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March 31, 2008 |
Department of Justice Settles Sex Discrimination Lawsuit against North Carolina A & T State University (08-258)
The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a consent decree
with the University of North Carolina and its constituent institution, North
Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, that, if approved and
entered by the Court, will resolve a complaint of employment discrimination that
was filed by the United States against the University under Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. (Read more) |
Justice Department Files Lawsuit against Wal-mart Stores, Inc., to Defend Employment Rights of Air Force Veteran (08-257)
The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Sean Thornton, a
former airman with the United States Air Force, against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.,
(Wal-Mart) alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). (Read more) |
Indiana Man Indicted and Arrested in Child Pornography Case (08-256)
William Travis Brown, 37, of Georgetown, Ind., has been indicted by a federal
grand jury on transportation and possession of child pornography charges,
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, Acting U.S.
Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Timothy M. Morrison and
Indianapolis Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Resident Agent in Charge
Daniel T. Dill announced today.
(Read more) |
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison on Racketeering Charges (08-255)
A member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) has been sentenced to 27 years in prison
for his participation in a racketeering enterprise, Assistant Attorney General
Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Edward M. Yarbrough
for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today. (Read more) |
Two Florida Men Sentenced to Prison for Medicare Fraud (08-254)
The owners of two Miami-based healthcare corporations were sentenced to 63 and
56 months for their roles in separate Medicare fraud schemes, Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander
Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced today. (Read more) |
Imprisoned Missouri Tax Preparer Permanently Barred from Preparing Federal Tax Returns (08-253)
A federal court has permanently barred Sharon Hubbard of Kansas City, Mo., from
preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department
announced today. Hubbard consented to the permanent injunction order, which was
entered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. In
2006 Hubbard pleaded guilty to one count of federal criminal charges relating
to assisting in the preparation and filing of fraudulent tax returns. She is
currently serving a two-year prison sentence. (Read more) |
Defense Department Official Pleads Guilty to Espionage Charge Involving China (08-252)
Gregg William Bergersen, age 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, pled guilty today to a
one-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to disclose national
defense information to persons not entitled to receive it, in violation of 18
U.S.C., Sections 793(d) and (g). Bergersen was arrested on February 11, 2008 on
a criminal complaint charging this same offense. (Read more) |
March 28, 2008 |
Federal Court Bars Hialeah, Florida Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (08-251)
Lilia A. Gomez of Hialeah, Fla., was barred by a federal court today from
preparing federal income tax returns for others. Gomez operated tax return
preparation businesses under the names Tax Prep Inc., 1 Tax Prep Inc. and TFD
Services Inc. Judge Patricia Seitz of the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Florida issued the permanent injunction order against Gomez
and her businesses. Gomez consented to the court order. (Read more) |
Fresno Man Barred from Promoting Tax Scheme (08-250)
A California-based tax scam promoter, Steven Hempfling, has been permanently
barred by a federal court in Fresno, Calif., from selling a tax fraud scheme
that falsely claims to give customers a legal defense against criminal
prosecutions for income tax evasion, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Prison (08-248)
A child sex offender with multiple prior convictions for offenses against
children has been sentenced to life in prison on both counts for which he was
convicted, to run concurrently, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of
the Criminal Division and Timothy J. Fuhrman, Special Agent in Charge of the
FBI’s Salt Lake City Division, announced today. (Read more) |
March 27, 2008 |
Federal Corrections Officer Indicted on Civil Rights Charges Related to Fatal Assault (08-247)
A federal grand jury in Orlando, Fla., indicted a Bureau of Prisons corrections
officer today on charges related to a fatal assault on an inmate in March 2005,
the Justice Department announced. Erin Sharma was charged with one count of
conspiring with others to violate the federal civil rights of inmate Richard
Delano and one count of violating Delano’s civil rights by arranging for another
inmate to assault Delano. (Read more) |
Fact Sheet: the Department of Justice Public Corruption Efforts (08-246)
At every level of government, the Justice Department is committed to enforcing
the laws that protect the integrity of our government. Because of this
commitment to the rule of law, ordinary citizens are able to rely on and expect
the honesty and integrity of government officials and other holders of the
public's trust.
(Read more) |
Interagency Cooperation Facilitates Capture of Interpol Fugitive Wanted for Rape
(08-245)
Collaboration among U.S. law enforcement facilitated the March 18th capture of
Amaro Ligorio Rodigues at Miami International Airport. (Read more) |
Otsuka to Pay More than $4 Million to Resolve off-label Marketing Allegations Involving Abilify (08-244)
Otsuka American Pharmaceutical Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Japanese
pharmaceutical manufacturer Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., has agreed to pay
more than $4 million to resolve allegations that it marketed Abilify, an
atypical antipsychotic drug, for "off-label" uses, the Justice Department
announced today. (Read more) |
Governor of Puerto Rico and Twelve Others Indicted for Election Related Crimes (08-243)
Puerto Rico Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá and 12 associates in Puerto Rico,
Washington D.C., and the Philadelphia-area have been charged in a 27-count
indictment unsealed today and returned by a grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico
on March 24, 2008, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal
Division and U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto
Rico announced today. (Read more) |
March 26, 2008 |
Former Health Care Financing Executive and Associate Found Guilty of Conspiracy, Witness Tampering and Obstruction (08-241)
A federal jury has found two men guilty of all charges in a witness tampering
scheme related to a major fraud trial held in Columbus, Ohio, Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory G.
Lockhart of the Southern District of Ohio announced today.
(Read more) |
Federal Court Dismisses Multi-billion Dollar Telephone Excise Tax Cases (08-240)
Judge Ricardo M. Urbina of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
has dismissed three cases against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) where the
plaintiffs asked for, among other things, billions of dollars in additional
telephone excise tax refunds to telephone users nationwide, the Justice
Department announced today. In the three separate class-action lawsuits that had
been consolidated for pretrial purposes, 14 individuals and two companies had
raised numerous challenges to the IRS’s procedure for refunds of long-distance
telephone excise taxes. (Read more) |
Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Comprehensive Efforts to Fight Gang Violence (08-239)
The Department of Justice has enacted a comprehensive plan across its many
components to effectively fight and limit the impact of gang violence
nationwide. This plan includes two primary elements: Prioritize prevention
programs to provide America’s youth, as well as offenders returning to the
community, with opportunities that help them resist gang involvement; and ensure
robust enforcement policies when gang-related violence does occur. This approach
also recognizes the critical need for the Department to continue to work
hand-in-hand with state and local law enforcement and local community groups.
(Read more) |
Three Men Indicted for Federal Civil Rights Violations in Arson of Islamic Center in Tennessee (08-238)
A federal grand jury in Nashville returned a five-count indictment today
charging three men for their role in the arson of the Islamic Center in
Columbia, Tenn., on Feb. 9, 2008, the Justice Department announced. Eric Ian
Baker, Jonathan Edward Stone and Michael Corey Golden were charged with a
conspiracy to violate civil rights, destroying a house of worship, possession of
a destructive device, use of fire to destroy a building and use of fire to
commit a felony. (Read more) |
Attorney General Mukasey Announces Charges Against 13 “Grape Street Crips” Gang Members and Associates and the Formation of an Additional Safe Streets Task Force to Combat Gang Violence
(08-237)
Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, joined today by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
R. Villaraigosa, Los Angles Police Chief William J. Bratton and U.S. Attorney
Thomas O’Brien, announced the results of a joint law enforcement operation
targeting gang activity in the Central District of California as well as the
formation of an additional FBI-sponsored Safe Streets Task Force to combat gang
violence in communities north of Los Angeles. (Read more) |
National Air Cargo to Pay U.S. $28 Million to Resolve Allegations of Defrauding the Department of Defense (08-236)
National Air Cargo (NAC) has agreed to pay the United States $28 million to
settle both criminal and civil allegations that it defrauded the Department of
Defense, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Long Island, N.Y. Defense Firm Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging on Department of Defense Contracts (08-234)
A Long Island, N.Y. defense firm pleaded guilty and has agreed to pay a $275,000
criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to rig bids on U.S. Department of
Defense (DOD) contracts for military tiedown equipment and cargo securing
systems, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more) |
Warren County, Virginia Man Indicted for Role in Multi-state Child Pornography Production Ring (08-233)
A federal grand jury sitting in Charlottesville, Va., returned a 13-count second
superseding indictment charging Michael Wayne Anderson, 34, of Warren County,
Va., with multiple offenses arising from his involvement in a multi-state crime
ring in which members produced, distributed and received child pornography over
the Internet, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher and U.S. Attorney for
the Western District of Virginia John L. Brownlee announced today. (Read more) |
March 25, 2008 |
President George W. Bush Grants Pardons and Commutation (08-231)
On March 24, 2008, President George W. Bush granted pardons to 15 individuals
and a commutation of sentence to one individual. (Read more) |
Final two Defendants in “Operation Lively Green” are Sentenced (08-228)
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced
today that two former public officials were sentenced for their roles in a
widespread bribery and extortion conspiracy which operated from January 2002
through March 2004. The defendants were sentenced in U.S. District Court for
the District of Arizona by the Honorable Cynthia K. Jorgenson. (Read more) |
March 24, 2008 |
Chinese Agent Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Prison for Exporting United States Defense Articles to China (08-229)
An engineer who conspired with family members to export United States sensitive
military technology to the People’s Republic of China was sentenced today to 293
months in federal prison. (Read more) |
Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on its Decision
to Close its Investigation of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.’s Merger
with Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (08-226)
"After a careful and thorough review of the proposed transaction, the Division
concluded that the evidence does not demonstrate that the proposed merger of XM
and Sirius is likely to substantially lessen competition, and that the
transaction therefore is not likely to harm consumers. The Division reached
this conclusion because the evidence did not show that the merger would enable
the parties to profitably increase prices to satellite radio customers for
several reasons, including: a lack of competition between the parties in
important segments even without the merger; the competitive alternative services
available to consumers; technological change that is expected to make those
alternatives increasingly attractive over time; and efficiencies likely to flow
from the transaction that could benefit consumers."
(Read more) |
March 21, 2008 |
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Making False Statements in Attempt to Import Big Game Leopard Trophy (08-225)
Mark Booth, of Shippensburg, Pa., was sentenced today to pay $10,000 fine,
$5,000 community service payment and to serve three years probation, by U.S.
District Court Judge Lewis Babcock in the District of Colorado for making false
statements in connection with his attempt to import the trophy parts of a
leopard illegally killed in South Africa in 2003, the Justice Department
announced. During the probationary period, Mr. Booth is prohibited from hunting
anywhere in the world and must take steps to notify the trophy-hunting community
of the need to comply with laws and regulations related to that activity. (Read more) |
March 20, 2008 |
Massachusetts Man Sentenced in Child Pornography Case (08-224)
Donald Banker, 65, of Methuen, Mass., was sentenced to five years in prison
after pleading guilty to all counts of a three-count indictment which charged
him with receipt and possession of child pornography, Assistant Attorney General
Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the District of
Massachusetts Michael J. Sullivan and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
New England Field Office Special Agent in Charge Bruce M. Foucart announced
today. Banker is the most recent defendant to be convicted in “Operation
Emissary,” an ICE nationwide investigation which targeted a Web site that
offered images and movies of hardcore child pornography.
(Read more) |
Justice Department Settles Sexual Harassment Case against Apartment Complex Maintenance Worker (08-223)
The Justice Department today announced a $95,000 settlement to resolve a
lawsuit, filed in 2006 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of
Missouri, alleging sexual harassment of female tenants by Ersil James, a former
maintenance worker at three Missouri apartment complexes in Platte City and
Smithville. (Read more) |
Two Illinois Men Indicted on Federal Hate Crime (08-222)
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Grace Chung
Becker and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois A. Courtney Cox
announced today that Joseph L. Brown of Collinsville, Ill., and William Charles
Bowen of O'Fallon, Ill., were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to
drive an African-American couple out of their home, and for vandalizing that
home with racist graffiti. Brown is also charged with making false statements
to a federal investigator. (Read more) |
U.S., Brazilian Law Enforcement Dismantle $50 Million Securities Fraud Organization (08-221)
A federal grand jury in Miami today returned a 16-count indictment charging
Rodrigo Molina, 32, of Miami, and Marcos Macchione, 31, of Aventura, Fla., for
their alleged involvement as money laundering service providers for a
sophisticated international securities fraud organization, Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander
Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced.
(Read more) |
AB Volvo to Pay $7 Million Penalty for Kickback Payments to the Iraqi Government under the U.N. Oil for Food Program (08-220)
AB Volvo has agreed to pay a $7 million penalty as part of an agreement with the
U.S. Department of Justice regarding charges brought in connection with an
ongoing investigation related to the U.N. Oil for Food program, Assistant
Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
March 19, 2008 |
Former Education Consultant Sentenced to 7 ½ Years in Prison for Fraud and Bid Rigging in The Federal E-Rate Program (08-219)
A former education consultant from California was sentenced to serve 7½ years in
prison for rigging bids and defrauding the E-Rate program, the Department of
Justice announced. Judy N. Green, of Temecula, Calif., was sentenced today in
U.S. District Court in San Francisco after a jury found her guilty on 22 counts
of fraud, bid rigging, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to
technology projects funded by the E-Rate Program. (Read more) |
Statement by Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey on the Appointment of Kenneth L. Wainstein as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (08-218)
Ken Wainstein has served in the Justice Department with great distinction for
almost twenty years. He began his career as a line prosecutor in the United
States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York, and subsequently
served as a homicide prosecutor in the United States Attorney's Office for the
District of Columbia. He has held several critical leadership positions in the
Department, including serving as the General Counsel of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation; as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia; and,
most recently, as the Department's first Assistant Attorney General for National
Security. I am grateful for Ken's extraordinary service to the Department, and
I am especially appreciative of his leadership in successfully managing the
establishment and operations of the Department's National Security Division,
which has helped make the American people safer. (Read more) |
March 18, 2008 |
Former Intermune CEO W. Scott Harkonen Indicted for Wire Fraud and FDA Violations (08-217)
W. Scott Harkonen, M.D., the former CEO of InterMune Inc., was indicted on wire
fraud and felony Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act charges for his role in the
creation and dissemination of false and misleading information about the
efficacy of InterMune’s drug Actimmune (Interferon gamma-1b) as a treatment for
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Justice Department Announces Memorandum of Agreement with Town of Mattawa, Washington, and Mattawa Police Department (08-216)
The Department of Justice today announced a Memorandum of Agreement under Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe
Streets Act, with the town of Mattawa, Wash., and the Mattawa Police Department
(MPD). The memorandum and accompanying language assistance plan reflect the
efforts of the town’s mayor, police chief, legal counsel, and town council to
ensure that the town and the MPD take reasonable steps to provide limited
English proficient (LEP) persons with meaningful access to town and MPD
services. (Read more) |
Business Owner Indicted in $132 Million Scheme to Defraud Clients of Funds Allegedly Held in Trust (08-215)
Edward H. Okun, 57, of Miami was arrested today and charged in an unsealed
indictment with mail fraud, bulk cash smuggling and making false statements,
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern
District of Virginia Chuck Rosenberg announced. The indictment stems from Okun's
scheme to defraud and obtain millions of dollars in client funds held by The
1031 Tax Group, LLP, (1031TG) a qualified intermediary company owned by Okun. (Read more) |
CVS Caremark Corp. to Pay $36.7 Million to U.S., 23 States, & D.C. to Settle Medicaid Prescription Drug Fraud Allegations (08-214)
CVS Caremark Corp. has agreed to pay $36.7 million to settle claims that the
company from 2000 to 2006 improperly switched patients from the tablet version
of the prescription drug Ranitidine (generic Zantac) to a more expensive capsule
version in order to increase Medicaid reimbursement, the Justice Department
announced today. CVS Caremark, based in Woonsocket, R.I., operates more than
6,000 retail pharmacies nationwide. (Read more) |
March 17, 2008 |
Justice Department Settles Voting Rights Case with Georgetown County, South Carolina, Board of Education (08-213)
The Justice Department announced that it has settled a Voting Rights Act
lawsuit against the Georgetown County, S.C., Board of Education. The Justice
Department simultaneously filed a complaint and negotiated consent decree
pertaining to the method of election for the Georgetown County Board of
Education. (Read more) |
Sarasota, Florida-based Lab Company & its President/Owner to Pay U.S. $461,000 for Alleged False Claims to Medicare (08-212)
Acculab Laboratories and its president/owner, Joseph T. DeGregorio, have agreed
to pay the United States $461,000 to settle allegations that Acculab submitted
false claims to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement
resolves allegations that the Sarasota, Fla.-based company, at the direction of
DeGregorio, submitted claims to Medicare for laboratory services that were not
ordered, were not provided, were not medically necessary or were improperly
unbundled. (Read more) |
Former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Health Sentenced for Theft of Government Funds (08-211)
Dr. Lucien A. Moolenaar II, DDS, former acting commissioner of the Virgin
Islands Department of Health, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after having
been found guilty on charges of stealing government funds, grand larceny and
making false statements, 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) |
Ship Pilot Charged in San Francisco Bay Oil Spill Case (08-210)
John Joseph Cota, the pilot of the Cosco Busan, the 65,131-ton container ship
that collided with the San Francisco Bay Bridge resulting in the discharge of
approximately 58,000 gallons of oil, was charged today with violations of the
Clean Water Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, announced Ronald J. Tenpas,
Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division
and Joseph P. Russoniello, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of
California.
(Read more) |
March 14, 2008 |
Former Corrections Officers Convicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges (08-209)
WASHINGTON – A federal jury in New Bern, N.C., today found former federal
corrections officers Willie Powell and Marquis Young guilty of a felony federal
civil rights offense for assaulting an inmate in their custody, and of three
related charges for attempting to cover up their illegal use of force, the
Justice Department announced. The defendants face a maximum potential
punishment of 25 years imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been
determined. (Read more) |
Leader of New York-Connecticut Sex-Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty (08-208)
WASHINGTON - Corey Davis, also known as “Magnificent,” pleaded guilty today in
federal court in Bridgeport, Conn., to a federal civil rights charge for
organizing and leading a sex-trafficking ring. A co-conspirator previously
pleaded guilty to a related charge of conspiring to violate the Mann Act, which
prohibits the interstate transport of individuals for prostitution. Davis is
scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2008. Under the terms of his plea
agreement, Davis faces up to 296 months imprisonment. (Read more) |
Lexington, Ky., Agrees to Major Sewer System Upgrades (08-207)
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) in Kentucky has agreed to
make extensive improvements to its sewer systems, at a cost estimated to exceed
$290 million, to eliminate unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage, and
to reduce pollution levels in urban storm water. In addition, LFUCG will pay a
civil penalty of $425,000 to the United States and implement two federal and two
state environmental projects valued at $2.73 million that will provide
additional environmental benefits to the Lexington community.
(Read more) |
March 13, 2008 |
Co-Defendants Sentenced for Roles in Former Wrestler’s Sex Trafficking Ring (08-206)
Aimee Allen, 37, formerly of Cartersville, Ga., and now of Williamsville, N.Y.,
and Cedric Jackson, 41, of Atlanta, Ga., were sentenced today in the Northern
District of Georgia on charges of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, the
Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Former National Century Financial Enterprises Executives Found Guilty on all Charges in $3 Billion Securities Fraud Scheme (08-205)
WASHINGTON – A federal jury has found five former executives of National Century
Financial Enterprises (NCFE) guilty of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering,
following a six-week trial and less than two days of deliberation, Assistant
Attorney General Alice S. Fisher and U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Lockhart of the
Southern District of Ohio announced today. (Read more) |
Businessman Pleads Guilty to Supplying Indian Government with Controlled Technology (08-204)
The owner of an international electronics business has pleaded guilty to a
one-count criminal information arising from a conspiracy to illegally export
controlled microprocessors and electronic components to government entities in
India that participate in the development of ballistic missiles, space launch
vehicles, and fighter jets. (Read more) |
Justice Department Seeks to Bar Massachusetts Resident from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others (08-203)
The United States has brought suit against Massachusetts resident Domingo J.
Dominguez, seeking to bar him from preparing federal tax returns for others, the
Justice Department announced today. The government alleges in its complaint that
Dominguez operates DJD Professional Tax Services in Salem and Peabody, Mass.,
that provides tax return preparation services and e-filing, even though
Dominguez’s electronic filing privileges have been revoked by the Internal
Revenue Service. (Read more) |
DOJ Statement Regarding OIG Report on Section 215 Orders (08-201)
The Justice Department appreciates the diligent work of the Office of Inspector
General (OIG) in completing its review of the FBI’s use of Section 215 orders in
2006 and is pleased that the OIG report recognizes the critical importance of
these tools to the FBI’s conduct of national security investigations.
(Read more) |
DOJ Statement Regarding OIG Report on National Security Letters (08-200)
“We are pleased with the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) positive assessment
of the many actions taken by the Justice Department and FBI to improve oversight
of the use of National Security Letters (NSLs) since the first OIG review of
NSLs was issued in March 2007. (Read more) |
March 12, 2008 |
Man Sentenced to 10 Years For Role in San Antonio Sex-trafficking Ring (08-202)
Timothy Michael Gereb was sentenced today in federal court in San Antonio to 10
years imprisonment for his role in a sex trafficking ring involving at least one
teenage girl, the Justice Department announced today. After his release from
prison, Gereb will be on lifetime federal supervised release. Gereb is one of
five defendants named in an indictment filed in San Antonio in June 2007
following a federal sex trafficking investigation. (Read more) |
Illinois Corporation Pleads Guilty to Illegally Dealing in Falsely Labeled Fish from Vietnam (08-199)
True World Foods Chicago, LLC, was sentenced on March 11, 2008, to pay $60,000
for its role in purchasing and re-selling falsely labeled frozen fish fillets in
violation of the Lacey Act, the Justice Department announced today. The Lacey
Act prohibits, among other things, the receipt, acquisition or purchase of fish
that was taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of U.S. laws or
regulations. (Read more) |
Uranium Processing Company Pleads Guilty to Poisoning Migratory Birds (08-198)
Cotter Corp., headquartered in Denver, Colo., pleaded guilty and was sentenced
today in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado for its role in the
poisoning deaths of migratory birds at its uranium processing facility near
Cañon City, Colo., the Justice Department announced. (Read more) |
Seventh Defendant Pleads Guilty in Turtle Smuggling Case (08-197)
Martin Villegas Terrones, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in U.S. District
Court in Denver for his role in an illegal smuggling operation that trafficked
in protected turtle species, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
New York Man Sentenced on Child Pornography and Obstruction of Justice Charges (08-196)
Greg Burnell, 50, of Sarasota Springs, N.Y., was sentenced to 72 months in
prison for possessing child pornography and obstructing the federal
investigation into his crimes, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the
Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York Glenn T.
Suddaby, and Albany, N.Y., Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Resident
Agent in Charge Patrick Coultry announced today. Burnell, a former executive
with Delmar Learning in Clifton Park, N.Y., is the latest defendant to be
convicted in “Operation Emissary,” an ICE nationwide investigation targeting a
Web site that offered images and movies of hardcore child pornography. (Read more) |
Justice Department Seeks to Bar Illinois Tax Preparer from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others (08-191)
The United States today sued Irma Melendez, a Mundelein, Ill., tax return
preparer, to stop her from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice
Department announced. The government alleges that Melendez, who operated a
business called “Income Tax Service,” prepared federal income tax returns
claiming inflated deductions for her customers. (Read more) |
March 11, 2008 |
Muncie, Indiana, Man Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Violations After Burning Cross (08-195)
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Grace Chung
Becker and Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Timothy
Morrison announced today that Kyle Milbourn of Muncie, Ind., was convicted by a
federal jury for a hate crime stemming from a cross-burning last year that was
directed at a woman and her three biracial children.
(Read more) |
W.R. Grace to Pay for Cleanup of Asbestos Contamination in Libby, Montana (08-194)
W.R. Grace, a global supplier of specialty chemicals, has agreed to pay $250
million, the highest sum in the history of the Superfund program, to reimburse
the federal government for the costs of the investigation and cleanup of
asbestos contamination in Libby, Mont., the Justice Department and Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.
(Read more) |
The City of Jacksonville Agrees to Clean up two Superfund Sites (08-193)
The city of Jacksonville, Fla., has agreed to clean up two Superfund Sites
located within the city limits at an estimated cost of $94 million, the Justice
Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. In
addition, the settlement requires the city to reimburse all costs incurred by
EPA. (Read more) |
United States and Germany Agree to Share Fingerprint Databases and Information on Known and Suspected Terrorists (08-190)
Officials from the United States and Germany today initialed a bilateral
agreement related to sharing access to biometric data and spontaneous sharing of
data about known and suspected terrorists. At a bilateral ceremony in Berlin,
Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael
Chertoff joined the German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble and Justice
Minister Brigitte Zypries in initialing the agreement. (Read more) |
March 10, 2008 |
D.C. Grocery Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes Involving over $500,000 in Unpaid Payroll & Sales Taxes (08-189)
Stephen B. Cohen of Washington, D.C. pleaded guilty today to a two-count
information charging violations of tax crimes for his willful failure to collect
and pay over $500,000 of payroll and sales taxes, the Justice Department
announced. Cohen owned several businesses in the D.C. area, including Washington
Park Gourmet, a delicatessen and grocery store. (Read more) |
Hyattsville, Maryland, Man Convicted of Coercing 14 Year-old Foreign Girl into Prostitution (08-188)
Javier Miguel Ramirez, 35, of Hyattsville, Md., pleaded guilty today to sex
trafficking of a minor girl, announced Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant
Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, and Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S.
Attorney for the District of Maryland.
(Read more) |
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Mississippi (08-187)
The Justice Department today announced that on Tuesday, March 11, 2008, it will
monitor elections in Bolivar, Jefferson Davis, and Madison Counties, Miss., to
ensure compliance with federal voting rights statutes.
(Read more) |
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with University of Michigan Concerning Football Stadium’s Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities (08-186)
The Justice Department announced today that it has resolved a lawsuit against
the University of Michigan under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The
Justice Department and the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans Association brought suit
to challenge the lack of accessible seating in the university’s football
stadium. Today, the federal district court in Detroit entered a consent decree
resolving the lawsuit. (Read more) |
March 7, 2008 |
Brothers Sentenced for Selling More than $6 Million in Pirated Software (08-184)
Two brothers were sentenced today in federal court to 30 months and three years
in prison for selling massive amounts of pirated computer software, Assistant
Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for
the Eastern District of Virginia Chuck Rosenberg announced today. (Read more) |
Miami Jury Convicts Physician and Three Business Owners of Medicare Fraud (08-183)
A federal jury in Miami convicted a physician and the owners and operators of
two durable medical equipment companies and a home health care agency of
Medicare fraud, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal
Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of
Florida announced today. (Read more) |
Michigan Attorney and Client Charged with Tax Crimes along with Four Promoters of Fraudulent Insurance Tax Shelter (08-182)
A federal grand jury sitting in Grand Rapids, Mich., has returned a six-count
superseding indictment, charging a Kalamazoo, Mich., attorney, his client, and
four alleged tax shelter promoters with tax crimes, the Justice Department
announced today. (Read more) |
March 6, 2008 |
Former Franklin County, Alabama, District Attorney Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations (08-181)
John Pilati, the former district attorney for Franklin County, Ala., was
sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
on five civil rights offenses related to sexual assaults on young men during his
tenure as district attorney, the Justice Department announced. Pilati was
sentenced to 42 months of imprisonment and will be monitored on federal
supervised release for one year following his release from prison. The sentence
also requires him to pay a fine of $12,500 and to register as a sex offender
when he is released from prison. (Read more) |
Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Bar Mississippi Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (08-179)
The United States sued a New Hebron, Miss., woman today to stop her from
preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department
announced. According to the government’s complaint, Hazel Harris (also known as
Hazel Buckley) targets elderly customers who receive Social Security benefits
and generates fraudulent income tax refunds on their behalf. (Read more) |
Gary, Indiana Police Chief, Deputy Chief, and Sergeant Indicted for Federal Civil Rights Violations (08-177)
Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights
Division, announced today that Chief Thomas Houston, Deputy Chief Thomas
Branson, and Sergeant Thomas Decanter of the Gary, Ind. Police Department were
indicted March 5, 2008, by a federal grand jury in Hammond for multiple civil
rights violations against four victims. (Read more) |
Commercial Refrigeration Company and Executive Plead Guilty to Participating in Bid-rigging Conspiracy (07-178)
An Arizona commercial refrigeration company and one of its executives pleaded
guilty today for their role in a conspiracy to rig bids on contracts for the
installation of commercial refrigeration equipment in Safeway Inc. grocery
stores in the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more) |
International Arms Dealer Charged in U.S. with
Conspiracy to Provide Surface-to-Air Missiles and
other Weapons to a Foreign Terrorist Organization ()
Michael J. Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New
York, and Michele M. Leonhart, the Acting Administrator of the United States
Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA"), announced today the unsealing of
charges against Viktor Bout, a/k/a "Boris," a/k/a "Victor Anatoliyevich Bout,"
a/k/a "Victor But," a/k/a "Viktor Budd," a/k/a "Viktor Butt," a/k/a "Viktor
Bulakin," a/k/a "Vadim Markovich Aminov," an international arms dealer, and his
associate Andrew Smulian for conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of
weapons to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (the "FARC") – a
designated foreign terrorist organization based in Colombia. Bout was arrested
yesterday by Thai authorities in Bangkok. (Read more) |
March 5, 2008 |
Cheyenne Firearms Dealer Convicted of Tax Evasion and Harassment of Federal Officials (08-176)
Michael John Smith, a commemorative firearms dealer, was convicted today
following a jury trial in Cheyenne, Wyo., on federal tax and fraud charges, the
Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Smith, formerly
of Cheyenne, was indicted on May 16, 2007, on one count of obstructing the IRS,
one count of tax evasion, and three counts of submitting fictitious obligations.
He was also charged with two counts of submitting false statements relating to a
bankruptcy petition. (Read more) |
Former Guatemalan Government Official Convicted of U.S. Drug Charges (08-175)
A former police officer in the Guatemalan government was convicted in the U.S.
District Court for the District of Columbia on drug charges, Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
Jury Finds Former Member of U.S. Navy Guilty of Terrorism and Espionage Charges (08-174)
Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and
other federal officials today announced that a federal jury in New Haven,
Connecticut, has found Hassan Abu-Jihaad, formerly known as Paul R. Hall, 32, of
Phoenix, Arizona, guilty of providing material support of terrorism and
disclosing previously classified information relating to the national defense.
The verdict was returned this afternoon. The trial before United States District
Judge Mark R. Kravitz began on February 25. (Read more) |
New Jersey Healthcare Consulting Firm to Pay U.S. $2.875 Million to Resolve Allegations of Medicare Fraud (08-173)
Besler & Company, Inc., a healthcare consulting firm; and its principal, Philip
Besler, have agreed to pay the United States $2.875 million, plus interest, to
settle allegations of fraud against the federal Medicare program, the Justice
Department announced today. (Read more) |
Justice Department Requires Mill Divestitures in Proposed Merger of Altivity and Graphic Packaging (08-172)
The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Altivity
Packaging LLC (Altivity) and Graphic Packaging International Inc. (Graphic) to
divest two paperboard mills—one in Indiana and the other in Pennsylvania—in
order to proceed with their proposed $1.75 billion merger. The Department said
that the merger, as originally proposed, would have substantially lessened
competition in the production and sale of a type of paperboard used to make
folding cartons for consumer and commercial packaging, including cereal boxes. (Read more) |
Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Justice Release New Guidance on “Reasonable Modifications” under the Fair Housing Act (08-171)
New guidance released this week by the Departments of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) and Justice (DOJ) reinforced the right of persons with
disabilities to make “reasonable modifications” to their dwellings if a
structural change to their dwelling or to a common area of the building or
complex in which they live is needed so that they can fully enjoy the premises.
(Read more) |
March 4, 2008 |
Cathedral Healthcare System to Pay U.S. $5.3 Million to Resolve Allegations Involving Inflated Charges to Obtain Higher Medicare Reimbursement (80-167)
Cathedral Healthcare System Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $5.3
million, plus interest, to settle allegations that it defrauded the federal
Medicare program, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Chief of Staff to Former Governor of Alaska Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud (08-170)
James Clark, chief of staff to the former governor of Alaska, has pleaded guilty
to soliciting and accepting nearly $70,000 in illegal polling and consulting
expenses for the governor's re-election campaign in 2006, Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. The illegal
payments were provided by VECO Corporation, formerly an oil field services
company headquartered in Alaska. (Read more) |
Three Miami-Area Residents Found Guilty of Federal Human Trafficking and Smuggling Charges (08-168)
A federal jury in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., today found three Miami-area residents
guilty of felony federal civil rights offenses related to forcing a young
Haitian woman to work as a domestic servant in their home. Evelyn Theodore and
Maude Paulin were convicted of one count of conspiring to violate the victim’s
civil rights and a second count of compelling the victim to perform forced
labor. Theodore, Paulin and Paulin’s ex-husband, Saintford Paulin, were also
found guilty of harboring an illegal alien. A fourth defendant, Claire Telasco,
was acquitted of the conspiracy and forced labor charges. Theodore and Maude
Paulin each face a maximum punishment of thirty years imprisonment, criminal
fines and restitution for their victim. Sentencing is scheduled for May 20,
2008. (Read more) |
Members of Vast Child Exploitation Enterprise Indicted in the Northern District of Florida (08-166)
A federal grand jury in Pensacola, Fla. has returned a 35-count indictment
against 12 individuals who engaged in a criminal enterprise involving the
advertisement, transportation and shipment of child pornography over a two-year
period, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division,
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida Gregory R. Miller, and FBI
Executive Assistant Director J. Stephen Tidwell announced today. (Read more) |
Justice Department Requires a Divestiture in Cookson's Acquisition of Foseco (08-165)
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement that
will require Cookson Group plc and Foseco plc to divest Foseco’s U.S. carbon
bonded ceramic (CBC) business in order to proceed with Cookson’s proposed $1
billion acquisition of Foseco. The Department said that the transaction, as
originally proposed, would substantially lessen competition in the United States
for certain CBCs used in the continuous casting steelmaking process, resulting
in increased prices and reduced service and innovation.
(Read more) |
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Gender Discrimination and Retaliation by the Puerto Rico Police Department (08-164)
The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit yesterday
against the Policía de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Police Department or PRPD)
alleging the PRPD discriminated against female officer Jeannette Caraballo Lopez
(Caraballo) on the basis of her sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
(Read more) |
March 3, 2008 |
Federal Court Permanently Bars Michigan Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (08-163)
A federal judge in Kalamazoo, Mich., issued an order permanently barring Donald
A. Gray from preparing federal income taxes for others, the Justice Department
announced today. The court found that Gray has been preparing tax returns for
his customers based on the frivolous theory that wages are not income for
federal tax purposes. Judge Paul L. Maloney noted that federal courts have
“emphatically and repeatedly rejected” this argument. (Read more) |
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas (08-162)
The Justice Department today announced that on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, it will
monitor elections in Brazos, Fort Bend, Galveston and Waller Counties, Texas, to
ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights
statutes. (Read more) |
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Act as an Illegal Agent of the Venezuelan Government (08-161)
Carlos Kauffman, 35, one of five foreign nationals accused of acting and
conspiring to act as an agent of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
("Venezuela") within the United States without prior notification to the
Attorney General of the United States, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring to
act as an unregistered Venezuelan agent before U.S. District Court Judge Joan
Lenard in Miami.
(Read more) |
Jury Convicts Former Fresno County Sheriff’s Employee on Child Pornography Charges (08-160)
On Feb. 29, 2008, a federal jury in Fresno, Calif., convicted Ronald B. Vaughn
Jr., 42, of Fresno, Calif., on two counts of possessing and attempting to
possess child pornography, as well as one count of receiving and attempting to
receive child pornography, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the
Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
McGregor W. Scott announced today.
(Read more) |
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