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Justice Department Returns $44 Million to Victims of Qwest Communications Fraud

The $44 million in funds were forfeited to the United States as a result of the 2007 federal conviction of Qwest’s chief executive officer, Joseph P. Nacchio, for securities fraud.



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Leaders of Multi-million Dollar Fraud Ring That Used Stolen Information of Medicaid Recipients Each Sentenced to Over 25 Years in Prison

Veronica Dale and Alchico Grant, who jointly ran a stolen identity refund fraud ring that attempted to defraud the United States of millions of dollars over several years, were sentenced to federal prison today, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Veronica Dale, of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced to 334 months and Alchico Grant of Lowndes County, Ala., was sentenced to 310 months in prison. In addition, Dale and Grant were both ordered to pay over $2.8 million in restitution to the IRS.



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California Member of the Internet Piracy Group “IMAGiNE” Pleads Guilty to Copyright Infringement Conspiracy

Sean M. Lovelady, 28, of Pomona, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.



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Vice Lords Gang Member Who Escaped Prison After Murder Conviction in Tennessee Sentenced to Life in Prison

Vice Lords gang member Jessie Lobbins was sentenced today in Nashville, Tenn., to life in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Todd J. Campbell.



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Health Care Providers Settle with Justice Department Over Complaints of HIV Discrimination

The Justice Department announced that it has reached two settlements today resolving claims that health care providers refused to serve people with HIV in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Principal of Offshore Brokerage Firm Sentenced in Miami to 20 Years in Prison for $7 Million Stock Manipulation Scam

Jonathan Curshen, 47, the principal of Red Sea Management and Sentry Global Securities, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard W. Goldberg.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the University of North Carolina Law School Commencement

"Class of 2012, you now stand at a crossroads in our history. And it’s time to begin making some important choices," said Attorney General Holder.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Police Week 24th Annual Candlelight Vigil

"Tonight’s ceremony commemorates another year that has been distinguished by extraordinary achievements – but that has also, sadly, been marked by great tragedy," said Attorney General Holder.




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Two Individuals and Their California Company Sentenced in Connection with Exports of Computer Equipment to Iran

Massoud Habibion, 49, a U.S. citizen, Mohsen Motamedian, 44, a U.S. citizen, and their Costa Mesa, Calif., company, Online Micro LLC, were sentenced today in the District of Columbia in connection with a scheme to illegally export millions of dollars worth of computer-related goods from the United States to Iran through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).



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Houston-Area Nurse Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Role in $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Ezinne Ubani, the former director of nursing at Family Healthcare Group, a Houston home health care company, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas to 97 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Convicted of Defrauding Medicare

An owner of a Houston health care company was convicted yesterday by a jury in the Southern District of Texas in connection with a $750,000 Medicare fraud scheme.



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Co-Owner of Detroit-Area Physical Therapy Company Sentenced to 48 Months for Medicare Fraud Scheme

The co-owner of a Detroit-area physical therapy company was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for her leading role in a more than $1.9 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).



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Former U.S. Army Captain Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Property at Camp Speicher, Iraq

Nicole E. Luvera, 29, of Newnan, Ga., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg in Atlanta to a criminal information charging her with one count of theft of government property.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery Speaks at American Bar Association Forum

"The Abbott resolution was the most recent result of the President’s initiative to crack down on health care fraud," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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North Carolina Department of Corrections Probation Officer Indicted for Civil Rights Violations

The Department of Justice announced that North Carolina Department of Correction’s Division of Community Corrections Probation Officer Willie James Steele Jr., 47, was indicted yesterday on civil rights charges for violating the constitutional rights of a female probationer that he was supervising by coercing her into sexual acts on two separate occasions.



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Ship’s Captain Convicted of Obstructing a Coast Guard Inspection

Prastana Taohim, 38, the captain of the M/V Gaurav Prem, was found guilty of two counts of obstruction of justice.



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President of South Carolina-Based Firm Charged with Illegally Exporting Goods to Iran

Markos Baghdasarian, the president of Delfin Group USA, was arrested on Saturday, May 19, 2012, at the Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, just prior to boarding an international flight to the United Arab Emirates.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks on Alternatives to Incarceration Program: the Use of “Drug Courts” in the Federal and State Systems

"The Attorney General and I are committed to a criminal justice system and a sentencing policy that are both tough and fair; that deter those contemplating serious criminal conduct and that are guided by research that show when non-incarceration is the best sanction," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the American Law Institute Annual Meeting

"For nearly nine decades, ALI has been on the front lines of efforts to improve the strength, integrity, and effectiveness of our justice system," said Attorney General Holder.




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U.S. Court Rules That Nation’s Auto Dealers Are Required to Provide Complete Data on Car Loan Terms

A federal judge in Washington has ruled that automobile dealers who engage in certain three-party financing transactions must disclose certain information to consumers who take out car loans if they are offered less favorable terms, such as a higher interest rate, than the most favorable terms available to the majority of consumers



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California Woman Indicted for Allegedly Impersonating a Congressional Aide

The indictment charges Susan Tomsha-Miguel, 51.



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Mid-America Pipeline Company and Enterprise Products Operating to Pay $1 Million for Spills in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska

Mid-America Pipeline Company LLC (MAPCO), and Enterprise Products Operating LLC, of Houston, have agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $1 million to the United States to settle violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to three natural gasoline pipeline spills in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.



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Owner of Hawaii Car Dealerships and Chief Financial Officer Plead Guilty to Tax Crimes

Charles Alan Pflueger, owner of Pflueger Inc., Randall Kurata, the company’s chief financial officer, and Julie Kam, Pflueger’s executive assistant, pleaded guilty to filing false federal income tax returns before U.S. District Court Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi in Honolulu, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Justice Department Announces Agreement to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in California

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with California state officials to help ensure that military servicemembers, their family members and U.S. citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in California’s June 5, 2012, federal primary election.



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Former Head of Worldwide Sales at California Valve Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Offense

Paul Cosgrove, the former Head of Worldwide Sales at Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.-based valve company Control Components Inc. (CCI) pleaded guilty today to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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Romanian National Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges for Allegedly Participating in Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Hack into and Steal Credit Card Data from U.S. Merchants

Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, 28, of Constanta, Romania, was extradited to the United States and appeared in federal court in New Hampshire today, to face federal charges relating to his alleged participation in an international multimillion dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants’ “point of sale” computer systems.



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Singapore Ship Operator and Engineers Plead Guilty to Crimes Related to Pollution from Cargo Ship Traveling to Mobile, Alabama

Target Ship Management Pte. Ltd., the operator of the M/V Gaurav Prem, pleaded guilty to a violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships for failing to properly maintain an oil record book as required by federal and international law, as well as making material false statements during a U.S. Coast Guard inspection of the ship at the port of Mobile in September 2011.



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Minnesota-based St. Jude Medical Pays U.S. $3.65 Million to Settle Claims That It Overcharged for Implantable Cardiac Devices

St. Jude Medical Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $3.65 million to resolve civil allegations under the False Claims Act that the company inflated the cost of replacement pacemakers and defibrillators purchased by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the Justice Department announced today. St. Paul, Minn.-based St. Jude Medical develops, manufactures and distributes cardiovascular and implantable neurostimulation medical devices.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Las Vegas Casino for Unfair Documentary Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Tuscany Hotel and Casino LLC in Las Vegas, alleging that the company engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in the employment eligibility verification and re-verification process. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requires employers to treat all authorized workers equally during the hiring, firing and employment eligibility verification process, regardless of their national origin or citizenship status.



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Former Tuscaloosa, Alabama Police Sergeant Charged with Civil Rights Violations

A federal grand jury in Birmingham, Ala., today returned a five-count indictment charging former city of Tuscaloosa Police Sergeant Jason Glenn Thomas with federal civil rights offenses in connection with the aggravated sexual assault of a Tuscaloosa woman in 2011, announced Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Joyce White Vance, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, and Patrick J. Maley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Field Office.



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Virginia-based Defense Contractor Calnet to Pay $18.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit

Calnet Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $18.1 million to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims to the Department of Defense, the Justice Department announced today. Calnet Inc., an intelligence analysis, information technology and language services company, is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.



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Doctors, Therapist and Recruiters from Miami-Area Mental Health Care Corporation Convicted for Participating in $205 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A federal jury today convicted two Miami-area doctors, one Miami-area therapist and two others for their participation in a Medicare fraud scheme involving more than $205 million in fraudulent billings by American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), a mental health care corporation.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in California, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on June 5, 2012, in the following jurisdictions to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes: Alameda, Fresno and Riverside Counties, Calif.; Cibola and Sandoval Counties, N.M.; Shannon County, S.D.; and the city of Milwaukee.



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Los Angeles Physician Assistant Found Guilty for Role in $18.9 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

On June 1, 2012, after a two-week trial in federal court in Los Angeles, a jury found David James Garrison, 50, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, six counts of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.



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Former American Samoan Department of Education Employee Sentenced to 25 Months in Prison

Gustav Nauer, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra in the District of Hawaii.



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Autoliv Inc. and a Yazaki Corp. Executive Agree to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

Stockholm-based Autoliv Inc. has agreed to plead guilty for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels installed in U.S. cars to one automobile manufacturer and a separate conspiracy to fix prices of seatbelts to another.



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Nevada Lobbyist Harvey Whittemore Indicted for Making Unlawful Campaign Contributions and Lying to Investigators

F. Harvey Whittemore, 55, of Reno, Nevada, was charged with one count of making excessive campaign contributions, one count of making contributions in the name of others and two counts of making a false statement to a federal agency.



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Texas-based Medical Device Manufacturer Pays U.S. $34 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Orthofix Inc., a Texas-based manufacturer of medical devices, has agreed to pay the United States $34,234,263 to settle allegations under the civil False Claims Act relating to the company’s sale of bone growth stimulator devices, the Justice Department announced today. The company has also agreed to plead guilty to a felony of obstruction of a federal audit, and to pay a $7,765,737 criminal fine.



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Justice Department Files Complaint Against Forsyth County, North Carolina, Sheriff for Violating the Employment Rights of Army National Guard Soldier

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against Forsyth County, N.C., and the county sheriff, William T. Schatzman, for violating the employment rights of North Carolina Army National Guard soldier Michael Russell under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the National Disability Rights Network 2012 P&A/CAP Annual Conference

"In the Civil Rights Division, we still see every single day barriers facing individuals with disabilities that stand in the way of allowing all people to maximize the contribution they can make to society," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery Speaks at the American Bar Association’s Ninth National Institute on the Civil False Claims Act and Qui Tam Enforcement

"Protecting taxpayer dollars is one of the Attorney General’s core priorities. This includes a commitment to increase our efforts to reduce fraud at the outset," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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American Samoa Department of Education Official Sentenced to 35 Months in Prison for Witness Tampering and Obstruction of Justice

Paul Solofa, the former chief financial officer for the Department of Education for the government of the U.S. Territory of American Samoa was sentenced today to 35 months in prison following his conviction earlier this year for his efforts to obstruct a federal grand jury and law enforcement investigation into a bribery scheme.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on June 12, 2012, in Fairfield and Williamsburg Counties in South Carolina to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



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Miami-Area Resident Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Participating in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Leyanes Placeres, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz in the Southern District of Florida.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Plyler v. Doe 30th Anniversary Event

"The benefits of Plyler are felt by all of us, wherever we or our ancestors were born. Three decades after Plyler, immigrant students have made and continue to make vast and deep contributions to America’s cultural, civic, and economic landscape," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Co-Owner of Houston-Area Home Health Care Agency Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Role in $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud

Clifford Ubani, a former co-owner and chief financial officer at Family Healthcare Group, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas.



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Justice Department Transfers 1,000 Acres of Land in Cannon County, Tenn., to State of Tennessee

The U.S. Department of Justice has transferred to the state of Tennessee approximately 1,000 acres of undeveloped land in Cannon County, Tenn., as a result of a federal criminal conviction of two individuals for distribution of marijuana.



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North Carolina Resident Found Guilty of Terrorism Violations

Today in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, a jury found Anes Subasic, 35, guilty of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad.



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Check Cashers in Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Los Angeles Charged for Alleged Violations of Anti-Money Laundering Laws

Seven individuals and four check cashing businesses were charged today in the Eastern District of New York and the Central District of California for their alleged roles in separate schemes to violate the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).



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Owner and Operator of Halfway House Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Hassan Collins, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive and pay health care fraud kickbacks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres.



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