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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Louisiana Tax Preparers

The United States has filed a lawsuit in federal court in New Orleans seeking to bar two women and their tax preparation companies from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Settles Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Michigan Mobile Home Operators for Discrimination Against Families with Children

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.



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Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racially-Motivated Killing

The Justice Department announced today that Dale Mardis, 57, was sentenced today to life in prison, with no possibility of parole, for the racially-motivated killing of Shelby County, Tenn., Code Enforcement Officer Mickey Wright.



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Louisiana Oil Refinery Vice-President Pleads Guilty to Air Pollution Causing Negligent Endangerment

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.



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Miami Contractor Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Employment Tax Fraud

Reynaldo Orozco was sentenced to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Adalberto Jordan for filing a false employment tax return.



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Coinciding with One-Year Anniversary of “Operation Stolen Dreams,” Three Loan Officers and a Title Agent Charged in $2.5 Million Reverse Mortgage and Loan Modification Scheme

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).



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Assistant Attorney General Varney Announces Departure from Antitrust Division

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



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Holds a Press Conference Regarding Delaware’s Mental Health System

"Today’s agreement will bring Delaware into compliance with the ADA and the Olmstead decision by building a comprehensive, community-based mental health system," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Assistant Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at “Operation Rescue Me” Press Conference

"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.




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North Carolina Corporate Hog Farm and President Plead Guilty to Violating the Clean Water Act

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.



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DOJ, FTC Announce Changes to Streamline the Premerger Notification Form

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.



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Armor Group North America and Its Affiliates Pay $7.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

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.



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JPMorgan Chase Admits to Anticompetitive Conduct by Former Employees in the Municipal Bond Investments Market and Agrees to Pay $228 Million to Federal and State Agencies

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.



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U.S. Army Contractor Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Stabbing at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan

A U.S. Army contractor was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for stabbing another individual with a knife at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan.



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Iowa Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Ready-Mix Concrete Price-Fixing Conspiracy

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



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Georgia Couple Pleads Guilty to Human Trafficking Charges

Juna Gwedolyn Babb, 56, and Michael J. Babb, 55, both of Ellenwood, Ga., pleaded guilty today in federal court to felony offenses related to a scheme to compel the labor of a young woman from the Kingdom of Swaziland in southern Africa.



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Statement of Deputy Attorney General James Cole Regarding Information Requests for Multiple Sales of Semi-Automatic Rifles with Detachable Magazines

“The international expansion and increased violence of transnational criminal networks pose a significant threat to the United States."



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California Firm to Pay U.S. $400,000 to Resolve False Claims

PRIDE Industries, and its subsidiary, PRIDE Industries One, has agreed to pay the United States $400,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims relating to a contract to provide maintenance services at the Department of the Army’s Ft. Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas.



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Detroit-Area Men Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion

A federal grand jury in Detroit returned an indictment against David A. Cusumano and Henry Nino in January 2011.



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Virginia Couple Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

John Scott Miles was sentenced to 30 months in prison and Kathryn Charles Miles was sentenced to 20 months in prison.



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Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison in Connection with Detroit-Area Infusion Therapy Schemes

A patient recruiter for three Detroit-area clinics was sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in fraud schemes that attempted to defraud the Medicare program of more than $15 million.



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Three Miami-Area Residents Plead Guilty to Participating in $200 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Three Miami-area residents pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami for their roles in a fraud scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $200 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.



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Armor Holdings Agrees to Pay $10.2 Million Criminal Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Armor Holdings Inc. has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay a $10.29 million penalty to resolve violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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Justice Department Sues to Stop Nationwide “Welfare Benefit Plan” Tax Scheme

The Justice Department is seeking to block a husband and wife from operating a scheme that allegedly helps high-income individuals attempt to improperly avoid income taxes by funneling money through purported “welfare benefit plans.”



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Former Washington County, Missouri, Chief Deputy Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Beating Four Inmates

Vernon Wilson, former Chief Deputy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department in Potosi, Mo., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, for violating the civil rights of four former inmates of the Washington County Jail on four separate occasions.



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Washington Business Owner Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Participating in Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Making False Claims on Government Contract

A founder and president of a Washington-area design firm was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for her role in a conspiracy to defraud the United States in the award of a government contract for U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).



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Final Co-conspirator Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Texas Homicide

A New Caney, Texas, woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison today for her role in a homicide that took place in Nacogdoches, Texas, in August 2007.



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New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Computer Intrusion into Former Employer’s Computer Systems

Lawrence R. Marino, a 41-year-old from Goffstown, N.H., pleaded guilty today in federal court to computer intrusion, stemming from his repeated hacks into his former employer’s computer systems.



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Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Soliciting Jihadists to Kill Americans

Emerson Winfield Begolly, 22, of New Bethlehem, Pa., was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., today for allegedly soliciting Islamic extremists to engage in acts of terrorism within the United States and posting bomb-making instruction materials online.



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Owner of Fraudulent Physical Therapy Company Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

A Miami-area resident and owner of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla., pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare.



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Pittsburgh Crips Gang Member Sentenced to 128 Months in Prison

A Pittsburgh man was sentenced today to 128 months in prison for conspiring to conduct a racketeering enterprise related to his membership in a Pittsburgh Crips gang, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton of the Western District of Pennsylvania.



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Statement of Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli Before the Committee on Indian Affairs on Violence Against Native American Women

"In anticipation of this year’s reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Department has been engaging in comprehensive discussions, including formal consultations with Indian tribes, about how best to protect the safety of Native women."




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Virginia Real Estate Businessman Pleads Guilty to Mortgage and Investment Fraud Schemes

Alexander Otis Matthews, a Virginia real estate businessman pleaded guilty today to fraud charges in connection with mortgage and investment schemes to obtain more than $12 million in fraudulent loans.



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Former Alabama Mayor Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

John Jackson, the former mayor of White Hall, Ala., was sentenced to two years in prison today, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



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Former President of Lee Dynamics International Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Bribery Related to Department of Defense Contracts in Iraq

The former president of Lee Dynamics International, a defense contractor providing services to the U.S. military in Iraq, pleaded guilty today to an indictment charging him with a scheme to bribe military officials in order to obtain government contracts, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Internet Communications Firm Owners Plead Guilty to Employment Tax Fraud and Failure to Pay Tax

Frank G. Bivings and Isabelle Blanco of Washington, D.C., co-owners of The Bivings Group Inc., pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from the failure to pay more than $2 million in employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.



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Owner of Miami Company Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-Import Bank

The owner of an investment planning company in Miami was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) of $5.2 million.



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D.C. Federal Court Bars Company from Promoting Alleged Tax Scheme Involving Improper Easements on Historic Buildings

A District of Columbia federal court has entered a permanent injunction order against Steven McClain and the Trust for Architectural Easements Inc. (formerly known as the National Architectural Trust).



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Tax Defendant Pleads Guilty in Florida to Filing False Liens for $48.489 Billion Against Federal Law Enforcement

Mark D. Leitner entered a plea of guilty in the Northern District of Florida to filing false liens against federal law enforcement and corruptly endeavoring to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service.



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Michigan Businessman Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Defrauding the Federal E-Rate Program

The president and part owner of a Michigan-based Internet and technology services company was sentenced today to serve 15 months in prison for defrauding the federal E-Rate program.



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Two Arkansas Men Plead Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Cross Burning

Tony Branscum, 25, and James Bradley “Brad” Branscum, 23, both of Salado, Ark., pleaded guilty today to criminal violations of housing rights related to their role in the Aug. 28, 2010, cross burning in front of an African American man’s apartment in Salado.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Installation of James Cole as Deputy Attorney General

"Over the last seven months, the entire Department has seen something that I’ve known for decades – that Jim is an extremely talented attorney, as well as a consummate professional."




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Two Charged with Conspiring to Act as Unregistered Agents of Pakistani Government

Two individuals have been charged with participating in a long-term conspiracy to act as agents of the Pakistani government in the United States without disclosing their affiliation with the Pakistani government as required by law.



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President of Washington, D.C., Area Community Newspaper Chain Pleads Guilty to Failing to Pay Employment Taxes

Peter Labovitz, of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.



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Jersey City, N.J. to Upgrade and Repair Sewer System to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations

A settlement between the United States and the Jersey City, N.J. Municipal Utilities Authority (JCMUA) will resolve Clean Water Act violations by JCMUA for failing to properly operate and maintain its combined sewer system.



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Richmond, Virginia, Businessman Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme Causing Millions in Losses

Julius Everett “Bud” Johnson, 62, a resident of Richmond, Va., was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for his role in an investment scheme resulting in millions of dollars in losses.



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Executive of Taiwan Aftermarket Auto Lights Manufacturer Arrested and Indicted for Participation in Price-Fixing Conspiracy

An executive of a Taiwan manufacturer of aftermarket auto lights was indicted today for participating in a global conspiracy to fix the prices of aftermarket auto lights.



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Pennsylvania Anesthesiologist Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Document with the Internal Revenue Service

Eliseo Roquiz of Erie, Penn., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin of the Western District of Pennsylvania to charges of filing a false document with the Internal Revenue Service.



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Supervisor for Texas Natural Gas and Oil Drilling Company Pleads Guilty in Oklahoma to Negligent Violation of Clean Water Act

Gabriel Henson, a supervisor for Integrated Production Services, Inc., a Houston-based natural gas and oil drilling contractor, pleaded guilty to a negligent violation of the Clean Water Act in federal court in Muskogee, Okla.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the National District Attorneys Association Summer Conference

"As prosecutors, we occupy a unique role in the criminal justice system. Our job is not just to win cases, but also to do justice in every case."