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Plastics Producer SABIC Agrees to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution from Leaking Equipment to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations in Indiana and Alabama

SABIC Innovative Plastics US LLC, and its subsidiary, SABIC Innovative Plastics Mt. Vernon LLC, have agreed to pay an approximately $1 million civil penalty and improve leak detection and repair practices to settle alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at chemical manufacturing facilities in Mt. Vernon, Ind., and Burkville, Ala., the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Las Vegas Casino for Unfair Documentary Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Tuscany Hotel and Casino LLC in Las Vegas, alleging that the company engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in the employment eligibility verification and re-verification process. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires employers to treat all authorized workers equally during the hiring, firing and employment eligibility verification process, regardless of their national origin or citizenship status.



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Woman Convicted of Tax Fraud Conspiracy in South Florida Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison

Nasheba Necia Hunte was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for her role in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and for filing false tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced.



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Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez Speaks on the Fair Lending Settlement with SunTrust Mortgage Inc.

"Today’s settlement with SunTrust builds on an unprecedented period of fair lending enforcement by the department. Since the establishment of the Fair lending Unit, thanks to the committed career professionals in the Division, we have brought record numbers of enforcement actions," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Fourteen Defendants Plead Guilty for Their Roles in Scheme to Fraudulently Control Home Owners Associations in Las Vegas

Fourteen individuals pleaded guilty yesterday in the District of Nevada for their roles in the scheme to fraudulently take control of various home owners’ associations (HOAs) in the Las Vegas area.



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Five Sentenced for Their Roles in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

Fahim Suleiman and Muuad Salem were sentenced to prison today by U.S. District Court Judge James S. Gwin in connection with their roles as co-conspirators in a scheme to defraud the United States by obtaining false and fraudulent U.S. Treasury tax refund checks, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



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Virginia-based Defense Contractor Calnet to Pay $18.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit

Calnet Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $18.1 million to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims to the Department of Defense, the Justice Department announced today. Calnet Inc., an intelligence analysis, information technology and language services company, is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.



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Former Arizona State Representative Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion Related to the Misuse of More Than $140,000 in Charity Funds

Former Arizona State Representative Richard David Miranda was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for defrauding a charity of more than $140,000 and evading income tax related to those unlawfully obtained funds.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit with United Airlines to Enforce Employment Rights of Air National Guardsman

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with United Airlines Inc., resolving Ten Eyck LaTourrette’s allegation that the airline violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by under compensating his retirement plan during his military service. LaTourrette is currently a major serving in the Colorado Air National Guard and a first officer for United Airlines.



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ING Bank N.V. Agrees to Forfeit $619 Million for Illegal Transactions with Cuban and Iranian Entities

ING Bank N.V., a financial institution headquartered in Amsterdam, has agreed to forfeit $619 million to the Justice Department and the New York County District Attorney’s Office for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) and for violating New York state laws by illegally moving billions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on behalf of sanctioned Cuban and Iranian entities.



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Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Bribery Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

Derrick L. Shoemake, 50, of Moreno Valley, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Dolly M. Gee in the Central District of California.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Grayson County, Virginia, on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Grayson County, Va., that will allow for the county and its four political subdivisions, the Grayson County School District and the towns of Independence, Fries and Troutdale, Va., to bail out from their status as “covered jurisdictions” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt these jurisdictions from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The agreement is in the form of a consent decree filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and must be approved by the court.



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Missouri Woman Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Vandalism and Arson of Biracial Man’s Home

A Missouri woman was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for her role in the vandalism and arson of a biracial man’s home in Independence, Mo., the Department of Justice announced.



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Owner of Southern California-Based Mesquite Charcoal Distributor Pleads Guilty to Customer Allocation and Bid-Rigging Conspiracy

The owner of a southern California-based mesquite charcoal distributor pleaded guilty for his role in a customer allocation and bid-rigging conspiracy for the sale of mesquite charcoal.



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Former Executive Director of the American Samoa Special Services Commission Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Steal More Than $325,000 in AmeriCorps Grant Funds

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton for the District of Columbia sentenced Mine S. Pase to 14 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.



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Three Former Executives Convicted for Roles in $200 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Fair Financial Company Investors

Three former executives of Fair Financial Company, an Ohio financial services business, were found guilty for their roles in a scheme to defraud approximately 5,000 investors of more than $200 million, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Joseph H. Hogsett, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Holley of the FBI in Indiana announced today.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against Pregnant Firefighters by the Town of Davie, Florida

The Justice Department today announced it has reached a consent decree with the town of Davie, Fla., to resolve allegations that Davie engaged in a pattern or practice of intentional discrimination against pregnant firefighters employed by Davie’s fire department.



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Louisiana Hunting Outfitter Sentenced to Prison for First Felony Conviction for Illegally Hunting Protected Alligators

Gregory K. Dupont, 38, of Plaquemine, La., was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, La., to serve six months in prison, to be followed by four months in a half-way house and two years of supervised release for the first ever felony conviction and prison sentence resulting from the illegal hunting of American alligators.



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Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Carry out Suicide Bomb Attack on U.S. Capitol

Amine El Khalifi, a 29-year-old resident of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with his efforts to carry out a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. Capitol Building in February 2012 as part of what he intended to be a terrorist operation.



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Pennsylvania Member of the Internet Piracy Group “Imagine” Pleads Guilty to Copyright Infringement Conspiracy

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to willfully reproduce and distribute tens of thousands of infringing copies of copyrighted works without permission, including infringing copies of movies before they were commercially released on DVD, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride and Special Agent in Charge John P. Torres of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Washington, D.C., announced today.



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White House, Justice Department Announce Law Enforcement Grants for Hiring of Veterans

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced funding awards to over 220 cities and counties, aimed at creating or saving approximately 800 law enforcement positions. The grants will fund over 600 new law enforcement positions and save an additional 200 positions recently lost or in jeopardy of being cut due to local budget cuts.



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Ohio Insurance Salesman Indicted for Impairing and Impeding the IRS

William R. Herder of Bellville, Ohio, was arrested today on federal tax charges, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division Kathryn Keneally, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Stephen M. Dettelbach and Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Darryl K. Williams announced. On June 19, 2012, a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned an indictment against Herder, charging him with corruptly endeavoring to impair and impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws, failure to file tax returns, failure to pay taxes, and structuring transactions to evade currency reporting requirements.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the COPS Hiring Program Announcement

"We look forward to welcoming these new additions to our nation's law enforcement community - and to building on the partnerships, and record of success, that we've established here in Philadelphia and beyond," said Attorney General Holder.




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Army Sergeant and Associate Convicted on All Counts for Roles in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to Defense Contracts to Support Iraq War

A federal jury in Elkins, W. Va., convicted Richard Evick, a U.S. Army Sergeant First Class and Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of contracting at a U.S. military base in Kuwait, and his associate, Crystal Martin, of all counts with which they were charged in connection with a bribery and money laundering scheme related to defense contracts awarded in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Boys and Girls Club of America

"Through initiatives like Keystone, Torch Club, and Project Learn, Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide have worked, for more than a century and a half, to instill positive values, to encourage a passion for lifelong learning, and to set high expectations for the future leaders who – before you know it – will take the reins of government and the private sector," said Attorney General Holder.




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Two Alabama Real Estate Investors and Their Company Indicted for Conspiracies to Rig Bids and Commit Mail Fraud for the Purchase of Real Estate at Public Foreclosure Auctions

A federal grand jury in Mobile, Ala., returned an indictment today against two real estate investors and their company, charging them with participating in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions held in southern Alabama.



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US Announces Clean Air Act Settlement with Wisconsin Utility – Dairyland Power Cooperative to Reduce Emissions by More Than 29,000 Tons Annually

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a Clean Air Act settlement with Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) that will cover the utility’s three power plants in Alma and Genoa, Wis. DPC has agreed to invest approximately $150 million in pollution control technology that will protect public health and resolve violations of the Clean Air Act.



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Former Florida Salesperson Sentenced to Jail for Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Dr. Ellen Meredith Stubenhaus, previously of Lake Worth, Fla., and later an expatriate living in Costa Rica, was sentenced to 60 months in prison today by U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers in Tallahassee, Fla., the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Stubenhaus, who was extradited from Costa Rica to the United States in September 2011, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. In addition to her jail sentence, Stubenhaus was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $373,549 to the IRS.



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Man Sentenced to 71 Months for South Florida Tax Conspiracy

Elmo Antonio George was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and for filing false tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced.



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Two Former Soldiers Sentenced for Their Participation in Fraud Scheme to Obtain $244,000 in Military Recruiting Referral Bonuses

Christopher Castro, 31, of San Antonio, Texas, and Ernest Gonzales, 51, also of San Antonio, were sentenced for their participation in a conspiracy to obtain approximately $244,000 in fraudulent recruiting referral bonuses from various U.S. military components and their contractor.



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Former Georgia Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Other Officers to Assault and Injure Inmates

Willie Redden, 24, of Albany, Ga., a former member of the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Ga., pleaded guilty today to conspiring with other correctional officers to violate the civil rights of inmates in 2010.



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Telecommunications Firm to Pay Us $1 Million to Settle Alleged Violations of the Trade Agreements Act

ADC Telecommunications Inc. will pay the United States $1 million to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims to federal agencies when it sold telecommunications goods manufactured in countries prohibited by the Trade Agreements Act (TAA).



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Former Civilian Contractor Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Role in Scheme to Steal and Sell Military Equipment in Iraq

A former U.S. civilian contractor was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for conspiring to steal military generators in Iraq and selling them on the black market.



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Virginia Man Charged with Tax Crimes

A Newport News, Va., federal grand jury has indicted Jeffrey Charles for conspiring with his daughter and son-in-law to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Justice Department Files Complaint Alleging Retaliation by Robertson Fire Protection District in Missouri

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the Robertson Fire Protection District in North Saint Louis County, Mo., for unfairly retaliating against a firefighter who provided testimony against the RFPD, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.



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Owner of Insulation Service Company Pleads Guilty to Million Dollar Bid-Rigging and Fraud Conspiracies at New York City Hospital

The owner of a former New York City insulation service company pleaded guilty today to a three-count indictment charging him with conspiring to rig bids on contracts for re-insulation services to New York Presbyterian Hospital, conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and filing a false tax return.



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New York Member of the Internet Piracy Group “IMAGiNE” Pleads Guilty to Copyright Infringement Conspiracy

A New York man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to willfully reproduce and distribute tens of thousands of infringing copies of copyrighted works without permission, including infringing copies of movies before they were commercially released on DVD.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Wells Fargo Resulting in More Than $175 Million in Relief for Homeowners to Resolve Fair Lending Claims

The Department of Justice today filed the second largest fair lending settlement in the department’s history to resolve allegations that Wells Fargo Bank, the largest residential home mortgage originator in the United States, engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers in its mortgage lending from 2004 through 2009.



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Two Indicted for Alleged Efforts to Supply Iran with U.S.-Materials for Gas Centrifuges to Enrich Uranium

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has returned a superseding indictment charging Parviz Khaki, a citizen of Iran, and Zongcheng Yi, a resident of China, for their alleged efforts to obtain and illegally export to Iran U.S.-origin materials that can be used to construct, operate and maintain gas centrifuges to enrich uranium, including maraging steel, aluminum alloys, mass spectrometers, vacuum pumps and other items.



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Alabama Businessman, Lobbyist and Legislator Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Wide-Ranging Conspiracy to Influence and Corrupt Activities of Alabama State Legislature

Three individuals, including Alabama businessman Ronald Gilley, lobbyist Jarrod Massey and former Alabama state representative Terry Spicer were sentenced to prison today in Montgomery, Ala., for bribery-related offenses.



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Readout of Attorney General Eric Holder’s Meeting and MoU Signing with Malaysian Minister for Home Affairs

Attorney General Eric Holder and Malaysian Minister for Home Affairs Datuk Seri Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein met today, during the Attorney General’s official visit to Malaysia, to discuss transnational crime, terrorism and other areas of mutual law enforcement cooperation.



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Former New York Employee of a Financial Institution Pleads Guilty for His Role in Fraud Conspiracy Involving Municipal Bonds

A former financial institution employee pleaded guilty today for his participation in a conspiracy related to municipal bonds.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Requiring Rutherford County, Tenn., to Allow Mosque to Open in City of Murfreesboro

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a federal lawsuit against Rutherford County, Tenn., alleging that the county violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) when, in compliance with a state chancery court ruling, it refused to process or issue a certificate of occupancy to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro for a recently constructed mosque. The department’s complaint states that a certificate of occupancy is needed immediately so that the Islamic Center can hold worship services at the new facility during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins at sundown on July 19.



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Former CFO of North Carolina Assisted Living Facility Chain Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Michael R. Elliott, former chief financial officer of Caremerica Inc., pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department and IRS announced.



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Maine Resident Charged and Arrested for Allegedly Engaging in Cyber “Sextortion” of New Hampshire Victim

John Bryan Villegas, 21, of Kittery, Maine, was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance today in federal court in New Hampshire.



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Oklahoma Inmate Sentenced for Conspiring with Jailer to Assault Another Inmate

Phillip Oliver, 46, an inmate at the Muskogee County Jail (MCJ) was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Muskogee, Okla., to one year and a day followed by one year of supervised release for one count of conspiracy related to the orchestrated beating of a fellow inmate at the behest of a jailer on duty.



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Former President of Texas Company Indicted for Employee Deaths and Environmental Violations

Port Arthur Chemical and Environmental Services LLC (PACES) and its former president Matthew L. Bowman have been charged with conspiracy to illegally transport hazardous materials, resulting in the deaths of two employees, in an indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in Beaumont, Texas.



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Former Employee of Nursing Home Company Operating in North Carolina and Virginia Sentenced to Serve 63 Months in Prison for Kickback Schemes and Tax Evasion

The former director of corporate maintenance and renovations at Medical Facilities of America Inc. (MFA) was today sentenced to serve 63 months in prison for accepting kickbacks from contractors and evading federal income taxes.



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$19 Million Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Conspiracy Charged in Alaska

A grand jury sitting in Anchorage, Ala., returned a 90-count superseding indictment yesterday against 11 defendants. The superseding indictment included a conspiracy charge to defraud the United States involving a scheme to use stolen Puerto Rican identities to file tax returns and obtain fraudulent income tax refunds.



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Virginia Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Acting as Unregistered Agent for Syrian Government

Mohamad Anas Haitham Soueid, 48, a resident of Leesburg, Va., was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for collecting video and audio recordings and other information about individuals in the United States and Syria who were protesting the government of Syria and to providing these materials to Syrian intelligence agencies in order to silence, intimidate and potentially harm the protestors.



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