Federal authorities, along with state and local law enforcement partners, conducted coordinated enforcement actions today against 22 individuals and one pharmacy allegedly involved in the illegal distribution of prescription drugs.

A former soldier who also served as a civilian contract recruiter pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to obtain approximately $164,000 in fraudulent recruiting bonuses from various U.S. military components and their contractor.

"This morning, we honor an extraordinary group of individuals – the 19,000 courageous soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who – in components and offices all around the world – form the backbone of the Justice Department family," said the Attorney General Holder.

The agreement represents approximately 20 percent of the estimated $37.5 million in forfeited assets located in the Dominican Republic that stem from a conspiracy led by brothers Carlos, Luis and Jose Benitez, who allegedly defrauded the U.S. Medicare program of approximately $80 million.

In signing this important forfeited asset sharing agreement, Prosecutor General Radhaméz Jiménez Peña and I reaffirm our common values, as well as our ongoing commitment to the goals that the United States and the Dominican Republic share: protecting our citizens, strengthening our borders, improving public safety, reducing recidivism, preventing and combating gang- and drug-fueled crime and violence, and ensuring that criminals do not profit from illegal activity," said Attorney General Holder.

"It is in this spirit of friendship that I have traveled to your beautiful country. And I am grateful, on a very personal level, for this opportunity to help build upon the progress that our nations – and America’s allies throughout the Caribbean region – have made together over the years," said Attorney General Holder.

"For the last six decades, Jack Keeney served the Department of Justice with dedication, integrity and an unshakeable commitment to the rule of law," stated the Attorney General.

Attorney General Eric Holder’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence convened its first of four public hearings to gather expert and community testimony on the epidemic of children’s exposure to violence.

"As our country continues to recover from once-in-a-generation economic challenges, the need to safeguard intellectual property rights – and to protect Americans from intellectual property crimes – has never been more urgent,” said Attorney General Holder.

"Today, as the 13 members of this Task Force gather for the first time, we are launching a new chapter in the work of protecting our young people from violence and harm – and ensuring that, in this country, every child has a safe place to live, to learn, and to grow," said Attorney General Holder.

"As our country continues to recover from once-in-a-generation economic challenges, the need to safeguard intellectual property rights – and to protect Americans from IP crimes – has never been more urgent. But, in many ways, this work has also never been more difficult," said Attorney General Holder.

"Over the last two days, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Ambassador Rivkin, and with my French counterparts – and our fellow G-6 ministers – in discussing the shared concerns, goals, and priorities that bind our nations to one another, and to our allies across Europe," said Attorney General Holder.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the appointment of Michael J. Bresnick as the new executive director of President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.

"You and your team – as well as NLADA’s board members and network of partners and supporters – have had an extraordinary, and transformative, impact on our country," said Attorney General Holder.

"Nearly half a century has passed since a national tragedy catapulted Lyndon Johnson to the Presidency, and at the same time 'launched a new chapter in America’s story. Those of us who lived through those painful days will never forget LBJ’s first Presidential speech – to a nation in mourning, and in desperate need of strong and steady leadership," said Attorney General Holder.

The country’s two biggest tobacco companies have agreed to improve public access to internal tobacco-industry documents and to pay $6.25 million into a court fund that will go to support the country’s largest online collection of tobacco documents.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the appointments of eight new U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.

Attorney General Eric Holder today issued the following statement on the release of the FBI’s Preliminary Uniform Crime Report showing a continued decrease in violent crime nationwide. The results show that the number of violent crimes reported in the first six months of 2011 declined 6.4 percent when compared with figures from the first six months of 2010.

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the appointment of Charles E. Samuels Jr. as the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

"None of us will ever forget that terrible moment, when so many lives were stolen – and others shattered – by a shameful and senseless act of cowardice. The losses that resulted – in the air, and on the ground – not only shook the families of the passengers, crewmembers, and innocent bystanders in Lockerbie, Scotland, who were killed on December 21st, 1988," said Attorney General Holder.

"In today’s settlement with Countrywide Financial Corporation, we resolved the government’s allegations that Countrywide and its subsidiaries – which are now owned by Bank of America – engaged in discriminatory mortgage lending practices against more than 200,000 qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers from 2004 through 2008," said Attorney General Holder.

“This is a devastating and unacceptable trend. Each of these deaths is a tragic reminder of the threats that law enforcement officers face each day – and the fact that too many guns have fallen into the hands of those who are not legally permitted to possess them,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced revisions to the Uniform Crime Report’s (UCR) definition of rape, which will lead to a more comprehensive statistical reporting of rape nationwide. The new definition is more inclusive, better reflects state criminal codes and focuses on the various forms of sexual penetration understood to be rape.

"On behalf of a grateful nation – and America’s entire law enforcement community – it is a privilege to join you in paying tribute, as well as my last respects, to an extraordinary public servant, a key member of the federal law enforcement family, and a true patriot who was always proud to call Seaford his home," said Attorney General Holder.

"More than half a century has passed since Dr. King traveled from Atlanta to Salt Lake City – to spread his message of hope and unity, and to sound his call for change," said Attorney General Holder.

"Each year, we are provided with an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to Dr. King’s vision of racial and social equality; to revitalize his efforts to expand economic opportunity and promote civil engagement; and to reaffirm our commitment to the values that were at the heart of his sermons, the root of his actions, the core of his character, and the center of his life: tolerance; non-violence; compassion; love; and – above all – justice," said Attorney General Holder.

Here, in the Department that Mr. Kenney loved so dearly and served so well, it is clear – in the children and grandchildren who were the pride and joy of his life; and in those who worked alongside him and benefited from his guidance and expertise – that, although he is no longer with us, John C. Keeney still has the power to bring people together and to inspire the best in each of us.

"This marks the third time that this extraordinary group of leaders, researchers, front-line practitioners, and federal partners has come together to exchange insights, to share expertise, and to strengthen the essential work that has become not just our shared priority – but our common cause," said Attorney General Holder.

"I am especially grateful for the opportunity to salute the important work that you are doing here – to provide a place of learning, healing, and advocacy; to shed light on our nation’s long – and ongoing – struggle for equal justice; and to bring attention to the suffering of millions – all around the world – who remain enslaved," said Attorney General Holder.

At the direction of the President, this Working Group brings together the Department of Justice (DOJ), several state attorneys general and other federal entities to investigate those responsible for misconduct contributing to the financial crisis through the pooling and sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.

"I am confident that this new effort will improve our ability to ensure justice for victims; help restore faith in our financial markets and institutions; and allow us to answer the call that President Obama issued earlier this week, in his State of the Union address," said Attorney General Holder.

– 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.

"Today, we have the privilege – and the solemn duty – of enforcing the civil rights laws and reforms that Dr. King, Congressman Lewis and so many others fought to ensure," said Attorney General Holder.

Attorney General Eric Holder’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence today held a public hearing in Albuquerque, N.M., on the challenges rural and tribal communities face in preventing children’s exposure to violence.

"For nearly 150 years – since its initial passage during the Lincoln Administration – the False Claims Act has provided ordinary Americans with essential tools to combat fraud, to help recover damages, and to bring accountability to those who would take advantage of the United States government – and of American taxpayers," said Attorney General Holder.

"I am here today because I understand and appreciate the importance of congressional oversight, and because I am committed to ensuring the highest standards of integrity and professionalism at the Department of Justice," said Attorney General Holder.

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.

"Today, by participating in this lecture series, we have a unique and important opportunity to think about this 'sacred covenant,' to consider our responsibilities in upholding it, and – of course – to recommit ourselves to the work that distinguished the lives and legacies of George Dreyfous and Mathilde Schwab Dreyfous," said Attorney General Holder

"Across the country, public defender offices and other indigent defense providers are underfunded and understaffed. Too often, when legal representation is available to the poor, it’s rendered less effective by insufficient resources, overwhelming caseloads, and inadequate oversight," said Attorney General Holder.

An eight-member jury has unanimously found that a former Jackson Hewitt tax preparer, Frances Carlson of Bradenton, Fla., prepared 27 federal tax returns that she knew would understate her customers’ tax liabilities, the Justice Department announced today.

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the city of Humboldt, Kan., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for individuals with disabilities.

"This agreement reflects our commitment – at both the federal and state levels – to ensure justice, and to recover losses, for victims of reckless and abusive mortgage practices," said Attorney General Holder.

The Consumer Protection Working Group, formed under President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), convened its first meeting in Washington, D.C., today to address consumer fraud, which can financially cripple households and can cause extensive losses to our economy.

The Antitrust Division closed its investigations into Google Inc.’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., the acquisitions by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) of certain Nortel Networks Corporation patents, and the acquisition by Apple of certain Novell Inc. patents.

"Exactly 60 years ago, before she became one of the most dedicated and effective champions of our nation’s Civil Rights movement – before she became the first African-American elected to the Texas State Senate, and the first African-American woman to represent the South in the United States Congress – Barbara Jordan was a senior at this school and, just like you, a proud Wheatley student," said Attorney General Holder.

"In the fight against health-care fraud, our Departments have a long history of working collaboratively – and effectively. The “Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program Annual Report” that we are submitting to Congress today underscores this fact," said Attorney General Holder.

"Throughout this month, Americans of all races and backgrounds are called upon to reconnect with one another – and to rededicate ourselves to the principles that lie at the core of everything that we must stand for – and, in particular, all that we fight for here at the Department of Justice," said Attorney General Holder.

" Here on this campus, my interest in the law, my understanding of its remarkable power for good, and my desire to serve our nation’s justice system first took hold. And although more than 35 years have passed since I completed my law degree – and started my “dream job” as a prosecutor in the United States Department of Justice – my time at Columbia shaped and enriched my life in ways that I am still realizing, and continue to appreciate," said Attorney General Holder.

"Your commitment to this work – and to our nation’s young people – is clear. Your efforts are making a difference across Atlanta. And your guidance is helping young people seize the chance to determine the course of their own lives and to fulfill their potential," said Attorney General Holder.

"“In response to my call to identify savings across the department, almost $700 million in savings have been developed – funds that are being reinvested in critical mission areas. I also want to note that, in the department’s FY 2013 budget of $27.1 billion, proposed spending increases have been exceeded by proposed cuts," said Attorney General Holder.