of

Leaders of Multi-million Dollar Fraud Ring That Used Stolen Information of Medicaid Recipients Each Sentenced to Over 25 Years in Prison

Veronica Dale and Alchico Grant, who jointly ran a stolen identity refund fraud ring that attempted to defraud the United States of millions of dollars over several years, were sentenced to federal prison today, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Veronica Dale, of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced to 334 months and Alchico Grant of Lowndes County, Ala., was sentenced to 310 months in prison. In addition, Dale and Grant were both ordered to pay over $2.8 million in restitution to the IRS.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former Birmingham, Ala., School Security Officer Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography

U.S. District Judge Inge P. Johnson also sentenced Michael Wayne Wooten, 61, of Alabaster, Ala., to lifetime supervised release following his prison term.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Passing of Former U.S. Attorney General Nicholas DeBelleville Katzenbach

Today, we mourn the loss of Nicholas Katzenbach, one of our Nation's great champions of civil rights and equal justice.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Department of Justice Files Lawsuit in Arizona Against Maricopa County, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Joseph Arpaio

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit in federal court today against Maricopa County, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) and Sheriff Joseph M. Arpaio, arising from unconstitutional and unlawful actions by the defendants.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

California Member of the Internet Piracy Group “IMAGiNE” Pleads Guilty to Copyright Infringement Conspiracy

Sean M. Lovelady, 28, of Pomona, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Department of Justice Seizes More Than $1.5 Million in Proceeds from the Online Sale of Counterfeit Sports Apparel Manufactured in China

The investigation also resulted in the seizure of three domain names used in the sale of counterfeit sports apparel.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Health Care Providers Settle with Justice Department Over Complaints of HIV Discrimination

The Justice Department announced that it has reached two settlements today resolving claims that health care providers refused to serve people with HIV in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Rhode Island-based Sellers of Herbal Products Held in Contempt

A U.S. district court judge has held Daniel Chapter One, an herbal products company located in Portsmouth, R.I., and its officers, James and Patricia Feijo, in civil contempt of court for violating the terms of a preliminary injunction order, the Justice Department announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Principal of Offshore Brokerage Firm Sentenced in Miami to 20 Years in Prison for $7 Million Stock Manipulation Scam

Jonathan Curshen, 47, the principal of Red Sea Management and Sentry Global Securities, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Goldberg.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Three Former Financial Services Executives Convicted for Roles in Conspiracies Involving Investment Contracts for the Proceeds of Municipal Bonds

A federal jury in New York City today convicted three former financial services executives for their participation in conspiracies related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts



  • OPA Press Releases

of

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

"Class of 2012, you now stand at a crossroads in our history. And it’s time to begin making some important choices," said Attorney General Holder.




of

Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Sentenced for Racketeering Assault

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Two Individuals and Their California Company Sentenced in Connection with Exports of Computer Equipment to Iran

Massoud Habibion, 49, a U.S. citizen, Mohsen Motamedian, 44, a U.S. citizen, and their Costa Mesa, Calif., company, Online Micro LLC, were sentenced today in the District of Columbia in connection with a scheme to illegally export millions of dollars worth of computer-related goods from the United States to Iran through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Colorado-Based QEP Field Services Agrees to Pay $4 Million and Install Pollution Controls to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Clean Air Act

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with QEP Field Services Co. (QEPFS), formerly Questar Gas Management Co., to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at five natural gas compressor stations on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Northeastern Utah.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former Oklahoma Detention Officer Pleads Guilty to Assault

The Department of Justice announced that Jerrod Porter Lane, 26, a former detention officer at the Muskogee, Okla., County Jail (MCJ), pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges related to his assault of an inmate at MCJ and his subsequent attempts to cover up the assault. Lane pleaded guilty to use of excessive force, violating the civil rights of an inmate, falsifying records and making false statements to the FBI.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Owner of Houston Health Care Company Convicted of Defrauding Medicare

An owner of a Houston health care company was convicted yesterday by a jury in the Southern District of Texas in connection with a $750,000 Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Co-Owner of Detroit-Area Physical Therapy Company Sentenced to 48 Months for Medicare Fraud Scheme

The co-owner of a Detroit-area physical therapy company was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for her leading role in a more than $1.9 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former U.S. Army Captain Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Property at Camp Speicher, Iraq

Nicole E. Luvera, 29, of Newnan, Ga., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg in Atlanta to a criminal information charging her with one count of theft of government property.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

North Carolina Department of Corrections Probation Officer Indicted for Civil Rights Violations

The Department of Justice announced that North Carolina Department of Correction’s Division of Community Corrections Probation Officer Willie James Steele Jr., 47, was indicted yesterday on civil rights charges for violating the constitutional rights of a female probationer that he was supervising by coercing her into sexual acts on two separate occasions.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Justice Department Files Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit Against the Nevada Division of Forestry

The Department of Justice today announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) alleging that NDF discriminated against Ms. Tawnya Meyer, a former employee, when they fired her soon after she announced her pregnancy.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Ship’s Captain Convicted of Obstructing a Coast Guard Inspection

Prastana Taohim, 38, the captain of the M/V Gaurav Prem, was found guilty of two counts of obstruction of justice.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Justice Department Settles with Home Depot to Enforce the Employment Rights of an Army National Guard Soldier

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with Home Depot U.S.A. Inc., to resolve allegations that the company violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it terminated the employment of Army National Guard soldier Brian Bailey.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

President of South Carolina-Based Firm Charged with Illegally Exporting Goods to Iran

Markos Baghdasarian, the president of Delfin Group USA, was arrested on Saturday, May 19, 2012, at the Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, just prior to boarding an international flight to the United Arab Emirates.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former Haitian Government Official Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Role in Scheme to Launder Bribes

Jean Rene Duperval, a former director of international relations for Telecommunications D’Haiti S.A.M. (Haiti Teleco), a Haitian state-owned telecommunications company, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his role in a scheme to launder bribes paid to him by two Miami-based telecommunications companies.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks on Alternatives to Incarceration Program: the Use of “Drug Courts” in the Federal and State Systems

"The Attorney General and I are committed to a criminal justice system and a sentencing policy that are both tough and fair; that deter those contemplating serious criminal conduct and that are guided by research that show when non-incarceration is the best sanction," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




of

Ohio Insurance Salesman Guilty of Tax Charges

A jury convicted William A. Herder of Richland County, Ohio, yesterday on federal tax charges, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former Pennsylvania Businessman Convicted of Filing False Returns

Jonathon Felix, formerly of Villanova, Pa., was found guilty by a federal jury of willfully signing and filing false income tax returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Petrese Tucker presided over the trial in Philadelphia.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the National Second Chance Act Conference

"It’s been remarkable to witness the way the issue of reentry has taken root in so many communities across the country. And it’s impressive to see how, thanks to visionary leaders in the Administration, in Congress, and in the states, the topic has become so prominent on the nation’s public safety agenda," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary




of

Statement of the Attorney General on Resignation of U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the resignation of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Delaware Company Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Discharges of Oil in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

A Delaware company pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Eastern District of Louisiana to negligently discharging oil into the bayous of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, the Department of Justice announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Final Defendant Sentenced for His Role in International Conspiracy Involving the Forced Labor of Eastern European Women in Detroit-area Exotic Dance Clubs

Veniamin Gonikman, 56, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Ukraine, was sentenced today in federal court for his role in an international conspiracy to compel Eastern European women to work in exotic dance clubs in the Detroit metropolitan area. U.S. District Court Judge Victoria A. Roberts sentenced Gonikman to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. He is the ninth and final member of the charged conspiracy to be sentenced.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 17th Annual Congressional Breakfast

"Today, I’m very pleased to announce that we’re awarding almost $27 million to support NCMEC’s great work. The funds will continue all the great programs I just named – and many more, like the national resource center and information clearinghouse," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




of

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the Justice Department’s National Missing Children’s Day Ceremony

"I’ve spent much of my career – as a prosecutor, in government, and as head of the National Center for Victims of Crime – working to strengthen our responses to victims of all ages. I never cease to marvel at the incredible devotion and resolve of victim advocates," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




of

Miami Man Convicted for Obstruction of Justice and False Statements for Certifying Ships Safe for Sea

Alejandro Gonzalez, 60, of Miami-Dade County, Fla., was convicted by a federal jury in Miami of three counts of making false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard and one count of obstruction of an agency proceeding.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Owner of Hawaii Car Dealerships and Chief Financial Officer Plead Guilty to Tax Crimes

Charles Alan Pflueger, owner of Pflueger Inc., Randall Kurata, the company’s chief financial officer, and Julie Kam, Pflueger’s executive assistant, pleaded guilty to filing false federal income tax returns before U.S. District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi in Honolulu, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Justice Department Announces Agreement to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in California

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with California state officials to help ensure that military servicemembers, their family members and U.S. citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in California’s June 5, 2012, federal primary election.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former Head of Worldwide Sales at California Valve Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Offense

Paul Cosgrove, the former Head of Worldwide Sales at Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.-based valve company Control Components Inc. (CCI) pleaded guilty today to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Self-proclaimed “Governor” of Alabama Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Tax Fraud

Monty Ervin and Patricia Ervin, owners of Southern Realty in Dothan, Ala., were sentenced today to federal prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and tax evasion, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. After a two-week trial that began Oct. 25, 2011, a federal jury in Montgomery, Ala., convicted the Ervins of one count of conspiracy and three counts of tax evasion. The jury also convicted Patricia Ervin of one count of structuring transactions to avoid bank reporting requirements. Monty Ervin was sentenced to 120 months in prison; Patricia Ervin was sentenced to five years of probation, with the condition that she spend 40 consecutive weekends in jail. In sentencing the Ervins, the court found that Monty Ervin was the leader and organizer of the conspiracy and exercised control over Patricia Ervin.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Conference of National Black Churches Annual Consultation

"In so many different ways – in classrooms and courtrooms, in houses of worship and halls of justice, and in your own homes and neighborhoods – you are working to protect the progress that has marked our nation’s past, and to strengthen its future," said Attorney General Holder.




of

Justice Department Reaches $21 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination by Suntrust Mortgage

SunTrust Mortgage Inc., the mortgage lending subsidiary of the nation’s 11th-largest commercial bank, has agreed to pay $21 million to resolve a lawsuit by the Department of Justice that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination that increased loan prices for many of the qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers who obtained loans between 2005 and 2009 through SunTrust Mortgage’s regional retail offices and national network of mortgage brokers.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Woman Convicted of Tax Fraud Conspiracy in South Florida Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison

Nasheba Necia Hunte was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for her role in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and for filing false tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Indicted in Miami for Civil Rights and Abusive Sexual Contact Offenses

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Paulo Morales, 47, was arrested today after having been indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida on charges of deprivation of civil rights and abusive sexual contact.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former Arizona State Representative Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion Related to the Misuse of More Than $140,000 in Charity Funds

Former Arizona State Representative Richard David Miranda was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for defrauding a charity of more than $140,000 and evading income tax related to those unlawfully obtained funds.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Former American Samoan Department of Education Employee Sentenced to 25 Months in Prison

Gustav Nauer, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra in the District of Hawaii.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Office on Violence Against Women Announces Agreements to Cross-Designate Tribal Prosecutors in Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota

The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) announced today that four tribes in Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota will be awarded cooperative agreements to cross-designate tribal prosecutors to pursue violence against women cases in both tribal and federal courts.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Justice Department Files Complaint Against Forsyth County, North Carolina, Sheriff for Violating the Employment Rights of Army National Guard Soldier

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against Forsyth County, N.C., and the county sheriff, William T. Schatzman, for violating the employment rights of North Carolina Army National Guard soldier Michael Russell under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary

" am proud of the work that’s been done – by the Department’s 116,000 employees, as well as our government and law enforcement partners worldwide – to help fulfill the promises that I made before this Committee more than three years ago," said Attorney General Holder.




of

Justice Department Settles Lawsuit with United Airlines to Enforce Employment Rights of Air National Guardsman

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with United Airlines Inc., resolving Ten Eyck LaTourrette’s allegation that the airline violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by under compensating his retirement plan during his military service. LaTourrette is currently a major serving in the Colorado Air National Guard and a first officer for United Airlines.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

American Samoa Department of Education Official Sentenced to 35 Months in Prison for Witness Tampering and Obstruction of Justice

Paul Solofa, the former chief financial officer for the Department of Education for the government of the U.S. Territory of American Samoa was sentenced today to 35 months in prison following his conviction earlier this year for his efforts to obstruct a federal grand jury and law enforcement investigation into a bribery scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

of

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Assignment of U.S. Attorneys to Lead Investigations of Possible Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the assignment of U.S. Attorneys to lead investigations of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information.



  • OPA Press Releases