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County Commissioner Convicted in Georgia for Attempted Extortion and Bribery

A federal jury in Albany, Ga., convicted Sumter County, Ga., County Commissioner Al J. Hurley late yesterday on corruption charges stemming from his acceptance of illicit payments in exchange for his official efforts to secure government contracts for a private contractor.



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Texas Man Sentenced in Indiana to 330 Months in Prison for Participating in International Child Pornography Distribution Ring

A Texas man was sentenced today to serve 330 months in prison for his participation in an international child pornography distribution ring.



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Florida Man Charged with Filing False Claims for Tax Refunds

A federal grand jury in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., returned an indictment charging Paul F. Wrubleski with corruptly impeding the due administration of the internal revenue laws and four counts of filing false claims for tax refunds, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Participation in Online Conspiracy to Trade Child Pornography

Two Wisconsin men and a Missouri man were sentenced to prison for their role in a conspiracy to advertise, distribute and possess child pornography.



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Two Mississippi Men Plead Guilty for Committing Hate Crimes Against African-American

William Kirk Montgomery, 23, from Puckett, Miss., and Jonathan K. Gaskamp, 20, from Brandon, Miss., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Miss., to conspiracy and federal hate crime charges in connection with their roles in the assault of African-Americans in Jackson, the Justice Department announced today. Defendants Deryl Paul Dedmon, 20; John Aaron Rice, 19; and Dylan Wade Butler, 21, all from Brandon, Miss., have previously entered guilty pleas in connection with their roles in these offenses. The conspiracy culminated in the death of James Craig Anderson, who was assaulted and killed on June 26, 2011.



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Founder and President of Labor Union Convicted in Washington for Stealing from Union’s Treasury and Pension Fund, Related Crimes

The founder and president of the National Association of Special Police and Security Officers (NASPSO) – which represents private security guards assigned to protect federal buildings in the metropolitan Washington area – was convicted yesterday in Washington federal court, following a jury trial, of 18 counts related to his theft of union treasury and pension funds.



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International Cyber-Fraud Ring Responsible for Millions of Dollars in Fraud Dismantled

In a coordinated international takedown, law enforcement officials in Romania, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Canada, acting on provisional arrest requests made by the United States, arrested six Romanian nationals today for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated multimillion dollar cyber fraud scheme that targeted consumers on U.S.-based Internet marketplace websites.



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Kentucky-Based Defense Contractors, Owners Agree to Pay $6.25 Million to Resolve Allegations That They Submitted False Statements and Claims to Obtain Army Contracts Intended for Small Businesses

Kentucky-based Lusk Mechanical Contractors and Commonwealth Technologies, and their owners, Harry Lusk and Wendell Goodman, have agreed to pay $6.25 million to resolve allegations that they submitted false statements to the Small Business Administration and false claims to the Army, the Justice Department announced today.



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Virginia Anesthesiologist Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns

Dr. George Anderson, 57, of Farmville, Va., was sentenced today to 33 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for criminal tax fraud, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson, sitting in Richmond, Va., also ordered Anderson to pay $471,919 of restitution to the IRS.



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Shreveport, La., Wastewater General Manager and Former Owner Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Discharging Pollutants into the Red River

John Tuma, 55, of Centerville, Texas, was sentenced today following his March 21, 2012, trial conviction by a federal jury for discharging untreated wastewater directly into the Red River without a permit, discharging untreated wastewater into the city of Shreveport sewer system in violation of its permit and obstructing an EPA inspection.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Announces Interim Appointment of Dana J. Boente as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana

The Department of Justice announced today the interim appointment of Dana J. Boente as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.



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Healthpoint Ltd. to Pay up to $48 Million for False Medicaid and Medicare Claims for Unapproved Prescription Drug

Healthpoint Ltd. and DFB Pharmaceuticals will pay up to $48 million to resolve allegations that Healthpoint caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid for an unapproved drug, Xenaderm, which was ineligible for reimbursement by those programs.



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Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $23 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

A co-owner and operator of three Miami discount pharmacies pleaded guilty today in connection with a $23 million health care fraud scheme.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the National Indian Nations Conference

"We recognize that crime rates are high in Indian country and help is not easy to come by, given tribes’ geographical remoteness and scarcity of resources. But tribal victim service providers have shown time and again that their efforts to meet these challenges are unflagging," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




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Special Advisor, International for the Antitrust Division Rachel Brandenburger Speaks at the 29th Annual American Chamber of Commerce EU Competition Policy Conference

It is an honor and a delight to be back here in Brussels to address the AmCham EU Competition Policy Conference this afternoon. I should like also to congratulate our hosts on this year’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Common Market Panel of AmCham Belgium, the forerunner of today’s AmCham EU, which has done so much to foster understanding between the United States and the European Commission in the economic sphere.




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Florida CPA Sentenced for Role in Foreclosure Scheme

Barrington Coombs, 58, of Weston, Fla., was sentenced today to serve a year and a day in prison for his role in a foreclosure rescue scheme that victimized desperate homeowners on the brink of losing their homes, the Justice Department announced. Coombs was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in the Southern District of Florida.



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British Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy Related to Iraq Reconstruction Efforts

British contractor APTx Vehicle Systems Limited agreed today to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Coalition Provisional Authority that governed Iraq from April 2003 to June 2004, the government of Iraq and JP Morgan Chase Bank.



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Former California Police Officer Indicted and Arrested on Civil Rights Charges for Sexually Assaulting Woman While Transporting Her to Jail

Bryan Benson, a former Anderson, Calif., police officer, was arrested today on charges of deprivation of civil rights for sexually assaulting a woman while transporting her to jail and of trying to conceal his criminal conduct, announced the Justice Department.



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Former Dallas Securities Broker Pleads Guilty in Oklahoma for Role in Stock Manipulation Scheme

A former securities broker pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud thousands of investors through the manipulation of publicly traded stocks.



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Husband and Wife Sentenced in Virginia for Investment Fraud Scheme

Former FBI agent John Robert “Bob” Graves and his wife Sara Turberville Graves were sentenced today in federal court to serve 135 months in prison and 36 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in an investment fraud scheme.



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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Foreclosure Rescue Scam and Theft of Government Funds

A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for operating a foreclosure rescue scam that defrauded distressed homeowners who were struggling to pay their mortgages.



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Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence Presents Final Findings, Recommendations to Attorney General

Attorney General Eric Holder’s Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence today presented its final report and policy recommendations gathered from public hearings held across the country over the past year.



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Pfizer Agrees to Pay $55 Million for Illegally Promoting Protonix for Off-Label Use

Pfizer Inc. will pay $55 million plus interest to resolve allegations that Wyeth LLC illegally introduced and caused the introduction into interstate commerce of a misbranded drug, Protonix, between February 2000 and June 2001, the Justice Department announced today.



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Two Alabama Real Estate Investors and Their Company Plead Guilty to Conspiracies to Rig Bids and Commit Mail Fraud for the Purchase of Real Estate at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Two Alabama real estate investors and their company pleaded guilty today for their roles in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in southern Alabama.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Introduction of the Presentation of the Final Report of the Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence

"Now, there’s no question that we can be proud of the anti-violence work that’s already under way - and the progress that so many of you are leading - in big cities and small towns across the country. But, as this report clearly illustrates, we cannot yet be satisfied - and this is no time to become complacent," said Attorney General Holder.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Conclusion of the Presentation of the Final Report of the Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence

"This report is a central part of the Department’s broader efforts to collect information, solicit expert guidance, and formulate proactive strategies for addressing children’s exposure to violence. Its findings are consistent with, and complementary to, another recent report – focused on exposure to domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault – that was released by the National Advisory Committee for the Office on Violence Against Women," said Attorney General Holder.




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Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, His Girlfriend and Two of Their Associates Plead Guilty to Participating in Multi-year Bribery and Alien Smuggling Activities Along U.S./Mexico Border

A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, his girlfriend and two of their associates pleaded guilty today in federal court for their participation in multi-year bribery and alien smuggling activities along the U.S./Mexico border.



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Florida Accountant Indicted for Stealing Client Money Intended for IRS

An indictment was unsealed today in Fort Pierce, Fla., charging Joseph Rizzuti with one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and four counts of wire fraud, the Justice Department and the IRS announced. The indictment was returned by a grand jury on Nov. 29, 2012.



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Owner of Louisiana-Based Health Care Company Convicted in Texas for Role in $6.7 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The owner and operator of a Louisiana-based durable medical equipment (DME) company was convicted today by a federal jury in Houston for his role in a $6.7 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Former New Jersey Chiropractor Charged in Scheme to Extinguish Debt and to Obtain Fraudulent IRS Tax Refunds

A federal grand jury in Trenton, N.J., returned an indictment charging David Moleski with 14 counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of corruptly impeding the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws and three counts of filing false claims for tax refunds, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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New Jersey Man Arrested for Illegally Importing Narwhal Tusks and Money Laundering

A New Jersey man was arrested today for crimes related to the illegal importation and illegal trafficking of narwhal tusks (whale tusk) and associated money laundering crimes.



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Department of Justice Forfeits Nearly $7 Million in Proceeds of Unlawful Offshore Gambling and Money Laundering Following Guilty Plea by William Paul Scott

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a consent order of forfeiture today ordering the civil forfeiture of $6,976,924 traced to international money laundering of the proceeds from an offshore Internet gambling operation that illegally targeted U.S. residents.



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Former Lincoln County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office Detective Sentenced on Sexual Abuse Charges

Scott Edwards, a former Lincoln County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department detective, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by three years supervised release for violating the constitutional rights of five women through acts of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual contact while serving as their “drug court tracker,” when the women were participants in the Lincoln County Drug Court program.



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Former Alabama State Employee Sentenced for Identity Theft and Tax Fraud

Natacia Webster of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Webster had pleaded guilty to those charges in September 2012. She was also ordered to pay $113,000 in restitution and will serve three years on supervised release following her release from federal prison.



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Payment Processor for Scareware Cybercrime Ring Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison

A Swedish credit card payment processor was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in an international cybercrime ring that netted $71 million by infecting victims’ computers with “scareware” and selling rogue antivirus software that was supposed to secure victims’ computers but was, in fact, useless.



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Japanese-Based Toyo Ink and Affiliates in New Jersey and Illinois Settle False Claims Allegation for $45 Million

Japan-based Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co. Ltd. and various affiliated entities (collectively, Toyo Ink) have agreed to pay $45 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly failing to pay antidumping and countervailing duties, the Justice Department announced today.



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Bridgeport, Conn., Drug Dealer Sentenced to Death for Murdering Three People in 2005

U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton today sentenced Azibo Aquart to death for murdering three Bridgeport, Conn., residents on Aug. 24, 2005.



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Justice Department and the City of Portland, Ore., Jointly File Court Enforceable Agreement to Reform Portland Police Bureau’s Use of Force Practices

The United States and the city of Portland, Ore., have jointly filed in federal court a proposed court enforceable settlement agreement to remedy constitutional claims that the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional uses of force in response to “low-level offenses” against persons with actual or perceived mental illness. The agreement addresses the allegations described in a civil action also filed today by the United States, under provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 for alleged violations of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.



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Department of Justice Enters into Agreement to Reform the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee

The Department of Justice today announced that it has entered into a comprehensive memorandum of agreement with the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, Tenn., to resolve findings of serious and systemic failures in the juvenile court that violate children’s due process and equal protection rights.



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AU Optronics Corporation Executive Convicted for Role in LCD Price-fixing Conspiracy

Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in San Francisco today convicted an executive of the largest Taiwan liquid crystal display (LCD) producer for his participation in a worldwide conspiracy to fix the prices of thin-film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels sold worldwide.



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Former Heber City, Utah Resident Convicted of Filing False Claims for Tax Refunds Totaling More Than $2.2 Million

April J. Rampton, 41, formerly of Heber City, Utah, was convicted yesterday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City of nine counts of filing false claims for income tax refunds, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Rampton, who was indicted on Sept. 14, 2011, was released following the verdict. She is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Dee Benson on Feb. 27, 2013. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on six similar counts.



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Manalapan, N.J., Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Girl, Streaming Assault Live Over the Internet

A New Jersey woman was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison for producing child pornography through the sexual exploitation of a 5-year-old girl on more than one occasion and streaming footage of a sexual assault over the Internet.



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Five Foreign Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Role in Trafficking Identities of Puerto Rican U.S. Citizens

Five foreign nationals were sentenced to prison for their respective roles in trafficking the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens and corresponding identity documents.



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UBS Securities Japan Co. Ltd. to Plead Guilty to Felony Wire Fraud for Long-running Manipulation of LIBOR Benchmark Interest Rates

UBS Securities Japan Co. Ltd. (UBS Japan), an investment bank, financial advisory securities firm and wholly-owned subsidiary of UBS AG, has agreed to plead guilty to felony wire fraud and admit its role in manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a leading benchmark used in financial products and transactions around the world.



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New Jersey Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Bid-Rigging Scheme at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions

A New Jersey company in the business of receiving the assignment of municipal tax liens pleaded guilty today for its role in a conspiracy to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities in New Jersey.



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Las Vegas Real Estate Agent Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Her Role in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

A Las Vegas real estate agent was sentenced today to serve 70 months in prison for her participation in a mortgage fraud scheme that netted more than $10 million in fraudulent mortgage loans.



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Former Army Contractor Employee and Two Former U.S. Army Staff Sergeants Plead Guilty to Roles in Afghanistan Contract Fraud Scheme

A former employee of a U.S. Army contractor and two former U.S. Army staff sergeants pleaded guilty today for their roles in a fraud scheme involving a contract to provide armored vehicles to the U.S. Military in Afghanistan.



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Owner of Pavement Painting Business Sentenced in Alaska for Illegally Disposing Hazardous Waste

The former owner of a road and parking lot painting and striping business in Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced today for illegally disposing of more than 200,000 pounds of highly flammable hazardous waste in Anchorage.



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Clinical Director for Miami-based Health Care Clinic Sentenced to Prison for Role in $50 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A former clinical director for Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for his participation in a Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of more than $50 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.



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Justice Department Enters into Agreement to Reform the Puerto Rico Police Department

The Justice Department today entered into a sweeping agreement with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Governor Luis Fortuño to resolve its civil investigation of the Puerto Rico Police Department.



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