Under a settlement agreement lodged today in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware, Caribbean Petroleum Corp., Caribbean Petroleum Refining L.P., and Gulf Petroleum Refining Corp. – Puerto Rico will pay more than $8.2 million to address environmental liabilities relating to CAPECO’s former petroleum distribution facility in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and more than 170 service stations owned or leased by CAPECO throughout Puerto Rico.

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) prison-based gang pleaded guilty today in federal court to racketeering aggravated assault in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect in Tomball, Texas.

"Generations of young people have graduated from this law school - not only with a first-rate education, but also with a deeply-ingrained passion to right wrongs, to improve lives, and to protect and empower our nation's most vulnerable citizens. Public service is not only a key part of Stanford's curriculum - it is a central component of this law school's culture, its DNA. And we can all be encouraged that, today, this tradition is stronger than ever."

"As you pursue your own passions – and work to fulfill your collective responsibilities – I hope, in the spirit of Robert Kennedy – your famous predecessor, and mine – that you will dare greatly; that you will question what is accepted and change what is objectionable; that you will root out injustice in all its forms; and that you always will remember the truth of his enduring words: “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.”

The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today to block the proposed acquisition by H&R Block Inc. of TaxACT, a digital do-it-yourself tax preparation software provider.

Garsh Lending LLC, a lender located in Miami, has agreed to pay the United States $300,000 to settle allegations involving a Small Business Administration loan.

Lucille Abrahamsen Jackson pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2010, to an information charging her with willfully subscribing to a false tax return.

The United States has asked a federal court to permanently bar two Broward County, Fla., tax preparers and their business from preparing federal tax returns for others.

"We are blocking this transaction because the proposed merger would substantially lessen competition in the tax preparation software market, resulting in higher prices, lower quality and reduced innovation," said Assistant Attorney General Varney.

"Today, a 50-count superseding indictment was unsealed charging 13 leaders, members and associates of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Family with crimes that spanned more than a decade."

“The challenges facing us in juvenile justice really require that we join together to work on the long term problems… from right-to-counsel issues to disproportionate minority contact to our continued struggles to recognize youth development in disposition decisions. But despite these challenges – and the challenges arising from a tough economy – I’m optimistic that we’re moving in the right direction.”

A public service announcement (PSA) featuring Attorney General Eric Holder began airing this week on the Investigation Discovery network.

Harry Abrahamsen previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh to an information charging him with one count of willful failure to file an FBAR.

Two Miami-area residents who were owners and operators of a durable medical equipment (DME) company, pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare.

Paul M. Daugerdas, Donna M. Guerin, Denis M. Field and David Parse were convicted today in Manhattan federal court for their roles in a tax shelter scheme in which they designed, marketed and implemented fraudulent tax shelters used by wealthy individuals to avoid paying taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

"This event is more than just a celebration of all that has been accomplished up to this point. It’s also a solemn reminder of the obstacles to equal justice and equal opportunity that, unfortunately, persist. And it’s an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the continued progress – and unwavering vigilance – that must be not only our shared priority, but our common cause."

"It is an honor to be able to help carry forward the legacy of the heroes of our nation’s struggle for civil rights," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has resolved claims made by Stephen Ralston against the South Bend, Ind., Public Transportation Corporation (TRANSPO) under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.

"The Justice Department successfully and aggressively uses every tool now available to us to prosecute crimes committed abroad by U.S. Government personnel and U.S. Government contractors."

"Prosecutors and law enforcement professionals in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice are working hard to fight corruption at every level, at home and abroad. This work is one way in which we send the message loud and clear that public officials who abuse their power for personal gain – whether they are in the United States or the emerging democracies of North Africa and the Middle East or anywhere else around the world – are on the wrong side. And we will keep working and keep fighting to hold them to account."

"National Missing Children’s Day is a reminder to all parents and guardians of the need for high-quality photographs of their children for use in case of an emergency, vigilant efforts by the public to pay close attention to the posters, AMBER Alerts and posted photographs of missing children."

"Today, we know that these public safety challenges cannot be addressed through enforcement alone – but instead must be met by a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, intervention, enforcement, and reentry. By engaging stakeholders at every level of government and law enforcement – as you’ve done here in Tennessee – and by strengthening our partnerships with, across, and beyond the nonprofit sector, you’ve shown that we can help women to break the cycle of addiction; to rise above the effects of poverty, crime, and violence; and to take new ownership of their lives. This is the type of innovative work that The Next Door is leading each day and, now, brings to the Chattanooga community."

A Lufkin, Texas, man and woman have been sentenced to federal prison for their part in a double homicide in Nacogdoches, Texas, in August 2007.

A former managing director of the NASDAQ Stock Market pleaded guilty today for his participation in an insider trading scheme in which he purchased and sold stock in NASDAQ-listed companies based on material, non-public information he obtained in his capacity as a NASDAQ executive.

Areté Sleep LLC, Areté Sleep Therapy LLC and Areté Holdings LLC have agreed to pay the United States $650,000 to settle allegations that their sleep medicine and durable medical equipment facilities in Arizona and Texas submitted false claims to Medicare.

A San Diego attorney was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Houston to 10 months in prison for evading taxes on at least $3 million in unreported income from 2000 to 2002.

Marion Beverly Metoyer, a patient recruiter for a Houston durable medical equipment (DME) company, was convicted today by a Houston federal jury of health care fraud related to a power wheelchair fraud scheme.

"The Civil Rights Division enforces several laws designed to protect the rights of members of the military – so that their brave and selfless service doesn’t put them at risk of losing their jobs at home; so that they don’t have to forfeit their right to vote; so that they can be assured they and their families in the consumer context will not be penalized for their courageous decision to serve our nation."

An El Paso, Texas, resident was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) of more than $17 million.

EVA Airways Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $13.2 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the air cargo industry.

A Miami-area resident who was an owner and vice-president of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla., pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.

“This conference provides a critical opportunity to highlight, to celebrate, and – hopefully – to replicate, the extraordinary progress that’s been made under Minneapolis’s “Blueprint for Action” strategy. It’s also our chance to reaffirm our commitment to the goals that we share – protecting young people in need and at risk; and strengthening our approach to addressing one of the greatest public safety – and public health – epidemics of our time: children’s exposure to violence.”

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the launch of a public awareness campaign at a Federal Interagency Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Task Force event to bring attention to the challenges faced by children and families affected by drug abuse and highlight the work being done across the country to address these issues.

On behalf of the Federal Interagency Drug Endangered Children Task Force and its members and supporters – and, more importantly, the millions of voiceless children across this Nation who are forced to survive unimaginable home lives – I want to thank you all for coming to this Public Awareness Event.

"Each of you has been invited because of your experience, your expertise, and your influence within your constituencies. What we have in this room today is a gathering of many of the most influential criminal justice stakeholders in the nation and we’re going to really try to leverage that influence."

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges of conspiring to conduct a racketeering enterprise related to his membership in a Pittsburgh Crips criminal enterprise.

A Florida physician was sentenced today to four years in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving lobbying and fund raising for political candidates and organizations.

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the Alexandria Country Day School in Alexandria, La., to resolve allegations that the school denied a six-year-old girl with Type I diabetes admission to the school after her parents requested that the school supervise her in daily diabetes care practices.

As we can all agree, our sentencing policies must be tough, predictable and aimed at: enhancing public safety; reducing crime; reducing recidivism; eliminating unwarranted disparities; minimizing the negative, often devastating effects of illegal drugs; and inspiring trust and confidence in the fairness of our criminal justice system.

"Every day in the Civil Rights Division presents me, my staff, and our outstanding team of dedicated career attorneys and professionals a new opportunity to protect and defend the rights of individuals who might not be able to assert those rights on their own. We are proud to carry the torch of the great civil rights pioneers who fought for laws that would ensure equal opportunity and equal justice – and we honor their legacy by enforcing those laws aggressively and evenhandedly. "

"I know that you are dedicated to your clients, and to defending them as vigorously as you can, while at the same time recognizing the importance of criminal prosecution to society. And in representing clients who would not have the means to defend themselves without you, you are essential to our adversary system."

"As we rededicate ourselves to this work, I can’t help but feel optimistic about where we’ll arrive – and what we will achieve – together. Not only do I look forward to hearing about the discussions that you will have – and the recommendations that you will develop – during this symposium, I look forward to our continued partnership, our continued progress, and our continued pursuit of security, opportunity, and justice for all."

"This evidence-based approach to public safety issues is important across the criminal justice spectrum. I’ve made it a top priority at OJP. Shortly after taking office in 2009, I launched my Evidence Integration Initiative – we call it E2I, for short. Our goal is to both improve the quantity and quality of research and other evidence that we generate and get that information out to the field in a useable format."

Newark, N.Y.-based Ultralife Corporation, formerly known as Ultralife Batteries Inc., has agreed to pay $2.7 million to resolve allegations that the battery manufacturer violated the False Claims Act.

A former owner of two Illinois-based technology companies has pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the federal E-Rate program by providing bribes and kickbacks to school officials in Arkansas, Illinois and Louisiana.

A federal grand jury today returned a six-count indictment against former U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate John Edwards for allegedly participating in a scheme to violate federal campaign finance laws.

Wesley William Brandt, 46, of Davenport, Fla., pleaded guilty today to three counts of production of child pornography.

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed Denise O'Donnell as the Justice Department's Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

David R. Bostic, of Bloomington, Ind., pleaded guilty today to multiple charges of sexual exploitation of children relating to his participation in an international conspiracy to sexually exploit children through the trading of child pornography.

The owner and manager of a California condominium complex were sentenced today for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards during the renovation of a 204-unit apartment building in Winnetka, Calif., in 2006 – work that caused asbestos to be released into the complex and the surrounding community.