ea

Miami Beach Hotel Developers Indicted and Charged with Tax Fraud

Mauricio Cohen Assor and his son, Leon Cohen-Levy, each with residences in Miami Beach, Fla., have been charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and filing false tax returns.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

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.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

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.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Two Securities Broker-Dealers Indicted for Securities Fraud Scheme in Texas

Two securities broker-dealers were charged in an indictment unsealed today for their alleged roles in a securities fraud scheme involving several publicly traded companies.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Inaugural Caribbean-U.S. Security Cooperation Dialogue

"This new initiative is an important step forward in addressing our shared concerns, advancing our common interests, and strengthening our collective commitment to protect our citizens from crime, violence, trafficking, and terror," said Attorney General Holder.




ea

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.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

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



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

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.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation

U.S. Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Moreno pleaded guilty today in federal court in Tucson, Ariz., to a federal criminal civil rights charge for assaulting a Mexican national who was in his custody



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

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.




ea

Heart Device Manufacturer in Minnesota and Hospitals in Ohio & Kentucky to Pay Nearly $4 Million to Resolve Fraud Allegations

St. Jude Medical Inc., a heart device manufacturer; Parma Community General Hospital; and Norton Healthcare have paid the United States $3,898,300 to resolve false claim allegations that St. Jude paid illegal kickbacks to two hospitals to secure heart-device business.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

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.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Arlington, Texas, Couple Sentenced for Enslaving Nigerian Woman for More Than Eight Years

An Arlington, Texas, couple was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge John H. McBryde for forcing a Nigerian widow to perform domestic labor for them for more than eight years.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

New York City Ambulance Companies Pay U.S. $2.85 Million to Resolve Claims for Fraudulent Medicare Appeals

Metropolitan Ambulance & First Aid Corp. (now known as SEZ Metro Corp.), Metro North Ambulance Corp. (now known as SEZ North Corp.) and Big Apple Ambulance Service Inc. (formerly known as United Ambulance) have paid the United States $2.85 million to resolve false claims made to Medicare.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Patient Recruiter and Physical Therapist Sentenced in Connection with Detroit-area Medicare Fraud Schemes

Miami resident Timothy Pierce was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his participation in a fraudulent Medicare infusion scheme, and Troy, Mich., resident Jay Jha was sentenced to 27 months in prison for his participation in a separate fraudulent physical therapy scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's 30th Anniversary National Convention

"It’s a special honor to be part of this anniversary and to continue one of our nation’s most important conversations – the crucial, ongoing dialogue between law enforcement and members of the Arab-American community," said Attorney General Holder.




ea

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.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Ship Management Firm Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Violating Federal Pollution Law

Cooperative Success Maritime S.A., the operator of the M/T Chem Faros, a 21,145 gross-ton ocean-going cargo ship that regularly transported cargo between foreign ports and the United States, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), and to making material false statements.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Holder, Secretary Sebelius Send Letter to State Attorneys General on New Outreach and Education Efforts to Combat Medicare Fraud

Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius today sent a letter to state attorneys general urging them to work with HHS and federal, state and local law enforcement officials to mount a substantial outreach campaign, beginning this summer, to educate seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries about how to prevent scams and fraud.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Mansfield, Texas, Man Pleads Guilty to Commodities Fraud Involving Foreign Currency Trading Ponzi Scheme

Ray M. White, 51, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney in Dallas to a criminal information charging him with one count of commodities fraud, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Cincinnati Area Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes

Idrissa Bassoum, a former resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, pleaded guilty today in federal district court in Cincinnati to aiding in the filing of false tax returns for others and filing his own false tax return.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Billboard Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Hazardous Waste Related Charges

Selective Structures L.L.C. pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for illegally storing hazardous waste at its facility in Athens, Tenn.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

United States Settles False Claims Act Allegations with Cochlear Americas for $880,000

Cochlear Americas, a Colorado-based cochlear implant manufacturer, has agreed to pay $880,000 to resolve allegations that it paid illegal remuneration to health care providers to induce purchases of cochlear implant systems.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Latin Kings Leader Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Related to Gang Activities in New York and Maryland

Andres Echevarria, aka “B-Boy” and “King B-Boy,” pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, in connection with his gang activities as a member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings).



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

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.




ea

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.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Project Deliverance Press Conference

"We are here to announce the results of Project Deliverance – a 22-month, bilateral investigation focused on the transportation infrastructure in the United States used by Mexican drug cartels to distribute illegal narcotics throughout our country and smuggle weapons and cash across the U.S.-Mexico border," said Attorney General Holder.




ea

Five Current and Former New Orleans Police Officers Charged in the Shooting and Burning of a New Orleans Man in the Days After Hurricane Katrina

A federal grand jury has returned an 11 count federal indictment charging three current and two former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers in connection with the police-involved shooting of Henry Glover, a New Orleans resident shot and killed in the days after Hurricane Katrina.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Physical Therapist Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison in Connection with Detroit-area Medicare Fraud Schemes

Farmington Hills, Mich., resident Baskaran Thangarasan was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his participation in a fraudulent physical therapy scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler Speaks at the National Association of Attorneys General Summer Meeting

"It’s my understanding that strengthening federal and state partnerships was one of the founding principles of this Association, and I hope to summon this afternoon the same spirit of shared aspiration, joint responsibility and, above all, strong partnership, that this association has been cultivating for more than a century," said Acting Deputy Attorney General Grindler.




ea

Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, Two Ohio Hospitals, and Physician Group to Pay $2.6 Million to Resolve Fraud Allegations

The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, two of its member hospitals (The Fort Hamilton Hospital and The University Hospital), and University Internal Medicine Associates Inc. have agreed to pay the United States $2.6 million to settle claims that they violated the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act by engaging in a kickback-for-referral scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Former Chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Indicted for His Role in a More Than $1.9 Billion Fraud Scheme That Contributed to the Failure of Colonial Bank

Lee Bentley Farkas, the former chairman of a private mortgage lending company, Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW), was arrested last night in Ocala, Fla., and charged in a 16-count indictment for his alleged role in a more than $1.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of Colonial Bank, one of the 50 largest banks in the United States in 2009, and TBW, one of the largest privately held mortgage lending companies in the United States in 2009.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Springfield, Massachusetts, Man Pleads Guilty to Church Arson

Benjamin Haskell, 23, of Springfield, Mass., pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with two crimes related to the burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American church in Springfield.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at Press Conference to Announce Charges Against Lee Farkas

Last night, federal agents arrested Lee Bentley Farkas, the former chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corporation. He has been charged in a 16-count indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia.




ea

Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent Pleads Guilty to Failing to File Tax Returns

Gregory Alan Roberts, a resident of Fairfax County and Loudoun County, Va., pleaded guilty to failing to timely file income tax returns for the years 2003 and 2004.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Iranian National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Export Munitions from the United States

Omid Khalili, an Iranian national, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama to attempting to illegally export fighter jet or military aircraft parts from the United States to Iran.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

United States Files Claims Against Feed Dealers in USDA Livestock Feed Assistance Initiative Fraud Case

The United States filed a False Claims Act suit against R&J Feed Co., Jerry Goodwin, Richard Carter and Carter Livestock Inc. in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Operation Stolen Dreams Press Conference

"This operation began on March 1, and to date involved 1,215 criminal defendants nationwide, defendants who were allegedly responsible for more than $2.3 billion in losses," said Attorney General Holder.




ea

Justice Department Obtains Sweeping Reforms in Suicide Prevention Practices at the Erie County Holding Center, Buffalo, New York to Protect Inmates from Life Threatening Conditions

The Department has filed a stipulated settlement agreement resolving a portion of its lawsuit against Erie County, N.Y, regarding the limited issue of suicide prevention and related mental health care.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Leader of Texas Prison/Street Gang Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Firearms Conviction

Steven Walter Cooke, 47, a reputed high ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) prison/street gang and a previously convicted felon, has been sentenced to prison for possessing firearms.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Faisal Shahzad Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to 10 Federal Crimes Arising from Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square

“Faisal Shahzad plotted and launched an attack that could have led to serious loss of life, and today the American criminal justice system ensured that he will pay the price for his actions,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. 



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Department of Justice’s 2010 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month Program

"With your help and engagement, we’re working to ensure that the Justice Department lives up to its responsibility to provide a work environment where every employee is respected and given an equal opportunity to thrive," said Attorney General Holder.




ea

Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Sanitary Authority Agrees to Clean up Sewage Discharges to the Susquehanna River

The Williamsport, Pa., Sanitary Authority (WSA) has agreed to make significant improvements to its combined sewer system at an estimated cost of approximately $10 million, in order to resolve long-standing problems with combined sewer overflows to the Susquehanna River, which flows to the Chesapeake Bay.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Second Defendant in Springfield, Massachusetts, Church Arson Pleads Guilty

Thomas Gleason, 22, of Springfield, Mass., pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with two crimes related to the burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American church, in Springfield on the morning after President Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American President of the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Detroit-Area Medical Clinic Owner and Vice President Convicted in $23 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The owner and the vice president of a Detroit-area physical therapy clinic were convicted today by a federal jury for their roles in a $23 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Testifies Before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on the ADA and Olmstead Enforcement

"For the Department of Justice, turning the promise of the Olmstead decision into a reality for individuals with disabilities across the nation has become a major component of ADA enforcement," said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez.




ea

Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation

Former Woonsocket, R.I., Police Officer John H. Douglas pleaded guilty today in federal court in Providence, R.I., to a federal criminal civil rights charge for assaulting a juvenile who was in his custody.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Seven Houston-area Residents Charged in $5 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

– Seven Houston-area residents who worked for a home health agency have been charged for their alleged participation in a $5 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Exporter Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the U.S. Export-import Bank of More Than $24 Million

Guillermo O. Mondino, 47, of Miami, pleaded guilty today to leading a scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) of more than $24 million.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the District of Columbia College Access Program Graduation Celebration

"Over the last decade, you have redefined statistics, expectations, and, most importantly, possibilities for students across this city," said Attorney General Holder.