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Companies to Pay More Than $6 Million for Natural Resource Damages from Buzzards Bay Oil Spill

The Department of Justice, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the state of Rhode Island announced today that Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. and its affiliates will pay more than $6 million to settle a portion of the federal and state natural resource damages claims for the April 2003 spill of up to 98,000 gallons of oil into Buzzards Bay.



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Justice Department Makes the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design Available to Online Viewers Nationwide

The Justice Department today made available online the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards or Standards).



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Assistant Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the National Congress of American Indians Annual Conference

"I am deeply honored by your invitation to be with you today and to share with you some of the work in which we have been engaged at the Department of Justice to improve life in Indian Country," said Assistant Attorney General West.




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Former Humanitarian Workers Convicted for International Fraud Scheme

Morris B. Fahnbulleh, 40, and Joe O. Bondo, 39, both of Monrovia, Liberia, were each convicted on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, four counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud and four false claims counts. Fahnbulleh was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the 24th National Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

"The Justice Department is firmly committed to investigating and prosecuting foreign bribery wherever it occurs – because rooting out foreign bribery matters," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Four Student Aid Lenders Settle False Claims Act Suit for Total of $57.75 Million

Four student aid lenders have paid the United States a total of $57.75 million to resolve allegations that they improperly inflated their entitlement to certain interest rate subsidies from the U.S. Department of Education in violation of the False Claims Act.



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Miami Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Purchasing, Selling and Using Stolen Credit Card Information

Juan Javier Cardenas of Miami was sentenced today in the Southern District of Florida to 121 months in prison for buying, trafficking and possessing stolen credit card information.



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Statement of Matthew Miller, Director of Public Affairs, on the Conviction of Ahmed Ghailani

“We respect the jury’s verdict and are pleased that Ahmed Ghailani now faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and a potential life sentence for his role in the embassy bombings," said Matthew Miller, Director of Public Affairs.



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Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the “Focus on Recovery’’ Biennial National Procurement and Grant Fraud Conference

"The Criminal Division, along with our partners in the U.S. Attorneys Offices, is firmly committed to supporting you in our collective mission to prevent and deter any attempts to defraud the American people of the money invested in our future through the Recovery Act," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Justice Department Announces Settlement of Litigation with AMC Entertainment Inc.

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with AMC Entertainment Inc. to resolve a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Veterans Appreciation Ceremony

"It is fitting that we’ve gathered today – exactly one week after Veterans Day and one week before Thanksgiving – to honor the 19,000 veterans who serve our nation’s Justice Department," said Attorney General Holder.




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Senior U.S. District Court Judge Pleads Guilty to Possession of Controlled Substances and Conversion of Government Property

Senior U.S. District Judge Jack T. Camp Jr., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Atlanta to possession of controlled substances and conversion of government property.



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Two Michigan Construction Firms to Pay More Than $1.4 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims

Two Michigan construction companies have agreed to pay the United States $1.407 million to resolve allegations that they knowingly submitted false claims relating to a federally funded construction project at Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport.



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Department of Justice Recovers $3 Billion in False Claims Cases in Fiscal Year 2010

The Department of Justice secured $3 billion in civil settlements and judgments in cases involving fraud against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010.



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Former Massachusetts Direct Mail Production Director Agrees to Plead Guilty to Fraud Conspiracies and Tax Evasion

A former employee of two Massachusetts-based customer relationship management agencies that purchase direct mail advertising has agreed to plead guilty to charges relating to his receipt of more than $1.8 million in kickbacks.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination at Condominium in Methuen, Massachusetts

The Justice Department has reached an agreement with Stonecleave Village Association, Inc. to resolve allegations that Stonecleave engaged in a pattern or practice of familial status discrimination by imposing excessive fines on residents with children for alleged violations of Stonecleave’s rules.



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Lawyer for A&O Entities Pleads Guilty for His Role in $100 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Life Settlements

Russell Mackert, 51, of Spring, Texas, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va., to conspiracy charges in connection with his role as a lawyer for the A&O entities, a group of businesses that acquired and marketed more than $100 million of fraudulent investments in life settlements to more than 800 victims across the United States and Canada.



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Man Found Guilty for Forcing Women and Juveniles into Prostitution

A federal jury today convicted Amador Cortes-Meza, 36, of Mexico, of multiple charges of sex trafficking and human smuggling offenses related to a scheme to force women and juveniles into prostitution.



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Philadelphia-based CDI Corporation Settles False Claims Act Allegations

CDI Corporation has agreed to pay the United States $1.95 million to resolve allegations in a lawsuit brought under the False Claims Act that CDI wrongfully charged labor costs to work orders under military aircraft engine contracts for The General Electric Company.



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U.S. Court Approves Agreement Between Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, United States, State of Michigan, Isabella County and City of Mt. Pleasant to Settle Jurisdiction

The settlement declares the entire Isabella Reservation to be Indian Country, resolving longstanding disputes over the boundaries and existence of the Isabella Reservation in south central Michigan.



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Florida-based Medicare Advantage Plan Owners & Primary Care Provider Agree to Pay $22.6 Million to Settle Claims of Falsifying Diagnoses

Dr. Walter Janke, his wife, Lalita Janke, and Vero Beach, Fla.-based Medical Resources L.L.C. have agreed to pay $22.6 million to resolve allegations that they caused Medicare to pay inflated amounts based upon the submission of false diagnosis codes.



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Bureau of Prisons Implements Key Provision of Tribal Law and Order Act with Pilot Program to Incarcerate Tribal Prisoners in Federal Prisons

The Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons today implemented a key provision of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 by launching a four-year pilot program to begin accepting certain tribal offenders sentenced in tribal courts for placement in Bureau of Prisons institutions.



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Justice Department Requires GrafTech International to Make Key Changes to Supply Contracts in Order to Proceed with its Acquisition of Seadrift LP

The Department of Justice has reached a settlement that will require GrafTech International Ltd., a major producer of graphite electrodes, to make significant modifications to its supply agreement with ConocoPhillips Company, along with reporting and firewall obligations, in order to proceed with its proposed acquisition of Seadrift Coke LP.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Operation in Our Sites II Press Conference

"We are pleased to announce an important step in our ongoing efforts to protect the interests and safety of consumers, to ensure the strength of our markets, and to safeguard the intellectual property rights of innovators and entrepreneurs."




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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by the Puerto Rico Police Department

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the Policía de Puerto Rico alleging the PRPD retaliated against Agent Investigator Sofía Figueroa Rossy for complaining about a hostile work environment based on sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.



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Former Employee of a Financial Institution Subsidiary Pleads Guilty for Role in Bid-rigging and Fraud Conspiracies Involving Municipal Bonds

A former employee of a subsidiary of a financial institution pleaded guilty today for his participation in bid-rigging and fraud conspiracies related to contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the 2010 District of New Mexico Tribal Consultation

"Attorney General Eric Holder, backed by this strong commitment from President Obama, has made Tribal justice and safety a top priority for the Justice Department," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Former NOPD Officer Sentenced in Connection with Shootings on Danziger Bridge

A former officer with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), was sentenced today to eight years in prison for conspiracy to obstruct justice and for misprision of a felony (for concealing a known crime), in connection with a federal investigation of two police-involved shootings that left two civilians dead and four others seriously wounded in the area of the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina.



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Shipping Company and Senior Crewmembers Convicted of Covering up Oil Pollution

Atlas Ship Management Ltd., a Turkish Corporation, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla. to federal charges of making false statements and knowingly failing to accurately maintain an Oil Record Book as required by international treaty and U.S. law.



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Residential Homebuilder Settles Clean Water Act Violations in 21 States

Beazer Homes USA Inc., a national residential homebuilder, has agreed today to pay a $925,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations at its construction sites in 21 states.



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Kaua‘i Island Utility Pleads Guilty to Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act Violation, Agrees to Help Protect Threatened Seabirds

The Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) entered a plea agreement today in federal court in Honolulu to resolve violations of the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.



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Former New Jersey Sales Representative Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Bribery Conspiracy in Power Generation Industry

A former sales representative of a Lyndhurst, N.J.-based industrial pipe supply company pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to commit fraud and pay bribes to a Consolidated Edison of New York (Con Edison) purchasing manager in return for the manager’s efforts to steer contracts to the sales representative’s company.



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Former Employee of a Financial Institution Subsidiary Arrested on Criminal Complaint for Role in Fraud Scheme Involving Municipal Bonds

A former employee of a subsidiary of a financial institution was arrested on a criminal complaint at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York yesterday after entering the United States.



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Florida West International Airways Inc., Three Executives Indicted in Conspiracy to Fix Rates on Air Cargo Shipments

A one-count indictment was returned late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Miami charging Miami-based Florida West International Airways Inc., one of its former executives and two executives of a competing air cargo carrier with participating in a conspiracy to fix and coordinate certain components of air cargo shipments from Colombia to Miami.



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Former Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation and Obstruction of Justice

Benjamin Montgomery, a former correctional officer at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta pleaded guilty today to a two-count information charging him with civil rights crimes for assaulting an inmate and for subsequently writing a false report about the incident.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement to Correct Conditions at Lake County Jail

The Justice Department today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Lake County, Ind., and the Lake County Sheriff to resolve its complaint concerning conditions of confinement at the Lake County Jail (LCJ). LCJ is located in Crown Point, Ind., and houses approximately 1,050 adult male and female inmates.



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Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Announces Results of Largest-Ever Nationwide Operation Targeting Investment Fraud

Attorney General Holder announced today the results of Operation Broken Trust, a nationwide operation organized by the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to target investment fraud.



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Three Foreign Nationals Each Sentenced to 23 Months in Prison for Alien Smuggling and Visa Fraud Scheme

U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle also ordered Heliber Toro Mejia, 52; Humberto Toro Mejia, 60; and Luz Elena Acuna Rios, 53; all of Bogotá, to serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Operation Broken Trust Announcement

"We are here to announce the results of Operation Broken Trust, a three-and-a-half-month targeting of investment fraud schemes throughout the country – and a critical step forward in law enforcement’s work to protect American investors, to ensure the strength of our markets, and to prevent financial fraud schemes."




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President of Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Price Fixing

The president of an Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to fix prices for sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Pharmaceutical Manufacturers to Pay $421.2 Million to Settle False Claims Act Cases

Abbott Laboratories Inc., B. Braun Medical Inc. and Roxane Laboratories Inc. n/k/a Boehringer Ingelheim Roxane Inc. and affiliated entities have agreed to pay $421 million to settle False Claims Act allegations, the Justice Department announced today.



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Four Detroit-Area Residents Arrested in Connection with $14.5 Million Home Health Care Fraud Scheme

Four Detroit-area residents were arrested today by federal agents from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and FBI as part of an ongoing investigation into a $14.5 million home health care fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and HHS.



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Bank of America Agrees to Pay $137.3 Million in Restitution to Federal and State Agencies as a Condition of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Corporate Leniency Program

Bank of America entities have agreed to pay a total of $137.3 million in restitution to federal and state agencies for its participation in a conspiracy to rig bids in the municipal bond derivatives market and as a condition of its admission into the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Corporate Leniency Program.



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Kos Pharmaceuticals to Pay More Than $41 Million to Resolve Kickback and Off-Label Promotion Allegations

Kos Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories, has agreed to pay more than $41 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from conduct relating to its drugs Advicor and Niaspan.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Bureau of Justice Assistance National Conference

"This conference is a unique opportunity – a chance to forge and reinforce relationships, to share effective strategies, and to help ensure the strength and integrity of our justice system."




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Department of Justice and USDA Hold Competition Workshop Focused on Margins in the Agriculture Supply Chain

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today held the fifth of five joint public workshops to explore the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in American agriculture.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with National Mortgage Lender to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

PrimeLending, a national mortgage lender with 168 offices in 32 states at the end of 2009, has agreed to pay $2 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American borrowers between 2006 and 2009.



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Gary, Indiana, Wastewater Treatment Operator and Managers Charged with Conspiracy and Violating the Clean Water Act

United Water Services Inc., the former contract operator of the Gary Sanitary District wastewater treatment works in Gary, Ind., and two of its employees, were charged today with conspiracy and felony violations of the Clean Water Act in a 26-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury.



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EPA and the Commonwealth of Kentucky Reach Agreement with Logan Aluminum Inc. to Resolve Allegations of Clean Air Act Violations

The proposed consent decree resolves claims of the United States and the commonwealth under the Clean Air Act and related provisions of the laws of the commonwealth.



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Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler Speaks at a World Bank International Meeting

"Only by working together, across borders and jurisdictions, can we stamp out corruption," said Acting Deputy Attorney General Grindler.