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Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Columbus, Indiana

The city violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to grant a nonprofit organization a permit to operate a group home for 11 men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with First United Security Bank of Thomasville, Alabama, Regarding Alleged Discrimination in Lending

The Bank will invest more than $600,000, open a new branch in an African-American neighborhood in west central Alabama and take other steps as part of a settlement.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Auto Lending Discrimination in Los Angeles

The United States has filed a lawsuit alleging that a bank and two automobile dealerships in Los Angeles violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act by charging non-Asian-American customers higher interest rate mark-ups for a period of at least two years.



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Justice Department Announces Success in Battle Against Firearms Trafficking and Recovery Act Funds to Build on Project Gunrunner

Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Kenneth E. Melson today announced the results of ATF’s Gun Runner Impact Team (GRIT) initiative, a 120-day deployment of ATF resources to the Houston Field Division to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking by Mexican drug cartels



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Justice Department Observes October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month

“We know domestic violence is an epidemic that affects communities across this country regardless of age, race or socio-economic background,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparer

The United States has sued a tax return preparer in Marietta, Ga., seeking to bar him from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Colorado Man Sued by the Justice Department for Promoting Alleged Tax Fraud Schemes

The United States has asked a federal court in Denver to bar Curtis Morris, an Elizabeth, Colo., tax return preparer, and his business, Numbers & Beyond, from preparing tax returns.



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Justice Department Commemorates National Disability Employment Awareness Month

“The Justice Department today renews its vigilance to fairly and judiciously enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of a disability. By protecting the rights of all individuals so that they can contribute to our society, we strengthen our communities and our nation as a whole." said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez.



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Justice Department Sues to Bar Kansas Man from Preparing Tax Returns

The United States has asked a federal court in Kansas City, Kan., to bar Carlos Cruz, aka Carlos Ruano-Cruz, from preparing tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in AT&s Acquisition of Centennial

The Department will require AT&T Inc. to divest assets in eight areas in Louisiana and Mississippi in order to proceed with its $944 million acquisition of Centennial Communications Corp.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against TK Properties LLC for Violating the Fair Housing Act

The Department announced this week that it has filed a lawsuit against TK Properties L.L.C., its officer, Scott Terveen, and two employees, Ann Wagner and Corey Anderson, for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating on the basis of race.



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Justice Department Reaches ADA Settlement with Fort Wayne, Indiana, Day Care Center Regarding Children with Diabetes

Pine Hills Kiddie Garden of Fort Wayne, Ind., will take necessary steps to ensure that a child’s diabetes care is integrated into the usual routine of its day care center and programs as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it discriminated on the basis of disability.



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U.S. Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Bribery and Money Laundering Conspiracy Related to Department of Defense Contracts in Afghanistan

The Army Sergeant has agreed to pay $90,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation.



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Attorney General Holder Recognizes Department Employees and Others for Their Service at Annual Awards Ceremony

Attorney General Holder recognizes 247 department employees and 39 other individuals outside of the department for their distinguished public service today at the 57th Annual Attorney General Awards Ceremony.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Mort’s Concrete and Owner, to Enforce Employment Rights of Wisconsin Army National Guardsman

“Members of the military who put their lives on the line to protect our nation deserve to know they will not be penalized for their service and their bravery,” said Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.



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Justice Department Reaches ADA Settlement with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

The department today announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Brookline, Mass., to ensure access to medical facilities and services for individuals with disabilities.



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Former State Department Employee Sentenced for Illegally Accessing Confidential Passport Files

A former State Department employee was sentenced today to 12 months of probation for illegally accessing more than 75 confidential passport application files.



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Justice Department Moves to Intervene in Adult Homes Case Against the State of New York to Help Shape Remedy

The United States alleges that the state of New York has failed to house thousands of individuals with mental illness who currently reside in large, institutional “adult homes” in the most integrated setting, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.



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Justice Department Settles Voting Rights Case with Lake Park, Florida

The department announced the filing of a consent decree settling a Voting Rights Act lawsuit against the town of Lake Park, Fla., that, subject to court approval, will alter the method of electing the town commission.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Race Discrimination Against the City of Marion, Arkansas

The department has reached a settlement with the city of Marion, Ark., that, if approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, will resolve the department’s lawsuit against the city alleging race discrimination in employment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Laporte County, Indiana, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

"Civic access is a civil right, and individuals with disabilities must have the opportunity to participate in public programs, services and activities on an equal basis with their neighbors," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Nevada Company to Enforce the Employment Rights of Air Force Reservist

"This settlement demonstrates our vigilant protection of the employment rights of our servicemembers, and our commitment to vigorous enforcement of the laws that protect them," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.



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Justice Department Releases ADA Employment Video

The department announced the release of a new video aimed at educating employers about the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania

On Nov. 3, 2009, the department will monitor elections in the following jurisdictions to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes: the cities of Lowell and Springfield, Mass.; the city of Hamtramck, Mich.; Middlesex County and the borough of Penns Grove, N.J.; Orange County and Queens, N.Y., and the city of Philadelphia.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Glynn County, Georgia, to Ensure Civic Access for Persons with Disabilities

The department announced a settlement agreement with Glynn County, Ga., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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Justice Department Obtains Record $2.725 Million Settlement of Housing Discrimination Lawsuit

The department announced the largest monetary payment ever obtained by the department in the settlement of a case alleging housing discrimination in the rental of apartments.



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Justice Department Sues Colorado Attorney for Disability Discrimination

The United States has filed a lawsuit against Patric LeHouillier, an attorney based in Colorado Springs, Colo., alleging that he violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying a woman with a service animal access to his offices.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Knight Protective Services to Enforce the Employment Rights of Retired Army Service Member

The United States has reached a settlement that will resolve its suit filed on behalf of retired Army service member King A. Gatten against Knight Protective Service Inc.



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Former Military Officer Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison for Participating in Scheme to Steal Fuel from U.S. Army in Iraq

Robert Young, 57, a former captain in the U.S. Army, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for his participation in a scheme to steal approximately 10 million gallons of fuel from the U.S. Army in Iraq, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride.



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Justice Department Obtains $131,500 in Discrimination Settlement with Chattanooga, Tennessee, Apartment Complex

The United States has reached a settlement resolving a housing discrimination lawsuit in Tennessee concerning discrimination against families with children, the Justice Department announced.



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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Housing Discrimination at 11 Multifamily Housing Complexes in Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama and Texas

Under the settlement, which must still be approved by the court, 11 defendants will pay all costs related to making the complexes for which they were responsible accessible to persons with disabilities.



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Justice Department Sues to Close Dallas-area Tax Preparer

The government complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Dallas alleges that Travis Nicholas Stenline of Seagoville, Texas, operates a business he calls Nick Tax or Nick’s Taxes that prepares fraudulent returns for customers.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Wilmington, North Carolina, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The agreement was reached under “Project Civic Access,” a Justice Department initiative to bring state and local governments into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit in Missouri Against Owner and Managers of Federally-Subsidized Property for Race and Sex Discrimination

The department filed a lawsuit today in federal court for the Eastern District of Missouri alleging a pattern or practice of violations of the Fair Housing Act by the owner and managers of Forum Manor Apartments for refusing to rent to African-Americans and males, refusing to allow tenants to have African-American visitors, sexually harassing female tenants and retaliating against tenants who complained about such discrimination.



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Departments of Justice and Defense Announce Forum Decisions for Ten Guantanamo Bay Detainees

The Departments of Justice and Defense today announced forum decisions for ten detainees at Guantanamo Bay whose cases were previously charged in military commissions, including five detainees accused of conspiring to commit the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and a detainee accused of orchestrating the attack on the USS Cole



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Justice Department and USDA Set Dates for Workshops to Explore Competition and Regulatory Issues in the Agriculture Industry

The all-day workshops, which will begin in March 2010, will be held in Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Fargo, North Dakota, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The agreement was reached under “Project Civic Access,” a Department initiative to bring state and local governments into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Justice Department &

The Department and IRS announced that over 14,700 taxpayers have come forward to report previously-undisclosed foreign bank accounts under the voluntary disclosure program the IRS implemented following the settlement.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Cameron International Corp.’s Acquisition of NATCO Group Inc.

The Department said that the deal as originally proposed would substantially lessen competition in the manufacture of refinery desalters in the United States.



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Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Her Participation in an Organization That Forced Young Mexican Women into Sexual Slavery in New York

Consuelo Carreto Valencia, a member of the Carreto family sex trafficking ring that operated between Mexico and Queens, N.Y., was sentenced to 121 months in prison for benefitting financially from her participation in the organization, which transported young Mexican women to the United States and forced them into prostitution.



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Justice Department Recovers $2.4 Billion in False Claims Cases in Fiscal Year 2009; More Than $24 Billion Since 1986

“Rooting out fraud and safeguarding taxpayers from illegal conduct are among the Justice Department’s highest priorities,” said Tony West, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.



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Former State Department Official and Wife Plead Guilty in 30-Year Espionage Conspiracy

Walter Kendall Myers, 72, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage and two counts of wire fraud. His wife, Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers, 71, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to gather and transmit national defense information.



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Terror Charges Unsealed in Minneapolis Against Eight Men, Justice Department Announces

According to the charging documents, the offenses include providing financial support to those who traveled to Somalia to fight on behalf of al-Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization; attending terrorist training camps operated by al-Shabaab; and fighting on behalf of al-Shabaab.



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Justice Department Sues Chicago Area Landlord for Refusing to Rent to African Americans

The lawsuit alleges that Terence Flanagan refused to rent a single-family house he owns in Orland Park, Ill., to Kamal Alex Majeid, who is African-American, because of his race.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with the City of Poplarville, Mississippi, to Improve Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The agreement was reached under the department’s Project Civic Access initiative to bring localities into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Stericycle Inc.’s Acquisition of MedServe Inc.

The department said the transaction, as originally proposed, would substantially lessen competition in infectious waste collection and treatment services to hospitals and other critical healthcare facilities.



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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Georgia

The department will monitor polling place activities for compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 during the Dec. 1, 2009, municipal run-off election in Union Point, Ga.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against MasTec Advanced Technologies to Enforce the Employment Rights of Army Reserve Member

The department filed a lawsuit in federal court in West Virginia alleging that MasTec Advanced Technologies willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 by discriminating against a U.S. Army Reserve member on the basis of his military service and by failing to offer Burress an appropriate reemployment position when he returned from military service.



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Virginia Investment Firm Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy with Attorney and KPMG Tax Partner in Tax Shelter Case

Michael Parker of Baltimore, who was the chief operating officer of TransCapital Corporation, a tax-advantaged investments company based in Northen Virginia, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Newark, New Jersey, Public Schools to Enforce the Employment Rights of U.S. Naval Reservist

The department announced today that it has entered into a consent decree with the Newark Public Schools (NPS) that will resolve its lawsuit on behalf of George Lawton, a naval reservist, against NPS alleging it violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



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