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Owner of New York Construction Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud

Eric Anderson, of Dix Hills, New York, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to the willful failure to collect and pay over employment taxes, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced



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Two Charged with Leading a Conspiracy to Defraud and Extort Spanish-Speaking Consumers Through Fraudulent Call Centers

A grand jury in Miami, Florida, indicted two individuals and two corporations for allegedly operating call centers in Peru that lied to and threatened Spanish-speaking victims into paying fraudulent settlements.



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Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $169 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Credit Card Lending Discrimination by GE Capital Retail Bank

The Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced a settlement to resolve allegations that GE Capital Retail Bank, known as of this month as Synchrony Bank, engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination by excluding Hispanic borrowers from two of its credit card debt-repayment programs



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Attorney General Holder Vows Justice Department Will Continue to Look at Banks That Help Payment Processors Carry out Consumer Scams, Says More Cases to Be Resolved Soon

Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday said that the Justice Department will continue to investigate financial institutions that knowingly facilitate consumer scams, or that willfully look the other way in processing such fraudulent transactions. He acknowledged that multiple investigations were ongoing in this area, and said he expected several of those cases to be resolved in the coming months



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Former Chesapeake, Virginia Subcontractor Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery

Roderic J. Smith, 50, the co-founder and former president of a government contracting company, was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiracy to bribe public officials. Smith was ordered to forfeit $175,000



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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Rhino and Ivory Smuggling Conspiracy

Ning Qiu, a resident of Frisco, Texas, and an appraiser of Asian art, pleaded guilty today in federal court to participating in an illegal wildlife smuggling conspiracy in which rhinoceros horns and objects made from rhino horn and elephant ivory worth nearly $1 million were smuggled from the United States to China



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Criticizing Wisconsin’s Voter Id Statute, Attorney General Holder Pledges Aggressive Enforcement of Remaining Parts of Voting Rights Act

On the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, Attorney General Eric Holder pledged Wednesday that the Justice Department would remain aggressive in using Section 2 of the law—which was left intact by the Court’s decision—to guard against unjust voting restrictions



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California Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud Internal Revenue Service and Wire Fraud

Kathryn Darlene Coryell, a Fresno, California, resident, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and wire fraud, announced Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino for the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag for the Northern District of California



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Ahmed Abu Khatallah Indicted for Terrorist Conspiracy Stemming from September 2012 Attack in Benghazi, Libya

Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a federal terrorism offense arising from his alleged participation in the Sept. 11 through 12, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty



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U.S. Files Complaint and Consent Decree Against Mira Health and Senior Officers

The United States has filed a complaint and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has entered a consent decree against Mira Health Ltd. (Mira), its chief operating officer, Michael S. Ragno Sr., and its quality assurance manager, Michael S. Ragno Jr., all of Farmingdale, New York



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BNP Paribas Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate U.S. Economic Sanctions in Manhattan Federal Court

BNP Paribas S.A. (BNPP), a global financial institution headquartered in Paris, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in the Southern District of New York to a one-count information charging the bank with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), for its role in processing billions of dollars of U.S. dollar transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Sudanese, Iranian, and Cuban entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions from 2004 through 2012



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Two Former Chesapeake, Virginia, Subcontractors Sentenced for Bribery, Conspiracy

Dwayne A. Hardman, 44, co-founder of two government contracting companies that sought business from the United States Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC), and Adam C. White, 40, former vice president and co-owner of one of Hardman’s government contracting companies, were sentenced for bribery and conspiracy. On July 9, 2014, Hardman was sentenced to 96 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release



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Two California Men Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion

Two Long Beach, California, men pleaded guilty today to conspiracy charges arising from a sex trafficking scheme that exploited adult women for prostitution. Roshaun Nakia Porter, 39, and Marquis Monte Horn, 35, both pleaded guilty before Judge Josephine L. Staton in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiring to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion



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Washington, D.C., Mother and Son Charged with Conspiring to Defraud Internal Revenue Service

Sherri Davis and her son, Andre Davis, were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false individual income tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced today. Sherri Davis was also charged with filing her own false individual income tax returns for tax years 2007 to 2009



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with City of Newark, New Jersey, to Address Unconstitutional Policing in Newark Police Department

The Justice Department today announced it has reached an agreement with the city of Newark, New Jersey, to address a pattern and practice of unconstitutional policing by the Newark Police Department (NPD).



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Maryland Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

U.S. District Court Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Jean Claude Roy, aka Dredd the Don, 31, of Germantown, Maryland, to serve 240 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, the Justice Department announced today



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Big Game Hunting Guide Pleads Guilty to Felony Conspiracy Charge in Connection with Colorado Outfitter’s Illegal Mountain Lion and Bobcat Hunting Activities

Nicholaus J. Rodgers, 31, of Shady Cove, Oregon, pleaded guilty in federal court in Denver to a felony conspiracy charge stemming from the assistance he provided to an outfitter who sold illegal mountain lion and bobcat hunts in Colorado and Utah, the Justice Department announced



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Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department Filings in Voting Rights Cases in Wisconsin and Ohio

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Justice Department has submitted filings in voting rights cases in Wisconsin and Ohio. The department’s involvement in these two cases represents its latest steps to enforce the remaining parts of the Voting Rights Act against restrictive state laws, following up on the department’s lawsuits last year against similar measures in Texas and North Carolina



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Former Employee of a U.S. Construction Company Working in Afghanistan Pleads Guilty to Receiving Illegal Kickback

A former project manager of a U.S. construction company working on U.S. government contracts in Afghanistan who solicited a $60,000 kickback from an Afghan subcontractor pleaded guilty today in federal court in Tucson, Arizona



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North Carolina Woman Sentenced for Role in Widespread Tax Return and Identity Fraud Conspiracy

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that a Durham, North Carolina, woman was sentenced today to serve 30 months in federal prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS



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Two Maryland Fishermen Plead Guilty to Illegal Fish Harvesting Conspiracy in the Chesepeake Bay

Michael D. Hayden, 41, and William J. Lednum, 42, both of Tilghman Island, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and to defraud the United States through their illegal harvesting and sale of striped bass, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division Sam Hirsch, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police Colonel George F. Johnson IV and Regional Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Honora Gordon



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Black P-Stones Gang Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison on Racketeering Conspiracy and Firearms Charges

Marcellus Williams, aka “Math,” “P-Shooter” and “Manny,” 27, of Newport News, Virginia, was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for engaging in numerous gang-related crimes as a ranking member of the Black P-Stones, including shootings of rival gang members, robberies and drug dealing



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U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Finds Pattern and Practice of Excessive Force and Violence at New York City Jails on Rikers Island That Violates the Constitutional Rights of Adolescent Male Inmates

Attorney General Eric Holder and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara announced today the completion of the Justice Department’s multi-year civil investigation pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (“CRIPA”) into the conditions of confinement of adolescent male inmates on Rikers Island. The investigation, which focused on use of force by staff, inmate-on-inmate violence, and use of punitive segregation during the period 2011-2013, concluded that there is a pattern and practice of conduct at Rikers Island that violates the rights of adolescents protected by the Eighth Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The investigation found that adolescent inmates are not adequately protected from physical harm due to the rampant use of unnecessary and excessive force by New York City Department of Correction (“DOC”) staff and violence inflicted by other inmates



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Former Virginia Subcontractor Sentenced for Conspiracy to Bribe Officials at the United States Navy Military Sealift Command

A former employee of a government contracting company was sentenced today to 36 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to bribe public officials at the United States Navy Military Sealift Command in exchange for favorable treatment in connection with U.S. government contract work



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Two Milwaukee Men Indicted in Sex Trafficking Conspiracy and Related Trafficking Offenses

Today, a federal grand jury in Milwaukee returned a 15-count superseding indictment charging two Milwaukee men, Paul Carter aka “Pimpin’ Paul” and David Moore aka “King David” with conspiracy, sex trafficking and related offenses spanning from the years 2007 to 2013



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Co-Owner of Atlanta-Based Medical Clinic Chain and Hospital CEO Pleaded Guilty to Illegal Pay-for-Patient Conspiracy

A CEO of an Atlanta-area hospital and the co-owner and chief operating officer of an Atlanta-based medical clinic chain pleaded guilty in connection with the payment of illegal kickbacks to clinics in exchange for Medicaid patient referrals to hospitals in the Atlanta area and on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina



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Tennessee Man Sentenced to Two Consecutive Life Sentences for the Robbery and Murder of Postal Workers

Chastain Montgomery, Sr., 50, of Lavergne, Tennessee, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences and ordered to pay $70,400 in restitution for federal crimes committed during a six-month spree that included the murders of United States Postal Service employees Paula Robinson and Judy Spray



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Justice Department Asks Court to Dismiss Oakley Training School Case After Conditions for Confined Youth Improved Under Consent Decree

Today, the Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss its case involving Oakley Training School in Raymond, Mississippi, because the state of Mississippi and the Division of Youth Services have significantly improved conditions for confined youth at Oakley. The reforms, implemented under a consent decree, resulted in increased protections to prevent harm to youth, improved suicide prevention practices, improved medical, dental and mental healthcare, increased rehabilitative services and improved special educational services



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Big Game Hunting Outfitter Pleads Guilty to Felony Conspiracy Charge in Connection with Illegal Mountain Lion and Bobcat Hunting Activities

Christopher W. Loncarich, 55, of Mack, Colorado, pleaded guilty in federal court in Denver to a felony conspiracy charge stemming from his sale of outfitting services for illegal mountain lion and bobcat hunts in Colorado and Utah, the Justice Department announced



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Former Patriarch of the Lorenzana Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Charges

Waldemar Lorenzana Sr., 75, the patriarch of the Lorenzana drug trafficking organization in Guatemala, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to import over 450 kilograms of cocaine into the United States



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Armenian Power Associate Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy

An associate of the Armenian Power gang, who was convicted at trial for his role in a racketeering conspiracy that included stealing personal and financial information of elderly bank customers for accounts valued at more than $25 million, was sentenced to serve 160 months in prison today in federal court in Los Angeles



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Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy in Tennessee

A Tennessee Bloods gang member was sentenced today to serve 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a violent racketeering conspiracy



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Eight Alleged Members and Associates of the Two Six Nation Street Gang Indicted for Racketeering Conspiracy

Four members of the Two Six Nation street gang and four of their associates have been indicted for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy spanning more than 20 years, as well as murder and drug trafficking charges



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Justice Department Announces Successful Resolution of Consent Judgment Involving Detroit Police Department

The Justice Department today announced the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan’s termination of the consent judgment relating to the Detroit Police Department’s (DPD) use of force and arrest and witness detention practices. The Justice Department and the city of Detroit jointly sought the termination of the consent judgment and approval of a Transition Agreement maintaining federal oversight of the DPD for an additional 18 months. The transition agreement starts a new chapter of reform and accountability for the DPD as it works in collaboration with the Justice Department to better ensure constitutional policing, promote community confidence, and improve public safety in the city of Detroit. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan have worked cooperatively throughout the duration of this matter



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Philadelphia Political Consultant Pleads Guilty for His Role in Attempting to Conceal Campaign Finance-Related Fraud

Political consultant Gregory Naylor, 66, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty today to making false statements to federal agents and misprision of a felony in connection with his role in attempting to conceal two campaign finance-related fraud schemes



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Justice Department Asks Court to Dismiss Saint Elizabeths Hospital Case After Conditions Improved Under Consent Decree

Today, the Justice Department asked a federal court to dismiss the injunction to address civil rights violations at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., because the District of Columbia and the Department of Behavioral Health have significantly improved the care and treatment of persons confined to Saint Elizabeths Hospital. Saint Elizabeths is the district’s facility for treating individuals with mental health conditions. The reforms, which were implemented following requirements under a court order, have ensured that persons at Saint Elizabeths Hospital are discharged to the community with adequate supports to live in integrated settings. Further, the reforms resulted in important improvements in integrated treatment planning, psychological and psychiatric services, nursing care and protection from assault.



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Maryland MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty in Violent Racketeering Conspiracy

A Maryland MS-13 gang member pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as the La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and acknowledged his involvement in attempted murder and extortion in furtherance of MS-13.



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Michigan Man Sentenced for Mortgage Fraud Conspiracy Using Straw Home Buyers

Peter Allen, of Southfield, Michigan, was sentenced today to serve 21 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release for his participation in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud, the Justice Department announced.



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New York Property Owner and Manager Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

John Francis Mills, the owner of more than a dozen properties in Malone, New York, and Terrance Allen, the maintenance manager of Mills’ properties, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy to serve 21 months each in prison for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act standards for the safe removal of asbestos.



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Jose Padilla Re-Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Murder Individuals Overseas, Providing Material Support to Terrorists

John P. Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security and Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced today that U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke re-sentenced Jose Padilla to serve 21 years in prison for his 2007 conviction for conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim individuals in a foreign country; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists; and providing material support to terrorists.



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Arvada Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization

Shannon Conley, age 19, of Arvada, Colorado, pleaded guilty this morning before U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney John Walsh for the District of Colorado and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ravenelle of the FBI Denver Division announced. Conley is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Moore on January 23, 2015. The defendant appeared at the change of plea hearing in custody, and was remanded at its conclusion.



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Black P-Stones Gang Member Sentenced to Over 20 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Firearm Charges

A 26-year-old man from Newport News, Virginia, was sentenced today to serve 255 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for engaging in numerous gang-related crimes as a member of the Black P-Stones, including the shooting of a rival gang member, marijuana dealing and lying to a federal grand jury.



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East Side Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy, Attempted Murder and Firearms Charges

An East Side Bloods (ESB) gang member from Scottsdale, Arizona, was sentenced late yesterday to serve 30 years in prison for his role in the violent street gang, which operated on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community reservation.



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Two Men, Including Former Car Salesman at Prominent Los Angeles Dealership, Charged with Conspiring to Roll Back Odometers in Large-Scale Scheme That Defrauded Car Buyers

A former salesman at a prominent Los Angeles car dealership and another Southern California man were charged with odometer tampering, the Justice Department announced today.



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Wisconsin Pharmacist and Nevada Pharmacologist Charged with Smuggling Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Using a Costa Rican Internet Pharmacy

A Wisconsin pharmacist and a Nevada pharmacologist were arraigned on an indictment today in Federal Court in Central Islip, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Gary Brown. The defendants are charged with conspiring to supply at least four million misbranded and counterfeit pharmaceuticals to an illegal Internet pharmacy based in Costa Rica that catered to U.S. customers.



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Ambulance Company Manager Pleads Guilty to $5.5 Million Medicare Fraud Conspiracy

The general manager of a Southern California ambulance company pleaded guilty yesterday in Los Angeles to conspiracy to commit Medicare fraud, conspiracy to obstruct a Medicare audit, and making materially false statements to law enforcement officers.



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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Illegally Export Restricted Laboratory Equipment to Syria

U.S. Attorney Peter Smith for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Special Agent in Charge John Kelleghan for Philadelphia, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Special Agent in Charge Sidney M. Simon of the New York Field Office, Office of Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce announced that yesterday Harold Rinko, 72, of Hallstead, Pennsylvania, appeared before Senior District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik in Scranton and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally export laboratory equipment, including items used to detect chemical warfare agents, from the United States to Syria, in violation of federal law



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Alabama Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud

An Alabama real estate investor pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions held in southern Alabama, the Department of Justice announced today



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Northern California Real Estate Investor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging and Fraud Conspiracies at Public Foreclosure Auctions

A Northern California real estate investor has agreed to plead guilty for his role in bid rigging and fraud conspiracies at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California, the Department of Justice announced



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Father Of Former Investment Bank Managing Director Pleads Guilty To Insider Trading Conspiracy

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ROBERT STEWART, the father of former investment bank managing director Sean Stewart, pled guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to trade on inside information about several mergers and acquisitions announced between 2011 and 2014



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