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Latin Kings Leader Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy Related to His Gang Activities

Erick Roman, aka “Erick Javier Sierra,” “Malian-T” and “King Malian-T,” 34, of Laurel, Md., was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Signs Agreement with the Town of Swansea, Massachusetts, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

An agreement has been reached with the town of Swansea, Mass., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Federal Courts Order Seizure of Website Domains Involved in Advertising and Distributing Child Pornography

Seizure warrants have been executed against 10 domain names of websites engaged in the advertisement and distribution of child pornography.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Engaging in a Child Exploitation Enterprise

Fred Woolum of Lexington, Va., was sentenced today in the Western District of Pennsylvania to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Statement of Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez Before the Committee on House Administration

"The MOVE Act’s enactment in 2009 was the most important advancement in the area of military and overseas voter law in more than 20 years," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Statement of Assistant Attorney General for the Civil DivisionTony West Before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee

"Central to our mission is the recovery of taxpayer dollars that are lost to fraud, waste and abuse," said Assistant Attorney General West




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Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder Form Joint Task Force to Assist Mexico’s Investigation into Yesterday’s Shooting of Two ICE Agents in Mexico

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder today met to discuss the shooting by unknown assailants of two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents in the line of duty yesterday while driving in Mexico.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Individuals Plead Guilty in Connection with Costa Rica-based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures

Two individuals pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for their roles in business opportunity fraud schemes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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More Than 100 Members and Associates of Transnational Organized Crime Groups Charged with Offenses Including Bank Fraud, Kidnapping, Racketeering and Health Care Fraud

One hundred and two members and associates of transnational organized criminal groups operating in the United States have been charged in indictments unsealed today in Los Angeles; Santa Ana, Calif.; Miami and Denver.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Statement of the Attorney General on the Shootings in Elkins, West Virginia

"Today’s shootings in Elkins, West Virginia, demonstrate yet again the danger that our nation’s law enforcement officers confront on a daily basis."



  • OPA Press Releases

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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at Armenian Power Takedown Press Conference

"I am pleased to be here today with my friend, U.S. Attorney Birotte, and our law enforcement partners to announce these indictments, and the arrest of more than 80 members and associates of transnational organized crime groups, including a particularly powerful one based here in California."




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Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 111 Individuals for More Than $225 Million in False Billing and Expands Operations to Two Additional Cities

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force today charged 111 defendants in nine cities, including doctors, nurses, health care company owners and executives, and others, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving more than $225 million in false billing.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Arkansas Woman Barred from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others

An Arkansas woman who operates Foster’s Income Tax Service in Knobel, Ark., has been permanently barred from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Guam Bar Owner Found Guilty for Sex Trafficking and Related Crimes

An owner of bar in Guam was found guilty today of sex trafficking, and coercion and enticement for prostitution related to a scheme to force young women and one juvenile girl into prostitution.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Romanian Man Pleads Guilty for Role in International Fraud Scheme Involving Online Auction Websites

A Romanian man pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in Chicago to one count each of wire fraud and conspiracy for his role in moving and hiding the illicit proceeds of an international fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Press Conference on Medicare Fraud Strike Force Actions

"As today’s arrests prove, the federal government is working aggressively to pursue health care criminals around the country and to bring offenders to justice."




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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Speaks at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Annual Winter Conference

"Whether it’s an 18-year-old who wants to be the first person in his family to attend college and become a teacher, or a 32-year-old single mother taking evening courses in nursing, or a tribal elder who enjoys participating in courses on tribal history and language, the threads that weave your colleges together with your communities are especially strong and resilient."




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at Rep. Crowley’s 12th Annual Congressional Black History Month Commemoration

"Today, as we commemorate Black History Month, we honor our nation’s past. But we must also reaffirm our vision of the future that we will share and, together, must build."




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Federal Court Bars Florida Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

"A Florida woman has been permanently barred from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Department of Justice announced today."



  • OPA Press Releases

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Ohio Businessman Charged with Failing to Report Foreign Bank Account at UBS in Switzerland

An Ohio man residing in Switzerland was charged by information in the Northern District of Ohio for filing false personal income tax returns for the years 2004 through 2008, the Department of Justice announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Securities Attorney and Five Others Indicted for Conspiracy, Wire and Mail Fraud in Stock Manipulation Scheme

Six individuals, including a securities attorney, were charged in an indictment unsealed today with defrauding investors in a stock manipulation scheme from 2003 to 2008.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Office Manager of Los Angeles Medical Supply Business Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Medicare of More Than $6 Million in Wheelchair Scheme

The office manager of a Los Angeles durable medical equipment (DME) company pleaded guilty today to conspiring with her former church pastor to run a power wheelchair scheme that defrauded Medicare of more than $6 million, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Eleven Alleged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Members Charged for Roles in Assault

Eleven alleged members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been indicted for their alleged roles in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect in Tomball, Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Assistant Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security Breakfast

"It’s a pleasure to be here with you to talk about the work we’re doing in the Civil Division to promote and protect the Nation’s national security interests," said Assistant Attorney General West.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Memorial Service for Deputy U.S. Marshal Derek Hotsinpiller

"Although an unspeakable, and devastating, tragedy has unfortunately brought each of us here today, it is an extraordinary life that binds us together," said Attorney General Holder.




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Alaska-Based Company Pays U.S. More Than $1.5 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations

General Communication Inc. (GCI) has paid $1,556,075 to settle allegations that Alaska DigiTel LLC, a former Alaska limited liability company now owned by GCI, submitted false claims to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Low Income Support Program, the Justice Department announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Memorial Service for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime J. Zapata

"Agent Zapata’s story is one that we must not forget. And it’s one that we won’t. He was a hero in every sense of the word, a man whose acts of valor are a testament to what is best about our country and our national – and international – law enforcement community."




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Justice Department Sues Georgia Man to Stop Him from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

The United States has asked a federal court to stop Cecil Collier, who operates under the trade name “Cairo Fast Tax,” from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Statement of the Attorney General on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act

The Attorney General made a statement today about the Department’s course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and a woman.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Letter from the Attorney General to Congress on Litigation Involving the Defense of Marriage Act

The Attorney General sent the following letter today to Congressional leadership to inform them of the Department’s course of action in two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, challenging Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and a woman.



  • OPA Press Releases

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U.S. Sues Two California Lawyers & Kentucky Financial Professional to Block Nationwide Promotion of "Intermediary Transaction" Tax Shelter

The United States has sued two Southern California attorneys and a Kentucky financial professional to bar them from promoting an allegedly abusive tax shelter known as an “intermediary transaction.”



  • OPA Press Releases

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Liberian Shipping Company Sentenced to Pay $2.4 Million for Falsifying Oil Record Book and Lying to Cover up Illegal Discharges of Waste

Cardiff Marine Inc, a Liberian-registered shipping company, was sentenced today in federal court in Baltimore after pleading guilty to a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act’s Asbestos Work Practice Standards

John Bostick pleaded guilty today to conspiracy 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.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Shenandoah, Pa., Men Sentenced for the Fatal Beating of Luis Ramirez

Brandon Piekarsky, 19, and Derrick Donchak, 21, both of Shenandoah, Pa., were sentenced today to nine years in prison for the fatal beating of Luis Ramirez.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Cincinnati Area Return Preparer Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Preparing False Tax Returns

A former resident of Cincinnati was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Sandra S. Beckwith for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false client tax returns and for filing a false individual income return.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Circus President and Former Employee Plead Guilty to Violating Endangered Species Act for Unlawful Purchase and Sale of Asian Elephants

John Pugh, Wilbur Davenport, and Cole Brothers Circus Inc., entered plea agreements yesterday in U.S. District Court in Beaumont, Texas to resolve Endangered Species Act (ESA) violations related to the purchase and sale of two Asian elephants named “Tina” and “Jewel.”



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Duquesne University School of Law’s Centennial Anniversary

"For the last century, since the Holy Ghost Fathers founded this law school in 1911, Duquesne has stood as a force for progress – and as an institution dedicated to training highly skilled, ethical lawyers and to strengthening the effectiveness and integrity of our justice system."




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Former Treasurer of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Pleads Guilty to $1.9 Billion Fraud Scheme That Contributed to the Failure of Colonial Bank

Desiree Brown, the former treasurer of a private mortgage lending company, Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW), pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bank, wire and securities fraud for her role in a more than $1.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of Colonial Bank and TBW



  • OPA Press Releases

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Horizon Lines LLC Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Coastal Water Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico

Horizon Lines LLC has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $45 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the coastal water freight transportation industry.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Providing Material Support and Encouraging Violent Jihadists to Kill U.s. Citizens

Zachary Adam Chesser, 21, of Fairfax County, Va., was sentenced today to 25 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for communicating threats against the writers of the South Park television show, soliciting violent jihadists to desensitize law enforcement, and attempting to provide material support to Al-Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization.



  • OPA Press Releases

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South Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

Ruben Reyes, a South Florida resident, pleaded guilty today to one count of filing a false tax return.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Nigerian National Sentenced in North Carolina to 108 Months in Prison for Role in Advance Fee Fraud Scheme

Ugochukwu Enwerem, aka Joseph Smith, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, N.C., to 108 months in prison for his role in an advance-fee fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the New York Police Department Black History Month Celebration

"Each February – since Black History Month was established more than half a century ago – we rededicate ourselves to racial and social equality; to the work of ensuring economic opportunity; and to the values that have defined and strengthened our nation: tolerance; compassion; and – above all – justice."




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New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Engaging in a Child Exploitation Enterprise

Patrick Carney of Manchester, N.H., was sentenced today in the Western District of Pennsylvania to 15 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Mississippi Companies to Pay $2 Million for Selling Thousands of Engines from China That Failed to Meet Clean Air Act Standards

Mississippi-based PowerTrain Inc., Wood Sales Inc., and Tool Mart Inc., (collectively known as “PowerTrain”) will jointly pay a civil penalty of $2 million to resolve claims that the company imported and sold almost 80,000 nonroad engines and equipment that were not covered by emissions-related certificates of conformity, and in most cases could not be certified because they exceeded emissions standards under the Clean Air Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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California Man Convicted of Producing and Possessing Child Pornography

Edward Lee Sullivan, of Oakland, Calif., was convicted on Feb. 25, 2011, of one count of producing and one count of possessing child pornography.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Massachusetts Antique Dealer Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Illegally-Imported Narwhal Tusks and Sperm Whale Teeth

David L. Place, owner of Manor House Antiques Cooperative in Nantucket, Mass., was sentenced to 33 months in prison for illegally importing and trafficking in Narwhal tusks and Sperm Whale teeth.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Four Individuals Arrested for Armed Home Invasion Robbery in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania

FBI agents today arrested four people in connection with an armed home invasion robbery in Bartonsville, Penn.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to 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, pleaded guilty today to charges of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Testimony by Attorney General Eric Holder Before the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science

"Today, I come to you on behalf of my colleagues – the more than 117,000 dedicated men and women who serve our nation’s Justice Department in positions and offices all around the world. Above all, I come to you on behalf of my fellow citizens."