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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Nashville, Tennessee Mo’ Money Taxes Licensee

The United States has asked a federal court to shut down a Mo’ Money Taxes tax preparation office in Nashville.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Founder and President of Labor Union Convicted in Washington for Stealing from Union’s Treasury and Pension Fund, Related Crimes

The founder and president of the National Association of Special Police and Security Officers (NASPSO) – which represents private security guards assigned to protect federal buildings in the metropolitan Washington area – was convicted yesterday in Washington federal court, following a jury trial, of 18 counts related to his theft of union treasury and pension funds.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Shreveport, La., Wastewater General Manager and Former Owner Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Discharging Pollutants into the Red River

John Tuma, 55, of Centerville, Texas, was sentenced today following his March 21, 2012, trial conviction by a federal jury for discharging untreated wastewater directly into the Red River without a permit, discharging untreated wastewater into the city of Shreveport sewer system in violation of its permit and obstructing an EPA inspection.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission to Hold Workshop on Patent Assertion Entity Activities

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will hold a joint public workshop on Dec. 10, 2012, to explore the impact of patent assertion entity (PAE) activities on innovation and competition and the implications for antitrust enforcement and policy, which will also be webcast live.



  • OPA Press Releases

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British Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy Related to Iraq Reconstruction Efforts

British contractor APTx Vehicle Systems Limited agreed today to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Coalition Provisional Authority that governed Iraq from April 2003 to June 2004, the government of Iraq and JP Morgan Chase Bank.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Announces Consent Decree Regarding Orleans Parish Prison in New Orleans

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a proposed consent decree with class plaintiffs and Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) Sheriff Marlin Gusman following a comprehensive investigation and extensive settlement negotiations regarding unlawful conditions at the prison. The consent decree outlines remedial measures to address the allegations in the complaints filed by class plaintiffs and by the United States in Jones v. Gusman, including deficiencies in prisoner safety from physical and sexual assaults, medical and mental health care, suicide prevention, environmental and life safety and limited English proficiency (LEP) services for Spanish-speaking prisoners.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former New Jersey Chiropractor Charged in Scheme to Extinguish Debt and to Obtain Fraudulent IRS Tax Refunds

A federal grand jury in Trenton, N.J., returned an indictment charging David Moleski with 14 counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of corruptly impeding the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws and three counts of filing false claims for tax refunds, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice Forfeits Nearly $7 Million in Proceeds of Unlawful Offshore Gambling and Money Laundering Following Guilty Plea by William Paul Scott

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a consent order of forfeiture today ordering the civil forfeiture of $6,976,924 traced to international money laundering of the proceeds from an offshore Internet gambling operation that illegally targeted U.S. residents.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Lincoln County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office Detective Sentenced on Sexual Abuse Charges

Scott Edwards, a former Lincoln County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department detective, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by three years supervised release for violating the constitutional rights of five women through acts of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual contact while serving as their “drug court tracker,” when the women were participants in the Lincoln County Drug Court program.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice Enters into Agreement to Reform the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee

The Department of Justice today announced that it has entered into a comprehensive memorandum of agreement with the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, Tenn., to resolve findings of serious and systemic failures in the juvenile court that violate children’s due process and equal protection rights.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against the Alamance County, N.C., Sheriff’s Office

The Justice Department today filed a civil rights lawsuit against Terry S. Johnson, in his official capacity as head of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in North Carolina.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparers

The United States has asked a federal court in Atlanta to bar Larry J. Heath, who operates Heath’s Income Tax II in Cartersville, Ga., and his brother Andrew R. Heath, who operates Excellent Tax Service of Acworth, Ga., from preparing tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Announces Agreement with the State of New Hampshire on Bailout of Covered Jurisdictions Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the State of New Hampshire that will allow for all 10 of the towns in that state that are covered jurisdictions under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act to bail out from coverage by these provisions.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Files Lawsuit in Idaho Against Jerome County Sheriff’s Office to Enforce the Employment Rights of Army National Guard Member

The United States Justice Department and U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today the filing of a complaint alleging that the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 by failing to reemploy and terminating Idaho Army National Guard Member Mervin Jones while he was recuperating from a knee injury that he sustained while performing military service.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Charter Fishing Boat Captain Pleads Guilty to Felony Lacey Act Violation

Jeffery S. Adams, 41, of Hudgins, Va., and his corporation Adams Fishing Adventures Inc. pleaded guilty today to trafficking in illegally-harvested striped bass, in violation of the Lacey Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Men Convicted in Puerto Rico in Final Operation Guard Shack Prosecution

Three men, including two former officers with the Police of Puerto Rico, were convicted today by a federal jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for their roles in providing security for drug transactions.



  • OPA Press Releases

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New Zealand Fishing Company and Chief Engineer Sentenced for Environmental Crimes and Obstruction of Justice

A New Zealand fishing company that owned and operated the tuna fishing vessel San Nikunau, and a former chief engineer on the ship, were sentenced in federal court today for environmental crimes and obstruction of justice.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Tax Preparer

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued a Kissimmee, Fla., tax return preparer, seeking to bar him permanently from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations

Craig Billings, 39, a former deputy sheriff with the Murray County Sheriff’s Office in Sulphur, Okla., pleaded guilty today in federal court to a one-count information charging him with Deprivation of Rights for using unreasonable force and violating the civil rights of an individual who was being booked into the Murray County Jail.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Los Angeles Check Cashing Store, Its Head Manager and Compliance Officer Sentenced for Violating Anti-money Laundering Laws

A Los Angeles check cashing store, its head manager and its designated anti-money laundering compliance officer were sentenced today in the Central District of California for failing to follow reporting and anti-money laundering requirements for over $8 million in transactions in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice Will Not Challenge Proposed New York Hospital Association Gainsharing Program

The Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge a proposal by the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) to offer a gainsharing program to member hospitals in New York.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Tax Preparer

The United States has asked a federal court in Jacksonville, Fla., to stop Thomas G. Bandzul from preparing tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Environment and Natural Resources Division Issues 2012 Accomplishments Report

Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno announced today the publication of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s (ENRD) Fiscal Year 2012 Accomplishments Report. The full report, which details the division’s work across the nation during FY2012, is posted at www.justice.gov/enrd/Current_topics.html.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Washington Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Sex Trafficking

Joseph McDaniels, 43, of Shoreline, Wash., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for interstate transportation of a 22 year old woman for purposes of prostitution.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary at the Workshop of the Forum on Global Violence Prevention Sponsored by the Institute of Medicine

"One of our top priorities is addressing youth violence. As I’m sure many of you would agree, this is one of the most complex and intractable problems in criminal justice. And because it is so complex, we’ve learned over time that tackling it involves many people – stakeholders from all sectors and from all levels of government," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




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Individual Pleads Guilty to Id Fraud and Impersonating an OSHA Official in Wake of Gulf Oil Spill

Connie M. Knight, 46, previously of Belle Chasse, La., pleaded guilty in federal court in New Orleans today to three felony criminal charges and one misdemeanor criminal charge for creating false identification documents an impersonating a federal official.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Riverview, Fla., Tax-preparation Office Allegedly Involved in Identity Theft

The United States has asked a federal court to shut down a tax-preparation office in Riverview, Fla.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Tax Preparers in Prince George’s County Maryland

The United States filed two lawsuits to shut down three tax preparers in Prince George’s County, Md.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Charter Fishing Boat Captain Pleads Guilty to Lacey Act Violation

William W. Lowery IV, 44, of Tappahannock, Va., pleaded guilty today to trafficking in illegally-harvested striped bass, in violation of the Lacey Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down South Florida Tax Return Preparers

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued two Miami tax return preparers, seeking to bar them from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Miami Tax-Preparation Office

The United States has asked a federal court to shut down a tax-preparation office in Miami.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Sixteen People Sentenced to Prison for Religiously Motivated Assaults on Practitioners of the Amish Religion

Sixteen people were sentenced to prison today for hate crimes arising out of a series of religiously-motivated assaults on practitioners of the Amish religion.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Lawsuit Alleging Sex Discrimination Against the State of Maryland, Queen Anne’s County and the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff

The Justice Department today moved to intervene in Murphy-Taylor v. State of Maryland, et al., a private lawsuit alleging sex discrimination by the state of Maryland, Queen Anne’s County and the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Releases Spanish Language Video About Discrimination in Employment Eligibility Verification

The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department announced today the launch of its first Spanish-language educational video. The video was developed by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices to assist employers in avoiding charges of discrimination in the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 process and to assist employees to be aware of their legal rights.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down New Jersey Tax Return Preparer

The United States has asked a federal court in Camden, N.J., to bar Doris E. Baules, who operates D’Vazquez Tax Solutions, from preparing tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Detroit-Area Tax Return Preparers

The Justice Department announced today that it has asked a federal court in Detroit to permanently bar Calvin Carter and brothers Raheen Stroud and Laron Stroud, who do business as E-File Tax Pros LLC and Tax King, from preparing federal tax returns.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Tennessee Tax Return Preparers

The United States has asked a federal court in Memphis, Tenn., to permanently bar husband and wife team Ahmed Grant and Lillian Madyun from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Singapore-Based Shipping Company to Pay $2.2 Million for Covering up Oil Pollution

Pacific International Lines, a Singapore-based container ship company, was sentenced today in D.C. federal court under the terms of a plea agreement that requires the company to pay $2.2 million in criminal penalties.



  • OPA Press Releases

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High Ranking Gulf Cartel Member Convicted in Washington for Drug Trafficking

Aurelio Cano Flores, a Mexican national and high ranking member of the Gulf Cartel, was found guilty today by a federal jury of conspiring to import multi-ton quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Prevails in Tax Shelter Case Involving $1 Billion in Tax Deductions

A federal court in Baton Rouge, La., on Monday rejected two tax shelter transactions entered into by The Dow Chemical Company that purported to create approximately $1 billion in phony tax deductions.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Federal Court Bars Nashville, Tenn., Mo’ Money Taxes Licensee from Preparing Tax Returns

A federal court permanently barred Toney Fields and Trumekia Shaw, who do business as Fields Mo’ Money Taxes in Nashville, Tenn., from preparing federal tax returns.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Extend Public Comment Period for Patent Assertion Entity Workshop

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that the deadline for submitting written comments on their recent Patent Assertion Entity Activities Workshop has been extended from March 10, 2013 to April 5, 2013.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Office of Information Policy Director Melanie Ann Pustay Speaks at the U.S. Department of Justice Sunshine Week Celebration

"While there is more work to be done and further improvements to be made, Sunshine Week is an opportunity to reflect upon our accomplishments thus far and to share the lessons we have learned as we continue to focus on our shared mission of strengthening FOIA administration across the government," said Director Pustay.




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Justice Department Shuts Down Maryland Return Preparer

A federal court has granted the United States’ request to permanently bar James M. Unterreiner II from preparing tax returns.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Eight Individuals Indicted for Lacey Act Violations and Other Crimes Relating to the Trafficking of Paddlefish “Caviar”

Eight individuals face federal charges stemming from a joint U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Missouri Department of Conservation investigation of interstate and international trafficking in paddlefish “caviar."



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Department of Health and Human Services Employee Pleads Guilty in Washington to Wire Fraud Charge in Retention Bonus Scheme

An employee of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS-ASPR) pleaded guilty today in Washington, D.C., to defrauding the United States by submitting fraudulent employment offers in order to claim retention bonuses totaling $138,8875.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Executive Director Michael J. Bresnick at the Exchequer Club of Washington, D.C.

"When a bank allows its customers, and even its customers’ customers, access to the national banking system, it should endeavor to understand the true nature of the business that it will allow to access the payment system, and the risks posed to consumers and society regarding criminal or other unlawful conduct," said Executive Director Bresnick.




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Shipping Corporations to Pay $10.4 Million for Environmental Crimes on Four Ships

Two shipping firms based in Germany and Cyprus today pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice charges and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to the deliberate concealment of vessel pollution from four ships that visited U.S. ports in New Jersey, Delaware and Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Alabama Tax Preparer

The United States has asked a federal court in Montgomery, Ala., to bar Kenya Hendrix Adams from preparing tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Shipping Executive Indicted for Role in Price-Fixing Conspiracy Involving Coastal Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico

A federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, returned an indictment against Thomas Farmer, a former executive of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Crowley Liner Services, for participating in a conspiracy to fix rates and surcharges for freight transported by water between the continental United States and Puerto Rico.



  • OPA Press Releases