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.

"One of the Department of Justice’s core missions is protecting the privacy of Americans and prosecuting criminals who violate that privacy," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Weinstein.

A federal court has permanently barred Atlanta-area financial planner T. Michael Haney from promoting the use of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Forms 1099-OID to support false tax withholdings.

As a result of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s efforts in the Microsoft case and final judgment, the competitive landscape changed allowing the marketplace to operate in a fair and open manner bringing about increased innovation and more choices for consumers.

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.

Gregory Britt Fleming was sentenced today in connection with a series of Costa Rica-based business opportunity fraud ventures.

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.

Phillip A. Hamilton, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, today was convicted by a jury in Richmond, Va., of soliciting employees of Old Dominion University (ODU) for a paid position at the same time he was introducing legislation to fund the position.

Douglas L. Wright, 41, of North Chelmsford, Mass., was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for transportation and possession of child pornography.

The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today to block the proposed acquisition by VeriFone Systems Inc. of Hypercom Corp.

A former employee of two Massachusetts-based customer relationship management agencies that purchase direct mail advertising services was sentenced today for participating in fraud conspiracies and committing tax evasion relating to his receipt of more than $1.8 million in kickbacks.

"IP crime is a serious threat. It jeopardizes the health and safety of consumers. It stifles creativity. And it has a negative effect on the American economy. Attorney General Holder and I and other leaders in the Justice Department are 100 percent committed to aggressive IP enforcement. And we want and need you to work with us in this fight. We face real challenges in this area. But we have taken significant strides in the last two years, and I look forward to expanding on those efforts in the months and years ahead."

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor municipal elections on May 14, 2011, in Galveston, Jefferson, Liberty, Medina and San Patricio Counties in Texas to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

A federal court has permanently barred Houston-area tax preparers Christopher Helton and Marcia Johnson from preparing federal tax returns for others.

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.

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.

Six individuals located in South Florida and Pakistan have been indicted in the Southern District of Florida on charges of providing financing and other material support to the Pakistani Taliban, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

The NASDAQ OMX Group Inc. and IntercontinentalExchange Inc. abandoned their joint bid to acquire NYSE Euronext after the Department of Justice informed the companies that it would file an antitrust lawsuit to block the deal.

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.

The Justice Department today announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with intercity bus service providers Megabus USA LLC., and Megabus Northeast LLC.

The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona, resolving allegations that the district engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against non-citizens in the hiring and employment-eligibility verification process.

"The 21st-century threats we now face – to both our national and economic security – have no precedent. They know no borders. And they demand – not only our constant attention, but also a comprehensive, collaborative, and well-coordinated response."

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.

Department of Justice Antitrust Division officials will participate in the 10th annual International Competition Network (ICN) conference in The Hague, The Netherlands, from May 18-20, 2011.

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a state-funded private preschool program, Beginning Montessori Academy, located in Baldwin Park, Calif.

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Iflowsoft LLC, a computer programming services provider in Iselin, N.J., to settle allegations that Iflowsoft engaged in a pattern or practice of citizenship status discrimination by preferring to hire temporary visa holders over U.S. citizens.

Jorge De Castro Font, 47, a former senate majority leader in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to 20 counts of honest services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the appointment of Juan Osuna as the permanent Director for the Executive Office for Immigration Review at the Department of Justice.

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.

The principal and co-owner of Integra Capital Management LLC, a North Carolina company, was arrested in Denton, N.C., today for defrauding commodities trading investors of more than $3.2 million, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins of the Western District of North Carolina.

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.

A Boston venture capitalist and director at Boston Private Bank and Trust Company was charged with failing to report his foreign bank account and income to the Department of the Treasury.

A federal court has permanently barred two men from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme involving interests in purported oil and gas wells.

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the owners, developers and design professionals involved in the design and construction of nine multi-family housing complexes in Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee.

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.

At its 10th annual conference in The Hague, the Netherlands, the International Competition Network (ICN) adopted new materials on how to assess market dominance, resolve cartel cases and manage competition projects effectively.

Timothy S. Kelly, 40, of North Attleboro, Mass., was sentenced today to five years in prison and five years of supervised release following his prison term for receipt and possession of child pornography.

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.

VeriFone Systems Inc., Hypercom Corp. and Ingenico S.A. have abandoned plans for Hypercom to divest its U.S. point-of-sale business to Ingenico.

Under a settlement agreement lodged today in federal bankruptcy court in Delaware, Caribbean Petroleum Corp., Caribbean Petroleum Refining L.P., and Gulf Petroleum Refining Corp. – Puerto Rico will pay more than $8.2 million to address environmental liabilities relating to CAPECO’s former petroleum distribution facility in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and more than 170 service stations owned or leased by CAPECO throughout Puerto Rico.

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.

"Generations of young people have graduated from this law school - not only with a first-rate education, but also with a deeply-ingrained passion to right wrongs, to improve lives, and to protect and empower our nation's most vulnerable citizens. Public service is not only a key part of Stanford's curriculum - it is a central component of this law school's culture, its DNA. And we can all be encouraged that, today, this tradition is stronger than ever."

"As you pursue your own passions – and work to fulfill your collective responsibilities – I hope, in the spirit of Robert Kennedy – your famous predecessor, and mine – that you will dare greatly; that you will question what is accepted and change what is objectionable; that you will root out injustice in all its forms; and that you always will remember the truth of his enduring words: “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.”

The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today to block the proposed acquisition by H&R Block Inc. of TaxACT, a digital do-it-yourself tax preparation software provider.

A superseding indictment was unsealed today against 13 members and associates of the Philadelphia organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), including its current boss and underboss.

Garsh Lending LLC, a lender located in Miami, has agreed to pay the United States $300,000 to settle allegations involving a Small Business Administration loan.

Lucille Abrahamsen Jackson pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2010, to an information charging her with willfully subscribing to a false tax return.

"We are blocking this transaction because the proposed merger would substantially lessen competition in the tax preparation software market, resulting in higher prices, lower quality and reduced innovation," said Assistant Attorney General Varney.

"Today, a 50-count superseding indictment was unsealed charging 13 leaders, members and associates of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Family with crimes that spanned more than a decade."

“The challenges facing us in juvenile justice really require that we join together to work on the long term problems… from right-to-counsel issues to disproportionate minority contact to our continued struggles to recognize youth development in disposition decisions. But despite these challenges – and the challenges arising from a tough economy – I’m optimistic that we’re moving in the right direction.”