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Justice Department Obtains Settlement with Man for FACE Act Violation at Reproductive Health Clinic in Texas

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas ordered that Juan Antonio Gaona must adhere to a 25-foot buffer zone around a Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services Clinic in San Antonio, Texas.



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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination on Basis of Race in Clanton, Alabama

The Justice Department today announced a settlement of its lawsuit alleging that Chandi Biswas, Kenneth R. Scott and Frankie L. Roberson violated the Fair Housing Act by making discriminatory statements against African-American renters at Rolling Oaks Apartments in Clanton, Ala.



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Choctaw County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Deputy Indicted for Civil Rights Offenses and Obstruction of Justice

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Choctaw County, Miss., Sheriff’s Deputy Billy C. Scott Jr. with civil rights violations and obstructing justice.



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Former Kershaw County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department Officer Found Guilty for Using Excessive Force on Detainee

A federal jury in Columbia, S.C., convicted Oddie Tribble, 51, a former police officer with the Kershaw County, S.C., Sherriff’s Office, of a civil rights violation for his use of excessive force on a man in his custody on Aug. 5, 2010.



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Justice Department Settles with Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Over Use of Tasers in County Jails

A settlement agreement has been reached with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Columbus, Ohio, over the use of Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs), or electrically charged weapons commonly referred to by the brand name “TASER,” in its two jails, the Franklin County Corrections Centers.



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Former Dow Research Scientist Convicted of Stealing Trade Secrets and Perjury

A federal jury in Baton Rouge, La., today convicted a former research scientist of stealing trade secrets from Dow Chemical Company and selling them to companies in the People’s Republic of China, as well as committing perjury.



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Federal Court Shuts Down Colorado Tax Preparer

A federal court in Denver has permanently barred Curtis L. Morris of Elizabeth, Colo., from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with the Carson City, Nevada, School District to Ensure Equal Opportunities for ELL Students

A settlement agreement with the Carson City School District in Nevada has been reached to ensure that all English Language Learner (ELL) students receive sufficient services as required by federal law.



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Maryland Man Convicted of Defrauding Cisco Systems Inc.

Iheanyi Frank Chinasa, 39, of Gaithersburg, Md., was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Richmond, Va., of multiple fraud charges and obstruction of an official proceeding related to his participation in a scheme to defraud Cisco Systems Inc., announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia and Michael Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office.



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Justice Department Announces Indictment and Six Lawsuits Targeting False Claims for First-time Homebuyer and Earned-income Tax Credits

The United States has filed six lawsuits in five states to stop tax return preparers from fraudulently claiming the first-time homebuyer tax credit and the earned-income tax credit.



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41 Gang Members and Associates in Five Districts Charged with Crimes Including Racketeering, Murder, Drug Trafficking and Firearms Trafficking

Forty-one members of various street gangs have been charged in indictments or criminal complaints unsealed today in five judicial districts.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Lecture at the University of Montana School of Law Jones-Tamm Lecture Series

"In the spirit of Judge William Jones and Judge Edward Tamm – the visionary namesakes of this lecture series – that’s exactly what today is all about: taking a step back from what we do and what we study to consider what we owe – to our community, to our country, and to our fellow citizens," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Sues Nevada Man to Stop Alleged Tax Fraud Scheme

The United States has sued David Champion of Pahrump, Nev., seeking to bar him from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme designed to assist his customers evade paying federal taxes.



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Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Dalton Township, Michigan

The Justice Department announced today that Dalton Township, Mich., will pay $62,500 to settle a lawsuit alleging that the township discriminated against a group home for persons recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Federal Court Permanently Bars North Carolina Woman from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others

A federal court has permanently barred Jody S. Ball of Bryson City, N.C., from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



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Department of Justice FY 2012 Budget Request

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that President Obama’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 budget proposal totaling $28.2 billion for the Department of Justice identifies $2.0 billion in efficiencies and savings while providing resources to strengthen national security, preserve the department’s traditional missions, maintain prisons and detention, and assist our state, local and tribal law enforcement partners.



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Former California Congressional Candidate Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lying During Investigation

Tan Nguyen, 35, from Oceanside, Calif., was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter to one year and one day in federal prison for his conviction last year on a federal obstruction of justice charge stemming from lies he told California investigators about his involvement in a letter sent to Latino voters during his 2006 campaign for U.S. House of Representatives.



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FBI and Justice Department Response to NAS Review of Scientific Approaches Used During the Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters

The FBI and Department of Justice response to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences report, "Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI’s Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters."



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Latin Kings Leader Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy Related to His Gang Activities

Erick Roman, aka “Erick Javier Sierra,” “Malian-T” and “King Malian-T,” 34, of Laurel, Md., was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with the Town of Swansea, Massachusetts, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

An agreement has been reached with the town of Swansea, Mass., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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Federal Courts Order Seizure of Website Domains Involved in Advertising and Distributing Child Pornography

Seizure warrants have been executed against 10 domain names of websites engaged in the advertisement and distribution of child pornography.



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Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder Form Joint Task Force to Assist Mexico’s Investigation into Yesterday’s Shooting of Two ICE Agents in Mexico

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder today met to discuss the shooting by unknown assailants of two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents in the line of duty yesterday while driving in Mexico.



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Two Virginia Businessmen Charged with Illegally Reimbursing Senate and Presidential Campaign Contributions

A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., today returned an indictment charging William P. Danielczyk Jr. and Eugene R. Biagi with reimbursing $186,600 in contributions to the Senate and Presidential campaign committees of a candidate for federal office, and obstructing the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the FBI.



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Arkansas Woman Barred from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others

An Arkansas woman who operates Foster’s Income Tax Service in Knobel, Ark., has been permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Announces Settlement with Developer of Idaho Condominium Complex

A developer of a condominium complex in Post Falls, Idaho, has agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging that they violated the Fair Housing Act by developing the complex with features that made it inaccessible to persons with disabilities, announced the Department of Justice.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Press Conference on Medicare Fraud Strike Force Actions

"As today’s arrests prove, the federal government is working aggressively to pursue health care criminals around the country and to bring offenders to justice."




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at Rep. Crowley’s 12th Annual Congressional Black History Month Commemoration

"Today, as we commemorate Black History Month, we honor our nation’s past. But we must also reaffirm our vision of the future that we will share and, together, must build."




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Federal Court Bars Florida Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

"A Florida woman has been permanently barred from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Department of Justice announced today."



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Office Manager of Los Angeles Medical Supply Business Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Medicare of More Than $6 Million in Wheelchair Scheme

The office manager of a Los Angeles durable medical equipment (DME) company pleaded guilty today to conspiring with her former church pastor to run a power wheelchair scheme that defrauded Medicare of more than $6 million, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Memorial Service for Deputy U.S. Marshal Derek Hotsinpiller

"Although an unspeakable, and devastating, tragedy has unfortunately brought each of us here today, it is an extraordinary life that binds us together," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Settles with National Board of Medical Examiners Over Refusal to Provide Testing Accommodations to Yale Medical School Student

The Justice Department today announced a settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), a private, non-profit organization that administers the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), a standardized examination related to medical licensing.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Memorial Service for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata

"Agent Zapata’s story is one that we must not forget. And it’s one that we won’t. He was a hero in every sense of the word, a man whose acts of valor are a testament to what is best about our country and our national – and international – law enforcement community."




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Justice Department Sues Georgia Man to Stop Him from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

The United States has asked a federal court to stop Cecil Collier, who operates under the trade name “Cairo Fast Tax,” from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Statement of the Attorney General on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act

The Attorney General made a statement today about the Department’s course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and a woman.



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Letter from the Attorney General to Congress on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act

The Attorney General sent the following letter today to Congressional leadership to inform them of the Department’s course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and a woman.



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U.S. Sues Two California Lawyers & Kentucky Financial Professional to Block Nationwide Promotion of "Intermediary Transaction" Tax Shelter

The United States has sued two Southern California attorneys and a Kentucky financial professional to bar them from promoting an allegedly abusive tax shelter known as an “intermediary transaction.”



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Four Swiss Bankers Charged with Helping U.S. Taxpayers Use Secret Accounts at Swiss Banks to Evade U.S. Taxes

Marco Parenti Adami, Emanuel Agustino, Michele Bergantino and Roger Schaerer, bankers at an international bank, were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia and charged with conspiring with other Swiss bankers to defraud the United States.



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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime in Connection with Mosque Arson in Arlington, Texas

Henry Clay Glaspell, of Arlington, Texas, pleaded guilty today to a hate crime charge stemming from the ethnically-motivated arson of a children’s playground at the Dar El-Eman Islamic Center in Arlington in July 2010.



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Six Alleged Bloods Gang Members and Associates Indicted in Tennessee on Federal Racketeering and Murder Charges

A superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn., was unsealed today, charging six alleged members of the violent gang known as the Bloods with various racketeering and murder charges.



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Circus President and Former Employee Plead Guilty to Violating Endangered Species Act for Unlawful Purchase and Sale of Asian Elephants

John Pugh, Wilbur Davenport, and Cole Brothers Circus Inc., entered plea agreements yesterday in U.S. District Court in Beaumont, Texas to resolve Endangered Species Act (ESA) violations related to the purchase and sale of two Asian elephants named “Tina” and “Jewel.”



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Duquesne University School of Law’s Centennial Anniversary

"For the last century, since the Holy Ghost Fathers founded this law school in 1911, Duquesne has stood as a force for progress – and as an institution dedicated to training highly skilled, ethical lawyers and to strengthening the effectiveness and integrity of our justice system."




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Texas Resident Arrested on Charge of Attempted Use of Weapon of Mass Destruction

Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, a citizen of Saudi Arabia and resident of Lubbock, Texas, was arrested late yesterday by FBI agents in Texas on a federal charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his alleged purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the New York Police Department Black History Month Celebration

"Each February – since Black History Month was established more than half a century ago – we rededicate ourselves to racial and social equality; to the work of ensuring economic opportunity; and to the values that have defined and strengthened our nation: tolerance; compassion; and – above all – justice."




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Department of Justice and USDA Announce Process to Resolve Discrimination Claims of Hispanic and Women Farmers

As part of continued efforts to close the chapter on allegations that discrimination occurred at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in past decades.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Texas Hospital Prohibiting Anticompetitive Contracts with Health Insurers

The Department of Justice reached a settlement today with United Regional Health Care System of Wichita Falls, Texas, that prohibits it from entering into contracts that improperly inhibit commercial health insurers from contracting with United Regional’s competitors.



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Massachusetts Antique Dealer Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Illegally-Imported Narwhal Tusks and Sperm Whale Teeth

David L. Place, owner of Manor House Antiques Cooperative in Nantucket, Mass., was sentenced to 33 months in prison for illegally importing and trafficking in Narwhal tusks and Sperm Whale teeth.



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Testimony by Attorney General Eric Holder Before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science

"Today, I come to you on behalf of my colleagues – the more than 117,000 dedicated men and women who serve our nation’s Justice Department in positions and offices all around the world. Above all, I come to you on behalf of my fellow citizens."




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Former Army Major and Wife Convicted on All Charged Counts for Roles in Bribery Scheme Related to Defense Contracts to Support Iraq War

A federal jury in Decatur, Ala., has convicted Eddie Pressley, a former U.S. Army Major, and his wife, Eurica Pressley, on 22 counts in connection with a bribery and money laundering scheme related to defense contracts awarded in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Des Moines, Iowa, and Des Moines Public Library to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

An agreement has been reached with the city of Des Moines, Iowa, and the Des Moines Public Library, to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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Former Senior Vice President of Colonial Bank Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme

Catherine Kissick, a former senior vice president of Colonial Bank and head of its Mortgage Warehouse Lending Division, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bank, wire and securities fraud for her role in a fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of Colonial Bank and Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW).



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