Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement today after a jury convicted State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness of Official Misconduct, Structuring, and Conflict of Interest: “From the moment I took office, I promised that no one would be either above the law or beneath justice. Today’s guilty verdict confirmed that. After weeks or grueling trial […]

Jewelry chain defrauded thousands of servicemembers and veterans Attorney General Kathy Jennings, through the Fraud Division’s Consumer Protection Unit and in connection with 17 other states and the FTC, has secured a recovery of $34.2 million for more than 46,000 servicemembers and veterans nationwide who were deceived and defrauded by jewelry retailer Harris Jewelry. Harris […]

Ex-Tower Hill employee faces seven felonies; no Delaware children or THS students among known victims A Wilmington man and former Tower Hill School employee arrested in April has been indicted on charges arising from a child pornography investigation. William Ushler, 53, was arrested and charged on April 19 by members of the Department of Justice […]

Deal commits Trident Mortgage to pay for mortgage subsidies in minority neighborhoods, spurring hundreds of millions in lending Attorney General Jennings today announced a $20 million settlement with former top home mortgage lender, Trident Mortgage Company, to resolve allegations of “redlining” in the greater Philadelphia region, including New Castle County. The deal requires Trident to […]

Delaware is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 attorneys general to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into the United States.

Public-private-nonprofit initiative will provide free legal advice & information on reproductive health   Joined by reproductive health advocates, Attorney General Jennings announced Wednesday the launch of the Attorney General’s Abortion Legal Helpline, a collaborative initiative led by the Department of Justice with support from nearly a dozen partner law firms, and several nonprofit and advocacy groups including the […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings and fellow attorneys general have reached an agreement in principle with opioid maker Endo International plc and its lenders that would provide up to $450 million to participating states and local governments, ban promotion of Endo’s opioids, and require Endo to turn over documents related to its role in the opioid […]

Attorney General Jennings announced today a $438.5 million agreement in principle between JUUL Labs and 34 states and territories resolving a two-year bipartisan investigation into the e-cigarette manufacturer’s marketing and sales practices. In addition to the financial terms, the settlement would force JUUL to comply with a series of strict injunctive terms severely limiting their marketing and sales practices. […]

A Wilmington man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a 2018 murder. On August 26, Elgin Wilson, 20, pleaded guilty to Murder 2nd Degree and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, suspended after 20 years for descending levels of probation. Wilson also pleaded guilty to Conspiracy 2nd Degree and was sentenced […]

Two defendants affiliated with the Wilmington-area gang MGS have been sentenced to a collective 61 years in prison in connection with multiple shootings, including three murders. Both defendants were identified and arrested as a result of a years-long investigation into MGS, a violent gang at the center of nearly 200 criminal charges involving 19 defendants and […]

Defendant’s murder conviction follows co-conspirator’s guilty plea The Department of Justice secured convictions on all counts, including 1st Degree Murder, against a Newark defendant charged with the killing of 17-year-old Madison Sparrow, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday. Sparrow was first reported missing on October 2, 2020; a subsequent investigation by Delaware State Police and […]

Attorney General Jennings today announced a multistate settlement with Experian Data Corp (“EDC”) for failing to warn affected consumers after it learned that an identity thief was posing as a private investigator and retrieving sensitive personal information from Court Ventures Inc., a database that EDC had purchased. In 2012, the U.S. Secret Service notified EDC […]

Attorney General Kathleen Jennings announced today that Delaware, along with 39 states, has obtained two multistate settlements with Experian Information Solutions, Inc. (“Experian”) and T-Mobile USA, Inc. (“T-Mobile”) concerning a 2015 data breach experienced by Experian that compromised the personal information of more than 15 million individuals who submitted credit applications with T-Mobile. Under the […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings today announced that Delaware has reached a settlement with Walmart to resolve allegations that the company contributed to the opioid addiction crisis by failing to appropriately oversee the dispensing of opioids at its stores. The settlement will provide $3.1 billion nationally and will require significant improvements in how Walmart’s pharmacies handle […]

Defendant faces decades in prison Department of Justice prosecutors indicted a man Monday for robbing and brutally assaulting the owner of a Wilmington jewelry store in September 2022.  Calvin Ushery, Jr., 39, is charged with multiple felonies — including Assault 1st Degree — for the attack, which was caught on video. In the video, Ushery pistol-whips the victim […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Friday that the DOJ’s Fraud Division has secured revocations of the corporate charters or certificates of formation of multiple Delaware-registered business entities connected to criminal entities, including a Venezuelan cartel and a federally sanctioned online pharmacy based in Argentina. “Delaware’s central role in the business community is both a privilege and a responsibility,” said […]

A Magnolia man has pleaded guilty to two counts of Unlawful Sexual Conduct Against a Child and two counts of Human Trafficking a Minor. George Curtis, 31, was arrested following an investigation that found that he, while serving as the photographer for an illicit photoshoot prearranged on social media, repeatedly made unwanted sexual contact with […]

Together with prior deals, Delaware now expects to recover a quarter-billion dollars to combat opioid crisis Attorney General Kathy Jennings today announced that she has finalized settlement agreements with CVS and Walgreens, bringing the national amount from investigations and litigation against the pharmaceutical industry for its role in the opioid crisis to more than $50 billion. Delaware’s […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings and Wilmington Chief of Police Wilfredo Campos announced today that a Wilmington man, Oliver “Butter” Henry, has been arrested and charged for the January 2015 murder of 16-year-old Jordan Ellerbe. Ellerbe’s murder ignited a rapidly accelerating feud between two rival gangs, Shoot to Kill and Only My Brothers. In the months […]

The DOJ’s Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust (DCRPT) has indicted a former Delaware Correctional Officer and K9 handler on three charges, including a felony, for recklessly confining and causing the death of a four-year-old law enforcement animal named Lux. “We find these stories so viscerally disturbing not only because we care for the […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings last week secured a multi-year suspension and fines from a Wilmington based financial adviser for making false and misleading statements to her office’s Investor Protection Unit, the state securities regulator for Delaware, and for providing advisory services to clients while unregistered to do so. “Protecting investors from unscrupulous financial professionals is […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings and the DOJ’s Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust announced Friday that a New Castle County jury has convicted James MacColl, formerly a corporal of the Wilmington Police Department, of felony false statement to law enforcement and official misconduct. “Justice was served today,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Police who break the […]

The Department of Justice has secured 40 convictions, including multiple murder and attempted murder charges, against two members of the violent Wilmington-area gang NorthPak, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Wednesday. “Thanks to an outstanding trial team and tireless investigators, led by the Wilmington Police Department, justice was delivered today,” said Attorney General Jennings. “These verdicts, […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings today co-led a coalition of attorneys general from across the nation in denouncing four of the world’s largest credit card companies for walking back their commitment to implement a new merchant code for gun sales that would help prevent mass shootings and curb gun violence. “Gun violence has become so endemic in our country that it is now the leading cause of childhood death. […]

A King of Prussia man has been convicted for the 2021 stalking and murder of Nicole Crawford. On March 16, Justin Chaffier, 36, was found guilty of Murder 1st  Degree in addition to a felony Stalking charge. The conviction followed an investigation in which it was confirmed through multiple Ring camera videos, phone records, and DNA testing that […]

Delaware’s bans on assault weapons, large capacity mags remain in effect  A federal judge hearing a right-wing challenge against two common-sense gun safety measures in Delaware has ruled against the gun lobby on a critical question in Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association, Inc. et al. v. Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security et al.  In an […]

Federal judge ensures mifepristone access in Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Friday that Judge Thomas O. Rice of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington has issued an order reiterating that his injunction protecting access to mifepristone in 17 states — including Delaware — and the District of Columbia remains in […]

Recommendations include a whole-person approach to substance use disorder treatment and broadened non-opioid options for chronic pain treatment  The Delaware Drug Overdose Fatality Review Commission (DOFRC) has released its second annual report to Governor John Carney and the General Assembly, announced Attorney General Kathy Jennings. The report examines a sample of 108 cases from fatal overdoses that occurred […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings and her colleagues have announced that a proposed settlement has been reached in the 2020 lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its failure to require Pennsylvania to develop and implement a plan to meet its commitments to reduce pollution under the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. One-third of Delaware is […]

The legal debacle over mifepristone underscores how easily a small group of extremist plaintiffs can abuse the judicial system to force draconian, unscientific, and undemocratic laws on the nation. These questions should not even be up for debate: mifepristone has a safer track record than Viagra. But we live in an era where women once […]

Order sends Delaware’s climate damage & deception lawsuit back to State court WASHINGTON — Today, the Supreme Court of the United States DENIED the petition for a writ of certiorari submitted by fossil fuel companies appealing their failure to move Delaware’s climate damage and deception lawsuit out of state court and into federal court.  The question […]

On May 11, 37-year-old Kyle Leonard pled guilty to Murder 2nd Degree in Kent County Superior Court. Leonard was sentenced to 40 years in prison, suspended after 30 years for 6 months of work release or home confinement, followed by two years of probation.   The conviction and sentence follow an investigation into Leonard fatally shooting his mother, […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings today sued Avid Telecom for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls. Avid Telecom sent or transmitted more than 7.5 billion calls to telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, and made 27 million calls to Delawareans.  “We often think of illegal robocalls as a nuisance, but they […]

Prosecutors have secured indictments against four defendants charged with multiple carjackings, along with kidnapping, rape, and theft.   On June 5, the Department of Justice secured indictments against Defendants Tonnaire McNair-Matthews, 24, of Wilmington; David Hinson, 21, of Bear; Mahkiya Powell, 20, of Wilmington; and Michael Caldwell, 21, of Wilmington. The charges stem from an April, […]

The Department of Justice has secured two additional felony charges in its case against the violent gang NorthPak as a result of the ongoing investigation led by Wilmington Police Department. “This investigation never stops running,” said Attorney General Jennings. “These charges are a reflection of the dogged determination of Wilmington PD and our prosecutors, who […]

Two Delaware women have been sentenced to probation and suspended prison time for tax-related crimes after falsely claiming thousands of dollars in itemized deductions on their tax returns and submitting falsified documents during their respective audits. The cases represent the first prosecutions brought under the new initiative between the Department of Justice and the Department of Finance targeting state tax fraud “These convictions are the result of great work by our prosecutors and our […]

Gun dealer under investigation for lax prevention of shoplifted ammo Attorney General Kathy Jennings, through her Office of Impact Litigation, has asked the Superior Court to enforce a subpoena against Cabela’s, Inc. (“Cabela’s”) seeking answers about a half-million rounds of ammunition that were shoplifted from its Christiana location.  After more than three months, Cabela’s has […]

First trial conviction for use of force under Jennings administration A former Wilmington police officer has been convicted of four crimes, including a felony, for an excessive force incident that took place in September 2021. A New Castle County jury found Samuel Waters guilty Monday of felony Tampering With Public Records 1st Degree, Falsifying Business […]

Justices return PCB pollution case to Superior Court The Delaware Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that Attorney General Kathy Jennings’ case against agrochemical giant Monsanto can move forward in Superior Court.   “We thank the Court for its unanimous affirmation that our case can move forward in Superior Court,” said AG Jennings. “This ruling is […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement Friday in response to the House, Senate, and Governor’s commitment to pass Senate Bill 2, legislation creating a permit to purchase handguns, when the legislature reconvenes in January: “Hard things are hard; this is no exception. All of us — not only me, but the sponsors and […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement Thursday after the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau and 11 states — including Delaware — announced a lawsuit against tech sales “bootcamp” Prehired, which Jennings previously announced the DOJ was investigating: “I applaud the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and our sister states for taking action to hold Prehired […]

Prosecutors have secured three convictions against Camden Mayor Justin King over a physical confrontation he began with two victims, as well as his subsequent lack of candor with investigators. King, 41, was until recently the mayor of Camden, Delaware and owns several businesses in the area. On February 25, King confronted two male victims, both […]

Over 80 convictions, including 5 murders solved over the last 2 years The Department of Justice has secured 10 new felony convictions—including multiple murder and gun charges— in its long-running case against members of the violent Wilmington-area gang NorthPak, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Monday. “Our trial team and our partners in Wilmington PD and […]

Attorney General Jennings announced today a settlement with Tempoe, LLC resolving a multistate investigation into Tempoe’s advertising and leasing to consumers through retailers across the nation. The multistate investigation—which included 41 states and the District of Columbia—revealed that Tempoe’s marketing and sales practices often misled consumers to believe they were signing up for an installment […]

A federal judge has denied another right-wing challenge to a commonsense gun safety law that allows gun dealers in Delaware to be held accountable in court for the violence they create.   This is Attorney General Kathy Jennings’ third consecutive legal win over the gun lobby.  Earlier this year, the same federal court ruled against plaintiffs challenging Delaware’s assault weapons ban and large-capacity magazine ban.  Both remain in effect, as well.  “Sometimes the facts of a case tell you all you need to know,” […]

A Wilmington man has been sentenced to prison time for a fatal shooting. On September 1, 2023, Dean Sutton Jr. was sentenced to ten years in prison by a Superior Court Judge for convictions of Manslaughter and Reckless Endangering 1st Degree following an investigation into a 2021 shooting. At trial, Sutton claimed to have acted […]

The Investor Protection Unit of the Delaware Department of Justice has issued a Summary Order to Cease and Desist against respondents linked to a cryptocurrency scam known as the “pig butchering scam.” A twist on the typical romance scam, the pig butchering scam is a long-term fraud in which victims are groomed over time to make investments […]

Literacy Month is intended to recognize the extensive efforts of literacy partners to promote reading as an essential skill and a lifelong pleasure.

A Delaware State Trooper has been charged with multiple felonies, including Delaware’s first-ever use of a new Deprivation of Civil Rights statute passed by lawmakers last year, for brutally assaulting a 15-year-old victim and fracturing his orbital socket in response to an apparent prank.  The Trooper is suspended without pay. “As a mother and grandmother, […]

Attorney General Jennings yesterday joined the Federal Trade Commission and 16 other state attorneys general to sue Amazon.com, Inc. alleging that the online retail and technology company is a monopolist that uses a set of interlocking anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power. The FTC and its state partners say Amazon’s actions […]