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Belarusian National is Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Participating in International Online Scheme to Steal U.S. Tax Refunds

A Belarusian national and resident of Nantucket, Mass., was sentenced today in federal court to 41 months in prison for his participation in an international online scheme to steal income tax refunds from U.S. taxpayers around the country.



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Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Texas Case to Enforce the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision

The Justice Department today filed papers seeking to intervene in Steward, et al. v. Perry, et al., a case filed on behalf of thousands of Texans with developmental disabilities to enforce their right under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to receive services provided by the state in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the 2011 National Institute of Justice Conference

"I want to note – and applaud – the fact that NIJ is not just playing a convening role and continuing its crucial research efforts; its leadership is setting an example of excellence. Through their outreach, their engagement with a variety of partners, and their commitment to independence and scientific rigor, they are paving the way to large-scale reform and improvement."




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Justice Department Issues Technical Assistance Document on Enforcement of the Supreme Court Decision in Olmstead v. L.C.

The Department of Justice released a new technical assistance document describing public entities’ obligations and individuals’ rights under the integration mandate of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1999 landmark Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L.C.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with George’s Inc.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with George’s Inc. that requires George’s to make important capital improvements to a Harrisonburg, Va., chicken processing plant in order to settle the litigation surrounding George’s acquisition of the Tyson Foods Inc. plant.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the Alamance County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Alamance County and Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson seeking a judicial declaration that department attorneys may interview particular ACSO personnel outside the presence of ACSO’s counsel.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against City of New Berlin, Wisconsin, for Blocking Affordable Housing

The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the city of New Berlin, Wis., alleging that the city violated the Fair Housing Act by repeatedly taking action to prevent the construction of an affordable housing development by a private developer, MSP Real Estate Inc.



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Texas Contract Security Officer Charged with Sexual Abuse

The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Contract Security Officer Edwin Rodriguez, 31, of Raymondville, Texas, with sexual abuse of a female Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee who was under his supervision at the Willacy Detention Center, a federally contracted detention facility in Raymondville, Texas.



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Michigan Man Who Operated Residential Facility for Youth in Haiti Indicted for Sexual Abuse of Minors at the Facility

The operator of Morning Star Center, a residential facility located in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, that provided food and shelter to minors, has been charged with offenses involving the sexual abuse of minors in Haiti.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination by Farmland Foods Inc. in Missouri

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against Farmland Foods Inc., a major producer of pork products in the United States, alleging that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination by imposing unnecessary documentary requirements on non-U.S. citizens when establishing their authority to work in the United States.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Connecticut Early Learning Center to Ensure Equal Opportunity for Children with Autism

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with Beach Babies Learning Center LLC, located in Old Saybrook, Conn., to resolve allegations that the center terminated the enrollment of a then two-year-old child from its program because the child has autism.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Van Buren County, Arkansas, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Van Buren County, Ark., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access, the department’s wide-ranging initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Colorado State Courts to Remove Language Barriers

The Justice Department today announced it has reached an agreement with officials of the Colorado Judicial Department to ensure that limited English proficient (LEP) individuals seeking services throughout Colorado’s state court system will have access to timely and competent language assistance.



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Fraudulent Business Opportunity Owner Sentenced in Miami

Robert Nicol was sentenced this week in connection with a series of Utah-based business opportunity fraud ventures.



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Justice Department Sues to Stop Orange County, California, Man from Selling Billions in Fake Tax Credits

The United States has sued an Orange County, Calif., man to stop him from selling bogus tax credits.



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Justice Department Sues James J. Williams Bulk Service Transport in Washington to Protect Employment Rights of Air Force Reservist

The Department of Justice today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Dave Axtell, a U.S. Air Force reservist, against James J. Williams Bulk Service Transport Inc., its parent company Trans-System Inc., and another Trans-System subsidiary, System TWT Transportation Inc.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in New Mexico

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a supplemental agreement with New Mexico officials to help ensure that military service members and U.S. citizens living overseas will have an opportunity to participate fully in the 2012 federal general election cycle.



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Departments of Justice and Education Reach Agreement with Tehachapi, California, Public Schools to Resolve Harassment Allegations

The Departments of Justice and Education reached a settlement agreement with the Tehachapi Unified School District in Tehachapi, Calif., to resolve an investigation into the harassment of a middle school student based on his nonconformity with gender stereotypes.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Louisiana Tax Preparers

The United States has filed a lawsuit in federal court in New Orleans seeking to bar two women and their tax preparation companies from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Announces Agreement Protecting the Rights of Chinese and Spanish-Speaking Voters in Alameda County, California

The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced today an agreement with Alameda County, Calif., to ensure compliance with provisions of the Voting Rights Act that require the county to provide election materials and information in Spanish and Chinese.



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Justice Department Settles Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Michigan Mobile Home Operators for Discrimination Against Families with Children

The Justice Department today announced the settlement of a lawsuit alleging that the owner and operators of a Monroe, Mich., mobile home park violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children.



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Justice Department Sues Nation’s Largest Mortgage Insurance Provider for Discrimination Against Women on Paid Maternity Leave

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued the Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), the nation’s largest mortgage insurance company, and two of its underwriters, Elgina Cunningham and Kelly Kane, for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against women on paid maternity leave.



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Louisiana Oil Refinery Vice-President Pleads Guilty to Air Pollution Causing Negligent Endangerment

The vice-president and general manager of the Pelican Refinery in Lake Charles, La., today pleaded guilty to federal negligent endangerment charges under the Clean Air Act before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik in Lafayette, La.



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Justice Department Obtains Comprehensive Agreement Regarding the State of Delaware's Mental Health System

The Justice Department today announced that it has entered into a comprehensive agreement with the state of Delaware that will transform Delaware’s mental health system and resolve violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Assistant Attorney General Varney Announces Departure from Antitrust Division

Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, announced her resignation from the Department of Justice today, effective as of Aug. 5, 2011.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Rappahannock, Virginia, on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Rappahannock County, Va., that will allow for the county and its two political subdivisions to bail out from their status as “covered jurisdictions” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act.



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Justice Department and EPA Officials Focus on Environmental Justice in Newark, New Jersey

Senior environmental enforcement officials from the U.S. Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toured sites in Newark, N.J., today and met with federal partners and with environmental and community organizations to discuss mutual efforts to address environmental challenges and enforce environmental laws, and in particular efforts to achieve environmental justice.



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Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison in Connection with Detroit-Area Infusion Therapy Schemes

A patient recruiter for three Detroit-area clinics was sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in fraud schemes that attempted to defraud the Medicare program of more than $15 million.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Louisiana Alleging Violations of the National Voter Registration Act

The complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, alleges that Louisiana has violated the NVRA by failing to provide voter registration services at offices providing public assistance and serving persons with disabilities in Louisiana.



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Justice Department Sues to Stop Nationwide “Welfare Benefit Plan” Tax Scheme

The Justice Department is seeking to block a husband and wife from operating a scheme that allegedly helps high-income individuals attempt to improperly avoid income taxes by funneling money through purported “welfare benefit plans.”



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Washington Business Owner Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Participating in Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Making False Claims on Government Contract

A founder and president of a Washington-area design firm was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for her role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States in the award of a government contract for U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).



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New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Computer Intrusion into Former Employer’s Computer Systems

Lawrence R. Marino, a 41-year-old from Goffstown, N.H., pleaded guilty today in federal court to computer intrusion, stemming from his repeated hacks into his former employer’s computer systems.



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Justice Department Files a Lawsuit Alleging Employment Discrimination by a Georgia Poultry Processing Plant

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against Mar-Jac Poultry Inc., a poultry processing plant in Gainesville, Ga., alleging that Mar-Jac requires all newly hired non-U.S. citizens to present documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security in order to secure their jobs, but the company does not require U.S. citizens to show any specific documentation.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Maryland Man for FACE Act Violation at a Planned Parenthood

The Justice Department today filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Richard Retta for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).



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Virginia Real Estate Businessman Pleads Guilty to Mortgage and Investment Fraud Schemes

Alexander Otis Matthews, a Virginia real estate businessman pleaded guilty today to fraud charges in connection with mortgage and investment schemes to obtain more than $12 million in fraudulent loans.



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Michigan Businessman Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Defrauding the Federal E-Rate Program

The president and part owner of a Michigan-based Internet and technology services company was sentenced today to serve 15 months in prison for defrauding the federal E-Rate program.



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Richmond, Virginia, Businessman Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme Causing Millions in Losses

Julius Everett “Bud” Johnson, 62, a resident of Richmond, Va., was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for his role in an investment scheme resulting in millions of dollars in losses.



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Justice Department Settles Allegations of Employment Discrimination by Louisiana Industrial Services Company

The Justice Department today reached a settlement with Brand Energy and Infrastructure Services and its subsidiary, Industrial Services LLC, resolving allegations that ISI, which provides craft services to industry, engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against non-citizens in the hiring and employment eligibility verification process.



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Department of Justice Proposes Legislation to Help Tribes Combat Violence Against Native Women in Indian Country

Today the Department of Justice proposed legislation that would significantly improve the safety of women in American Indian tribal communities and allow federal and tribal law-enforcement agencies to hold more perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their crimes.



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Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor Announce Selection of Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams

The Departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Labor announced today the selection of Pilot Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams (ACTeams) as part of a nationwide Human Trafficking Enhanced Enforcement Initiative designed to better coordinate federal criminal investigations and prosecutions of human trafficking offenses.



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Seventh Individual Sentenced in Connection with Costa Rica-Based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures

Sirtaj Mathauda, a former resident of South Florida, was sentenced today in connection with a series of Costa Rica-based business opportunity fraud ventures.



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Justice Department Signs Agreements in Massachusetts, Kentucky and Indiana to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced agreements with Norfolk County, Mass.; Daviess County, Ky.; and the city of Madison, Indiana, to improve access to all aspects of civic life for individuals with disabilities.



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Former Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Sergeant Charged with Civil Rights Violations

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Birmingham, Ala., returned a three-count indictment charging former Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s sergeant, Althea Mallisham, 52, with federal civil rights crimes for using a stun gun on three jail detainees in 2008.



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Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Sign Antitrust Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese Antitrust Agencies

Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney of the Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz today signed an antitrust memorandum of understanding with China’s three antitrust agencies to promote communication and cooperation among the agencies in the two countries.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Bedford County, Virginia, on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department has reached an agreement with Bedford County, Va., that, if approved by the court, will allow for the county’s bailout from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the county from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the act.



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Former EPA-CID Special Agent Charged with Perjury and Obstruction of Justice

A former Special Agent with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Criminal Investigation Division (CID) in Dallas, Texas, was charged today with allegedly lying under oath and obstructing justice, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.



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Assistant Attorney General Varney Delivers Remarks at Signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese Antitrust Agencies

"By establishing a framework for enhanced cooperation among our agencies, the Memorandum of Understanding also allows us to move to the next chapter in our collaboration on competition law and policy matters," said Assistant Attorney General Varney.




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Attorney General Holder, Justice Department Officials Hold Listening Conference with Tribal Leaders in Rapid City & Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota

Attorney General Eric Holder and other administration officials met this week with tribal leaders and advocates to discuss issues of tribal safety and domestic violence in Rapid City, S.D., and Pine Ridge Reservation, S.D.



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U.S. Sues Mortgage Lending Business President & Founder in Connection with HUD Insured Loans

The United States has filed a civil lawsuit against Robert S. Luce, founder and president of MDR Mortgage Corp., a mortgage lending business located in Palatine, Ill.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Mississippi

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on Aug. 2, 2011, in Bolivar, Clay, Copiah, Humphreys, Jefferson Davis, Noxubee, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie and Wilkinson Counties in Mississippi to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



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