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Former Owner of Illinois Technology Company Sentenced to Serve 30 Months in Prison for Role in Multi-State Scheme to Defraud Federal E-Rate Program

A former owner of two Illinois-based technology companies was sentenced today to serve 30 months in prison for her participation in a conspiracy to defraud the federal E-Rate program.



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Former IRS Employee from Texas Sentenced to Nearly Nine Years in Prison on Theft of Government Property and Aggravated Identity Theft Convictions

Thomas W. Richardson was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle in Dallas to 105 months in prison and ordered to pay $30,649 in restitution, following his guilty plea in August 2011 to one count of theft of government property and one count of aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Requires Mill Divestitures in International Paper’s Acquisition of Temple-Inland

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require International Paper Company and Temple-Inland Inc. to divest three containerboard mills in order to proceed with their $4.3 billion merger.



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Louisiana Hunting Outfitter Pleads Guilty to Illegally Killing Protected Alligator

Gregory K. Dupont, 38, of Plaquemine, La., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, La., to one felony count of illegally guiding out-of-state sport hunters to unauthorized areas to hunt American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) in violation of the Lacey Act, the U.S. Endangered Species Act and Louisiana law.



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U.S. Files Criminal Charges Against Dallas Company in Connection with Misbranded Drug Shipment That Led to Three Deaths

The Justice Department, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), has charged Gary D. Osborn and his corporation, ApothéCure Inc., with two misdemeanor criminal violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) in connection with their interstate shipment of two lots of misbranded colchicine injectable solution that led to the deaths of three people in the Pacific Northwest.



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Justice Department Settles Allegations of Employment Discrimination at the Massachusetts Department of Correction

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a settlement that, if approved by the court, will resolve the department’s allegations that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Correction violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against female applicants for entry-level correction officer and correction program officer positions at the Massachusetts Department of Correction.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks on Protections and Benefits for Military Families in Federal-state Mortgage Settlement Call

"The federal-state agreement contains provisions to ensure that our servicemembers receive the full protection of current law, as well as substantial new benefits," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Justice Department Settles with City of Highland Park, Michigan, to Enforce Employment Rights of U.S. Army Reservist

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with the city of Highland Park, Mich., to resolve allegations that the city willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by failing to properly reemploy firefighter and U.S. Army reservist Paul A. Baetz in July 2009 when he returned from military service in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.



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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Participating in International Child Pornography Ring

Joseph Tierney, 24, of Wellesley, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips.



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Co-Owner of Two Los Angeles-Area Health Care Companies Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud

The co-owner of two Los Angeles-area health care companies was sentenced today to 96 months in prison for his conviction stemming from a nine-year scheme to defraud Medicare.



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Statement of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division on Its Decision to Close Its Investigations of Google Inc.’s Acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and the Acquisitions of Certain Patents by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Research in

The Antitrust Division closed its investigations into Google Inc.’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., the acquisitions by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) of certain Nortel Networks Corporation patents, and the acquisition by Apple of certain Novell Inc. patents.



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Two Houston-Area Nurses Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Roles in $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Two Houston-area nurses and two of their co-conspirators have been sentenced in Houston for their participation in a $5.2 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Barrio Azteca Gang Leader Sentenced in Texas to Life in Prison

Roberto Angel Cardona, aka “Little Angelillo,” of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division.



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Justice Department Settlement Requires Gunnison Energy and SG Interests to Pay the United States a Total of $550,000 for Antitrust and False Claims Act Violations

The department reached a settlement with Gunnison Energy Corporation, SG Interests I Ltd. and SG Interests VII Ltd. that requires the companies to pay a total of $550,000 to the United States for antitrust and False Claims Act violations related to natural gas leases sold at auction by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management.



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Justice Department Resolves Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a consent decree with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (LDPSC) that resolves allegations of sexual harassment of an office administrator in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (Title VII).



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Maryland Tax Defier Sentenced to 65 Months in Prison

Andrew Isaac Chance of Clinton, Md., was sentenced Wednesday to 65 months in prison for filing false claims for tax refunds and for filing a false retaliatory lien against a federal prosecutor.



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Former New England La Cosa Nostra Mob Boss, Capo and Associates to Plead Guilty in Rhode Island for Racketeering Activity

Five Rhode Island men previously identified as leaders or associates of the New England organized crime family of the La Cosa Nostra have agreed to plead guilty to racketeering-related charges, according to documents filed today with the U.S. district court in Providence, R.I.



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Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempted Bombing of Flight 253 on Christmas Day 2009

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called “underwear bomber,” was sentenced today to life in prison as a result of his guilty plea to all eight counts of a federal indictment charging him for his role in the attempted Christmas Day 2009 bombing of Northwest Airlines flight 253.



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MS-13 Gang Leader in San Francisco Sentenced to Life in Prison

Danilo Velasquez, aka “Triste,” a local leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in San Francisco by U.S. District Judge William H. Alsup to life in prison.



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New York Resident and His Company Sentenced for Conspiracy to Export Computer-Related Equipment to Iran

Jeng “Jay” Shih, 54, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to 18 months in prison, while his Queens, N.Y., company, Sunrise Technologies and Trading Corporation, was sentenced to 24 months corporate probation for conspiracy to illegally export U.S.-origin computers from the United States to Iran through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).



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Fort Lauderdale, Florida-Area Halfway House Operator Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Participating in Fraud and Kickback Scheme

Butler Moultrie, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in the Southern District of Florida.



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Assistant Administrator of Houston Hospital Pleads Guilty to Participating in $116 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Mohammad Khan, 62, of Houston, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay and receive illegal health care kickbacks, and five counts of paying or offering to pay health care kickbacks.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Department of Justice African-American History Month Celebration

"Throughout this month, Americans of all races and backgrounds are called upon to reconnect with one another – and to rededicate ourselves to the principles that lie at the core of everything that we must stand for – and, in particular, all that we fight for here at the Department of Justice," said Attorney General Holder.




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Wife of Former Army Major Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Role in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to Dod Contracts

Eurica Pressley, 39, was sentenced today in Birmingham, Ala., to 72 months in prison for her participation in a bribery and money laundering scheme related to bribes paid for contracts awarded in support of the Iraq war.



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Former Chairman and CEO of Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Foreign Bribery and Kickback Schemes

Albert “Jack” Stanley, a former chairman and chief executive officer of Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. (KBR), was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by participating in a decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials to obtain engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts and for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud as part of a separate kickback scheme.



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Attorney General Appoints Tony West as Acting Associate Attorney General and Stuart Delery as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division

“Tony and Stuart have served the department with professionalism, integrity and dedication, and both bring a wealth of experience to their new positions,” said Attorney General Holder. “I’m confident they will provide invaluable leadership and will play a critical role in furthering the department’s key priorities and fulfilling its traditional missions.”



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Los Angeles Church Pastor Sentenced to Serve 36 Months in Prison for $14.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Connie Ikpoh, 49, also was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Terry J. Hatter for the Central District of California to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $6.7 million in restitution jointly and severally with her co-conspirators.



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Justice Department Announces Agreement Protecting the Rights of Spanish-speaking Voters in Colfax County, Nebraska

The Justice Department announced today an agreement with Colfax County, Neb., that requires the county to provide election materials and information in Spanish in order to comply with provisions of the Voting Rights Act.



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Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Case Involving Disabled Veteran in Utah

The Justice Department today announced a $20,000 consent decree that resolves a lawsuit alleging that a Park City, Utah, condominium association and its management company violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to grant a resident’s request for a reasonable accommodation.



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Justice Department Settles with Georgia School District to Ensure Desegregation of Its Faculty and Staff

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Valdosta City Schools in Georgia to ensure that the school district complies with its obligations to recruit, hire and assign faculty and staff in a nondiscriminatory way in furtherance of its obligations to desegregate its schools.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the Dallas Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Press Conference

"In Dallas, and the eight other Strike Force cities, the Criminal Division and our partners in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will continue to crack down on Medicare fraud and hold accountable those stealing from the public fisc," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Australian Man and His Firm Indicted in Plot to Export Restricted Military and Other U.S. Technology to Iran

An Australian man and his company have been indicted today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiring to export sensitive military and other technology from the United States to Iran, including components with applications in missiles, drones, torpedoes and helicopters.



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Former Puerto Rico Senator and Businessman Each Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Their Roles in Bribery Scheme

Hector Martinez Maldonado, a former Puerto Rico Senator, and Juan Bravo Fernandez, the former president of the largest private security firm in Puerto Rico, were each sentenced today to 48 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a bribery scheme involving the passage of legislation beneficial to Bravo Fernandez’s business.



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Former Mississippi Office Manager Sentenced to 89 Months in Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

Cynthia Cooley, of Hattiesburg, Miss., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett in the Southern District of Mississippi.



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Deputy Attorney General James Cole Speaks at High Level Hemispheric Meeting Against Transnational Organized Crime

"It is a distinct pleasure to be in Mexico City at today’s Hemispheric Meeting and to have the unique opportunity to speak with you – our shared partners in the Americas and Spain – about transnational organized crime, undoubtedly a global menace that we must work together to defeat. Organized criminals have adapted rapidly to the new, globalized world. They are, in fact, helping to shape that world, and not in a good direction," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Miami Taxidermist Sentenced for Wildlife Smuggling

Enrique Gomez De Molina, 48, of Miami Beach, Fla., was sentenced in federal court in Miami today to 20 months in prison for illegal trafficking in endangered and protected wildlife.



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Illinois Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Advertise Child Pornography

Jonathon Sudduth of Springfield, Ill., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips in Los Angeles to 22 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography.



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Former FDA Chemist Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Insider Trading

Cheng Yi Liang, a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chemist from Gaithersburg, Md., was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for engaging in insider trading on multiple occasions based on material, non-public information he obtained in his capacity as an FDA scientist.



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Departments of Justice and Education Resolve Harassment Allegations in Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota

The Departments of Justice and Education, together with six private student plaintiffs and the Anoka-Hennepin School District, filed a proposed consent decree today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, resolving complaints of sex-based harassment of middle and high school students in the school district.



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Member of the Aryan Brotherhood Sentenced for Assaulting a Jewish Inmate in Texas

Timothy Lee York, 35, of Fountain Valley, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 63 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violently assaulting a Jewish inmate at a federal correctional facility in Texas.



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Federal Court in Illinois Shuts Down Nationwide “Employee Benefit Plan” Tax Scheme

A federal court has permanently barred Tracy L. Sunderlage, Linda Sunderlage and four companies from operating an alleged scheme to help high-income individuals attempt to avoid income taxes by funneling money through purported employee benefit plans, the Justice Department announced today.



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Kansas Refinery to Pay Nearly $1 Million Penalty for Environmental Violations Related to Air Emissions

Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing (CRRM) has agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $970,000 and invest more than $4.25 million in new pollution controls and $6.5 million in operating costs to resolve alleged violations of air, Superfund and community right-to-know laws at its Coffeyville, Kan., refinery.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks on Anoka-Hennepin Conference Call

"The consent decree is a comprehensive blueprint for sustainable reform that will enhance the district’s policies, training and other efforts to ensure that every student in the district is free from sex-based harassment," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Former Department of Veterans Affairs Official Sentenced to Serve 60 Months in Prison for Conspiracy and Wire Fraud

The former associate director of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy in Hines, Ill., his wife and their temporary staffing company were sentenced today for their participation in a conspiracy to defraud the VA and the Small Business Administration.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee at Hearing on Fair Lending

"As the 2011 enforcement record illustrates, the Division’s Fair Lending Unit uses every possible tool to address the range of abuses seen in the market, in both mortgage and non-mortgage lending," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Justice Department Officials Raise Awareness of Disaster Fraud Hotline

Suspected fraudulent activity pertaining to relief efforts associated with the recent series of tornadoes in the Midwest and South should be reported to the NCDF hotline at 866-720-5721.



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Two Missouri Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in the Vandalism and Arson of a Bi-Racial Man’s Mobile Home

The Justice Department announced today that Charles Wilhelm, 23, of Independence, Mo., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., to federal hate crime charges in connection with the vandalism and arson of a bi-racial man’s home in 2006.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison in Connection with Medicare Fraud Scheme

Akinsunbo Akinbile, 44, of Richmond, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison in Houston.



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Broward County, Fla.-Area Halfway House Owner Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Participating in Fraud and Kickback Scheme

Barry Nash, 69, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King in Miami to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.



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Richmond Cell Manager of Sophisticated, Violent Fraudulent Document Ring Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison

Armando Gonzalez-Medina, 35, of Richmond, Va., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison, after pleading guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy and conspiring to possess, produce and transfer fraudulent identification documents.



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