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Iowa Insurance Agent to Pay US to Resolve False Claims Allegations on the Federal Crop Insurance Program

Russell Hawley and Hawley Insurance Inc. of Vail, Iowa, have agreed to pay the United States $834,897.50 to settle allegations that they caused false claims to be submitted to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.



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Former Army Corps of Engineers Employee Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Accepting Bribes from Iraqi Contractors

Thomas Aram Manok, 51, of Chantilly, Va., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.



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Identity Thief Sentenced in Virginia to 12 Years in Prison for Managing East Coast Credit Card Fraud Ring

A Brooklyn, N.Y., man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., to 12 years in prison for operating a credit card fraud ring that used counterfeit credit cards encoded with stolen account information up and down the East Coast of the United States.



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Houston-Area Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty

Eddye Lovely of Tomball, Texas, pleaded guilty today to three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.



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Longtime Associate of the New England La Cosa Nostra Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Extortion and Racketeering Conspiracy

Thomas Iafrate, 70, of Johnston, R.I., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., to 30 months in prison for participating in an extortion and racketeering conspiracy involving “protection” payments from several Rhode Island businesses.



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Former US Army National Guard Captain Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Receiving Bribes at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

John Mihalczo, 47, of Homosassa, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly of the Northern District of Illinois.



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Three Hitachi-LG Data Storage Executives Agree to Plead Guilty for Participating in Bid-Rigging and Price-Fixing Conspiracies Involving Optical Disk Drives

Three Korean Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc. (HLDS) executives have agreed to plead guilty and to serve prison time in the United States for their participation in a series of conspiracies to rig bids and fix prices for the sale of optical disk drives.



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Retired Army Major Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Engaging in Money Laundering Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

Charles Joseph Bowie Jr., 45, of Georgetown, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks on a Press Conference Call Regarding the Campaign to Cut Waste

"The fraud recoveries that make up that $5.6 billion run the gamut – from healthcare fraud to grant fraud, from mortgage fraud to procurement fraud," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Former Police Officer of Puerto Rico Convicted for Role in Providing Security for Drug Transactions

Javier A. Diaz Castro, 30, was convicted on Dec. 12, 2011, of two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, two counts of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug transaction.



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Bridgeport, Conn., Man Involved in 2005 Triple Murder Sentenced to Life in Prison

Azikiwe Aquart, aka “Z” and “Ziggy,” 32, pleaded guilty on Aug. 26, 2011, to three counts of murder in aid of racketeering.



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CD and DVD Counterfeiter and Supplier Both Sentenced in Atlanta to Prison

Charles Ndhlovu, 34, was sentenced on Dec. 12, 2011, by U.S. District Judge William S. Duffey Jr. to 51 months in prison and Scott Ahn, 42, was sentenced yesterday by Judge Duffey to 19 months in prison.



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Three Patient Recruiters for Miami Home Health Companies Sentenced to Prison in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in Miami sentenced Oscar Martinez, 54, to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered Martinez to pay $390,000 in restitution. Judge Lenard sentenced Lesder Casanova, 40, to 12 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered Casanova to pay $195,000 in restitution.



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Federal Court Bars Operator of New Jersey Tax Firm from Preparing Federal Tax Returns

A federal court has permanently barred Carmen Gonzalez from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Three Pittsburgh Crips Members Sentenced to Prison on Racketeering Charges

Jamar Pharr, 27, aka “Brownway,” was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond to 10 years in prison.



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Former America’s Most Wanted Fugitive Sentenced in Virginia to 105 Years in Prison for Leading International Conspiracy to Defraud the Military

Roger Charles Day Jr., a former America’s Most Wanted fugitive, was sentenced today to 105 years in prison for his role in leading an international conspiracy to defraud the Department of Defense (DOD) of more than $11.2 million by supplying nonconforming and defective parts for military aircraft, vehicles and weapons systems.



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CEO of Comcast Brian Roberts to Pay $500,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification Requirements

Comcast Corporation’s CEO Brian L. Roberts will pay a $500,000 civil penalty to settle charges that he violated premerger reporting and waiting requirements when he acquired Comcast voting securities.



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Justice Department Will Not Challenge Worker Rights Consortium's Designated Suppliers Program for Collegiate Apparel

Based on the representations made by the Worker Rights Consortium, the department said that the proposal is unlikely to lessen competition in the collegiate apparel sector.



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Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the 2011 Preliminary Uniform Crime Report

Attorney General Eric Holder today issued the following statement on the release of the FBI’s Preliminary Uniform Crime Report showing a continued decrease in violent crime nationwide. The results show that the number of violent crimes reported in the first six months of 2011 declined 6.4 percent when compared with figures from the first six months of 2010.



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Illinois Company to Pay $500,000 Fine for Violating Do Not Call Provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule

Americall Group Inc. (AGI), a Naperville, Ill., telemarketing company specializing in sales for financial service and insurance companies, has agreed to settle charges that AGI violated “do not call” provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule.



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Justice Department Issues Statements Regarding AT&T Inc.'s Abandonment of Its Proposed Acquisition of T-Mobile USA Inc.

“This result is a victory for the millions of Americans who use mobile wireless telecommunications services,” said Deputy Attorney General Cole.



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Nurse, Administrator and Two Recruiters for Miami Home Health Companies Sentenced to Prison in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Two patient recruiters, a nurse and an administrator for two Miami home health care companies were sentenced today for their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).



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Federal Court Bars Alabama Woman from Preparing Tax Returns

A federal court in Mobile, Ala., has permanently barred Delois Warren from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Aon Corporation Agrees to Pay a $1.76 Million Criminal Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Aon Corporation, a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Chicago and one of the largest insurance brokerage firms in the world, has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay a $1.76 million penalty to resolve violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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United States Seeks Forfeiture of Property Related to Federal Firearms Smuggling and Money Laundering Charges

The complaint alleges that, between April 2010 and July 2011, property associated with New Deal Shooting Sports was used in connection with, among other things, a conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms and to illegally export firearms to Mexico, a conspiracy to engage in money laundering, and a conspiracy to facilitate the trafficking of narcotics.



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Chinese Perfume Importer Sentenced in Brooklyn to 12 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Counterfeit Perfume

Shaoxiong Zhou, 42, of Shantou, Guangdong, China, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sandra L. Townes in the Eastern District of New York. Judge Townes also ordered Zhou to pay $20,000 in restitution.



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Twelve Charged in Cleveland for Assaulting Practitioners of the Amish Religion

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Cleveland returned a seven-count indictment charging 10 men and two women, all residents of Ohio, with federal crimes arising out of a series of religiously-motivated assaults on practitioners of the Amish religion.



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U.S. Bureau of Prisons Employee Pleads Guilty in Florida to Sexual Abuse of a Ward

Bureau of Prisons employee Jack Chris Jackson, 45, pleaded guilty today to the charge of sexual abuse of a ward.



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Attorney General Holder Announces New Federal Bureau of Prisons Director

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the appointment of Charles E. Samuels Jr. as the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.



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Alabama Woman Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Stealing Identities of Student Loan Borrowers

Janika Fernae Bates, a resident of Millbrook, Ala., was sentenced today in the Middle District of Alabama to 94 months in federal prison for stealing identities of student loan borrowers and providing them to a co-conspirator, who used them to file false tax returns.



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Chinese National Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Economic Espionage and Theft of Trade Secrets

Kexue Huang, a Chinese national and a former resident of Carmel, Ind., was sentenced today to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release on charges of economic espionage to benefit components of the Chinese government and theft of trade secrets.



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Two Las Vegas Men Sentenced to 20 and 25 Years in Prison for Cocaine Distribution and Money Laundering Conspiracy

U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Jose Lopez-Buelna, aka “Miguel,” 51, to 20 years in prison, and Erik Dushawn Webster, 47, to 25 years in prison.



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Former Grant Administrator and Legal Assistant of American Samoa Non-Profit Legal Aid Corporation Plead Guilty to Stealing More Than $150,000 in Federal Grant Funds

Julie Matau, 49, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. Andrea Matau, 28, also of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft of federal funds before Judge Wilken.



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US Obtains Injunction Against Chicago Food Processing Firm After Alleging Unsafe Food Production Practices

The United States today obtained an agreed permanent injunction against a Chicago food processing firm, Triple A Services Inc., and three of its executives after filing a federal lawsuit alleging that Triple A’s ready-to-eat sandwiches and produce were not being prepared in compliance with federal regulations to protect food against contamination.



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Innospec Agent Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Bribing Iraqi Officials and Paying Kickbacks Under the U.N. Oil for Food Program

A former agent for Innospec Inc., a U.S. company, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine for his participation in a conspiracy to defraud the United Nations Oil for Food Program (OFFP) and to bribe former Iraqi government officials in connection with the sale of a chemical additive used in the refining of leaded fuel.



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Principal and Co-Owner of North Carolina Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Commodities Trading Investors

– The principal and co-owner of Integra Capital Management LLC, a North Carolina company, pleaded guilty today for his role in a commodities trading investment scheme that allegedly raised more than $3.2 million.



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Pittsburgh Crips Gang Members Sentenced to Prison for Racketeering Charges

Terrance Clark, 22, aka “Doo Wop,” was sentenced to 154 months in prison and three years of supervised release and Lamon Street, 20, aka “M-Dot,” was sentenced to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release.



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Former Army National Guard Major Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Receiving Bribes at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

A former Major in the U.S. Army National Guard who was deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for receiving bribes from military contractors in exchange for fraudulently verifying the receipt of concrete bunkers and barriers that were never received.



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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 166 Months in Prison for Arson of African-American Church

Michael Jacques, 27, was sentenced in Boston by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Ponsor to 166 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.



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Pennsylvania Husband and Wife Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulent Commercial Driver’s Licenses Scheme

A Pennsylvania husband and wife were sentenced yesterday to 30 months and 24 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in a scheme to provide out-of-state residents with Pennsylvania driver’s licenses and Pennsylvania commercial driver’s licenses.



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Private Security Guard Convicted for Role in Providing Security for Drug Transaction

Ricardo Amaro-Santiago, 39, was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, attempting to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug transaction.



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Magyar Telekom and Deutsche Telekom Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Investigation and Agree to Pay Nearly $64 Million in Combined Criminal Penalties

The department filed a criminal information against Magyar Telekom and a two-year deferred prosecution agreement in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia today.



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CDR Financial Products and Its Owner Plead Guilty to Bid-Rigging and Fraud Conspiracies Related to Municipal Bond Investments

A Beverly Hills, Calif.,-based financial products and services firm, and its founder and owner pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of New York for their participation in bid-rigging and fraud conspiracies related to contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other related municipal finance contracts.



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US Files Complaint Against National Chain of Hospice Providers Alleging False Claims on the Medicare Program

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint in a whistleblower suit against AseraCare Hospice, the Justice Department announced today.



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Former Department of Defense Employee Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Submitting False Travel Claims Totaling Nearly $500,000

John R. Brock, 52, of Crofton, Md., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Wilkins in the District of Columbia.



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Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson Announces Departure from Office of Justice Programs

The Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Laurie Robinson, announced today that she would be leaving her position at the end of February



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Delaware Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production and Transportation of Child Pornography

Leonard Wasylyk, 49, was also sentenced to lifetime supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction in which he lives, works or attends school.



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Office Manager for Miami Home Health Company Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Two of her co-defendants were also sentenced to prison today for their roles in the fraud scheme.



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New York Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns

The owner of a Dix Hill, N.Y., tax preparation business pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York in Central Islip, N.Y., to endeavoring to obstruct the internal revenue laws and aiding in the preparation of false income tax returns.



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Pakistani Citizen Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to the Pakistani Taliban

A Pakistani citizen was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 50 months in prison for conspiracy to provide material support to the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), often referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, a designated foreign terrorist organization.



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