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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Racial and Familial Status Discrimination in Apartment Complexes in Massillon, Ohio

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the owners of Yorkshire Apartments, Thackeray Ledges and Wales Ridge Apartments in Massillon, Ohio, for discriminating on the basis of race and familial status when renting their apartments in violation of the Fair Housing Act.



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Owner of Miami Company Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-Import Bank

Guillermo O. Mondino, 48, was sentenced by Judge Ricardo M. Urbina in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.



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Brooklyn, N.Y., Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 12 Individuals for Participating in Health Care Fraud Schemes Totaling More Than $95 Million

Twelve individuals, including three medical doctors, a doctor of osteopathy and a chiropractor, were charged today in the Eastern District of New York for their roles in separate health care fraud schemes that resulted in the submission of more than $95 million in false claims to the Medicare program.



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Federal Court Bars Oregon Man from Promoting Tax-Fraud Schemes

A federal court has permanently barred Robert Pendell from promoting any scheme that assists or advises customers to attempt to violate the tax laws.



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Former New Orleans Police Department Lieutenant Sentenced in Connection with Shootings on Danziger Bridge

A former lieutenant with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), was sentenced today for his role in a conspiracy to obstruct justice and for misprision of a felony, in connection with a federal investigation of two police-involved shootings that left two civilians dead and four others seriously wounded in the area of the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina.



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Justice Department Settles with Lowe’s Hardware Store for USERRA Violations

Lowe’s, a national hardware store chain, has agreed to settle the Justice Department’s claims alleging that the company violated the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) when it terminated the employment of Matthew King, a U.S. Army Guard member and Iraq War veteran, without just cause.



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Federal Court Orders Iowa Construction Company to Pay Employment Taxes

A federal court has ordered Advanced Underground Construction LLC and William David Ward II to begin paying employment taxes to the United States on a timely basis.



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Two Individuals Sentenced in Connection with $2.5 Million Reverse Mortgage and Loan Modification Scheme

Two individuals – a loan officer and a title agent – have been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for their participation in a nationwide $2.5 million reverse mortgage fraud scheme.



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Federal Court Shuts Down Tax Return Preparer Siblings in Southern California

A federal court has permanently barred Karen Berry, Carla Berry and their tax preparation business, N.C.K. Services Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in California, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor elections on Nov. 8, 2011, in Alameda County, Calif.; Springfield, Mass.; Humphreys, Leflore, Panola and Wilkinson Counties, Miss.; Lorain County, Ohio; and Jasper, Texas.



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Justice Department Files Suit Against Pittsburgh Woman for FACE Violations

According to court documents, in January 2011, Ms. Parente used physical force against two volunteer escorts who were accompanying a patient into the Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania Liberty Avenue clinic.



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Justice Department Requires Divestiture to Preserve Health-Insurance Competition in Montana

The Department of Justice will require New West Health Services Inc. to sell the majority of its commercial health-insurance business to a third-party buyer and provide additional relief in order to preserve health-insurance competition in Montana.



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New York Resident Sentenced in Miami in Connection with Fraudulent Business Opportunity Schemes

Michael Eisenberg, a resident of Long Island, N.Y., was sentenced Monday in connection with a series of fraudulent business opportunity ventures.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the Department of Justice’s Annual American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month Commemorative Program

"As we honor American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage month, we work to build on our continued progress strengthening tribal law enforcement," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Justice Department Files Complaint Against City of Pittsfield, Mass., for Violating the Employment Rights of a U.S. Navy Reservist

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a complaint against the city of Pittsfield, Mass., for violating the rights of a U.S. Navy Reservist under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Department’s Veterans’ Appreciation Ceremony

"This morning, we honor an extraordinary group of individuals – the 19,000 courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who – in components and offices all around the world – form the backbone of the Justice Department family," said the Attorney General Holder.




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Fort Lauderdale-area Halfway House Owners Plead Guilty to Kickback Scheme

Robert Jenkins, 36, and Nikki Jenkins, 36, each pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Federico A. Moreno in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to solicit and receive health care kickbacks.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with First Niagara Bank N.A. and HSBC Bank USA N.A. on Divestitures

First Niagara Bank N.A. and HSBC Bank USA N.A. agreed to sell 26 branch offices in the Buffalo, N.Y., area with approximately $1.6 billion in deposits, to resolve the Justice Department's antitrust concerns from the sale of HSBC’s branch network in upstate New York to First Niagara.



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Federal Court Bars Eastern Pennsylvania Woman from Preparing Tax Returns

A federal court in Philadelphia has permanently barred Dorthea Alexander from preparing federal tax returns for others



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Former Arizona Army National Guard Member Charged with Participating in Bribery and Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

The 10-count indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Arizona charges Adalberto Valenzuela, 31, of Tucson, Ariz., with two counts of conspiracy, two counts of bribery, two counts of bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, two counts of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.



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Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Shut Down South Florida Tax Preparer

The United States has sued Kenia Marrero seeking to bar her and her business, Kenia Immigration Services, from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Announces Dismissal of Case Regarding Conditions at the Dallas County Jail

The Justice Department announced today that District Court Judge David C. Godbey has granted the request of the department and Dallas County to end court supervision of a lawsuit concerning conditions at the Dallas County Jail.



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Department of Justice Announces Compensation for Servicemembers as Part of Settlement with Bank of America

The Justice Department announced today that, as part of its settlement with BAC Home Loans Servicing LP, a subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation, servicemembers whose homes were unlawfully foreclosed upon will each receive a minimum $116,785 plus compensation for any equity lost to compensate them for the bank’s alleged violation of the Servicemember Civil Relief Act.



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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Laurie Robinson at the Animal Welfare Institute Albert Schweitzer Awards Ceremony

"The Albert Schweitzer Awards are given in honor of one of the world’s great humanitarians, a man who defined “good” as the preservation and enhancement of life in all its forms. The work that these recipients have done embodies the soul of Schweitzer’s philosophy," said Assistant Attorney General Robinson.




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Pennsylvania Man Charged with Copyright Infringement of Sports Broadcasts

The seven-count indictment alleges that Michael Moore, 44, of Chadds Ford, Penn., infringed the copyright protected works during seven six-month periods between May 2006 and June 2010.



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Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-Area Assisted Living Facility Manager Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Kickback Scheme

Ramchand Ramrup, aka Ramy Ramrup, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Justice Department Opens Investigation into the Miami Police Department

The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a civil investigation into allegations of excessive use of deadly force by members of the city of Miami Police Department (MPD), in accordance with the pattern or practice provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.



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HSBC India Client Indicted for Tax Evasion and Failing to Report Foreign Bank Accounts

A federal grand jury in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday indicted Ashvin Desai of San Jose on three counts of tax evasion, two counts of willfully aiding the preparation of materially false tax returns and three counts of failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts.



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Florida-Based Sea Star Line LLC Agrees to Plead Guilty and Its Former President Is Indicted for Price Fixing on Coastal Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico

Sea Star Line LLC has agreed today to plead guilty and to pay a $14.2 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the coastal water freight transportation industry. Additionally, a federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, returned an indictment against Frank Peake, the former president of Sea Star Line, for his role in the same conspiracy.



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Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against the Owners and Managers of Rental Homes in Mississippi for Discrimination Against Families with Children

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the owners and managers of 23 rental homes in Magee, Miss., for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the Miami Police Department Investigation Announcement

"Today, I met with the Mayor, Acting Police Chief and City Manager to notify them of our civil investigation into allegations involving the use of excessive deadly force by officers with the City of Miami Police Department," said Assitant Attorney General Perez.




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Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit in Rolla, Missouri

The Justice Department today announced that Roger Harris, Hediger Enterprises Inc., Carroll Management Group, Forum Manor Associates L.P. and Forum Manor LLC have agreed to pay $295,000 in monetary damages and civil penalties to resolve a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, race and sex discrimination, retaliation and intimidation at Forum Manor Apartments, a federally-subsidized apartment complex in Rolla, Missouri.



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Department of Justice Challenges Utah’s Immigration Law

The Department of Justice today challenged Utah’s immigration law, which comes after recent lawsuits in Arizona, Alabama and South Carolina.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Upshur County, Texas, to Ensure Civic Access for Persons with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Upshur County, Texas, to improve access to all aspects of civic life for people with disabilities.



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Hungarian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Hacking into Marriott Computers and Extorting Employment from the Company

Attila Nemeth, 26, pleaded guilty in the District of Maryland before U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz.



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Federal Courts Order Seizure of 150 Website Domains Involved in Selling Counterfeit Goods as Part of DOJ, ICE HSI and FBI Cyber Monday Crackdown

“Through this operation we are aggressively targeting those who are selling counterfeit goods for their own personal gain while costing our economy much-needed revenue and jobs,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.



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Lafarge North America Inc. Agrees to Pay $740,000 Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations in Five States

The violations include unpermitted discharges of stormwater and failure to comply with stormwater permits at 21 stone, gravel, sand, asphalt and ready-mix concrete facilities in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland and New York.



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Attorney General Holder Announces Campaign to Combat Demand for Counterfeit Products in Partnership with the National Crime Prevention Council

"As our country continues to recover from once-in-a-generation economic challenges, the need to safeguard intellectual property rights – and to protect Americans from intellectual property crimes – has never been more urgent,” said Attorney General Holder.



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Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Meet with Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Merger Enforcement Matters

Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis Pozen of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Jon Leibowitz today met with a delegation from China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) to discuss antitrust merger enforcement.



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Justice Department Launches Webinar Series on Avoiding Workplace Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today the launch of a live webinar series on avoiding workplace discrimination. The webinars coincide with the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which created the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC).



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Intellectual Property Theft Campaign Launch

"As our country continues to recover from once-in-a-generation economic challenges, the need to safeguard intellectual property rights – and to protect Americans from IP crimes – has never been more urgent. But, in many ways, this work has also never been more difficult," said Attorney General Holder.




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Taiwan Aftermarket Auto Lights Manufacturer and Its Chairman Indicted for Participation in Price-Fixing Conspiracy

A federal grand jury in San Francisco returned a superseding indictment yesterday against a Taiwan aftermarket auto lights manufacturer, its U.S.-based subsidiary distributor and its chairman for participating in an international conspiracy to fix the prices of aftermarket auto lights.



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Detroit-Area Occupational Therapy Assistant Pleads Guilty to Participating in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Vanessa Dowell, 50, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Justice Department Opens Investigations into Two Western Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions

The Justice Department announced today that it is opening civil investigations into two state correctional institutions (SCI) in Western Pennsylvania.



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Former Indianapolis City-County Councilman Sentenced for Soliciting a Bribe and Attempted Extortion

Former Indianapolis and Marion County, Ind., City-County Councilman Lincoln Plowman was sentenced today to 40 months in prison, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett of the Southern District of Indiana.



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Statement of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division on Its Decision to Close Its Investigation of Google Inc.'s Acquisition of Admeld Inc.

The Antitrust Division obtained extensive information from Google, Admeld and a wide range of market participants in connection with its merger investigation of the proposed transaction. After a thorough review of the evidence, the division concluded that the transaction is not likely to substantially lessen competition in the sale of display advertising.



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New Guidance Supports Voluntary Efforts to Promote Diversity and Reduce Racial Isolation in Education

Today, the Departments of Justice and Education released two new guidance documents ¨C one for school districts and one for colleges and universities ¨C detailing the flexibility that the Supreme Court has provided to educational institutions to promote diversity and, in the case of elementary and secondary schools, reduce racial isolation among students within the confines of the law.



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Department of Justice Releases Investigative Findings on the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and the Jackson Juvenile Offender Center in Florida

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings that the state of Florida’s oversight system failed to detect and sufficiently address harmful practices at both the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and the Jackson Juvenile Offender Center.



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Alpha Natural Resources Inc. and Department of Justice Reach $209 Million Agreement Related to Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion

“The tragedy at Upper Big Branch will never be forgotten, and the families affected by it will never be made completely whole again. Today’s agreement represents the largest-ever resolution in a criminal investigation of a mine disaster and will ensure appropriate steps are taken to improve mine safety now and will fund research to enhance mine safety in the future,” said Attorney General Holder.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination by University of California, San Diego Medical Center

The Department of Justice today filed a lawsuit against the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, alleging that the medical center discriminated in the employment eligibility verification process against people who are authorized to work in the United States.



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