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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman for the Convergex Resolution Press Call

Today, we announce significant developments in a securities fraud investigation involving the large-scale theft of client funds by a global brokerage and trading firm.



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South Florida Man Pleads Guilty for Role in $10.5 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A south Florida man has pleaded guilty today for his role in a $10.5 million Medicare fraud scheme involving physical and occupational therapy services.



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Energy Company to Pay $3.2 Million Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Violations in West Virginia

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy,will spend an EPA-estimated $6.5 million to restore 27 sites damaged by unauthorized discharges of fill material



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International Arms Smuggler Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

Siarhei Baltutski, aka Sergey Boltutskiy, 41, of Minsk, Belarus, was sentenced today to serve 180 months in prison for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Fort Davis State Bank to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today that Fort Davis State Bank, based in Fort Davis, Texas, will implement uniform pricing policies, conduct employee training and pay $159,000 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of national origin.



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Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $98 Million Settlementto Resolve Allegations of Auto Lending Discrimination by Ally

The Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced the federal government’s largest auto loan discrimination settlement in history to resolve allegations that Detroit-based Ally Financial Inc. and Ally Bank have engaged in an ongoing nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander borrowers in their auto lending since April 1, 2011.



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Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities for Federally-Recognized Tribes and Tribal Consortia

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of a comprehensive grant solicitation for funding to support public safety, victim services, and crime prevention by American Indian and Alaska Native governments.



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Genzyme Corp. to Pay $22.28 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations Related to “Slurry” Used in Patients

Genzyme Corp. has agreed to pay $22.28 million to resolve allegations that it marketed, and caused false claims to be submitted to federal and state health care programs for use of, a “slurry” version of its Seprafilm adhesion barrier.



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Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $35 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination by National City Bank

The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a consent order today to resolve allegations that National City Bank engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination that increased loan prices for African-American and Hispanic borrowers who obtained residential mortgages between 2002 and 2008 from National City Bank’s retail offices and nationwide network of mortgage brokers.



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Justice Department Requires Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to Divest Assets Acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. to Keystone Sensors LLC

The Department of Justice today announced that it will require Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to divest certain assets that it acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. (Minco) to Keystone Sensors LLC in order to resolve the department’s competitive concerns.



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Justice Department Closes Investigation of Prison in Pittsburgh, Pa., After Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Works Cooperatively to Improve Security Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it has closed its investigation of State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh after the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PDOC) significantly improved security policies and practices at the prison and throughout the Pennsylvania prison system.



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CareFusion to Pay the Government $40.1 Million to Resolve Allegations That Include More Than $11 Million in Kickbacks to One Doctor

CareFusion Corp. has agreed to pay the government $40.1 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks and promoting its products for uses that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.



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Michigan Companies to Pay $3.8 Million to Resolve Allegations of Falsely Claiming Disadvantaged Business Credits

Michigan-based Cadillac Asphalt LLC (Cadillac) and Michigan Paving and Materials Co. (MPM), have agreed to pay $3.8 million to resolve allegations that they falsely claimed Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) credits on a number of federally funded transportation projects.



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Former Tennessee Mayor and Associate Sentenced for Running Illegal Gambling Business

A former mayor of South Pittsburg, Tenn., and an associate were sentenced today in Chattanooga, Tenn., for managing an illegal gambling business.



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Former Desoto County, Fla., Sheriff’s Deputies Indicted for Civil Rights and Obstruction Violations Regarding the Assault of an Inmate

A federal grand jury in Fort Myers, Fla., indicted former Desoto County Sheriff’s Office deputies Steven Rizza and Jonathan Mause today for charges related to the violation of the civil rights of an inmate who was assaulted by Rizza at the Desoto County Jail and the ensuing obstruction of the investigation into that offense.



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Former HealthEssentials Solutions Inc. Executives to Pay More Than $1 Million to Resolve Allegations of Submitting False Claims to Federal Health Care Program

Michael R. Barr, former chief executive officer of Louisville, Kentucky-based HealthEssentials Solutions Inc., has agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that he knowingly caused HealthEssentials to submit false claims to Medicare between 1999 and 2004.



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Irish National Sentenced to Serve 14 Months in Prison for Trafficking of Endangered Rhinoceros Horns

Michael Slattery Jr., an Irish national, was sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., today to serve 14 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.



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Fifth Former Georgia Prison Officer Pleads Guilty in Connection with the Assault of an Inmate and the Cover-Up That Followed

Today, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced that Kerry Bolden, a former employee of the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Macon State Prison (MSP) in Oglethorpe, Ga., pleaded guilty to civil rights and conspiracy charges.



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Social Worker Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft, Tax Crimes

Rakecia Matrese Brame, formerly of Greensboro, N.C., and now of Grand Prairie, Texas, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10, 2014, to identity theft, tax, and fraud charges, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Government Intervenes in Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc. Hospital Chain Alleging Unnecessary Inpatient Admissions and Payment of Kickbacks

The government has intervened in eight False Claims Act lawsuits against Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA) alleging that HMA billed federal health care programs for medically unnecessary inpatient admissions from the emergency departments at HMA hospitals and paid remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals.



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Court Rejects Banking Associations’ Challenge to Regulations Addressing Offshore Tax Avoidance

Today the District Court in the District of Columbia dismissed a challenge filed by the Florida Bankers Association and Texas Bankers Association challenging 2012 amendments to the Department of the Treasury’s interest-reporting regulations.



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Former Lorain County, Ohio, Corrections Officer Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Prison for Repeatedly Striking Inmate

A former Lorain County, Ohio, corrections officer was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.



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Former Sevierville, Tenn., Resident Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that Jimmie Duane Ross, of Lehi, Utah, and formerly of Sevierville, Tenn., was sentenced to serve 51 months in prison based on his Aug. 7, 2013 conviction of five counts of tax evasion following a jury trial.



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Nationwide Contract Therapy Providers to Pay $30 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Contract therapy providers RehabCare Group Inc., RehabCare Group East Inc. and Rehab Systems of Missouri and management company Health Systems Inc. have agreed to pay $30 million to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by engaging in a kickback scheme related to the referral of nursing home business, the Justice Department announced today.



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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Associate Attorney General Tony West at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Hosted by the Union League of Chicago

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Associate Attorney General Tony West at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Hosted by the Union League of Chicago




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Justice Department Releases Findings Showing That the Alabama Department of Corrections Fails to Protect Prisoners from Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women

Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced its letter of findings determining that prison officials at the Alabama Department of Corrections and the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women violate women prisoners’ constitutional rights by failing to take reasonable steps to protect them from harm due to sexual abuse and sexual harassment caused by correctional staff.



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Property Owner and Maintenance Supervisor Plead Guilty in Albany to Crimes Relating to Illegal Handling and Disposal of Asbestos

John Mills and Terrance Allen, both of Malone, N.Y., pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Albany, N.Y., to conspiracy to violate the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and substantive CERCLA counts in relation to the illegal removal, handling, and disposal of asbestos.



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Missouri Man and Woman Sentenced for Violating Civil Rights of Family in Racially Motivated Arson

Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson for the Western District of Missouri announced that a man and a woman, both from Independence, Mo., were sentenced in federal court today for violating the civil rights of an African-American family by setting fire to their residence.



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Attorney General Holder Appoints Eight New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory Committee

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the appointment of the following eight U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC).



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Convicted Sex Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 30 Years in Prison

U.S. District Court Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced Andrew Blane Fields, 62, of Lutz, Fla., to serve 33 years and nine months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement to Resolve Claim of Citizenship Status Hiring Discrimination in Waterloo, Iowa

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the city of Waterloo, Iowa, resolving allegations that the city violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).



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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Deputy Attorney General James Cole at the New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting

"I want to talk with you today about the crisis we have in our criminal justice system. A crisis that is fundamental and has the potential to continue to swallow important efforts in the fight against crime. This crisis is the crushing prison population."




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Army Soldier Sentenced on Bribery Charges for Facilitating Thefts of Fuel in Afghanistan

A former U.S. Army soldier was sentenced to serve 87 months in prison for her role in stealing fuel at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Fenty, Afghanistan.



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South Florida Resident Convicted in Connection with International Fraudulent Lottery Scheme

A federal jury in Miami today convicted a South Florida resident for her role in an international fraudulent lottery scheme that targeted U.S. citizens.



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New Mexico Farmer Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud, Fraudulently Collecting Farm Subsidies

Bill Melot, a farmer from Hobbs, N.M., was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison today to be followed by three years of supervised release for tax evasion, program fraud and other crimes, the Justice Department, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General announced.



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Sanborn Map Co. Pays $2.1 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Map Work Related to United States Military Convoy Routes in Iraq and Marine Corps Bases in United States

Sanborn Map Company Inc. has agreed to pay $2.1 million to the U.S. government to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims in connection with U. S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts.



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Former Sailor Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempted Espionage

Robert Patrick Hoffman II, 40, of Virginia Beach, Va., was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison for attempting to commit espionage against the United States.



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Federal Advisory Committee Examines Juvenile Courts and Justice System Programs for American Indian Children Exposed to Violence

More than 30 tribal leaders, juvenile court judges, child advocates, juvenile justice system experts and community members from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community testified today in the second public hearing of the Advisory Committee of the Attorney General’s Task Force on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence.



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Statements of Associate Attorney General Tony West and Acting Assistant Attorney General of Enrd on the National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Trafficking

Today, the White House released the National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Trafficking. The Department of Justice, along with the Departments of State and the Interior, are co-chairs of the U.S. Task Force established by President Obama to lead the implementation of this strategy. On Thursday, Associate Attorney General Tony West will lead the U.S. Delegation’s participation at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade.



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Minnesota Man and Woman Sentenced for Participating in a Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

Today, the Justice Department announced that Andre James Hertzog, 29, was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison and eight years of supervised release for participating in a sex trafficking conspiracy. Nicole Bramer, 29, was sentenced to serve 21 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.



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Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence Hearing

Let us reaffirm our commitment to the safety and health of tribal communities. And let us rededicate ourselves to giving native children a future unclouded by violence and brightened by hope. This is the responsibility of every one of us.




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Armenian Power Gang Associate Convicted for His Role in Racketeering Conspiracy

Andranik Aloyan, an associate of the Armenian Power gang, has been convicted at trial for his role in a racketeering conspiracy that included stealing personal and financial information of elderly bank customers who held accounts that were valued at more than $25 million.



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Army National Guard Soldier Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Defraud U.S. Army National Guard Bureau

A U.S. Army National Guard soldier pleaded guilty for her role in a bribery and fraud scheme that caused $30,000 in losses to the U.S. Army National Guard Bureau.



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Getaway Driver in Murder of Rhode Island Gas Station Manager Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison

Jose A. Santiago, 36, of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in Providence, R.I., to serve 40 years in prison for his role in the September 2010 armed robbery and murder of Woonsocket, R.I., gas station manager David D. Main.



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Justice Department Finds Substantial Evidence of Gender Bias in Missoula County Attorney’s Office

Today, the Department of Justice issued a letter of findings describing problems in the Missoula County, Mont., Attorney’s Office’s response to sexual assault, and concluding that there is substantial evidence that the County Attorney’s response to sexual assault discriminates against women.



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Former Puerto Rico Correctional Officer Sentenced for Scheme to Smuggle Heroin into State Prison

A former correctional officer at the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison for attempting to smuggle heroin into the prison where he worked, Bayamón State Penitentiary, in exchange for a $3,000 payment.



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Army Soldier Pleads Guilty for Role in Stealing Fuel in Afghanistan

U.S. Army Sergeant Albert Kelly III, 28, of Fort Knox, Ky., pleaded guilty today to theft charges for his role in the theft of fuel at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Salerno in Afghanistan.



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Government Intervenes in Lawsuit Against Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Georgia Hospital Owned by Health Management Associates Inc. Alleging Payment of Kickbacks

The government has intervened in a False Claims Act lawsuit against Tenet Healthcare Corp. (Tenet) and four of its hospitals in Georgia and South Carolina, as well as a hospital in Monroe, Ga., owned by Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA), alleging that the hospitals paid kickbacks to obstetric clinics serving primarily undocumented Hispanic women in return for referral of those patients for labor and delivery at the hospitals.



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Former Denso Corp. Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Obstructing Automotive Parts Investigation

A former executive of Japan-based Denso Corp. has agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice charges in connection with the Antitrust Division’s investigation into a conspiracy to fix the prices of heater control panels installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere.



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Alabama Bank Employee Sentenced to Prison for Role in Tax Refund Fraud

LaQuanta Clayton, a resident of Montgomery County, Ala., and a former bank teller employed by the Community Bank and Trust, was sentenced on Feb. 19, 2014, to serve 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for participating in a fraudulent tax refund scheme.



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