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January 31, 2006 |
Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the Confirmation of Samuel A. Alito, Jr.: (06-053)
"Samuel Alito is one of our Nation's most outstanding judges, and I commend the
Senate for confirming him as the 110th Justice of the Supreme Court. His
reputation for fairness and integrity is well known, as is his commitment to the
rule of law. I am confident that as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,
he will continue to serve our Nation with the same dedication and excellence
that has distinguished his nearly 30 years of public service." (Read more) |
Former Bank Of China Managers And Their Wives Indicted For Stealing More Than $485 Million, Laundering Money Through Las Vegas Casinos (06-052)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal grand jury in Las Vegas has indicted two former
managers of the Bank of China, their wives, and a relative of one of the couples
on charges of racketeering, money laundering and fraud, Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel G.
Bogden of the District of Nevada announced today. (Read more) |
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty In Prosecution Of Major International Spam Operation (06-051)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A California man has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting
others to violate the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 – a federal law designed to crack
down on the transmission of bulk, unsolicited commercial electronic mail
messages – Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division
and U.S. Attorney Paul K. Charlton of the District of Arizona announced today. (Read more) |
David Race Bannon Arrested in Colorado (06-049)
Washington, D.C. – David Race Bannon, who claims to have worked for Interpol as
a “hit man,” was arrested on Friday, January 27, in Boulder, Colorado for
criminal impersonation. Bannon is the author of Race Against Evil - - The
Secret Missions of the Interpol Agent Who Tracked the World’s Most Sinister
Criminals. (Read more) |
Former Harbor Island Smelter Operator to Pay $8.5 Million in Superfund Cleanup Costs (06-047)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – RSR Corporation and its subsidiaries, Quemetco, Inc. and QRI,
Inc., (RSR) have agreed to pay $8.5 million to resolve RSR’s liability for
cleanup costs relating to the contamination of Harbor Island, the Justice
Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more) |
January 30, 2006 |
D.C. Property Owner, Managing Agent Agree to Pay $45,000 as Part of
Settlement of Justice Department Housing Discrimination Lawsuit (06-050)
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement
with the owner and managing agent of the Sulgrave Manor Apartments in
Washington, D.C., resolving a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department alleging
discrimination against persons with disabilities. According to the complaint,
which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the
defendants refused to rent an apartment to a visually-impaired man who used a
guide dog. (Read more) |
Japanese Company Agrees To Plead Guilty To Participating In Dram Price- Fixing Conspiracy (06-048)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Elpida Memory Inc. (Elpida), a Japanese manufacturer of
dynamic random access memory (DRAM), has agreed to plead guilty and to pay an
$84 million fine for participating in an international conspiracy to fix prices
in the DRAM market, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more) |
Company to Pay $11.8 Million in Compensation for
PCB-Damaged Fishery and Habitat (06-046)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger),
headquartered in Texas, has agreed to pay $11.8 million to federal and state
agencies for injuries to natural resources caused by the presence of
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s) in the Twelvemile Creek, Lake Hartwell and
surrounding areas, the Justice Department announced today. Schlumberger will
also spend an additional $8 to 10 million to purchase and remove two
hydroelectric dams on Twelvemile Creek, and to conduct stream restoration
activities. (Read more) |
January 27, 2006 |
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges (06-043)
WASHINGTON D.C. – A Virginia man has pleaded guilty to multiple charges
involving the sexual exploitation of minor boys and the operation of child
pornography websites, 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) |
Foreign Nationals Charged with Attempting to Provide
Material Support to Terrorists and Alien Smuggling (06-042)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ten foreign nationals have been indicted by a federal grand
jury in Miami on charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign
terrorist organization and alien smuggling, Assistant Attorney General Alice S.
Fisher of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the
Southern District of Florida and Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary for U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today. (Read more) |
January 26, 2006 |
Former Wilson County, Tennessee Corrections Officers
Convicted of Civil Rights Charges (06-041)
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Two former Wilson County, Tennessee corrections officers were
convicted in federal court of violating the civil rights of detainees at the
Wilson County Jail in Lebanon, Tennessee the Justice Department announced today.
One defendant was acquitted. (Read more) |
Justice Department Reaches Settlement Regarding
Conditions at New York Nursing Home (06-040)
WASHINGTON, D.C.–The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a
settlement agreement with the Nassau Health Care Corporation (NHCC), a New York
public benefit corporation, resolving the Department’s investigation of
conditions and services at the
A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility, a 889-bed nursing home operated by
NHCC in Uniondale, New York. (Read more) |
Six Current And Former U.S. Soldiers and Law Enforcement Officials and Two Civilians Agree to Plead Guilty to Participating in Bribery and Extortion Conspiracy (06-039)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Six additional current and former U.S. soldiers and law
enforcement officials and two civilians have agreed to plead guilty to
participating in a widespread bribery and extortion conspiracy which operated
from January 2002 through March 2004, Assistant Attorney General Alice S.
Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
Virginia Businessman Receives Jail Sentence for Using False Asbestos Training Certificates to Obtain Contracts for Removal Jobs in Public Buildings (06-038)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nicanor Lotuaco—a Virginia business man—has been sentenced to
five months in jail, followed by five months home detention and three years
supervised release, for conspiracy to defraud the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Small
Business Administration (SBA), the Justice Department announced today. In
addition, the Honorable Judge Jerome B. Friedman in Norfolk, Virginia, sentenced
Lotuaco to a fine of $1 million. (Read more) |
January 25, 2006 |
Los Angeles Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Jail
For Mishandling Hazardous Waste (06-037)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Behzad Kahoolyzadeh, a west Los Angeles man, was sentenced to
37 months in jail and forced to pay $1.29 million in cleanup costs for
conspiracy to improperly store and transport dangerous chemicals, primarily the
dry cleaning solvent perchloroethylene (PERC), the Justice Department announced
today.
(Read more) |
January 24, 2006 |
Former Campaign Manager Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Congressional Campaign (06-036)
WASHINGTON, DC – Jack Thomas, former campaign manager for the Robert Lamutt for
Congress Committee (RLCC), pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud before U.S.
District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina in the District of Columbia today, announced
Alice Fisher, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the
Department of Justice. (Read more) |
"Institute of Global Prosperity" Co-Founder
Apprehended and Arrested for Tax Evasion (06-017)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - David Alan Struckman, co-founder of the “Institute of Global
Prosperity” (Global Prosperity)—an organization that sold audiotapes, CD’s and
tickets to offshore seminars on “wealth-building” strategies—was deported from
Panama and is in United States custody, the Justice Department announced today.
Struckman was indicted in May 2004 for conspiring to defraud the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) and has been in custody since January 10, 2006, when he
was arrested by Panamanian authorities with the assistance of the Regional
Security Office of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service
(DSS) at the U.S. Embassy in Panama. (Read more) |
January 23, 2006 |
Federal Court Approves $11 Million Settlement
to Resolve Claims at North Ridge Estates Asbestos Site (06-032)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – MBK Partnership—an Oregon general partnership of local real
estate developers—along with its partners and related business entities (MBK),
have entered into a consent decree to resolve a long-running dispute involving
homeowners in Klamath Falls, Oregon, the Justice Department and Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more) |
January 20, 2006 |
Eleven Defendants Indicted on Domestic Terrorism Charges (06-030)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Eleven defendants have been indicted on charges including
arson and destruction of an energy facility for allegedly participating in a
campaign of domestic terrorism in five western states on behalf of the extremist
Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) movements. (Read more) |
Firstenergy Nuclear Operating Company to Pay $28 Million
Relating to Operation of Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station (06-029)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), has agreed
to pay $28 million in penalties, restitution, and community service projects as
part of an agreement to defer prosecution of the company, the Justice Department
announced today. Under the terms of the deferred prosecution agreement, FENOC
admits that the government can prove that its employees, acting on its behalf,
knowingly made false representations to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
in the course of attempting to persuade the NRC that its Davis–Besse Nuclear
Power Station was safe to operate beyond December 31, 2001. Prasoon Goyal, a
design engineer, also accepted and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement
with the government. (Read more) |
Deadline for Americans with New Property Claims Against the Government of Cuba to file in the Second Cuban Claims Program is February 13 (06-025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The filing deadline for any new property claims against the
Government of Cuba is February 13, 2006, Mauricio Tamargo, Chairman of the
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, reminded the public today. Under the
Second Cuban Claims Program, the Commission is authorized to receive claims of
U.S. citizens or corporations against the Government of Cuba for the loss of
real and personal property taken after May 1, 1967. (Read more) |
January 19, 2006 |
Commercial Fishing Vessel’s Captain Pleads Guilty to Smuggling
Thousands of Pounds of Red Snapper Into the United States (06-028)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Hoang Nguyen, captain of the Galveston, Texas-based
commercial fishing vessel Thanh Tam, pleaded guilty in federal court to
illegally importing red snapper, the Justice Department announced today. Nguyen
and his crewmembers had caught and retained the fish in violation of the
Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson–Stevens Act).
Both Nguyen and a crewmember were indicted by a grand jury in Houston, Texas on
November 23, 2005 for offenses surrounding the illegal importation of red
snapper in 2004 and 2005. The illegal importation charge carries a maximum
penalty of five years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. (Read more) |
Justice Department Announces Agreement with the Owners of Huntsville Speedway to Ensure Access for People with Disabilities (06-026)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement
with past and current owners of Huntsville Speedway, resolving an investigation
into allegations that the race track is inaccessible to spectators and racers
with disabilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Read more) |
January 18, 2006 |
Conagra Foods Sentenced for Violating the Clean Water Act (06-024)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - ConAgra Foods, Inc., the owner and operator of a food
ingredient and flour mill in Hastings, Minnesota, was sentenced for violating
the Clean Water Act, the Department of Justice announced today. U.S. District
Court Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced ConAgra Foods, Inc., to pay a criminal fine
of $138,513 and provide $55,000 in community service to the National Park
Foundation as well as $55,000 in community service to the Friends of the
Mississippi River. ConAgra was also sentenced to pay $1,487 in restitution to
the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). (Read more) |
Former Salvadoran Official Sentenced to 29 Years (06-023)
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Former Salvadoran Congressman William Eliu Martinez was
sentenced today to 29 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Michael M.
Mihm in the District of Columbia. (Read more) |
Colorado Tax Fraud Promoter Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison (06-022)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tax fraud promoter Paul D. Harris was sentenced in U.S.
District Court in Denver to five and one-half years in prison, followed by three
years of supervised release, in connection with his role in an organization
called Tower Executive Resources, the Department of Justice and the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Harris was also ordered to pay more than
$10,000 towards the costs of prosecution. (Read more) |
Rockford Man Permanently Barred from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others (06-021)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Justice Department announced today that a federal court
has permanently barred Guadalupe Valdez, of Rockford, Illinois, from preparing
federal income tax returns for others. The permanent injunction, to which
Valdez consented, was entered by Judge Philip G. Reinhard of the U.S. District
Court for the Northern District of Illinois. (Read more) |
Ninth Defendant in Multi-District Public Corruption Probe
Pleads Guilty to Mail and Wire Fraud (06-020)
WASHINGTON – Floyd Gary Thacker, 50, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to one count of
conspiracy to engage in honest services mail and wire fraud before U.S. District
Judge David Hittner in the Southern District of Texas, Assistant Attorney
General Alice Fisher of the Justice Department's Criminal Division announced
today. Thacker is the owner of Thacker Operating Company, an Atlanta-based
construction and building services company which provided energy-related
services for municipal governments in Houston and Atlanta. (Read more) |
January 17, 2006 |
Fur Brokers Indicted in Bid-Rigging Conspiracy (06-019)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Alaska Brokerage International Inc., a U.S.-based brokerage
firm dealing in the purchase and sale of unprocessed fur pelts, and one of its
auction representatives were indicted today by a federal grand jury for
participating in a bid-rigging conspiracy involving the sale of otter pelts, the
Department of Justice announced. (Read more) |
Statement of Tasia Scolinos, Director Of Public Affairs, on the Supreme Court’s Decision in Gonzales v. Oregon (06-018)
"We are disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision today in Gonzales v.
Oregon, which permits physicians in Oregon to use federally-controlled
substances to aid their patient's suicide efforts. The Department of Justice
remains committed to enforcing our Nation's laws and ensuring that drugs are not
diverted to unlawful uses." (Read more) |
January 13, 2006 |
Justice Department Files Class Action Lawsuit Against American
Airlines to Defend Employment Rights of Military Pilots (06-015)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Justice today announced the filing of a
lawsuit against American Airlines, Inc., alleging violations of the Uniformed
Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). This lawsuit
represents the first class action complaint filed by the United States under
USERRA. (Read more) |
January 12, 2006 |
Fact Sheet: Department of Justice
Family Justice Center Initiative
(06-014)
Domestic violence is a serious problem affecting women, men and children of all
backgrounds. President Bush is committed to preventing domestic violence, and in
order to address the effects of domestic violence on all Americans, he has
secured historic levels of funding for the Violence Against Women programs at
the Department of Justice. The Bush Administration is committed to zero
tolerance towards domestic violence. (Read more) |
January 11, 2006 |
Former Sheriff of Jefferson County, Alabama and Private Attorney
Convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud the Government and Theft (06-013)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal jury in the Northern District of Alabama, Southern
Division, convicted Jimmy Woodward, the former Jefferson County Sheriff, and
Albert Jordan, a partner with the law firm of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt,
L.L.C., on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and theft of
government property, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal
Division announced today.
(Read more) |
Federal Court Bars Tax-Refund Fraud and Misappropriation
By Two Florida Tax-Return Preparers (06-012)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Justice Department announced today that a federal court
in Ft. Lauderdale has barred two Florida tax preparers, Jean-Marie Boucicaut and
Marie Thelemarque, from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The
government complaint alleges that while the two are from Orlando, their scheme
is targeted at immigrants from Haiti in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. (Read more) |
Federal Court Orders AMC Movie Theater Chain to Improve
Wheelchair Seating at AMC Theaters Nationwide (06-010)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department today announced the resolution of a
lawsuit against American Multi-Cinema, Inc. and AMC Entertainment Inc.,
operators of one of the nation's largest chains of movie theaters, filed under
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). On January 10, Judge Florence-Marie
Cooper of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ordered
AMC to remedy violations at AMC movie theaters that do not provide access to the
stadium section for seating for individuals who use wheelchairs. (Read more) |
Former Congressional Legislative Assistant Brett M. Pfeffer
Pleads Guilty in Bribery Scheme (06-009)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A former legislative assistant to a member of the U.S.
Congress pleaded guilty in Alexandria, Virginia today to a two-count criminal
information charging him with conspiracy to commit bribery and aiding and
abetting the solicitation of bribes by a member of Congress, U.S. Attorney Paul
J. McNulty of the Eastern District of Virginia and Assistant Attorney General
Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
Puerto Rico Attorney Charged with
Obstruction of Justice (06-008)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A federal grand jury in Puerto Rico today indicted a San
Juan attorney for interfering with federal investigations into kickback schemes
used to defraud a Puerto Rico restaurant company, the Department of Justice
announced. (Read more) |
January 5, 2006 |
Chief Engineer Sentenced for Concealing Vessel Pollution (06-006)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Noel Abrogar, Chief Engineer of the M/V Magellan Phoenix, was
sentenced to imprisonment for one year and one day, and three years of probation
for falsifying records that attempted to conceal repeated overboard discharges
of oil waste from the ship, the Justice Department announced today. Abrogar
pleaded guilty on September 7, 2005 to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution
from Ships, based on his role in discharging oil sludge and oil-contaminated
bilge waste directly into the ocean from the M/V Magellan Phoenix and then
falsifying the ship’s records to cover up the discharges between December 2004
and March 2005. (Read more) |
Four New York Archdiocese Purchasing Representatives Indicted
on Fraud, Tax and Obstruction of Justice Charges (06-005)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against
four individuals for participating in self-dealing schemes that netted them more
than $2 million while acting as executives and purchasing representatives of the
Archdiocese of New York, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more) |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Appointment of Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordinator for Asia (06-004)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced the
appointment of an Intellectual Property Law Enforcement Coordinator (IPLEC) to
serve in Bangkok, Thailand and coordinate enforcement efforts in key areas of
Asia. (Read more) |
January 4, 2006 |
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion
in Multi-district Public Corruption Probe (06-003)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A New Orleans man previously convicted in a multi-state
public corruption probe has pleaded guilty in Louisiana to a charge of tax
evasion, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division
announced today. (Read more) |
January 3, 2006 |
Former Lobbyist Jack Abramoff Pleads Guilty to Charges
Involving Corruption, Fraud Conspiracy, and Tax Evasion (06-002)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former lobbyist Jack A. Abramoff has pleaded guilty to a
three-count information charging him with conspiracy, aiding and abetting honest
services mail fraud, and tax evasion, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher
of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
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