October 31, 2006 |
Justice Department Settles Discrimination Lawsuit
Against Milwaukee Nightclub (06-741)
The Department of Justice today reached a settlement resolving allegations of
racial discrimination with the owner and operator of Eve, a nightclub in
Milwaukee, Wis. (Read more) |
Fact Sheet: Protecting Voting Rights
and Prosecuting Voter Fraud (06-738)
"The Department of Justice plays a limited, but important, role with respect to
elections. The Justice Department’s Criminal and Civil Rights Divisions enforce
specific federal laws that help to ensure that all qualified voters have an
opportunity to cast their ballots and have them counted." (Read more) |
Orlando Woman Pleads Guilty to Human Trafficking Charge (06-737)
An Orlando, Fla., woman pleaded guilty to forcing a Russian woman to work
against her will as a prostitute, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
October 30, 2006 |
Lorraine Edmo Announced as Tribal Deputy Director
of Office on Violence Against Women (06-736)
The Department of Justice has announced the selection of Lorraine Edmo as Tribal
Deputy Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. (Read more) |
October 27, 2006 |
Former GSA Chief of Staff David Safavian Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison on Charges of Obstruction, Making False Statements (06-733)
Former General Services Administration (GSA) Chief of Staff David H. Safavian
was sentenced to 18 months in prison on charges of obstructing a GSA proceeding
and making false statements, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the
Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
New York Man Enters Guilty Plea to Operating an Interstate
Organization Using Children for Prostitution (06-732)
A New York City man who led an interstate prostitution enterprise including
recruiting and prostituting minor girls in several U.S. cites pleaded guilty
today in federal court, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the
Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie of the District of
New Jersey announced today. (Read more) |
Federal Jury Convicts Nashville Man on Child Pornography Offenses
Involving Multiple Commercial Websites (06-731)
A Nashville, Tenn., man has been convicted by a federal jury of 11 child
pornography-related offenses for the operation of several Web sites that
depicted adolescent boys engaging in sexually explicit activity, Assistant
Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney
Craig S. Morford of the Middle District of Tennessee announced today. (Read more) |
Department Of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Single-Firm Conduct to Continue on November 1
(06-730)
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) today announced that the latest in a series of joint public hearings
designed to examine the implications of single-firm conduct under the antitrust
laws will take place on Nov. 1, 2006, in Washington. (Read more) |
October 26, 2006 |
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charges (06-729)
An Ohio man, David Fredericy, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit and
for committing hate crimes targeting African-American residents of Cleveland. (Read more) |
Biopharmaceutical Firm Intermune to Pay U.S. Over $36 Million
for Illegal Promotion and Marketing of Drug Actimmune (06-728)
InterMune, Inc, a Brisbane, Cal., biopharmaceutical company, has agreed to pay
the United States more than $36.9 million to resolve criminal charges and civil
liabilities in connection with its alleged illegal promotion and marketing of
Actimmune, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
$13.9 Million Clean Air Act Settlement with Multinational Soybean and Corn Processor Secures Major Pollution Reductions in Eight States (06-727)
A multi-state Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement, reached today with oilseed
processor Bunge North America Inc. and three of its subsidiaries, will eliminate
more than 2,200 tons of harmful pollution emissions per year when fully
implemented. (Read more) |
October 25, 2006 |
Chicago Attorney Convicted of Tax Evasion (06-726)
Robert Wayne Hallock, an attorney from Chicago, was convicted by a federal judge
today of tax evasion for attempting to hide from the government over $1 million
obtained by selling fraudulent Certificates of Deposit (CD), the Justice
Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. (Read more) |
October 24, 2006 |
Justice Department Settles Allegations of Disability Discrimination Against City of Saraland, Alabama (06-725)
The Justice Department today settled a lawsuit against the city of Saraland,
Ala., alleging housing discrimination against individuals with disabilities. (Read more) |
Two Officers are Indicted, One Officer Pleads Guilty
to Civil Rights Charges (06-724)
In a federal indictment unsealed today, two former supervisors at the
Winston-Choctaw County Regional Correctional Facility (WCCRCF) in Louisville,
Miss., were charged with criminal civil rights and obstruction of justice
violations. (Read more) |
October 23, 2006 |
Former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling
Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison on Fraud, Conspiracy Charges (06-723)
Former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey K. Skilling has been sentenced to
24 years and four months in prison on conspiracy, securities fraud and other
charges related to the collapse of the Enron Corporation, Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more) |
Medco to Pay U.S. $155 Million to Settle
False Claims Act Cases (06-722)
Medco Health Solutions has agreed to pay the United States $155 million plus
interest to settle allegations that the Parsippany, N.J.-based company submitted
false claims to the government, solicited and accepted kickbacks from
pharmaceutical manufacturers to favor their drugs, and paid kickbacks to health
plans to obtain business, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
October 20, 2006 |
Federal Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty
to Sexual Misconduct Violations (06-721)
Former Bureau of Prisons Officer Ricky Bernard pleaded guilty today to a
five-count information charging him with sexual abuse of a ward and abusive
sexual contact with a ward stemming from sexual misconduct with three inmates at
the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Bryan, Texas. (Read more) |
October 19, 2006 |
Justice Department Reaches Agreement Requiring Divestitures in
Merger of Regions Financial Corp. and Amsouth Bancorporation
(06-716)
The Department of Justice announced today that Regions Financial Corporation and
AmSouth Bancorporation have agreed to sell 52 AmSouth branch offices with
approximately $2.7 billion in deposits in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee in
order to resolve competitive concerns raised by the companies' proposed
merger.
(Read more) |
Five Former and Current Milwaukee Police Officers
Indicted on Civil Rights Charges;
Additional Officer Pleads Guilty To Obstruction (06-715)
A federal grand jury in Milwaukee, Wis., indicted former Milwaukee police
officers Jon Bartlett, Andrew Spengler, Daniel Masarik, and Ryan Lemke, as well
as current Milwaukee police officer Ryan Packard, with one count each of
conspiring to violate the civil rights of Frank Jude and Lovell Harris and of
violating the civil rights of Frank Jude by assaulting him in October 2004. (Read more) |
Nightclub Owner Sentenced to 10 Years for
Forcing Women to Work as Hostesses (06-712)
The Justice Department today announced that Sung Bum Chang, a Korean American
man who owned and operated the nightclub, “Club Wa,” in Dallas was sentenced to
10 years in prison for forcing young Korean women to work as club hostesses. (Read more) |
October 18, 2006 |
Statement of Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General
for the Civil Rights Division,
on Opinion in United States v. Osceola County (06-713)
“We are extremely pleased with today's Court ruling, which affirms that Osceola
County must abandon its illegal election system." (Read more) |
Three Executives Indicted for Their Roles in the Dram Price-fixing & Bid-Rigging Conspiracy (06-710)
A federal grand jury in San Francisco today returned an indictment against two
executives from Samsung Electronics Ltd. (Samsung) and one executive from Hynix
Semiconductor America Inc. (Hynix America) for their participation in a global
conspiracy to fix DRAM prices, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more) |
Operation Truth or Consequences
Targets Bankruptcy Fraud Across the Country;
U.S. Trustees Announce Bankruptcy Fraud Hotline (06-709)
United States Attorneys have filed criminal charges against 78 individuals in 69
separate prosecutions in 36 judicial districts on a variety of federal
bankruptcy fraud and related counts, including 18 cases charged Tuesday, Deputy
Attorney General Paul J. McNulty, announced today. (Read more) |
October 16, 2006 |
Attorney General Issues Report to the President
Regarding the Administration of the Freedom of Information Act (06-706)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales submitted to President Bush today the
Department’s report regarding the government-wide administration of the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA). (Read more) |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces
New Initiative to Fight Crime in Targeted Cities (06-705)
Today, while addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police,
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales announced the launch of the Initiative for
Safer Communities to target violent crime prevention efforts in selected
communities across America that have shown unexplained increases in crime. (Read more) |
October 13, 2006 |
Justice Department Files Voting Rights Lawsuit Against Philadelphia (06-704)
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against the City
of Philadelphia, alleging violations of the rights of Hispanic and
Spanish-speaking voters under two key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. (Read more) |
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Centier Bank
Regarding Alleged Discrimination in Lending (06-702)
The Justice Department today announced that Centier Bank of Whiting, Ind., will
invest more than $4.3 million and open new branches in minority neighborhoods in
the northwestern portion of the state, to resolve allegations that it engaged in
a pattern of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin. (Read more) |
Congressman Robert W. Ney Pleads Guilty to Charges
Involving Corruption and False Statements (06-701)
Congressman Robert W. Ney has pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging
him with conspiracy to commit multiple offenses – including honest services
fraud, making false statements, and violations of his former chief of staff’s
one-year lobbying ban – and with making false statements to the U.S. House of
Representatives, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal
Division announced today. (Read more) |
U.S. Resolves Probe Against Oil Company that Bribed Iranian Official (06-700)
An international oil company, Statoil ASA, headquartered in Norway and listed on
the New York Stock Exchange, has acknowledged making bribe payments to an
Iranian official in order to secure valuable oil and gas rights in Iran,
Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S.
Attorney Michael J. (Read more) |
October 12, 2006 |
Verton County Jail Administrator Convicted of
Violating Inmate’s Rights; Two Others Plead Guilty (06-699)
Michael Gilpatrick, former Overton County Jail Administrator, was convicted
today in federal court for violating the civil rights of an inmate detained in
the Overton County Jail. (Read more) |
Justice Department Agreement will Help Protect Voting Rights
of New Jersey Citizens in 2006 Federal Election (06-698)
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached an agreement with the
state of New Jersey that will help to ensure an orderly process for the
implementation of New Jersey’s statewide computer voter database, in accordance
with federal law. (Read more) |
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty
to Corruption Charges While Working at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait (06-697)
Gheevarghese Pappen, a retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee pleaded
guilty today in Savannah, Ga., to soliciting and accepting nearly $50,000 in
illegal gratuities, announced Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the
Criminal Division. (Read more) |
October 11, 2006 |
Former DOD Employee Indicted for Accepting
Illegal Gratuity from Iraqi Contractor (06-696)
A former Department of Defense (DOD) employee has been indicted on charges of
accepting an illegal gratuity while deployed in the Republic of Iraq. (Read more) |
U.S. Citizen Indicted on Treason, Material Support Charges
for Providing Aid and Comfort to al Qaeda (06-695)
A former resident of Orange County, Calif., has been indicted in the Central
District of California on charges of treason and providing material support to a
foreign terrorist organization for making a series of propaganda videotapes for
al Qaeda, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more) |
Contractor Sentenced for Paying Gratuities
to Former U.S. Army Director of Contracting (06-694)
A U.S. contractor has been sentenced to six months in prison and six months of
monitored home confinement for paying illegal gratuities to a former U.S. Army
Director of Contracting and violating the Travel Act in connection with U.S.
Army contracts awarded from an Army recreational facility in Germany, Assistant
Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today.
(Read more) |
Atlanta-based Insurance Services Firm to Pay $1.36 Million
for Allegedly Overbilling the Government (06-693)
Crawford and Company, an insurance services firm, has agreed to pay the United
States $1,363,204 to resolve allegations that between 1992 and 2002 it violated
the False Claims Act when it submitted invoices to the federal government that
contained inflated charges, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more) |
Statement by Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett
Regarding the Closing of the Investigation of
AT&T’s Acquisition of Bellsouth
(06-692)
“After thoroughly investigating AT&T’s proposed acquisition of BellSouth, the
Antitrust Division determined that the proposed transaction is not likely to
reduce competition substantially. The Division investigated all areas in which
the two companies currently compete – including residential local and long
distance service, telecommunications services provided to business customers,
and Internet services – and the merger’s impact on future competition for
wireless broadband services."
(Read more) |
October 10, 2006 |
MEDIA ADVISORY
Florida Charter Boat Captain Sentenced
for Shooting at Dolphins (06-691)
Christopher Kevin Weaver, a charter boat captain from Panama City, Fla., was
sentenced today to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine for violating the
federal Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) by knowingly and unlawfully shooting
at one or more dolphins in U.S. waters. (Read more) |
Oracle Agrees to Pay $98.5 Million for False Pricing Information
Provided by PeopleSoft to Obtain Government Contract (06-689)
Oracle Corporation (Oracle) has agreed to pay the United States $98.5 million to
settle its liability for defective pricing disclosures made by PeopleSoft Inc.
(PeopleSoft) during the negotiation of a contract under the General Services
Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program, Deputy Attorney
General Paul J. McNulty, Assistant Attorney General Peter D. Keisler of the
Justice Department’s Civil Division, United States Attorney Rod J. (Read more) |
Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty Announces
Formation of National Procurement Fraud Task Force (06-688)
Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty announced today a new national
procurement fraud initiative established by the Justice Department’s Criminal
Division to promote the early detection, prevention and prosecution of
procurement fraud associated with increased contracting activity for national
security and other government programs. (Read more) |
October 6, 2006 |
Manhattan Telecommunications Installation Company Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charge (06-686)
A Manhattan telecommunications installation company executive pleaded guilty
today to charges relating to his role in a conspiracy involving kickbacks,
bribery, and false statements on income tax returns for the supply of
telecommunications equipment and services to Mount Sinai School of Medicine and
the Mount Sinai Hospital (Mount Sinai), the Department of Justice announced. (Read more) |
Promoters Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme (06-685)
A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Susan E. O’Brien, a professional tax
preparer who operated The O’Brien Group, to 10 years and five months in prison. (Read more) |
October 5, 2006 |
Milwaukee Police Officers Plead Guilty
in Connection with Civil Rights Violations (06-684)
Two former Milwaukee police officers today pleaded guilty to civil rights
violations in relation to an assault on two men in October 2004. (Read more) |
Three Former New York Archdiocese Purchasing Officials Sentenced for Fraud, Tax And Obstruction of Justice Charges (06-683)
Three former purchasing representatives for the Archdiocese of New York were
sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Manhattan for participating in schemes
that defrauded the archdiocese of more than $2 million, the Department of
Justice announced. (Read more) |
Federal Court Bars Louisiana Tax Preparers from Claiming
Inflated Deductions on Income Tax Returns (06-682)
A federal court in New Orleans today barred Rodney G. Bourg and Cynthia M. Bourg
of Houma, La, from preparing federal income tax returns claiming inflated
deductions or asserting unrealistic positions, the Justice Department announced.
The Bourgs consented to the injunctions. (Read more) |
Statement of Tasia Scolinos, Director of Public Affairs, Regarding the Detention of Luis Posada-Carriles (06-681)
“The Department of Justice is committed to defending the Department of Homeland
Security’s decision to detain him under the Immigration and Nationality Act.” (Read more) |
Trust Scheme Promoter Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison (06-680)
Tax fraud promoter Michael Joseph Shanahan of Everett, Washington, was sentenced
today in Tacoma, Wash., to 36 months in prison, the Justice Department and
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Judge Ronald B. Leighton, finding that
the tax loss to the federal Treasury was more than $8.5 million, ordered
Shanahan to pay that sum in restitution to the IRS. (Read more) |
American Medical Response Pays $9 Million
to Settle Civil Fraud Case (06-679)
American Medical Response Inc. (AMR), one of the nation’s largest ambulance
providers, has paid the United States over $9 million to resolve allegations
that the company violated the False Claims Act, the Justice Department announced
today. (Read more) |
Department of Justice Issues Five-year Report Highlighting Successes in Enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (06-678)
The Justice Department today released “Access for All: Five Years of Progress,”
a status report highlighting the Administration’s successes over the last five
years in enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (Read more) |
October 4, 2006 |
City of Indianapolis Agrees to Make $1.86 Billion
in Improvements to Sewer System (06-676)
The city of Indianapolis has agreed to make an estimated $1.86 billion worth of
improvements to resolve longstanding problems with overflows from its sewer
system, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced today. (Read more) |
October 3, 2006 |
Department of Justice Announces $125 Million
in Grants for President Bush's DNA Initiative
and Other Crime-Solving Forensic Services (06-675)
The Department of Justice has awarded more than $125 million in grants
nationwide as part of President Bush's DNA Initiative, Advancing Justice Through
DNA Technology, and for other crime-solving forensic services. (Read more) |
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces
Enhanced Programs to Combat Human Trafficking (06-671)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced additional funding,
totaling nearly $8 million, for law enforcement agencies and service
organizations for the purpose of identifying and assisting victims of human
trafficking and apprehending and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking
offenses. (Read more) |
October 2, 2006 |
Justice Department Obtains Dairy Processor Divestiture in Settlement with Dairy Farmers of America (06-672)
The Department of Justice today announced a settlement that resolves its
antitrust concerns with the Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) acquisition of
Southern Belle Dairy Co. LLC, by requiring DFA to divest its interest in
Southern Belle. As a result of the settlement, DFA’s partner, the Allen Family
Limited Partnership (AFLP), will also sell its interest in Southern Belle. (Read more) |
Justice Department Sues to Bar California CPA
from Promoting Alleged Tax Scam (06-670)
The Justice Department brought suit against a Bakersfield, Calif., CPA to stop
him from promoting two alleged tax fraud schemes and to bar him from preparing
federal tax returns for others. (Read more) |
Justice Department Announces William E. Moschella
as New Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (06-666)
The Justice Department today announced that William E. Moschella will serve as
Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General effective immediately. Mr.
Moschella succeeds William Mercer, who was nominated in early September to serve
as Associate Attorney General. (Read more) |