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Federal Officials Close the Investigation Involving Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officers

The Justice Department announced today that it will not pursue criminal charges against three Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers in connection with the events of Jan. 12, 2010, involving former Pittsburgh School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) student Jordan Miles.



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Pennsylvania Tax Defier Home Builder and Landlord Convicted of Tax Fraud

Troy A. Beam was convicted today in the Middle District of Pennsylvania before U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner.



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Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder Before the Senate Judiciary Committee

"Throughout my tenure as Attorney General, I’ve had the chance to work closely with this Committee to carry out our most important duty: protecting the American people. Today, I’m pleased to report that the Justice Department efforts to fulfill this solemn obligation have never been stronger."




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California Company and Its CEO Sentenced for Conspiring to Illegally Export Industrial Valves to Iran

GWC Valve International Inc., a company headquartered in Bakersfield, Calif., and its chief executive officer, David Meador, 52, were sentenced today in the Eastern District of California for conspiracy to export services related to industrial valves to Iran.



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California Company, Its Two Executives and Intermediary Convicted by Federal Jury in Los Angeles on All Counts for Their Involvement in Scheme to Bribe Officials at State-Owned Electrical Utility in Mexico

Lindsey Manufacturing Company, an Azusa, Calif., company, two of its executives and a Mexican intermediary today were convicted by a federal jury on all counts for their alleged roles in a scheme to pay bribes to Mexican government officials at the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), a state-owned utility company.



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Man Convicted in Miami in Connection with Costa Rica-Based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures

Following a two-week trial, a federal jury in Miami today convicted Sirtaj “Tosh” Mathauda on 12 felony counts related to a fraudulent business opportunity scheme.



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Two Arkansas Men Plead Guilty to Firebombing an Interracial Couple’s Home

Two Arkansas men pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, Ark., to charges related to their involvement in the firebombing of the house of an interracial couple.



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Statement of Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jason Weinstein Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law

"One of the Department of Justice’s core missions is protecting the privacy of Americans and prosecuting criminals who violate that privacy," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Weinstein.




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Federal Court Bars North Georgia Man from Promoting Form 1099-OID Tax Scheme

A federal court has permanently barred Atlanta-area financial planner T. Michael Haney from promoting the use of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Forms 1099-OID to support false tax withholdings.



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Another Individual Sentenced in Miami in Connection with Costa Rica-Based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures

Gregory Britt Fleming was sentenced today in connection with a series of Costa Rica-based business opportunity fraud ventures.



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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty for Cross Burning

Michael Duane Bracken, of Bolivar, Penn., pleaded guilty today to a charge related to the burning of a cross in the yard of a mixed race family in November 2009.



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Former Member of Virginia House of Delegates Convicted of Bribery and Extortion

Phillip A. Hamilton, a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates, today was convicted by a jury in Richmond, Va., of soliciting employees of Old Dominion University (ODU) for a paid position at the same time he was introducing legislation to fund the position.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the 23rd Annual National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Candlelight Vigil

"At every level of the Justice Department, ensuring the safety of our law enforcement partners is – and will remain – a top priority. And we will continue working to better understand the challenges – and to mitigate the risks – that they regularly face."




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Six Individuals Charged for Providing Material Support to the Pakistani Taliban

Six individuals located in South Florida and Pakistan have been indicted in the Southern District of Florida on charges of providing financing and other material support to the Pakistani Taliban, a designated foreign terrorist organization.



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Justice Department Antitrust Officials to Participate in 10th Annual International Competition Network Conference in the Hague, the Netherlands

Department of Justice Antitrust Division officials will participate in the 10th annual International Competition Network (ICN) conference in The Hague, The Netherlands, from May 18-20, 2011.



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Attorney General Holder Names Sheila L. Birnbaum as Special Master of September 11th Victim Compensation Fund

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that he has chosen Sheila L. Birnbaum to head the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund program. Birnbaum, a life-long New Yorker, has decades of experience resolving complicated litigation.



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Former Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Financial Assistance Funds Intended for Service Members

A former civilian employee of the Department of Defense pleaded guilty today in Columbus, Ga., to conversion of Army Emergency Relief (AER) funds while he was employed at Camp Humphreys in the Republic of Korea.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Dedication of the William H. Neukom Building at Stanford Law School

"Generations of young people have graduated from this law school - not only with a first-rate education, but also with a deeply-ingrained passion to right wrongs, to improve lives, and to protect and empower our nation's most vulnerable citizens. Public service is not only a key part of Stanford's curriculum - it is a central component of this law school's culture, its DNA. And we can all be encouraged that, today, this tradition is stronger than ever."




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the University of Virginia Law School Commencement

"As you pursue your own passions – and work to fulfill your collective responsibilities – I hope, in the spirit of Robert Kennedy – your famous predecessor, and mine – that you will dare greatly; that you will question what is accepted and change what is objectionable; that you will root out injustice in all its forms; and that you always will remember the truth of his enduring words: “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.”




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Leadership, Members and Associates of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Family Charged with Racketeering Conspiracy and Related Crimes

A superseding indictment was unsealed today against 13 members and associates of the Philadelphia organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), including its current boss and underboss.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Takedown Press Conference

"Today, a 50-count superseding indictment was unsealed charging 13 leaders, members and associates of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Family with crimes that spanned more than a decade."




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Miami-Area Owners and Operators of Medical Equipment Company Plead Guilty to Medicare Fraud

Two Miami-area residents who were owners and operators of a durable medical equipment (DME) company, pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Justice Department’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Event

"This event is more than just a celebration of all that has been accomplished up to this point. It’s also a solemn reminder of the obstacles to equal justice and equal opportunity that, unfortunately, persist. And it’s an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the continued progress – and unwavering vigilance – that must be not only our shared priority, but our common cause."




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Justice Department Settles Case Against South Bend, Indiana, Public Transportation Corporation to Defend Employment Rights of Army Reservist

The Department of Justice announced today that it has resolved claims made by Stephen Ralston against the South Bend, Ind., Public Transportation Corporation (TRANSPO) under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.



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Statement by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Before the Senate Judiciary Committee

"The Justice Department successfully and aggressively uses every tool now available to us to prosecute crimes committed abroad by U.S. Government personnel and U.S. Government contractors."




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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the Franz-Hermann Brüner Memorial Lecture at the World Bank

"Prosecutors and law enforcement professionals in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice are working hard to fight corruption at every level, at home and abroad. This work is one way in which we send the message loud and clear that public officials who abuse their power for personal gain – whether they are in the United States or the emerging democracies of North Africa and the Middle East or anywhere else around the world – are on the wrong side. And we will keep working and keep fighting to hold them to account."




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Federal Court Shuts Down Georgia Tax Return Preparers

A federal court has permanently barred two women from preparing federal income tax returns for others and from operating their tax preparation business.



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Attorney General Eric Holder, Justice Department and Administration Officials Join with Actors from HBO’s The Wire for Launch of Drug Endangered Children Public Awareness Campaign

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the launch of a public awareness campaign at a Federal Interagency Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Task Force event to bring attention to the challenges faced by children and families affected by drug abuse and highlight the work being done across the country to address these issues.



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Justice Department Settles Allegations of Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination Against American Academy of Pediatrics

The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an organization of 60,000 pediatricians based in Elk Grove Village, Ill., resolving allegations that the organization impermissibly allowed postings on its www.PedJobs.org website that limited applications to U.S. citizens and certain visa holders.



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Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson of the Office of Justice Programs Speaks at the National Symposium on Pretrial Justice

"Each of you has been invited because of your experience, your expertise, and your influence within your constituencies. What we have in this room today is a gathering of many of the most influential criminal justice stakeholders in the nation and we’re going to really try to leverage that influence."




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Two Former Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, Police Officers Sentenced for Falsifying Information About the Beating of a Latino Man

The Justice Department announced that Matthew Nestor and William Moyer were sentenced today for falsifying information related to the investigation into the beating death of Luis Ramirez.



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Florida Physician Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Fraudulent Lobbying and Fund Raising Conspiracy

A Florida physician was sentenced today to four years in prison for his role in a fraud scheme involving lobbying and fund raising for political candidates and organizations.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Louisiana Private School to Ensure Effective Diabetes Care for Students

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the Alexandria Country Day School in Alexandria, La., to resolve allegations that the school denied a six-year-old girl with Type I diabetes admission to the school after her parents requested that the school supervise her in daily diabetes care practices.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of the Civil Rights Division Speaks Before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution

"Every day in the Civil Rights Division presents me, my staff, and our outstanding team of dedicated career attorneys and professionals a new opportunity to protect and defend the rights of individuals who might not be able to assert those rights on their own. We are proud to carry the torch of the great civil rights pioneers who fought for laws that would ensure equal opportunity and equal justice – and we honor their legacy by enforcing those laws aggressively and evenhandedly. "




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Symposium on Pretrial Justice

"As we rededicate ourselves to this work, I can’t help but feel optimistic about where we’ll arrive – and what we will achieve – together. Not only do I look forward to hearing about the discussions that you will have – and the recommendations that you will develop – during this symposium, I look forward to our continued partnership, our continued progress, and our continued pursuit of security, opportunity, and justice for all."




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Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson Speaks at the National Symposium on Pretrial Justice

"This evidence-based approach to public safety issues is important across the criminal justice spectrum. I’ve made it a top priority at OJP. Shortly after taking office in 2009, I launched my Evidence Integration Initiative – we call it E2I, for short. Our goal is to both improve the quantity and quality of research and other evidence that we generate and get that information out to the field in a useable format."




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Former Senator and Presidential Candidate John Edwards Charged for Alleged Role in Scheme to Violate Federal Campaign Finance Laws

A federal grand jury today returned a six-count indictment against former U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate John Edwards for allegedly participating in a scheme to violate federal campaign finance laws.



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Federal Court Bars Philadelphia Tax Firm and Owner from Preparing Federal Tax Returns

Friday James, who according to the government complaint is from Landsdowne, Pa., and his business agreed to the permanent injunction order without admitting the allegations against them.



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Project Safe Childhood Operation Announced Following Indiana Man’s Guilty Plea to Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses

David R. Bostic, of Bloomington, Ind., pleaded guilty today to multiple charges of sexual exploitation of children relating to his participation in an international conspiracy to sexually exploit children through the trading of child pornography.



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California Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

The owner and manager of a California condominium complex were sentenced today for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards during the renovation of a 204-unit apartment building in Winnetka, Calif., in 2006 – work that caused asbestos to be released into the complex and the surrounding community.



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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Speaks at the 2011 LGBT Pride Month Celebration

"I’m proud to say that – today, when it comes to protecting and empowering LGBT citizens – our nation is on a path of progress. And in the months and years to come, let us strive to build upon the hard-fought victories of so many leaders and allies – both in our Department, through the critical work of organizations like DOJ Pride, and beyond – and to honor the promise of “equal justice under law.”




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California Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Liens Against Federal Employees

Thanh Viet Jeremy Cao of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., pleaded guilty today in Las Vegas before Judge Kent J. Dawson to six counts of filing false liens against employees and officers of the federal government.



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New England Commercial Fisherman Charged with Lacey Act Crimes for Illegally Harvesting Striped Bass

Daniel B. Birkbeck, 46, of North Stonington, Conn., was charged today in federal court with trafficking in and falsifying records for illegally harvested Atlantic Striped Bass.



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New England Commercial Fisherman Charged with Lacey Act Crimes for Illegally Harvesting Striped Bass

Daniel B. Birkbeck, 46, of North Stonington, Conn., was charged today in federal court with trafficking in and falsifying records for illegally harvested Atlantic Striped Bass.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with City of Bedford, Virginia, on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department has reached an agreement with the city of Bedford, Va., that, if approved by the court, will allow for the city’s bailout from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the city from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the act.



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Federal Agencies Announce National Initiative to Combat Immigration Services Scams

This initiative targets immigration scams involving the unauthorized practice of immigration law (UPIL), which occurs when legal advice and/or representation regarding immigration matters is provided by an individual who is not an attorney or accredited representative.



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U.S. Subsidiary of Belgian Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Off-Label Promotion; Company to Pay More Than $34 Million

The U.S. subsidiary of Belgian pharmaceutical manufacturer UCB SA. pleaded guilty today to the off-label promotion of its epilepsy drug Keppra and will pay more than $34 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising out of its illegal conduct.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with California Irrigation District on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Alta Irrigation District, a special district in California, that, if approved by the court, will allow for the district to bail out from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the district from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.



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Tahawwur Rana Guilty of Providing Material Support to Terror Group and Playing Supporting Role in Denmark Terror Conspiracy

A Pakistani native who operated a Chicago-based immigration business was convicted today of participating in conspiracy involving a terrorism plot against a Danish newspaper and providing material support to a terrorist organization based in Pakistan.



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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Speaks at Justice Department Anti-Violence Event in Roanoke

"At the Department of Justice, we are investing in more effective enforcement strategies, but we are also investing in communities across the country in proven strategies for preventing crime, in particular for reaching vulnerable young people before they commit crimes or when they begin going down the wrong path, and we are also investing in providing a transition for individuals coming out of prison, what we call reentry, because if we can reduce the recidivism rate, we can also reduce crime."