Justice Department Obtains Over $1 Million Settlement in Major Disability Discrimination Suit Involving 49 Apartment Complexes In Seven States (05-515)

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with a developer and several architectural firms in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Nebraska, resolving two lawsuits that alleged disability related housing discrimination. Under the agreement, the developer and architectural firms have agreed to retrofit 49 apartment complexes and pay $1,060,000. (Read more)

Two Reno-Area Accountants Plead Guilty to Tax Crimes in Connection With Client's Use of Abusive Offshore Scheme (05-512)

Roger Steele, a Carson City, Nevada accountant, pleaded guilty to preparing a false individual income tax return which was then filed with the IRS, and his wife, Kimberly Steele, a Reno, Nevada accountant, pleaded guilty to attempting to obstruct an IRS audit, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine. United States District Judge Larry R. Hicks scheduled sentencing for Roger Steele on December 29, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. and for Kimberly Steele on March 16, 2006, 9:00 A.M. (Read more)

Florida Electrical Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty To Bid Rigging on Electrical Construction Contracts (05-511)

A Florida electrical contractor today was charged with conspiring to rig bids with respect to construction contracts in support of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program supported by the United States Air Force. The contractor has agreed to plead guilty and pay a criminal fine of $175,000. (Read more)

Virginia Developer Agrees to Restore Destroyed Wetlands (05-510)

Newdunn Associates LLP, and its contractors, Orion Associates and Northwest Contractors (Newdunn) have reached settlements with the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, which will require the firms to completely restore the approximately 26 acres of wetlands in Newport News, VA, the Department of Justice, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced today. The settlements resolve allegations that Newdunn violated the Clean Water Act (CWA). (Read more)

President George W. Bush Granted Pardons (05-509)

President George W. Bush granted pardons to the following 14 individuals: (Read more)

MEDIA ADVISORY
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to Deliver Remarks At the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Hispanic Heritage Month Gala (05-507)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales will deliver remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute’s Hispanic Heritage Month Gala, on WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2005 at 8:40 P.M. EDT. (Read more)

St. Petersburg Resident Pleads Guilty To Violating the Endangered Species Act (05-506)

Ralph Edward Williamson of St. Petersburg, Florida, has pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of violating the Endangered Species Act, the Department of Justice announced today. Williamson was charged by a federal grand jury in March 2005 with one felony count of conspiring to violate the Endangered Species Act, to commit false statements, to import plants contrary to law and to violate Plant Protection and Quarantine requirements. He was further charged in the indictment with two counts of smuggling and two misdemeanor counts of violating the Endangered Species Act. The guilty plea was entered pursuant to a plea agreement, allowing Williamson to plea to one broader misdemeanor offense. (Read more)

Federal Court Permanently Bars Two Florida Men From Promoting Tax-Fraud Scams (05-505)

A federal court in Tampa, Florida has permanently barred Carel A. "Chad" Prater and his associate, Richard Cantwell, both of Sarasota, from promoting tax-fraud scams that allegedly have cost the federal treasury nearly $18 million, the Justice Department announced today. In entering the permanent injunction, Judge Steven D. Merryday of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida also ordered that a copy of the injunction prominently be displayed on any website Prater maintains. (Read more)

Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Announce Expedited Antitrust Procedure and Guidance for Post-Hurricane Relief Efforts (05-504)

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced antitrust guidance and an expedited procedure for collaborations of businesses working to rebuild communities affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Election in Massachusetts (05-503)

The Justice Department today announced that it will send federal observers and Civil Rights Division personnel to monitor the September 27 municipal preliminary election in Boston, Massachusetts, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Catherine Jane Stubbs Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Kill U.S. Attorney in Oregon in 1985 (05-502)

Catherine Jane Stubbs has pleaded guilty to conspiring in 1985 to kill the then-United States Attorney for Oregon, Charles H. Turner, the Department of Justice announced today. At that time, Stubbs, aka Ma Shanti Bhadra, aka Catherine Jane Stork was a member of an international religious cult headed by the late Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Bhagwan) and headquartered on a 64,000 acre commune in Oregon. The guilty plea took place in Portland, Oregon, before U. S. District Judge Malcolm F. Marsh. Stubbs also pleaded guilty to violating federal firearms law in regard to her role in the purchase of weapons to be used to kill Mr. Turner. The court could impose any sentence up to life imprisonment in this case. (Read more)

Hedge Fund Manager Will Pay Civil Penalty for Violating Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Requirements (05-500)

A Connecticut hedge fund manager has agreed to pay a $350,000 civil penalty to settle charges that he violated premerger reporting requirements, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

MEDIA ADVISORY
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to Deliver Remarks at International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in Miami (05-499)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales will deliver remarks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in Miami, Florida on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 at 10:30 A.M. EDT. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Appointment of Kyle Sampson as Chief of Staff (05-497)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced the appointment of D. Kyle Sampson to serve as Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice. Sampson will succeed Theodore W. Ullyot, who will step down from the position to return to the private sector. (Read more)

Justice Department Announces Safety For Indian Women From Sexual Assault Offenders Demonstration Initiative Sites (05-496)

The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding over $900,000 to four tribes chosen under the Safety for Indian Women from Sexual Assault Offenders Demonstration Initiative. This initiative is the latest effort by the Department's Office on Violence Against Women to enhance the response of tribal and federal agencies to the high rates of sexual assault against Indian women. (Read more)

Illinois Man Indicted for Criminal Violation Of the Clean Water Act (05-495)

An Illinois man was indicted by a federal grand jury for a criminal violation of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced today. David Inskeep, who formerly managed and operated the Inwood Dairy, located in Elmwood, Illinois, is charged with one count of knowingly discharging pollutants into waters of the United States without a permit. (Read more)

Justice Department Sues to Stop Georgia Man From Promoting Alleged Tax-Fraud Scheme (05-494)

The Justice Department today asked a federal court in Georgia to stop Derrick Sanders, of Atlanta, from promoting an alleged tax-fraud scheme involving false claims that Native Americans are exempt from federal income taxes. The government’s civil injunction complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta, also seeks a court order requiring Sanders to give the Justice Department his customers’ names, mailing and e-mail addresses, and telephone and Social Security numbers. (Read more)

Medicare Contractor to Pay U.S. $6 Million For Overcharging Federal Government (05-492)

AdminaStar Federal, Inc. will pay the United States $6 million to resolve allegations that the company interfered with Medicare evaluations and overcharged the federal healthcare program, Assistant Attorney General Peter D. Keisler, head of the Department of Justice's Civil Division, and David L. Huber, the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, announced today. AdminaStar Federal, a subsidiary of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. headquartered in Indianapolis, provides contractual services for administration of certain aspects of the Medicare program. (Read more)

Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Bar Nevada Man From Preparing Tax Returns for Others (05-493)

The Justice Department today asked a Nevada federal court to bar Larry P. Goodyke, of Henderson, Nevada, from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The civil injunction complaint, filed today in Las Vegas, alleges that Goodyke and his businesses, Consultants by 5 and PC Computerz Tax Service, prepared for customers in 28 states at least 475 federal income tax returns falsely claiming either that the internal revenue laws did not require his customers to report wage income and file tax returns or that wage income is deductible from taxable income. The lawsuit also seeks a court order requiring Goodyke to give the Justice Department his customers' names, mail and e-mail addresses, and telephone and Social Security numbers. (Read more)

GlaxoSmithKline Pays $150 Million To Settle Drug Pricing Fraud Case (05-489)

GlaxoSmithKline has paid over $150 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act through fraudulent drug pricing and marketing of two anti-emetic drugs, Zofran and Kytril, used primarily in conjunction with oncology and radiation treatment, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Motiva Enterprises Settles Federal-State Lawsuit Resulting from Explosion At Delaware City Refinery (05-488)

Motiva Enterprises LLC (Motiva) has agreed to pay $12 million to settle a joint federal-state civil lawsuit arising from a catastrophic explosion in 2001 at the company's former Delaware City refinery that killed one employee, injured several others, and caused a massive discharge of spent sulfuric acid from a ruptured tank, the Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of Delaware announced today. (Read more)

Former GSA Official Charged with Making False Statements, Obstructing Federal Investigation (05-490)

A former General Services Administration (GSA) official was arrested on charges of making false statements and obstructing an investigation by the GSA's Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG), Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

U.S. Army Contracting Director, Two Other Individuals Arrested in Connection With Bribery and Kickback Scheme (05-484)

A civilian U.S. Department of Army Director of Contracting and two other individuals have been arrested in New York and Indiana on charges of participating in a scheme to pay bribes to a public official and take kickbacks in connection with U.S. Army contracts awarded from an Army recreational facility in Germany, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

Office Depot Pays United States $4.75 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations (05-483)

Office Depot, Inc. has paid the United States $4.75 million to settle allegations that it submitted false claims when it sold office supply products manufactured in countries not permitted by the Trade Agreements Act to United States government agencies, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Ted Ullyot to Step Down as Chief of Staff (05-486)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced that Chief of Staff Theodore W. Ullyot will step down from his position in October to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. (Read more)

Two CPA's Sentenced in $120 Million International Tax Shelter Case (05-485)

The Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that Chief U.S. District Court Judge John C. Coughenour sentenced two Anderson's Ark & Associates (AAA) accountants for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of fraudulent income tax returns. Tara LaGrand, of Naples, Florida, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Lynden Bridges, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. (Read more)

Maryland Man Arrested on Charges of Providing Material Support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (05-482)

A Maryland man has been arrested on charges of providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a designated foreign terrorist organization, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty of the Eastern District of Virginia announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Voting Rights Lawsuit Against City of Boston (05-481)

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the City of Boston, Massachusetts that resolves the Department's recently filed lawsuit alleging certain discriminatory treatment of minority-language voters and general non-compliance with the minority-language requirements of the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Jury Convicts Houston Public Works Employee on Tax Fraud (05-480)

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced that, following a three-day trial, a federal jury today convicted Jerome J. Harris of willfully preparing fraudulent income tax returns for his clients. United States District Judge Nancy Atlas scheduled sentencing for December 5, 2005. (Read more)

Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the Pledge of Allegiance Case: (05-479)

"For more than two hundred years, many of our expressions of national identity and patriotism have referenced God. The Supreme Court, which opens each session by saying ‘God save the United States and this honorable Court,’ has affirmed time and again that such official acknowledgments of our Nation’s religious heritage, foundation, and character are constitutional. The Department of Justice will continue vigorously to defend the ability of American schoolchildren to pledge allegiance to the flag." (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Against Spokane, Washington Developer and Architectural Firm (05-478)

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with a developer and an architectural firm in Spokane, Washington, resolving a lawsuit that alleged disability related housing discrimination. Under the agreement, the developer and architectural firm have agreed to retrofit 10 apartment complexes in Spokane and pay $540,000. (Read more)

Justice Department/Federal Trade Commission to Host Joint Workshop on Competition Policy and the Real Estate Industry (05-477)

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that they will host a joint workshop entitled “Competition Policy and the Real Estate Industry.” Prompted by the substantial changes in the real estate brokerage marketplace and consumers’ interest in a competitive real estate brokerage industry, the workshop will cover such topics as new and innovative brokerage business models, multiple listing services, and the implications of state-imposed minimum-service requirements. (Read more)

U.S. Announces Clean Air Agreement With Nation's Largest Hazardous Waste Treatment And Disposal Operator (05-476)

The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services that is expected to enhance calculating and reporting on benzene emissions from North America’s largest operator of hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities. This settlement involves 10 facilities in eight states. It confirms the proper industry standard for compliance with the Clean Air Act regulation that limits benzene emissions from facilities that treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste. (Read more)

Self-Proclaimed “Tax Law Specialist” in Ohio is Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison (05-469)

The Justice Department announced today that Joseph W. Flickinger was sentenced yesterday to a total of 70 months in prison, followed by a term of three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution to his investment fraud victims, for committing conspiracy and mail and wire fraud offenses in connection with his tax preparation business, American Financial. (Read more)

Dutch Citizen Indicted in Terrorism Conspiracy Against Americans in Iraq (05-468)

An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen has been indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C. for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to attack Americans based in Iraq, Assistant Attorney Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Wainstein of the District of Columbia announced today. These are the first U.S. criminal charges connected to terrorist activities in Iraq. (Read more)

Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the Padilla Decision: (05-467)

The Department of Justice is pleased that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has reaffirmed the President's critical authority to detain enemy combatants who take up arms on behalf of al Qaeda and travel to the United States to kill innocent Americans. As the court noted today, the authority to detain enemy combatants like Jose Padilla plays an important role in protecting American citizens from the very kind of savage attack that took place almost four years ago to the day. (Read more)

Five Defendants Convicted of Tax Crimes In Connection with Promotion of Abusive Trust Scheme (05-465)

Five persons associated with Innovative Financial Consultants (IFC) were convicted of tax crimes in connection with the promotion of a tax evasion scheme utilizing abusive trusts called “pure trust organizations,” the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Today’s convictions resulted after a six-week trial that was prosecuted by attorneys in the Justice Department’s Tax Division. (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Charges Against District of Columbia Fire Department (05-464)

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the District of Columbia regarding pregnancy-related discrimination in the District’s Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (FEMSD). The complaint alleged that individuals seeking employment as emergency medical technicians with the FEMSD were required to undergo a pre-hiring pregnancy test, with subsequent employment offers contingent on a negative test result. The complaint further alleged that, once hired, emergency medical technicians were advised by FEMSD management that any technician who became pregnant during her first year of employment would be in jeopardy of losing her job. (Read more)

Grand Jury Indicts “Survivor” Winner Richard Hatch on Charges of Tax Evasion And Defrauding Charitable Contributors (05-463)

A federal grand jury in Providence, Rhode Island, today indicted Richard Hatch, of Newport, on charges of tax evasion and fraudulently using charitable donations for personal expenses. In a 10-count indictment, the grand jury alleges that Hatch, winner of the first Survivor reality television series, failed to report about $1,037,000 income from Survivor and about $391,000 income from a half-dozen other sources. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Outlines Anti-Fraud Priorities to Protect the Integrity of Relief Efforts in Hurricane Katrina-Stricken Region (05-462)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales travels to Mississippi and Louisiana today with Vice President Dick Cheney to tour areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina and outline priorities for the newly established Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute disaster-related federal crimes such as charity fraud and insurance fraud. (Read more)

Justice Department Sues National Association of Realtors for Limiting Competition Among Real Estate Brokers (05-461)

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today filed a lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors (NAR), challenging a policy that obstructs real estate brokers who use innovative Internet-based tools to offer better services and lower costs to consumers. The Department said that NAR’s policy prevents consumers from receiving the full benefits of competition and threatens to lock in outmoded business models and discourage discounting. (Read more)

Las Vegas Tax-Return Preparer Arrested (05-460)

The Justice Department announced today that the U.S. Marshals Service has arrested Jeffrey Dean Hubacek, a former Las Vegas tax-return preparer, for civil contempt of court. In June, a federal court in Nevada ordered Hubacek’s arrest after he failed to comply with a federal court order requiring him to provide the Justice Department his customers’ names, mailing and e-mail addresses, and phone and Social Security numbers. (Read more)

Division of McWane, Inc. Sentenced to $4.25 Million in Criminal Fines & Community Service Related to Worker Safety, Environmental Crime (05-458)

Union Foundry Company, a division of McWane, Inc., a corporation which operates iron foundries at various locations across the country, was sentenced yesterday to $4.25 million in criminal fines and community service after pleading guilty to a two-count information in the Northern District of Alabama, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. The guilty pleas and sentence resulted from the investigation of worker safety and environmental violations at the Union Foundry facility in Anniston, Alabama. The violations named in the two-count information, which was unsealed last week, related to the operation of the facility from December 1997 to August 2000. (Read more)

Federal Court Bars North Carolina Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (05-457)

The Justice Department announced today that a North Carolina federal court has barred William Jackson Connor, Jr., of Kernersville, North Carolina, from preparing tax returns for others. In entering the permanent injunction order, Judge James A. Beaty, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, in Greensboro, also ordered Connor to notify his customers of the injunction and to provide the government his customers’ names, mailing and e-mail addresses, and telephone and Social Security numbers. The injunction also prohibits Connor from advising or assisting anyone in the preparation of a federal tax return, and from owning or working for a tax-preparation business. (Read more)

Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the Death of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist (05-456)

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. On behalf of the entire Department of Justice, I offer our condolences to his children and the Rehnquist family. We join the President and the American people in mourning the death of this great jurist and public servant." (Read more)

Justice Department Requires Two Digital Jukebox Companies To End Illegal Agreement (05-455)

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require two digital jukebox companies--NSM Music Group Ltd. (NSM) and Ecast Inc. (Ecast)--to terminate an illegal agreement under which NSM agreed not to enter the U.S. market with a digital jukebox to compete with Ecast. The Department said that requiring the companies to end their non-compete agreement is necessary to restore U.K.-based NSM’s ability to offer its own digital jukebox in the United States. (Read more)

FACT SHEET: Clean Air Act Settlement With Cargill, Inc. (05-449)

Over the past several years, the Justice Department and EPA have taken an industry-wide approach to environmental law enforcement, by targeting industries with significant compliance problems, including those that have been major sources of air pollution. A chief component of these enforcement actions is compelling companies in violation of the law to install state-of-the-art pollution controls and to build new facilities with controls in place. Recent successes include major settlement agreements with the wood products industry, refineries, and coal utilities sectors. With today’s landmark Clean Air Act settlement with grain industry giant Cargill, Inc., 81 percent of uncontrolled ethanol production capacity-those facilities without controls already in place-will now be under federal consent decrees. (Read more)

Federal, Multi-State Clean Air Act Settlement With Cargill, Inc. Secures Major Pollution Reductions (05-448)

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a multi-state Clean Air Act settlement with Cargill, Inc. (Cargill), which will result in a reduction of approximately 30,000 tons of pollution a year and set new standards for limiting harmful emissions from specialty oilseed plants. Cargill is a multi-state agribusiness that owns and operates 27 plants which process corn, wheat, soybeans, and other oilseeds into value-added products used in the food, feed, and ethanol industries. (Read more)