y Attorney General Holder Urges Changes in Federal Sentencing Guidelines to Reserve Harshest Penalties for Most Serious Drug Traffickers By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 09:21:06 EDT In testimony delivered before the U.S. Sentencing Commission Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder endorsed a proposed change to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines that would reserve the harshest penalties for the most serious drug offenders. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Maine Resident Sentenced for Engaging in Cyber “Sextortion” of New Hampshire Victim By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 12:21:39 EDT John Bryan Villegas, 23, of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced today in federal court in New Hampshire to serve 33 months in prison for engaging in a type of cyber stalking known as “sextortion.” Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Former Veterans Affairs Psychiatrist Sentenced for Medicare Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 12:28:25 EDT A licensed psychiatrist formerly employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison for falsely claiming to provide at-home services to Medicare beneficiaries. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Custom Furniture Builders Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:40:02 EDT George Despotopoulos and Steve Tepelidis pleaded guilty to tax evasion today in the District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Army Soldier Sentenced for Facilitating Thefts of Fuel in Afghanistan By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:08:57 EDT A U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison for his role in stealing fuel at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Fenty near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Two Former Officers at Roxbury Correctional Institution Sentenced for Conspiracy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:25:21 EDT Dustin Norris and Ryan Lohr, former officers at Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown, Md., were sentenced today for conspiring with other RCI officers on March 9, 2008, in connection with the assault of an inmate at the state prison, identified as K.D. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Construction Company Owner Convicted of Two Counts of Filing False Corporate Tax Returns By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:55:36 EDT The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today that construction company owner Tomas Olazabal, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y., was convicted of two counts of filing false corporate tax returns for his corporation, Tupac Construction Corporation. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Memorial Hospital in Ohio Pays Government $8.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:33:07 EDT Memorial Hospital (Memorial), an Ohio nonprofit corporation that operates an acute care hospital in Fremont, Ohio, has agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Statute by engaging in improper financial relationships with referring physicians. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Leader of Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Ring Sentenced to Jail By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 18:06:19 EDT Christopher Davis, of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced today to serve 60 months in prison, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Department of Justice’s National Women’s History Month Observance Program By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:12:00 EDT Every March, we pause to honor the extraordinary contributions and innumerable sacrifices that American women have made throughout our history – and that they continue to make today – in order to move our nation, and this Department, forward. Leaders like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Ada Kepley – the first woman to graduate from law school in the United States – have left indelible marks on the fabric of our country. Full Article Speech
y Ukrainian Businessman Arrested in Austria on U.S. International Corruption Conspiracy Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 17:25:00 EDT Dmitry Firtash, 48, a Ukrainian businessman, was arrested Wednesday by Austrian authorities in Vienna on a provisional arrest request based on charges filed in the Northern District of Illinois. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Alabama Pest Control Company and Its Owner Plead Guilty to Unlawful Application of Pesticides at Georgia Nursing Homes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 18:00:10 EDT Steven A. Murray, 54, of Pelham, Ala., and his company, Bio-Tech Management Inc., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Macon, Ga., to charges of conspiracy, unlawful use of pesticides, false statements and mail fraud in connection with the misapplication of pesticides in Georgia nursing homes. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the National Association of Women Judges Midyear Meeting and Leadership Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:41:24 EDT It is a pleasure to be with you today. And it’s an honor to join so many distinguished jurists, dedicated public servants, devoted members of the private bar, hardworking students, and good friends in discussing the challenges we face – and the opportunities now before us – to expand access to justice; to strengthen the rule of law; and to improve America’s legal system across the board – so we can move our nation closer to its founding ideals of equality, opportunity, and justice for all. Full Article Speech
y Justice Department Reaches Agreement in Principle with the New York City Fire Department Over Discriminatory Hiring Practices Resulting in $98 Million in Relief By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:49:00 EDT The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with the city of New York and intervening plaintiffs to settle an employment discrimination lawsuit involving the New York City Fire Department. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Member of FARC Terrorist Organization Pleads Guilty to Hostage-Taking Charges in 2003 Capture of U.S. Citizens By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 12:26:23 EDT Alexander Beltran Herrera, 37, a commander of the FARC terrorist organization, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to hostage-taking charges stemming from the 2003 kidnappings of three U.S. citizens in Colombia. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y American Family Care Inc. to Pay $1.2 Million to Settle Allegations of Inflated Medicare Claims By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 12:33:47 EDT American Family Care Inc. has agreed to pay the government $1.2 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that it knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for outpatient office visits that were billed at a higher rate than was appropriate. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Former Employee of Navy Contractor Pleads Guilty in International Navy Bribery Scandal By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:00:55 EDT Alex Wisidagama, a citizen of Singapore formerly employed by Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States for his role in a scheme to overbill the U.S. Navy for ship husbanding services. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y California Attorney Sentenced to Prison in Scheme to Hide Millions in Secret Swiss Accounts at UBS AG and Pictet & Cie By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:05:16 EDT California attorney Christopher M. Rusch was sentenced to serve 10 months in prison for helping his clients Stephen M. Kerr and Michael Quiel, both businessmen from Phoenix, hide millions of dollars in secret offshore bank accounts at UBS AG and Pictet & Cie in Switzerland, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Announces Criminal Charge Against Toyota Motor Corporation and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with $1.2 Billion Financial Penalty By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 08:34:15 EDT U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation Calvin L. Scovel, III, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Acting Administrator David Friedman, and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Joe Campbell announced a criminal wire fraud charge against Toyota Motor Corporation, an automotive company headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, that designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Tonawanda Coke and Manager Sentenced for Violating the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:22:07 EDT Tonawanda Coke Corporation was sentenced in federal court in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday to pay a $12.5 million penalty and $12.2 million in community service payments for criminal violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Webb County Commissioner Charged with Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Official Acts By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:48:31 EDT Kristopher Michael Montemayor, a county commissioner for Precinct 1 of the Webb County Commissioners Court in Texas, was arrested today on charges of bribery. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Marubeni Corporation Agrees to Plead Guilty to Foreign Bribery Charges and to Pay an $88 Million Fine By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:00:12 EDT Marubeni Corporation, a Japanese trading company involved in the handling of products and provision of services in a broad range of sectors around the world, including power generation, entered a plea of guilty today for its participation in a scheme to pay bribes to high-ranking government officials in Indonesia to secure a lucrative power project. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Eric Holder at the Press Conference Announcing Criminal Charge and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with Toyota Motor Corporation By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 08:36:04 EDT Today’s announcement underscores the fact that the Departments of Justice and Transportation remain firmly committed to protecting consumers, ensuring the safety of the American people, and combating fraud in all its forms. Full Article Speech
y Texas Chemical Plant Agrees to Cut Harmful Air Pollution in Overburdened Community By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:29:53 EDT The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Flint Hills Resources of Port Arthur has agreed to implement innovative technologies to control harmful air pollution from industrial flares and leaking equipment at the company’s chemical plant in Port Arthur, Texas. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Maryland Man Convicted in Violent Sex Trafficking Conspiracy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:35:15 EDT A federal jury convicted Jean Claude Roy, aka Dredd the Don and Dreddy, age 31, of Germantown, Md., late yesterday of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, three counts of interstate transportation for prostitution and witness and evidence tampering. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Massapequa, N.Y., Man Pleads Guilty to Rolling Back Odometers in Scheme That Defrauded Dozens of Car Buyers By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 17:48:09 EDT A Massapequa, N.Y., man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Allentown, Pa., to conspiracy to commit odometer tampering. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Florida Resident Sentenced in Connection with Fraudulent International Lottery Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 17:46:35 EDT Angela Althea Peart was sentenced in connection with her role in a fraudulent international lottery scheme that targeted U.S. citizens. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Acting Assistant Attorney Gerneral Mythili Raman Speaks at the Global Anti-corruption Compliance Congress By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:08:00 EDT Now more than ever, we are fighting global corruption on multiple fronts and in real time. We are going after corrupt individuals and corporations using all of the investigative and legal tools at our disposal. Full Article Speech
y Utah Construction Company to Pay Government to Settle Alleged False Claims in Connection with Program for Small and Disadvantaged Businesses By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:38:05 EDT Okland Construction Co. Inc. has agreed to pay the government $928,000 to resolve allegations that it made false statements and submitted false claims under the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Section 8(a) Program for Small and Disadvantaged Businesses. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Former President of Russian Steel Producer’s U.S. Subsidiary Indicted for Hiding Assets in Secret Swiss Bank Accounts By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 18:39:52 EDT Victor Lipukhin was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., for attempting to interfere with the administration of the internal revenue laws and filing false tax returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at J.O. Wilson Elementary School to Announce Findings from Expansive Survey of Student Discipline Practices at America’s Public Schools By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 10:51:47 EDT Schools must support children as they learn expectations about behavior and conduct. But a routine school discipline infraction should land a student in a principal’s office – not in a police precinct. Full Article Speech
y In New Step to Fight Recidivism, Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department to Require Federal Halfway Houses to Boost Treatment Services for Inmates Prior to Release By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 11:49:46 EDT In a new step to further the Justice Department’s efforts towards enhancing reentry among formerly incarcerated individuals, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Monday that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will impose new requirements on federal halfway houses that help inmates transition back into society. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Leader and Co-Conspirator of Android Mobile Device App Piracy Group Plead Guilty By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:59:36 EDT The leader of a piracy group engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications and a co-conspirator have pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme that distributed more than one million copies of copyrighted apps. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Southern California Man Found Guilty of Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft for Role in $1.5 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 17:17:28 EDT A Southern California man who ran a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company has been found guilty by a federal jury in Los Angeles for his role in a $1.5 million Medicare fraud scheme. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Con-Way Freight Inc. to Enforce Reemployment Rights of Temporarily Disabled Servicemember By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 18:00:20 EDT The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against Con-Way Freight Inc. alleging that the company violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks Announcing COPS Office Assistance to the San Diego Police Department By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 12:25:52 EDT That's why we are all gathered here this morning. Under the leadership of Attorney General Eric Holder, the U.S. Department of Justice has used a variety of tools to respond when law enforcement misconduct is uncovered. Those include everything from technical assistance provided by our Office of Justice Programs and our COPS Office to full-fledged enforcement actions by our Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney's Offices around the country, and everything in between. Full Article Speech
y Readout of Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer’s Meeting with International Competition Network Members By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 17:41:46 EDT Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today met with 35 international antitrust enforcement agencies and dozens of private antitrust practitioners in Washington, D.C. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y California Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Racially Motivated Assault on White Man and African-American Woman By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:44:37 EDT Billy James Hammett, 30, of Marysville, Calif., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to serve 87 months in prison for violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in a 2011 racially motivated attack against a white man and an African-American woman in Marysville. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Former Army National Guard Soldier Pleads Guilty in Connection with Bribery and Fraud Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Army National Guard Bureau By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 17:39:59 EDT Former Sergeant First Class Michael Rambaran, 51, of Pearland, Texas, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy, one count of bribery and one count of aggravated identity theft. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Queens, N.Y., Tax Return Preparer Indicted for Preparing False Tax Returns By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 18:25:27 EDT Williesteina Jacobs was indicted in the Eastern District of New York on March 21, 2014, and charged with 27 counts of aiding in the preparation of false returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today following her arrest. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Karol V. Mason Delivers Remarks at the 30th National Symposium on Child Abuse By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:53:46 EDT More funding will be available this year, and I am also pleased that President Obama’s budget request for next year includes $11 million for programs to support responses to child maltreatment. This funding will potentially provide critical operational assistance to child advocacy centers and valuable training and technical assistance that will further strengthen the multidisciplinary response to child abuse cases. Full Article Speech
y Statements by Attorney General Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General Carlin on Conviction of Sulaiman Abu Ghayth By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 12:42:06 EDT On Wednesday, a federal jury in Manhattan found Sulaiman Abu Ghayth, the son-in-law of Usama bin Laden and a senior member of al Qaeda, guilty on three counts, including conspiracy to kill Americans. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Minnesota Woman Pleads Guilty to Human Trafficking for Holding Victim in Forced Labor in Restaurant By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:54:21 EDT Tieu Tran, 59, of Mankato, Minn., pleaded guilty late yesterday to one count of forced labor trafficking in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Five Individuals Charged with Conspiring to Fraudulently Obtain Union Job for Organized Crime Underboss By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:35:49 EDT Five men have been charged in the Eastern District of New York with conspiring to defraud the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers’ Union (NMDU) and Hudson News newsstands to obtain a union card and employment at Hudson News newsstands for the son of the alleged underboss of the Colombo family. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Houston Man Charged with Threatening to Bomb Synagogues By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:48:47 EDT The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced today that a federal grand jury in Houston returned a six count indictment charging Dante Phearse, 33, with calling in bomb threats to two Houston synagogues, a municipal courthouse and a private business. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Delivers Remarks at the Community Relations Service Transgender Law Enforcement Training Launch By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:14:32 EDT The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to recommit ourselves to breaking the cycle of violence that affects far too many transgender Americans. Full Article Speech
y Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Community Relations Service Transgender Law Enforcement Training By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:23:40 EDT This training has been in the works for some time now. For the last several years, the Justice Department at various levels has engaged in a constructive dialogue, animated by common aspirations and common concerns, with LGBT leaders throughout the country. And one of the many ideas we’ve received finds its manifestation in today’s gathering: a transgender law enforcement cultural professionalism training. Full Article Speech
y Joint Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on the Declassification of Renewal of Collection Under Section 215 of the Usa Patriot Act (50 U.S.C. Sec. 1861)) By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 18:41:21 EDT “Earlier this year in a speech at the Department of Justice, President Obama announced a transition that would end the Section 215 bulk telephony metadata program as it existed, and that the government would establish a mechanism that preserves the capabilities we need without the government holding this bulk data," said Attorney General Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder on Federal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages in Michigan By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:28:57 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the status of same-sex marriages performed in the state of Michigan. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Antitrust Division Announces New Streamlined Procedure for Parties Seeking to Modify or Terminate Old Settlements and Litigated Judgments By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:20:31 EDT The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today announced a new streamlined procedure that will lower the costs and expedite the review process for parties seeking to modify or terminate old antitrust settlements and litigated judgments. Full Article OPA Press Releases