ea

Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Honolulu in Connection with Human Trafficking Scheme That Exploited 600 Thai Workers

Bruce Schwartz, 53, Sam Wongsesanit, 40, and Shane Germann, 42, have pleaded guilty to human trafficking violations involving the Los Angeles based recruiting company Global Horizons.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Federal Jury Imposes Death Sentence Against Connecticut Drug Dealer Convicted of Murder and Related Charges

A federal jury in New Haven, Conn., today voted unanimously to impose the federal death penalty against Azibo Aquart for his role in the murder of three individuals.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Montgomery, Alabama, Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Tax Fraud and Identity Theft Conspiracy

Laquanta Grant, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to file false claims for refunds.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Swift Beef Company to Pay $1.3 Million Penalty for Clean Water Act and State Law Violations at Its Grand Island, Nebraska Beef Processing Plant

Swift Beef Company, a subsidiary of JBS S.A, the world’s largest beef producer, has agreed to pay $1.3 million to the United States and state of Nebraska to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Nebraska state law at its Grand Island, Neb., beef processing plant.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Department of Justice on Behalf of Partner Agencies Releases Solicitation to Build Capacity in Distressed Neighborhoods

The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance today announced the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator Solicitation, part of an innovative approach to build capacity in distressed neighborhoods.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Midwest BankCentre Regarding Alleged Lending Discrimination in St. Louis

Midwest BankCentre will open a full-service branch in an African-American neighborhood and invest approximately $1.45 million in majority African-American areas of the St. Louis metropolitan area as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that they engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race and color.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Summit

"As we have seen repeatedly – most clearly on September 11th and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – in times of crisis and emergency, law enforcement officers and first responders must be able to communicate quickly, across all jurisdictions. And as national security and public safety threats have continued to grow and to evolve, the need to bring public safety communications into the 21st century has never been greater."




ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the American Constitution Society Convention

"This Administration is moving in a direction that is guided, not by fear – but by fact, by reason, and by a commitment to advancing the cause of justice and to upholding our nation’s most essential and enduring values."




ea

Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services Highlight Joint Efforts to Combat Health Care Fraud in Philadelphia

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited Philadelphia today where they participated in the sixth regional health care fraud prevention summit.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Nixon State Bank to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

Nixon State Bank of Nixon, Texas, will establish uniform pricing policies, conduct employee training, and pay nearly $100,000 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of national origin.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Former Colonial Bank Senior Vice President Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Fraud Scheme

A former senior vice president and head of Colonial Bank’s Mortgage Warehouse Lending Division was sentenced today to eight years in prison for her role in a more than $2.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of Colonial Bank and Taylor, Bean & Whitaker.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Health Care Fraud Summit in Philadelphia

"By coming together, we’re signaling – to the citizens we serve and to those who would threaten the strength of our health care system – that a new era of communication and cooperation has begun, and that this Administration’s commitment to fighting health care fraud has never been stronger."




ea

Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Price-Fixing Conspiracy

An Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty to participating in a price-fixing conspiracy for the sales of ready-mix concrete.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Justice Department Reaches Agreement with City of Manassas Park, Virginia, on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with the city of Manassas Park, Va., that, if approved by the court, will allow for the city to bail out from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the city from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Owner of Houston Health Care Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Medicare

An owner of a Houston health care company pleaded guilty today in connection with a $654,227 Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

California UBS Clients Plead Guilty to Hiding Assets in Secret Swiss Bank Account

Sean Roberts and Nadia Roberts of Tehachapi, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii of the Eastern District of California to a criminal information charging them with filing a false tax return related to an undisclosed Swiss bank account that they maintained at UBS, as well as other offshore bank accounts.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson of the Office of Justice Programs Speaks at the National Center for Victims of Crime Annual Conference

"I know with all of us working together to shape our future – thinking together in new ways and re-imagining our potential – the victim service field will be stronger, more effective, and better able to ensure a safer and more just world."




ea

Pittsburgh Crips Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Charges

A Pittsburgh man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiring to conduct a racketeering enterprise related to his membership in a Pittsburgh Crips gang



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Bloods Gang Member in Nashville Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

A Nashville, Tenn., man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to participate in racketeering activity related to his membership in the Bloods criminal enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Former Co-Owner of Illinois Technology Company Sentenced to Serve One Year and a Day in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Defraud the Federal E-Rate Program

A former co-owner of an Illinois-based technology company, Global Networking Technologies Inc. (GNT), was sentenced today to serve one year and a day in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to defraud the federal E-Rate program.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

U.S. Army Sergeant and Associate Indicted for Alleged Bribe Scheme Involving Contracts at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait

An 11-count indictment unsealed today in federal court in Wheeling, W.V., charges an Army sergeant first class and his associate for their alleged roles in a bribery and money laundering scheme at Camp Arifjan, a U.S. military base in Kuwait.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Owner of Detroit-Area Medical Clinic Sentenced to Prison for Role in $1.12 Million Diagnostic Testing Fraud Scheme

An owner of a Detroit-area medical clinic was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for her role in a $1.12 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Former Hickman County, Tennessee Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charges

The Justice Department announced that former Hickman County Deputy Sheriff Kenneth H. Smith, 43, pleaded guilty today to violating the rights of two women by photographing parts of their unclothed bodies under the false pretense that those photographs were necessary for an official investigation.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Department of Labor’s Roundtable Discussion on the Job Market

"With your unique insights, and your ongoing engagement, I have no doubt that we can move forward in meeting the goals that we all share: improving public safety; saving precious taxpayer dollars; and ensuring that the millions of Americans who have served their time – and are struggling to rejoin their communities – are able to become productive members of society, to contribute their skills and training to our workforce, to provide for themselves and their families, and to remain crime-free."




ea

Michael Jackson’s Former General Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges in Washington, D.C., Court

Raymone Bain, a public relations specialist and the former general manager of the late pop star Michael Jackson, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Washington, D.C., to charges that she failed to file federal and District of Columbia income tax returns.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Iowa Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

Bobby Joe Knapp, the former owner and operator of the Equitable Building in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James E. Gritzner to 41 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards for his role during the renovation of more than 10 floors of the building between 2005 and 2008.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Owner of Houston Health Care Company Pleads Guilty in Connection with $1.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

An owner of a Houston health care company pleaded guilty today to committing health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Owners of Houston Health Care Company Plead Guilty to Medicare Fraud

Two owners of a Houston health care company pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $800,000.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Belarusian National is Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Participating in International Online Scheme to Steal U.S. Tax Refunds

A Belarusian national and resident of Nantucket, Mass., was sentenced today in federal court to 41 months in prison for his participation in an international online scheme to steal income tax refunds from U.S. taxpayers around the country.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Texas Case to Enforce the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision

The Justice Department today filed papers seeking to intervene in Steward, et al. v. Perry, et al., a case filed on behalf of thousands of Texans with developmental disabilities to enforce their right under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to receive services provided by the state in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the 2011 National Institute of Justice Conference

"I want to note – and applaud – the fact that NIJ is not just playing a convening role and continuing its crucial research efforts; its leadership is setting an example of excellence. Through their outreach, their engagement with a variety of partners, and their commitment to independence and scientific rigor, they are paving the way to large-scale reform and improvement."




ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Retirement Ceremony for John Cruden

"Over the last two decades, John Cruden has helped to lead one of the Department’s most active Divisions – and has been essential in making it such a great place to work, and to learn. And, while we will miss both his expertise and his humor, we wish him the best in his new role as President of the Environmental Law Institute."




ea

Justice Department Issues Technical Assistance Document on Enforcement of the Supreme Court Decision in Olmstead v. L.C.

The Department of Justice released a new technical assistance document describing public entities’ obligations and individuals’ rights under the integration mandate of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1999 landmark Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L.C.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with George’s Inc.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with George’s Inc. that requires George’s to make important capital improvements to a Harrisonburg, Va., chicken processing plant in order to settle the litigation surrounding George’s acquisition of the Tyson Foods Inc. plant.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Two Men Charged in Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center

Two men were arrested late last night and are charged by criminal complaint with terrorism and firearms related charges.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Three Brooklyn Physical Therapy Clinic Employees Plead Guilty in a $3.4 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Three employees of the Solstice Wellness Center, a Brooklyn-area clinic that purported to specialize in providing physical therapy and various diagnostic tests, have pleaded guilty in connection with a $3.4 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Pittsburgh Crips Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

A Pittsburgh man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to conduct a racketeering enterprise related to his membership in a Pittsburgh Crips gang.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Duck Hunting Violations

Professional duck hunter and guide Jeffrey B. Foiles pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Ill., to wildlife charges arising from the illegal sale of guided waterfowl hunts.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the Third Annual Gangs, Drugs & Prosecution Conference in New Mexico

"In every district, the Attorney General’s anti-violence strategy will require close coordination among state, local, and tribal law enforcement. In the Attorney General’s view – and I share his vision as well – fighting violent crime requires more than just putting offenders in jail. It also requires preventing crime before it occurs, and smoothing the transition of released prisoners back into society."




ea

East Hartford, Conn., Woman Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking of Minors

An East Hartford, Conn., woman was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven, Conn., to 110 months in prison for the sex trafficking of two minor girls in 2009.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Assistant Attorney General Christine Varney Speaks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

"To help you evaluate our achievements, I want to talk about developments at the Division on a variety of fronts—including civil merger and non-merger enforcement, international efforts, and competition advocacy work," said Assistant Attorney General Varney.




ea

Contractor Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Death of Afghan National in Kabul, Afghanistan

Justin Cannon, 29, of Corpus Christi, Texas, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in shooting and killing an Afghan national while on an unauthorized convoy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 5, 2009.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Former U.S. Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Stealing Equipment in Iraq and Receiving Proceeds from Sale on Black Market

A former U.S. Army sergeant pleaded guilty today to conspiring to steal U.S. Army equipment related to his work as a non-commissioned officer helping to train Iraqi army personnel in Mosul, Iraq, in 2008.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Connecticut Early Learning Center to Ensure Equal Opportunity for Children with Autism

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with Beach Babies Learning Center LLC, located in Old Saybrook, Conn., to resolve allegations that the center terminated the enrollment of a then two-year-old child from its program because the child has autism.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Natchez, Mississippi, Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft and Fraud

Natchez, Miss., Police Department Officer Dewayne Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit identity theft, credit card fraud and bank fraud by agreeing with his cousin to illegally use credit and debit cards stolen from an arrestee in Johnson’s custody.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the “Youth Violence Prevention and Positive Youth Development” Conference

"You are here today because you know how important it is to continue finding innovative and effective ways to fight violent crime. As someone who focuses on criminal prosecution, I am absolutely committed to doing everything I can to help make our communities safer."




ea

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the STANCE Initiative Meeting/Neighborhood Crime Prevention Event

"Today, together, we have an opportunity to discuss the goals and responsibilities that we share – to reach the young people who need our help most; and to ensure that violent crime rates – here in Cleveland and across the country – continue to head in the right direction."




ea

Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Colorado State Courts to Remove Language Barriers

The Justice Department today announced it has reached an agreement with officials of the Colorado Judicial Department to ensure that limited English proficient (LEP) individuals seeking services throughout Colorado’s state court system will have access to timely and competent language assistance.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

California Real Estate Investors Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Eight California real estate investors have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in two separate conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

ea

Former Chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison and Ordered to Forfeit $38.5 Million

The former chairman and owner of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW) was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and ordered to forfeit approximately $38.5 million for his role in a more than $2.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failure of TBW and Colonial Bank.



  • OPA Press Releases