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Three Brandon, Miss., Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in the Racially Motivated Assault and Murder of an African-American Man

Deryl Paul Dedmon, John Aaron Rice and Dylan Wade Butler, all from Brandon, Miss., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Jackson to federal hate crime charges in connection with an assault culminating in the death of James Craig Anderson.



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Baton Rouge, La.-area Residents Sentenced in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Two patient recruiters for several Louisiana durable medical equipment (DME) companies were sentenced today for their roles in Medicare fraud schemes involving fraudulent claims and illegal kickback payments for unnecessary DME, announced the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FBI and the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office.



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Federal Prisoner Charged in California for Murder of Cellmate

A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today charging Samuel Stone, 32, with first degree murder and murder by a federal prisoner serving a life sentence.



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Armenian Power Member and Three Armenian Power Associates Convicted in Los Angeles for Roles in Identity Theft Ring

Arman Sharopetrosian, Karen Markosian, Artush Margaryan and Kristine Ogandzhanyan were found guilty of conspiring to commit bank fraud, attempted bank fraud and various counts of aggravated identity theft.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Raising the Bar in D.C. Event

"Over the last 15 years, more than half of all states – plus the District of Columbia – have created Access to Justice Commissions. Here in Washington, Commission leaders, supporters, and partners have taken a central role in reinvigorating this city’s pro bono culture – and providing representation to those who cannot afford to retain counsel. And, despite the absence of adequate funding, your efforts to reduce barriers to access have made a difference in thousands of lives," said Attorney General Holder.




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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at a Press Conference Regarding Guilty Pleas in Mississippi

"Today is an important day in the journey for justice for the family of James Craig Anderson, and other African American victims of senseless, racially motivated violence in Jackson. Earlier today, the Department of Justice secured guilty pleas from three of the individuals responsible for the brutal, racially motivated murder of James Anderson," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Lockheed Martin Corporation Reaches $15.85 Million Settlement with U.S. to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Lockheed Martin Corporation has agreed to pay $15,850,000 to settle allegations that it mischarged perishable tools used on numerous government contracts.



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Pennsylvania- Based Eusa Pharma (USA) Inc. to Pay U.S. $180,000 for Allegedly Submitting Inflated Claims to Medicare

EUSA Pharma (USA) Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $180,000 to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by allegedly encouraging doctors to submit inflated claims to Medicare for imaging scans.



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United States Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Illinois-Based Lifewatch Services

LifeWatch Services Inc., a Rosemont, Ill.-based company, has agreed to pay the United States $18.5 million to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims to federal health care programs.



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Third Medical Device Company Resolves Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Investigation

Biomet Inc. has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice to resolve improper payments by the company and its subsidiaries in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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DENSO Corporation Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing and Bid Rigging on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

An executive of DENSO Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to serve time in prison for his role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for heater control panels installed in U.S. cars.



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U.S. and Mexican Officials Sign Letter of Intent to Share $6 Million in Forfeited Assets to Combat Financial Infrastructure of Organized Crime

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Mexican Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibáñez today signed a letter of intent for the United States to share approximately $6 million in forfeited funds with the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic of Mexico to support Mexican efforts to combat the financial infrastructure of organized criminal groups and to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in forfeiture matters.



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Washington State Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Filing False Liens Against Government Officials

Ronald James Davenport of Chewelah, Wash., was sentenced to 41 months in prison today for filing more than $20 billion in false liens against four federal government officials, the Justice Department and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) announced today.



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New York Financial Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions in New Jersey

A financial investor who purchased municipal tax liens at auctions in New Jersey pleaded guilty today for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities throughout the state.



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Detroit Podiatrist Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme

Dr. Errol Sherman was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in Detroit.



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Former Grant Administrator and Legal Assistant of American Samoa Non-profit Legal Aid Corporation Sentenced for Stealing Nearly $160,000 in Federal Grant Funds

Julie Matau, 49, and her daughter, Andrea Matau, 28, each were sentenced yesterday in Oakland, Calif., for their participation in the theft of nearly $160,000 in federal grant funds from a now-defunct nonprofit American Samoa legal services corporation.



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Mississippi Pharmaceutical Firm and CEO to Pay $2.8 Million to Resolve Allegations of Illegal Marketing of Unapproved Drugs

Mississippi-based Cypress Pharmaceutical Inc., its subsidiary Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its CEO, Max Draughn, have agreed to pay $2.8 million to resolve civil allegations under the False Claims Act, the Justice Department announced today.



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Shipbuilder and Ship Engine Manufacturer Agree to Pay Civil Penalty and Perform Environmental Project to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

Coltec Industries Inc. and National Steel and Shipbuilding Company have agreed to pay a civil penalty of $280,000 and spend approximately $500,000 on an environmental project to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and EPA’s marine diesel engine air rules.



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Residential Youth Treatment Facility for Medicaid Recipients in Marion, Virginia Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS) and two subsidiaries have reached a settlement in a False Claims Act lawsuit with the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Resolves Allegations of Discrimination with Onward Healthcare in Connecticut

The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with Onward Healthcare, a healthcare staffing company based in Wilton, Conn., resolving allegations that the company posted discriminatory job advertisements on its home page and third party websites that limited its jobs to U.S. citizens.



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Justice Department Sues National Tax Preparation Firm and Franchisees to Stop Alleged Pervasive Tax Fraud

The United States has filed civil injunction lawsuits in five cities seeking to shut down both the company that operates Instant Tax Service (ITS) as well as five owners of ITS franchises, the Justice Department announced today.



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Six Arraigned on Tax Conspiracy in a Corporate Bonus Scheme Based in Western New York

Six officials of an Upstate New York firm were arraigned yesterday before Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio. On March 21, a federal grand jury in the Western District of New York indicted the six defendants, Philip R. DeLuca, Alfred R. LaGreca, Frank A. Fracassi, Michael A. Elia, Laurence A Elia and Richard A. Elia, on tax charges, including conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).



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Federal Court Permanently Bars San Diego Accountant from Preparing Tax Returns That Understate Income

A federal court has permanently barred Robert Jensen, a certified public accountant from San Diego, from providing tax advice or preparing federal tax returns that illegally attempt to reduce customers’ taxable income, the Justice Department announced today.



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Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice in Relation to Her Husband’s Disappearance

Abby Beard Hogan, 50, pleaded guilty yesterday in the Northern District of Florida for her role in the obstruction of a multinational investigation into the disappearance of her husband, James Hogan, then an employee in the U.S. Consulate in Curacao, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Pamela Cothran Marsh for the Northern District of Florida, U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security Eric J. Boswell and John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.



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Former Corrections Officer at Shiprock, N.M., Detention Center Charged for Sexually Abusing a Female Inmate

A federal grand jury in Albuquerque indicted Sylvester Bruce, 44, a former corrections officer with Navajo Nation’s Shiprock, N.M., Detention Center, on charges related to the sexual abuse of an inmate during the summer and fall of 2010.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes Confirmation of Kathryn Keneally and Michael E. Horowitz

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation of Kathryn Keneally as Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division and Michael E. Horowitz as Inspector General for the Justice Department.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by the City of Selma, Texas, Fire Department

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a civil suit against the city of Selma, Texas, alleging that the city discriminated against firefighter Adam Sadler in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Miami-Area Resident Pleads Guilty to Participating in $200 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Lazaro Acosta, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz in Miami to one count of currency structuring to avoid reporting requirements.



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Former Senate Office Manager Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Theft of Government Property

Ngozi Pole, of Waldorf, Md., also was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in the District of Columbia to serve three years of supervised release and 500 hours of community service following his prison term and ordered to pay $77,608.86 in restitution.



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West Memphis, Ark., Police Department Officer Convicted of Criminal Civil Rights Violation

A federal jury convicted West Memphis, Ark., Police Department (WMPD) Officer Scott McCall, 39, of West Memphis, Ark., of one misdemeanor count of Deprivation of Rights under Color of Law.



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Attorney General Holder Recognizes Six Cities for Youth Violence Prevention Efforts

Attorney General Eric Holder today recognized six cities for their progress in preventing youth violence at the second annual summit of the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention held in Washington, D.C.



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Justice Department Alleges GFI Mortgage Bankers Engaged in Illegal Lending Discrimination

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed a lawsuit alleging that GFI Mortgage Bankers Inc., a mortgage banker with operations in seven states, violated federal fair lending laws by charging African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher interest rates and fees on home mortgage loans because of their race or national origin, not based on their creditworthiness.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Summit

"I don’t need to tell anyone here what a difficult challenge youth violence is. You’re all part of the Forum because you’ve seen the consequences of juvenile crime in your own communities. You understand how complex this issue is – and you know this is not a problem any of us can solve alone – especially in this tough fiscal climate," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Summit

"Especially in recent weeks – as the importance of protecting our children from harm has been at the forefront of our national discourse – the urgency of this challenge has been brought into stark focus. And the need to take action has never been more clear," said Attorney General Holder.




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Florida-Based Wellcare Health Plans Agrees to Pay $137.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

WellCare Health Plans Inc. will pay $137.5 million to the federal government and nine states to resolve four lawsuits alleging violations of the False Claims Act, the Justice Department announced today.



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Georgia-Based Radiation Oncology Practice to Pay $3.8 Million to Settle False Claims Act Case

Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia LLC, a radiation oncology practice, and its affiliates RCOG Cancer Centers LLC, Physician Oncology Services Management Company LLC, Frank A. Critz, M.D. and Physician Oncology Services L.P. (collectively, RCOG) agreed to pay $3.8 million to settle claims that they violated the False Claims Act.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks to Cincinnati Police Department Officers Attending Community Relations Service Training Session

"There are parts of the world where everyone shares the same culture, the same religion, and the same language. But that’s not America. And it’s not Cincinnati. According to the Census Bureau, there are over 13,000 people in this city who were born outside of the United States. There are around 20,000 whose primary language isn’t English. And there are still more who follow customs and traditions that our own upbringing didn’t expose us to," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Former Executive of Miami-Based Ocean Bank Sentenced to Serve 37 Months in Prison for Participating in Bribery Scheme and Filing False Tax Returns

A former executive of Ocean Bank, a financial institution headquartered in Miami, was sentenced today for participating in a scheme to accept bribes and for failing to report income on federal income tax returns



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Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services Highlight Obama Administration Efforts, Health Reform Tools to Combat Medicare Fraud

At a Chicago summit highlighting a new high-tech war against health care fraud, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder today discussed how the Affordable Care Act and the Obama Administration’s Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) are helping fight Medicare fraud.



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Five New Orleans Police Officers Sentenced on Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice Violations in the Danziger Bridge Shooting Case

The Justice Department announced today that five officers from the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) were sentenced in connection with the federal civil rights prosecution of a police-involved shooting that occurred on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina, leaving two innocent civilians dead and four others seriously wounded.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Chicago Health Care Fraud Prevention Summit

"How did we get here? In large part, because – nearly three years ago – the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services came together in a new way, and made a collective commitment to meeting our shared goals and responsibilities. This commitment inspired Secretary Sebelius and I to launch a landmark joint initiative – the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team, known as 'HEAT,'" said Attorney General Holder.




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Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the Youth Violence Champions of Change Event

"Because the issue of preventing Youth Violence is one that Attorney General Holder and I are deeply committed to. As he often says, fighting violence in our cities and building a fair and effective justice system – a system that keeps citizens safe and maintains its legitimacy in the eyes of everyone it serves – has never been more difficult, and never more urgent," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.




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U.S. Announces Innovative Clean Air Agreement for Industrial Flares with Marathon Petroleum Company

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced an innovative environmental agreement with Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum Company that already has significantly reduced air pollution from all six of the company’s petroleum refineries.



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Former Wilcox County, Georgia, Jail Trustee Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Inmate

The Justice Department announced today that former jail trustee Willie James Caruthers pleaded guilty yesterday to acting with several others, including law enforcement officials, to assault an inmate inside of the Wilcox County, Ga., Jail on July 23, 2009.



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Justice Department Files Complaint Against Home Depot for Violating the Employment Rights of a California Army National Guard Soldier

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a complaint in U.S. District Court in Arizona against Home Depot U.S.A. Inc. for violating the employment rights of California Army National Guard soldier Brian Bailey under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



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Former CIA Officer John Kiriakou Indicted for Allegedly Disclosing Classified Information, Including Covert Officer’s Identity, to Journalists and Lying to CIA’s Publications Board

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou was indicted today for allegedly repeatedly disclosing classified information to journalists, including the name of a covert CIA officer and information revealing the role of another CIA employee in classified activities.



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Juarez Drug Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to U.S. Consulate Murders and Is Sentenced to Life in Prison

Jose Antonio Acosta-Hernandez, 34, aka “Diego,” “Dienton,” “Diez” and “Bablazo,” of Chihuahua, was extradited to the United States from Mexico on March 16, 2012.



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New Mexico Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Kidnapping That Resulted in the Death of 16-Year-Old Victim

Larry Lujan, 33, was sentenced today to life in prison for a kidnapping that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old



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Statement of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division on Its Decision to Close Its Investigation of Highmark’s Affiliation Agreement with West Penn Allegheny Health System

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement today after announcing the closing of its investigation into Highmark’s affiliation agreement with West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS).



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Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare Pays More Than $42 Million to Settle Allegations of Improperly Billing Medicare

Tenet Healthcare Corporation has agreed to pay the United States $42.75 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by overbilling the federal Medicare program, the Justice Department announced today.



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