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.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Kerr-McGee Corporation and their affiliates have agreed to pay the United States more than $17 million to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, and numerous additional administrative claims.

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

The Justice Department today announced it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Waupaca County, Wis., discriminated against Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department patrol officer Julie Ann Thobaben because of her gender when it failed to promote her.

Today, the Departments of Justice and Interior applauded the final approval by U.S. Senior District Judge Thomas F. Hogan of Cobell v. Salazar, a long-running and contentious individual American Indian trust class-action lawsuit.

"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."

One month after assuming the position, September 11th Victim Compensa­tion Fund (VCF) Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum today published draft regulations to govern the VCF, and asked the public to give her feedback on the proposals before victims can begin submitting claims to the fund later this year.

A Texas man was sentenced today in federal court in Wichita on felony charges of conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and obstruction of justice related to the illegal sale of guided deer hunts in southern Kansas.

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.

"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."

This new site is a central, credible resource to inform practitioners and policymakers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.

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.

Today the Department of Justice and the FBI, along with international law enforcement partners, announced the indictment of two individuals from Latvia and the seizure of more than 40 computers, servers and bank accounts as part of Operation Trident Tribunal, an ongoing, coordinated enforcement action targeting international cybercrime.

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.

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.

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.

"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."

Seven individuals and five corporate entities based in the United States, France, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Iran have been indicted in the Middle District of Georgia for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to illegally export military components for fighter jets and attack helicopters from the United States to Iran.

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.

Javier Arce, 58, and Cristina Mier Arce, 55, were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy and harboring of an undocumented Bolivian national for their financial gain.

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.

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.

"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."

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.

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against Farmland Foods Inc., a major producer of pork products in the United States, alleging that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination by imposing unnecessary documentary requirements on non-U.S. citizens when establishing their authority to work in the United States.

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation of James Cole, as Deputy Attorney General; Lisa Monaco, as Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and Virginia Seitz, as Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Legal Counsel.

"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."

"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."

A Romanian man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in moving and hiding the illicit proceeds of an international fraud scheme.

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.

The United States has sued an Orange County, Calif., man to stop him from selling bogus tax credits.

"On August 24, 2009, based on information the Department received pertaining to alleged CIA mistreatment of detainees, I announced that I had expanded Mr. Durham’s mandate to conduct a preliminary review into whether federal laws were violated in connection with the interrogation of specific detainees at overseas locations."

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.

A former employee of the United Nations (U.N.) was arrested today for allegedly obtaining more than $100,000 in salary payments as a result of holding jobs at the U.N. and the National Labor Relations Board at the same time.

“We expect that physicians who participate in federal health care programs will bill for their services accurately and honestly,” said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s Civil Division.

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) in Washington, D.C., has agreed to settle allegations that the company submitted false claims to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in connection with two cooperative agreements under which AED provided foreign assistance in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Wendy Treybig, 31, of Evening Shade, Ark., pleaded guilty today to obstructing an investigation related to the Jan. 14, 2011, firebombing of the home of an interracial couple in Hardy, Ark.

A Miami-area psychiatrist pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami for his part in a fraud scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $200 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.

The Departments of Justice and Education reached a settlement agreement with the Tehachapi Unified School District in Tehachapi, Calif., to resolve an investigation into the harassment of a middle school student based on his nonconformity with gender stereotypes.

The Justice Department today announced the settlement of a lawsuit alleging that the owner and operators of a Monroe, Mich., mobile home park violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children.

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued the Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC), the nation’s largest mortgage insurance company, and two of its underwriters, Elgina Cunningham and Kelly Kane, for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against women on paid maternity leave.

The vice-president and general manager of the Pelican Refinery in Lake Charles, La., today pleaded guilty to federal negligent endangerment charges under the Clean Air Act before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik in Lafayette, La.

The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a criminal information earlier today, charging four defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving a nation-wide reverse mortgage scam that defrauded elderly borrowers, financial institutions and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, announced her resignation from the Department of Justice today, effective as of Aug. 5, 2011.

"And as Attorney General Eric Holder has often said, two of the Department’s highest priorities are fighting financial fraud and protecting our most vulnerable citizens, such as our elder citizens," said Assistant Attorney General West.

Freedman Farms, Inc. and its president, William B. Freedman, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in New Bern, N.C., to violating the Clean Water Act when they discharged hog waste into a stream that leads to the Waccamaw River.

Following a public comment period, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have made changes to reduce the filing burden and streamline the form parties must file when seeking antitrust clearance of proposed mergers and acquisitions under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act and the Premerger Notification Rules.

Armor Group North America Inc. (AGNA) and its affiliates have paid the United States $7.5 million to resolve allegations that AGNA submitted false claims for payment on a State Department contract to provide armed guard services at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.

JPMorgan Chase &s role in anticompetitive activity in the municipal bond investments market and has agreed to pay a total of $228 million in restitution, penalties and disgorgement to federal and state agencies.

A federal indictment returned by a McAllen, Texas, grand jury on June 7, 2011, charging former Port Isabel Detention Center Lieutenant Raul Leal with using excessive force on a detainee, obstruction of justice and lying to a federal agent was unsealed today following Leal’s arrest.