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University of Phoenix Settles False Claims Act Lawsuit for $67.5 Million

University of Phoenix has agreed to pay the United States $67.5 million to resolve allegations that its student recruitment policies violated the False Claims Act.



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Parent Company of Two New Jersey Hospitals to Pay U.S. $7.95 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Our Lady of Lourdes Health Care Services Inc., the parent company of two New Jersey hospitals, has agreed to pay the United States $7.95 million to resolve allegations that the hospitals defrauded Medicare.



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Virginia Resident Charged with Conspiring to Bribe Former Panamanian Government Officials for Maritime Contract

A federal grand jury has charged a Virginia Beach, Va., resident with conspiracy to pay bribes to former Panamanian government officials to secure maritime contracts.



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Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, Christine Varney, Issues Statement on European Commission Microsoft Settlement

“The Antitrust Division commends the efforts of the European Commission and Microsoft Corporation, which have announced that they have reached a comprehensive settlement resolving their disputes under European competition law."



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Credit Suisse Agrees to Forfeit $536 Million in Connection with Violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and New York State Law

The forfeiture is the largest ever entered against an entity for IEEPA violations.



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Two Former San Juan Municipal Police Officers Sentenced for Using Excessive Force Resulting in Death

Elias Perocier Morales received a sentence of 10 years in prison and Eliezer Rivera Gonzalez received a sentence of six and a half years in prison.



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Chevron to Pay U.S. More Than $45 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Royalties Underpayment

Chevron Corporation, Texaco, Unocal Incorporated and their affiliates (the Chevron companies) have agreed to pay the United States $45,569,584.74, to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases.



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Ohio Attorney Charged with Tax Fraud, Obstruction of Justice for Scheme to Hide Income and Assets Through Trusts and in Foreign Bank Account

Aristotle R. Matsa, an attorney in Columbus, Ohio, was charged with tax offenses, obstruction of justice and additional charges in a 20-count indictment unsealed today.



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UTStarcom Inc. Agrees to Pay $1.5 Million Penalty for Acts of Foreign Bribery in China

UTStarcom Inc. (UTSI) has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice, agreeing to pay a $1.5 million fine for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by providing travel and other things of value to foreign officials, specifically employees at state-owned telecommunications firms in the People’s Republic of China.



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Minnesota Hospital to Pay U.S. to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Involving Unnecessary Admissions

Wheaton Community Hospital, the City of Wheaton, Minn. and Dr. Stanley Gallagher (collectively WCH) have agreed to pay $846,461 to settle allegations that their hospital admission practices violated the False Claims Act.



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Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab Indicted for Attempted Bombing of Flight 253 on Christmas Day

"Anyone we find responsible for this alleged attack will be brought to justice using every tool -- military or judicial -- available to our government.”



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Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Activities Focused on Addressing Abuses in Juvenile Facilities

The findings reported in the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) report, Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-2009, bring into focus the dire circumstances that too many youth in juvenile correctional facilities have to endure.



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Justice Department Files Six Lawsuits to Enjoin Preparation of Fraudulent Federal Income Tax Returns

The United States this week filed five civil injunction lawsuits in Detroit, Cincinnati and Chicago against several individuals and their tax preparation services.



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Former Military Official Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Participation in Bribery Conspiracy Involving $206 Million Telecommunications Contract in Korea

A former Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) official was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ga., to three years in prison for his role in a bribery conspiracy involving a multi-million dollar telecommunications contract, and for not reporting the bribes he accepted on his income tax returns.



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Two Individuals Charged with Murder and Other Offenses Related to Shooting Death of Two Afghan Nationals in Kabul, Afghanistan

Justin Cannon, 27, of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Christopher Drotleff, 29, of Virginia Beach, Va., have been charged with crimes including second-degree murder, attempted murder and firearms offenses while working as contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan. Cannon and Drotleff were charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA).



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Former Vice President of Texas Company Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crime

Michael Sayklay, the former vice president of Economy Cash & Carry Inc., a Texas-based grocery wholesaler, pleaded guilty today in federal court in El Paso, Texas, to a criminal violation of the Plant Protection Act.



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Attorney General Eric Holder at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches

"We cannot ignore the fact that protecting our economy is an essential component of our larger security goals," said Attorney General Holder.




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North Carolina Ginseng Dealer Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Export of Ginseng Valued Over $100,000

Howard William Ledford of Hayesville, N.C., was sentenced today in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina to serve one year in prison for illegally selling and transporting wild American ginseng into Georgia.



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Purchasing Official at a New York City Hospital Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging

Freddy Deoliveira, who held various supervisory positions at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.



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Member of the Cherokee Nation Sentenced to Prison for Transporting and Selling Bear Parts

Clement Calhoun, a member of the Cherokee Nation in North Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina, to six months in prison for illegally transporting and selling 51 bear gall bladders.



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Two Cincinnati Dentists Plead Guilty to Conspiracy, Tax Evasion on Eve of Trial

Bradley C. Brennecke, a resident of Pleasant Plain, Ohio, and Bruce A. Mrusek, a resident of Maineville, Ohio, pleaded guilty late Tuesday to conspiracy and tax evasion charges before District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett in Cincinnati.



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Justice Department Reaches Three Settlements Under the Americans with Disabilities Act Regarding the Use of Electronic Book Readers

The Department announced separate agreements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace University in New York City and Reed College in Portland, Ore., regarding the use in a classroom setting of the electronic book reader, the Kindle DX, a hand-held technological device that simulates the experience of reading a book.



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Two Former Executives of Indicted Video Relay Services Company Plead Guilty to Defrauding FCC Program

Anthony Mowl, the former assistant vice president of business development for Viable Communications Inc. (Viable), and Donald Tropp, the former human resources manager for Viable, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) program of more than $2.5 million, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Former Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Convicted on Civil Rights Charges

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all four counts of the indictment that charged Michael Anthony Higgins with violating federal law by willfully stealing money from motorists that he had stopped on the highway while working as a trooper.



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Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Murders of African-Americans

Paul Schlesselman pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of threatening to kill and inflict bodily harm upon a presidential candidate, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.



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Andrew Goldsmith Appointed as National Coordinator of Criminal Discovery Initiatives

The position was established as part of the Department’s ongoing efforts, initiated last year at the direction of the Attorney General, to review and improve its criminal discovery and case management policies and procedures.



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General Manager of Houston Medical Supply Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud

Manual Deluna has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with his role in Memorial Medical Supply, a Houston durable medical equipment company.



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Twenty-Two Executives and Employees of Military and Law Enforcement Products Companies Charged in Foreign Bribery Scheme

The 16 indictments unsealed today represent the largest single investigation and prosecution against individuals in the history of DOJ’s enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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Former Owner of New Hampshire Direct Mail Advertising Printing Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax Conspiracy

As a part of the tax conspiracy, Ronald Boyarsky assisted in paying approximately $2.6 million in commissions earned by a printing services broker to third parties, so that the broker and his companies could avoid paying taxes on the income they earned.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Milwaukee to Enforce the Employment Rights of Air National Guard Member

The Department has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against the city of Milwaukee on behalf of Michael Crivello, a detective in the Milwaukee Police Department, alleging the city violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



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CEO of Seafood Importer Pleads Guilty to Importing and Selling Falsely Labeled Fish from Vietnam

The chief executive officer of Sterling Seafood Corporation located in Cresskill, N.J., pleaded guilty to importing falsely labeled fish from Vietnam and evading over $60 million in federal tariffs, as well as selling over $500,000 in similarly misbranded fish purchased from another importer in the United States.



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Columbus Accountant and Realtor Plead Guilty to Mortgage Fraud & Obstruction of Justice Conspiracies

Dennis G. Sartain of Hilliard, Ohio; and Bonnie Helt, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit mortgage fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice.



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Former U.S. Army Officer Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Bribery and Weapons Conspiracy

Michael Wheeler, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, was sentenced late yesterday to 42 months in prison for his participation in a wide-ranging bribery conspiracy involving the U.S. government, the Republic of Iraq and the Coalition Provisional Authority - South Central Region (CPA-SC) in Al-Hillah, Iraq.



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Attorney General Announces $11 Million from Zylon Settlement Set Aside for Bulletproof Vests

“There is nothing more basic, or more important, to our work than keeping our law enforcement officers safe,” Attorney General Holder said.



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Louisiana Man Convicted of Civil Rights Violation in Connection with Cross-burning

Daniel Earl Danforth of Minden, La., was convicted by a jury in Shreveport, La., of a civil rights conspiracy, use of fire in the commission of a federal felony, and obstruction of justice in connection with a cross-burning near the home of an interracial couple in Athens, La.



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Defense Department Official Sentenced to 36 Months for Espionage, False Statement Charges

James Wilbur Fondren Jr. was sentenced today to 36 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for charges involving espionage and making false statements to the FBI.



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Jury Convicts Detroit Area Doctor of Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

Troy, Mich., physician Toe Myint was convicted today by a Detroit jury of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in a $4.2 million Medicare Fraud scheme.



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Justice Department Announces Release of New Information Online as Part of President’s Open Government Initiative

As part of the Obama Administration’s Open Government Initiative, and in compliance with the Open Government Directive issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli today announced the online publication of three high-value sets of data not previously made available by the Department of Justice.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 78th Winter Meeting

"Supporting law enforcement operations is vital to fulfilling our missions and responsibilities," said Attorney General Holder.




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Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting the Solicitation of a Kickback in Connection with a Government Contract in Afghanistan

Ryan Scott McMonigle, of Ponca City, Okla., pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to solicit a kickback in connection with the award of a private security services subcontract to protect U.S. government personnel and contractors in Afghanistan.



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Six Members of MS-13 Gang Convicted of Racketeering, Murder, Drug and Firearms Charges

Six members of a racketeering enterprise, called La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, were convicted today by a jury in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, N.C., of criminal charges that include racketeering, murder, attempted murder, assault, cocaine trafficking and numerous related federal firearms offenses



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Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans Agrees to Reinstate Program to Improve Sewage System Damaged by Hurricane Katrina

The Sewerage & stalled for several years in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – to make extensive improvements to reduce or eliminate sewage overflows into the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain and its storm drainage canal system.



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Businessman Convicted for Evading $1.9 Million in Taxes on Sales of Ozone-Depleting Greenhouse Gases

Dov Shellef, a businessman from Great Neck, N.Y., was convicted today on 86 counts, following a five-week jury trial, for conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service in the collection of approximately $1.9 million in excise taxes due on sales of the ozone-depleting greenhouse gas known as CFC-113.



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Houston-Area Patient Recruiter Convicted of Health Care Fraud

Sylvia Smith, 64, a retired nurse, was convicted today of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud.



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Associate Attorney General Perrelli, Senators Announce Passage of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Resolution

"For the first time, this crime is being commemorated as ‘National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month,’ instead of a week. This is no small feat, and I commend the Senate for its unanimous passage," said Associate Attorney General Perrelli.



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Three Indicted for False Labeling, Smuggling and Misbranding of Seafood Products

A federal grand jury in Mobile, Ala., today returned a 28-count indictment against three individuals for conspiring to falsely label, smuggle and misbrand more than 325,000 pounds of seafood in order to avoid paying tariffs and defraud customers.



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Department of Justice FY 2011 Budget Request

“The budget provides the department with the means necessary to protect our national security, bolster our traditional missions, and prevent and reduce crime in tandem with our state, local, tribal and community partners,” said Attorney General Holder.



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Six Individuals with Alleged Ties to Aryan Brotherhood Arrested and Charged with Murder of Two People in Nacogdoches County, Texas

Six alleged members or associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been indicted and arrested for their alleged roles in the 2007 murder of two people in Nacogdoches County, Texas.



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Redding, Calif., Man Convicted of Child Pornography Offenses

Elden Ray Cibart, 60, was found guilty of one count of possessing and three counts of receiving child pornography.



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Owners of Los Angeles-area Medical Equipment Company Sentenced to Prison for Medicare Fraud

Gevork Kartashyan, 45, and Eliza Shubaralyan, 42, were each sentenced to serve two years in prison by U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson of the Central District of California.



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