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Justice Department Releases Updated Protocol to Improve Standards for Responding to Rape and Sexual Assault

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced a revised version of the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations (SAFE Protocol, 2d.) The SAFE Protocol is a voluntary best practices guide to conducting sexual assault medical forensic examinations protocols.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Indiana School District to Provide a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment for All Students

The Justice Department announced today that it reached a settlement agreement with the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, Ind., to prevent and respond to peer on peer harassment in schools.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Announces Improvements to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program

Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary announced several improvements to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program following the completion of a comprehensive review of the program ordered by the Attorney General in May 2012.



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Court Approves Consent Decree to Prevent and Address Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline in Meridian, Miss.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi today approved a landmark consent decree filed by the Justice Department, together with private plaintiffs and the Meridian Public School District in Meridian, Miss., to prevent and address racial discrimination in student discipline



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Court Approves Orleans Parish Prison Reform Plan

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana has mandated systemic reform of unconstitutional conditions at the Orleans Parish Prison (OPP), by entering the proposed consent judgment executed by the United States, class plaintiffs, and Sheriff Marlin Gusman in Jones v. Gusman. The agreement was filed with the court by the parties on Dec. 11, 2012.



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Department of Justice Reaches Landmark Settlement Agreement with Rhode Island and City of Providence Under the ADA

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into an interim settlement agreement with the State of Rhode Island and the City of Providence that will resolve violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for approximately 200 Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).



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Settlement with Ash Grove Cement Company to Reduce Thousands of Tons of Air Emissions

Ash Grove Cement Company has agreed to pay a $2.5 million penalty and invest approximately $30 million in pollution control technology at its nine Portland cement manufacturing plants to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.



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The Department of Justice Files Suit Against Louisiana Pharmaceutical Company for Distributing Unapproved and Misbranded Prescription and Over-the-counter Drugs

Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery announced today that the Department of Justice, on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against Sage Pharmaceuticals.



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Justice Department Statement on the Request to Hong Kong for Edward Snowden’s Provisional Arrest

The U.S. is disappointed and disagrees with the determination by Hong Kong authorities not to honor the U.S. request for the arrest of the fugitive, Edward J. Snowden.



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Court Approves Comprehensive Assignment Plan in Longstanding Tennessee Desegregation Case

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee approved a comprehensive consent order in McFerren v. County Board of Education of Fayette County, which the Department of Justice negotiated with the Board of Education of Fayette County, Tenn., and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund to desegregate the Fayette County public schools.



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Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $490.9 Million for Marketing the Prescription Drug Rapamune for Unapproved Uses

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pharmaceutical company acquired by Pfizer, Inc. in 2009, has agreed to pay $490.9 million to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the unlawful marketing of the prescription drug Rapamune for uses not approved as safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).



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False Claims Act Judgment Entered Against Washington, DC, Health Care Provider for More Than $17 Million

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has entered judgment for more than $17 million against Dr. Ishtiaq Malik and his two companies, Ishtiaq Malik M.D., P.C. and Advanced Nuclear Diagnostics, for submitting false nuclear cardiology claims to federal and state health care programs.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with the City of Henderson, Nev. to Improve Law Enforcement Communications with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a cooperative settlement agreement with the city of Henderson, Nev. under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Department of Justice Reaches Agreement to Improve Conditions at St. Tammany Parish Jail in Louisiana

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a comprehensive agreement with the Parish of St. Tammany, La., and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff to correct conditions of confinement at the St. Tammany Parish Jail and to ensure that improvements made since the Department’s investigation will be maintained.



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Justice and Education Departments Announce New Research Showing Prison Education Reduces Recidivism, Saves Money, Improves Employment

Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced research findings showing that, on average, inmates who participated in correctional education programs had 43 percent lower odds of returning to prison than inmates who did not.



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RPM International Inc. and Tremco Inc. Pay Nearly $61 Million for Failing to Provide Government Discounts Provided to Others

Ohio-based RPM International Inc. and its subsidiary, Tremco Inc., have paid $60.9 million to resolve allegations that Tremco filed false claims in connection with two multiple award schedule (MAS) contracts with the General Services Administration (GSA) for roofing supplies and services.



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Conax Flordia Corp. Settles Allegations It Provided Improperly Tested Equipment and Non-Conforming Electronic Parts for Use by the Military and NASA

Conax Florida Corp. and related companies have agreed to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that the company submitted false claims to the government for improperly tested inertia reels and non-conforming voltage references.



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Massachusetts Man Indicted in Providence for Tax Fraud

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that a federal grand jury in Providence, R.I., returned a five-count indictment yesterday charging John Fall of Milton, Mass., with one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the IRS, one count of tax evasion and three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false corporate and individual tax returns.



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Alabama State Employee Sentenced for Providing Names in Identity Theft Scheme

Lea’Tice Phillips, of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced to serve 94 months of incarceration today, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr.



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California Mobile Lab and X-ray Provider, Diagnostic Laboratories and Radiology, to Pay $17.5 Million for Falsely Billing Medicare and Medi-CAL

Kan-Di-Ki LLC, formerly known as Kan-Di-Ki Inc., doing business as Diagnostic Laboratories and Radiology (Diagnostic Labs), will pay $17.5 million to settle allegations that the California-based company violated the federal and California False Claims Acts by paying kickbacks for referral of mobile lab and radiology services subsequently billed to Medicare and Medi-Cal (the state of California’s Medicaid program), the Justice Department announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks on Justice Department’s Efforts to Provide Law Enforcement Assistance to City of Detroit

Today, I am pleased to be in Detroit to announce that – in addition to our ongoing enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws – as part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to supporting the City of Detroit, the Justice Department will take a variety of actions to provide direct assistance to city leaders and local law enforcement authorities in order to improve public safety throughout the metropolitan area.




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Attorney General Holder Announces $6.7 Million to Improve Legal Defense Services for the Poor

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced a total of $6.7 million in grants to state and local criminal and civil legal services organizations across the country that provide legal defense services for the poor.



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AT&T Agrees to Settle Allegations Involving IP Relay Services Provided to Hearing- and Speech-Impaired Persons

AT&T has agreed to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act in connection with a program administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Newseum to Improve Access for People with Disabilities

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Newseum Inc., which owns and operates the Newseum, to address alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Reno Man Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorism Groups in India and Pakistan

A Reno, Nev. man has been charged with providing material support to terrorism groups in India and Pakistan in order to intimidate the Indian government and to harm persons that were not supporting their cause.



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Colorado Health Care Organization and One of Its Montana Hospitals to Pay $3.85 Million for Allegedly Providing Financial Benefits to Referring Physicians and Physician Groups

St. James Healthcare (St. James), a hospital located in Butte, Mont., and its parent company, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System (Sisters of Charity), a health care organization based in Denver, Colo., have agreed to pay $3.85 million to resolve allegations that they violated the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law and the False Claims Act by improperly providing financial benefits to physicians and physician groups that made referrals to the hospital.



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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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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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Former Corrections Officer Sentenced for His Role in Providing Armed Security for Drug Transactions

A former Puerto Rico Department of Corrections officer was sentenced today to serve 811 months in prison for his role in providing armed security for three drug transactions.



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Four Employees of Adoption Services Provider Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States in Connection with Ethiopia Operations

Four current and former employees of International Adoption Guides Inc. (IAG), an adoption services provider, have been indicted by a grand jury in South Carolina for allegedly conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with IAG’s adoption services in Ethiopia.



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New Jersey Doctor Who Provided Spa Services Pleads Guilty in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Dr. Chang Ho Lee, 68, of Palisades Park, N.J., pleaded guilty today to health care fraud and agreed to forfeit more than $3.4 million in fraud proceeds. According to court documents, Lee, who is a medical doctor, and two others recruited patients by offering free lunches and recreational classes and provided them with spa services, such as massages and facials, then falsely billed Medicare for more than $13 million.



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Endo Pharmaceuticals and Endo Health Solutions to Pay $192.7 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Liability Relating to Marketing of Prescription Drug Lidoderm for Unapproved Uses

Pharmaceutical company Endo Health Solutions Inc. and its subsidiary Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Endo) have agreed to pay $192.7 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from Endo’s marketing of the prescription drug Lidoderm for uses not approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration.



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Justice Department Releases New Planning Tool to Help Courts Provide Access to Limited English Proficient Individuals

Today, the Justice Department released a new tool to help state and local courts assess and improve their language assistance services for limited English proficient litigants, victims and witnesses who need access to court services.



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Department of Justice and New Jersey Judiciary Collaborate to Ensure Provision of Language Assistance Services in Courts

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the New Jersey Judiciary to provide comprehensive language assistance services to limited English proficient (LEP) individuals.



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Department of Justice and Rhode Island Judiciary Enter into Agreement for Provision of Language Assistance Services in Rhode Island Courts

The Justice Department today announced it has reached an agreement with the Rhode Island Judiciary to ensure that limited English proficient individuals will have access to timely and competent language assistance at no charge in all court proceedings, services and programs throughout the state court system.



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Owner of Tax Return Preparation Franchise and Health Provider Business Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud, Healthcare Fraud and Money Laundering

Claude Arthur Verbal II, formerly of Raleigh, N.C., and now of Miami, pleaded guilty to tax fraud, healthcare fraud and money laundering in two separate cases in federal court.



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Statement by Attorney General Holder on Sentencing Commission’s Vote to Approve Reductions in Sentencing Guidelines for Nonviolent Drug Offenders

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder—who testified before the U.S. Sentencing Commission last month in support of a proposal to reduce the federal sentencing guidelines for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders—released the following statement Thursday in response to the Commission voting to formally adopt those changes.



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Following Mass Shooting Incidents, Attorney General Holder Urges Congress to Approve $15 Million to Train Law Enforcement Officers for 'Active Shooter' Situations

Following the recent tragedies at a Jewish Community Center in Kansas and at Ft. Hood, Attorney General Eric Holder urged Congress Tuesday to approve $15 million in funding for active shooter training for law enforcement officers to ensure they have the tools they need to effectively respond to threats, protect themselves, and save innocent lives.



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Private Security Guard Sentenced for Providing Armed Security for Drug Transaction

A former private security guard was sentenced in the District of Puerto Rico today for his role in providing armed security for a drug transaction.



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President of Higher Education Software Provider Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Hack into Competitors’ Computer Systems

The president and chief executive officer of Virginia-based Symplicity Corporation pleaded guilty today to conspiring to hack into the computer systems of two competitors to improve his company’s software development and sales strategy.



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District Court Approves Selection of Arnaldo Claudio as Technical Compliance Advisor to Oversee Critical Reforms of Puerto Rico Police Department

Today, U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí approved the selection of Arnaldo Claudio to serve as Technical Compliance Advisor (TCA), overseeing the implementation of sweeping civil rights reforms under the Agreement for Sustainable Reform of the Puerto Rico Police Department.



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Justice Department and CNCS Announce New Partnership to Enhance Immigration Courts and Provide Critical Legal Assistance to Unaccompanied Minors

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which administers AmeriCorps, and the Department of Justice today announced “justice AmeriCorps,” a strategic partnership to increase national service opportunities while enhancing the effective and efficient adjudication of immigration proceedings involving certain children who have crossed the U.S. border without a parent or legal guardian.



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Department of Justice Reaches Landmark Agreement to Improve Missoula County Attorney’s Office’s Response to Reports of Sexual Assault

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a comprehensive agreement with the Missoula County Attorney’s Office, as well as Missoula County, Montana, and the Montana Attorney General’s Office, to resolve the department’s investigation of alleged gender bias in the prosecution of sexual assaults by the Missoula County Attorney’s Office (MCAO).



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Attorney General Holder Pledges Support for Legislation to Provide E.U. Citizens with Judicial Redress in Cases of Wrongful Disclosure of Their Personal Data Transferred to the U.S. for Law Enforcement Purposes

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Obama administration, as part of successfully concluding negotiations on the E.U.-U.S. Data Protection and Privacy Agreement (DPPA), would seek to work with Congress to enact legislation that would provide E.U. citizens with the right to seek redress in U.S. courts if personal data shared with U.S. authorities by their home countries for law enforcement purposes under the proposed agreement is subsequently intentionally or willfully disclosed, to the same extent that U.S. citizens could seek judicial redress in U.S. courts for such disclosures of their own law enforcement information under the Privacy Act



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Department of Justice Provides Update on Gameover Zeus and Cryptolocker Disruption

The Justice Department today filed a status report with the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania updating the court on the progress in disrupting the Gameover Zeus botnet and the malicious software known as Cryptolocker



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Statement by Attorney General Holder on Sentencing Commission Vote Approving Retroactivity of Sentence Reductions for Drug Offenses

Attorney General Eric Holder today released the following statement regarding the U.S. Sentencing Commission vote approving retroactivity of sentence reductions for drug offenses



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Three Defendants Arrested on Charges of Providing Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Three defendants were arrested today on charges of providing material support to al-Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization that is conducting a violent insurgency campaign in Somalia



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McKesson Corp. to Pay $18 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations Related to Shipping Services Provided Under Centers for Disease Control Vaccine Distribution Contract

McKesson Corporation has agreed to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that it improperly set temperature monitors used in shipping vaccines under its contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Justice Department announced today. McKesson is a pharmaceutical distributor with corporate headquarters in San Francisco



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Department of Justice Reaches Comprehensive Settlement with Crestwood School District to Improve Educational Services for English Language Learners

The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, reached a comprehensive settlement agreement with the Crestwood School District in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, to improve educational services for students who are English Language Learners (ELLs), establish a system for recruiting and hiring faculty and staff and ensure that individuals who complain about discrimination do not face unlawful retaliation



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Justice Department Asks Court to Dismiss Oakley Training School Case After Conditions for Confined Youth Improved Under Consent Decree

Today, the Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss its case involving Oakley Training School in Raymond, Mississippi, because the state of Mississippi and the Division of Youth Services have significantly improved conditions for confined youth at Oakley. The reforms, implemented under a consent decree, resulted in increased protections to prevent harm to youth, improved suicide prevention practices, improved medical, dental and mental healthcare, increased rehabilitative services and improved special educational services



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