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Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Announce 30 Convictions, More Than $143 Million in Seizures from Initiative Targeting Traffickers in Counterfeit Network Hardware

Operation Network Raider, a domestic and international enforcement initiative targeting the illegal distribution of counterfeit network hardware manufactured in China, has resulted in 30 felony convictions and more than 700 seizures of counterfeit Cisco network hardware and labels with an estimated retail value of more than $143 million.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Arkansas Alleging Statewide Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act

The Department has filed a lawsuit alleging that the state of Arkansas is systemically violating the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.



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Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to Hold Workshop on Promoting Innovation

The Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that they will hold a joint public workshop on the intersection of patent policy and competition policy and its implications for promoting innovation



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Former ABN Amro Bank N.V. Agrees to Forfeit $500 Million in Connection with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and with Violation of the Bank Secrecy Act

The former ABN AMRO Bank N.V., now named the Royal Bank of Scotland N.V., has agreed to forfeit $500 million to the United States in connection with a conspiracy to defraud the United States, to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and to violate the Trading with the Enemy Act, as well as a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act.



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Two Los Angeles-area Men Found Guilty for Role in Kidnapping of California Man Who Was Shot, Shocked with Taser and Held for $1 Million Ransom

Vagan Adzhemyan, 41, of Costa Mesa, Calif.; Suren Garibyan, 32, of North Hollywood, Calif.; and Galvin Shaun Gibson, 30, of Mira Loma, Calif., were charged in August 2009 with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping.



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City of Oswego, N.Y., Agrees to Invest $87 Million in Upgrades to Sewer System to Comply with Clean Water Act

To resolve long-standing problems with unpermitted sewer overflows, the city of Oswego, N.Y., will invest an estimated $87 million in improvements to its west side sewer system.



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Justice Department Announces Comprehensive, Cooperative Agreement with Cook County, Illinois, Board and Sheriff to Remedy Violations and Ensure Constitutional Rights of Inmates at Cook County Jail

The United States has entered into a comprehensive, cooperative agreement with Cook County, Ill., and the Cook County Sheriff that resolves previous findings of unconstitutional conditions at the Cook County Jail.



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Two Men Charged with Additional Counts for the Racially-Motivated Arson of a Massachusetts Church

A federal grand jury in the District of Massachusetts has charged Michael Jacques and Thomas Gleason of Springfield, Mass., in a three-count superseding indictment in relation to the arson of a church.



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Fayette County Corrections Officers Convicted on Civil Rights Charges

A federal jury in Lexington, Ky., returned seven guilty verdicts against two former corrections officers with the Lexington-Fayette County Urban Detention Center.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Candlelight Vigil

"Tonight is testament to the indispensable role the Memorial Fund plays in honoring the service and sacrifice of our nation’s men and women in uniform – not only at this annual vigil but every day of the year," said Attorney General Holder.




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Department of Justice and USDA Announce Schedule and Panelists for Agriculture Workshop in Alabama

– The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the schedule and panelists for the second joint public workshop on competition and regulatory issues in agriculture, which will be held on May 21, 2010, in Normal, Ala., at the Ernest L. Knight Reception Center at Alabama A & M University.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Synapse Data and Telecom Inc. to Enforce the Employment Rights of Utah National Guard Member

The Department has entered into a consent decree with Synapse Data and Telecom Inc., and Matthew Mossbarger, the owner of Synapse, to resolve the Department’s complaint filed on behalf of Utah National Guard member Jose A. Ortega, alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Columbia University School of Law Commencement

"To return today, as our Nation’s Attorney General, to the place where I first studied the law, where I first dreamed of both serving the cause of justice and our country’s Department of Justice, is an extraordinary privilege," said Attorney General Holder.




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Attorney General Eric Holder at Boston University School of Law’s Convocation

"The future, I believe, demands no less from each of you. And history leaves me with no doubt that I am looking at 487 faces of dreamers and, most importantly, doers who will not merely meet these great expectations, but, like so many other BU Law graduates, will exceed them," said Attorney General Holder.




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Two Chinese Nationals Convicted of Illegally Exporting Electronics Components Used in Military Radar & Electronic Warfare

Zhen Zhou Wu aka Alex Wu, Yufeng Wei aka Annie Wei and Chitron Electronics Inc. (Chitron-US), were convicted of unlawfully exporting defense articles and Commerce controlled goods to China on numerous occasions between 2004 and 2007 and conspiring to violate U.S. export laws over a period of ten years.



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Former Employee of Financial Services Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Bid-rigging and Fraud Conspiracies Involving Proceeds of Municipal Bonds

A former employee of a financial services company pleaded guilty today for his participation in bid-rigging and fraud conspiracies related to contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other related municipal finance contracts, the Department of Justice announced.



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Former Guatemalan Special Forces Soldier Indicted for Making False Statements on Immigration Forms Regarding 1982 Massacre of Guatemalan Villagers

A former Guatemalan special forces soldier was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Palm Beach County, Fla., for lying on his naturalization application about his participation in a 1982 massacre at a Guatemalan village known as Dos Erres.



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Fifth Officer Charged in Danziger Bridge Case

Ignatius Hills, a former officer with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), has been charged in connection with the federal investigation of a police-involved shooting on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina.



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Department of Justice and USDA Hold Competition Workshop Focused on Competition Issues in the Poultry Industry

“Secretary Vilasck and I are committed to improving our understanding of how particular agricultural markets function,” said Attorney General Holder.



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The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati and the Christ Hospital to Pay $108 Million for Violating Anti-Kickback Statute and Defrauding Medicare and Medicaid

The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati and one of its former member hospitals, The Christ Hospital, have agreed to pay the United States $108 million to settle claims that they violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act by paying unlawful remuneration to doctors in exchange for referring cardiac patients to The Christ Hospital in a pay-to-play scheme.



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Operator of Commercial Ship Inspected in Port of Tampa Fined $725,000 for Oil-Pollution Related Crime

Aksat Denizcilik Ve Ticaret A.S., a Turkish corporation that operated the commercial ship M/T Kerim, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla., to two felony counts for knowingly failing to fully and accurately maintain an oil record book, which tracks pollutant discharge.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in AMC’s Acquisition of Kerasotes Theaters

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require AMC Entertainment Group Inc. to divest movie theater assets in Chicago, Denver and Indianapolis in order to proceed with its proposed $275 million acquisition of most of the theaters operated by Kerasotes Showplace Theatres.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the American University Washington College of Law Commencement

"I am also proud to be among the first to welcome you into a profession that will provide countless opportunities for you to hone your new skills, continue your learning process, channel your greatest passions, and improve the world we share," said Attorney General Holder.




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President of Iowa Ready-mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Price Fixing and Bid Rigging

According to a one-count felony charge filed on May 6, 2010 in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, Iowa, Kent Robert Stewart, aka Kent Stewart, president of a ready-mix concrete company located in Iowa, participated in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for ready-mix concrete sold to various companies in Iowa between approximately January 2008 and August 2009.



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California Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Jail for Molesting Child While in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

William Newton Rudd, 67, of Fullerton, Calif., was sentenced today to 78 months in jail after pleading guilty on Oct. 30, 2009, to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.



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Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. to Pay Total of $16.5 Million for Overcharging the United States

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has agreed to pay the United States an additional $3,718,770, bringing the total paid to resolve civil claims arising from the company’s cost charging practices on some of its contracts with the government to $16,570,018.



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Four Florida Promoters of Tax Defier Schemes Convicted of Tax and Mail Fraud

Four promoters of a Florida-based business that sold fraudulent tax schemes were convicted today of selling worthless "bills of exchange" for the purpose of impeding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and promoting other schemes to orchestrate tax fraud.



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Man Admits Attempting to Use a Weapon of Mass Destruction to Bomb Skyscraper in Downtown Dallas

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn to a felony offense related to his attempted bombing of a downtown Dallas skyscraper in September 2009.



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Intercare Health Systems (Ex-Owner of City of Angels Medical Center) Agrees to $10 Million Consent Judgment for Medicare and Medi-Cal Fraud Scheme in Los Angeles

The United States has obtained a $10 million consent judgment against Intercare Health Systems Inc., formerly doing business as City of Angels Medical Center, for a Medicare and Medi-Cal fraud scheme in Los Angeles.



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Department of Justice Recovers More Than $40 Million in Fraud Proceeds from Foreign Ponzi Scheme

The Department of Justice has recovered more than $40.2 million in fraud proceeds from a $1 billion Ponzi scheme and is working with the Japanese Ministry of Justice to return the forfeited fraud proceeds to the victims in Japan.



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Internet Seller of Pirated Software Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Criminal Copyright Infringement

Robert Cimino, 60, of Syracuse, N.Y., was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga in the Eastern District of Virginia for his sales of more than $250,000 worth of pirated software.



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Florida Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison on Child Pornography and Obstruction of Justice Charges

Brian Thomas Smith, of Gainesville, Fla., was sentenced today to 42 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release following his prison term for attempted possession of child pornography and obstruction of justice.



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Colorado Couple Pleads Guilty to Illegal Trapping and Sale of Bobcats

A Colorado couple pleaded guilty in a Denver federal court to charges related to the illegal trapping and interstate sale of bobcats.



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Former Haitian Government Official Sentenced to Prison for His Role in Money Laundering Conspiracy Related to Foreign Bribery Scheme

Robert Antoine, 62, of Miami and Haiti, was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.



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Former Fayette County, Kentucky, Corrections Officers Sentenced for Civil Rights Charges

Scott Tyree, 47, a former officer at the Lexington-Fayette County, Ky., Detention Center (FCDC), and Anthony Estep, 35, a former sergeant and supervisor at FCDC, were sentenced in federal court today in Lexington, Ky., for their roles in the systematic abuse of detainees at FCDC.



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Three Pennsylvania Men Charged with Conspiracy to Purchase and Distribute Large Quantities of Illegal Drugs in Undercover Operation

Three Pennsylvania men were charged today with conspiracy to possess and intending to distribute oxycodone, ecstasy and marijuana.



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Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to Pay Nearly $1 Million for Alleged Clean Water Act Violations

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act at numerous sites in Alaska



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Illinois and Louisiana Attorneys Convicted of Tax and Bank Fraud in Connection with Tax Shelter Transactions and Referral Fee Kickback Scheme

Chicago attorney and Certified Public Accountant John B. Ohle III and Louisiana attorney William Bradley were found guilty Wednesday in Manhattan federal court of wire and tax fraud conspiracy charges stemming from a scheme to fraudulently obtain referral fees relating to a tax shelter sold by Ohle’s employer, Bank One, and thereafter failing to accurately report those fees to the IRS and pay the appropriate taxes due.



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Florida Man Who Served in Military Unit Linked to Massacres During the Bosnian Conflict of 1992-1995 Leaves United States Following Denaturalization

A former member of the Bosnian Serb Army has left the United States to return to Serbia after a federal judge ordered his denaturalization based on concealment during his application for U.S. citizenship that he served in the military during the Bosnian war.



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Statement of Attorney General Holder on the U.S.- EU and EU Member States Declaration on Counterterrorism

“The Council’s adoption of this Declaration is a crucial step forward in our mutual fight against terrorism," said Attorney General Holder.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals 16th Annual Conference

"For nearly two decades, NADCP’s leadership and membership have served as extraordinary partners to government in the administration of justice," said Attorney General Holder.




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Department of Justice and USDA Announce Dairy Workshop on June 25 in Wisconsin

The June 25 public workshop in Madison, Wis., is the third in a series of five joint public workshops and will examine competition and regulatory issues in the dairy industry.



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Fifth New Orleans Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Danziger Bridge Case

Former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Officer Ignatius Hills pleaded guilty today in federal court to misprision of a felony and to conspiring with fellow officers to obstruct justice by covering up a police-involved shooting that occurred on the Danziger Bridge in the days following Hurricane Katrina.



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U.S. Trustee Program Announces Resolution of Litigation Against Countrywide Home Loans Inc., in Consumer Bankruptcy Cases

The U.S. Trustee Program has successfully resolved litigation against Countrywide Home Loans Inc. in its ongoing efforts to protect homeowners in bankruptcy.



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Former U.S. Official Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact and Possession of a Firearm While Unlawfully Using a Controlled Substance

Andrew Warren, 42, a former official with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), pleaded guilty today to a two-count criminal information charging him with abusive sexual contact and unlawful use of cocaine while possessing a firearm.



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Two Military Officials, Two Contractors and Contracting Company Indicted for Alleged Roles in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to DOD Contract in Afghanistan

Two U.S. military officials deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, two Department of Defense (DOD) contractors and a contracting company were charged late yesterday for their roles in an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme related to the award of a DOD trucking services contract in Afghanistan.



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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Speaks Before the Italian Historical Society of America

"The opportunity to participate in the Society’s 50th annual ceremony commemorating Charles Joseph Bonaparte, a bold man and brilliant lawyer who dedicated his life to serving his country, is a humbling one, and it’s not easy to know what more can be said about him," said Associate Attorney General Perrelli.




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"Project Deliverance" Results in More Than 2,200 Arrests During 22-month Operation, Seizures of Approximately 74 Tons of Drugs and $154 Million in U.s. Currency

429 individuals in 16 states were arrested as part of Project Deliverance, which targeted the transportation infrastructure of Mexican drug trafficking organizations in the United States, especially along the Southwest border.



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Justice Department Requires Divestiture in Order for Amcor Ltd. to Proceed with its Acquisition of Alcan’s Medical Flexible Packaging Business

The Department of Justice has reached a settlement that will require Amcor Ltd. to divest a North Carolina plant used in the development, production and sale of certain bags used for medical purposes in order to proceed with its acquisition of the Alcan Packaging Medical Flexibles business from Rio Tinto plc.



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Indian Government Officials Provided Access to Terror Defendant David Headley

As part of the cooperation and partnership between the United States and India in the fight against international terrorism, Indian law enforcement officials were provided direct access to interview David Coleman Headley.



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