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Two Former Executives of Indicted Video Relay Services Company Plead Guilty to Defrauding FCC Program

Anthony Mowl, the former assistant vice president of business development for Viable Communications Inc. (Viable), and Donald Tropp, the former human resources manager for Viable, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) program of more than $2.5 million, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Serial Sex Offender Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison on Sex Tourism and Failure to Register Charges in Delaware

Thomas S. Pendleton, 66, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Gregory M. Sleet in Wilmington, Del., to the statutory maximum of 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for traveling to Germany to have sex with a minor.



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Former U.S. Military Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to Defense Department Contracts in Support of Iraqi War

Former military contractor Terry Hall, 43, of Snellville, Ga., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to pay more than $3 million in bribes to U.S. Army contracting officials stationed at Camp Arifjan, an Army base in Kuwait, and to money laundering conspiracy.



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Two Former Executives of Video Relay Services Company Plead Guilty to Defrauding FCC Program

Irma Azrelyant and Joshua Finkle, the former co-owners of New York and New Jersey-based Deaf and Hard of Hearing Interpreting Services Inc. (DHIS), pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) program of more than $7 million.



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U.S. Army Contracting Official Charged with Bribery and Related Crimes in Off-Post Housing Scheme

A U.S. Army contracting official was charged today with bribery and unlawful salary supplementation in connection with two schemes to solicit more than $30,000 in bribes from an Egyptian businessman in Kuwait.



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Four Former Owners and Employees of Three Video Relay Service Companies Plead Guilty to Defrauding FCC Program

Four former owners and employees of three different video relay service companies pleaded guilty today and yesterday to engaging in conspiracies to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) program of more than $2.5 million.



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Three Former Owners and Employees of Two Video Relay Service Companies Plead Guilty to Defrauding FCC Program

Three former owners and employees of two different video relay service companies pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) program of more than $2.5 million.



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Maryland MS-13 Gang Leader Convicted of Racketeering Charges Related to Murder; Sentenced to Life in Prison

U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow today sentenced Roberto Antonio Argueta, aka "Alex Antonio Cruz," aka "Buda," 29, of Hyattsville, Md., to life in prison, plus an additional 35 years, for ordering the murder of Nancy Diaz and the attempted murder of another juvenile girl.



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Two Puerto Rico Police Officers Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Charges Related to Fatal Assault

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel R. Dominguez sentenced former San Juan, Puerto Rico Police Officers, Carlos Pagan Ferrer, 32, and Juan Morales Rosado, 32, today for their role in the fatal assault by San Juan officers against Jose Rivera Robles, an unarmed civilian.



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Mobile, Alabama, Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charges Related to Desecration of Synagogue

Christian Rodney Ice, of Mobile, Ala., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Mobile to one count of violating the Church Arson Act by placing threatening graffitti and neo-Nazi markings on a synagogue in Mobile.



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Nine Members of a Militia Group Charged with Seditious Conspiracy and Related Charges

Six Michigan residents, along with two residents of Ohio and a resident of Indiana, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges of seditious conspiracy, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.



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Former U.S. Army Colonel Pleads Guilty to Accepting Illegal Gratuities Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

A retired colonel in the U.S. Army pleaded guilty today to accepting thousands of dollars in gratuities from a contractor during his deployment to Iraq as a contracting officer’s representative.



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Former U.S. Army Reserve Officer Pleads Guilty to Accepting Illegal Gratuities Related to Contracting When Serving at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait

A former captain in the U.S. Army Reserve pleaded guilty today to accepting thousands of dollars in gratuities from a contractor during his deployment to Kuwait.



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Justice Department Announces Grants to Fight Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination

The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices today announced grant funding available for public education programs that provide workers or employers with information about immigration-related employment discrimination under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.



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Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Accepting $1.4 Million in Illegal Gratuities Related to Military Dining Contracts in Kuwait

A U.S. Army sergeant pleaded guilty today to accepting approximately $1.4 million in illegal gratuities from private contractors during his deployment to Kuwait in 2002 and 2003.



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North Carolina MS-13 Gang Member Convicted of Racketeering Charges Related to Murder; First MS-13 Member Sentenced to Death

A 12-person federal jury in Charlotte, N.C., today voted unanimously to impose the death penalty against Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umana, aka “Wizard,” 25.



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Two Puerto Rico Police Officers Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Charges Related to Fatal Assault

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel R. Dominguez sentenced former San Juan, Puerto Rico, Police Officers, Aaron Vidal Maldonado and Jose Pacheco Cruz today for their roles in the fatal assault by San Juan officers against Jose Rivera Robles, an unarmed civilian.



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Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Announce 30 Convictions, More Than $143 Million in Seizures from Initiative Targeting Traffickers in Counterfeit Network Hardware

Operation Network Raider, a domestic and international enforcement initiative targeting the illegal distribution of counterfeit network hardware manufactured in China, has resulted in 30 felony convictions and more than 700 seizures of counterfeit Cisco network hardware and labels with an estimated retail value of more than $143 million.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

"Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the President’s Fiscal Year 2011 Budget for the Department of Justice and to provide an update on the department’s progress, key priorities and future plans," said Attorney General Holder.




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Nine Hospitals in Seven States to Pay U.S. More Than $9.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Kyphoplasty

Nine hospitals located in Alabama, Indiana, Florida, Michigan, South Carolina, New York and Minnesota have agreed to pay the United States more than $9.4 million to settle allegations that the health care facilities submitted false claims to Medicare.



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Operator of Commercial Ship Inspected in Port of Tampa Fined $725,000 for Oil-Pollution Related Crime

Aksat Denizcilik Ve Ticaret A.S., a Turkish corporation that operated the commercial ship M/T Kerim, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla., to two felony counts for knowingly failing to fully and accurately maintain an oil record book, which tracks pollutant discharge.



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Bulgarian National Extradited from Poland to the United States to Face Charges Related to Alleged Role in International Money Laundering Scheme

Georgi Vasilev Pletnyov, 49, of Svishtov, Bulgaria, was extradited from Poland to the United States on Friday, May 21, 2010. 



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Final U.S. Defendant to Face Charges Related to International Child Pornography Conspiracy Case

Edward Oedewaldt, 47, was arrested in Arcadia, La., on April 23, 2010, after an extensive search involving assistance from law enforcement in the United States and abroad.



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Former Haitian Government Official Sentenced to Prison for His Role in Money Laundering Conspiracy Related to Foreign Bribery Scheme

Robert Antoine, 62, of Miami and Haiti, was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.



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Billboard Manufacturer Pleads Guilty to Hazardous Waste Related Charges

Selective Structures L.L.C. pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for illegally storing hazardous waste at its facility in Athens, Tenn.



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Two Military Officials, Two Contractors and Contracting Company Indicted for Alleged Roles in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to DOD Contract in Afghanistan

Two U.S. military officials deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, two Department of Defense (DOD) contractors and a contracting company were charged late yesterday for their roles in an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme related to the award of a DOD trucking services contract in Afghanistan.



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Latin Kings Leader Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Related to Gang Activities in New York and Maryland

Andres Echevarria, aka “B-Boy” and “King B-Boy,” pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, in connection with his gang activities as a member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings).



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Mobile, Alabama, Man Indicted on Federal Civil Rights and Weapons Charges Related to Desecration of Synagogue

A federal grand jury in Mobile, Ala., has returned a three-count indictment charging Thomas Hayward Lewis, 24, of Mobile, with violating and conspiring to violate the civil rights of congregants of the Congregation Tree of Life Messianic Synagogue in Mobile, as well as possession of an unregistered firearm.



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Former Chicago Police Commander Convicted of Perjury, Obstruction of Justice Related to Torture of Suspects

A federal jury in Chicago convicted former Chicago Police Department (CPD) Commander Jon Burge, 60, of Apollo Beach, Fla., on perjury and obstruction charges related to his denials that he participated in the torture of suspects in police custody decades ago.



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Cincinnati Area Man Pleads Guilty to Aegis-Related Tax Crimes

Homer Richardson of Loveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty in federal district court in Cincinnati to corruptly impeding the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code.



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U.S. Army Major Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements Related to Shipment of Currency from Iraq to the United States

U.S. Army Major Charles E. Sublett, 46, of Huntsville, Ala., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Memphis, Tenn., to making false statements to a federal agency.



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Subsidiary of Univision Communications Inc. Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Agrees to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Related Criminal and Administrative Cases

Univision Services Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Univision Communications Inc., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with a scheme to obtain increased radio broadcast time.



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MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to Death After Conviction on Racketeering Charges Related to Double Murders

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr. today formally imposed the federal death penalty sentence on Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umana, aka “Wizard”.



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Spokane, Washington, Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charges Related to Threats to Reproductive Health Services Clinic

Donald Hertz pleaded guilty today in federal court in Spokane to one count of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and one count of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.



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Owners of “Super Soda Center Stores” in Maryland and Delaware Settle Allegations of Underground Storage Tank Violations

The United States has settled alleged violations of federal and state underground storage tank (UST) regulations at 17 gas stations in Delaware and Maryland formerly owned by Duncan Petroleum Corp.



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Alliance One International Inc. and Universal Corporation Resolve Related FCPA Matters Involving Bribes Paid to Foreign Government Officials

Two foreign subsidiaries of Alliance One International Inc., a global tobacco leaf merchant headquartered in Morrisville, N.C., pleaded guilty today to violating various provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).



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Alleged International Credit Card Trafficker Arrested in France on U.S. Charges Related to Sale of Stolen Card Data

Vladislav Anatolievich Horohorin, 27, aka “BadB” of Moscow, Russia, was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2009 on charges of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.



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Former Defense Department Contract Employee Pleads Guilty to Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to Contracts in Support of Iraqi War

A former contract employee of the U.S. Defense Department (DoD) pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to bribe U.S. Army contracting officials stationed at Camp Arifjan, an Army base in Kuwait, and to money laundering conspiracy.



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DOJ Officials Raise Awareness of Disaster Fraud Hotline for Reporting Oil Spill-Related Schemes

As the Deepwater Horizon oil spill clean-up efforts continue and the Gulf Coast Claims Facility opens its doors, the Department of Justice is reminding members of the public to be aware of and report any instances of suspected fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims.



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Former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Charged with Bribery and Related Crimes in Afghanistan Fuel Theft Scheme

A former U.S. Army staff sergeant was charged today with bribery, theft of government property and conspiracy in connection with a fuel theft scheme to solicit approximately $400,000 in bribes from a government contractor in Afghanistan.



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Rhode Island Mother and Son Plead Guilty to Interstate Extortion Related to Organized Crime

Dorothy St. Laurent, 71, of Johnston, R.I., and her son Anthony St. Laurent Jr., 44, of Cranston, R.I., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., to interstate extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act. 



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Former Senior Employee With U.S. Military Contractor Pleads Guilty To Bribery Scheme Related To Contracts In Support Of Iraq War

A former senior employee of a U.S. military contractor pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to pay $360,000 in bribes to U.S. Army contracting officials stationed at a U.S. military base in Kuwait, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Repeat Sex Offender Convicted in Delaware of Child Exploitation Offenses

Paul Edward Pavulak, 66, of New Castle, Del., was convicted today by a federal jury in Wilmington of child exploitation offenses.



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Alabama Legislators, Staff Member, Lobbyists and Businessmen Charged in 39-count Indictment for Roles in Wide-ranging Conspiracy to Influence and Corrupt Votes Related to Electronic Bingo Legislation

Eleven individuals, including four current Alabama state legislators, three lobbyists, two business owners and one of their employees, and an employee of the Alabama legislature have been charged for their roles in a conspiracy to offer to and to bribe legislators for their votes and influence on proposed legislation.



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Army Major Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for False Statements Charge Related to Attempt to Smuggle Currency from Iraq to the United States

U.S. Army Major Charles E. Sublett, 46, of Huntsville, Ala., was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for making false statements to a federal agency, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Justice Department Announces Public Education Campaign Grants to Fight Immigration-related Employment Discrimination

The Justice Department today announced that it has awarded $720,321 in grants to 13 organizations throughout the country to conduct public education programs for workers and employers about federal protections against immigration-related job discrimination.



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Justice Department Settles Allegations of Immigration-related Employment Discrimination Against Catholic Healthcare West

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) to resolve allegations that CHW engaged in a pattern or practice of citizenship status discrimination by imposing unnecessary and discriminatory hurdles to employment for work-authorized individuals.



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Latin Kings Member Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for a Racketeering Conspiracy Related to His Gang Activities

Nelson Santos, aka “Nelly” and “King Nelly,” 27, of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. to 190 months in prison for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in connection with his gang activities as a member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation.



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Army Contracting Officer from Colorado Pleads Guilty to Bribery Related to Contracts

U.S. Army Major Roderick D. Sanchez pleaded guilty today to a one-count criminal information charging him with bribery for accepting money and items of value in return for being influenced in the awarding of Army contracts.



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Three Alleged Latin Kings Members Charged in Superseding Indictment with Murder, Attempted Murder and Other Crimes Related to Racketeering Conspiracy

According to the superseding indictment, the defendants were members of the Latin Kings, a violent street gang with members operating in Maryland since at least 2007.



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