Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, today signed an antitrust cooperation agreement with the Chilean antitrust agency on behalf of the Department of Justice.

Sean W. Ragland, a former senior financial analyst at Taylor, Bean &s mortgage lending facility, Ocala Funding.

Two alleged members and associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) were arraigned today on charges related to their alleged roles in the 2009 shooting of a man in Jefferson County, Texas.

Colombian drug trafficker Carlos Ojeda-Herrera pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle in the District of Columbia to conspiring and attempting to transport shipments of 700- 800 kilograms of cocaine from Isla de Margarita, off the coast of Venezuela, to vessels waiting on the high seas to transport the drugs to Florida.

A St. Petersburg, Fla., man was arrested today on bankruptcy fraud charges.

"Our goal with this investigation – as with all of our police pattern and practice investigations – is simple: to ensure that the community has an effective, accountable police department that controls crime, ensures respect for the Constitution, and earns the trust of the public it is charged with protecting."

The newsletter provides information about the recent activities and accomplishments of the Antitrust Division for the general public as well as the legal and business communities.

The United States has filed a complaint against Healthpoint Ltd., alleging civil False Claims Act violations arising from the company’s sale of an unapproved prescription drug that was ineligible for payment under Medicaid and Medicare.

Thomas J. Ernst, formerly a resident of McLean and Arlington, Va., was arraigned today in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Hancock Holding Company and Whitney Holding Corporation have agreed to sell eight branch offices in Louisiana and Mississippi, with approximately $202 million in deposits, to resolve antitrust concerns about the companies’ pending merger.

Kenneth Stiffey Jr. of Robinson, Penn., pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge related to the burning of a cross in the yard of an African-American victim in November 2009.

The founder and treasurer of the National Association of Special Police and Security Officers (NASPSO) was charged today in a superseding indictment with mail fraud, theft from a labor organization, obstruction of justice, criminal contempt and various recordkeeping offenses related to his operation of a pension plan for NASPSO members.

Paul Allen, the former chief executive officer at Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW), pleaded guilty today to making false statements and conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud for his role in a $1.5 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failure of TBW.

Rex Healthcare, a 655-bed hospital in Raleigh, N.C., has agreed to pay the United States $1.9 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that it submitted false claims to Medicare.

The Justice Department today announced that the cases involving Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees accused of conspiring to commit the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks have been referred to the Defense Department to proceed in military commissions and that the federal indictment against these defendants that was returned under seal by a grand jury in the Southern District of New York on Dec. 14, 2009 has been unsealed and dismissed.

Two Chinese nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., for attempting to obtain radiation-hardened microchips, which are prohibited defense items used in the military and aerospace industry.

A Virginia contractor pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to steer contracts to him for repair, maintenance and renovation work at healthcare and nursing home facilities owned by Medical Facilities of America Inc.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Italian Minister of Justice Angelino Alfano today met at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., to re-affirm the joint commitment of the United States and Italy to strengthen cooperation in the ongoing fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime.

"In November 2009, I announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other individuals would stand trial in federal court for their roles in the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, 2001. As I said then, the decision between federal courts and military commissions was not an easy one to make."

Attorney General Eric Holder today commended teams from six cities across the country for developing comprehensive plans to reduce youth violence in their communities.

Securitas GmbH Werkschutz has paid the United States 6,529,042 Euros (approximately $9.1 million) to settle allegations that the German company billed the Army, under contracts to provide security at U.S. Army installations in Germany, for guard hours not actually worked.

Verizon Communications Inc. has paid the United States $93,525,410.96 in order to resolve allegations that the company overcharged the General Services Administration (GSA) on invoices dealing with government-wide voice and data telecommunications services contracts.

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.

"This gathering marks an important step forward in what I know – and what I pledge – will be an ongoing conversation about how we can address violence among – and directed toward – our nation’s young people."

JGC Corporation has agreed to pay a $218.8 million criminal penalty to resolve charges related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for its participation in a decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials to obtain engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts.

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.

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.

A Laurel Springs, N.J., wastewater treatment and chemical supply company and its owner were sentenced today for participating in a fraud conspiracy in connection with sub-contracts for wastewater treatment supplies and services at two Superfund sites in New Jersey.

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

"...for two decades now, the National Action Network has been on the front lines of our nation’s fight to ensure security, opportunity, and justice for all. Today, this work goes on in your demands to those in power and in your aspirations for those in need."

Comverse Technology Inc., a New York City headquartered corporation, has agreed to pay a $1.2 million penalty for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

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.

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.

A Miami-area resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami for her role in managing a community mental health care fraud scheme that resulted in the submission of more than $100 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.

The Justice Department today filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas against Angel Dillard for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).

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.

"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."

"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."

Hawk Field Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Houston-based Petrohawk Energy Corporation, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Little Rock, Ark., to charges stemming from the illegal take of endangered species in north-central Arkansas.

Joseph Taunton, 31, from Jonesville, La., a former corrections officer at the LaSalle Parish Detention Center in Jena, La., pleaded guilty in federal court for engaging in a sexual act with a federal detainee.

In order for Google Inc. to proceed with its proposed acquisition of ITA Software Inc., the Justice Department will require Google to develop and license travel software, to establish internal firewall procedures and to continue software research and development.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has agreed to pay a $21.4 million criminal penalty as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice to resolve improper payments by J&J subsidiaries to government officials in Greece, Poland and Romania in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA.

The Department of Justice will require Stericycle Inc. to divest an asset used in the treatment of infectious waste in order to proceed with its acquisition of Healthcare Waste Solutions Inc.

The national president of the American Outlaw Association (Outlaws) motorcycle gang was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for leading a violent criminal organization.

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.

The Justice Department announced today the arrest of Sean Popejoy, 19, and Frankie Maybee, 20, both of Green Forest, Ark., on charges related to a racially-motivated assault on five Hispanic men.

Attorney General Eric Holder today at an awards ceremony hosted by the Department of Justice recognized seven individuals and three organizations for outstanding work on behalf of crime victims.

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with LF Staffing Services Inc., located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to resolve allegations that LF Staffing Services engaged in employment discrimination by improperly pre-screening job applicants and rejecting valid work authorization documents presented by certain groups of immigrant workers.

A registered nurse employed by a Houston health care company pleaded guilty today in connection with an alleged $5.2 million Medicare fraud scheme.

"Each of these awardees – and the other government leaders, legal advocates, public servants, and concerned citizens here today – are part of a powerful, national movement – one that inspired the passage of the historic 1994 crime bill and the Violence Against Women Act, as well as the creation of the Crime Victims Fund."