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United States Transfers 12 Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Afghanistan, Yemen and the Somaliland Region

These transfers were carried out under individual arrangements between the United States and relevant foreign authorities to ensure the transfers took place under appropriate security measures.



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Major International Hacker Pleads Guilty for Massive Attack on U.S. Retail and Banking Networks

Albert Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to the payment card networks operated by, among others, Heartland Payment Systems, 7-Eleven and Hannaford Brothers Co. Inc.



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United States Transfers Two Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Algeria

Two Algerian detainees, Hasan Zemiri and Adil Hadi al Jazairi Bin Hamlili, have been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the custody and control of the Government of Algeria.



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United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Slovakia

The United States is grateful to the Government of Slovakia for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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United States Transfers Guantanamo Bay Detainee to Switzerland

The Swiss Government, with the support of the Canton of Geneva, accepted an Uzbek national for resettlement and his transfer was carried out according to arrangements between the governments of the United States and Switzerland.



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Attorney General Holder, Secretary Sebelius Convene National Summit on Health Care Fraud, Unveil Historic Commitment to Fighting Fraud in President’s FY 2011 Budget

“Health care fraud affects all Americans and demands a coordinated, national response,” said Attorney General Holder.



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United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Albania

The United States is grateful to the Government of Albania for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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United States Transfers Guantanamo Bay Detainee to Spain

The United States is grateful to the Government of Spain for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Georgia

The United States is grateful to Georgia for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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United States Transfers Two Uighur Detainees from Guantanamo Bay to Switzerland

The Swiss Government, with the support of the Canton of Jura, accepted the two Chinese nationals of Uighur ethnicity for resettlement in Switzerland.



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Leader of Hacking Ring Sentenced for Massive Identity Thefts from Payment Processor and U.S. Retail Networks

Albert Gonzalez, of Miami, the leader of the largest hacking and identity theft ring ever prosecuted by the U.S. government, has been sentenced to 20 years and one day in prison for his role in a series of hacks into a major payment processor and several retail networks.



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Detention Officer Sentenced for Repeated Sexual Abuse of Detainees

U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller sentenced Robert Luis Loya to three years in prison and five years of supervised release for violating the civil rights and the sexual abuse of females in his custody.



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Former NSA Senior Executive Charged with Illegally Retaining Classified Information, Obstructing Justice and Making False Statements

A federal grand jury in the District of Maryland has returned a 10-count indictment charging former National Security Agency (NSA) senior executive Thomas A. Drake with the willful retention of classified information, obstruction of justice and making false statements.



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Attorney General Holder, Secretary Sebelius Send Letter to State Attorneys General on New Outreach and Education Efforts to Combat Medicare Fraud

Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius today sent a letter to state attorneys general urging them to work with HHS and federal, state and local law enforcement officials to mount a substantial outreach campaign, beginning this summer, to educate seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries about how to prevent scams and fraud.



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Attorney General Holder and Secretary Sebelius Kick-off First Regional Health Care Fraud Prevention Summit in Miami

Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today kicked-off the first in a series of regional health care fraud prevention summits in Miami.



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Attorney General Holder and HHS Secretary Sebelius Host Second Regional Health Care Fraud Prevention Summit in Los Angeles

Today Attorney General Eric Holder and U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius kicked off the second in a series of daylong summits bringing together a wide array of federal, state and local partners, beneficiaries, providers and other interested parties to discuss innovative ways to eliminate fraud within the U.S. health care system.



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Attorney General Holder and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announce Settlement Agreement with Native American Farmers Claiming Discrimination by USDA

Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against USDA by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by USDA.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by the Puerto Rico Police Department

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the Policía de Puerto Rico alleging the PRPD retaliated against Agent Investigator Sofía Figueroa Rossy for complaining about a hostile work environment based on sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.



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Attorney General Holder, Secretaries Salazar and Vilsack Applaud Final Passage of the Claims Settlement Act

Today, the Departments of Justice, Interior and Agriculture applauded the bipartisan House passage of the Claims Settlement Act.



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Attorney General Expresses Opposition to Legislation Blocking Transfer of Guantanamo Detainees

Attorney General Eric Holder wrote to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell today in opposition to language in the proposed 2011 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act.



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Attorney General Holder and Secretary Sebelius Team up at Health Care Fraud Prevention Summit in Boston

Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited Boston today, where they participated in the fourth Regional Health Care Fraud Prevention Summit.



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Iranian National Charged with Illegally Exporting Specialized Metals from the United States to Iran

Milad Jafari, 36, a citizen and resident of Iran has been indicted for illegally exporting and attempting to export specialized metals from the United States through companies in Turkey to several entities in Iran, including some entities that have been sanctioned for involvement in ballistic missile activities.



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Former Kershaw County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Department Officer Found Guilty for Using Excessive Force on Detainee

A federal jury in Columbia, S.C., convicted Oddie Tribble, 51, a former police officer with the Kershaw County, S.C., Sherriff’s Office, of a civil rights violation for his use of excessive force on a man in his custody on Aug. 5, 2010.



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Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder Form Joint Task Force to Assist Mexico’s Investigation into Yesterday’s Shooting of Two ICE Agents in Mexico

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder today met to discuss the shooting by unknown assailants of two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents in the line of duty yesterday while driving in Mexico.



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Statement of the Attorney General on Guantanamo Bay and Detainee Policy

"As the Administration has long stated, it is essential that the government have the ability to use both military commissions and federal courts as tools to keep this country safe."



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Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announce Settlement of Lawsuit Against USDA by Native American Farmers

Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the approval by the U.S. District Court of the settlement of a class action lawsuit filed against USDA by Native American farmers alleging discrimination by USDA.



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Former CFO of National Auto Parts Retailer Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Manipulate Corporate Earnings

Don W. Watson, former chief financial officer (CFO) of CSK Auto Corp. (CSK), pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to conspiracy to commit securities and mail fraud in connection with a scheme to misstate the company’s reported earnings from 2001 through 2006.



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Two New Jersey Dietary Supplement Companies and Their Principals Found Guilty of Criminal Contempt

A Trenton, N.J., jury Wednesday found Paterson, N.J.-based dietary supplement companies Quality Formulation Laboratories Inc. and American Sports Nutrition Inc., as well as their owner, Mohamed S. Desoky, and managers Ahmad Desoky Esq. and Omar Desoky, guilty of multiple counts of criminal contempt of court for violating a consent decree.



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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Applaud Final Approval of Cobell Settlement

Today, the Departments of Justice and Interior applauded the final approval by U.S. Senior District Judge Thomas F. Hogan of Cobell v. Salazar, a long-running and contentious individual American Indian trust class-action lawsuit.



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Statement of the Attorney General Regarding Investigation into the Interrogation of Certain Detainees

"On August 24, 2009, based on information the Department received pertaining to alleged CIA mistreatment of detainees, I announced that I had expanded Mr. Durham’s mandate to conduct a preliminary review into whether federal laws were violated in connection with the interrogation of specific detainees at overseas locations."



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Former Port Isabel Detention Officer Charged with Violating Civil Rights of Detainee

A federal indictment returned by a McAllen, Texas, grand jury on June 7, 2011, charging former Port Isabel Detention Center Lieutenant Raul Leal with using excessive force on a detainee, obstruction of justice and lying to a federal agent was unsealed today following Leal’s arrest.



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Statement of Deputy Attorney General James Cole Regarding Information Requests for Multiple Sales of Semi-Automatic Rifles with Detachable Magazines

“The international expansion and increased violence of transnational criminal networks pose a significant threat to the United States."



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Attorney General Holder, Secretary Duncan Announce Effort to Respond to School-to-Prison Pipeline by Supporting Good Discipline Practices

Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the launch of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, a collaborative project between the Departments of Justice and Education that will address the “school-to-prison pipeline” and the disciplinary policies and practices that can push students out of school and into the justice system.



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Attorney General and DHS Secretary Announce Largest U.S. Prosecution of International Criminal Network Organized to Sexually Exploit Children

Attorney General Holder and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Napolitano announced today the unsealing of three indictments and one complaint charging a total of 72 individuals for their participation in an international criminal network dedicated to the sexual abuse of children and the creation and dissemination of graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse throughout the world.



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Former Willacy Detention Center Contract Security Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Female Detainee in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that former Contract Security Officer Edwin Rodriguez, 30, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual abuse of a female detainee under his supervision and control.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the United Nations Secretary-General’s Symposium on International Counter-Terrorism Cooperation

"In this time of uncommon challenges and evolving threats, our allegiance to these values – of liberty, privacy, opportunity, and justice – and the achievement of our collective security goals – have never been more important, or more urgent," said Attorney General Holder.




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Former Executive of Auto Parts Retailer Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Fraud Scheme

Don W. Watson, 55, of Gilbert, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton in the District of Arizona in Phoenix.



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Statements by Attorney General Holder and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack on Court Approval of Pigford II Settlement Agreement

“This settlement allows the Department of Agriculture and African-American farmers to focus on the future, and brings us one step closer to giving these farmers a chance to have their claims heard,” said Attorney General Holder.



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Two New Jersey Dietary Supplement Firms and Their Principals Sentenced for Criminal Contempt

New Jersey-based dietary supplement companies Quality Formulation Laboratories Inc. and American Sports Nutrition Inc., as well as their owner and managers, were sentenced today for multiple counts of criminal contempt of court for violating a consent decree entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on March 16, 2010.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by the Town of Rome, Wisconsin

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a consent decree with the town of Rome, Wis., to resolve allegations that the town retaliated against an employee after she made a complaint of discrimination based on sex.



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Justice Department Settles Allegations of Citizenship Status Discrimination and Retaliation Against Georgia Rug Manufacturer

The Justice Department announced a settlement today with Garland Sales Inc., a Georgia rug manufacturer, resolving allegations that it engaged in discrimination by imposing unnecessary documentary requirements on individuals of Hispanic origin when establishing their eligibility to work in the United States, and that it retaliated against a worker for protesting his discriminatory treatment.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against the Berkeley County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office for Violating Detainees’ First Amendment Religious and Speech Rights

The United States alleged that BCSO denied detainees access to books, magazines, newspapers or other expressive materials and denied them the right to practice their religion, in violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the National Association of Secretaries of State 2012 Conference

"Whether ensuring that our military voters and civilians serving overseas have the right to register and vote absentee, ensuring individuals are not denied the franchise because of their race or the language they speak, or ensuring that covered states are following federal requirements for providing opportunities to register to vote at designated offices and administering voter lists, our work to protect voting rights is among our most important," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Readout of Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary Janet Napolitano’s Trip to Ottawa, Canada

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today visited Ottawa, Canada to participate in the Cross-Border Crime Forum with Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General Rob Nicholson, and Canadian Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews. Secretary Napolitano, Attorney General Holder and Minister Toews also signed a memorandum of understanding to better prevent and combat human smuggling and trafficking.



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Former Georgia Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Detainee

The Justice Department announced today that former Thomas County Sheriff’s Deputy Julian Scott Law pleaded guilty today to assaulting a detainee inside of the Thomas County Jail in Thomasville, Georgia, thereby depriving the detainee of his civil rights.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by the City of Selma, Texas, Fire Department

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a civil suit against the city of Selma, Texas, alleging that the city discriminated against firefighter Adam Sadler in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Former Bryan County, Okla., Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Pleads Guilty to Using Taser to Shock Restrained Detainee

The Justice Department announced today that former Bryan County, Okla., Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Kevin Bennett Holt, 48, from Achille, Okla., pleaded guilty in federal court to using a Taser to assault a detainee inside of the Bryan County Jail in Durant, Okla., thereby depriving the detainee of his civil rights.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against New Jersey Information Technology Company for Retaliation

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Whiz International, an information technology staffing company in Jersey City, N.J., regarding allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it terminated an employee in retaliation for her opposition to Whiz’s preference for foreign nationals with temporary work visas.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against New Jersey Information Technology Company for Retaliation

The Justice Department settled a lawsuit today against Whiz International LLC, an information technology staffing company in Jersey City, N.J., regarding allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it terminated an employee in retaliation for expressing opposition to Whiz’s alleged preference for foreign nationals with temporary work visas.



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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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