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Indian National Sentenced to 81 Months in Prison for Role in International Online Brokerage “Hack, Pump and Dump” Scheme

An Indian national was sentenced today to 81 months in prison on conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges arising from an international fraud scheme to "hack" into online brokerage accounts in the United States and use those accounts to manipulate stock prices.



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Detroit-Area Doctor Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme

Dr. Toe Myint was sentenced today in Detroit to 72 months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program.



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Four Individuals and Three Corporations Indicted for Roles in Mail and Wire Fraud Conspiracies at a New York City Hospital

A New York City federal grand jury returned an indictment against four individuals and three corporations for participating in mail and wire fraud conspiracies related to contracts for work performed at New York Presbyterian Hospital.



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Minnesota Man Sentenced to 117 Months in Prison for Running Ponzi Scheme

A Rosemount, Minn., man was sentenced today to 117 months in prison for his role in running a Ponzi scheme involving commodity pools.



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Four Defendants Sentenced in Human Trafficking Ring

Juan Cortes-Meza, 33, of  Mexico; Raul Cortes-Meza, 22, of Mexico; Edison Wagner Rosa Tort, 71, of Cartersville, Ga.; and Otto Jaime Larios Perez, 27, of Guatemala were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story for participating in sex trafficking in an organization targeting young Mexican women.



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Felon Who Impersonated a Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Danziger Bridge Case

David Ryder, a convicted felon who was dressed as a police officer on the day of a police-involved shooting on Sept. 4, 2005, in New Orleans, pleaded guilty today in federal court to lying to a federal agent and to illegally possessing a firearm.



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Florida Couple Charged in Forced Labor and Document Servitude Conspiracies

Sophia Manuel and Alfonso Baldonado Jr. have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges arising from a human trafficking scheme to hold Filipino nationals in forced labor in country clubs and hotels in Southeast Florida.



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Houston Medical Equipment Company Owner, Operator and Patient Recruiter Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud Scheme and Illegal Health Care Kickbacks

Houston-area residents Doris Vinitski and John Lachman pleaded guilty today in connection with their roles in a durable medical equipment Medicare fraud scheme.



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North Carolina MS-13 Gang Member Convicted of Racketeering Charges Related to Murder; First MS-13 Member Sentenced to Death

A 12-person federal jury in Charlotte, N.C., today voted unanimously to impose the death penalty against Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umana, aka “Wizard,” 25.



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Schwarz Pharma Pays $22 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations Concerning Reimbursement for Unapproved Drugs

Schwarz Pharma Inc. will pay $22 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the company failed to advise the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that two unapproved products did not qualify for coverage under federal health care programs.



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Hong Kong Ship Management Company and Two Employees Indicted for Environmental Crimes and Obstruction

A federal grand jury in Corpus Christi, Texas, returned an indictment today charging Fleet Management Limited with obstruction of agency proceedings, making false statements and failing to keep accurate pollution control records.



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Two Puerto Rico Police Officers Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Charges Related to Fatal Assault

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel R. Dominguez sentenced former San Juan, Puerto Rico, Police Officers, Aaron Vidal Maldonado and Jose Pacheco Cruz today for their roles in the fatal assault by San Juan officers against Jose Rivera Robles, an unarmed civilian.



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Tennessee Man Convicted of Illegally Accessing Sarah Palin’s E-mail Account and Obstruction of Justice

David C. Kernell, 22, was convicted by a federal jury in Knoxville, Tenn., today for intentionally accessing without authorization the e-mail account of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and obstruction of justice.



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Court Rules Against Mississippi Businessman’s Tax Shelter Promoted by KPMG

A federal court in Jackson, Miss., has ruled in favor of the United States involving a businessman’s attempt to use a KPMG- marketed tax shelter to avoid paying income tax on approximately $18 million in capital gains.



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Two Oklahoma Men Convicted of Devising and Participating in Stock Manipulation Scheme

G. David Gordon, a Tulsa, Okla., attorney, and Richard Clark, also of Tulsa, were convicted today by a federal jury of devising and participating in a scheme to defraud investors through the manipulation of publicly traded stocks of three companies.



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Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority to Spend More Than $195 Million on Improvements to 126 Drinking Water Plants

The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) has agreed to implement major capital improvements and upgrades to resolve alleged longstanding violations of the Clean Water Act at 126 drinking water plants across the island and violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act at three others.



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Miami Clinic Consultant Convicted in $5.8 Million Fraudulent HIV Infusion Scheme

David Marrero, 49, was convicted today of health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering in connection with a $5.8 million Medicare fraud scheme relating to his involvement with a Miami-area HIV/AIDS infusion clinic.



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Attorney General Eric Holder at the Press Conference Regarding the Times Square Attempted Bombing

"The Department of Justice and our partners in the national security community have no higher priority than disrupting those attempts, and bringing those who plot them to justice."




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Brooklyn Physical Therapy Clinic Executive and Three Employees Charged in Health Care Fraud Scheme

Solstice executive Dmitry Shteyman, 35, and Solstice employees Aleksey Shteyman, 41; Maxsim Shvedkin, 38; and Sara Kalantarov, 22, were each charged in an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York, with conspiracy to defraud the United States, to submit and cause the submission of false claims and to pay health care kickbacks.



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Former Guatemalan Special Forces Soldier Arrested in Palm Beach County, Fla., for Masking Role in 1982 Massacre of Guatemalan Villagers on Immigration Forms

A former Guatemalan special forces soldier was arrested today 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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Patient Recruiters and Employee at Houston Medical Equipment Company Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud Scheme and Illegal Health Care Kickbacks

Houston-area residents Basil Kalu and Ju-Ying Qian, and Louisiana resident Darnell Willis pleaded guilty today in connection with their roles in a durable medical equipment Medicare fraud scheme.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

"Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the President’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget for the Department of Justice and to provide an update on the department’s progress, key priorities and future plans," said Attorney General Holder.




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Federal Court Shuts Down South Carolina Tax Preparer

A federal district judge in Columbia, S.C., has permanently barred Dorothy Lee Anderson of Hopkins, S.C., from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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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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Los Angeles Medical Equipment Supplier Sentenced to 55 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud

The owner and operator of a Los Angeles durable medical equipment company was sentenced to 55 months in prison today in connection with a nearly $1 million power wheelchair fraud scheme.



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U.K. Firm Fined $2 Million After Pleading Guilty to Illegally Exporting Boeing 747 Aircraft to Iran

Balli Aviation Ltd., a subsidiary of the United Kingdom-based Balli Group PLC, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to pay a $2 million fine and to serve a five-year corporate period of probation after pleading guilty on Feb. 5, 2010, to a two-count criminal information in connection with its illegal export of commercial Boeing 747 aircraft from the United States to Iran.



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Medicare Fraud Fugitive Taken into Custody at Miami International Airport and Ordered Held in Pre-trial Detention Pending Trial

Jose Garcia, 55, who has been a fugitive since 2008, was taken into federal custody yesterday at Miami International Airport.



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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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Man Indicted for Civil Rights Conspiracy in Connection with Cross-Burning in Athens, Louisiana

Joshua James Moro, 23, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for participating in a civil rights conspiracy in connection with an October 2008 cross-burning in Athens, La., near the home of an interracial couple.



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Adult Foster Care Facility Owners and Physical Therapist Plead Guilty in Medicare Home Health Fraud Scheme

Detroit-area residents Tariq Chaudhary, Lura Barrett and Stephen Cartier pleaded guilty today for their participation in a fraudulent Medicare home health scheme.



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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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Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation Gang Members Sentenced to Life in Prison for Their Roles in Multiple Murder, Narcotics and Firearms Crimes

The leader of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation in Texas and one of his enforcers were sentenced today to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings.



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Sixth Individual Pleads Guilty for Role in $14.5 Million Medicare Home Health Care Fraud Scheme

Detroit-area resident Christopher Collins pleaded guilty today for his participation in a $14.5 million fraudulent Medicare home health care scheme.



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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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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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Miami-area Clinic Owner Charged in $23 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Miami charges Flor Crisologo, 58, with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, to cause the submission of false claims to the Medicare program, and to pay health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; and three counts of submitting false claims to the Medicare program.



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Nine Hospitals in Seven States to Pay U.S. More Than $9.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Kyphoplasty

Nine hospitals located in Alabama, Indiana, Florida, Michigan, South Carolina, New York and Minnesota have agreed to pay the United States more than $9.4 million to settle allegations that the health care facilities submitted false claims to Medicare.



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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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Federal Court Bars Georgia Man from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others

A federal court has barred Robert Knupp of Marietta, Ga., from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



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Pittsburgh-area Man Who Served as Armed Nazi Concentration Camp Guard Is Ordered Removed to Austria

An immigration judge in Philadelphia has ordered the removal of Anton Geiser, a resident of Sharon, Pa., who served as an armed SS guard at three Nazi concentration camps in Germany during World War II.



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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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Houston-area Durable Medical Equipment Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving Nutrition Supplies

William M. Reece Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge David Hittner in U.S. District Court in Houston. 



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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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California Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud in Power Wheelchair Scam

Maria Nela Moreno, 57, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge John F. Walter of the Central District of California to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $110,000 in restitution.



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