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Virginia Real Estate Businessman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Mortgage and Investment Fraud Schemes

Alexander Otis Matthews, a Virginia real estate businessman, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison in connection with mortgage and investment schemes to obtain more than $12 million in fraudulent loans.



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Former Colombian Maritime Training Instructor and Co-Conspirator Sentenced to Prison on U.S. Drug Charges

A former Colombian maritime training instructor and a co-conspirator were sentenced to federal prison today for conspiring to transport thousands of kilograms of cocaine from various ports along the coast of Colombia to waiting vessels that transported the cocaine to the United States and other countries.



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Florida Man Sentenced for Filing False Liens Against Federal Law Enforcement Employees

Mark D. Leitner was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty in July to filing false liens against federal law enforcement employees and corruptly endeavoring to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Truman, Minnesota, to Protect the Employment Rights of U.S. Army Reservist

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today on behalf of Michael Schutz, a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, against the city of Truman, Minn.



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Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc. Agrees to Plead Guilty to Participating in Bid-Rigging and Price-Fixing Conspiracies Involving Optical Disk Drives

Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc. has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $21.1 million criminal fine for its participation in a series of conspiracies to rig bids and fix prices for the sale of optical disk drives.



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Justice Department Requires Morgan Stanley to Disgorge $4.8 Million in Profits from Anticompetitive Agreement

The Department of Justice today reached a settlement with Morgan Stanley that requires Morgan to pay $4.8 million for violating the antitrust laws by entering into an agreement with KeySpan Corporation that restrained competition in the New York City electricity capacity market.



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Cleanup Agreement Reached at Former Uranium Mine on Spokane Indian Reservation in Northeastern Washington

A settlement agreement has been reached for the cleanup of the Midnite Mine Superfund Site, located on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Northeastern Washington.



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Two California Real Estate Investors Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Two California real estate investors have agreed to plead guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids and to commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



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Japanese Freight Forwarding Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Criminal Price-Fixing Charge

A Japanese freight forwarder has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $1.84 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix certain fees in connection with the provision of freight forwarding services for air cargo shipments from Japan to the United States.



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Harris County, Texas, Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement to FBI; Real Estate Developer Pleads Guilty to False Tax Statement

Harris County Commissioner Gerald R. Eversole and Houston-based real estate developer Michael D. Surface both pleaded guilty today in federal court in Houston to making false statements.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with C&F Mortgage Corporation to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today that C&F Mortgage Corporation of Midlothian, Va., will revise its pricing policies, conduct employee training and pay $140,000 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin.



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Eight California Residents Indicted for Their Roles in Scheme Claiming More Than $19 Million in Fraudulent Tax Refunds

Osman Norales, Genaro De La Fuente, Francisco Ramirez and Ulises Linares were indicted on charges of conspiring to defraud the United States.



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Louisiana-Based LHC Group Inc. Agrees to Pay U.S. $65 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

LHC Group Inc. has agreed to pay $65 million, plus interest, to the federal government to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act for false home healthcare billings to the Medicare, TRICARE and Federal Employees Health Benefits programs.



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Department of Justice and Partner Agencies Announce Training and Technical Assistance Award to Build Capacity in Distressed Neighborhoods

The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), together with its partners, the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Education, Health and Human Services and Treasury, today announced the selection of the Center for the Study of Social Policy as the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP) Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against California Healthcare Provider Alleging Discrimination

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Generations Healthcare, a healthcare provider with skilled nursing facilities throughout California, alleging that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination by imposing unnecessary documentary requirements on naturalized U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens in order to work in the U.S.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Housing Discrimination at Salem, Oregon, Apartment Complex

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the developers, builders and designers of the Gateway Village Apartments, a 275-unit apartment complex in Salem, Ore., for violations of the Fair Housing Act.



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Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum Announces Opening of September 11th Victim Compensation Fund

September 11th Victim Compensa¬tion Fund (VCF) Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum today announced that the fund is officially open for claimants.



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Montgomery, Alabama, Woman Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen Identities to Obtain Tax Refunds

Melinda Clayton of Montgomery, Ala., pleaded guilty today to charges of conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false claims, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.



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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down New Jersey Tax Preparer

The United States has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop Luvander Hollaway from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with James City County, Virginia, on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department filed a consent decree today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after reaching an agreement with James City County, Va., that will allow for the county’s bailout from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of Voting Rights Act.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the City of Williamsburg, Virginia, on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department filed a consent decree today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after reaching an agreement with the city of Williamsburg, Va., that will allow for the city’s bailout from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of Voting Rights Act.



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Justice Department Prevails in Three Tax Shelter Cases on Same Day

Three federal courts have issued decisions in favor of the United States in three separate cases involving abusive tax shelters.



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Danfoss Group Subsidiary Agrees to Plead Guilty for Role in Price-Fixing Conspiracy Involving Refrigerant Compressors

Danfoss Flensburg GmbH has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $3 million criminal fine for its role in an international conspiracy to fix the prices of light commercial compressors.



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Justice Department Announces More Than $130 Million in Cost Saving and Efficiency Measures to Utilize Resources More Effectively

As part of Attorney General Eric Holder’s call for cost-cutting measures to streamline operations and reduce spending during a time of constrained funding, the Department of Justice today announced that it will realign functions in various offices, lower lease costs by consolidating or reducing office space and continue to look for ways to more effectively utilize the department’s resources.



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Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Prison in Delaware for Child Exploitation Offenses

Paul Edward Pavulak, 67, of New Castle, Del., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson in Wilmington, Del.



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Oracle Agrees to Pay U.S. $199.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit

Oracle Corp. and Oracle America Inc. have agreed to pay $199.5 million plus interest for failing to meet their contractual obligations to the General Services Administration.



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State Department Employee Indicted on Domestic Battery Charges for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

Michael Makalou, a State Department employee, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm.



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New York Resident and His Company Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Export Computer-Related Equipment to Iran

Jeng “Jay” Shih and Sunrise Technologies and Trading Corporation pleaded guilty today in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to illegally export U.S.-origin computers from the United States to Iran through the United Arab Emirates.



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Justice Department Announces Agreement with Lorain County, Ohio, on Protecting the Rights of Spanish-Speaking Puerto Rican Voters

The Justice Department announced a settlement today with Lorain County, Ohio, to protect the rights of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican voters under Section 4(e) of the Voting Rights Act.



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Former Hickman County, Tennessee, Deputy Sheriff Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Civil Rights and False Statement Charges

Former Hickman County Deputy Sheriff Kenneth H. Smith was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Todd J. Campbell to 24 months in prison for civil rights and false statement charges.



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Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the Annual National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE) Executives Dinner

"Your service is essential in helping the Justice Department fulfill its most fundamental mission: to protect the American people – from terrorism and violent crime, from fraud and abuse, and from those who would take advantage of the most vulnerable among us," said Attorney General Holder.




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Two Men Charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States

Two individuals have been charged in New York for their alleged participation in a plot directed by elements of the Iranian government to murder the Saudi Ambassador to the United States with explosives while the Ambassador was in the United States.



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Pennsylvania Man Convicted of Tax Crimes

Dennis Glick of Huntington Valley, Penn., was found guilty today by a federal jury in Philadelphia of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue laws and willfully preparing false tax returns.



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Justice Department Statement on US Airways/Delta Airlines Acquisition of Slots at Washington's Reagan National and New York's Laguardia Airports

The Department of Justice issued a statement today after the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued its order involving US Airways’ and Delta Airlines’ acquisition of slots at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport and New York’s LaGuardia Airport.



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Attorney General Holder Holds National Security Enforcement Press Conference

"Today, the Department of Justice is announcing charges against two people who allegedly attempted to carry out a deadly plot that was directed by factions of the Iranian government to assassinate a foreign ambassador here in the United States," said Attorney General Holder.




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Husband and Wife Indicted for Investment Fraud Scheme

John Robert Graves, 52, and Sara Turberville Graves, 44, both of Fredericksburg, Va., are charged in the Eastern District of Virginia with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud.



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Virginia Man Accused of Acting as Unregistered Agent of Syrian Government and Spying on Syrian Protestors in America

Mohamad Anas Haitham Soueid, 47, a resident of Leesburg, Va., has been charged for his alleged role in a conspiracy to collect video and audio recordings and other information about individuals in the United States and Syria who were protesting the government of Syria and to provide these materials to Syrian intelligence agencies in order to silence, intimidate and potentially harm the protestors.



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Oil Company Pleads Guilty to Clean Air Act and Obstruction of Justice Crimes in Louisiana

Pelican Refining Company LLC, pleaded guilty today to felony violations of the Clean Air Act and to obstruction of justice charges in federal court in Lafayette, La.



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Florida Couple and Utah Man Indicted for Alleged Roles in Procurement Fraud Scheme Involving Foreign Military Materials

Three individuals were charged in an indictment returned today by a federal grand jury in Utah for their alleged roles in a bribery and fraud scheme involving federal procurement contracts.



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United States Files Suit to Stop Florida Woman from Promoting Form 1099-OID Tax Fraud Scheme

The United States has sued Judy Grace Sellers to bar her from promoting an alleged scheme involving fraudulent tax refund claims.



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Department of Justice Announces the Defending Childhood Task Force

Today at the national conference of the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli announced the establishment of the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence.



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Justice Department Settles Religious Discrimination Lawsuit Against Berkeley School District in Illinois

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a consent decree with the Board of Education of Berkeley School District 87 in Berkeley, Ill. that, if approved by the court, will resolve a religious accommodations lawsuit filed in December 2010.



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United States and European Union Antitrust Agencies Issue Revised Best Practices for Coordinating Merger Reviews

The Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the European Commission today issued an updated set of “best practices” that they use to coordinate their merger reviews.



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Montgomery, Alabama, Woman Pleads Guilty to Two Tax Fraud and Identity Theft Conspiracies

Veronica Dale, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., pleaded guilty today to two tax fraud and identity theft conspiracies.



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Former Owner of Airline Services Company Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Illinois-Based Ryan International Airlines

A former owner and operator of a Florida-based airline services company pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Fla., to participating in a kickback scheme to defraud Ryan International Airlines.



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South Florida Corrections Officers Convicted of Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction Charges

A federal jury in Miami convicted South Florida Reception Center (SFRC) Corrections Officers Alexander McQueen, 30, and Steven Dawkins, 30, of offenses related to the violation of civil rights of inmates at SFRC.



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Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Economic Espionage and Theft of Trade Secrets

Kexue Huang, a Chinese national and a former resident of Carmel, Ind., pleaded guilty today to one count of economic espionage to benefit a component of the Chinese government and one count of theft of trade secrets.



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FDA Chemist Pleads Guilty to Using Insider Information to Trade on Pharmaceutical Stocks Resulting in Almost $4 Million in Profits

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chemist pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow in the District of Maryland to one count of securities fraud and one count of making false statements, related to a $3.7 million insider trading scheme that spanned nearly five years.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Anti-Abortion Protestor for Face Act Violations in Colorado

The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado has ordered that Jo Ann Scott be permanently enjoined from using force, threat of force or physically obstructing any person because that person is or has been obtaining or providing reproductive health services.



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Micronesian Couple Sentenced in State of Washington in Connection with Human Trafficking Violations

Edk Kenit, 28, and Choimina Lukas, 30, a Micronesian couple living in Longview, Wash., were sentenced today for their roles in a scheme to compel the labor of an 18-year-old woman, also from Micronesia.



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