li As Tax Filing Deadline Nears, Attorney General Holder Calls Stolen Identity Refund Fraud ‘Rising Threat,’ Vows Aggressive Enforcement Against Scams By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 7 Apr 2014 12:00:23 EDT As the April 15 tax filing deadline approaches, Attorney General Eric Holder warned U.S. tax filers to beware a “rising threat” of scammers seeking fraudulent refunds based on stolen identities, and vowed aggressive enforcement against the practice. Speaking in a recorded video message released on the Justice Department’s website, Attorney General Holder explained that a growing pool of criminals are engaged in the activity, including gangs and drug sellers seeking quick access to cash. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Department of Justice Reaches Landmark Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement Agreement with Rhode Island By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 09:36:46 EDT The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a statewide settlement agreement that will resolve violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act for approximately 3,250 Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Chief of Bull Shoals, Ark., Police Department Arrested for Use of Excessive Force By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 13:50:29 EDT Daniel Sutterfield, 35, Chief of the Bull Shoals Police Department, was arrested yesterday on charges related to his use of excessive force in the arrest of a Bull Shoals resident and a related false report. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Detroit Home Health Agency Office Manager Sentenced for Her Role in $5.8 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 17:02:23 EDT The office manager of a Detroit-area home health agency was sentenced today to serve 46 months in prison for her role in a $5.8 million Medicare fraud scheme. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels at Press Conference Regarding Employment Services for Rhode Islanders with Disabilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 09:34:05 EDT "Unnecessary segregation of people with disabilities is harmful to people with disabilities and to our communities. We cannot wait another day to change. And we won’t. Because today, the Justice Department, the state of Rhode Island and the business community, together, embrace real integration of people with disabilities – committing to make Rhode Island a model for other states to follow." Full Article Speech
li Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Karol V. Mason Delivers Remarks at the National African American Drug Policy Coalition 10th Anniversary Summit Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 10:44:28 EDT I believe that the only real, sustainable choice – the only safe and humane option – is the one that broadens opportunity and widens the path to success. Each of you is helping to lead us in that direction, and we are marching forward with you. And I am optimistic that we will continue to see an America that is safer, healthier, and more just. Full Article Speech
li California-Based Masonry Companies Pay Nearly $1.9 Million to Settle Claims of Misrepresenting Disadvantaged Small Business Status in Connection with Military Contracts By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 12:01:06 EDT Five California-based masonry subcontractors and two individuals paid the government nearly $1.9 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by misrepresenting their disadvantaged small business status in connection with military construction contracts. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Former South Carolina Corrections Officer Sentenced for Beating Inmate with Mental Illness By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 16:45:00 EDT Robin Smith, 38, a former corrections officer at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County, S.C., was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release today for assaulting a pre-trial detainee with mental illness. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the 2014 National Action Network Convention By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 11:02:41 EDT Every April, our nation pauses to mark the contributions, and the profound sacrifices, of this extraordinary leader. Dr. King dedicated his career to the service of others. Full Article Speech
li Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Associate Attorney General Tony West at the National Crime Victims’ Service Award Ceremony By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 14:43:33 EDT "You are helping to realize the promise of our justice system by working to give every victim a voice and the help they need and deserve." Full Article Speech
li Justice Department Releases Investigative Findings on Albuquerque Police Department By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:22:01 EDT Following a comprehensive investigation, today the Justice Department announced its findings that the Albuquerque Police Department has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force that violates the Constitution and federal law. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission Issue Antitrust Policy Statement on Sharing Cybersecurity Information By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:29:14 EDT The Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission today issued a policy statement on the sharing of cybersecurity information that makes clear that properly designed cyber threat information sharing is not likely to raise antitrust concerns and can help secure the nation’s networks of information and resources. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Three Men Charged with Allegedly Defrauding the FCC of Approximately $32 Million By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:40:26 EDT Three individuals have been indicted for their alleged roles in an approximately $32 million fraud against a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program designed to provide discounted telephone services to low-income customers. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Statement by Attorney General Holder on Sentencing Commission’s Vote to Approve Reductions in Sentencing Guidelines for Nonviolent Drug Offenders By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 17:37:09 EDT U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder—who testified before the U.S. Sentencing Commission last month in support of a proposal to reduce the federal sentencing guidelines for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders—released the following statement Thursday in response to the Commission voting to formally adopt those changes. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Queens, N.Y., Tax Preparer Indicted for Filing False Tax Returns By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 18:54:54 EDT The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that Celamour Berus, of Springfield Gardens, N.Y., was arrested for multiple tax crimes today following his indictment on April 3, 2014. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Speaks at the Pen and Pad Briefing on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Joint Antitrust Policy Statement on Sharing of Cybersecurity Information By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:11:45 EDT "This is an antitrust no-brainer: Companies who engage in properly designed cyber threat information sharing will not run afoul of the antitrust laws. This means that as long as companies don’t discuss competitive information such as pricing and output when sharing cybersecurity information, they’re okay," said Assistant Attorney General Baer. Full Article Speech
li Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels at the Press Conference to Announce the Albuquerque Police Department Investigative Findings By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:25:05 EDT "This investigation was not an easy task, but through all of these efforts, we made certain to gather the facts and apply the law to the facts to reach our conclusions." Full Article Speech
li Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole at the Pen and Pad Briefing on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Joint Antitrust Policy Statement on Sharing of Cybersecurity Information By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:30:31 EDT "This joint guidance is an important step in making clear that legitimate cyber threat sharing can help secure the nation’s networks and that it can occur without raising antitrust liability issues." Full Article Speech
li Nine Charged in Conspiracy to Steal Millions of Dollars Using “Zeus” Malware By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:35:16 EDT Nine alleged members of a wide-ranging racketeering enterprise and conspiracy who infected thousands of business computers with malicious software known as “Zeus” have been charged in an indictment unsealed today in Lincoln, Neb. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Indiana Physician Sentenced for Failing to Pay Employment Taxes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 12:22:23 EDT Ronald Eugene Jamerson, 56, of Schererville, Ind., was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison by U.S. District Judge Phillip P. Simon. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Bridge Drug Court Ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 09:53:05 EDT I know the paths that brought you to this courtroom have been anything but easy. But each of you is here today because you’ve decided not to let past choices – and challenges – define you. You’re working hard to stay on a constructive path. And I am proud of every one of you. Full Article Speech
li Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at Dedication Ceremony for Statue Honoring Judge J. Waties Waring By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 09:53:50 EDT At the time of Judge Waring’s landmark dissent in Briggs v. Elliott, I was less than six months old, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education was nearly three years away. Yet because of Judge Waring’s powerful words – and the legal foundation they helped to provide – my generation would be the very first to come of age in a post-Brown America. And we were the first that would never know a world in which “separate but equal” was the law of the land. Full Article Speech
li Government Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Kansas Cancer Treatment Facility and Its Owner By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:00:55 EDT Hope Cancer Institute, a cancer treatment facility in Kansas, and Dr. Raj Sadasivan, the owner of Hope Cancer Institute, have agreed to pay $2.9 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare, Medicaid and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program for drugs and services that were not provided to beneficiaries. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Government Intervenes in Lawsuit Against Medical Equipment Supplier Orbit Medical Inc. and Former Vice President Jake Kilgore By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 12:12:03 EDT The government has intervened in a False Claims Act lawsuit against Orbit Medical Inc. and Jake Kilgore alleging that Orbit Medical’s sales representatives boosted power wheelchair and accessory sales by altering and forging physician prescriptions and supporting documentation. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the National Indian Child Welfare Association’s Thirty-second Annual Protecting Our Children Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 09:35:57 EDT It was that promise that, nearly forty years ago, led Congress to hold a series of hearings that lifted the curtain and shed light on abusive child-welfare practices that were separating Native children from their families at staggering rates; uprooting them from their tribes and their culture. Roughly one of every three or four Indian children, according to data presented at those hearings, had been taken from their birth families and placed with adoptive families, in foster care, or in institutions that had little or no connection to the child's tribe. Full Article Speech
li Following Mass Shooting Incidents, Attorney General Holder Urges Congress to Approve $15 Million to Train Law Enforcement Officers for 'Active Shooter' Situations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 09:16:01 EDT Following the recent tragedies at a Jewish Community Center in Kansas and at Ft. Hood, Attorney General Eric Holder urged Congress Tuesday to approve $15 million in funding for active shooter training for law enforcement officers to ensure they have the tools they need to effectively respond to threats, protect themselves, and save innocent lives. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Hawaii Man Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Claim for Tax Refund and Filing False Retaliatory Liens Against Four Federal Officials By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:52:09 EDT Francis E. Chandler III was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $3,066,629 in restitution for filing a false claim for tax refund and false retaliatory liens against four federal government officials. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at USCIS Naturalization Ceremony By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 09:52:21 EDT You see, the United States is more than a place on the map -- it’s an idea; the idea that you are free to control your own destiny, for yourselves and your family; the idea that you are part of something larger than yourselves; that you have a chapter to write in the great story of our nation; the idea that no matter where you came from, or who your ancestors are, how you worship or what you look like, you have a role in shaping our shared future Full Article Speech
li Astellas Pharma US Inc. to Pay $7.3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Marketing of Drug Mycamine By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 12:51:14 EDT Pharmaceutical company Astellas Pharma US Inc. will pay $7.3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act in connection with its marketing and promotion of the drug Mycamine for pediatric use. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Justice Department Settles Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Against California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:15:15 EDT The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement that, if approved by the court, will resolve allegations that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation discriminated against an employee because of his sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Tennessee Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations for $9.25 Million By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:09:26 EDT The Department of Justice announced today that CRC Health Corp. (CRC) has agreed to pay $9.25 million to the federal government and the State of Tennessee to settle allegations that CRC knowingly submitted false claims by providing substandard treatment to adult and adolescent Medicaid patients suffering from alcohol and drug addiction at its facility in Burns, Tenn. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Religious-Motivated Attack on Synagogue and Gun Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 18:59:03 EDT Macon Openshaw, 21, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah today to a federal civil rights crime relating to a bias-motivated weapons discharge aimed at a local synagogue and to two unlawful gun possession charges. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the 2014 Police Executive Research Forum By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 16 Apr 2014 13:34:38 EDT In every case and circumstance, our efforts will continue to be guided by the recognition that – while smart law enforcement will always play a critical role in protecting communities from drug crime, we will never be able to arrest or incarcerate our way to becoming a safer nation. We’ll keep relying on innovative leaders like you to apply 21st century solutions to 21st century problems. And we’ll never stop driving investments in the kinds of groundbreaking research – and data-driven strategies – that so many of you have long championed. Full Article Speech
li Corporate-Wide Settlement with Lowe’s Protects Public from Lead Pollution During Home Renovations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:56:48 EDT Lowe’s Home Centers, one of the nation’s largest home improvement retailers, has agreed to implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide compliance program at its more than 1,700 stores nationwide to ensure its contractors minimize lead dust from home renovation activities. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Hotel Magnate Pleads Guilty to Federal Election Campaign Spending Limits Evasion Scheme and Witness Tampering By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:40:18 EDT Sant Singh Chatwal, 70, of New York – a businessman operating several restaurants, hotels and a hotel management company – pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to conspiring to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Former New Mexico Detective Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Police Department Intern By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 14:11:33 EDT Michael Garcia, a former detective with the Las Cruces Police Department who focused on child abuse and sex crimes investigations, pleaded guilty today in federal court to a one count information charging Garcia with violating the civil rights of an LCPD student intern when he sexually abused her while on duty. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Georgia Real Estate Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and Fraud at Public Foreclosure Auctions By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 15:30:14 EDT A Georgia real estate investor pleaded guilty today for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Georgia. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Real Estate Developer Sentenced to Jail for Filling Protected Mississippi Wetlands By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 17:56:46 EDT William R. “Rusty” Miller, a real estate developer from Fairhope, Ala., was sentenced today in federal district court in Gulfport, Miss., for the unpermitted filling of wetlands near Bay St. Louis, Miss., in violation of the Clean Water Act. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at an Interfaith Service of Unity and Hope Honoring the Victims of Last Week’s Tragic Shootings By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 09:44:22 EDT A few days ago, many of you observed the beginning of Passover, marking the start of a long and difficult journey from tyranny and persecution toward freedom in the Promised Land. Today, this community begins its own journey of healing. And although the road ahead will not be easy, I promise you that I, and millions of others throughout our nation, will be here to walk alongside you – not only today, but always. We will never stop fighting for justice. And we will never forget the names, or the stories, of those we lost. Full Article Speech
li Attorney General Holder: Justice Department Set to Expand Clemency Criteria, Will Prepare for Wave of Applications from Drug Offenders in Federal Prison By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:53:27 EDT In an important step to reduce sentencing disparities for drug offenders in the federal prison system, Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday announced that the Justice Department will soon detail new, more expansive criteria that the Department will use in considering when to recommend clemency applications for the President’s review. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Environment and Natural Resources Division Releases FY 2013 Accomplishments Report By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 09:48:45 EDT The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) today released its Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Accomplishments Report detailing its work alongside other federal agencies. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Two Former S.C. Police Officers Charged with Using Unreasonable Force By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 18:34:14 EDT A federal grand jury in Florence, S.C., returned a two-count indictment today charging Eric Walters and Franklin Brown, both former police officers with the City of Marion Police Department, with using unreasonable force against a female citizen. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole at the Environment and Natural Resources Division Event Commemorating Earth Day 2014 By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 09:20:27 EDT "Earth Day is another reminder to me of that commitment, a commitment that the Department of Justice is dedicated not only to protecting the people of our country, but also to protecting its natural resources." Full Article Speech
li Announcing New Clemency Initiative, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Details Broad New Criteria for Applicants By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 10:01:33 EDT As part of the Justice Department’s new clemency initiative, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole announced six criteria the department will consider when reviewing and expediting clemency applications from federal inmates. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Pennsylvania Firm and Chief Officer Charged with Shipping Machinery to Iran in Violation of U.S. Export License Requirements By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 10:56:51 EDT A criminal information has been filed against a Pennsylvania firm and its chief officer, charging them with conspiracy to evade export reporting requirements and with attempting to smuggle to Iran a lathe machine in violation of U.S. export regulations. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Amedisys Home Health Companies Agree to Pay $150 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:05:53 EDT Amedisys Inc. and its affiliates (Amedisys) have agreed to pay $150 million to the federal government to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false home healthcare billings to the Medicare program. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Signs Agreement That Will Bring It into Compliance with the Clean Air Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:17:29 EDT Under an agreement announced today by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (VIWAPA) will come into compliance with air pollution control requirements in the federal Clean Air Act at its Estate Richmond Generating Facility located on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole at the Press Conference Announcing the Clemency Initiative By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 10:10:24 EDT We are launching this clemency initiative in order to quickly and effectively identify appropriate candidates, candidates who have a clean prison record, do not present a threat to public safety, and were sentenced under out-of-date laws that have since been changed, and are no longer seen as appropriate. Full Article Speech
li Justice Department Announces Joseph F. Klimavicz as New Chief Information Officer By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:16:50 EDT The Department of Justice today announced that Joseph F. Klimavicz will become its new chief information officer (CIO), arriving in late May. Full Article OPA Press Releases
li Barrio Azteca Lieutenant Who Ordered the Consulate Murders in Ciudad Juarez Sentenced to Life in Prison By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 14:04:51 EDT Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, aka “Benny,” “Farmero,” “51,” “Guero,” “Pecas,” “Tury,” and “86,” 35, of Chihuahua, Mexico, the Barrio Azteca Lieutenant who ordered the March 2010 murders of a U.S. Consulate employee, her husband and the husband of another U.S. Consulate employee, was sentenced today to serve life in prison. Full Article OPA Press Releases