b

Five Individuals Indicted for Alleged Roles in Scheme to Defraud Program Providing Matching Funds Contributions to Non-Profit Organization

A 10-count federal indictment was unsealed today in the Eastern District of Virginia charging Stephen Bekale, Reynaldo “Christian” Villarroel, Maritza Villarroel, Irma DeMartini and Jamal Ibraheem with conspiring to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Tax Defendant Indicted for Filing False Liens for Billions of Dollars Against Federal Law Enforcement

Mark D. Leitner has been indicted by a grand jury in the Northern District of Florida for filing false liens against federal law enforcement, corruptly endeavoring to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service, and public disclosure of another’s Social Security number in the commission of illegal activity.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Alabama Doctor and Husband Charged with Tax Evasion

Donna Paul and her husband, William Paul, formerly of Montgomery, Ala., were indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with four counts of tax evasion for the tax years 2004 through 2007.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, Man Sentenced for Involvement in the Fatal Beating of Luis Ramirez

Colin Walsh, 19, of Shenandoah, Pa., was sentenced today to 55 months in prison for his role in the fatal beating of Luis Ramirez.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Justice Department Asks Court to Allow IRS to Seek HSBC India Bank Account Records

The United States is seeking an order from a federal court in San Francisco authorizing the IRS to request information from HSBC Bank USA, N.A. about U.S. residents who may be using accounts at The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in India (HSBC India) to evade federal income taxes.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Four Men and One Woman from Arkansas Indicted on Charges Stemming from the Firebombing of an Interracial Couple’s Home

Jason Barnwell, Gary Dodson,Jake Murphy and Dustin Hammond were indicted by a federal grand jury on civil rights charges and other federal charges stemming from their participation in an incident in January 2011 involving Molotov cocktails thrown at and into the home of a mixed-race couple living near Hardy, Ark.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Justice Department Files Lawsuit in Alaska Against Air Methods Corporation and LifeMed Alaska LLC to Enforce Employment Rights of Army National Guard Member

The Justice Department today announced that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Air Methods Corp. and LifeMed Alaska LLC willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by discriminating against and failing to reemploy Chief Warrant Officer Third Class Jonathon L. Goodwin of Wasilla, Alaska.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Speaks at the Department of Education’s Gender-Based Violence Summit

"Gender-based violence is an urgent criminal justice and safety issue that demands the full attention of not only the federal government but state, tribal, local and community partners if we are to be effective."




b

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week National Observance and Candlelight Ceremony

"Tonight, as we join together to commemorate this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, it is clear that we are also bound by our common goals, by our shared concerns, and by our collective resolve to do more to protect those at risk and in need – and to support every person, every family, and every community now struggling to overcome the devastating effects of crime."




b

Former Employee of U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Stealing Nearly $250,000

A former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., to 42 months in prison for stealing nearly $250,000 intended for the payment of shipping and customs services for the embassy.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Massachusetts Fish Packer Found Guilty of Falsely and Misleadingly Labeling Frozen Fish Fillets

Stephen C. Delaney, 55, of Quincy, Mass., was found guilty on April 8, 2011, by a federal jury in Boston of falsely labeling frozen fish fillets from China.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Virginia Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Plotting Attacks on D.C.-Area Metro Stations with People He Believed to Be Al-Qaeda Members

Farooque Ahmed, 35, of Ashburn, Va., was sentenced today to 23 years in prison, followed by 50 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to charges stemming from his attempts to assist others whom he believed to be members of al-Qaeda in planning bombings at Metrorail stations in the Washington, D.C., area.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Richmond, Virginia Businessman Pleads Guilty for Role in Investment Fraud Scheme Causing Millions in Losses

Julius Everett “Bud” Johnson, of Richmond, Va., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Richmond for his role in an investment scheme resulting in millions of dollars in losses.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

U.S. Army Contractor Pleads Guilty to Assault in Relation to Stabbing at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan

Sean T. Brehm, 44, of Capetown, South Africa, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Departments of Justice and Education Reach Agreement with Owatonna, Minn., Public Schools to Resolve Harassment Allegations

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, reached a settlement agreement with Independent School District #761 in Owatonna, Minn., to resolve an investigation into race and national origin harassment and disproportionate discipline of Somali-American students at Owatonna High School.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Shipping Conglomerate Pleads Guilty to Concealing Deliberate Pollution in “Magic Pipe” Case

Four corporations involved in owning and operating a fleet of vessels regularly visiting New Orleans pleaded guilty today and agreed to pay a $1 million penalty and be banned from doing business in the United States for the next five years under the terms of a proposed plea agreement.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Statement of Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism

"The department has organized itself to ensure that we are in a position to aggressively investigate and prosecute cyber crime wherever it occurs," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Weinstein.




b

Two New Orleans Police Officers Convicted on Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice Charges in Connection with the Beating Death of a Civilian

Two officers with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) have been convicted of civil rights and obstruction of justice crimes in connection with the beating death of civilian Raymond Robair in July 2005, and a subsequent cover-up.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the Berkeley County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office for Violating the First Amendment and Inmate’s Right to Practice His Religion

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the Berkeley County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Wayne DeWitt for violating the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Department of Justice Takes Action to Disable International Botnet

Today the Department of Justice and FBI announced the filing of a civil complaint, the execution of criminal seizure warrants, and the issuance of a temporary restraining order as part of the most complete and comprehensive enforcement action ever taken by U.S authorities to disable an international botnet.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

U.S. Court Bars California Man from Selling or Administering Pension and Employee Welfare-Benefit Plans

A federal court in Los Angeles has permanently barred William Alexander of Pasadena, Calif., and his two companies, Retirement Plan Services Inc. and Lyons Pensions Inc., from selling or administering pension plans or employee welfare-benefit plans.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Federal Court Permanently Bars Texas Man from Operating Businesses Because of Unpaid Payroll Taxes

A federal court in Dallas has barred Arthur Piner Grider III from operating businesses under any name.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Former Pharmaceutical Company Lawyer Charged with Obstruction and Making False Statements

The new indictment identifies GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) as Lauren Stevens’ employer at the time of the alleged obstruction and false statements.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Newspaper Publisher Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement to Congress

Karl B. Rodney, the chief executive officer of the Carib News Foundation and publisher of Carib News, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to making a false statement to the U.S. House of Representatives.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Massachusetts Man Convicted for Burning African-American Church

Michael Jacques, 26, of Springfield, Mass., was found guilty by a federal jury of three crimes related to the burning of a predominantly African-American church in Springfield on the morning after Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American President of the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

CVS Pharmacy Inc. Agrees to Pay $17.5 Million to Resolve False Prescription Billing Case

CVS Pharmacy Inc., the retail pharmacy division of CVS Caremark Corporation that operates more than 7,000 retail pharmacies in 41 states and the District of Columbia, has agreed to pay the United States and 10 states $17.5 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Balkans Justice Ministerial

"As we gather this week, this commitment has never been more important – especially in our collective efforts to prevent and combat corruption on a global scale."




b

Federal Court Bars Philadelphia Tax Firm and Ownerfrom Claiming First-Time-Homebuyer Tax Credit for Customers

A federal court has barred a Philadelphia tax preparation firm and its owner from preparing federal tax returns claiming first-time-homebuyer tax credits and tax deductions for certain expenses.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Former Chairman of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Convicted for $2.9 Billion Fraud Scheme That Contributed to the Failure of Colonial Bank

Lee Bentley Farkas, the former chairman of a private mortgage lending company, Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW), was convicted today for his role in a more than $2.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of Colonial Bank, one of the 25 largest banks in the United States in 2009, and TBW, one of the largest privately held mortgage lending companies in the United States in 2009.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Alleged Member of the Almighty Latin Kings and Queen Nation Charged in Hammond, Ind., with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders

An additional alleged member of the Almighty Latin Kings and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) has been indicted for his alleged role in a racketeering conspiracy in Hammond, Ind., and elsewhere.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Federal Court Permanently Bars San Antonio Man from Preparing Tax Returns

A federal court has barred Eddie Madrigal of San Antonio and his business, Madrigal Tax Express Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Michigan Woman Pleads Guilty to Selling More Than $400,000 in Counterfeit Business Software

A Michigan woman pleaded guilty today to selling more than $400,000 worth of counterfeit computer software.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Jefferson County, Texas, Drainage District Number Seven on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Jefferson County, Texas, Drainage District Number Seven on the terms of a consent decree filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Los Angeles-Area Man Pleads Guilty to Establishing Fraudulent Medical Clinics and Using Stolen Doctor Identities to Defraud Medicare of up to $13.6 Million

A Los Angeles-area man pleaded guilty today to establishing fraudulent medical clinics and using stolen identities of physicians to defraud Medicare of up to $13.7 million.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Natural Resource Trustees for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Announce $1 Billion Agreement to Fund Early Gulf Coast Restoration Projects

Under an unprecedented agreement announced today by the Natural Resource Trustees for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, BP has agreed to provide $1 billion toward early restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico to address injuries to natural resources caused by the spill.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Ohio-Based Cardinal Health Inc. to Pay U.S. $8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Cardinal Health Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $8 million to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by making payments to induce referral orders for its prescription drugs in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Former Texas Correctional Officer Sentenced on Conviction Arising from Inmate Beating and Subsequent Cover-Up

A former Bexar County Sherriff’s Office Deputy was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia to 27 months in prison for depriving a man of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force and for obstructing justice.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

District of Columbia Attorney and Investigators Indicted for Alleged Roles in Scheme to Obstruct Justice in Criminal Case

A seven-count federal indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia charging a Washington, D.C., criminal defense attorney and two criminal investigators for their alleged roles in a scheme to obstruct an ongoing criminal case, including, among other things, manufacturing evidence and tampering with a witness.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Colville, Wash., Man Indicted for Federal Hate Crime in Attempted Bombing of the MLK Unity March

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Washington has returned a superseding indictment charging Kevin Harpham, 36, of Colville, Wash., with federal hate crime and weapons violations arising out of the attempted bombing of the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March in Spokane, Wash., on Jan. 17, 2011.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Eric Bernard Caldwell, a resident of Montgomery County, Ala., pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

New York Broker Pleads Guilty in International Stock Fraud Scheme

A New York stock broker has pleaded guilty in federal court in Detroit to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud in connection with the Alan Ralsky spamming organization’s stock pump-and-dump scheme/



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Alabama Businessman Pleads Guilty in Wide-Ranging Conspiracy to Influence and Corrupt Votes Related to Electronic Bingo Legislation

An Alabama businessman pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Wallace Capel Jr. to his role in conspiring to bribe legislators in exchange for their favorable votes on pro-gambling legislation.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks About the Department of Justice’s Priorities and Mission

"Boundless, too, are the opportunities now before us. So, today, as we look toward the future, we will take action in four key areas to fulfill one core mission: protecting the American people. These priorities will allow us to build on the record of success that we’ve established, and they will guide our future efforts."




b

Justice Department Reaches ADA Settlement to Make Law School Application Processes Accessible to Blind Applicants

The Justice Department announced today its participation in two related settlement agreements involving the accessibility of the Law School Admission Council’s online application service, which is used by law schools nationwide for their application processes.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Federal Court Bars Chicago Woman from Preparing Federal Tax Returns

A federal court has permanently barred Rita Augustus from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Baton Rouge, La., Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Aiding in Preparation of False Tax Returns

Cynthia Peters was sentenced to 27 months in prison based on her plea of guilty to one count of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false income tax return.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Oakland, California, Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Causing the Submission of $1.2 Million in False Power Wheelchair Claims to Medicare

An Oakland, Calif., woman was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for her role in a scam to bill Medicare for more than $1.2 million in claims for expensive, high-end power wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment (DME) that were not medically necessary.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Federal Jury Finds That Massachusetts Cranberry Growers’ Filling Wetlands Was Subject to Clean Water Act

A federal jury this week found that the Clean Water Act applied to the filling of wetlands and other waters at two properties in Carver, Mass., owned by Charles Johnson, Genelda Johnson, Francis Vaner Johnson, and Johnson Cranberries Limited Partnership.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

North Carolina Bank Agrees to Pay $400,000 in Restitution to Victims of Investment Fraud Scheme It Failed to Detect and Report

CommunityONE Bank N.A. with 45 offices throughout the state has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice related to its failure to file a suspicious activity report and maintain an effective anti-money laundering program.



  • OPA Press Releases

b

Assistant Attorney General Tony West Speaks at American Bar Association Day at the University of Chicago Law School

"Protecting the safety and security of the American people; protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud; and protecting consumers from financial fraud and other health and safety threats – these imperatives have driven the Civil Division’s work over the last two years, and, as Attorney General Edward Levi reminded us almost 40 years ago, “the agenda of the Justice Department is inevitably unfinished,” these priorities guide us still as we continue to tackle new challenges."