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Department of Justice and USDA Workshops to Explore Competition and Regulatory Issues in the Agriculture Industry to Begin March 12 in Iowa

The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to the appropriate legal and economic analyses of these issues, as well as to listen to and learn from parties with experience in the agriculture sector.



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United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Albania

The United States is grateful to the Government of Albania for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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United States Transfers Guantanamo Bay Detainee to Spain

The United States is grateful to the Government of Spain for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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Court in Texas Bars 12 Sub-Promoters of Alleged $30 Million Scam Involving Tax Credits Based on Fictitious Methane Production at Landfills

A federal judge in Beaumont, Texas, has permanently barred 12 people from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme involving bogus income tax credits.



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Georgia Man Sentenced for Transporting a Minor for Illegal Sexual Activity

Mack Gordon Harris Sr., 67, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison for transporting a minor for illegal sexual activity.



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Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Hosts Mortgage Fraud Summit in Miami

Representatives of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force met in Miami today for the first of a series of Mortgage Fraud Summits.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Order for Bemis Company Inc. to Proceed with Its Acquisition of the Alcan Packaging Food Americas Business

Without the divestitures, the department said the acquisition would lead to higher prices, lower quality, less favorable supply-chain options, reduced technical support and less innovation.



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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Housing Discrimination at 21 Multifamily Housing Complexes in Tennessee

The Department announced a settlement of its lawsuit alleging that the owners and developers involved in the design and construction of 21 multifamily housing complexes in Tennessee discriminated on the basis of disability.



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Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in New York to Pay U.S. $2.92 Million to Resolve Fraud Allegations

Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, a Long Island, N.Y.-based hospital, has agreed to pay $2.92 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that the hospital defrauded Medicare.



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Two Charged with Terror Violations in Connection with New York Subway Plot

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York has returned a superseding indictment charging Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin with terrorism violations stemming from, among other activities, their alleged roles in the plot involving Najibullah Zazi to attack the New York subway system in mid-September 2009



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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

"We must invest today to improve public safety in tribal communities. The problems in tribal communities are severe: American Indian and Alaska Native communities suffer from violent crime at far higher rates than other Americans."




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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Mort’s Concrete Inc., and Owner to Enforce Employment Rights of Wisconsin Army National Guardsman

The Department has reached a settlement in its lawsuit filed on behalf of Wisconsin Army National Guardsman Rocco Sylvester Jr., against Mort’s Concrete Inc. and Kevin Mortimer.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Fresno County, California to Protect Employment Rights of Navy Reservist

The Department has reached a settlement with the county of Fresno, Calif., on behalf of Navy Reservist Porotesano Faapouli.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas

The Department will monitor primary elections on March 2, 2010, in Fort Bend, Galveston, Gonzales, Williamson, and Wilson Counties in Texas, to ensure compliance with the minority language requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes.



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Orange City Landlord and Manager to Pay $100,000 in Civil Penalties as Part of Settlement of Justice Department Housing Discrimination Lawsuit

“Equal access to housing is a basic necessity and a civil right, and the Fair Housing Act guarantees that all individuals can access that right free from discrimination,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.



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Jury Convicts Fresno, Calif., Patient Recruiter of Medicare Fraud in Power Wheelchair Scam

A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted a Fresno woman late Friday after it found that she committed Medicare fraud by recruiting patients for the purpose of receiving unnecessary power wheelchairs.



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Three Houston Defendants Plead Guilty in Connection With “Arthritis Kit” Fraud Scheme

Bassey Monday Idiong, Linda Eteimo Ere Kendabie and Modupe Babanumi each pleaded guilty today in connection with their roles in an "arthritis kit" Medicare fraud scheme.



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Two Former Executives of Medical Manager Found Guilty in Securities Fraud Scheme

Two former executives of Medical Manager Health Systems Inc., a subsidiary of WebMD Corporation from 2000 to 2005, were convicted today by a federal jury in Charleston, S.C., with participating in a conspiracy to fraudulently inflate the reported earnings of Medical Manager by more than $16.8 million between 1997 and 2003.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Delivers Remarks at Naturalization Ceremony for 50 Citizenship Candidates

You are about to become our newest citizens. Hailing from 24 different countries, each of you represents a different culture, a different language, a different way of dress. But you will each now be American.




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Justice Department Settlement with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Secures $40,000 for Oklahoma Army Reservist

The Department has reached a settlement, in the form of a consent decree, with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company that, if approved by the U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City, will resolve its lawsuit filed on behalf of Michael J. Ellis, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve.



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Cincinnati Packaged-Ice Manufacturer Sentenced to Pay $9 Million for Its Role in a Customer and Territory Allocation Conspiracy

The Home City Ice Company pleaded guilty in 2008 to conspiring to suppress and eliminate competition by allocating packaged-ice customers and territories in the Detroit metropolitan area and southeastern Michigan.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Racial Discrimination at Ann Arbor, Michigan, Apartment Complex

The Department filed a lawsuit against the owner and property manager of a 48-unit apartment complex in Ann Arbor, Mich., alleging that the defendants discriminated on the basis of race or color in the rental of apartments.



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Oregon Man Charged with Operating Illegal Money Transmitting Business That Moved More Than $172 Million Through Shell Corporations in the United States

Victor Kaganov, who emigrated from Russia and set up numerous shell corporations in Oregon on behalf of Russian clients, was arrested today on charges of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.



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Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Announces Settlement with AIG Subsidiaries to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

Two subsidiaries of American International Group Inc. have agreed to pay a minimum of $6.1 million to resolve allegations that they engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African American borrowers.



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Railroad Company to Pay $4 Million Penalty for 2005 Chlorine Spill That Resulted in Nine Deaths in Graniteville, South Carolina

Norfolk Southern Railway Company has agreed to pay a $4 million penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and hazardous materials laws for a 2005 chlorine spill in Graniteville, S.C.



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Justice Department Requires Key Divestiture in Election Systems & Software/Premier Election Solutions Merger

The department said that today’s settlement will restore competition in voting equipment systems in the U.S. and that, without the divestiture, the acquisition would result in higher prices, lower quality and a reduced incentive to innovate.



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Pennsylvania Woman Indicted in Plot to Recruit Violent Jihadist Fighters and to Commit Murder Overseas

An indictment was unsealed today charging Colleen R. LaRose, aka "Fatima LaRose," aka "Jihad Jane," with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements to a government official and attempted identity theft.



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Chicago Hospital to Pay More Than $1.5 Million to Resolve Medicare False Claims Act Allegations

Rush University Medical Center has agreed to pay $1,547,200 plus interest to resolve allegations that the facility violated the False Claims Act.



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Justice Department Files for Immediate Relief Regarding Conditions at Conway Human Development Center, in Conway, Arkansas

The department’s motion for preliminary injunction aims to prevent the segregation of children with developmental disabilities in dangerous conditions and to address accusations of imminent and serious threats to the safety of the facility’s more than 500 current residents.



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Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli Testifies Before the House Committee on Natural Resources on the Proposed Settlement of the Cobell V. Salazar Litigation

The settlement, which will require legislative and judicial approval to become effective, is fair to the plaintiffs, is responsible for the United States, and provides a path forward for the future.




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Former Acting Executive Director of Nonprofit Organization in American Samoa Pleads Guilty to Theft of Federal Grant Funds

The former acting executive director of U’una’i Legal Services Corporation pleaded guilty today to stealing $31,292 from the federally-funded organization in American Samoa.



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Detroit-Area Doctor Convicted in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Farmington Hills, Mich., physician Jose Castro-Ramirez was convicted today by a Detroit federal jury on all 13 charged counts in connection with his role in an $18.3 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Statement of the Attorney General on Senate Judiciary Committee’s Approval of the Fair Sentencing Act

"I applaud the work of the Senate Judiciary Committee, particularly Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Sessions and Senators Durbin and Graham, in taking such an important step toward reforming our sentencing laws. I look forward to the Senate and the House approving this legislation quickly so that it can be signed into law."




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Father and Son Plead Guilty to Selling Counterfeit Software Worth $1 Million

Robert D. Cook, 56, and his son, Todd A. Cook, 23, both of Wichita Falls, Texas, pleaded guilty late yesterday to criminal copyright infringement and conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement before U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III, in Alexandria, Va.



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DOJ and USDA Hold First-ever Workshop on Competition Issues in Agriculture

“Today’s workshop provided the Department with an important opportunity to hear from a variety of perspectives and individuals about competition in the agriculture sector,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.



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Former Haitian Government Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering in Foreign Bribery Scheme

"Today’s guilty plea represents another important milestone in our ongoing effort to tackle overseas corruption," said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. "The message here is simple: Whether you are located in the United States or elsewhere, we will not allow U.S. financial institutions to be used as a vehicle for laundering illicit proceeds."



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Securities Attorney Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Role in Pump-and-Dump Schemes

David B. Stocker, 50, of Phoenix pleaded guilty on March 11, 2009, in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., for his participation in a stock manipulation conspiracy known as a "pump-and-dump" scheme.



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Leader of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Targeting Casinos Across the United States

Phuong Quoc Truong was sentenced today in San Diego for his role in a scheme by the "Tran Organization" to cheat casinos across the United States.



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Former Purchasing Official at a New York City Hospital Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and Fraud

According to the charges, Salvatore Scotto-DiVetta, who held various supervisory positions at NYPH, participated in a conspiracy that took place from as early as 2000 until at least March 2005.



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Alpharma to Pay $42.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations in Connection with Promotion of Drug Kadian

American pharmaceutical manufacturer Alpharma Inc. has agreed to pay $42.5 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations in connection with the marketing of the morphine-based drug, Kadian.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee

"Although unprecedented challenges and new demands have emerged, our key priorities remain clear," Attorney General Holder said.




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Salt Lake City Escort Service Operator Found Guilty of Income Tax Evasion

Jodi Hoskins, the operator of an escort service in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been found guilty of one count of tax evasion.



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Innospec Inc. Pleads Guilty to FCPA Charges and Defrauding the United Nations; Admits to Violating the U.S. Embargo Against Cuba

Innospec Inc., a Delaware corporation, pleaded guilty today to defrauding the United Nations (UN), to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to violating the U.S. embargo against Cuba.



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Justice Department Reaches Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement with Florida Income Tax Preparation Service

The Department announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with HRB Businesses of Florida Inc., to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in the provision of tax preparation services and courses.



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Justice Department Resolves Discrimination Lawsuit with Scranton, Pennsylvania, Apartment Complex

The United States has reached a settlement resolving a housing discrimination lawsuit in Pennsylvania concerning discrimination against families with children.



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New Jersey Hospital to Pay $6.35 Million to Resolve Allegations of Inflating Charges to Obtain Higher Medicare Reimbursement

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, a New Jersey-based hospital, has agreed to pay $6.35 million to settle allegations that the hospital defrauded Medicare.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Addresses the Pro Bono Institute

Those who reaffirm our nation’s most essential and enduring values do not deserve to have their own values questioned. Let me be clear about this: Lawyers who provide counsel for the unpopular are, and should be treated as what they are: patriots.




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United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Georgia

The United States is grateful to Georgia for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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Houston Defendants Plead Guilty to “Arthritis Kit” Medicare Fraud Scheme

Rolondae Mitchell-Straughter and Ana Quinteros each pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with their roles in an "arthritis kit" Medicare fraud scheme.



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United States Transfers Two Uighur Detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Switzerland

The Swiss Government, with the support of the Canton of Jura, accepted the two Chinese nationals of Uighur ethnicity for resettlement in Switzerland.



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