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Former Tennessee Mayor and Associate Sentenced for Running Illegal Gambling Business

A former mayor of South Pittsburg, Tenn., and an associate were sentenced today in Chattanooga, Tenn., for managing an illegal gambling business.



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Former Desoto County, Fla., Sheriff’s Deputies Indicted for Civil Rights and Obstruction Violations Regarding the Assault of an Inmate

A federal grand jury in Fort Myers, Fla., indicted former Desoto County Sheriff’s Office deputies Steven Rizza and Jonathan Mause today for charges related to the violation of the civil rights of an inmate who was assaulted by Rizza at the Desoto County Jail and the ensuing obstruction of the investigation into that offense.



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Government Intervenes in Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc. Hospital Chain Alleging Unnecessary Inpatient Admissions and Payment of Kickbacks

The government has intervened in eight False Claims Act lawsuits against Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA) alleging that HMA billed federal health care programs for medically unnecessary inpatient admissions from the emergency departments at HMA hospitals and paid remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals.



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Attorney General Announces $8.3 Million to Support Victims of Boston Marathon Bombings

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) today announced a $8,355,648 grant to organizations providing direct support to assist the victims, witnesses and first responders involved in the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings in April 2013.



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Former Lorain County, Ohio, Corrections Officer Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Prison for Repeatedly Striking Inmate

A former Lorain County, Ohio, corrections officer was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.



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Jury Convicts Georgia Woman for Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud

A jury in the Middle District of Georgia convicted Kimberly Michelle Banks on Jan. 14, 2014, of conspiring to file false federal income tax returns in the names of stolen identities, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the “Safe Streets, Strong Communities” Conference

More than 30 years ago, LISC was launched in a moment of great challenge – at a time when distressed neighborhoods across the country faced uncertain futures. After decades of rising crime and deteriorating fortunes in parts of America’s most vibrant cities, the Ford Foundation and its allies stepped forward. And they established the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to take what was – at the time – a novel approach to addressing community challenges.




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Alabama Medical Clerk and Another Indicted in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Schemes

Sasha Webb and Charlie Jackson have each been indicted for stolen identity refund fraud crimes, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today.



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Check Casher Sentenced to Jail for Involvement in Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme

David Haigler of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced today to serve 37 months in federal prison for his involvement in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division, U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama and the IRS announced today.



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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Associate Attorney General Tony West at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Hosted by the Union League of Chicago

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Associate Attorney General Tony West at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Hosted by the Union League of Chicago




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United States Government Sues Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc. and Two Foreign Companies for Kickbacks and False Claims Relating to Iraq Support Services Contract

The government has filed a complaint against Kellogg, Brown &s contract with the Army to provide logistical support in Iraq.



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Government and Contractors Seek to End Long-Running “A-12” Litigation

The Boeing Company, General Dynamics Corporation, and the United States have formally asked the United States Court of Federal Claims to dismiss, as part of a settlement, their 23-year old dispute involving the Department of the Navy's 1991 default termination of a $4.8 billion contract awarded to Boeing's predecessor, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, and General Dynamics, to develop the A-12 carrier-based stealth aircraft.



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Alabama Man Indicted in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

Deundra Milhouse was indicted for his role in a stolen identity refund fraud crime, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today after the indictment was unsealed following Milhouse’s arrest.



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Kentucky Hospital Agrees to Pay Government $16.5 Million to Settle Allegations of Unnecessary Cardiac Procedures

Saint Joseph Health System Inc. has agreed to pay $16.5 million to resolve allegations that Saint Joseph Hospital violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid programs for a variety of medically unnecessary cardiac procedures, the Justice Department announced today.



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Indiana Law Enforcement Human Trafficking Task Force Announces First Federal Charges

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced the filing of a nine count federal indictment this afternoon against Jerry Mitchell, aka Tre da Great, age 24, of Indianapolis.



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W.R. Grace Pays Over $63 Million Toward Cleanup and Restoration of Hazardous Waste Sites in Communities Across the Country

W.R. Grace & Co, based in Columbia, Md., paid over $63 million to the U.S. government under its bankruptcy plan of reorganization to resolve claims for environmental cleanups at approximately 39 sites in 21 states.



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Justice Department Announces Three Tribes to Implement Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Under VAWA 2013

Three American Indian tribes – the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, and the Umatilla Tribes of Oregon – will be the first in the nation to exercise special criminal jurisdiction over certain crimes of domestic and dating violence, regardless of the defendant’s Indian or non-Indian status, under a pilot project authorized by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013).



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California Woman Sentenced in Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme

U.S, District Judge D. Lowell Jensen sentenced Noemi Rubio Baez, of Salinas, Calif., to serve 30 months in prison for her involvement in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally for the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag for the Northern District of California announced that today.



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Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on Its Decision to Close Its Investigation of Samsung’s Use of Its Standards-Essential Patents

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division issued a statement after announcing the closing of its investigation into Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s use of its portfolio of standards-essential patents that it had committed to license to industry participants on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms (SEPs) to exclude certain Apple, Inc. products from the U.S. market.



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Sanborn Map Co. Pays $2.1 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Map Work Related to United States Military Convoy Routes in Iraq and Marine Corps Bases in United States

Sanborn Map Company Inc. has agreed to pay $2.1 million to the U.S. government to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims in connection with U. S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts.



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Former Bank of America Executive Pleads Guilty for Role in Conspiracy and Fraud Involving Investment Contracts for Municipal Bonds Proceeds

A former Bank of America executive pleaded guilty today for his participation in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts.



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Former Executive of Power Generation Company Charged with Fraud and Money Laundering

Asem Elgawhary, the former principal vice president of Bechtel Corporation and general manager of the Power Generation Engineering and Services Company (PGESCo), was indicted by a grand jury in Maryland today on charges that he defrauded his former employers, laundered the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme and violated federal tax laws.



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Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department to Lift Hiring Freeze

In a video message released today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that, due to the budget agreement approved by Congress last month, the Justice Department is able to lift the hiring freeze that has been in place for just over three years.



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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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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks on Criminal Justice Reform at Georgetown University Law Center

From its earliest days, our Republic has been bound together by its extraordinary legal system, and by the enduring values that define it. These values – of equality, opportunity, and justice under law – were first codified in our founding documents. And they are put into action every day by leaders like you – and the talented men and women who learn, at great institutions like Georgetown, what it means to be a steward of the law – and an advocate for those whom it protects and empowers.




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Joint Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on the Declassification of Additional Documents Regarding Collection Under Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper released the following joint statement Wednesday.



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Department of Justice Proposes Remedy to Address Bazaarvoice’s Unlawful Acquisition of PowerReviews

The Department of Justice today submitted to the court a proposed remedy to address Bazaarvoice Inc.’s unlawful acquisition of PowerReviews Inc., following the Jan. 8, 2014, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California finding that Bazaarvoice violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act when it acquired PowerReviews, its closest and only serious competitor.



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Three Florida Residents Plead Guilty to Fraud Charges Related to Bogus Business Opportunities

Three individuals charged in connection with operating a series of fraudulent business opportunity companies pleaded guilty this week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Mitchell Berman (aka Brian Griffin) of Boca Raton, Fla., and Robert Gallo (aka Bobby Pace, Vincent Pastone, Joe Barone, Bobby Marino, Anthony Russo) of Coconut Creek, Fla., pleaded guilty this morning to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.



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Narwhal Tusk Trafficker Convicted of Conspiracy and Money Laundering

Andrew L. Zarauskas, 60, of Union, N.J., was found guilty today by a federal jury in Bangor, Maine, of illegally trafficking and smuggling narwhal tusks, and associated money laundering crimes.



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Justice Department Finds Substantial Evidence of Gender Bias in Missoula County Attorney’s Office

Today, the Department of Justice issued a letter of findings describing problems in the Missoula County, Mont., Attorney’s Office’s response to sexual assault, and concluding that there is substantial evidence that the County Attorney’s response to sexual assault discriminates against women.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Ganado School District to Ensure Equal Opportunities for English Language Learner Students

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Ganado Unified School District in Ganado, Ariz., to ensure that its English Language Learner (ELL) students have equal opportunities to participate in its educational programs, as mandated by federal law.



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Barrio Azteca Lieutenant Who Ordered the Consulate Murders in Ciudad Juarez Found Guilty on All Counts

The Barrio Azteca Lieutenant who ordered the murders of a U.S. Consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee was found guilty by a jury on all counts charged.



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Alabama Bank Employee Sentenced to Prison for Role in Tax Refund Fraud

LaQuanta Clayton, a resident of Montgomery County, Ala., and a former bank teller employed by the Community Bank and Trust, was sentenced on Feb. 19, 2014, to serve 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for participating in a fraudulent tax refund scheme.



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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 Highlights Efforts to Combat Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud

Today, the Justice Department announced the results of its ongoing efforts to combat tax refund fraud that involves identity theft. The Tax Division, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, has prioritized the investigation and prosecution of individuals who engage in stolen identity refund fraud.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Missouri National Guard to Enforce Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the Missouri National Guard alleging they violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by requiring its dual technician employees to resign from their civilian positions prior to active duty service in the U.S. Army Guard and Reserve.



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Justice Department Announces Results of Investigation into the Death of Milton Hall

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the FBI announced today that they will not be pursuing federal criminal civil rights charges against the Saginaw Police Department officers who shot and killed Milton Hall on July 1, 2012.



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United States Postal Service Employee Charged in Scheme to Fraudulently Extinguish Debts and to Obtain Fraudulent Tax Refunds

Aaron H. Kelly, a United States Postal Service employee, was indicted yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland for four counts of mail fraud, two counts of bank fraud, one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue Service and two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced today following the unsealing of the indictment.



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Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services Announce Record-Breaking Recoveries Resulting from Joint Efforts to Combat Health Care Fraud

Attorney General Eric Holder and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released the annual Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program report showing that for every dollar spent on health care-related fraud and abuse investigations through this and other programs in the last three years, the government recovered $8.10. This is the highest three-year average return on investment in the 17-year history of the HCFAC Program.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman Announces Departure from Criminal Division

Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced her departure from the department today, effective as of March 21, 2014.



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Fort Benning Employee Allegedly Steals Military Identities to Commit Multi-Million Dollar Tax Refund Fraud

Tracy Mitchell, a resident of Phenix City, Ala., was indicted for her involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today following the unsealing of the indictment.



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Portola Valley, Calif., Man Sentenced to Prison for Failure to Report Foreign Bank Accounts Held at UBS

Christopher B. Berg of Portola Valley, Calif., was sentenced yesterday to one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, announced Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division Kathryn Keneally and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag for the Northern District of California.



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United States Reaches Settlement with Stamford Public Schools to Ensure Equal Opportunites for English Language Learner Students

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced that they have entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement with the Stamford Public School District in Stamford, Conn., that requires the district to provide language services and other supports to the more than 2,000 English Language Learner students enrolled in the district’s 20 schools.



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Former Project Manager Sentenced to Serve Time in Prison for Role in Bid Rigging and Other Fraudulent Schemes Involving Two EPA Superfund Sites in New Jersey

Gordon D. McDonald, a former project manager for a prime contractor at two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites in New Jersey, was sentenced today to serve 14 years in prison for participating in multiple bid-rigging, fraud and kickback schemes.



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Attorney General Holder Announces President Obama’s Budget Proposes $173 Million for Criminal Justice Reform

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that President Obama’s FY 2015 Budget proposal for the Department of Justice calls for $173 million in targeted investments for criminal justice reform efforts.



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Two Individuals and Company Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Sell Trade Secrets to Chinese Companies

A federal jury in San Francisco has found two individuals and one company guilty of economic espionage, theft of trade secrets, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice for their roles in a long-running effort to obtain U.S. trade secrets for the benefit of companies controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China.



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Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Enter into Consent Decree with Harmony Public Schools Resolving Claims of Retaliation and Pay Discrimination Against Teacher

The Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced today that they have entered into a consent decree that, if approved by the court, will resolve both agencies’ claims against Harmony Public Schools on behalf of Nicole M. Tuchscherer, a former teacher at Harmony Science Academy-Austin.



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Former English Tutor Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting Children in China and the United States

Hector Orjuela Jr., 47, was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for molesting children under the age of 12 and producing child pornography.



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Justice Department Enters Consent Decree with National Tax Preparer H&R Block Requiring Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Apps Under Americans with Disabilities Act

Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz of the District of Massachusetts announced today that they have entered into a consent decree with HRB Digital LLC and HRB Tax Group Inc., subsidiaries of H&R Block Inc., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Murder of United States Correctional Officer

A federal inmate pleaded guilty today for the murder of United States Correctional Officer Jose Rivera, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner for the Eastern District of California.



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