May 31, 2007 |
National Security Division Announces Enhanced
Foreign Agents Registration Act Website (07-395)
Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, today
announced the launch and availability of the next generation of the Foreign
Agents Registration Act (FARA) website, which provides greatly improved access
to public information about registered foreign agents and their activities in
this country. (Read more) |
Landmark Settlement Aims to Clean Up
Raw Sewage Discharges in Allegheny County (07-394)
In a landmark settlement with federal, state and county authorities, the
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) has agreed to a comprehensive plan
to greatly reduce the annual discharge of billions of gallons of untreated
sewage into local waterways. (Read more) |
Producer Paul Little Indicted on Obscenity Charges (07-393)
A Hollywood director and producer, along with an entertainment company, have
been indicted on obscenity charges, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher
of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney James R. Klindt for the Middle
District of Florida announced today. (Read more) |
Justice Department Requires Divestitures in $1.5 Billion
Merger of Monsanto and Delta & Pine Land (07-392)
The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Monsanto Company
and Delta & Pine Land Company (DPL) to divest a significant seed company,
multiple cottonseed lines, and other valuable assets in order to proceed with
their $1.5 billion merger. (Read more) |
Justice Department Requires Divestitures in $1.5 Billion
Merger of Monsanto and Delta & Pine Land (07-391)
The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Monsanto Company
and Delta & Pine Land Company (DPL) to divest a significant seed company,
multiple cottonseed lines, and other valuable assets in order to proceed with
their $1.5 billion merger. (Read more) |
Cameroonian Couple Sentenced on Human Trafficking Charges (07-390)
Evelyn and Joseph Djoumessi, both Cameroonian nationals, were sentenced late
last night by a judge in Detroit, Mich., to 218 months and 60 months,
respectively, for conspiracy related to their holding a young girl from Cameroon
in involuntary servitude. Judge Arthur Tarnow also ordered the defendants to
pay $100,000 in restitution to the victim. (Read more) |
May 30, 2007 |
Bristol-Myers Squibb Pleads Guilty to Lying to the
Federal Government About Deal Involving Blood-Thinning Drug (07-388)
The Department of Justice announced today that Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
(BMS) has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $1 million criminal fine for lying to
the federal government about a patent deal involving a popular blood-thinning
drug. The Department said that BMS’s illegal actions threatened to reduce
competition for the drug Plavix that could have reduced the cost of
blood-thinning drugs sold to heart attack, stroke and other patients. (Read more) |
May 25, 2007 |
Statement of Assistant Attorney General Eileen J. O’connor
on the United States Court of Federal Claims Decision in
H. J. Heinz Company v. United States of America (07-387)
"Yesterday’s decision in H. J. Heinz Company vs. United States is another in a
series that have concluded that regardless what labels are used, or how
complicated are the transactions, courts will look at what really happened when
deciding if a taxpayer has actually incurred the losses claimed on a tax
return." (Read more) |
May 24, 2007 |
Iowa Man Sentenced To 30 Years For Producing Child Pornography
(07-386)
WASHINGTON – Brian Patrick Street, 39, of Griswald, Iowa, was sentenced to 30
years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child
pornography, (Read more) |
Nineteen Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering,
Money Laundering, and Related Offenses (07-385)
A federal grand jury in San Diego has indicted 19 defendants on charges related
to an alleged racketeering enterprise and a scheme to cheat casinos across the
country out of millions of dollars, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher
of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of
California Karen P. Hewitt announced today. (Read more) |
Thomas O. Barnett to Participate in Sixth Annual International Competition Network Conference in Moscow, Russia (07-384)
Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett will participate in the sixth
annual International Competition Network (ICN) Conference in Moscow, Russia,
from May 30 – June 1, 2007. At the conference, senior government antitrust
officials, private sector antitrust experts from around the world, and
representatives from intergovernmental organizations will meet to discuss
competition issues.
(Read more) |
May 23, 2007 |
Statement of Brian Roehrkasse, Acting Director of Public Affairs, in Response to Today’s Hearing on The U.S. Attorney Resignation Matter (07-383)
After several hours of testimony by Monica Goodling; more than 6,800 pages and
an additional 1,500 pages made available to Congress; two extensive public
hearings with the Attorney General; and many hours of interviews and testimony
from senior Department of Justice officials, it remains clear that the Attorney
General did not ask for the resignation of any individual in order to interfere
with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain. (Read more) |
Fourth Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Trafficking-Related Charge (07-380)
Shengji Wang, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in Hawaii yesterday to one
count of conspiracy to violate the civil rights of women who were smuggled into
the U.S. Territory of American Samoa. According to the plea agreement, Wang,
along with several co-defendants, was involved in a scheme to recruit and import
Chinese women and hold them in prostitution in nightclubs and brothels in
American Samoa. Fu Sheng Kuo, another Chinese national, pleaded guilty to the
same offense on May 10, 2007. (Read more) |
May 22, 2007 |
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with the
Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association
and Its Subsidiary (07-379)
The Department of Justice and the state of Arizona today announced that it has
reached a settlement with the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association
(AzHHA) and its subsidiary, prohibiting the organizations from setting uniform
bill rates paid to nurse staffing agencies. The Department’s Antitrust Division
said that the parties’ actions caused the bill rates paid to agencies, and
ultimately the wages paid to temporary nurses in Arizona, to stagnate and fall
below competitive levels. (Read more) |
Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against
Daily Gazette Company and Medianews Group (07-378)
The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in U.S. District
Court in Charleston, W.Va., alleging that the Daily Gazette Company and
MediaNews Group Inc. (MediaNews) violated the antitrust laws when they entered a
series of transactions in May 2004 that resulted in the acquisition by Daily
Gazette Company of the Daily Mail newspaper from MediaNews. The Department’s
lawsuit seeks an order requiring the parties to undo their transactions and
restore the competition that existed before May 2004. (Read more) |
Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Regarding Conditions of Confinement
at Maryland Juvenile Justice Facility
(07-377)
The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with the state of
Maryland regarding conditions of confinement at the Baltimore City Juvenile
Justice Center. The settlement resolves a 22-month investigation into the
facility. (Read more) |
Oregon Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison
for Producing Child Pornography Via “Webcam” (07-373)
A Beaverton, Ore., man, Joshua Kistler, was sentenced to 293 months in prison
for producing child pornography, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of
the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Karin J. Immergut for the District of
Oregon announced. (Read more) |
May 21, 2007 |
Former Oregon Chemical Company Executive Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns (07-376)
The U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore., today sentenced a former Oregon
chemical company executive to serve 18 months in prison and to pay a $50,000
criminal fine following his conviction on two counts of filing false U.S.
federal income tax returns, the Department of Justice announced. The executive
was also sentenced to pay restitution for all taxes due, which will be
determined by the Internal Revenue Service. (Read more) |
Justice Department Sues New York City for Discriminating
Against Black and Hispanic Firefighter Applicants (07-375)
The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit alleging that the City of New York
uses written examinations that discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in the
hiring of entry-level firefighters in the Fire Department of the City of New
York (FDNY). According to the United States’ complaint, of the FDNY’s 11,000
uniformed firefighters in all ranks, only about 3% are black and 4.5% are
Hispanic. (Read more) |
Texas Hedge Fund Manager Will Pay Civil Penalty for Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification Requirements (07-374)
A Texas hedge fund manager has agreed to pay a $250,000 civil penalty to settle
charges that he violated premerger reporting requirements, the Department of
Justice announced today. (Read more) |
Kinder Morgan, SFPP Agree to Pay Nearly $5.3 Million to Resolve Federal and State Environmental Violations ()
Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, and SFPP, have agreed to pay nearly $5.3 million
to resolve liability under the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, Endangered
Species Act, and California’s Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act and Oil
Spill Prevention and Response Act, for three oil spills in 2004 and 2005. (Read more) |
May 18, 2007 |
Hercules Inc. Pays $124 Million for Superfund
Cleanup Costs Incurred by the U.S. Government (07-372)
The U.S. government received a $124 million payment today from Hercules
Incorporated to repay costs the EPA incurred in cleaning up the Vertac Chemical
and Jacksonville Landfill Superfund Sites in Jacksonville, Ark., the Justice
Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. (Read more) |
Petraia Maritime Ltd. Found Guilty of Environmental Crime (07-371)
A jury in Maine returned a guilty verdict against Petraia Maritime Ltd. late
yesterday, for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution From Ships (APPS). (Read more) |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Honors Law Enforcement Officers for Efforts to Help Missing and Exploited Children (07-370)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today commemorated National Missing
Children's Day by honoring law enforcement and citizens nationwide for their
efforts to recover missing and exploited children at a Department of Justice
ceremony. The Attorney General was also joined by family members of missing and
abducted children to release a guide for siblings of abducted children, What
About Me? Coping with the Abduction of a Brother or Sister.
(Read more) |
May 17, 2007 |
Kansas City, Missouri School District & Justice Department
Resolve E-Rate Internet Program Fraud Claims (07-368)
The Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD) has agreed to relinquish over
$13.6 million in claims for federal funds and to pay the United States $66,000
as a civil settlement relating to false claims and false statements in
connection with the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) E-Rate program from
2002 to 2006, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Department of Justice Announces Proposed National Guidelines for Sex Offender Registration and Notification, and $25 Million in Grants (07-366)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today released proposed National Guidelines
for Sex Offender Registration and Notification, as required by the Adam Walsh
Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. (Read more) |
Kerr-McGee to Spend $18 Million to Reduce Emissions
from Natural Gas Production Facilities in Colorado and Utah (07-365)
Kerr-McGee Corp. will spend $18 million on pollution controls in the first
comprehensive settlement under the Clean Air Act that will reduce harmful
emissions and conserve natural gas at production facilities across Utah and
Colorado. The control measures and operational improvements are expected to
reduce annual emissions of air pollutants by more than 2,500 tons in Utah and
more than 3,000 tons in Colorado, the Justice Department and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more) |
May 16, 2007 |
Alaska Lobbyist Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to
Obtain Bribe Payments for State Lawmaker (07-364)
A lobbyist from Anchorage, Alaska, has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring
to obtain bribe payments for a former elected member of the Alaska House of
Representatives, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal
Division announced today. (Read more) |
Two Sentenced in $1.4 Million Virgin Islands Bribery Scandal (07-363)
former U.S. Virgin Islands fireman and an Atlanta businessman were sentenced
today in U.S. District Court for the District of the Virgin Islands for their
role in an elaborate bribery and kickback scheme to defraud the U.S. Virgin
Islands government of approximately $1.4 million in federal and local funds,
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S.
Attorney Anthony J. Jenkins of the District of the Virgin Islands announced. (Read more) |
May 15, 2007 |
Former Los Alamos National Laboratory Contractor
Pleads Guilty to Removing Classified Information (07-362)
Jessica Lynn Quintana, a former employee of a contractor at the Los Alamos
National Laboratory (LANL), has pleaded guilty to knowingly removing classified
information from the national security research laboratory, Assistant Attorney
General for National Security Kenneth L. Wainstein announced today. (Read more) |
Justice Department Reaches Settlement to
Resolve Litigation at Oceana Naval Base (07-361)
The Justice Department and the U.S. Navy have reached a settlement agreement
with approximately 3,400 property owners in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, Va.,
regarding litigation relating to jet noise at a naval air base. Under the terms
of the agreement, the participating plaintiffs agree to dismiss their claims and
acknowledge that the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability by
the United States. (Read more) |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces New Efforts to Combat Violent Crime (07-360)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today unveiled new Department of Justice
efforts to assist federal, state and local law enforcement in combating violent
crime. Part of the Department’s Initiative for Safer Communities, today’s
announcement calls for more prosecutors, new training, additional funds,
enhanced prevention efforts and a crack down against America’s most violent
offenders. (Read more) |
May 14, 2007 |
Overton County Sheriff’s Officers Sentenced
for Violating Inmate’s Civil Rights (07-359)
The former Sheriff’s Jail Administrator in Overton County, Tenn., Michael
Gilpatrick, and former Lieutenant James Loftis were sentenced today for their
roles in violating the civil rights of an inmate detained in the Overton County
Jail in 2005. (Read more) |
Justice Department Reaches Settlement Regarding
Conditions at Ft. Bayard Medical Center and Nursing Home (07-358)
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the
state of New Mexico concerning civil rights violations at the Ft. Bayard Medical
Center and Nursing Home in Bayard, N.M. (Read more) |
Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the
Resignation of Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty (07-357)
"The Department of Justice will be losing a dynamic and thoughtful leader with
the departure of Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty. Paul announced today
that he would leave the Department later this summer after more than eight years
of service." (Read more) |
Justice Department Expresses Concerns to Tennessee State Legislature on Bill that Would Deny Consumers Cash Rebates in Real Estate Transactions
(07-356)
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division sent a letter to the Tennessee
House of Representatives indicating that House Bill 2095, would deny Tennesseans
the opportunity of receiving cash rebates from real estate brokers when they buy
and sell their homes. The Department said that if enacted, the legislation
would impede real estate brokers from competing on price and force Tennesseans
to pay more in real estate commissions. The Department also noted that the
amended legislation would effectively override recent actions of the Tennessee
Real Estate Commission that enable brokers to provide cash rebates.
(Read more) |
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in
Commercial Child Pornography Website Case (07-354)
A Boston man has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sell, transport,
reproduce, distribute and receive child pornography, and one count of money
laundering, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division
and U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee of the Western District of Virginia announced
today. (Read more) |
Justice Department Focuses on Efforts to Protect Intellectual Property Rights (07-353)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today highlighted the Justice Department’s
ongoing efforts to protect intellectual property rights, and announced a
comprehensive legislative proposal entitled the “Intellectual Property
Protection Act of 2007,” before members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy. (Read more) |
Justice Department to Monitor Elections
in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania (07-352)
The Justice Department today announced that on May 15, 2007, it will monitor
municipal elections in Boston, Mass., and in Philadelphia and Reading, Pa., to
ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more) |
Federal Court in Chicago Shuts Down Tax Prep Firm (07-351)
A federal court in Chicago has barred Neal and Royanne Reddy and their
corporation, Royanne & Company Inc., from preparing tax returns for others, the
Justice Department announced today. The court found that the Reddys, whose
business offices are in Marseilles and Princeton, Ill., prepared more than
15,000 tax returns between 2002 and 2005. (Read more) |
Software Piracy Crackdown ‘Operation Fastlink’ Yields 50th Guilty Plea (07-350)
The 50th felony conviction from Operation FastLink, a major Department of
Justice initiative to combat online piracy worldwide, was announced today by
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S.
Attorney Chuck Rosenberg of the Eastern District of Virginia. (Read more) |
May 11, 2007 |
Federal Settlement Will Work to Improve
Conditions At St. Elizabeth’s Hospital (07-347)
The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with the District of
Columbia to resolve allegations of civil rights violations at St. Elizabeth’s
Hospital, located in Washington, D.C. Under the five-year agreement, the city
is required to implement reforms to ensure that individual patients at the
mental health facility are adequately protected from harm and provided adequate
mental health services. (Read more) |
Justice Department Reaches Fair Housing Act Settlement
with Las Vegas Developer and Architect (07-345)
The Justice Department today settled a lawsuit filed in November 2005, against
Pacific Homes and Pacific Properties and Development Corp., the developers and
builders, and Michael Milburn, the architect, of the Pacific Legends West
condominium complex in Las Vegas. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in
Las Vegas, was brought to enforce provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act
that require recently constructed dwellings to include features designed to make
the dwellings more accessible to persons with physical disabilities. (Read more) |
The Scooter Store to Pay United States $4 Million
to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations (07-344)
The SCOOTER Store Inc. will pay the United States $4 million, and give up many
millions more in pending claims for reimbursement to Medicare, to settle
allegations that the company violated the civil False Claims Act and defrauded
the United States, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Former Corrections Officer and National Guardsman
Sentenced for Participating in Bribery and Extortion Conspiracy (07-343)
A former corrections officer and a former Arizona Army National Guardsmen were
sentenced this week for their roles in a widespread bribery and extortion
conspiracy, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division
announced today. The defendants were sentenced in the U.S. District Court for
the District of Arizona, Tucson Division, by the Honorable Cynthia K. Jorgenson. (Read more) |
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas (07-342)
The Justice Department today announced that on May 12, 2007, it will monitor
local elections in the Denton Independent School District, Fort Bend County,
Farmers Branch, and Killeen, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights
Act. (Read more) |
May 10, 2007 |
Statement of Brian Roehrkasse, Acting Director of Public Affairs, in Response to the Attorney General’s Hearing Today on the U.S. Attorney Resignation Matter (07-341)
(Read more) |
May 9, 2007 |
Strike Force Formed to Target Fraudulent Billing
of Medicare Program by Health Care Companies (07-339)
Thirty-eight people have been arrested in the first phase of a targeted
criminal, civil and administrative effort against individuals and health care
companies that fraudulently bill the Medicare program, Attorney General Alberto
R. Gonzales and Secretary Michael Leavitt of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services announced today. (Read more) |
May 8, 2007 |
Justice Department Settles Civil Contempt Claim
Against Allied Waste Industries Inc. (07-338)
Allied Waste Industries Inc. has agreed to pay $125,000 as part of a civil
settlement with the Department of Justice that resolves Allied’s alleged
violations of a 2000 consent decree entered in connection with Allied’s
acquisition of Browning-Ferris Industries Inc. (BFI). (Read more) |
Federal Government, State of Hawaii, and City and County Of Honolulu Agreement Will Address Vulnerabilities That Led to Waikiki Sewage Spill (07-337)
The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Hawaii
Attorney General’s Office, and the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) have
reached an interim agreement with the City and County of Honolulu (CCH) that
will correct the most significant problems in Honolulu’s wastewater collection
system. This settlement resolves a civil enforcement action that the United
States and the state have filed against CCH. (Read more) |
Medicis Pharmaceutical To Pay U.S. $9.8 Million
to Resolve False Claims Allegations (07-336)
Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation of Scottsdale, Ariz., will pay the United
States $9.8 million to settle allegations that the company violated the False
Claims Act with respect to claims submitted to Medicaid, the Justice Department
announced today. The settlement resolves allegations that Medicis promoted the
use of a topical skin preparation, Loprox, for use on children under the age of
10, without approval by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). (Read more) |
U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Issue Report on Competition in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry (07-335)
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today
issued a joint report, “Competition in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry.” The
purpose of the report is to inform consumers and others involved in the industry
about important competition issues involving residential real estate, including
the impact of the Internet, the competitive structure of the real estate
brokerage industry, and obstacles to a more competitive environment. (Read more) |
May 7, 2007 |
Justice Department Releases New Americans with Disabilities Act
Technical Assistance Materials (07-334)
The Department of Justice today released new technical assistance materials to
help state and local governments comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). The materials are part of the “ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and
Local Governments,” a project announced by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales
in October 2006. (Read more) |
Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of
VECO Corporation Plead Guilty to Corruption and Tax Charges (07-333)
Bill J. Allen, chief executive officer and part-owner of VECO Corporation, and
Richard L. Smith, vice president of community affairs and government relations
of VECO Corporation, have pleaded guilty to providing more than $400,000 in
corrupt payments to public officials from the state of Alaska, Assistant
Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
May 4, 2007 |
Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division
on its Decision to Close Its Investigation of Smithfield Inc.’s
Acquisition of Premium Standard Farms Inc. (07-331)
“After a careful investigation of Smithfield’s proposed acquisition of Premium
Standard Farms, the Antitrust Division determined that the merged firm is not
likely to harm competition, consumers or farmers." (Read more) |
Three Current and Former Alaska State
Legislators Indicted on Public Corruption Charges (07-330)
A current elected member of the Alaska State House of Representatives and two
former members, including a one-time Speaker of the House, have been indicted
and arrested on multiple charges arising out of a federal investigation into
public corruption in the state of Alaska, Assistant Attorney General Alice S.
Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
Court Rules in Government’s Favor On Cancelled
Navy Contract for A-12 Stealth Attack Aircraft (07-329)
The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has upheld the Navy’s termination for default
of a contract with McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics for the A-12 stealth
attack aircraft, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales to Appoint
Kenneth E. Melson as Director of the
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (07-328)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced that he will appoint
Kenneth E. Melson as Director of the Executive Office for United States
Attorneys (EOUSA) at the Department of Justice effective on May 14, 2007. (Read more) |
Federal Court Bars Illinois Woman from
Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-327)
A federal court in Chicago, Ill., has permanently barred Bertha Steverson of
Chicago from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice
Department announced today. The court found that Steverson, the owner of
Bertha’s Tax Service, prepared tax returns for customers that contained
deductions for fictitious expenses. The court found that Steverson has prepared
an estimated 1,224 returns since 2004 that have caused an estimated loss to the
U.S. Treasury of more than $3 million. (Read more) |
May 3, 2007 |
Two Former Memphis Police Officers
Plead Guilty to Civil Rights Violations (07-326)
Trennis Swims and Harold McCall, both former officers with the Memphis Police
Department (MPD), pleaded guilty today in federal court to felony civil rights
charges. Swims and McCall are the latest former officers to either plead guilty
or be indicted in the ongoing criminal investigation into the MPD. (Read more) |
2007 National Money Laundering Strategy Released (07-325)
The 2007 strategy addresses the priority threats and vulnerabilities identified
by the Money Laundering Threat Assessment released in 2006, the product of an
extremely valuable investigation into the current and emerging trends and
techniques used by criminals to raise, move and launder proceeds. The Assessment
– the first government-wide analysis of its kind – brought together the
expertise of regulatory, law enforcement and investigative officials from across
the government, culminating in a comprehensive analysis of specific money
laundering methods, patterns of abuse, geographical concentrations, and the
associated legal and regulatory regimes. (Read more) |
Former Government Official Sentenced
in $1.4 Million Virgin Islands Bribery Scandal (07-324)
The former director of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and
Natural Resources (DPNR) Division of Environmental Protection has been sentenced
to four years in prison for conspiring to defraud the Virgin Islands government
of approximately $1.4 million, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the
Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Jenkins of the District of the
Virgin Islands announced today. (Read more) |
May 2, 2007 |
Two Former St. Louis Area Police Officers Plead Guilty
to Federal Civil Rights Charge (07-323)
Former Velda City, Mo., police officer Lewis McGee and former detective Mark
Winger both pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to violate the civil rights of a
jailed man. (Read more) |
Eight Executives Arrested on Charges of Conspiring
to Rig Bids, Fix Prices, and Allocate Markets for
Sales of Marine Hose (07-322)
Eight executives from the United Kingdom (U.K.), France, Italy, and Japan were
arrested today in Houston and San Francisco and charged for their role in a
conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices, and allocate markets for United States sales
of marine hose used to transport oil, the Department of Justice announced today.
(Read more) |
Department of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Hearings
on Single-Firm Conduct to Conclude On May 8 (07-319)
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) today announced that the final session in a series of joint public
hearings designed to examine the implications of single-firm conduct under the
antitrust laws will take place on May 8, 2007, in Washington, D.C. (Read more) |
Justice Department Settlements Will Ensure Accessibility
of Casino Resorts in Las Vegas and Mississippi (07-318)
The Department of Justice today announced two comprehensive settlements with
casino resorts under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The first
settlement agreement, with Mandalay Corporation, resolves a compliance review of
the Mandalay Bay Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nev. The second settlement
agreement, with Circus Circus Mississippi Inc., settles a complaint against the
Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Miss. Under the settlement agreements,
each casino resort has agreed to ensure that its facility complies with the new
construction standards of the ADA. (Read more) |
Department of Justice Files Amended Complaint in Antitrust Case Following Rinker Board of Directors’ Approval of Cemex Takeover Bid (07-311)
The Department of Justice filed an amended complaint today in U.S. District
Court in Washington, D.C., naming Rinker Group Limited as a defendant in the
Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. (Read more) |
Justice Department Settles Employment Discrimination
Lawsuit with City of Ville Platte, Louisiana (07-310)
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the
City of Ville Platte, La., to resolve allegations that the city engaged in
discriminatory hiring practices on the basis of sex by refusing full-time
employment to a pregnant dispatcher in the city’s police department. (Read more) |
May 1, 2007 |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Additional Funding for Oklahoma City as Part of the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (07-315)
(Read more) |
Federal Court In Seattle Shuts Down So-Called “Warehouse Bank” (07-313)
A federal court in Seattle has shut down a nationwide “warehouse banking” scheme
whose promoter falsely promised customers they could legally hide their income,
assets, and identities from the Internal Revenue Service, the Justice Department
announced today. The warehouse bank, known as Olympic Business Systems (OBS), is
operated by Des Moines, Wash., resident Robert Arant. (Read more) |
Chief Engineer Pleads Guilty to Concealing
Deliberate Pollution in “Magic Pipe” Case (07-312)
The former chief engineer of an American-flagged car-carrier pleaded guilty
today to criminal charges related to the deliberate discharge of
oil-contaminated bilge waste through a “magic pipe” that bypassed required
pollution prevention equipment, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General
Matthew J. McKeown for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural
Resources Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J.
Rosenstein. (Read more) |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Additional
Funding for Indianapolis as Part of the Justice Department's
comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (07-309)
(Read more) |