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Justice Department Settles Allegations of Disability Discrimination Against City of Satsuma, Alabama

The Justice Department today settled a lawsuit against the city of Satsuma, Ala., and the city’s Board of Adjustment, alleging housing discrimination against individuals with disabilities.



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Promoters of Sham Tax Elimination Scheme Sentenced for Tax Fraud in Florida

A federal court in Pensacola, Fla., has sentenced three of nine promoters of a fraudulent tax-and-debt-elimination scheme to prison terms for their roles in tax fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.



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Southern California Medical Center to Pay U.S. $2.2 Million to Resolve Fraud Allegations

The El Centro Regional Medical Center in Imperial County, Calif., has agreed to pay the United States $2.2 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that it defrauded Medicare.



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Ship Serial Polluter Ordered to Pay $4 Million for Covering up the Deliberate Discharge of Oil and Plastics

U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz sentenced Irika Shipping S.A., a ship management corporation registered in Panama and doing business in Greece, today to pay a $4 million penalty, which includes a $3 million criminal fine and $1 million in organizational community service payments that will fund various marine environmental projects.



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Martinair Airline Executive Indicted in Conspiracy to Fix Surcharge Rates on Air Cargo Shipments

An Atlanta grand jury returned an indictment today against an executive of Martinair Holland N.V. for participating in a conspiracy to fix and coordinate certain surcharges on air cargo shipments to and from the United States.



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Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy's RLUIPA Event

'RLUIPA was a response by bipartisan members of Congress to what they saw as a threat to one of our most fundamental freedoms," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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U.S. Reaches Agreements with Kings Mountain, N.C., and Sandy Springs, Ga., to Terminate Coverage from Preclearance of the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it reached agreements this week with the city of Kings Mountain, N.C., and the city of Sandy Springs, Ga., in the form of consent decrees filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.



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Attorney General Holder Speaks at the Medal of Valor Ceremony

"The Medal of Valor is the highest honor awarded to public safety officers in the country," said Attorney General Holder. "And today’s recipients are part of a select group,"




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Statement of Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a Hearing Regarding Financial Fraud Enforcement

"The Department of Justice is busy investigating and prosecuting financial fraud in all its forms, including investment fraud schemes, mortgage-related fraud, securities fraud, insider trading, money laundering, and other crimes," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer




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Attorney General Holder Unveils Defending Childhood Initiative

Attorney General Holder officially unveiled Defending Childhood, a new Department of Justice initiative focused on addressing children’s exposure to violence.



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Attorney General Holder Speaks at Safe Shores - the DC Children's Advocacy Center

Today, Safe Shores is a model of public-private collaboration at its best, an example for Child Advocacy Centers across – and beyond – the country, and a critical partner in the work of seeking and administering justice.




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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Georgia-based Multi Family Housing Developer Alleging Discrimination

The Justice Department announced that it filed a lawsuit today against Post Properties Inc., Post Apartment Homes L.P. and Post GP Holdings Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for failing to provide accessible features required by the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act at multi-family housing developments in six states.



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Justice Department Requires Six High Tech Companies to Stop Entering into Anticompetitive Employee Solicitation Agreements

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with six high technology companies–Adobe Systems Inc., Apple Inc., Google Inc., Intel Corp., Intuit Inc. and Pixar–that prevents them from entering into no solicitation agreements for employees.



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Three Miami-area Residents Sentenced to Prison for Participating in $22 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Home Health Agencies

Three Miami-area residents were sentenced to prison today for their participation in a $22 million Medicare fraud scheme operated through two Miami home health agencies, ABC Home Health Care Inc. and Florida Home Health Care Providers Inc.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at a Retirement Ceremony Honoring Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division John C. Keeney

"Mr. Keeney’s dedication to the Department and to his colleagues is – quite simply – unparalleled," said Attorney General Holder.




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Lanny A. Breuer, Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, Speaks at a Retirement Ceremony Honoring Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division John C. Keeney

"For those of us in the Criminal Division, though, Mr. Keeney is also a wonderful colleague, a thoughtful mentor, and, right through to the end of his tenure, an enormously hard‑working and prodigious prosecutor," said Assistant Attorney Breuer.




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Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler at a Retirement Ceremony Honoring Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division John C. Keeney

"Mr. Keeney’s advice is always sound, and to the point because it is built upon decades of experience, in fact, nearly six decades of service, under 12 Presidents and 23 Attorneys General," said Acting Deputy Attorney General Grindler.




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Laurence Tribe, Senior Counselor for Access to Justice, Speaks at the American College of Trial Lawyers 2010 Annual Meeting

"It’s a special honor for me to address the American College of Trial Lawyers, and to share the stage today with such impressive and distinguished speakers as Justice Cromwell, Justice Kirby, Judge Sparks, and Professor Coffee."




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Justice Department Fines Dallas Bus Company $55,000 for Violating the ADA

The Justice Department and the Department of Transportation announced $55,000 in fines against Tornado Bus Company Inc., of Dallas, for violating passenger carrier accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Louisiana Man Indicted for Involvement in Hate Crime at School

A federal grand jury has indicted Christopher Shane Montgomery, a resident of Bastrop, La., for conspiring to commit a hate crime, tampering with a witness and lying to federal authorities.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Royston, Ga., Public Housing Authority Regarding Race Discrimination in Housing Practices

The Justice Department today announced that the Housing Authority for the city of Royston, Ga., (RHA) has agreed to pay up to $270,000 to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminating against applicants for housing and tenants based on race.



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Repeat Sex Offender Convicted in Delaware of Child Exploitation Offenses

Paul Edward Pavulak, 66, of New Castle, Del., was convicted today by a federal jury in Wilmington of child exploitation offenses.



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Murphy Oil USA to Spend More Than $142 Million Upgrading Pollution Controls at Refineries in Louisiana & Wisconsin

Murphy Oil USA has agreed to spend more than $142 million to install new and upgraded pollution reduction equipment at its two petroleum refineries in Wisconsin and Louisiana as part of a comprehensive Clean Air Act settlement.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a Hearing Regarding Honest Services Fraud

"The Department of Justice is committed to using all available tools in our effort to combat fraud and corruption in the public and private sectors," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Former Memphis Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations

Former Memphis Police Officer sentenced to 18 months in prison, two years supervised release and a $4,000 fine.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Federal Court Bars Multi- Million Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme Operating in Southern California

A federal court in Los Angeles has permanently barred three Huntington Beach men from preparing federal tax returns for customers.



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Three Colombian Nationals Plead Guilty to Alien Smuggling and Visa Fraud Charges

Three Colombian nationals pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to smuggle aliens for profit and conspiracy to commit visa fraud in connection with their roles in an extensive and sophisticated visa fraud scheme through which they fraudulently procured visas from the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.



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ABB Ltd and Two Subsidiaries Resolve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Investigation and Will Pay $19 Million in Criminal Penalties

ABB Ltd’s U.S. subsidiary, ABB Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of violating the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA and one count of conspiracy to violating these provisions of the FCPA. The court imposed a sentence that included a criminal fine of $17.1 million.



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Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. to Pay More Than $420 Million to Resolve Off-label Promotion and Kickback Allegations

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation has agreed to pay $422.5 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from the illegal marketing of certain pharmaceutical products.



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BP Products to Pay Largest Single-facility Clean Air Act Penalty for Releases of Hazardous Pollutants at Texas City Refinery

BP Products North America Inc. has agreed to pay a $15 million penalty to resolve federal Clean Air Act violations at its Texas City, Texas, petroleum refinery.



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Six International Freight Forwarding Companies Agree to Plead Guilty to Criminal Price-fixing Charges

Six international freight forwarders have agreed to plead guilty and to pay criminal fines totaling $50.27 million for their roles in several conspiracies to fix a variety of fees and charges in connection with the provision of freight forwarding services for international air cargo shipments.



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United States Sues Marine Engine Manufacturer and Shipbuilder Under Clean Air Act

The United States filed a civil complaint today against Coltec Industries Inc., a subsidiary of EnPro Industries Inc., and the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corp.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tax Preparers Plead Guilty to Aiding in Preparation of False Tax Returns

Cynthia Peters and Melissa Edwards pleaded guilty to one count each of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, La.



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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Speaks at the COPS Hiring Program Announcement

Today we are here talking about community policing – that’s a term that is used a lot and captures much of what the Houston Police Department has done for decades, but is not often explained.




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Departments of Justice and Education Reach Settlement with Boston School Committee to Ensure Equal Opportunities for ELL Students

Today, the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, reached a settlement agreement with the Boston School Committee, the governing body of the Boston Public Schools, and its superintendent.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Holder at a “Just the Beginning” Foundation Event

It is a privilege to be part of this year’s conference and to join you all in discussing the responsibilities that we share – responsibilities to ourselves and our society; to our profession and our predecessors; to America’s next generation of law students, attorneys, and jurists.



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Attorney General Holder Speaks at a “Just the Beginning” Foundation Event

"It is a privilege to be part of this year’s conference and to join you all in discussing the responsibilities that we share – responsibilities to ourselves and our society; to our profession and our predecessors; and, of course, to America’s next generation of law students, attorneys, and jurists."




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Alabama Legislators, Staff Member, Lobbyists and Businessmen Charged in 39-count Indictment for Roles in Wide-ranging Conspiracy to Influence and Corrupt Votes Related to Electronic Bingo Legislation

Eleven individuals, including four current Alabama state legislators, three lobbyists, two business owners and one of their employees, and an employee of the Alabama legislature have been charged for their roles in a conspiracy to offer to and to bribe legislators for their votes and influence on proposed legislation.



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Justice Department Sues American Express, Mastercard and Visa to Eliminate Rules Restricting Price Competition; Reaches Settlement with Visa and Mastercard

The Department of Justice announced today that it filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York challenging rules that American Express, MasterCard and Visa have in place that prevent merchants from offering consumers discounts, rewards and information about card costs, ultimately resulting in consumers paying more for their purchases.



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Bank to Pay $2.2 Million to Settle Allegations of False Claims to Small Business Administration

Saehan Bank has agreed to pay the United States $2.2 million to settle allegations arising under the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act with respect to a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, the Justice Department announced.



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New Orleans Doctor and Owner of Medical Equipment Company Each Plead Guilty for Their Roles in Baton Rouge-area Health Care Fraud Scheme

A New Orleans-area medical doctor and the owner and operator of a medical equipment company each pleaded guilty today for their roles in a Baton Rouge-area durable medical equipment (DME) health care fraud scheme.



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Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the Alabama Public Corruption Investigation Press Conference

"This morning, federal agents began arresting 11 individuals on charges that they conspired over an approximately 19-month period to corrupt the legislative process in Alabama," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Attorney General Holder Speaks at the Visa, Mastercard, American Express Press Conference

"Today, the Department of Justice, along with seven state attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York challenging rules that Visa, MasterCard and American Express have put in place that prevent merchants from providing discounts to consumers."




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Federal Agencies Host National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention

At the direction of President Obama, the Departments of Justice and Education officially launched the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention (the forum) along with participating localities and other federal agencies.



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 Atlanta Jury Convicts Two Members of Group of DVD and CD Counterfeiters and Suppliers

Mamadou Sadio Barry and Moussa Baradji were convicted today for their involvement in a counterfeit DVD and CD ring.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Operation Guard Shack Press Conference

"Today I’m pleased to be joined by the United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez, and FBI Executive Assistant Director, Shawn Henry, to announce the results of Operation Guard Shack – the largest police corruption investigation in FBI history."




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North America’s Largest Lead Producer to Spend $65 Million to Correct Environmental Violations at Missouri Facilities

Doe Run Resources Corp. of St. Louis, North America’s largest lead producer, has agreed to spend approximately $65 million to correct violations of several environmental laws at 10 of its lead mining, milling and smelting facilities in southeast Missouri, the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today.



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Foreign National Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Role in International Money Laundering Scheme Involving Online Sales

A Bulgarian national was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for his role as a money launderer for a transnational criminal group based in Eastern Europe, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Army Major Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for False Statements Charge Related to Attempt to Smuggle Currency from Iraq to the United States

U.S. Army Major Charles E. Sublett, 46, of Huntsville, Ala., was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for making false statements to a federal agency, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Attorney General Holder Speaks at the European Offenders Employment Forum

"Today, we have a unique, and critically important, opportunity – the chance to identify and to advance some of the world’s most effective public safety and prisoner reentry strategies."