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May 29, 2009
North Dakota Executive Pleads Guilty
to Nine Counts of Tax Fraud on Eve of Trial (09-533)
Michael Fisher, owner of Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. Inc. (FSG), based in Dickinson, N.D., today pleaded guilty to nine felony counts of tax fraud. ( Read more)
Ohio and Michigan Tax Defiers Sentenced to Prison
for Tax Offenses (09-532)
Winfield Thomas, a resident of Carey, Ohio, and Jeanne Herrington, a resident of Parma, Mich., were sentenced today to prison for conspiracy and other tax charges. ( Read more)
Los Angeles Area Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Tax Evasion Used Frivolous Tax Defier Arguments (09-531)
Giancarlo Pertile was sentenced to prison for tax evasion yesterday afternoon. U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz sentenced Pertile, the former owner of Art Marble Design Inc., in Moorpark, Calif., to 60 months in federal prison and ordered Pertile to pay a fine of $75,000. In January 2009, Pertile was convicted by a Los Angeles federal jury of five counts of tax evasion for the years 1998 through 2002. ( Read more)
Eight Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation Gang Members Plead Guilty to Drug Conspiracy and Related Charges (09-530)
Eight members of the violent gang known as the "Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation" (ALKQN) have pleaded guilty to a variety of charges, including drug conspiracy and weapons trafficking. ( Read more)
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Trafficking in Illegally-Imported Sperm Whale Teeth (09-529)
A Massachusetts man has been charged in U.S. District Court in Boston with crimes related to the illegal importation and illegal trafficking of sperm whale teeth. On May 13, 2009, a federal grand jury sitting in Boston, returned an indictment that was unsealed today against David L. Place of Nantucket, Mass. ( Read more)
Justice Department Settles Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against the Board of Education of the City of Chicago (09-527)
The Department today has entered into a settlement agreement with the city of Chicagos Board of Education that, if approved and entered by the court, will resolve a complaint of pregnancy discrimination filed by the United States against the board under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. ( Read more)
Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Sheriff of Hendry County, Florida,
Alleging Pregnancy Discrimination (09-526)
The Department today has entered into a consent decree that, if approved by the U.S District Court in Fort Myers, Fla., will resolve its complaint against the Sheriff of Hendry County, Fla., and the Hendry County Board of County Commissioners. ( Read more)
Attorney General Announces Center to Fight
International Organized Crime (09-525)
Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced a new International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2) that will marshal the resources and information of nine U.S. law enforcement agencies, as well as federal prosecutors, to collectively combat the threats posed by international criminal organizations to domestic safety and security. ( Read more)
May 28, 2009
Another Commercial Fisherman Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Harvesting of Rockfish (09-524)
Keith A. Collins, a commercial fisherman licensed in Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md., to 13 months in prison for illegally overfishing striped bass also known as rockfish. He was also fined $4,500 and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $70,569 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to the benefit of the Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass Restoration Account. ( Read more)
Christine A. Varney to Participate in Eighth Annual International Competition Network Conference in Zurich, Switzerland (09-523)
Christine A. Varney, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Departments Antitrust Division, will participate in the eighth annual International Competition Network (ICN) conference in Zurich, Switzerland, from June 3-5, 2009. 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)
Court Orders Tewksbury, Mass. Employer to Timely Pay Withholding and Unemployment Taxes (09-522)
A federal court in Boston issued a preliminary injunction ordering Excel Home Care Inc. and Diane E. Porter of Tewksbury, Mass., to comply with federal tax withholding requirements and to timely pay all future employment and unemployment tax liabilities.
( Read more)
United States Files Clean Air Lawsuit Against Engine Importer (09-521)
The United States has filed a civil complaint against PowerTrain Inc., Wood Sales Co. Inc., and Tool Mart Inc., all based in Golden, Miss., alleging that they imported and sold more than 78,000 Chinese-made engines that do not meet federal air pollution standards. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is part of an ongoing effort to ensure that imported non-road engines and equipment comply with the Clean Air Acts emissions standards. ( Read more)
Aventis Pharmaceutical to Pay U.S. $95.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations (09-520)
Aventis Pharmaceutical Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC, has agreed to pay the United States $95.5 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by misreporting drug prices in order to reduce its Medicaid Drug Rebate obligations. The settlement resolves allegations that between 1995 and 2000, Aventis and its corporate predecessors knowingly misreported best prices for the steroid-based anti-inflammatory nasal sprays Azmacort, Nasacort and Nasacort AQ. ( Read more)
May 27, 2009
Federal Judge Hands Downs Sentences in Holy Land Foundation Case (09-519)
Today, in federal court in Dallas, U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis sentenced the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and five of its leaders following their convictions by a federal jury in November 2008 on charges of providing material support to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. ( Read more)
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Campaign Fundraising Scheme (09-518)
A Virginia man pleaded guilty today to illegally making conduit contributions to a candidate seeking federal office. ( Read more)
Eight Uzbekistan Nationals Among 12 Charged with
Racketeering, Human Trafficking & Immigration Violations in Scheme
to Employ Illegal Aliens in 14 States (09-517)
Twelve defendants, including eight Uzbekistan nationals, have been charged in a 45-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on May 6, 2009, on RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) charges related to labor racketeering, forced labor trafficking and immigration and other violations in 14 states. ( Read more)
Tampa Judge Shuts Down Florida Tax Preparer (09-515)
A federal judge in Tampa, Fla., has permanently barred a Port Richey, Fla., tax preparer and his firm from preparing federal tax returns. U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich of the Middle District of Florida entered the permanent injunction against Frank Lighty and his firm, Lighty and Associate. Lighty consented to the permanent injunction.
( Read more)
Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud in Connection with the Procurement of a Bullet-Proof Vest Contract in Iraq (09-514)
A defense contractor has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and has admitted to engaging in other bribery-related conduct in connection with contracts in Iraq. According to the plea agreement filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia on Dec. 18, 2007, and unsealed today, Diana Bakir Demilta, a U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. ( Read more)
May 26, 2009
United States Sues California Man to Bar Him from Promoting Fraudulent Tax Schemes (09-512)
The Department has filed suit against convicted tax fraud promoter Daniel Andersen to enjoin him from promoting fraudulent tax schemes. The governments complaint alleges that Andersen directed the activities of both the Institute for Global Prosperity (between 1996 and 2002) and the Stratia Corporation (between 2002 and 2004). The lawsuit states that Andersen used these organizations to promote the fraudulent tax schemes sold by others in a series of audio recordings and at offshore conferences.
( Read more)
Civil Rights Division Attorney Named Top Prosecutor
by the Association of Women in Federal Law Enforcement (09-511)
Special Litigation Counsel Kristy Parker, a senior attorney in the Civil Rights Divisions Criminal Section, has been selected to receive the 2009 Top Prosecutor Award from the Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE). ( Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the
Newark, New Jersey, Public Schools to Enforce the Employment Rights of Naval Reservist (09-510)
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., on behalf of U.S. Naval Reserve member George Lawton against the Newark Public Schools (NPS) alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). ( Read more)
May 22, 2009
Five Defendants Sentenced in Puerto Rico Corruption Case (09-509)
Five defendants were sentenced this week for their participation in a corruption scheme involving the 2000 resident commissioner and 2004 gubernatorial campaigns of a former governor of Puerto Rico. ( Read more)
Tax Shelter Promoter Pleads Guilty to Conspiring
to Impede and Impair the IRS (09-508)
Anthony G. Merlo, a former resident of Fort Worth, Texas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States. ( Read more)
Former Velda City, Missouri, Reserve Police Officer Sentenced
for Civil Rights and Obstruction Charges (09-507)
A former Velda City, Mo., auxiliary reserve police officer was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison, three years of supervised release and a special assessment for violating the federal civil rights of a woman he sexually assaulted during a traffic stop and for concealing evidence of his crime from federal investigators. ( Read more)
Justice Department Files Suit Against Fresno County, California, to Protect Employment Rights of Navy Reservist (09-506)
In a lawsuit filed today on behalf of U.S. Navy Reservist Porotesano Faapouli the Justice Department contends that Fresno County, Calif., violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by failing to promptly and properly reemploy Faapouli when he returned from active military duty with a service-related injury. ( Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against City of Chesapeake, Virginia, to Enforce the Employment Rights of Virginia Coast Guard Reservist (09-505)
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Va., on behalf of U.S. Coast Guard Reserve member Paul Sutton against the city of Chesapeake alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). ( Read more)
Assistant Attorney General Tony West Announces
New Members to Civil Divisions Senior Leadership (09-504)
Tony West, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Justice Departments Civil Division, today announced four new members of the Divisions leadership team. ( Read more)
May 21, 2009
Former Ft. Campbell Soldier Convicted on Charges Related to Deaths of Iraqi Civilians (09-503)
A federal jury that convicted Steven D. Green, a former Ft. Campbell, Ky., soldier of charges arising out of the rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the murder of the girl and her family today said it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether the defendant should be sentenced to death. Because the jury did not unanimously reach a decision on the death penalty, U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell will sentence Green to life without parole. ( Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against
the City of Marion, Arkansas, Alleging Race Discrimination (09-502)
The Department has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Arkansas against the City of Marion alleging it subjected Stacy D. Allen, an African-American and a former City part-time patrol officer, to discrimination on the basis of his race when he was not selected for either of two full-time patrol officer positions in the Marion Police Department. ( Read more)
Maine Department of Education to Pay United States $1.5 Million
to Settle False Claims Involving Migrant Education Program (09-501)
The Maine Department of Education (MDE) has agreed to pay the United States $1.5 million to settle allegations that it submitted false information to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the state education agencys eligibility to receive federal funds under the Migrant Education Program. ( Read more)
Two Former Military Officials Charged with Participating in Scheme to Steal Large Quantities of Fuel from U.S. Army in Iraq (09-500)
A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today charging Robert Young, 56, a former captain in the U.S. Army, and Robert Jeffery, 55, a former master chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy, with conspiracy and theft of government property in connection with a scheme to steal large quantities of fuel from the U.S. Army in Iraq.
( Read more)
Virginia Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the U.S. Navy (09-499)
A U.S. Navy subcontractor from Virginia has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the Navy in connection with contracts for fabricated metal to be used for the repair and maintenance of elevator equipment on Navy aircraft carriers and support vessels. The charge is the first to arise out of the Departments ongoing antitrust investigation into the sales of fabricated metal products and other materials to the U.S. Navy.
( Read more)
Texas-Based Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers to Pay U.S. $4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations (09-498)
Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers Inc. nursing home chain will pay the United States $4 million to settle allegations that Regency submitted false claims to Medicare and the Texas Medicaid program. The Victoria, Texas-based chain currently owns and operates 24 nursing home facilities located through the state.
( Read more)
Minnesota Hospitals to Pay U.S. $2.28 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations (09-497)
Three HealthEast Care System hospitals have agreed to pay the United States $2.28 million to settle allegations that the health care facilities submitted false claims to Medicare. All three hospitals are located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., area. The settlement resolves allegations that the St. Paul-based hospitals overcharged Medicare from 2002 to 2007 by thousands of dollars each time they performed kyphoplasty, a minimally-invasive procedure used to treat certain spinal fractures that often are due to osteoporosis. ( Read more)
Accused East Africa Embassy Bomber Held at Guantanamo Bay to Be Prosecuted in U.S. Federal Court (09-496)
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian national who has been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility since September 2006, will be prosecuted in federal court in the United States pursuant to the March 12, 2001 superseding indictment currently pending against him in the Southern District of New York. ( Read more)
May 20, 2009
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy
to Provide Material Support to Al-Qaeda (09-494)
Mohammed Abdullah Warsame, a 35-year-old resident of Minneapolis, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al-Qaeda. ( Read more)
Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Obscene Visual Representations
of the Sexual Abuse of Children (09-493)
Christopher Handley, 39, of Glenwood, Iowa, pleaded guilty today in Des Moines, Iowa, to possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children and mailing obscene material. ( Read more)
Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Housing Discrimination at Four Multifamily Housing Complexes in Spokane County, Washington (09-492)
The Department announced today a settlement of a lawsuit alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the design and construction of four multifamily housing complexes in the Spokane, Wash., area in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. ( Read more)
Attorney General Holder and HHS Secretary Sebelius Announce New Interagency Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (09-491)
Attorney General Holder and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the creation of a new interagency effort, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), to combat Medicare fraud. ( Read more)
May 19, 2009
President of Company That Illegally Imported Catfish Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison (09-490)
A Virginia man has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy that led to more than 10 million pounds of frozen catfish being imported from Vietnam, but fraudulently labeled and sold in the United States as sole, grouper and other species. This sentence is one of the longest imposed by a federal judge for falsely labeling seafood. ( Read more)
Justice Department Sues Garner, North Carolina, for
Disability Discrimination (09-488)
The Department has filed suit against the town of Garner, N.C., and the towns board of adjustment alleging that they violated the Fair Housing Act when they refused to allow up to eight men recovering from drug and alcohol addictions to live together as a reasonable accommodation for their disabilities. ( Read more)
Georgia-Pacific Agrees to Perform Cleanup Activities at the Kalamazoo Superfund Site in Michigan (09-487)
Georgia-Pacific, a manufacturing company headquartered in Atlanta, has agreed to perform remedial work at an estimated cost of nearly $13 million to contain two former disposal areas within the Kalamazoo River Superfund site in Allegan and Kalamazoo Counties, Mich. ( Read more)
Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against
Wagner Industrial Electric Inc. to Enforce the
Employment Rights of Indiana Reservist (09-486)
The Department has entered into a consent decree with Wagner Industrial Electric Inc. that, if approved by the court, will resolve the Departments complaint the company failed to properly reemploy Indiana Army National Guard Reservist Kevin Stenger in violation of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). ( Read more)
May 18, 2009
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Joins Other Circuits in Invalidating Tax Losses Claimed in Son of Boss Tax Shelter (09-485)
On May 15, 2009, the Fifth Circuit, in Klamath Strategic Investment Fund v. United States (No. 07-40861), affirmed the district courts decision denying over $50 million in claimed tax losses arising from the taxpayers investment in a Son of Boss (BLIPS) tax shelter. ( Read more)
U.S. and 16 States Join Suits Against Pharmaceutical Giant, Wyeth (09-483)
The United States and 16 states have joined in two whistleblower suits filed in the District of Massachusetts against the drug manufacturer, Wyeth, alleging that the company knowingly failed to give the government the same discounts it provided to private purchasers of its drugs, as required by laws governing the Medicaid program. ( Read more)
Justice Department to Monitor Election in Philadelphia (09-482)
On May 19, 2009, the Justice Department will monitor the election in the city of Philadelphia to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws. ( Read more)
Members of U.S. Army Plead Guilty to Role in Scheme to Steal Equipment from the U.S. Military in Iraq (09-481)
Elbert Westley George III, 36, a U.S. Army captain who was stationed in Iraq, pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to steal U.S. government equipment and sell it to a local Iraqi businessman. ( Read more)
May 15, 2009
Former Image Entry Inc., VP Pleads Guilty to Securities
and Wire Fraud Conspiracy, and Tax Evasion (09-480)
Michael Wayne Sulfridge, a resident of Union Grove, Ala., and former vice president of corporate finance at Image Entry, Inc. (Image Entry), pleaded guilty today to fraud and tax evasion charges stemming from the companys 2001 acquisition by Sourcecorp, Inc. (Sourcecorp). ( Read more)
Indianapolis Man Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced
in Child Pornography Case (09-479)
Roger Lowe, 50, of Indianapolis, was sentenced today to five years in prison for receiving child pornography. ( Read more)
United States Transfers Lakhdar Boumediene to France (09-477)
Lakhdar Boumediene, an Algerian national who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility since 2002, has been transferred to France. ( Read more)
Two Florida Businessmen Plead Guilty to Participating in a Conspiracy to Bribe Foreign Government Officials and Money Laundering (09-476)
The president of a Miami-Dade County, Fla.,-based intermediary and the former controller of a Miami-Dade County-based telecommunications company both have pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in a conspiracy to pay and conceal more than $1 million in bribes to former Haitian government officials. ( Read more)
May 14, 2009
Three Former Kentucky Jailers Plead Guilty
to Systematic Detainee Abuse and Coverup (09-475)
Three former jailers at the Lexington-Fayette County Detention Center (FCDC) pleaded guilty today to civil rights charges in federal court in Lexington, Ky. ( Read more)
U.S. Judge Bars Two Connecticut Residents from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others (09-474)
A federal district court in Connecticut has permanently barred Wethersfield residents Deowraj Buddhu and his daughter, Sunita Buddhu, from preparing federal tax returns for others. ( Read more)
U.S. Court Permanently Bars Meriden, Conn., Tax Preparer
from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (09-473)
A Connecticut federal court has permanently barred John Waszczak from preparing federal tax returns for others. ( Read more)
May 13, 2009
Philadelphia Man Convicted of Advertising, Transporting, Receiving
and Possessing Child Pornography (09-472)
Robert P. Merz, 45, was convicted by a federal jury in Philadelphia today of advertising, transporting, receiving and possessing child pornography. ( Read more)
Federal Judge Permanently Bars Texas Tax Preparers (09-471)
A federal court today has permanently barred two additional former employees of Preston Tax Services, Inc., from preparing federal tax returns. ( Read more)
Deputy U.S. Marshal Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Justice by Witness Tampering (09-470)
Deputy U.S. Marshal Benjamin Bates pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing justice today in federal court in San Antonio for tampering with a witness he was transporting to the grand jury to testify about civil rights abuses at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center in Texas. ( Read more)
Defense Department Official Charged with Espionage Conspiracy (09-469)
A Defense Department official has been charged with conspiracy to communicate classified information to an agent of a foreign government. ( Read more)
May 12, 2009
Stanford Financial Group Chief Investment Officer Charged with Obstruction of Justice (09-465)
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a two-count indictment today charging Laura Pendergest-Holt, the chief investment officer of Houston-based Stanford Financial Group (SFG), with conspiring to obstruct a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proceeding investigating SFG, as well as a substantive count of obstructing the SEC proceeding.
( Read more)
Alaska Mine Operators to Pay $883,628 to Resolve Environmental Violations (09-464)
Alaska Gold Co. (Alaska Gold), and NovaGold Resources Inc. (NovaGold), the owners and operators of the Rock Creek Mine near Nome, Alaska, have agreed to pay a $883,628 civil penalty to resolve violations of a storm water discharge permit. ( Read more)
Former Nazi Death Camp Guard John Demjanjuk Deported to Germany (09-463)
John Demjanjuk, a former Nazi death camp guard and a resident of Seven Hills, Ohio, has been removed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to Germany. Demjanjuk was removed through a court order of removal obtained by the Department of Justice. On March 10, 2009, a German judge issued an order directing that Demjanjuk, 89, be arrested on suspicion of assisting in the murder of at least 29,000 Jews at the Sobibor extermination center in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II. ( Read more)
Antitrust Division Announces Initiative to Help Protect Recovery Funds from Fraud, Waste and Abuse (09-460)
The Department's Antitrust Division announced the details of its newly formed initiative aimed at preparing government officials and contractors to recognize and report efforts by parties to unlawfully profit from the stimulus projects that are being awarded as part of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
( Read more)
May 11, 2009
U.S. District Court Judge Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison
for Obstruction of Justice (09-462)
U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for obstruction of justice related to an investigation of a judicial misconduct complaint filed against him. ( Read more)
Novo Nordisk Agrees to Pay $9 Million Fine in Connection with Payment of $1.4 Million in Kickbacks Through the United Nations Oil-for-food Program (09-461)
Novo Nordisk A/S (Novo), a Danish corporation based in Bagsvaerd, Denmark, has agreed to pay a $9 million penalty for illegal kickbacks paid to the former Iraqi government. ( Read more)
Justice Department Withdraws Report on Antitrust Monopoly Law (09-459)
Christine A. Varney, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Departments Antitrust Division, today announced that the Department is withdrawing, effective immediately, a report relating to monopolization offenses under the antitrust laws that was issued in September 2008. As of today, the Section 2 report will no longer be Department of Justice policy. Consumers, businesses, courts and antitrust practitioners should not rely on it as Department of Justice antitrust enforcement policy.
( Read more)
May 8, 2009
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas (09-456)
On May 9, 2009, the Department of Justice will monitor municipal elections in the cities of Farmers Branch and Hondo, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. ( Read more)
May 7, 2009
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Synapse Data and Telecom Inc
to Enforce the Employment Rights of Utah National Guard Member (09-453)
The Department announced the filing of a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City on behalf of Jose A. Ortega, a Utah National Guard member, against Synapse Data and Telecom Inc., and Matthew Mossbarger, Synapses owner and operator, alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
( Read more)
Justice Department Seeks to Bar New York Attorney from Using Employment Taxes as Working Capital (09-452)
The United States has filed a lawsuit against New York attorney Thomas B. Pruzan, d/b/a the Pruzan Law Firm, seeking to put an end to Mr. Pruzans repeated failure to timely deposit and pay the employment and unemployment taxes due from his law firm, as well as his failure to timely file employment and unemployment tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service.
( Read more)
Department of Justice FY 2010 Budget Request (09-451)
The Presidents budget request demonstrates both a dedication to protecting our national security as the Department of Justices top priority and a renewed commitment to the Departments traditional missions, Attorney General Holder said. In these tough economic times, its more important than ever that we remain vigilant in the fight against crime while never relaxing our guard in the battle against global terrorism.
( Read more)
Anadarko Petroleum Co., Agrees to Pay Penalty for Oil Spills in Wyoming (09-450)
Anadarko Petroleum Co., and two related oil production companies have agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $1 million and implement injunctive relief, develop facility response plans, and revise spill prevention as well as containment plans at a cost of more than $8 million during the term of the settlement in order to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act. ( Read more)
May 6, 2009
Civilian Contractor, U.S. Army Major and His Wife Indicted for Alleged Bribe Scheme Involving Contracts at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait (09-449)
A 23-count indictment unsealed today alleges that a civilian contractor paid more than $2.8 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official stationed at Camp Arifjan, an Army base in Kuwait, and the officials wife, and that the three individuals committed honest services fraud and money laundering offenses in connection with the same conduct. ( Read more)
Former New Mexico Jail Administrator Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations (09-448)
A former jail administrator at the Cibola County Detention Center in Grants, N.M., was sentenced today to 97 months in prison, two years of supervised release and a $400 special assessment for violating the rights of inmates in his custody at two separate New Mexico jails. ( Read more)
Former Bank of China Managers and Their Wives Sentenced for Stealing
More Than $485 Million, Laundering Money Through Las Vegas Casinos (09-446)
Two former managers of the Bank of China and their wives were sentenced today after their convictions on Aug. 29, 2008, by a federal jury in Las Vegas on charges of racketeering, money laundering, international transportation of stolen property as well as passport and visa fraud. ( Read more)
Korean Businessman Indicted in Bribery Conspiracy and Wire Fraud Scheme
Involving $206 Million Contract (09-445)
A South Korean businessman was indicted today for his alleged role in a bribery conspiracy for a $206 million telecommunications contract involving employees of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES). ( Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging
Disability-based Housing Discrimination
at Six Complexes in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (09-444)
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Equity Homes Inc, PBR LLC, BBR LLC and Shane Hartung in U.S. District Court in South Dakota for failing to provide accessible features required by the Fair Housing Act at multi-family housing developments in Sioux Falls. ( Read more)
Connecticut Accountant Pleads Guilty to Income Tax Evasion (09-443)
Frank P. DiMartino, an accountant from Orange, Conn., pleaded guilty today to charges of tax evasion. ( Read more)
Chief Engineer Sentenced for Concealing Vessel Pollution (09-442)
Carmelo Oria, a Spanish citizen who was the chief engineer on the Cyprus-flagged M/T Nautilus, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts for maintaining inaccurate records that concealed a discharge of oil-contaminated water from the bilges of the M/T Nautilus. Oria was sentenced to one month in prison, to be followed by supervised release for a term of two years and a $3,000 fine.
( Read more)
U.S. Court in Seattle Permanently Shuts Down Washington, D.C., Tax Preparer (09-440)
A federal judge in Seattle, Wash., has permanently barred a District of Columbia man, William H. Camp, Jr., from preparing tax returns for others and from promoting a scheme involving bogus gold mining tax deductions. The permanent injunction order was entered by Judge Ricardo S. Martinez of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, where a substantial number of Camps customers reside.
( Read more)
May 5, 2009
Swedish National Charged with Hacking and Theft of
Trade Secrets Related to Alleged Computer Intrusions
at NASA and Cisco (09-438)
Philip Gabriel Pettersson, aka "Stakkato," 21, a Swedish national, was indicted today on intrusion and trade secret theft charges. ( Read more)
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Travel with Intent to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a Minor, Possession of Child Pornography (09-437)
Patrick Cochran, 47, of Lake Jackson, Texas, pleaded guilty today to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, and one count of possession of child pornography. ( Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against California
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to
Enforce the Employment Rights of Air Force Reservist (09-436)
The Department filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, Calif., against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), alleging that the CDCR failed to promptly reemploy U.S. Air Force reservist Dany Felix in violation of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).
( Read more)
U.S. Court Shuts Down Georgia Tax Preparation Firms Allegedly Involved in Fuel Credit Tax Scam (09-435)
A federal court in Savannah, Ga., today permanently barred Ophelia Kelley, of Vidalia, Ga., from preparing federal income tax returns for others. According to the government complaint, Kelley operated two return preparation firms in Vidalia Kelley Tax Service and City and Country Girl Tax Service. Kelley agreed to the civil injunction order.
( Read more)
Federal Court Bars Individual Return Preparers and Sarasota Firms from Preparing Tax Returns (09-434)
A federal court in Tampa, Fla., has permanently barred Daniel Prewett from preparing tax returns for others. The court also barred Prewett from helping customers hide income offshore to avoid taxes, and from promoting other tax-dodging schemes. The court has also enjoined Prewetts wife, Elizabeth George; former Prewett employees Frances Carlson, Elsie Chouinard and Natalie Swaney; and Prewetts three tax preparation businesses, listed below. The individual defendants agreed to the injunctions.
( Read more)
May 4, 2009
MS-13 Leader Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for
Racketeering Conspiracy, Armed Robbery and Gun Violation (09-433)
U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Victor Ramirez, a/k/a Mousey, age 30, a native of El Salvador who resided in Hyattsville, Md., to 60 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. ( Read more)
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges (09-432)
Timothy Lantz, 57, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today in Columbus to one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of failing to update his sex offender registration. ( Read more)
Three Ohio Residents Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
for Fraudulent Real Estate Loan Scheme (09-431)
Todd Gongwer of Dublin, Ohio; Lance Parker of Dublin, Ohio; and Joel Lee, of Galena, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Gongwer, a licensed real estate agent, also pleaded guilty to tax evasion in the hearing before Judge Michael H. Watson in Columbus, Ohio. Parker also pleaded guilty to illegally structuring cash transactions.
( Read more)
Columbus Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy (09-430)
Marsha K. Parenteau of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Parenteau appeared before Judge Michael H. Watson in Columbus. ( Read more)
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Consolidated Multiple Listing Service Inc. (09-429)
The Department has reached a proposed settlement with Consolidated Multiple Listing Service Inc. (CMLS) that requires CMLS to change its rules to allow low-priced and innovative brokers to compete with traditional brokers in the Columbia, S.C., area. The Department said the rules caused consumers to pay more for residential real estate brokerage services in the Columbia area.
( Read more)
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Mississippi (09-428)
The Department announced that on May 5, 2009, it will monitor municipal elections in the towns of Cleveland, Como, Meridian and Sardis, Miss., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. ( Read more)
May 1, 2009
Three Teamsters Local 743 Workers in Chicago Convicted of Labor Fraud and Theft of Union Ballots in Bid to Rig Contested 2004 Elections (09-427)
A former officer and two employees of Teamsters Local 743 (Local 743) were convicted today in federal court in Chicago of federal labor fraud and theft charges in connection with stealing union ballots in an effort to rig two elections in favor of an incumbent slate of officers in 2004. A federal jury returned guilty verdicts today, after deliberating since April 29, 2009, against the three defendants whose trial began on April 6, 2009. ( Read more)
U.S. Intervenes in Suit Against Former Beef Suppliers to National School Lunch Program (09-426)
The United States has intervened in a civil lawsuit against two former suppliers to the National School Lunch Program Hallmark Meat Packing Company and Westland Meat Company Inc. for submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). All ground beef containing defendants products was recalled by USDA as of Feb. 16, 2008, and defendants no longer supply beef to the National School Lunch Program or AMS.
( Read more)
Two South Florida Men Indicted in Connection with Fraudulent ATM Business Opportunity Venture (09-425)
A Miami federal grand jury has charged two South Florida men with conspiracy, mail and wire fraud in connection with the operation of a fraudulent ATM business opportunity. The criminal charges are part of the governments continued nationwide crackdown on business opportunity fraud.
( Read more)
Chinese Baby Furniture Company Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Internationally Protected Wood (09-424)
Style Craft Furniture Co. Ltd., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Camden, N.J., to one count of smuggling cribs containing internationally protected wood known as ramin. ( Read more)
Justice Department Sues Fitchburg, Mass., Housing Authority
for Disability Discrimination (09-423)
The Department today filed suit against the Fitchburg Housing Authority in Fitchburg, Mass., and its Executive Director Robert W. Hill alleging that they violated the Fair Housing Act when they refused to allow a tenant to transfer to a different apartment as a reasonable accommodation for her disabilities.
( Read more)
President of Long Island Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Customer Allocation (09-422)
The owner and president of a Ronkonkoma, N.Y., designing and manufacturing company pleaded guilty to conspiring to allocate a U.S. Navy contract for Navy straps. Navy straps are a type of tiedown equipment used by the U.S. Navy to secure munitions and other supplies for transport on ships and airplanes.
( Read more)
Former Mississippi Deputy Sheriffs
Sentenced to Serve Time on Civil Rights Violations (09-420)
Former Tippah County, Miss., Deputy Sheriff William Rogers and his son, former Tippah County Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Rogers, were sentenced in federal court on April 30, 2009, for violating the civil rights of an arrestee by shooting him with a taser unnecessarily. ( Read more)
Five Donaldson, Arkansas, Men Indicted
on Federal Civil Rights Charges (09-419)
A federal grand jury in Fort Smith, Ark., has indicted five men from the Donaldson, Ark., area on federal civil rights charges as well as charges of making false statements to the FBI. ( Read more)
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