state

United States Reaches an Agreement with XTO Energy to Prevent Waste Spills from Natural Gas Exploration and Production

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement with XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, to resolve an alleged violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) related to the discharge of wastewater from XTO’s Penn Township, Lycoming County, Pa. facility used for the storage of wastewater generated by natural gas exploration, commonly known as fracking, and production.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Florida for Unnecessarily Segregating Children with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida alleging the state is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in its administration of its service system for children with significant medical needs, resulting in nearly 200 children with disabilities being unnecessarily segregated in nursing facilities when they could be served in their family homes or other community-based settings.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Government Seizes Dietary Supplements Containing Unsafe Food Additive in Three States

The Department of Justice has favorably resolved three actions it filed in Arizona, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, to seize and condemn dietary supplements containing the unsafe food additive 1,3-dimethylamylamine, commonly known as DMAA, an amphetamine-like stimulant that has been linked to at least 86 adverse health events.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States Reaches Agreement with Arcadia, California, School District to Resolve Sex Discrimination Allegations

The United States entered into a settlement agreement with the Arcadia Unified School District in Arcadia, Calif., to resolve an investigation into allegations of discrimination against a transgender student based on the student’s sex.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes the Confirmation of Tony West as the Associate Attorney General of the United States

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation by the U.S. Senate of Tony West as the Department of Justice’s Associate Attorney General.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Statement by the Attorney General on Senate Vote to Confirm James Comey as FBI Director

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Monday night after the U.S. Senate voted 93-1 to confirm James Comey as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Two Sentenced in New York State for Dumping Thousands of Tons of Asbestos in Violation of the Clean Water Act

Two individuals, Donald Torriero and Julius DeSimone, were sentenced in federal court in Utica, N.Y., for illegally dumping thousands of tons of asbestos-contaminated construction debris on a 28-acre piece of property on the Mohawk River in upstate New York, the Justice Department announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States Files Lawsuit Against PharMerica Corporation for Violations of the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act

The United States has filed suit against PharMerica Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The lawsuit alleges that PharMerica violated the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act by dispensing controlled drugs without valid prescriptions and causing claims for illegally dispensed drugs to be submitted to the Medicare program.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Alabama State Employee Sentenced to Prison for Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Chequlia Motley of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced yesterday to serve 36 months in prison for conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr. Motley pleaded guilty to those charges in May 2013.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department Reaches Interim Olmstead Settlement with the State of Texas

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it has joined with private plaintiffs in entering an interim settlement agreement with the state of Texas intended to enable Texans with intellectual and other developmental disabilities to live in community settings rather than nursing facilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Alabama Tax Return Preparers and 19 Foreign Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the United States, Identity Theft and Money Laundering

Justice Department announced that a 14-count superseding indictment was unsealed today, charging JB Tax Professional Services Inc., Jacqueline J. Arias and Jose Bayron Estrada, of Spruce Pine, Ala., along with 19 foreign nationals, many of whom resided in the New Orleans area, with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud by filing fraudulent income tax returns.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky Reach Agreement with AK Steel Corporation to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

The United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky have reached a settlement with the AK Steel Corporation (AK Steel) in Ashland, Ky., resolving alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, AK Steel’s title V permit, and the Kentucky State Implementation Plan, announced the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Statement of the Attorney General on Resignation of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the resignation of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride:



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department to File New Lawsuit Against State of Texas Over Voter I.D. Law

The Department of Justice announced today that it will file a new lawsuit against the State of Texas, the Texas Secretary of State, and the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety over the State’s strict voter photo identification law (SB 14).



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States and Switzerland Issue Joint Statement Regarding Tax Evasion Investigations

The Department of Justice today announced a program that will encourage Swiss banks to cooperate in the department’s ongoing investigations of the use of foreign bank accounts to commit tax evasion.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States, Utah, Juab County and Environmental Groups Reach Settlement Over Use of Public Roads on Federal Lands

The U.S. District Court in Utah has concluded proceedings and approved a settlement of a lawsuit involving three claimed highway rights-of-way on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered public land adjacent to and within the Deep Creek Mountains Wilderness Study Area (WSA.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States Reaches Settlement with Safeway to Reduce Emissions of Ozone-Depleting Substances Nationwide

In a settlement agreement with the United States, Safeway, the nation’s second largest grocery store chain, has agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty and implement a corporate-wide plan to significantly reduce its emissions of ozone-depleting substances from refrigeration equipment at 659 of its stores nationwide, estimated to cost approximately $4.1 million.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

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

A Northern California real estate investor has agreed to plead guilty for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Statement by Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer on Remedy to Address Apple’s Price Fixing of E-Books

“We’re pleased that the court has issued an order supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to address Apple’s illegal price fixing conduct. Consumers will continue to benefit from lower e-books prices as a result of the department’s enforcement action to restore competition in this important industry," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Former Alabama Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement in Connection with Real Estate Foreclosure Auction Investigation

A former investor in the Alabama real estate foreclosure auctions industry pleaded guilty today to one count of making false statements.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Attorney General Eric Holder Releases Statement on the Washington Navy Yard Shooting

The Attorney General issued the following statement today in the wake of the tragedy at the Washington Navy Yard.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Alabama State Employee Sentenced for Providing Names in Identity Theft Scheme

Lea’Tice Phillips, of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced to serve 94 months of incarceration today, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department to File Lawsuit Against the State of North Carolina to Stop Discriminatory Changes to Voting Law

The Justice Department announced today that it intends to file a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina, the North Carolina State Board of Elections, and the Executive Director for the State Board of Elections over recent voting changes made by North Carolina House Bill 589, which was signed into law in August 2013. The United States’ complaint challenges provisions of House Bill 589 under the non-discrimination requirements of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Eric Holder on the Lawsuit Against the State of North Carolina

We are here to announce that the Justice Department will file suit today against the State of North Carolina to challenge portions of the State’s highly restrictive new voting law.




state

Georgia Real Estate Investment Company and Owner Plead Guilty to Conspiracies to Rig Bids and Commit Mail Fraud for the Purchase of Real Estate at Public Foreclosure Auctions

A Georgia real estate investor and his company pleaded guilty today for their role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Georgia.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Former Commander of Mexican State Police and Member of the Gulf Cartel Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy

Gilberto Lerma Plata, a former commander of the Mexican State Police and member of the Gulf Cartel, was sentenced today to serve 151 months in prison for conspiring to import multi-ton quantities of marijuana into the United States, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Administrator Michele M. Leonhart of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).



  • OPA Press Releases

state

US Government Intervenes in False Claims Lawsuit Against United States Investigations Services for Failing to Perform Required Quality Reviews of Background Investigations

The government has intervened in a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act against United States Investigations Services LLC (USIS) in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, alleging that USIS, located in Falls Church, Va., failed to perform quality control reviews in connection with its background investigations for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).



  • OPA Press Releases

state

APCO Liquidating Trust to Pay United States $14 Million in Cost Recoveries to Settle Longstanding Bankruptcy Litigation

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved a settlement agreement today between the United States and the APCO Liquidating Trust (a successor in interest to APCO Oil Corporation). The settlement follows seven years of litigation concerning the APCO Liquidating Trust’s liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or “Superfund”) for costs incurred by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the ongoing cleanup of the Oklahoma Refining Company (ORC) Superfund Site located in Cyril, Okla.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Northern California Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Northern California real estate investor pleaded guilty today for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Los Angeles Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United States by Concealing Israeli Bank Accounts

David Raminfard of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

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

A Northern California real estate investor has agreed to plead guilty for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Former Miami Mortgage Broker and Real Estate Agent Sentenced for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Mortgage Fraud Scheme

A former Florida-licensed real estate associate and mortgage broker was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison for his role in a $2.4 million mortgage fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Former Puerto Rico Police Officers Sentenced for Roles in Scheme to Extort a State Defendant for $50,000

Two former police officers with the Police of Puerto Rico were sentenced to serve 63 and 60 months in prison for attempting to extort a defendant and soliciting bribe payments of $50,000.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Joint Statement Following the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting

Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Rand Beers today hosted an EU/U.S. Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial with their counterparts in the European Union: Lithuanian Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis and Lithuanian Vice Minister of Interior Elvinas Jankevicius representing the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU; Greek Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights Charalampos Athanasiou representing the incoming Greek Presidency of the EU; and European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding and Commissioner Cecilia Malmström representing the EU Commission.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

High-Ranking Bank Official at Venezuelan State Development Bank Pleads Guilty to Participating in Bribery Scheme

A senior official in Venezuela’s state economic development bank has pleaded guilty in New York federal court to accepting bribes from agents and employees of a New York-based broker-dealer (Broker-Dealer) in exchange for directing her bank’s security-trading business to the Broker-Dealer.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Statement of Mythili Raman Acting Assistant Attorney General U.s. Justice Department Criminal Division Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs United States Senate for a Hearing Entitled “Beyond the Silk Road: Potential Risks, T

Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Coburn, and distinguished Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee today to discuss the Department of Justice’s work regarding virtual currencies.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department, Federal and State Partners Secure Record $13 Billion Global Settlement with JPMorgan for Misleading Investors About Securities Containing Toxic Mortgages

The Justice Department, along with federal and state partners, today announced a $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan - the largest settlement with a single entity in American history - to resolve federal and state civil claims arising out of the packaging, marketing, sale and issuance of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) by JPMorgan, Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual prior to Jan. 1, 2009. As part of the settlement, JPMorgan acknowledged it made serious misrepresentations to the public - including the investing public - about numerous RMBS transactions. The resolution also requires JPMorgan to provide much needed relief to underwater homeowners and potential homebuyers, including those in distressed areas of the country. The settlement does not absolve JPMorgan or its employees from facing any possible criminal charges.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Four Commercial Fishermen Indicted in Maryland for Illegal Harvest and Interstate Sale of Striped Bass from Chesapeake Bay

Four commercial fishermen and one company were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Baltimore for a criminal conspiracy involving the illegal harvesting and interstate sale of striped bass on the Chesapeake Bay.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States Agrees to Comprehensive Settlement with Suffolk County Police Department to Resolve Investigation of Discriminatory Policing Against Latinos

The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced today that they have tentatively agreed to a settlement with the Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) which calls for SCPD to implement new and enhanced policies and procedures to ensure nondiscrimination in the provision of police services to Latino communities in Suffolk County.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Death of Nelson Mandela

I join President Obama in expressing my heartfelt condolences to the people of South Africa, and the entire Mandela family, on the passing of Nelson Mandela.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Former Sea Star Line President Sentenced to Serve Five Years in Prison for Role in Price-Fixing Conspiracy Involving Coastal Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico

The former president of Sea Star Line LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based water freight carrier, was sentenced to serve five years in prison and to pay a $25,000 criminal fine for his participation in a conspiracy to fix rates and surcharges for freight transported by water between the continental United States and Puerto Rico.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Two Northern California Real Estate Investors Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Real Estate Foreclosure Auctions

Two Northern California real estate investors have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Alabama Real Estate Developer Pleads Guilty to Filling Protected Mississippi Wetlands

Real estate developer from Fairhope, Ala., pleaded guilty today in federal district court in Gulfport, Miss., to the unpermitted filling of wetlands near Bay St. Louis, Miss., in violation of the Clean Water Act



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Fort Davis State Bank to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today that Fort Davis State Bank, based in Fort Davis, Texas, will implement uniform pricing policies, conduct employee training and pay $159,000 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of national origin.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department Reaches Settlement with State of New Hampshire to Expand Community Mental Health Services and Prevent Unnecessary Institutionalization

The Justice Department announced today that the United States and a coalition of mental health advocacy organizations have entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement with the state of New Hampshire that will transform New Hampshire’s mental health system by significantly expanding and enhancing mental health service capacity in integrated community settings.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Eastern California Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and Fraud at Public Real Estate Foreclosure Auctions

An Eastern California real estate investor pleaded guilty today to conspiring to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Eastern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Three Northern California Real Estate Investors Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Three Northern California real estate investors have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

United States Government Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Florida Vein Clinic and Its Owner

A Florida-based physician, Dr. Ravi Sharma, has agreed to pay $400,000 to resolve allegations that he and his clinics violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing Medicare for vein injections and physician office visits performed by unqualified personnel.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Justice Department Issues Statement on U.S. District Court Ruling That Bazaarvoice’s Acquisition of PowerReviews Violated Antitrust Laws

"We are pleased that the court, after carefully weighing all of the evidence, agreed with the Justice Department that Bazaarvoice’s acquisition of PowerReviews was likely to extinguish price competition and substantially diminish the pace of innovation in the market for product ratings and reviews platforms," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.



  • OPA Press Releases

state

Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder on Federal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages in Utah

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the status of same-sex marriages performed in the state of Utah.



  • OPA Press Releases