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Justice Department Finds Substantial Evidence of Gender Bias in Missoula County Attorney’s Office

Today, the Department of Justice issued a letter of findings describing problems in the Missoula County, Mont., Attorney’s Office’s response to sexual assault, and concluding that there is substantial evidence that the County Attorney’s response to sexual assault discriminates against women.



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Virginia-Based Contractor to Pay $6.5 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims on Navy Contracts

Vector Planning and Services Inc. (VPSI), an information technology, systems engineering, program management and consulting firm headquartered in Chantilly, Va., has agreed to pay the government $6.5 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that the company inflated claims for payment under several Navy contracts.



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Former Virginia Subcontractor Pleads Guilty to Bribery

Dwayne Allen Hardman, 44, of Charleston, W.V., pleaded guilty today to paying bribes to public officials.



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Former Chief Executive Officer of Oil Services Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Charges

The former chief executive officer of PetroTiger Ltd., a British Virgin Islands oil and gas company with operations in Colombia and offices in New Jersey, pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign government officials and to defraud PetroTiger.



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Washington-Based Medical Device Manufacturer to Pay up to $5.25 Million to Settle Allegations of Causing False Billing of Federal Health Care Programs

Medical device manufacturer EndoGastric Solutions Inc. has agreed to pay the government up to $5.25 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by misleading health care providers about how to bill federal health care programs for a procedure using a device manufactured by the company and by paying kickbacks.



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Former Maryland Corrections Officer Convicted for Beating Inmate and Ensuing Cover-Up

The Justice Department announced that James Kalbflesh, a former correctional officer at the Roxbury Correctional Institution in Hagerstown, Md., was convicted today by a federal jury on three civil rights and conspiracy counts related to his participation in the beating of an RCI inmate in 2008 and the cover-up that followed.



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Texas Man Charged with Hate Crime for Assault Based on Victim’s Sexual Orientation

Brice Johnson, 19, of Springtown, Texas, has been charged with willfully causing bodily injury to a person because of the actual or perceived sexual orientation of that person in a federal criminal complaint, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas and the FBI Dallas Division announced.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the National Security Division Awards Ceremony

Each and every day, the award recipients before me – and their colleagues throughout the Division – have helped to advance this Department’s efforts to ensure justice; to promote public safety; to empower victims; to strengthen international alliances; and to uphold the rule of law. You’ve worked closely with foreign allies, as well as state and local law enforcement partners, to identify and investigate emerging national security challenges that know no geographic boundaries – and implicate American interests within the United States and across the globe.




vi

New Jersey Doctor Who Provided Spa Services Pleads Guilty in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Dr. Chang Ho Lee, 68, of Palisades Park, N.J., pleaded guilty today to health care fraud and agreed to forfeit more than $3.4 million in fraud proceeds. According to court documents, Lee, who is a medical doctor, and two others recruited patients by offering free lunches and recreational classes and provided them with spa services, such as massages and facials, then falsely billed Medicare for more than $13 million.



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Endo Pharmaceuticals and Endo Health Solutions to Pay $192.7 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability Relating to Marketing of Prescription Drug Lidoderm for Unapproved Uses

Pharmaceutical company Endo Health Solutions Inc. and its subsidiary Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Endo) have agreed to pay $192.7 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from Endo’s marketing of the prescription drug Lidoderm for uses not approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Justice Management Division Awards Ceremony

Through their hard work, each of our awardees has helped to leverage vital resources and improve the way we do business. You have shown the power of innovation, energy, and creativity by uniting a broad array of partners to streamline the Department’s operations and bolster information-sharing. Some of you have worked to identify and implement opportunities for savings through mail processing, facilities, and technology enhancements – as well as a wide range of consolidation projects.




vi

Government Files Enforcement Action Against Four California Companies and Six Individuals to Stop the Importation of Dangerous Children’s Products

The government has asked a federal court in California to issue an injunction shutting down the importation and sales activities of four California companies and six individuals in connection with their imports of illegal children’s products containing, among other things, lead, phthalates and small parts inappropriate for children under age three.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Missouri National Guard to Enforce Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the Missouri National Guard alleging they violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by requiring its dual technician employees to resign from their civilian positions prior to active duty service in the U.S. Army Guard and Reserve.



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Three Plead Guilty to Bank Secrecy Act Violations in Connection with Check Cashing Scheme

Three men have pleaded guilty in Brooklyn, N.Y., for their roles in a check cashing scheme designed to evade anti-money laundering reporting requirements.



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Civilian Navy Employee Charged With Stealing More Than $360,000 in Housing Benefits

A civilian employee of the U.S. Navy posted at the Capodichino Navy Base near Naples, Italy, was arraigned yesterday in Norfolk, Va., for allegedly obtaining more than $360,000 in housing benefits that he was not entitled to receive.



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Former Okla. Jail Superintendents Convicted of Excessive Force Against Inmates

Today, a federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, Okla., convicted Raymond A. Barnes, 43, and Christopher A. Brown, 32, the former jail superintendent and assistant jail superintendent, respectively, of the Muskogee County Jail on multiple counts of civil rights offenses related to allegations of excessive force on inmates at MCJ on or between August 2009 and May 2011.



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United States Postal Service Employee Charged in Scheme to Fraudulently Extinguish Debts and to Obtain Fraudulent Tax Refunds

Aaron H. Kelly, a United States Postal Service employee, was indicted yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland for four counts of mail fraud, two counts of bank fraud, one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue Service and two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced today following the unsealing of the indictment.



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Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services Announce Record-Breaking Recoveries Resulting from Joint Efforts to Combat Health Care Fraud

Attorney General Eric Holder and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released the annual Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program report showing that for every dollar spent on health care-related fraud and abuse investigations through this and other programs in the last three years, the government recovered $8.10. This is the highest three-year average return on investment in the 17-year history of the HCFAC Program.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman Announces Departure from Criminal Division

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced her departure from the department today, effective as of March 21, 2014.



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South American Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Ocean Shipping Services for Cars and Trucks

Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores S.A. (CSAV), a Chilean corporation, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay an $8.9 million criminal fine for its involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo, such as cars and trucks, to and from the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today.



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Justice Department Releases New Planning Tool to Help Courts Provide Access to Limited English Proficient Individuals

Today, the Justice Department released a new tool to help state and local courts assess and improve their language assistance services for limited English proficient litigants, victims and witnesses who need access to court services.



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Former Project Manager Sentenced to Serve Time in Prison for Role in Bid Rigging and Other Fraudulent Schemes Involving Two EPA Superfund Sites in New Jersey

Gordon D. McDonald, a former project manager for a prime contractor at two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites in New Jersey, was sentenced today to serve 14 years in prison for participating in multiple bid-rigging, fraud and kickback schemes.



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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana’s 2014 Civil Rights Symposium

"The unfinished struggle for equal opportunity and justice is one in which we all have a part. This year, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Division remains committed to combating discrimination in all its forms."




vi

Two Individuals and Company Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Sell Trade Secrets to Chinese Companies

A federal jury in San Francisco has found two individuals and one company guilty of economic espionage, theft of trade secrets, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice for their roles in a long-running effort to obtain U.S. trade secrets for the benefit of companies controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China.



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Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Enter into Consent Decree with Harmony Public Schools Resolving Claims of Retaliation and Pay Discrimination Against Teacher

The Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced today that they have entered into a consent decree that, if approved by the court, will resolve both agencies’ claims against Harmony Public Schools on behalf of Nicole M. Tuchscherer, a former teacher at Harmony Science Academy-Austin.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the African American History Month Celebration Marking the 50th Anniversary of 1964 Civil Rights Act

It’s a special privilege to share the stage with Deputy Marshal [Kirk] Bowden, who, as we’ve just heard, stood on the literal front lines of this fight during a critical moment in the Civil Rights Movement – at a time when young students, law enforcement officials, National Guardsmen, and brave citizens risked their lives to integrate historic institutions across the Deep South.




vi

Owner of Tax Preparation Business in Washington, D.C., Indicted for Conspiring to Defraud the Internal Revenue Service and Preparing False Individual Income Tax Returns

On Feb. 26, 2014, a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia returned a 17 count indictment charging Sherri Davis for conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), aiding and assisting in the preparation of false individual income tax returns and filing false individual income tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced following the unsealing of Davis’ indictment today.



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Pharmaceutical Company to Pay $27.6 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Billings to Federal Health Care Programs

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and a subsidiary, IVAX LLC, have agreed to pay the government and the state of Illinois $27.6 million for allegedly violating the False Claims Act by making payments to induce prescriptions of an anti-psychotic drug for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.



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Two Real Estate Investors Convicted for Roles in Bid-rigging Conspiracy in San Joaquin County, Calif. Real Estate Foreclosure Auctions

Following a four-week trial, a federal jury today convicted two real estate investors for conspiring to rig bids at public real estate foreclosure auctions held in San Joaquin County, Calif. One of the investors was also convicted of obstruction of justice for destroying evidence related to the crimes



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vi

Jury Convicts All Seven Defendants in $97 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A federal jury in Houston today convicted two owners of a former Houston mental health care company, Spectrum Care P.A. (Spectrum), several of its employees and the owners of certain Houston group care homes for their participation in a $97 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Justice Department Seeks Temporary Restraining Order to Stop Ohio Department of Youth Services from Excessively Secluding Boys with Mental Health Needs

Today, the Justice Department sought a federal court order temporarily restraining the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) from unlawfully secluding boys with mental health needs in its juvenile correctional facilities.



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Maine Resident Sentenced for Engaging in Cyber “Sextortion” of New Hampshire Victim

John Bryan Villegas, 23, of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced today in federal court in New Hampshire to serve 33 months in prison for engaging in a type of cyber stalking known as “sextortion.”



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Construction Company Owner Convicted of Two Counts of Filing False Corporate Tax Returns

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today that construction company owner Tomas Olazabal, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y., was convicted of two counts of filing false corporate tax returns for his corporation, Tupac Construction Corporation.



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Detroit Tax Preparer Convicted for Filing False Tax Returns, Failing to Report Half a Million Dollars in His Own Income

The Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration announced that Matthew Bender, of Detroit, was convicted today of obstructing the IRS and nine counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal income tax returns following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.



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Tonawanda Coke and Manager Sentenced for Violating the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Tonawanda Coke Corporation was sentenced in federal court in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday to pay a $12.5 million penalty and $12.2 million in community service payments for criminal violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).



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Maryland Man Convicted in Violent Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

A federal jury convicted Jean Claude Roy, aka Dredd the Don and Dreddy, age 31, of Germantown, Md., late yesterday of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, three counts of interstate transportation for prostitution and witness and evidence tampering.



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In New Step to Fight Recidivism, Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department to Require Federal Halfway Houses to Boost Treatment Services for Inmates Prior to Release

In a new step to further the Justice Department’s efforts towards enhancing reentry among formerly incarcerated individuals, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Monday that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will impose new requirements on federal halfway houses that help inmates transition back into society.



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Leader and Co-Conspirator of Android Mobile Device App Piracy Group Plead Guilty

The leader of a piracy group engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications and a co-conspirator have pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme that distributed more than one million copies of copyrighted apps.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Con-Way Freight Inc. to Enforce Reemployment Rights of Temporarily Disabled Servicemember

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against Con-Way Freight Inc. alleging that the company violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.



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U.S. and Canada Antitrust Agencies Issue Best Practices for Coordinating Merger Reviews

The Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Competition Bureau Canada today issued a set of “best practices” to make more transparent how they coordinate merger reviews that affect the United States and Canada.



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Statements by Attorney General Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General Carlin on Conviction of Sulaiman Abu Ghayth

On Wednesday, a federal jury in Manhattan found Sulaiman Abu Ghayth, the son-in-law of Usama bin Laden and a senior member of al Qaeda, guilty on three counts, including conspiracy to kill Americans.



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Antitrust Division Issues 2014 Edition of Its Annual Newsletter

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today issued the 2014 edition of its annual newsletter on its website.



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Minnesota Woman Pleads Guilty to Human Trafficking for Holding Victim in Forced Labor in Restaurant

Tieu Tran, 59, of Mankato, Minn., pleaded guilty late yesterday to one count of forced labor trafficking in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the Justice Department announced today.



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Five Individuals Charged with Conspiring to Fraudulently Obtain Union Job for Organized Crime Underboss

Five men have been charged in the Eastern District of New York with conspiring to defraud the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers’ Union (NMDU) and Hudson News newsstands to obtain a union card and employment at Hudson News newsstands for the son of the alleged underboss of the Colombo family.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Sairam Enterprises Inc. for Discriminating Against Disabled Veteran with Service Animal

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Sairam Enterprises Inc. LLC alleging that it discriminated against Jeffrey Crockett and his family on the basis of disability in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Delivers Remarks at the Community Relations Service Transgender Law Enforcement Training Launch

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to recommit ourselves to breaking the cycle of violence that affects far too many transgender Americans.




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Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Community Relations Service Transgender Law Enforcement Training

This training has been in the works for some time now. For the last several years, the Justice Department at various levels has engaged in a constructive dialogue, animated by common aspirations and common concerns, with LGBT leaders throughout the country. And one of the many ideas we’ve received finds its manifestation in today’s gathering: a transgender law enforcement cultural professionalism training.




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Antitrust Division Announces New Streamlined Procedure for Parties Seeking to Modify or Terminate Old Settlements and Litigated Judgments

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today announced a new streamlined procedure that will lower the costs and expedite the review process for parties seeking to modify or terminate old antitrust settlements and litigated judgments.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin Delivers Remarks at the American University Business Law Review 2014 Symposium

The calculus that many businesses make today is similar to the decisions that the mom and pop stores had to make several decades ago: Does the cost of paying out – that is, failing to tell the authorities about cyber attacks – outweigh the costs of potential retaliation?




vi

Former Police Officer Convicted of Excessive Force and Obstruction Charges

Today, a federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota sitting in Bismarck, N.D., convicted Lindrith Tsoodle, 58, of one felony count and one misdemeanor count of using excessive force on persons in his custody in November and December of 2010.



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