se

Settlement Requires Boston Water and Sewer Commission to Remedy Sewer and Stormwater Discharges

Under the terms of a consent decree lodged in federal court today, the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) will implement extensive remedial measures to minimize the discharge of sewage and other pollutants into the water bodies in and around Boston.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Two Plead Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Consumers Seeking Immigration Services

Two Missouri men pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to defraud consumers seeking immigration-related services, the Department of Justice announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Resolves Race Harassment and Discrimination Lawsuit Against Burke County, N.C., Department of Social Services

The Justice Department today concurrently filed a complaint and consent decree against the Burke County, N.C., Department of Social Services, alleging that the county did not have an effective harassment and discrimination policy in place and did not provide sufficient training in race harassment and discrimination for its employees and supervisors, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. Title VII is a federal statute which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Wisconsin Neurosurgeon Convicted of Filing False Tax Return and Failing to File Report of Foreign Bank Accounts

A jury convicted Arvind Ahuja yesterday on federal tax charges stemming from his failure to disclose offshore bank accounts maintained in India and the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Trial began on Aug. 15, 2012 before U.S. District Judge Charles N. Clevert, Jr., in Milwaukee. Ahuja, a prominent neurosurgeon in Milwaukee, was convicted of one count of filing a false 2009 individual income tax return and one count of failing to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR).



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice and Interior Departments Launch Indian Country Sexual Assault Investigation and Prosecution Training

The Justice and Interior Departments this week launched a new training seminar for tribal and federal law enforcement on investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases on tribal lands.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Final Defendant Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Consumers Seeking Immigration Services

A Missouri woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a scheme to defraud consumers seeking immigration-related services, the Justice Department announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Reaches Lending Discrimination Settlement with GFI Mortgage Bankers Inc.

GFI Mortgage Bankers Inc., a large independent home mortgage firm that concentrates on the New York, New Jersey, and Florida markets, will pay $3.555 million to resolve a lending discrimination lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit alleges that GFI engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination by pricing residential mortgage loans for qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher than for similarly-qualified non-Hispanic white borrowers between 2005 and 2009.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Japanese Automobile Parts Manufacturer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Parts Installed in US Cars

Nagoka, Japan-based Nippon Seiki Co. Ltd. has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $1 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of instrument panel clusters, commonly known as meters, installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Former Alabama Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Money and Property from Highway Motorists

Jessie Alan Fuller, 25, of Pensacola, Fla., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins to 37 months in prison and two years supervised release, the Justice Department announced. Fuller pleaded guilty on April 26, 2012, to one count of conspiracy against rights, a felony, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a misdemeanor. These charges stemmed from Fuller’s stealing money and property from motorists on Interstate 65 in central Alabama while he was a police officer with the Fort Deposit Police Department.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Settles with Sacramento, Calif., Public Library Authority Over Inaccessible “E-Reader” Devices

The Justice Department announced today that it and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento Public Library Authority in Sacramento, Calif., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement resolves allegations that the library violated the ADA by using inaccessible Barnes & Noble NOOK electronic reader devices in a patron lending program.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

U.S. Army Master Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Government

Julio Soto Jr., 52, of Columbus, Ga., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Chief Judge Margaret B. Seymour in the District of South Carolina to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to accept illegal gratuities.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Miami Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Obstruction of Justice and False Statements for Certifying Ships Safe for Sea

Alejandro Gonzalez, 60, of Miami-Dade County, Fla., was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to 21 months in prison.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Former U.S. Consulate Guard Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Communicate National Defense Information to China

Bryan Underwood, a former civilian guard at a U.S. Consulate compound under construction in China, pleaded guilty today in the District of Columbia in connection with his efforts to sell for personal financial gain classified photographs, information and access related to the U.S. Consulate to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Government Files Complaint Against Dallas Area-Based For-profit Chain of Schools for False Claims Act Violations

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint against the private, for-profit chain of schools, ATI Enterprises Inc. based in North Richland, Texas, the Justice Department announced today. ATI Enterprises, Inc., which does business as ATI Technical Training Center, ATI Career Training Center and ATI Career Training, operates career college campuses in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and New Mexico.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Leader Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

Steven Walter Cooke, 48, aka “Stainless,” pleaded guilty on March 16, 2012, to racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the beating of an ABT prospect member.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Departments of Justice and Education Reach Settlement with Arizona Department of Education to Ensure That ELL Students Are Properly Identified and Not Prematurely Exited

The Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, today entered into a settlement agreement with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) that requires ADE and Arizona public schools to offer targeted reading and writing intervention services to tens of thousands of English Language Learner (ELL) students who were prematurely exited or incorrectly identified as Initially Fluent English Proficient (IFEP) over the past five school years. The agreement also requires ADE to develop proficiency criteria that accurately identify and exit ELL students.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

British Citizen Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Charges

Simon Jasper McCarty, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright of the District of Hawaii.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Announces Agreement to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in the U.S. Virgin Islands

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with U.S. Virgin Islands officials to help ensure that military service members, their family members and U.S. citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in the territory’s Sept. 8, 2012 primary election and the Nov. 6, 2012, general election.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

3M Company Abandons Its Proposed Acquisition of Avery Dennison’s Office and Consumer Products Group After Justice Department Threatens Lawsuit

3M Co. abandoned its plan to acquire Avery Dennison Corp.’s Office and Consumer Products Group, its closest competitor in the sale of adhesive-backed labels and sticky notes, after the Department of Justice informed the companies that it would file a civil antitrust lawsuit to block the deal.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

North Carolina Businessman Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Payroll Tax Fraud

Bruce Gregory Harrison III of Greensboro, N.C., was sentenced today to 144 months in prison following his December 2011 conviction for payroll tax fraud and other crimes, announced Kathryn Keneally, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Ripley Rand, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina; and Richard Weber, Chief of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Criminal Investigation.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

United States Intervenes in False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Orlando, Florida-area Hospice

The government has intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) alleging false Medicare billings, the Justice Department announced today. HOTCI provides hospice services to patients residing in the vicinity of Orlando, Fla.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Seeks to Intervene in Lawsuit Against Law School Admission Council to Protect Rights of Individuals with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it seeks to intervene in a class action lawsuit against the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in federal court in San Francisco to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuit, The Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. LSAC, Inc., et al., charges LSAC with widespread and systemic deficiencies in the way it processes requests by people with disabilities for testing accommodations for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). As a result, the lawsuit alleges, LSAC fails to provide accommodations where needed to best ensure that those test takers can demonstrate their aptitude and achievement level rather than their disability.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Arizona Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Selling Access to Botnets

Joshua Schichtel, 30, of Phoenix, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for selling command-and-control access to and use of thousands of malware-infected computers.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Releases Investigative Findings Showing Violation of Constitutional Rights in Kansas Correctional Facility

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today released its letter of findings determining that the Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF), an all-female facility in Topeka, Kan., under the jurisdiction of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), fails to protect women prisoners from harm due to sexual abuse and misconduct from correctional staff and other prisoners in violation of their constitutional rights. The Justice Department delivered a letter detailing the findings to Governor Samuel D. Brownback and Secretary of the KDOC Ray Roberts.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Third Dreamboard Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Participating in International Criminal Network Organized to Sexually Exploit Children

John Wyss, aka “Bones,” 55, of Monroe, Wis., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Maurice Hicks in the Western District of Louisiana.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Massachusetts Tax Fraud Promoter Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Obstruct and Impede the IRS

A federal judge in Worcester, Mass., sentenced William Scott Dion today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States, and for obstructing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department and IRS announced. U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor also ordered Dion to pay restitution in the amount of $3 million.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Belize

Roland J. Flath, 72, of Fond du Lac, Wis., was sentenced in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin by Judge J.P. Stadtmueller.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Texas Tax Preparers

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued two Dallas tax return preparers, seeking to bar them from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Former Us Airways Pilot Sentenced in North Carolina to 10 Years in Prison for Tax Fraud

Charles A. Davis, 63, formerly of Mooresville, N.C. was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for committing tax fraud, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. U.S. Judge Richard L. Voorhees in the Western District of North Carolina also ordered Davis to serve twelve months of supervised release after his prison term and pay $538,569 as restitution to the IRS.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

California Landlord Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit for $2.13 Million

The Justice Department today announced that Rawland Leon Sorensen, the owner and manager of dozens of residential rental properties in Bakersfield, Calif., will be obligated to pay more than $2 million in monetary damages and civil penalties to settle a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed women tenants and prospective tenants.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Louisiana Resident Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Karen T. Rayburn, 47, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James J. Brady of the Middle District of Louisiana.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Settles with Pennsylvania School for $715,000 Over Exclusion of Child with HIV

The Justice Department announced today that it and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania have reached a settlement with the Milton Hershey School of Hershey, Pa., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement resolves allegations that the school violated the ADA by refusing to consider a child, known by the pseudonym Abraham Smith, for enrollment due to the fact that he has HIV.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Releases a Report on Accessibility of Federal Government Electronic and Information Technology

The Justice Department announced the release of its “Section 508 report to the President and Congress: “Accessibility of Federal Electronic and Information Technology.”



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Luther Burbank Savings to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination in California

The Justice Department announced today that Luther Burbank Savings will invest $2 million in California communities and take other steps as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Minnesota Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Sexual Abuse of Minors

Joshua Gardner, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery in the District of Minnesota.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

South Florida Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison in Drug Diversion Scheme

South Florida man, William D. Rodriguez, has been sentenced to serve 120 months in prison in connection with a multi-million dollar prescription drug diversion and money-laundering scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department and the City of Portland, Ore., Reach Preliminary Agreement on Reforms Regarding Portland Police Bureau’s Use of Force Against Persons with Mental Illness

The United States and the city of Portland, Ore., announced today that they have reached a preliminary agreement to make changes to Portland Police Bureau policies, practices, training and supervision. This agreement was reached following a comprehensive investigation. Together with the agreement, the Justice Department today announced its findings that the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has engaged in an unconstitutional pattern or practice of excessive force against people with mental illness. The Justice Department delivered a letter detailing the findings to Portland Mayor Sam Adams and Police Chief Michael Reese, who were cooperative throughout the department’s investigation.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Former Chief Investment Officer of Stanford Financial Group Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Obstruction of Justice

Laura Pendergest-Holt, 39, the former chief investment officer of Houston-based Stanford Financial Group, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for her role in obstructing a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into Stanford International Bank (SIB), the Antiguan offshore bank owned by convicted financier Robert Allen Stanford.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Reaches Settlement Agreement with Massachusetts Business Resolving Allegations of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with Grand Circle LLC, based in Boston, doing business as Grand Circle Travel, to resolve alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ensure that persons with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids, are afforded full and equal access to the company’s travel services and facilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Bank of America to Resolve Allegations of Discrimination Against Recipients of Disability Income

Bank of America N.A. has agreed to maintain revised policies, conduct employee training and pay compensation to victims to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of disability and receipt of public assistance in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Alabama Woman Sentenced to 64 Months in Prison for Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Crystal Sayles, of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced today to 64 months in prison for filing false claims, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Sayles had pleaded guilty to those charges on May 17, 2012. She was also ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution and will serve three years on supervised release following her release from federal prison. In addition to the sentence imposed today, Sayles had also agreed to the forfeiture of a Mercedes Benz as part of her plea agreement.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Arab Forum on Asset Recovery

"Today, I’d like to commend each of the delegations represented here for your contributions in advancing what’s become a robust and ongoing dialogue about the role that each of our nations can play – and the responsibilities that we all must fulfill – in combating corruption, recovering stolen assets, and establishing a framework for cooperation and collaboration not only throughout this region – but across the globe," said Attorney General Holder.




se

Member of Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison

Gaeton Lucibello, 59, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy involving extortion and illegal gambling, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and George C. Venizelos, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Capo Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison

Martin Angelina, 50, of Philadelphia, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy involving loan sharking and illegal gambling, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Zane David Memeger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and George C. Venizelos, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Releases Investigative Findings on the Alamance County, N.C., Sheriff’s Office

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today its findings that the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in North Carolina, under the leadership of Sheriff Terry S. Johnson, engages in a pattern or practice of misconduct that violates the Constitution and federal law. The department conducted its investigation, which it opened on June 2, 2010, pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Self-Proclaimed “President” of Sovereign Citizen Group Indicted for Tax Crimes

A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., charged James Timothy Turner, also known as Tim Turner, with conspiracy to defraud the United States, attempting to pay taxes with fictitious financial instruments, attempting to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue Service, failing to file a 2009 federal income tax return and falsely testifying under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Los Angeles Physician Assistant Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Role in $18.9 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

David James Garrison, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall in the Central District of California.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Japanese Freight Forwarder Agrees to Plead Guilty to Criminal Price-Fixing Charges

A Japanese freight forwarding company has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $2.3 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix certain fees in connection with the provision of freight forwarding services for air cargo shipments from Japan to the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Justice Department Settles Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Against City of Corpus Christi, Texas, Police Department

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a settlement to resolve the department’s allegations that the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against women when hiring entry-level police officers.



  • OPA Press Releases

se

Hospital Chain HCA Inc. Pays $16.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Regarding Chattanooga, Tenn., Hospital

HCA Inc., one of the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chains, has agreed to pay the United States and the state of Tennessee $16.5 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act and the Stark Statute, the Department of Justice announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases