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Mississippi Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter of Co-worker in Iraq

Kyle Palmer, 27, of Biloxi, Miss., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr., in the Southern District of Mississippi to 36 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Shell Chemical Companies Agree to Reduce Harmful Emissions Under Comprehensive Clean Air Act Settlements

Shell Chemical L.P. and Shell Chemical Yabucoa have agreed to install pollution reduction equipment on two petroleum refining facilities at an estimated cost of $6 million as part of two comprehensive Clean Air Act settlements.



  • OPA Press Releases

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UBS Client Pleads Guilty to Failing to Report Over $1 Million in Swiss Bank Accounts

Harry Abrahamsen, a resident of Oradell, N.J., pleaded guilty today to failure to file a Report of Foreign Bank or Financial Accounts.



  • OPA Press Releases

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U.S. Sues Missouri Lawyer to Halt Alleged Tax-Fraud Schemes

The United States has asked a federal court to permanently bar Philip A. Kaiser, a St. Louis tax lawyer, from promoting several allegedly fraudulent tax schemes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Granted Order to Ensure Students in Walthall County, Mississippi, Have Equal Opportunities

A federal court has ordered the Walthall County, Miss., School District to eliminate policies that have resulted in significant racial segregation among students in the school district.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Lee County, Mississippi, Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations

Michael Shane Minich, 35, a former Lee County, Miss., Sheriff’s Deputy, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock, in Aberdeen, Miss., to depriving citizens of their civil rights under color of law by secretly removing cash from their wallets during traffic stops.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Antitrust Division Issues 2010 Edition of Its Annual Newsletter

The Antitrust Division today issued the first ever electronic-only version of its 2010 annual newsletter



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Hosts Meeting with Commissioners of the African Union

Attorney General Eric Holder today met with commissioners of the African Union in an effort to underscore the United States government’s commitment to Africa, particularly efforts to promote rule of law and to combat transnational crime.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Court Rules Against Mississippi Businessman’s Tax Shelter Promoted by KPMG

A federal court in Jackson, Miss., has ruled in favor of the United States involving a businessman’s attempt to use a KPMG- marketed tax shelter to avoid paying income tax on approximately $18 million in capital gains.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to Hold Workshop on Promoting Innovation

The Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced today that they will hold a joint public workshop on the intersection of patent policy and competition policy and its implications for promoting innovation



  • OPA Press Releases

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Taiwan Citizen Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Missile Components from the U.S. to Iran

Yi-Lan Chen, aka Kevin Chen, 40, a Taiwan passport holder, and his Taiwan corporation, Landstar Tech Company Limited, pleaded guilty today in Miami to charges of conspiring to illegally export dual-use commodities to Iran.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Kansas City, Missouri, to Spend $2.5 Billion to Eliminate Sewer Overflows

The city of Kansas City, Mo., has agreed to make extensive improvements to its sewer systems, at a cost estimated to exceed $2.5 billion over 25 years, to eliminate unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage and to reduce pollution levels in urban storm water.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice and USDA Hold Competition Workshop Focused on Competition Issues in the Poultry Industry

“Secretary Vilasck and I are committed to improving our understanding of how particular agricultural markets function,” said Attorney General Holder.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Holder Honors Child Recovery and Protection Efforts During Missing Children’s Day Ceremony

Attorney General Eric Holder commemorated National Missing Children’s Day in an awards ceremony recognizing the exemplary efforts of law enforcement and citizens nationwide in recovering missing children and combating child exploitation.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Missing Children’s Day Ceremony

"The Justice Department is proud to count the National Center as a partner. And, today, I’m pleased to announce an award to the National Center of more than $30 million to support and continue its critical work," said Attorney General Holder.




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Department of Justice and USDA Hold Workshop Focused on Competition Issues in the Dairy Industry

The workshop explores the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in the dairy industry.



  • OPA Press Releases

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New Jersey UBS Client Pleads Guilty to Failing to Report More Than $2 Million in Swiss Bank Account

A Milltown, N.J., man pleaded guilty today to a federal charge of willfully subscribing to a false tax return, admitting he concealed over $2 million in a Swiss bank account.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Swiss Lawyer Indicted for Helping to Hide Swiss Bank Accounts and Monies Returned to U.S. Clients

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., returned an indictment charging Felix M. Mathis, an attorney practicing in Zurich, Switzerland, with conspiring to defraud the United States and structuring the importation of currency into this country.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Missouri County Chief Deputy Charged with Civil Rights Violations

A federal grand jury has charged Vernon Wilson, former Chief Deputy of the Washington County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, in a six-count indictment stemming from four separate incidents in which Wilson allegedly assaulted inmates or caused the assault of inmates in the Washington County Jail in the summer and fall of 2005.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Pearl River County, Mississippi, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Pearl River County, Miss., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former St. Louis, Missouri, Area Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations

Leon Pullen pleaded guilty to civil rights violations stemming from several incidents where he sexually assaulted and stole money from women.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to Spend Millions to Reduce Commuter Train Emissions in Clean Air Act Settlement

In response to a federal enforcement action for excessive train engine idling, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCR) will spend more than $2 million to reduce diesel locomotive emissions throughout the MBTA’s commuter rail system.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Federal Court Bars Missouri Lawyer from Promoting Tax Schemes That Cost the U.S. at Least $100 Million in Lost Taxes

A federal court in Kansas City, Mo, has permanently barred Missouri lawyer A. Blair Stover Jr. from promoting a variety of improper tax schemes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Issues Guidance Letter to State Courts Regarding Their Obligation to Provide Language Access

The Justice Department today issued a letter to chief justices and administrators of state courts clarifying the obligation of courts that receive federal financial assistance to provide oral interpretation, written translation and other language services to people who are limited English proficient.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting Charges

Andrew Cole pleaded guilty today to racketeering conspiracy and fraud in foreign labor contracting charges arising from his role in a criminal enterprise that engaged in numerous criminal activities, including forced labor, fraud in foreign labor contracting, visa fraud, mail fraud, identity theft, tax evasion and money laundering.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Issue Revised Horizontal Merger Guidelines

The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued today revised Horizontal Merger Guidelines that outline how the federal antitrust agencies evaluate the likely competitive impact of mergers and whether those mergers comply with U.S. antitrust law.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Natchez, Mississippi, Police Officers Indicted for Civil Rights Offenses, Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft and Fraud, and False Statements

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Natchez, Miss., Police Department Officers Elvis Prater, 35, and Dewayne Johnson, 32, with civil rights offenses and other offenses related to the beating of two men in custody, the theft of an arrestee’s credit and debit cards, and the officers’ false statements to federal investigators.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Mississippi Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Production, Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

Robert Morris of Crystal Springs, Miss., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for production, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice and USDA Hold Workshop Focused on Competition Issues in the Livestock Industry

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture today held the fourth of five joint public workshops to explore the appropriate role for antitrust and regulatory enforcement in American agriculture.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Federal Court Bars Missouri Lawyer from Promoting Individual Retirement Account Tax Arrangements

A federal judge in St. Louis has permanently barred a Missouri attorney and his law firm from promoting any Individual Retirement Account-based arrangement.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Issues Report on 10th Anniversary of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act

The Justice Department today issued a report marking the 10th anniversary of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), showing that the law has had a positive impact on protecting the religious freedom of a wide range of faith groups, and had a particularly significant impact protecting the religious freedom of minorities.



  • OPA Press Releases

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North America’s Largest Lead Producer to Spend $65 Million to Correct Environmental Violations at Missouri Facilities

Doe Run Resources Corp. of St. Louis, North America’s largest lead producer, has agreed to spend approximately $65 million to correct violations of several environmental laws at 10 of its lead mining, milling and smelting facilities in southeast Missouri, the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reached Agreements to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters from New York, Kansas and Mississippi

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached agreements with New York, Kansas and Mississippi officials to help ensure that military service members and other U.S. citizens living overseas have an opportunity to participate fully in the Nov. 2, 2010, federal general election.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Sues Return Preparers in Florida and Missouri Who Allegedly Claimed More Than $70 Million in Fraudulent Tax Refunds

The United States has sued Iliana Sorensen of Hialeah, Fla., and Gerald A. Poynter II of Kansas City, Mo., seeking to bar them from preparing federal tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Issues Memoranda to Improve Use of DNA Evidence

“DNA evidence is one of the most powerful tools available to the criminal justice system, and these new steps will ensure the department can use DNA to the greatest extent possible to solve crimes and ensure the guilty are convicted,” Attorney General Holder said.



  • OPA Press Releases

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California UBS Client Charged with Hiding Assets in Secret Swiss Bank Account

Jeffrey Chatfield of San Diego pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nita Stormes to a criminal information charging him with filing a false tax return related to a Swiss bank account that he maintained at UBS.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Mississippi Newspaper and Two Individuals for Discrimination Against Families with Children

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against a Gulfport, Miss., newspaper and a landlord and her agent for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Harris County, Texas, Commissioner and Local Real Estate Developer Indicted for Alleged Bribery Conspiracy

A Harris County, Texas, commissioner and a Houston-based real estate developer have been charged with bribery conspiracy in an indictment returned yesterday by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Wealth Manager Pleads Guilty to Causing a Presidential Campaign Committee to Submit False Statements to the Federal Election Commission

A former principal of a wealth management firm pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to causing the Hillary Clinton for President Committee unwittingly to submit false statements to the Federal Election Commission.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Mississippi Mobile Home Park Owner and Managers

The Justice Department today announced that Mississippi property owner Indigo Investments LLC, has agreed to pay $50,000 in monetary damages and civil penalties to settle the government’s Fair Housing Act lawsuit.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Lockheed Martin to Pay $2 Million to Resolve Allegations Resulting from Fraudulent Submission of Government Contract

Lockheed Martin Inc. has reached a $2 million settlement with the United States to resolve False Claims Act claims in a whistleblower suit.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Uplands Park, Missouri, Police Officer Sentenced on Civil Rights Violations

Leon Pullen, 32, of Foley, Mo., a former police officer employed by the Uplands Park Police Department in suburban St. Louis, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on civil rights violations stemming from several incidents where he sexually assaulted and stole money from women.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Choctaw County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Deputy Indicted for Civil Rights Offenses and Obstruction of Justice

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Choctaw County, Miss., Sheriff’s Deputy Billy C. Scott Jr. with civil rights violations and obstructing justice.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Cement Manufacturer to Pay $1.4 Million and Install Emission Controls to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations at Ohio Plant

CEMEX Inc., one of the largest producers of Portland cement in the United States, will spend an estimated $2 million on pollution controls that will reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), pollutants that can lead to childhood asthma, acid rain, smog and impaired visibility in national parks. Under a settlement to resolve Clean Air Act violations at its cement plant in Fairborn, Ohio, CEMEX will also pay a $1.4 million penalty, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Four Swiss Bankers Charged with Helping U.S. Taxpayers Use Secret Accounts at Swiss Banks to Evade U.S. Taxes

Marco Parenti Adami, Emanuel Agustino, Michele Bergantino and Roger Schaerer, bankers at an international bank, were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia and charged with conspiring with other Swiss bankers to defraud the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Mississippi Companies to Pay $2 Million for Selling Thousands of Engines from China That Failed to Meet Clean Air Act Standards

Mississippi-based PowerTrain Inc., Wood Sales Inc., and Tool Mart Inc., (collectively known as “PowerTrain”) will jointly pay a civil penalty of $2 million to resolve claims that the company imported and sold almost 80,000 nonroad engines and equipment that were not covered by emissions-related certificates of conformity, and in most cases could not be certified because they exceeded emissions standards under the Clean Air Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Natchez, Mississippi, Police Officer Convicted of Civil Rights Offense for Stealing from Arrestee

A jury in Natchez, Miss., yesterday convicted a Natchez Police Department officer of violating the civil rights of an arrestee by stealing credit and debit cards from the arrestee.



  • OPA Press Releases

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UBS Client Sentenced in San Diego for Hiding Assets in Secret Bahamian and Swiss Bank Accounts

Jeffrey Chatfield of San Diego was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Michael M. Anello to three years probation for hiding assets in secret offshore UBS bank accounts.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Issues Letter Regarding Illegal Exclusion of Individuals with HIV/AIDS from Occupational Training and State Licensing

The Justice Department has issued letters to the attorneys general of all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories to request their assistance in addressing the illegal exclusion of individuals with HIV/AIDS from occupational training and state licensing.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Missouri CPA Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud and Tax Evasion

Murphy Hubbard, a Springfield, Mo., CPA, pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion before Judge James England in the Western District of Missouri.



  • OPA Press Releases