texas

Colorado Resident Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors in Texas Real Estate Scheme

Thomas B. Evans, 47, of Centennial, Colo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine M. Arguello in Denver to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.



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Barrio Azteca Gang Member Pleads Guilty in Texas to Racketeering Conspiracy

A Barrio Azteca (BA) gang member currently serving a jail sentence on Texas state murder charges pleaded guilty today for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy.



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Active Duty Army Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Texas for Role in Scheme to Illegally Obtain Military Recruiting Bonuses

A U.S. military recruiter pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to obtain approximately $190,000 in fraudulent recruiting bonuses from various U.S. military components and their contractor, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.



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Former Soldier and Contract Military Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Texas for Role in Scheme to Illegally Obtain Military Recruiting Bonuses

– A former soldier who also served as a contract military recruiter pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to obtain more than $200,000 in fraudulent recruiting bonuses from various U.S. military components and their contractor.



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Former Soldier Pleads Guilty in Texas for Leading Role in Scheme to Illegally Obtain Military Recruiting Bonuses

A former soldier pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to obtain a total of at least approximately $240,000 in fraudulent recruiting bonuses from various U.S. military components and their contractor, and to one count of aggravated identity theft for unlawfully using the means of identification of a potential soldier.



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Former IRS Employee from Texas Sentenced to Nearly Nine Years in Prison on Theft of Government Property and Aggravated Identity Theft Convictions

Thomas W. Richardson was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle in Dallas to 105 months in prison and ordered to pay $30,649 in restitution, following his guilty plea in August 2011 to one count of theft of government property and one count of aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department announced today.



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Barrio Azteca Gang Leader Sentenced in Texas to Life in Prison

Roberto Angel Cardona, aka “Little Angelillo,” of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division.



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Barrio Azteca Gang Members and Associates Plead Guilty in Texas to Racketeering Conspiracy

Two Barrio Azteca (BA) gang members and one BA associate pleaded guilty this week for their participation in a racketeering conspiracy and money laundering.



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Member of the Aryan Brotherhood Sentenced for Assaulting a Jewish Inmate in Texas

Timothy Lee York, 35, of Fountain Valley, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 63 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violently assaulting a Jewish inmate at a federal correctional facility in Texas.



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Fort Worth, Texas, Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking and Related Federal Charges

Marcus Choice Williams, 36, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 30 years in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release for various felony offenses related to a conspiracy to traffic women for prostitution.



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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Convicted in Houston of Racketeering Charges

Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang member David Harlow was found guilty today by Senior U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. in Houston of racketeering aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the 2008 beating of a gang prospect.



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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in 2009 Shooting

Joshua Mark Bodine, 32, aka “Desperado,” of Vidor, Texas, also was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Marcia A. Crone to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Texas Tax Return Preparer

The United States has sued tax preparer Joseph Rivas, seeking to bar him from preparing any federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by the City of Selma, Texas, Fire Department

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a civil suit against the city of Selma, Texas, alleging that the city discriminated against firefighter Adam Sadler in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Five Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

Five members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008.



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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

On April 20, 2012, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. sentenced Michael Burkett, 34, aka “Redneck,” to 27 months in prison and Shane Dallmeyer, 31, aka “Lock Jaw,” to 33 months in prison.



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National Express and Petermann to Sell Off School Bus Contracts in Texas and Washington to Resolve Antitrust Concerns

National Express Corporation and Petermann Partners Inc. will divest several school bus contracts and associated assets in the states of Washington and Texas in order to proceed with their proposed merger.



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Vidor, Texas, Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Atascosa County, Texas, Murder

Michael Dewayne Smith, 31, aka “Bucky,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in the Western District of Texas.



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Federal Court Shuts Down Texas Tax Return Preparer

A federal court in Dallas has permanently barred Joseph Rivas of DeSoto, Texas, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order, to which Rivas consented without admitting the allegations against him, was signed by Judge Sidney Fitzwater of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.



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Austin, Texas, Man Sentenced to 61 Months in Federal Prison for Bankruptcy Fraud and Identity Theft in Connection with Nationwide Foreclosure-rescue Scheme

Frederic Alan Gladle, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor municipal elections on May 12, 2012, in Dallas, Galveston, and Jasper Counties in Texas to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



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Two Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Sentenced for Racketeering Assault

Two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on May 29, 2012, in Fort Bend, Harris and Jefferson Counties in Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. In addition, the act requires certain covered jurisdictions to provide language assistance during the election process.



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Texas Resident Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-import Bank

Hector Cuevas, 42, was also sentenced by Judge Kathleen Cardone in U.S. District Court in El Paso to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $553,148 in restitution and $690,624 in forfeiture.



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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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Hospice Care of Kansas and Texas-based Parent Company to Pay $6.1 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims

Hospice Care of Kansas LLC and its parent company, Ft. Worth, Texas-based Voyager HospiceCare Inc., have agreed to pay $6.1 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to the Medicare program for ineligible hospice services, the Justice Department announced today. Hospice Care of Kansas currently provides hospice services throughout the state of Kansas. Hospice Care of Kansas, which is based in Wichita, Kan., was purchased by Voyager in 2004.



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Texas Resident Convicted on Charge of Attempted Use of Weapon of Mass Destruction

Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 22, a citizen of Saudi Arabia and resident of Lubbock, Texas, was convicted by a federal jury today on an indictment charging one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets, including persons and infrastructure.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Corpus Christi, Texas, Police Department for Sex Discrimination

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, alleging that the city’s police department engaged in a pattern or practice of employment discrimination against women in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Justice Department Files Complaint Against Two Texas State Agencies for Pay Discrimination

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas General Land Office alleging that both state agencies are liable for discrimination against three female employees on the basis of sex, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which occurred at Texas Department of Rural Affairs.



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Hazardous Waste Generators Agree to $56.4 Million Cleanup of Former Texas City, Texas, Waste Disposal Site

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today an agreement with over three dozen companies and government agencies that will result in a $56.4 million cleanup of the “Malone Services Company” Superfund Site in Texas City, Texas, a former waste-disposal site near the shore of Galveston Bay.



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Former President of Texas Company Indicted for Employee Deaths and Environmental Violations

Port Arthur Chemical and Environmental Services LLC (PACES) and its former president Matthew L. Bowman have been charged with conspiracy to illegally transport hazardous materials, resulting in the deaths of two employees, in an indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in Beaumont, Texas.



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Starr County, Texas, Sheriff’s Deputy Arrested and Detained on Bribery, Extortion and Drug Charges

A Deputy Sheriff for the Starr County, Texas, Sherriff’s Office has been ordered detained by a federal magistrate judge in the Southern District of Texas on charges of conspiracy, federal programs bribery, extortion and drug possession with intent to distribute.



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Justice Department Signs Agreements in Texas and Georgia to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced agreements with Wills Point, Texas, and Randolph County, Ga., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for individuals with disabilities



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Texas Return Preparer Sentenced to Jail for Preparing False Tax Returns

Eddye L. Lovely, a tax return preparer from Tomball, Texas, was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison.



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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Prison for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

An Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang member from Houston was sentenced today to serve 10 years in prison for his role in an aggravated assault that took place in Tomball, Texas, in September 2008.



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Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on Decision in Texas v. Holder

The Attorney General released the following statement on the ruling today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in Texas v. Holder, the state’s proposed voter ID law.



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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Leader Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering

Steven Walter Cooke, 48, aka “Stainless,” pleaded guilty on March 16, 2012, to racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the beating of an ABT prospect member.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Texas Tax Preparers

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued two Dallas tax return preparers, seeking to bar them from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Employment Discrimination by Texas Farm

The Justice Department filed a motion to intervene today in a lawsuit against Jerry Estopy, d/b/a Estopy Farms, a sorghum and soy farm in McAllen, Tex., which also provides equipment and equipment operators for harvests at other farms. The Justice Department seeks to intervene in a lawsuit filed by two U.S. citizens against the farm. The department alleges that the company discriminated against one of the U.S. citizens when it refused to hire him based on his citizenship status. The Immigration and Nationality Act’s (INA) anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on national origin or citizenship status in the hiring or firing process.



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Justice Department Settles Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Against City of Corpus Christi, Texas, Police Department

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a settlement to resolve the department’s allegations that the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against women when hiring entry-level police officers.



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U.S. District Court Orders Community Notice to Corpus Christi, Texas, Residents Who May Be Victims of Environmental Crimes by Citgo Refinery

Persons living around the CITGO refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, who suffered immediate negative health effects from emissions from two large tanks at the facility that were operated between January 1994 and May 2003 in violation of the federal Clean Air Act, may be crime victims in United States v. CITGO Petroleum Corporation et al.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against City of Selma, Texas, for Retaliating Against Firefighter

The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a settlement to resolve allegations that the city of Selma, Texas violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by engaging in retaliation against a firefighter for filing a complaint against a superior for using ethnic slurs in the workplace.



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Owner of Texas Home Health Services Company Pleads Guilty, Admits Role in $374 Million Fraud Scheme

A Dallas-area home health services company owner today admitted his role in a $374 million home health fraud scheme in which he and others conspired to bill Medicare for unnecessary services that were never performed.



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Justice Department to Monitor Early Voting in Texas

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor portions of the early voting period for the Nov. 6, 2012, general election in Dallas and Harris Counties, Texas, 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. Early voting in Dallas and Harris Counties begins on Monday, October 22.



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Former Texas Parole Officer Indicted for Bribery Scheme Involving Assigned Parolee

A former Texas state parole officer was arrested today in Dallas on charges of engaging in a bribery scheme involving one of her assigned parolees.



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Former Middle School Employee Pleads Guilty in Texas to Production and Distribution of Child Pornography

Robert Ramos Jr., 33, of Austin, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Lane in the Western District of Texas to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.



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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Sentenced in Houston for Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering

Bobby Teets, 46, aka “Bull,” pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, 2010, to racketeering aggravated assault for his role in the assault of an applicant for membership in the gang, and was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. Teets is to serve the 72-month sentence consecutively to the state prison term he is currently serving.



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German Shipping Companies Convicted in Texas and Alaska for Environmental Crimes

Two German shipping companies pleaded guilty today in federal court in Houston to criminal charges that they concealed the illegal dumping of oil at sea from U.S. Coast Guard inspectors.



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Texas Inmate Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Assaulting Fellow Inmate

John Hall, 27, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Seagoville, Texas, pleaded guilty today in federal court to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act stemming from his assault of a fellow inmate, who he believed to be gay, the Department of Justice announced. Hall assaulted his fellow inmate with a dangerous weapon, causing bodily injury to the victim on Dec. 20, 2011.



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34 Alleged Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Members Indicted on Federal Racketeering Charges

Thirty-four alleged members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT), including four of its most senior leaders, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Houston for allegedly conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise.



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