Justice Department and City of Newark, New Jersey Sign Project Civic Access Agreement (06-339)

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department and the City of Newark, N.J. signed a far reaching agreement under Project Civic Access, a Department initiative to bring communities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This agreement with Newark marks the 146th settlement agreement reached under Project Civic Access. (Read more)

Federal Jury Convicts Enron Broadband Executive Kevin Howard On Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, And False Records Charges (06-338)

WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Houston today convicted former Enron executive Kevin Howard on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and falsification of books and records... (Read more)

Former Fundraiser Thomas W. Noe Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy, Causing A False Statement And Illegal Campaign Contributions (06-337)

WASHINGTON – Former Republican fundraiser Thomas W. Noe has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make illegal campaign contributions, (Read more)

Farmers Exchange Bancorp. to Pay United States $2.1 Million to Settle Allegations of Loan Fraud (06-336)

WASHINGTON—Farmers Exchange Bancorporation and Farmers Exchange Bank (FEB) located in Cherokee, Okla. have agreed to pay the United States more than $2 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Wisconsin Couple Convicted on Human Trafficking Charges (06-332)

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department today announced the conviction of a Wisconsin couple, Jefferson and Elnora Calimlim, on human trafficking charges for using threats of serious harm and physical restraint against a Philippine woman to obtain her services as their domestic servant for nineteen years. (Read more)

Former Congressional Legislative Assistant Brett M. Pfeffer Sentenced in Bribery Scheme (06-331)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A former legislative assistant to a member of the U.S. Congress was sentenced to 96 months in prison on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and aiding and abetting the solicitation of bribes by a member of Congress, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Federal Jury Convicts Former Enron Chief Executives Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling On Fraud, Conspiracy And Related Charges (06-328)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal jury in Houston has convicted former Enron Chief Executive Officers Kenneth L. Lay and Jeffrey K. Skilling on charges including conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and making false statements, (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Marks National Missing Children’s Day (06-326)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales commemorated National Missing Children’s Day by honoring law enforcement and citizens nationwide for their valiant efforts to recover missing and exploited children at a Department of Justice ceremony today. (Read more)

Former Michigan School Official and Wife Arrested for Role in $7.3 Million Fraud Scheme (06-325)

WASHINGTON — A former Michigan school official and his wife were arrested today for their alleged role in a fraudulent scheme to obtain almost $7.3 million from Ecorse public schools and the federal E-Rate program, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more)

Hundreds Arrested In “Operation Global Con,” International Initiative Targeted Mass-Marketing Fraud (06-321)

More than 565 people in North and South America and Europe have been arrested as part of “Operation Global Con” – the largest and most far-reaching multinational enforcement operation ever directed at mass-marketing fraud schemes, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Election in Arkansas (06-319)

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department today announced that it will monitor the May 23, 2006 primary election in Pulaski County, Ark. (Read more)

Former Memphis, Tenn. Police Officer Pleaded Guilty to Civil Rights Charges for Stealing Money During a Traffic Stop (06-318)

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that James Fetter, a former officer with the Memphis Police Department, pleaded guilty to involvement in two conspiracies to deprive individuals of their civil rights and to willfully using his position as a police officer to steal money during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tenn. (Read more)

Seven National Century Financial Enterprises Executives Indicted In $3 Billion Securities Fraud Scheme (06-316)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal grand jury in Columbus, Ohio, has indicted seven former executives of National Century Financial Enterprises (NCFE) on charges of conspiring to defraud investors by lying to them and others about how the investors’ funds would be used, (Read more)

Three Defendants Sentenced In Federal Internet Music Piracy Crackdown (06-313)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The first members of pre-release music piracy groups from Operation FastLink were sentenced today, (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Louisiana (06-312)

The Justice Department today announced that on May 20, 2006, it will monitor the municipal and parochial general elections for New Orleans. (Read more)

United States Intervenes in Suit Against Abbott Laboratories Inc. (06-309)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States has intervened in a whistleblower suit filed against Abbott Laboratories Inc., alleging that the company violated the False Claims Act, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Outlines New Justice Department Efforts to Combat Methamphetamines (06-307)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced new anti-methamphetamine domestic initiatives as well as new partnerships between the U.S. and Mexico in fighting meth trafficking at the National Methamphetamine and Chemicals Initiative(NCMI) Strategy Conference. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Implementation of Project Safe Childhood Initiative (06-303)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced the beginning of the nationwide implementation of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. (Read more)

Former RNC New England Regional Director Sentenced In New Hampshire Phone Jamming Case (06-301)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—James Tobin, the former New England Regional Director of the Republican National Committee, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe of the District of New Hampshire to 10 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and a fine of $10,000, (Read more)

Sparks, Nevada-Based Company Charged with Violating the Clean Water Act (06-300)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Greg Street Plating, Inc.—an electroplating, metal plating and finishing company based in Sparks, Nevada—was charged in a one-count indictment with discharging highly acidic waste into the sewer system that leads to the Truckee Meadows Sewage treatment facility, in violation of the Clean Water Act, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Money Laundering Indictment Unsealed Against Major Internet Gambling Site Operators, Alleges $250 Million In Online Wagers (06-298)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed an indictment yesterday against William Scott, Jessica Davis, Soulbury Ltd. and WorldWide Telesports, Inc., (WWTS) for offenses related to the laundering of an estimated $250 million worth of Internet gambling wagers, (Read more)

U.S. Seeks Court Approval on Dredging Agreement with GE (06-297)

WASHINGTON—In another significant step toward cleaning up polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Hudson River, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today asked the U.S. District Court in Albany, New York to approve the October 2005 consent decree with the General Electric Company (GE) for the river dredging called for in EPA's 2002 Record of Decision for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund site. (Read more)

U.S., National Baking Company Reach Settlement to Reduce Stratospheric Ozone-Depleting Refrigerants (06-296)

WASHINGTON—In a settlement to reduce the release of ozone-depleting refrigerants into the atmosphere, a Chicago-based national baking company has agreed to stop using ozone-depleting refrigerants, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)

Statement of Tasia Scolinos, Director of Public Affairs, Regarding the Proposed Settlement with the Boeing Company (06-295)

"Boeing has agreed to accept responsibility for the conduct of its employees in these matters, pay a monetary penalty of $50 million, continue its cooperation with federal investigators, and maintain an effective ethics and compliance program, with particular attention to the hiring of former government officials and the handling of competitor information." (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (06-294)

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department today announced that on May 16, 2006, the federal government will monitor a special municipal preliminary election in Boston and primary elections in Philadelphia and Reading, Pa., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Former Official Of Private Health Care Company Pleads Guilty To Federal Election Campaign Act Violations (06-291)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Donald M. Boucher, 72, the former director of government relations of a private health care company located in Plano, Texas, pleaded guilty to illegally contributing approximately $50,000 in corporate money over a five-year period to federal political campaigns, (Read more)

Former Wilson County, Tennessee Corrections Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights-Related Charge (06-289)

WASHINGTON—Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Wan J. Kim, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Jim Vines, and Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation My Harrison, today announced that former Wilson County, Tenn. corrections officer Tommy Shane Conatser was sentenced on charges relating to violations of the civil rights of inmates at the Wilson County Jail in Lebanon, Tenn. (Read more)

Justice Department Requests Extension of Microsoft Final Judgment (06-286)

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today that it is necessary to extend the term of certain portions of the Microsoft final judgment by at least two years. The Department said that an extension is necessary due to Microsoft’s difficulty in improving the technical documentation it provides to licensees. (Read more)

Former Federal Computer Security Specialist Sentenced for Hacking Department of Education Computer (06-285)

WASHINGTON – Kenneth Kwak, 34, of Chantilly, Va., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth to five months in prison followed by five months of home confinement, based upon Kwak’s conviction for gaining unauthorized access to and obtaining information from a Department of Education computer system, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Missouri Wood Treater Fined for Hazardous Waste Violations (06-284)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal court in Missouri has ordered Timber Industries, Inc. to pay a penalty of more than $225,000 for illegal disposal of hazardous wastes at its wood treatment facility, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Reaches Agreement to Resolve Potential Competitive Issues of Mittal Steel’s Acquisition of Arcelor (06-283)

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced that it has reached an agreement with Mittal Steel Company N.V. regarding its offer to acquire Arcelor S.A. The agreement would resolve possible antitrust concerns in the event that the Antitrust Division concludes the combination of Mittal and Arcelor raises anticompetitive concerns. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Election in Texas (06-282)

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department today announced that on May 13, 2006 it will monitor the joint municipal and school district election in Ector County, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Former HBO Executive Admits Making False Statements and Violating Probation (06-281)

WASHINGTON — A former Home Box Office Inc. (HBO) executive admitted yesterday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that she made false statements to her probation officer and violated a court ordered home confinement portion of her probation sentence by conducting business activities outside her home, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Florida Man Arrested For Allegedly Arranging Trips For Men To Have Sex With Underage Girls In Honduras (06-280)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Florida man has been arrested for allegedly arranging for men in the United States to travel to Honduras to have sex with young teenage girls, (Read more)

$3.5 Million Settlement with City of Dallas Requires Increased City Effort to Keep Stormwater Sewers Clean (06-279)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The City of Dallas, Texas has reached an agreement with the federal government requiring the City to spend in excess of $3.5 million in a comprehensive effort to decrease the amount of pollution entering the city’s stormwater system, the Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)

Clean Air Act Settlement to Eliminate Almost 29,000 Tons of Harmful Emissions in Virginia and Maryland (06-278)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a joint federal-state settlement, Mirant Mid-Atlantic (Mirant) has agreed to eliminate nearly 29,000 tons of harmful pollution each year generated by its four electricity generating plants in Maryland and Virginia. The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland worked jointly on this enforcement action, which will reduce significantly output of nitrogen oxides (NOx) throughout the region. (Read more)

Former Lobbyist Neil Volz Pleads Guilty To Corruption And Fraud Conspiracy (06-277)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former lobbyist Neil G. Volz has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring with Jack Abramoff, Michael Scanlon, Tony Rudy and others to commit honest services fraud and to violate the federal one-year lobbying ban, (Read more)

International Competition Network Conference Finalizes Merger Guidelines Workbook to Improve Merger Review Analyses, Establishes Unilateral Conduct Working Group (06-276)

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced today that at the conclusion of the International Competition Network (ICN) conference in Cape Town, South Africa, significant accomplishments were made, including the completion of a Merger Guidelines Workbook and a new agenda that includes a working group on unilateral conduct. (Read more)

Corpus Christi Day Cruise, Ltd. Sentenced for Obstructing U.S. Coast Guard Investigation (06-275)

WASHINGTON—Corpus Christi Day Cruise, Ltd., operator of the M/V Texas Treasure, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to pay $300,000 in criminal penalties half of which will go towards a community service program to benefit waters off of Corpus Christi and to serve four years of probation, the Justice Department announced. The ship’s chief engineer, Gojko Petovic, was also sentenced to three years of supervised probation. (Read more)

West Virginia Real Estate Commission Permits Real Estate Brokers to Offer Rebates and Other Discounts (06-274)

WASHINGTON — In response to a Department of Justice antitrust investigation, the West Virginia Real Estate Commission has rescinded a regulation that prohibited West Virginia real estate brokers from offering rebates, inducements and other discounts to consumers. (Read more)

Court Bars Mississippi Man from Participating in Tax Return Preparation Business (06-272)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has permanently barred Ray Robert Ladner, of Pass Christian, Mississippi, from acting as an income tax return preparer. (Read more)

Businessman Pleads Guilty To Paying Bribes To U.S. Congressman (06-269)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A businessman who paid bribes to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives has pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to commit bribery and the payment of bribes to a public official, (Read more)

Idaho Transportation Department and Contractor to Pay Total of $895,000 to Settle Federal Storm Water Discharge Claims (06-261)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and contractor Scarsella Brothers, Inc. have agreed to pay $895,000 for violations of the Clean Water Act during the construction of the Bellgrove-Mica realignment of Highway 95 near Lake Coeur d'Alene in Northern Idaho, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Reaches Settlement Regarding Conditions at Four California Mental Health Facilities (06-268)

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the state of California concerning civil rights violations at four California State Hospitals. (Read more)

Three Convicted in Tax Fraud Scheme (06-267)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After an 11-week trial and ten day of deliberations, a federal jury in San Diego found Susan E. O’Brien, a professional tax preparer, and two others guilty of tax crimes, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Undertakes Major Initiative to Educate State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies about the ADA (06-266)

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department announced today a major three-part initiative to help state and local law enforcement agencies understand their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (Read more)

FACT SHEET Project Safe Neighborhoods: America’s Network Against Gun Violence (06-263)

The Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy for combating gun crime involves five elements: partnerships, strategic planning, training, outreach and accountability. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Highlights Achievements Under Project Safe Neighborhoods and New Initiatives on Combating Gang Violence (06-262)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales highlighted the significant accomplishments of federal, state and local officials in combating gang violence and reducing gun crime through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) before more than 1,300 members of PSN task forces from across the nation in Denver today. (Read more)

Justice Department Sues Alabama Over Voting Rights (06-265)

WASHINGTON—The Justice Department announced today that it has filed suit against the state of Alabama, alleging violations of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). With this lawsuit, Alabama becomes the second state in the nation to be sued by the Department of Justice for not complying with the database requirements of HAVA, after New York. (Read more)

Sami Al-Arian Sentenced To 57 Months In Prison For Assisting Terrorist Group (06-260)

WASHINGTON—Sami Amin Al-Arian has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for conspiring to violate a federal law that prohibits making or receiving contributions of funds, goods or services to, or for the benefit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a Specially Designated Terrorist, (Read more)