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Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty for Conspiring to Commit Hate Crimes Against African-Americans in Jackson, Mississippi

Joseph Dominick, 21, from Brandon, Miss., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Miss., to one count of conspiracy to commit federal hate crimes in connection with his role in the assault of African-Americans in Jackson.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of Detroit Adult Day Care Centers Pleads Guilty in Connection with Medicare Psychotherapy Fraud Scheme

The owner of several Detroit-area adult day care centers pleaded guilty today for her role in a $13.2 million psychotherapy fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Municipal Special Election in South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the municipal special election on Jan. 8, 2013, in Branchville, S.C., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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EMH Regional Medical Center and North Ohio Heart Center to Pay U.S. $4.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

EMH Regional Medical Center has agreed to pay the United States $3,863,857 and North Ohio Heart Center Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $541,870 to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of Detroit Adult Day Care Centers Pleads Guilty in Connection with Medicare Psychotherapy Fraud Scheme

The owner of several Detroit-area businesses that housed severely mentally-disabled Medicare recipients pleaded guilty today for his role in a $13.2 million fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with South Carolina Food Service Provider to Resolve Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Centerplate Inc., resolving allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Romanian National Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Remotely Hack into and Steal Payment Card Data from Hundreds of U.S. Merchants’ Computers

A Romanian national was sentenced today to serve 21 months in prison for his role in an international, multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants’ computers.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Canadian Citizen Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud Consumers Purchasing Pharmaceuticals Online

A Canadian citizen was sentenced to 48 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to defraud consumers purchasing pharmaceuticals online, the Justice Department announced. Andrew J. Strempler was also ordered to pay a forfeiture of $300,000, a fine of $25,000 and restitution.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Charter Fishing Boat Captain Pleads Guilty to Felony Lacey Act Violation

Jeffery S. Adams, 41, of Hudgins, Va., and his corporation Adams Fishing Adventures Inc. pleaded guilty today to trafficking in illegally-harvested striped bass, in violation of the Lacey Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Woman Across State Lines for Prostitution

Montell Williams, of Chicago, pleaded guilty today in Hammond, Ind., to violating the Mann Act by transporting a woman across state lines for the purpose of having her engage in prostitution.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Barrio Azteca Associate Sentenced in Texas to 18 Months in Prison for Role in Racketeering Conspiracy

An associate of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a trans-national border gang allied with the Juarez Cartel, was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Interference with Persons Exercising Right to Seek or Provide Reproductive Health Care

The Department of Justice today settled a civil complaint against Richard A. Retta, of Rockville, Md, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, for violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Los Angeles Check Cashing Store, Its Head Manager and Compliance Officer Sentenced for Violating Anti-money Laundering Laws

A Los Angeles check cashing store, its head manager and its designated anti-money laundering compliance officer were sentenced today in the Central District of California for failing to follow reporting and anti-money laundering requirements for over $8 million in transactions in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).



  • OPA Press Releases

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California Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Refund Conspiracy

Masood Chotani, a CPA and tax return preparer from Los Angeles County, Calif., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Ira Isaacs Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison in Los Angeles Adult Obscenity Case

Isaacs, 61, of Los Angeles, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George H. King in the Central District of California. In addition to his prison term, Isaacs was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.



  • OPA Press Releases

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CEO and CFO of Assisted Living Facility Chain Sentenced in North Carolina to Five Years in Prison for Tax Fraud

Ronald E. Burrell, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Caremerica Inc., and Michael R. Elliott, former chief financial officer (CFO) of Caremerica Inc., were sentenced today in Wilmington, N.C.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Seven Arrested, Charged with $22 Million Detroit-area Home Health Care Fraud Scheme

Six Detroit-area residents and one Chicago-area resident were arrested today by federal agents on charges arising from the ongoing investigation into an alleged $22 million home health care fraud scheme. The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan; Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley III of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office; and Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General Agent Admits Role in Records Falsification Scheme

A former special agent of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) pleaded guilty today in a Southern District of Texas federal court to participating in a scheme to falsify records and to obstruct an internal field office inspection.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Federal Employee & Former New York City Corrections Captain Barred from Promoting Alleged Tax Fraud Scheme

A federal court has permanently barred Nafeesah H. Hines and Rodney N. Chestnut from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme, as well as preparing tax returns for anyone other than themselves.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Minister Pleads Guilty in North Carolina to Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct in Haiti

A former minister pleaded guilty today in North Carolina to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in Haiti.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of Texas Durable Medical Equipment Companies Convicted in Fraud Scheme

A Texas federal judge convicted the owner of two Texas-based durable medical equipment companies today on multiple health care fraud charges following a five-day bench trial.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Sues to Stop South Carolina Tax Return Preparers Engaged in Earned Income Credit Scheme

The United States has asked a federal court in Florence, S.C., to permanently bar Susann Allen of Darlington County, S.C., and Rachel D. Watson of Florence County, S.C., from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Men Charged with Hate Crime for Attack on African American Woman and White Man in California

Billy James Hammett, 28, and Perry Sylvester Jackson, 27, were arrested today in Yuba County, Calif., on federal hate crime charges for their racially motivated attack on an African American woman and white man in Marysville, Calif., on April 18, 2011.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Federal Charges Allege Captors Held Adults with Disabilities in Subhuman Conditions to Carry out Social Security Fraud

Linda Weston, her daughter and three co-defendants are charged in a 193-count indictment, unsealed today, with racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, hate crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, theft, fraud and other crimes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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New Jersey Woman Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Trafficking the Identities of Puerto Rican U.S. Citizens

Martina Montero-de-Ortiz, 52, formerly of Elizabeth, N.J., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí in the District of Puerto Rico.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Four Sentenced to Prison in Florida Community Mental Health Center Case

The owners of three Miami-area assisted living facilities and an affiliated psychologist were sentenced to prison today in connection with a health care fraud scheme, involving now-defunct Miami-area health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN), in which Medicare was billed for mental health treatments that were unnecessary or not provided.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Signs Agreement with the City of Memphis, Tenn., to Ensure Physical Accessibility for People with Disabilities at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium

The Justice Department has reached an agreement with the city of Memphis, Tenn., under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to improve physical accessibility for people with disabilities at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, home of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Memphis Tigers and Southern Heritage Classic football games.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Dominican National Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Leading Role in Identity Trafficking Scheme

A Dominican national was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for his leading role in trafficking the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens and corresponding identity documents.



  • OPA Press Releases

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California Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Report Foreign Bank Accounts at UBS

Christopher B. Berg of Portola Valley, Calif., entered a plea of guilty today before the U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., to an information charging him with willful failure to file the required report of foreign bank account (FBAR) for an account he controlled at UBS in Switzerland in the year 2005.



  • OPA Press Releases

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North Carolina Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns

Delane F. Alston, a resident of Rocky Mount, N.C., pleaded guilty today before Judge Terrence W. Boyle to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false federal income tax returns.



  • OPA Press Releases

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High-Ranking Member of Mexican “Los Zetas” Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy Charges

Jesus Enrique Rejon Aguilar, aka “Mamito” and “Caballero,” a high ranking member of the “Los Zetas” drug cartel, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to import multi-ton quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Maryland Man Found Guilty After Trial and Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison in International Child Pornography Conspiracy Case

A Maryland man was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday and sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison for his participation in a global online child pornography conspiracy.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Lomita, Calif., to Protect Religious Exercise

The Justice Department today announced a settlement with the city of Lomita, Calif., resolving allegations that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 when it denied the Islamic Center of the South Bay’s application to build a new mosque on its property.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Charter Fishing Boat Captain Pleads Guilty to Lacey Act Violation

William W. Lowery IV, 44, of Tappahannock, Va., pleaded guilty today to trafficking in illegally-harvested striped bass, in violation of the Lacey Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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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 today.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the 8th Annual Harry Frank Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America

"I’m especially proud of the part that we – at the Office of Justice Programs – have played in improving knowledge about what works in the fields of criminal and juvenile justice. Our National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics have, for many years, made significant contributions to our base of knowledge," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




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Maryland’s St. Joseph’s Medical Center Agrees to Pay $4.9 Million for Medically Unnecessary Hospital Admissions

St. Joseph’s Medical Center, a hospital located in Towson, Md., has reached a settlement with the United States to pay $4.9 million in connection with its submission of false claims to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Macmillan in E-Books Case

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, and will continue to litigate against Apple Inc. for conspiring with Macmillan and four of the other largest U.S. book publishers to raise e-book prices to consumers.



  • OPA Press Releases

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California-Based Granite Construction Company to Pay U.S. $367,500 to Resolve False Claims Allegations

Granite Construction Company, a California-based construction company specializing in roads, tunnels, bridges, airports and other infrastructure-related projects, reached a settlement with the United States following an investigation of alleged false claims in connection with federal construction projects across the country.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Avant Healthcare Professionals LLC to Resolve Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices

The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with Avant Healthcare Professionals LLC, a healthcare staffing company based in Casselberry, Fla., resolving allegations that the company posted discriminatory job advertisements on the internet.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two California Men Indicted in Federal Hate Crime Case Stemming from New Year’s Eve Attack on African-American Youths

A federal grand jury has indicted two members of the Compton 155 street gang on federal hate crime charges related to a racially motivated attack on four African-American juveniles at a residence in the city of Compton, Calif., on New Year’s Eve.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Court Bars South Carolina Tax Return Preparers from Preparing Returns for Others

A federal district judge in Florence, S.C., permanently barred Rachel D. Watson, of Florence, and Susann Allen of Darlington, S.C., from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Alabama Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Running Sophisticated Million Dollar Identity Theft Tax Scheme

Antoinette Djonret was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for her involvement in two separate tax fraud schemes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Registered Nurse Sentenced in Miami to 111 Months in Prison in Connection with $63 Million Mental Health Care Fraud Scheme

A former registered nurse was sentenced today to serve 111 months in prison for his role in a health care fraud scheme involving defunct health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN).



  • OPA Press Releases

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US Files Lawsuit in Louisiana Against Oil and Gas Company Alleging Unlawful Discharge of Oil and Chemical Dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico

Today the United States filed a civil action against ATP Oil &s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The complaint addresses the defendants’ alleged unlawful discharges of oil and unpermitted chemical dispersants from the defendants’ floating oil and gas production platform, the ATP Innovator, into the Gulf of Mexico.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Releases Spanish Language Video About Discrimination in Employment Eligibility Verification

The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department announced today the launch of its first Spanish-language educational video. The video was developed by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices to assist employers in avoiding charges of discrimination in the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 process and to assist employees to be aware of their legal rights.



  • OPA Press Releases

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North Carolina Commodities Firm Owner Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Multimillion-dollar Fraud

The principal and co-owner of North Carolina-based Integra Capital Management LLC, was sentenced today to serve 36 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud commodities trading investors of more than $3.2 million.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Officials and Broker of Peanut Corporation of America Indicted Related to Salmonella-Tainted Peanut Products

A 76-count indictment was unsealed yesterday charging four former officials of the Peanut Corporation of America and a related company with numerous charges relating to salmonella-tainted peanuts and peanut products.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery Speaks at the PCA Pen and Pad

"When food or drug manufacturers lie and cut corners, they put all of us at risk. The Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue any person whose criminal conduct risks the safety of Americans who have done nothing more than eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy Elana Tyrangiel Speaks at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Meeting

"In fact, this initiative constitutes a significant step forward in fostering increased levels of engagement with these partners and with Congress, in establishing a productive partnership between the Department of Justice and NIST, and in strengthening our ability to realize the goals and priorities that we all share," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tyrangiel.