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International Cybercriminal Extradited from Thailand to the United States

Algerian national Hamza Bendelladj, aka “Bx1,” has been extradited from Thailand to the United States to face charges in Atlanta for allegedly playing a critical role in developing, marketing, distributing and controlling “SpyEye,” a pernicious computer virus designed to steal unsuspecting victims’ financial and personally identifying information.



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Adventist Health Pays United States and State of California $14.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Adventist Health System/West, dba Adventist Health, and its affiliated hospital White Memorial Medical Center have agreed to pay the United States and the state of California $14.1 million to settle claims that they violated the False Claims Act.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the University of Auckland

"As we look toward the future of this work, I’m confident that we’ll be able to continue building on the record of achievement that’s been established – so long as we remain committed to working together," said Attorney General Holder.




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Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Participating in Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Steal Payment Card Data from Hundreds of U.S. Merchants

A Romanian national pleaded guilty today to participating in an international, multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants’ computers.



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Department of Justice Reaches Settlement to Resolve Complaints of Religious Harassment at Charter School in DeKalb County, Georgia

The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with DeKalb County, Ga., school district to resolve the department’s investigation into allegations of religious and national origin harassment of a Sikh middle school student.



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Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno Announces Departure from Department of Justice

Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, announced today that she will be leaving the Department of Justice on June 7, 2013.



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Former Wilcox County, Georgia, Sheriff and Others Sentenced for Assaulting Inmate

Today, the Justice Department announced that former Sheriff of Wilcox County, Ga., Stacy Bloodsworth was sentenced to 10 years in prison for assaulting an inmate inside the Wilcox County Jail and for conspiring to cover up the assault.



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Justice Department Announces Fair Housing Settlement with Oregon Developer

The Justice Department announced today that Oregon developer David Montagne and others affiliated with him have agreed to pay $80,000 and remove accessibility barriers at Gateway Village, a 275 unit apartment complex in Salem, Oregon, to settle a lawsuit alleging that they had violated the Fair Housing Act by building the complex with steps and other features that made it inaccessible to persons with disabilities.



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Departments of Justice and Education Reach Settlement to Address and Prevent Sexual Assault and Harassment of Students at the University of Montana in Missoula

The Department of Justice and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights obtained a comprehensive resolution agreement today with the University of Montana-Missoula in Missoula, Mont., to ensure that it responds swiftly and effectively to allegations of sexual assault and harassment by students.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Stewart County, Georgia, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Stewart County, Ga., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Roy L. Austin Jr. Speaks at the Press Conference on the Agreements with the University of Montana

"We have covered extraordinary ground in the last year—not only concluding a comprehensive investigation of the University’s response to sexual assault, but also reaching two agreements to remedy the problems we found— this would not have been possible without the cooperation and dedication that the University demonstrated throughout," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Austin.




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

"It’s a privilege to join you; Professor Murray; distinguished members of the faculty, staff, and administration; and so many proud parents, family members, friends, and alumni – in congratulating the Class of 2013, and celebrating the achievements that have defined your time here at Berkeley Law School," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Niagara County, New York

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit against Niagara County, N.Y., alleging that Niagara County discriminated against Carisa Boddecker, a corrections officer with the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, when it forced her to take a leave of absence during her pregnancy.



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California Jewelry Store Owner Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Conspiracy to Launder the Proceeds of Bank Fraud

Safieh Fard, 52, of Escondido, Calif., was sentenced late yesterday to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney. Fard was also ordered to pay $594,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid individual income taxes.



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Community Mental Health Center Program Coordinator Sentenced to 70 Months for Role in $63 Million Fraud Scheme

A former program coordinator at the defunct health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN) was sentenced in Miami to 70 months in prison today for her role in a $63 million fraud scheme.



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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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Alabama Man Pleads Guilty for Involvement in a Large Scale Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Glenn Powell Jr. pleaded guilty today in the Middle District of Alabama to his role in a large scale stolen identity refund fraud.



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United States Sues Brooklyn Fish Processors in Food Safety Case

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit and sought a preliminary injunction against N.Y. Fish Inc.; New York City Fish Inc.; Maxim Kutsyk, Pavel Roytkov, Leonid Staroseletesky, and Steven Koyfman under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).



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Alabama Woman Receives Four Years in Prison in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

Larreka Jackson was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison for her role in a multi-million dollar conspiracy to use stolen identities to obtain tax refunds, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Jackson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $721,519.12. In January 2013, Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to file false claims and one count of aggravated identity theft.



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Florida Woman Indicted on Conspiracy for Role in Bringing 143 Haitian Nationals to the United States on Fraudulently Obtained Guest Worker Visas

Today, a federal judge unsealed a three-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charging Jetta McPhee, 59, of Tamarac, Fla., for her role in bringing 143 Haitian nationals to the United States on fraudulently obtained guest worker visas that McPhee and her co-conspirator secured based on false representations that there were jobs awaiting those workers.



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

Sean Rosales, a dual United States and Costa Rican citizen, was sentenced today in connection with a series of business opportunity fraud ventures based in Costa Rica, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today.



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Justice Department Finds Unconstitutional Conditions of Confinement at Escambia County, Fla. Jail

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division issued a letter detailing the findings of its investigation into conditions of confinement at Escambia County Jail, a jail located in northwest Florida, housing roughly 1,300 prisoners.



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African Trophy Hunter Indicted for Violating Endangered Species Act and Lacey Act

Charles Kokesh was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pensacola, Florida, for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act by selling two African elephant tusks and for making false accounts of wildlife related to that sale.



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Mississippi Laboratory Operator Found Guilty of Falsifying Records on Industrial Wastewater

The owner and sole operator of an environmental laboratory was found guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi of all counts of a federal indictment charging falsification of records and obstructing a federal criminal investigation.



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Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in Cashing Fraudulently Obtained Tax Refund Checks

Rodriquez Thomas, of Montgomery County, Ala., pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama to conspiring to cash fraudulently obtained federal tax refund checks.



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Alabama Woman Pleads Guilty for Involvement in a Large Scale Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Tracey Montgomery, of Montgomery County, Ala., pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama to her role in a large scale stolen identity refund fraud.



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One of the World’s Largest Digital Currency Companies and Seven of Its Principals and Employees Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Running Alleged $6 Billion Money Laundering Scheme

Liberty Reserve, a company that operated one of the world’s most widely used digital currency services, and seven of its principals and employees were charged with money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.



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French Oil and Gas Company, Total, S.A., Charged in the United States and France in Connection with an International Bribery Scheme

Total, S.A., a French oil and gas company that trades on the New York Stock Exchange, has agreed to pay a $245.2 million monetary penalty to resolve charges related to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with illegal payments made through third parties to a government official in Iran to obtain valuable oil and gas concessions



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Alabama Resident Pleads Guilty in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

Bridgette Rivers, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., pleaded guilty to her involvement in a conspiracy to use stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns.



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Department of Justice Releases Report to Congress on Indian Country Investigations and Prosecutions

The Department of Justice released today a report to Congress entitled Indian Country Investigations and Prosecutions which provides a range of enforcement statistics required under the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010.



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Manssor Arbabsiar Sentenced in New York City Federal Court to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiring with Iranian Military Officials to Assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States

Manssor Arbabsiar, aka “Mansour Arbabsiar,” was sentenced today in New York City federal court to 25 years in prison for participating in a plot to murder the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S. while the Ambassador was in the U.S..



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Alabama Woman Pleads Guilty in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

Lea’Tice Phillips, of Montgomery County, Ala., pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for her role in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme.



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Florida Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Two Fraud Schemes

Joseph Rizzuti, of Stuart, Fla., was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).



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For-Profit School in Texas to Pay United States up to $2.5 Million for Allegedly Submitting False Claims for Federal Student Financial Aid

American Commercial Colleges Inc. (ACC) has agreed to pay the United States up to $2.5 million, plus interest, to resolve allegations that it violated the civil False Claims Act by falsely certifying that it complied with certain eligibility requirements of the federal student aid programs.



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Justice Department Finds Pennsylvania State Prison’s Use of Solitary Confinement Violates Rights of Prisoners Under the Constitution and Americans with Disabilities Act

The Justice Department issued a findings letter detailing the results of its investigation into the use of solitary confinement on prisoners with serious mental illness at the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Cresson in Cambria County, Pa



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with California Water Agency on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with the Yuba County Water Agency.



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Former Prince George’s County, Maryland, Correctional Officer Sentenced to 24 Months for Obstruction of Justice

U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. sentenced Anthony McIntosh, a former correctional officer at the Prince George’s County Detention Center, in Upper Marlboro, Md., to 24 months in prison for obstruction of justice.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Supershuttle Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with SuperShuttle, a shared-ride transportation company based in Arizona, to resolve a complaint that it discriminated against a blind person who uses a service animal.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with California Water District on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with the Linda County Water 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.



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Owner of Michigan Inventory Counting Businesss Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

David P. Rowley, a resident of Jackson, Michigan, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood to filing a false individual income tax return.



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Federal Court Permanently Bars Prince George’s County, Maryland, Tax Preparers from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

Two federal judges in separate cases entered orders permanently barring Marvin Binion Sr., his son Marvin Binion II, Binion Sr.’s ex-wife Tonya Hubbard and her firm Universal Tax Service LLC from preparing tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Announces Plan for Advancing Crime Victims’ Rights and Services in the Twenty-first Century

The Justice Department today unveiled a plan calling for sweeping changes to advance crime victims’ rights and services in the 21st century.



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Four Former Wellcare Executives Found Guilty in Florida

A federal jury in Tampa found four former executives of WellCare Health Plans Inc., a health maintenance organization (HMO) operator, guilty of various charges, including health care fraud, making false statements relating to health care matters and making false statements to a law enforcement officer, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.



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Former Chief Executive of Mortgage Servicing Company Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud for Scheme to Withhold Funds from Wells Fargo Bank

The former president and chief executive officer of U.S. Mortgage, a loan servicing company in Nevada, pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud Wells Fargo Bank out of more than $8 million.



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Former Hertford County, N.C., Chief Deputy Pleads Guilty for Assault on Inmate

The Justice Department announced today that Timothy Lassiter, the former chief deputy of the Hertford County, N.C., Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Elizabeth City, N.C., to violating the civil rights of an inmate during a court appearance



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Justice Department Settles with New Jersey Bus Company Over Unequal Treatment of Passengers with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with DeCamp Bus Lines Inc., a New Jersey transportation company, to ensure that bus transportation is provided on equal terms to people with disabilities.



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Former Chief Executive of Mortgage Servicing Company Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud for Scheme to Withhold Funds from Wells Fargo Bank

The former president and chief executive officer of U.S. Mortgage, a loan servicing company in Nevada, pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud Wells Fargo Bank out of more than $8 million.



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County Commissioner Sentenced for Attempted Extortion and Bribery

Al J. Hurley, a former county commissioner in Sumter County, Ga., was sentenced today to 36 months in prison stemming from his acceptance of illicit payments in exchange for his official efforts to secure government contracts for a private contractor.



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Alabama Man Indicted for Multi-state Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

Christopher Cordelle Davis, of Montgomery County, Ala., was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama for his role in a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns using stolen identities, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today following Davis’s arrest.



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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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