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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Department of Justice’s 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony

"In the face of hatred and violence, on a scale our nation had never before known, these brave men and women demonstrated true patriotism – and the quiet power of compassion and selflessness," said Attorney General Holder.




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Accenture Pays U.S. $63.675 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Accenture LLP has agreed to pay the United States $63.675 million to resolve a whistleblower lawsuit.



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Maxim Healthcare Services Charged with Fraud, Agrees to Pay Approximately $150 Million, Enact Reforms After False Billings Revealed as Common Practice

Maxim Healthcare Services Inc., one of the nation’s leading providers of home healthcare services, has entered into a settlement to resolve criminal and civil charges relating to a nationwide scheme to defraud Medicaid programs and the Veterans Affairs program of more than $61 million.



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Canadian National Sentenced to Serve 50 Months in Prison for Role in Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracies Involving New Jersey Environmental Protection Agency at Superfund Site

A former executive at Bennett Environmental Inc., a Canada-based company that treats and disposes of contaminated soil, was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for participating in money-laundering and fraud conspiracies in connection with contracts at a Superfund site in New Jersey, as well as impeding a proceeding before the U.S . Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).



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Delaware Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Transportation of Child Pornography

Leonard Wasylyk, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson in the District of Delaware.



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Las Vegas Woman Pleads Guilty in Connection with Scheme to Fraudulently Control Condominium Homeowners’ Associations

Marcella Triana pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson in the District of Nevada to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.



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Final Defendant Pleads Guilty for His Role in International Conspiracy Involving the Forced Labor of Eastern European Women in Detroit-Area Exotic Dance Clubs

Veniamin Gonikman, 56, who became a fugitive in 2005, was apprehended in Ukraine in January 2011.



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Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson Speaks at the International Community Corrections Association Annual Meeting

"Let me say at the outset how honored I am to be placed among the many distinguished past recipients of this award – and I’m humbled to have my name connected with the extraordinary woman in whose honor this award is given," said Assistant Attorney General Robinson.




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Justice Department Awards $118 Million to Enhance, Support Tribal Justice and Safety

The Department of Justice today announced grants to nearly 150 American Indian and Alaskan Native nations providing $118.4 million to enhance law enforcement practices, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts in eight purpose areas.



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Former Natchez County, Miss., Officer Sentenced for Theft and Civil Rights Violations

DeWayne Johnson, 33, of Natchez, Miss., and a former Natchez Police Department officer, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge David Bramlette for crimes related to the theft and subsequent unlawful use of credit cards that belonged to a person in the custody of Johnson while he was on duty.



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Detroit-Area Gas Station Owner and His Bookkeeper Convicted of Tax Crime

A Detroit federal jury today returned a guilty verdict against Elsayed Kazem “Tom” Safiedine and Mary Fawaz.



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Texas Federal Court Bars Two Men from Promoting Alleged Tax Scam Involving Fictitious Methane at Landfills

A federal court in Beaumont, Texas, has permanently barred two men from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme involving bogus tax credits for the production of methane gas from landfills.



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Bridgestone Corporation Agrees to Plead Guilty to Participating in Conspiracies to Rig Bids and Bribe Foreign Government Officials

Bridgestone Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $28 million criminal fine for its role in conspiracies to rig bids and to make corrupt payments to foreign government officials in Latin America related to the sale of marine hose and other industrial products manufactured by the company and sold throughout the world.



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Alabama Real Estate Investors Agree to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Rig Bids for the Purchase of Real Estate at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Two Mobile, Ala., real estate investors and one real estate investment company have agreed to plead guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids for the purchase of real estate at public foreclosure auctions in southern Alabama.



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Baton Rouge, La., Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Aiding in Preparation of False Tax Returns

Melissa Edwards was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson to 30 months in prison based on her plea of guilty to one count of wilfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false income tax return.



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Two Former New Orleans Police Officers Sentenced in Connection with the Death of Raymond Robair

Two former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers were sentenced today in relation to the beating death of Raymond Robair and subsequent cover-up.



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Former Indianapolis City-County Councilman Convicted for Soliciting a Bribe and Attempted Extortion

Former Indianapolis and Marion County, Ind., City-County Councilman Lincoln Plowman was convicted today by a federal jury of attempted extortion and soliciting a bribe.



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BP Amoco to Pay U.S. $20.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of Royalty Underpayments from Indian and Federal Lands

BP Amoco Corp., Amoco Production Company, BP Exploration & Oil Inc., BP America Inc., Atlantic Richfield Company and Vastar have agreed to pay the United States $20.5 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.



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Owner of Miami-Area Mental Health Company Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Orchestrating $205 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Miami resident Lawrence Duran, the owner of a mental health care company, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for orchestrating a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Saudi Arabia-Based Tamimi Global Company to Pay U.S. $13 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Allegations of Kickbacks and Illegal Gratuities

Saudi Arabia-based Tamimi Global Company Ltd has agreed to pay the United States $13 million to resolve criminal and civil allegations that the company paid kickbacks to a Kellogg Brown &s operations in Iraq and Kuwait.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Hopkins School Convocation

"As members of the Hopkins community, you are heirs to an extraordinary tradition & of excellence, action, and service & that stretches back more than a hundred years before the birth of this nation," said Attorney General Holder.




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Ship Owners and Operators to Pay $44 Million in Damages and Penalties for 2007 San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge Crash and Oil Spill

Federal, state and Bay-area officials announced a comprehensive civil settlement with the owners and operators of the M/V Cosco Busan, resolving all natural resource damages, penalties and response costs that resulted from the ship striking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 2007, and subsequent oil spill in the San Francisco Bay.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the United Nations Secretary-General’s Symposium on International Counter-Terrorism Cooperation

"In this time of uncommon challenges and evolving threats, our allegiance to these values – of liberty, privacy, opportunity, and justice – and the achievement of our collective security goals – have never been more important, or more urgent," said Attorney General Holder.




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United States and Belgium Sign Agreement to Prevent and Combat Serious Crime

Attorney General Eric Holder today joined Belgian Minister of Justice Stefaan De Clerck and Minister of Interior Annemie Turtelboom to sign an agreement on Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC), which will allow for the exchange of biometric and biographic data of suspected criminals between the United States and Belgium to bolster counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts while protecting individual privacy.



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Bloomfield, Michigan, Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

John Walter Kaber, a resident of Bloomfield, Mich., was sentenced to 37 months in prison for tax evasion.



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Deportation Order Upheld Against Detroit-Area Man Who Shot Jews as Nazi Policeman During World War II

The Board of Immigration Appeals has dismissed the appeal of John (Ivan) Kalymon of Troy, Mich., who was ordered removed from the United States earlier this year because of his participation in lethal acts of Nazi-sponsored persecution of Jews during World War II.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the 2011 International Law Enforcement Intellectual Property Crime Conference

"Conferences like this one serve the important purpose of raising global awareness about the negative consequences of IP crime, and showing those who need convincing how critically important it is that we work together to stop IP crime, and punish those who commit it," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit in Waterloo, Iowa

The lawsuit alleges that Michael Nieman, the former on-site manager of Park Towers, sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.



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Last of 10 Las Vegas Defendants Sentenced for Falsifying Emissions Test Records

William Joseph McCown, 49, of Las Vegas, was sentenced today before District Judge Lloyd D. George of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.



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Professional Illinois Duck Hunter Jeff Foiles Sentenced to More Than One Year in Jail and Fines for Illegal Hunting and Guiding Activities

Professional duck hunter and guide Jeffrey B. Foiles was sentenced today by a federal judge in Springfield, Ill., to 13 months in prison.



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Alabama Defense Contractor and Its President to Pay $200,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Future Research Corp., located in Huntsville, Ala., and its president, Jesse Nunn, have agreed to pay the United States $200,000 to settle claims that they inappropriately obtained contracts from the Navy.



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Ten Miami-Area Residents Plead Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Ten Miami-area residents pleaded guilty today and yesterday in U.S. District Court in Miami for their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme.



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Justice Department Charges South Carolina Landlord with Discrimination Against Families with Children

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against a Charleston, S.C.-area landlord for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children.



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Former Texas Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force

Raymond Quintero, 33, pleaded guilty to willfully depriving a detainee of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force amounting to punishment.



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Prepared Statement of Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism

"Our common objective is to deploy the counter terrorist financing tools available to the United States in a coordinated, integrated fashion to effectively disrupt the flow of funds and other material support to terrorist organizations," said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks to the Institute of International and European Affairs

"As surely as our values are shared – and our histories intertwined -- the future progress of our nations is clearly, and permanently, connected,"




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Florida Manufacturer of Skin Products Agrees to Consent Decree to Resolve Allegations of FDCA Violations

The complaint and consent decree were filed today in accordance with an agreement with the defendants resolving numerous violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.



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Investment Club Manager Pleads Guilty to $40 Million Fraud

– Alan James Watson, 46, of Clinton Township, Mich., pleaded guilty today to fraudulently soliciting and accepting $40 million from more than 750 members of his investment club and losing nearly all of it through non-disclosed, high-risk investments.



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Member and Associate of Barrio Azteca Gang Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

Jesus Espino, 43, of El Paso, Texas, and Lorenzo Espino, 51, aka “Lencho,” and “Oso,” of El Paso, each pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norbert Garney in the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division, to participating in a racketeering conspiracy.



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Colorado-Based CH2M Hill Agrees to Pay United States $1.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Act Liability

CH2M Hill Hanford Group Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims and paid kickbacks relating to a contract to operate and manage mixed radioactive waste at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Nuclear Site in the state of Washington.



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Former Texas Construction Company Employee Pleads Guilty to Soliciting and Accepting Kickbacks on Federal Contract

A former project manager of a construction company that had substantial business at Fort Bliss, a U.S. Army installation in El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty today to soliciting and accepting kickbacks from subcontractors on a federal contract with the U.S. Army.



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Former Army Reserve Captain Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Soliciting $1.3 Million in Bribes and Conspiring to Traffic Heroin

A former captain in the U.S. Army Reserve stationed in Afghanistan was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for soliciting $1.3 million in bribes from contractors involved in U.S.-funded reconstruction efforts and participating in a conspiracy to traffic heroin from Southeast Asia.



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Fourth Las Vegas Resident Pleads Guilty in Connection with Scheme to Fraudulently Control Condominium Homeowners' Associations

A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a scheme to fraudulently gain control of condominium homeowners’ associations (HOA) in the Las Vegas area so that the HOAs would direct business to a certain law firm and construction company.



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Boston Scientific Subsidiary Guidant Pays U.S. $9.25 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Guidant LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Boston Scientific Corp. of Natick, Mass., has agreed to pay the United States $9.25 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations.



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Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Suit Against Michigan Developer and Architect

Under the agreement, which must still be approved by the court, developer, Enclave Development LLC, will make extensive modifications to the complex over the next three years to improve accessibility, and Enclave Development and the other defendants will pay $30,000 to compensate persons who have been harmed by the inaccessible design and construction.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the American Health Lawyers Association and Health Care Compliance Association’s 2011 Fraud and Compliance Forum

"In the Criminal Division, and throughout the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, we devote substantial resources to investigating and prosecuting fraud of all kinds – investment fraud, bank fraud, mortgage fraud, procurement fraud, and, of course, fraud in the health care industry," Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Two Miami-Area Residents Plead Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Maritza Vidal, 44, and Richard Diaz, 26, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Kentucky Doctor Pays U.S. $349,860 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Louisville, Ky., physician Dr. Steven H. Stern and his practice, Kentuckiana Center for Better Bone and Joint Health PLLC have agreed to pay $349,860 to settle allegations of overbilling Medicare.



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President of Virginia-Based Connection Newspapers Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Failing to Pay Employment Taxes

Peter Labovitz of Alexandria, Va., was sentenced to six months in prison for failing to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.



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Massachusetts Takes Steps to Require Sheltered English Immersion Training in Response to Justice Department’s Letter

Today, in response to a letter from the Justice Department, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to grant the Commissioner of Education authority to draft state regulations that will require training of all Sheltered English Immersion teachers who instruct English Language Learner students.



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