis of sex by refusing full-time employment to a pregnant dispatcher in the city’s police department. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Additional Funding for Oklahoma City as Part of the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (07-315)

(Read more)

Federal Court In Seattle Shuts Down So-Called “Warehouse Bank” (07-313)

A federal court in Seattle has shut down a nationwide “warehouse banking” scheme whose promoter falsely promised customers they could legally hide their income, assets, and identities from the Internal Revenue Service, the Justice Department announced today. The warehouse bank, known as Olympic Business Systems (OBS), is operated by Des Moines, Wash., resident Robert Arant. (Read more)

Chief Engineer Pleads Guilty to Concealing Deliberate Pollution in “Magic Pipe” Case (07-312)

The former chief engineer of an American-flagged car-carrier pleaded guilty today to criminal charges related to the deliberate discharge of oil-contaminated bilge waste through a “magic pipe” that bypassed required pollution prevention equipment, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew J. McKeown for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Additional Funding for Indianapolis as Part of the Justice Department's comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (07-309)

(Read more)