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Former Owner of Employee Leasing Company Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to Pay Payroll Taxes to the IRS

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that Richard R. Whatley, a former owner of Alliance Staffing Management Inc. (ASM), was sentenced to 51 months in prison today for willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes.



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Louisiana Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Defendant Sentenced to Federal Prison

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that Angela Myers, a resident of Baton Rouge, La., was sentenced today in the Middle District of Louisiana to 132 months in federal prison for wire fraud, making false claims, subscribing to false tax returns and aggravated identity theft.



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California Man Sentenced to 960 Months for Producing Child Pornography Involving Two Young Virginia Girls

John Stuart Dowell, 47, of Santa Cruz, Calif., was sentenced late yesterday in Harrisonburg, Va., to serve 960 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for producing child pornography.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Southern Illinois Tax Preparer

The Justice Department announced today that it has asked a federal court to bar Ronald Manis of Carbondale, Ill., from preparing tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Obtains Comprehensive Agreement to Ensure New York City Adult Home Residents with Mental Illness Are Afforded Opportunities to Live in the Community

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced today that they, along with plaintiff adult home residents, entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement with the state of New York under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Court Bars South Carolina Tax Return Preparer from Preparing Returns for Others

The Justice Department announced today that a federal district judge in Charleston, S.C. permanently barred Stacy Middleton from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



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Three Former UBS Executives Sentenced to Serve Time in Prison for Frauds Involving Contracts Related to the Investment of Municipal Bond Proceeds

Three former financial services executives were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for their participation in frauds related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts.



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Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Meeting of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Building on the work of the original and successful Defending Childhood Task Force and efforts across the Department of Justice in Indian country, the American Indian and Alaska Native Task Force will consist of two groups – an Advisory Committee and a Federal Working Group.




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Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Vero Beach, Fla. Doctor and Medical Practice for Retaliating Against Deaf Couple

The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Hal Brown and Primary Care of the Treasure Coast of Vero Beach, Fla. (PCTC), alleging that the doctor and the medical practice violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against Susan and James Liese, who are deaf.



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Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $490.9 Million for Marketing the Prescription Drug Rapamune for Unapproved Uses

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pharmaceutical company acquired by Pfizer, Inc. in 2009, has agreed to pay $490.9 million to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the unlawful marketing of the prescription drug Rapamune for uses not approved as safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).



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False Claims Act Judgment Entered Against Washington, DC, Health Care Provider for More Than $17 Million

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has entered judgment for more than $17 million against Dr. Ishtiaq Malik and his two companies, Ishtiaq Malik M.D., P.C. and Advanced Nuclear Diagnostics, for submitting false nuclear cardiology claims to federal and state health care programs.



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Brooklyn Clinic Employee Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison in Connection with $77 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Yuri Khandrius, 50, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for his role in a $77 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Three Men Sentenced in Puerto Rico in Operation Guard Shack Prosecution

Two former officers with the Police of Puerto Rico and another individual were sentenced to prison late yesterday for their roles in providing security for drug transactions.



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Justice Department Shuts Down Indiana Tax Preparer

The Justice Department announced that yesterday, a federal district judge in Indianapolis permanently barred Cynthia Hawk, who operates Gain Tax Services, from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



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Self-proclaimed Leader of Sovereign Citizen Group Sentenced to Federal Prison for Promoting Tax Fraud Scheme

The Justice Department, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the FBI announced today that James Timothy Turner, also known as Tim Turner, was sentenced to serve 18 years in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, attempting to pay taxes with fictitious financial instruments, attempting to obstruct and impede the IRS, failing to file a 2009 federal income tax return and falsely testifying under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.



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Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Orchestrating a Fraud Scheme, Attempting to Murder a Witness and Murder for Hire

Paul S. Kruse, 60, of Jacksonville, Fla., was sentenced late yesterday to serve 30 years in prison for wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, attempting to murder a government witness and murder-for-hire.



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Department of Justice Proposes Remedy to Address Apple’s Price Fixing

The Department of Justice and 33 State Attorneys General today submitted to the court a proposed remedy to address Apple Inc.’s illegal conduct, following the July 10, 2013, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York decision finding that Apple conspired to fix the prices of e-books in the United States.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with the City of Henderson, Nev. to Improve Law Enforcement Communications with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a cooperative settlement agreement with the city of Henderson, Nev. under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Major Colombian Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced in Washington, D.C., to 25 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking

Christian Fernando Borda, a major narcotics trafficker aligned with paramilitary groups in Colombia, was sentenced today to serve 25 years in prison for conspiring to import ton-quantities of cocaine into the United States, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).



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Texas Businessman Agrees to Settle False Claims Allegations Involving the E-Rate Program

Larry Lehmann of Giddings, Texas has agreed to pay $400,000 to settle allegations that he violated the False Claims Act in connection with the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate Program, the Department of Justice announced today. The E-rate Program, created by Congress in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, subsidizes eligible equipment and services to make Internet access and internal networking more affordable for public schools and libraries.



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Puerto Rico Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering a Federal Witness

Xavier Jiménez-Benceví, aka “Xavi,” 28, was sentenced to life in prison following his conviction for murdering a federal witness on a drug trafficking case.



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Justice Department Files Suit to Stop San Diego Man from Preparing Tax Returns

The Justice Department announced today that the United States has filed a civil injunction suit against Michael I. Turner, of San Diego to stop him from preparing federal tax returns.



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Former Heber City, Utah, Resident Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Claims for Tax Refunds

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that April J. Rampton, 42, formerly of Heber City, Utah, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for filing false claims for income tax refunds.



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Former Georgia Tax Return Preparers Sentenced for Tax Fraud

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that former professional tax return preparers Greene Wylie Sheppard, Sabrina Johnson-Lavant and Chandra Henderson were sentenced this month to serve 56 months, 18 months, and 8 months in prison, respectively, for conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns in order to receive fraudulently-inflated refunds for their clients.



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Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Challenging Proposed Merger Between US Airways and American Airlines

The Department of Justice, six state attorneys general and the District of Columbia filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today challenging the proposed $11 billion merger between US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines’ parent corporation, AMR Corp.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Homeowners Association and Property Management Company in Fair Housing Lawsuit Involving Occupancy Limits

The Justice Department announced today that the Townhomes of Kings Lake HOA Inc. (HOA) and Vanguard Management Group Inc. have agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA).



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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer at the Conference Call Regarding the Justice Department’s Lawsuit Challenging Us Airways’ Proposed Merger with American Airlines

Consumers will also pay more on routes where US Airways and American today offer competing nonstop service. We know from prior mergers that elimination of head-to-head competition on nonstop routes results in substantial price increases for consumers.




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Two Idaho Men Sentenced to Prison for Asbestos Violations

Bradley Eberhart, 51, of Garden Valley, Idaho, and Douglas Greiner, 53, of Eagle, Idaho, were sentenced this week in federal court for violating the asbestos work practice standards of the Clean Air Act, announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Wendy J. Olson, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho.



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Alabama State Employee Sentenced to Prison for Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Chequlia Motley of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced yesterday to serve 36 months in prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr. Motley pleaded guilty to those charges in May 2013.



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Department of Justice Reaches Agreement to Improve Conditions at St. Tammany Parish Jail in Louisiana

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a comprehensive agreement with the Parish of St. Tammany, La., and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff to correct conditions of confinement at the St. Tammany Parish Jail and to ensure that improvements made since the Department’s investigation will be maintained.



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Three Members and One Associate of Violent North Carolina Latin Kings Gang Sentenced to Prison

Three members and one associate of the North Carolina Almighty Latin King/Queen Nation (ALKQN) have been sentenced this week in federal court in the Middle District of North Carolina.



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Retired Educator Sentenced to Prison for Fraud

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that Gloria Donoghue was sentenced today in federal court in the Eastern District of New York to18 months in prison for using the mail in her tax refund scheme.



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Federal Court Permanently Bars Indiana Instant Tax Service Franchisee from Tax Preparation

A federal court in Indianapolis permanently barred David Franklin and his company, Instant Refund Tax Service (IRTS), from preparing tax returns and from operating a tax-preparation business, the Justice Department announced today.



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Alabama Tax Return Preparers and 19 Foreign Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the United States, Identity Theft and Money Laundering

Justice Department announced that a 14-count superseding indictment was unsealed today, charging JB Tax Professional Services Inc., Jacqueline J. Arias and Jose Bayron Estrada, of Spruce Pine, Ala., along with 19 foreign nationals, many of whom resided in the New Orleans area, with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud by filing fraudulent income tax returns.



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Justice and Education Departments Announce New Research Showing Prison Education Reduces Recidivism, Saves Money, Improves Employment

Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced research findings showing that, on average, inmates who participated in correctional education programs had 43 percent lower odds of returning to prison than inmates who did not.



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Texas Tax Preparer Is Permanently Barred from Tax Preparation for Allegedly Falsifying Returns for Overseas Customers and Impeding Audits

The Justice Department announced that yesterday a federal court in Ft. Worth, Texas permanently barred Karena Mondrianh, of Southlake, Texas, from preparing tax returns and from operating a tax-preparation business.



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Justice Department Sues South Dakota Drug Manufacturer for Improperly Producing Sterile Eye Drops

The government filed suit in the U.S. District Court for South Dakota against Dakota Laboratories LLC and its owner, Charles L. Voellinger, Sr., to block them from violating the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) in connection with their alleged violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP).



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Former Utah Chiropractor Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that today Douglas R. Madsen, a former chiropractor from Ephraim, Utah, was sentenced by the U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups to 33 months in prison and resitutition of over $500,000 following a conviction for attempted evasion of payment of income tax in the District of Utah.



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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down South Carolina Tax Return Preparer

The United States has requested the federal district court in Charleston, S.C. to permanently bar Jessica Geddis of Summerville, S.C., from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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RPM International Inc. and Tremco Inc. Pay Nearly $61 Million for Failing to Provide Government Discounts Provided to Others

Ohio-based RPM International Inc. and its subsidiary, Tremco Inc., have paid $60.9 million to resolve allegations that Tremco filed false claims in connection with two multiple award schedule (MAS) contracts with the General Services Administration (GSA) for roofing supplies and services.



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Puerto Rico Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2009 Mass Shooting

Alexis Candelario-Santana, 42, was sentenced today to life in prison for murdering eight people and an unborn child and attempting to murder 19 others during a mass shooting at a Puerto Rico nightclub in 2009.



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Conax Flordia Corp. Settles Allegations It Provided Improperly Tested Equipment and Non-Conforming Electronic Parts for Use by the Military and NASA

Conax Florida Corp. and related companies have agreed to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that the company submitted false claims to the government for improperly tested inertia reels and non-conforming voltage references.



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Former North Carolina Probation Officer Sentenced for Coercing Probationer into Sexual Acts

Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division and Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced today that former North Carolina Department of Correction’s Division of Community Corrections Probation Officer Willie James Steele Jr., 43, has been sentenced for violating the constitutional rights of a female probationer that he was supervising by coercing her into sexual acts on two separate occasions.



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Two Romanian Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Scheme to Steal Payment Card Data

Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, 29, of Constanta, Romania, and Iulian Dolan, 28, of Craiova, Romania, were sentenced today to serve 15 years and seven years in prison, respectively, for participating in an international, multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants’ computers.



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Federal Court Permanently Bars Texas Tax Preparer from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has permanently barred Nina Thompson Price from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Statement by Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer on Remedy to Address Apple’s Price Fixing of E-Books

“We’re pleased that the court has issued an order supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to address Apple’s illegal price fixing conduct. Consumers will continue to benefit from lower e-books prices as a result of the department’s enforcement action to restore competition in this important industry," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.



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Former Bernalilo County Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Obstructing Justice

The Justice Department announced today that Kevin Casaus, 24, a former corrections officer at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced this morning to serve 15 months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release for his conviction on obstruction of justice and falsification of records charges.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Staffing Company to Resolve Immigration-related Unfair Employment Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Kelly Services Inc., a staffing company based in Troy, Mich., resolving an allegation of discrimination based on citizenship status during the employment eligibility re-verification process at one of its branch locations in Schaumburg, Ill.



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G.S. Electech Inc. Executive Indicted for Role in Bid Rigging and Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

A federal grand jury in Covington, Ky., has returned an indictment against G.S. Electech Inc. executive, Shingo Okuda for his role in an international conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids of auto parts used on antilock brake systems installed in U.S. cars.



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Mastermind of $11 Million Detroit Medicare Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison

Muhammad Shahab, the mastermind of an almost $11 million Medicare fraud scheme in Detroit, was sentenced today to 50 months in prison.



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