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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Detroit Area Tax Return Preparers

The Justice Department announced today that it has asked a federal court in Detroit to permanently bar Brandon Lee and Tamika Lee, a husband and wife who do business as Quick Money Tax & tax returns in order to claim false and inflated earned income tax credits (EITC).



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Big Game Hunting Guide Pleads Guilty to Felony Conspiracy Charge in Connection with Colorado Outfitter’s Illegal Mountain Lion and Bobcat Hunting Activities

Nicholaus J. Rodgers, 31, of Shady Cove, Oregon, pleaded guilty in federal court in Denver to a felony conspiracy charge stemming from the assistance he provided to an outfitter who sold illegal mountain lion and bobcat hunts in Colorado and Utah, the Justice Department announced



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Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department Filings in Voting Rights Cases in Wisconsin and Ohio

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Justice Department has submitted filings in voting rights cases in Wisconsin and Ohio. The department’s involvement in these two cases represents its latest steps to enforce the remaining parts of the Voting Rights Act against restrictive state laws, following up on the department’s lawsuits last year against similar measures in Texas and North Carolina



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Former Employee of a U.S. Construction Company Working in Afghanistan Pleads Guilty to Receiving Illegal Kickback

A former project manager of a U.S. construction company working on U.S. government contracts in Afghanistan who solicited a $60,000 kickback from an Afghan subcontractor pleaded guilty today in federal court in Tucson, Arizona



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Remarks by Assistant Attorney General John P. Carlin on Cyber National Security Threats at Carnegie Mellon University

This week marks a busy time for national security law. There is a lot going on in the world, all of which we are tracking closely. But I’m going to focus today on the threats associated with national security cyber issues.




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Department of Justice and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Release Groundbreaking Model Policy

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), in partnership with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), today released a seminal model policy regarding police interaction with children who are impacted when a parent is arrested and law enforcement carries out its investigative and arrest responsibilities. Reflecting the collective input of a wide range of subject-matter experts and stakeholders, and understanding that interactions between children and law enforcement create lasting impressions, the resulting model policy, Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents , provides strategies for law enforcement to improve their procedures and positively impact the communities they serve



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Attorney General Holder Announces Plans for Federal Law Enforcement Personnel to Begin Carrying Naloxone

In a new memorandum released Friday, Attorney General Eric Holder urged federal law enforcement agencies to identify, train and equip personnel who may interact with a victim of a heroin overdose with the drug naloxone. This latest step by the Attorney General will pave the way for certain federal agents -- such as emergency medical personnel -- to begin carrying the potentially life-saving drug known for effectively restoring breathing to a victim in the midst of a heroin or opioid overdose



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G.S. Electech Inc. Executive Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

An executive of Japanese auto parts maker G.S. Electech Inc. pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to serve 13 months in a U.S. prison for his role in an international conspiracy to rig bids and fix prices on auto parts used on antilock brake systems installed in U.S. cars, the Department of Justice announced



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Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Maryland to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor

Gregory King, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in connection with contacting a 13-year-old girl over the Internet and traveling across state lines to engage in sexual activity with her



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Drug Trafficker Convicted for Narcotics and Firearms Offenses

Kelvin L. Brown, aka “Doom,” 34, of Newport News, Virginia, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of participating in a drug conspiracy in the Newport News area, from the early 2000’s through September 2013. Brown was also convicted of distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, two counts of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm



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North Carolina Woman Sentenced for Role in Widespread Tax Return and Identity Fraud Conspiracy

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that a Durham, North Carolina, woman was sentenced today to serve 30 months in federal prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS



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Louisiana State Bond Commission Agrees to Settlement to Resolve Housing Discrimination Lawsuit

The Justice Department announced today that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana has approved its settlement with the Louisiana State Bond Commission resolving the department’s housing discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that the commission violated the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act by adopting a moratorium on affordable housing financing in 2009. The moratorium blocked financing for a proposed 40-unit affordable housing project known as the “Esplanade.” Twenty of these units would provide permanent supportive housing to persons with disabilities



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Justice Department Announces $1.5 Million Paid to Victims of Discrimination by Quiktrip Corporation

The Justice Department today announced the payment of more than $1.5 million in damages under a consent decree previously reached with QuikTrip Corporation. The payments were made by QuikTrip to compensate 47 individuals with disabilities who experienced discrimination at QuikTrip gas stations and convenience stores across the country, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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New Hampshire Man Indicted for Tax Evasion

A former Northfield, New Hampshire, man was indicted on three counts of tax evasion for tax years 2008, 2009 and 2010, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today



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Defendant Extradited to Face Charges in Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Murder Case

Ivan Soto-Barraza, who is charged with the first degree murder of United States Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, was extradited to the United States from Mexico today, announced Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California



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Hewlett-Packard Company Agrees to Pay $32.5 Million for Alleged Overbilling of the U.S. Postal Service

The Justice Department announced today that Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has agreed to pay $32.5 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that HP overcharged the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for products between October 2001 and December 2010. HP is a manufacturer and vendor of information technology products and services headquartered in Palo Alto, California



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Two Maryland Fishermen Plead Guilty to Illegal Fish Harvesting Conspiracy in the Chesepeake Bay

Michael D. Hayden, 41, and William J. Lednum, 42, both of Tilghman Island, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and to defraud the United States through their illegal harvesting and sale of striped bass, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division Sam Hirsch, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police Colonel George F. Johnson IV and Regional Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Honora Gordon



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Former Owner of Southern California Medical Supply Company Found Guilty for a 10-Year, $8.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

On July 31, 2014, a federal jury in Los Angeles found that the former owner of a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company located in Carson, California, was guilty of health care fraud charges relating a 10-year scheme in which Medicare was fraudulently billed more than $8 million for DME that was not medically necessary



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Black P-Stones Gang Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison on Racketeering Conspiracy and Firearms Charges

Marcellus Williams, aka “Math,” “P-Shooter” and “Manny,” 27, of Newport News, Virginia, was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for engaging in numerous gang-related crimes as a ranking member of the Black P-Stones, including shootings of rival gang members, robberies and drug dealing



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers 57th Annual Meeting and 13th State Criminal Justice Network Conference

"This morning, as I look around this crowd of passionate professionals and dedicated public servants, I cannot help but feel confident in our ability to do just that; to develop smart solutions to the toughest problems we face; to protect the rights of everyone in this country, no matter their salary or their skin color; and to further enshrine the ideals of American justice into the annals of American law."




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Nebraska “Sovereign Citizen” Convicted of Filing False Liens Against Federal Officials and Federal Tax Crimes

A federal jury in Omaha, Nebraska, found Donna Marie Kozak guilty on Friday of conspiracy to file and filing false liens against two U.S. District Court judges, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, two Assistant U.S. Attorneys and an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) special agent, the Justice Department announced



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U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Finds Pattern and Practice of Excessive Force and Violence at New York City Jails on Rikers Island That Violates the Constitutional Rights of Adolescent Male Inmates

Attorney General Eric Holder and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara announced today the completion of the Justice Department’s multi-year civil investigation pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (“CRIPA”) into the conditions of confinement of adolescent male inmates on Rikers Island. The investigation, which focused on use of force by staff, inmate-on-inmate violence, and use of punitive segregation during the period 2011-2013, concluded that there is a pattern and practice of conduct at Rikers Island that violates the rights of adolescents protected by the Eighth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The investigation found that adolescent inmates are not adequately protected from physical harm due to the rampant use of unnecessary and excessive force by New York City Department of Correction (“DOC”) staff and violence inflicted by other inmates



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Two North Carolina Residents Plead Guilty to Defrauding Elderly Through Offshore Sweepstakes Scheme

A North Carolina couple pleaded guilty for leading a Costa Rican sweepstakes fraud scheme that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans



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Six Alleged Members of the Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation Gang Indicted

Five alleged members of the violent Almighty Imperial Gangsters Nation gang have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida for their roles in multiple murders. A sixth alleged gang member was indicted for unlawfully possessing a firearm



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Community Health Systems Inc. to Pay $98.15 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

The Justice Department announced today that Community Health Systems Inc. (CHS), the nation’s largest operator of acute care hospitals, has agreed to pay $98.15 million to resolve multiple lawsuits alleging that the company knowingly billed government health care programs for inpatient services that should have been billed as outpatient or observation services. The settlement also resolves allegations that one of the company’s affiliated hospitals, Laredo Medical Center (LMC), improperly billed the Medicare program for certain inpatient procedures and for services rendered to patients referred in violation of the Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly known as the Stark Law. CHS is based in Franklin, Tennessee, and has 206 affiliated hospitals in 29 states



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Mizrahi Bank Client Sentenced for Filing False Tax Return

A Beverly Hills, California man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to serve six months in prison and one year of home confinement for filing a false federal income tax return for tax year 2007, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced



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Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination Claim Against New York Nursing Home

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Isabella Geriatric Center (IGC), a nursing home located in New York City, resolving a claim that IGC engaged in a pattern or practice of citizenship discrimination during the employment eligibility reverification process in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).



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Former Virginia Subcontractor Sentenced for Conspiracy to Bribe Officials at the United States Navy Military Sealift Command

A former employee of a government contracting company was sentenced today to 36 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to bribe public officials at the United States Navy Military Sealift Command in exchange for favorable treatment in connection with U.S. government contract work



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Two Milwaukee Men Indicted in Sex Trafficking Conspiracy and Related Trafficking Offenses

Today, a federal grand jury in Milwaukee returned a 15-count superseding indictment charging two Milwaukee men, Paul Carter aka “Pimpin’ Paul” and David Moore aka “King David” with conspiracy, sex trafficking and related offenses spanning from the years 2007 to 2013



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Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Progressive National Baptist Convention

"Because if a government of, by and for the people means anything at all, it means that a ballot has the power to give equal voice to the high and the low; the weak and the strong; those at the bottom as well as the top. It means that in the polling place, the line is just as long for the richest among us as it is for those who often work the hardest but have the least."




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Manager of Adoption Agency Pleads Guilty to Ethiopian Adoption Fraud Scheme

A former foreign program director of International Adoption Guides Inc. (IAG), an adoption agency, pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to defraud the United States by paying bribes to foreign officials and submitting fraudulent documents to the State Department for adoptions from Ethiopia



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Virginia Resident Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Employment Taxes

Nureni Abayomi Baruwa, a resident of Alexandria, Virginia, pleaded guilty to employment tax fraud today, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced



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Disbarred Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in $28.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A disbarred Florida attorney was sentenced in federal court in Tampa, Florida today to serve 70 months in prison in connection with her role in a $28.3 million Medicare fraud scheme involving false claims for physical and occupational therapy services



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Justice Department Settles Citizenship Status Discrimination Claim Against Travel Management Company

The Justice Department reached an agreement today with Travel Management Company, a private airplane charter company based in Elkhart, Indiana, resolving claims that the company engaged in citizenship status discrimination in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Fifth Third Mortgage Company to Resolve Allegations of Discrimination Against Recipients of Disability Income

The Department of Justice filed a settlement today with Fifth Third Mortgage Company to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of disability and receipt of public assistance in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). Under the settlement, Fifth Third has agreed to maintain revised policies, conduct employee training and pay over $1.5 million to compensate victims



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U.S. Forfeits Over $480 Million Stolen by Former Nigerian Dictator in Largest Forfeiture Ever Obtained Through a Kleptocracy Action

The Department of Justice has forfeited more than $480 million in corruption proceeds hidden in bank accounts around the world by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and his co-conspirators



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Former ConvergEx Global Markets Chief Executive Officer and Trader Indicted

The former chief executive officer (CEO) and a former trader of ConvergEx Global Markets Limited (CGM Limited) — a former broker-dealer registered in Bermuda — were indicted late yesterday in federal court in the District of New Jersey for allegedly concealing additional fees, which they referred to as “trading profits,” fraudulently charged to clients in connection with orders to buy and sell securities



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Co-Owner of Atlanta-Based Medical Clinic Chain and Hospital CEO Pleaded Guilty to Illegal Pay-for-Patient Conspiracy

A CEO of an Atlanta-area hospital and the co-owner and chief operating officer of an Atlanta-based medical clinic chain pleaded guilty in connection with the payment of illegal kickbacks to clinics in exchange for Medicaid patient referrals to hospitals in the Atlanta area and on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina



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California Investment Manager Found Guilty After Trial for Leading $33 Million Fraud Scheme

A California investment manager was found guilty in federal district court in Salt Lake City, Utah for his role in a $33 million investment fraud scheme



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Seventh Defendant Indicted in Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry Murder Case

Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez was indicted by a federal grand jury in Tucson yesterday, becoming the seventh man charged in connection with the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, announced Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California



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United States Files Enforcement Action Against Michigan Cheese Company and Owners to Stop Distribution of Adulterated Cheese Products

A civil complaint was filed today in federal court in Michigan against S. Serra Cheese Company of Clinton Township, Michigan, and its owners, Stefano and Fina Serra, to prevent the distribution of adulterated cheese, announced Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery of the Justice Department’s Civil Division



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McKesson Corp. to Pay $18 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations Related to Shipping Services Provided Under Centers for Disease Control Vaccine Distribution Contract

McKesson Corporation has agreed to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that it improperly set temperature monitors used in shipping vaccines under its contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Justice Department announced today. McKesson is a pharmaceutical distributor with corporate headquarters in San Francisco



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Russian National Arraigned on Indictment for Distributing Credit Card Data Belonging to Thousands of Card Holders

A Russian national indicted for hacking into point of sale systems at retailers throughout the United States and operating websites that distributed credit card data of thousands of credit card holders appeared today for arraignment in U.S. federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan of the Western District of Washington and Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division



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MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Obstruction of Child Sex Trafficking Laws

Victor Manuel Contreras, 29, of Manassas, Virginia, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for obstructing and interfering with the enforcement of federal child sex trafficking laws



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Statement by Attorney General Holder on Recent Shooting Incident in Ferguson, Missouri

Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Monday regarding the shooting incident that took place Saturday afternoon in Ferguson, Missouri



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North Carolina Man Convicted in Connection with Sex Trafficking Enterprise

A federal jury returned a verdict today convicting Shahid Hassan Muslim, aka “Sharp,” of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of kidnapping, one count of production of child pornography, one count of witness tampering and five counts of promoting a prostitution business enterprise. The verdict was announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General Molly Moran for the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins for the Western District of North Carolina, Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Charlotte Division and Special Agent in Charge Brock Nicholson of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Division



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Tennessee Man Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Sentences for the Robbery and Murder of Postal Workers

Chastain Montgomery, Sr., 50, of Lavergne, Tennessee, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences and ordered to pay $70,400 in restitution for federal crimes committed during a six-month spree that included the murders of United States Postal Service employees Paula Robinson and Judy Spray



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Defendant in Mortgage Fraud Scheme Pleads Guilty

Wasseem Shamoun pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan today, announced the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS). On July 16, 2013, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Shamoun and six other individuals with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, multiple counts of bank fraud and other fraud charges relating to a mortgage loan scheme



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14 Individuals Charged with Trafficking Identities of Puerto Rican U.S. Citizens

Fourteen individuals were charged in three indictments in Puerto Rico with conspiracy to commit identification fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and passport fraud in connection with their alleged roles in a scheme to traffic the identities and corresponding identity documents of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens



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All 36 Charged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Members and Associates Have Pleaded Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges in Southern District of Texas

The remaining two defendants of 36 accused in the Southern District of Texas of racketeering activities as part of their roles with the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have pleaded guilty, capping a six-year sweeping effort that has led to 73 convictions across five federal districts and the decimation of the gang’s leadership and violent members and associates. Those convicted were charged with involvement in a criminal organization that engaged in murders, kidnappings, brutal beatings, fire bombings and drug trafficking



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