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Chief Engineer Pleads Guilty in Maryland to Obstructing Investigation into the Illegal Overboard Discharge of Oily Waste

Dimitrios Grifakis, 57, of Kallithea, Greece, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Baltimore to obstructing a Coast Guard inspection that took place aboard the M/V Capitola from May 3 to May 11, 2010.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Harvard School of Public Health Event

"No matter your area of interest or expertise, this issue is at the forefront of the goals that we share. For me, protecting the health and safety of our children has been both a personal and professional concern for decades."




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Former Tax Planning Firm Executive Sentenced in Salt Lake City for Tax Offense

Patrick Merrill Brody was sentenced on May 6, 2011, to 10 months of prison, 12 months of supervised release and ordered to pay the costs of prosecution for willfully failing to file a federal income tax return for 2001



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Uzbek Man Sentenced for Role in Multi-National Racketeering and Forced Labor Enterprise

Abrorkhodja Askarkhodjaev was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $172,000 in restitution to the foreign worker fraud and forced labor victims in addition to restitution for harm caused by other aspects of the criminal enterprise.



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Shell Oil Companies to Pay $2.2 Million to Resolve Allegations of Royalty Underpayments from Federal Lands

Shell Oil Company and other Shell affiliates have agreed to pay the United States $2.2 million to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal leases.



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Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Challenging George’s Inc.’s Acquisition of Tyson Foods Inc.’s Harrisonburg, Va., Poultry Processing Complex

The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today challenging George’s Inc.’s acquisition of Tyson Foods’ Harrisonburg, Va., chicken processing complex.



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Two Arkansas Men Plead Guilty to Firebombing an Interracial Couple’s Home

Two Arkansas men pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, Ark., to charges related to their involvement in the firebombing of the house of an interracial couple.



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Former U.S. Army Major Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge Related to Contracts Supporting Iraq War

A retired major in the U.S. Army pleaded guilty today in San Antonio to accepting $400,000 from a contractor following his deployment to Kuwait.



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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty for Cross Burning

Michael Duane Bracken, of Bolivar, Penn., pleaded guilty today to a charge related to the burning of a cross in the yard of a mixed race family in November 2009.



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Justice Department Sues to Halt “Sham Cemetery” Tax Scams

The government has filed a civil injunction lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., against Michael A. Strauss of Herndon, Va.; his son, Patrick B. Strauss, of Washington, D.C.; and Joseph C. Barreiro of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.



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Brooklyn Physical Therapist Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme Involving False Billings to Medicare

A Brooklyn physical therapist pleaded guilty today for his role in submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for physical therapy services that were medically unnecessary and never provided.



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Former CFO of National Auto Parts Retailer Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Manipulate Corporate Earnings

Don W. Watson, former chief financial officer (CFO) of CSK Auto Corp. (CSK), pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to conspiracy to commit securities and mail fraud in connection with a scheme to misstate the company’s reported earnings from 2001 through 2006.



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Former Kershaw County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department Officer Sentenced for Assaulting a Handcuffed Arrestee

Oddie Tribble, 51, a former deputy sheriff with the Kershaw County, S.C., Sherriff’s Office, was sentenced to 63 month in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie for using excessive force on a man in his custody on Aug. 5, 2010.



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Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime Related to the Assault of Five Hispanic Men

The Justice Department announced today that Sean Popejoy, 19, of Green Forest, Ark., pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of committing a federal hate crime and one count of conspiring to commit a federal hate crime.



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Tenaris S.A. Agrees to Pay $3.5 Million Criminal Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Tenaris S.A., a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Luxembourg, has agreed to pay a $3.5 million penalty for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and has entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice.



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Houston Medical Equipment Company Owner Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud Scheme Involving More Than $2 Million in False Billings

The owner of a Houston-area durable medical equipment (DME) company was sentenced to 84 months in prison for her role in a Medicare fraud scheme.



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Texas Egg Producer Will Pay $1.9 Million Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations

Mahard Egg Farm Inc., a Texas corporation operating in both Texas and Oklahoma, has agreed to pay a $1.9 million penalty to resolve claims that the company failed to comply with the Clean Water Act at its egg production facilities.



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Former Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Financial Assistance Funds Intended for Service Members

A former civilian employee of the Department of Defense pleaded guilty today in Columbus, Ga., to conversion of Army Emergency Relief (AER) funds while he was employed at Camp Humphreys in the Republic of Korea.



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Former CEO of U.S. Telecommunications Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Conspiracy

Jorge Granados, the former chief executive officer of Miami-based telecommunications company Latin Node Inc. (LatiNode), pleaded guilty today to conspiring to pay bribes to government officials in Honduras.



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Arkansas Jury Finds Man Guilty of Federal Hate Crime Related to the Assault of Five Hispanic Men

Frankie Maybee, 20, of Green Forest, Ark., was convicted today by a federal jury today of five counts of committing a federal hate crime and one count of conspiring to commit a federal hate crime.



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Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Price-Fixing and Bid-Rigging Conspiracies

An Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty to participating in three separate conspiracies to fix prices and/or rig bids for the sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering Charges

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) prison-based gang pleaded guilty today in federal court to racketeering aggravated assault in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect in Tomball, Texas.



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Miami-Area Owners and Operators of Medical Equipment Company Plead Guilty to Medicare Fraud

Two Miami-area residents who were owners and operators of a durable medical equipment (DME) company, pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare.



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Jenkens & Gilchrist Attorneys, Former BDO Seidman CEO and Deutsche Bank Broker Found Guilty in New York of Multi-Billion Dollar Criminal Tax Fraud Scheme

Paul M. Daugerdas, Donna M. Guerin, Denis M. Field and David Parse were convicted today in Manhattan federal court for their roles in a tax shelter scheme in which they designed, marketed and implemented fraudulent tax shelters used by wealthy individuals to avoid paying taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.



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Former Nasdaq Executive Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading

A former managing director of the NASDAQ Stock Market pleaded guilty today for his participation in an insider trading scheme in which he purchased and sold stock in NASDAQ-listed companies based on material, non-public information he obtained in his capacity as a NASDAQ executive.



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EVA Airways Corporation Agrees to Plead Guilty and to Pay $13.2 Million Fine for Price Fixing on Air Cargo Shipments

EVA Airways Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $13.2 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the air cargo industry.



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Vice President of Fraudulent Physical Therapy Company Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud

A Miami-area resident who was an owner and vice-president of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla., pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.



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Florida and Arkansas Residents Charged for Involvement in Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme

Laura Barel of Lauderhill, Fla., has been charged with one count of filing a false claim and two counts of aiding and abetting the filing of a false claim.



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Pittsburgh Crips Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Charges

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges of conspiring to conduct a racketeering enterprise related to his membership in a Pittsburgh Crips criminal enterprise.



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Pasadena, Texas, Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Murder Scheme

A Pasadena, Texas, man pleaded guilty today to charges related to a homicide that took place in Atascosa County, Texas, in May 2008.



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Two New Jersey Dietary Supplement Companies and Their Principals Found Guilty of Criminal Contempt

A Trenton, N.J., jury Wednesday found Paterson, N.J.-based dietary supplement companies Quality Formulation Laboratories Inc. and American Sports Nutrition Inc., as well as their owner, Mohamed S. Desoky, and managers Ahmad Desoky Esq. and Omar Desoky, guilty of multiple counts of criminal contempt of court for violating a consent decree.



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Former Owner of Illinois Technology Companies Pleads Guilty in Multi-State Scheme to Defraud the Federal E-Rate Program

A former owner of two Illinois-based technology companies has pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the federal E-Rate program by providing bribes and kickbacks to school officials in Arkansas, Illinois and Louisiana.



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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Three Counts of Production of Child Pornography

Wesley William Brandt, 46, of Davenport, Fla., pleaded guilty today to three counts of production of child pornography.



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Project Safe Childhood Operation Announced Following Indiana Man’s Guilty Plea to Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses

David R. Bostic, of Bloomington, Ind., pleaded guilty today to multiple charges of sexual exploitation of children relating to his participation in an international conspiracy to sexually exploit children through the trading of child pornography.



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Cincinnati Man Pleads Guilty to Selling More Than $1 Million in Counterfeit Tax Preparation Software

A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty yesterday to selling more than $1 million worth of counterfeit financial and tax preparation software through an Internet auction site.



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North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charge

Zakariya Boyd, aka “Zak,” pleaded guilty today in federal court in New Bern, N.C., to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.



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California Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Liens Against Federal Employees

Thanh Viet Jeremy Cao of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., pleaded guilty today in Las Vegas before Judge Kent J. Dawson to six counts of filing false liens against employees and officers of the federal government.



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Ship Operator Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Pollution from Cargo Ship Traveling to Corpus Christi, Texas

A ship management company headquartered in Greece that operated a 29,414 - ton cargo ship that made calls in multiple ports in Texas pleaded guilty and was sentenced late yesterday in federal court in Corpus Christi for deliberately concealing pollution discharges from the ship directly into the sea and for failing to notify the U. S. Coast Guard of numerous safety hazards on board the vessel.



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Foreign National Pleads Guilty for Role in International Money Laundering Scheme Involving $1.4 Million in Losses to Victims

A Romanian national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia for leading a money laundering network for a transnational criminal group based in Eastern Europe.



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U.S. Subsidiary of Belgian Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Off-Label Promotion; Company to Pay More Than $34 Million

The U.S. subsidiary of Belgian pharmaceutical manufacturer UCB SA. pleaded guilty today to the off-label promotion of its epilepsy drug Keppra and will pay more than $34 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising out of its illegal conduct.



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Tahawwur Rana Guilty of Providing Material Support to Terror Group and Playing Supporting Role in Denmark Terror Conspiracy

A Pakistani native who operated a Chicago-based immigration business was convicted today of participating in conspiracy involving a terrorism plot against a Danish newspaper and providing material support to a terrorist organization based in Pakistan.



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Former NSA Senior Executive Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Access of Government Computer

Former National Security Agency (NSA) senior executive Thomas A. Drake pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to a one-count criminal information charging him with unauthorized access of an NSA computer.



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Two Officers of Fraudulent Physical Therapy Company Plead Guilty in Tampa, Fla., to Medicare Fraud

Two Miami-area residents who were officers of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla., pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare.



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Former U.S. Army Major Pleads Guilty to Bribery Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

A former U.S. Army major pleaded guilty today to bribery related to his work as a contracting officer’s representative in Kuwait from 2004 to 2006.



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Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Honolulu in Connection with Human Trafficking Scheme That Exploited 600 Thai Workers

Bruce Schwartz, 53, Sam Wongsesanit, 40, and Shane Germann, 42, have pleaded guilty to human trafficking violations involving the Los Angeles based recruiting company Global Horizons.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Montgomery, Alabama, Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Tax Fraud and Identity Theft Conspiracy

Laquanta Grant, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to file false claims for refunds.



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Swift Beef Company to Pay $1.3 Million Penalty for Clean Water Act and State Law Violations at Its Grand Island, Nebraska Beef Processing Plant

Swift Beef Company, a subsidiary of JBS S.A, the world’s largest beef producer, has agreed to pay $1.3 million to the United States and state of Nebraska to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Nebraska state law at its Grand Island, Neb., beef processing plant.



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Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services Highlight Joint Efforts to Combat Health Care Fraud in Philadelphia

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited Philadelphia today where they participated in the sixth regional health care fraud prevention summit.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Health Care Fraud Summit in Philadelphia

"By coming together, we’re signaling – to the citizens we serve and to those who would threaten the strength of our health care system – that a new era of communication and cooperation has begun, and that this Administration’s commitment to fighting health care fraud has never been stronger."




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Anadarko and Kerr-Mcgee to Pay More Than $17 Million to Resolve Allegations of Royalty Underpayments from Federal and Indian Lands

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Kerr-McGee Corporation and their affiliates have agreed to pay the United States more than $17 million to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, and numerous additional administrative claims.



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