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Department of Justice Releases Investigative Findings on the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Mississippi

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today its findings that the state of Mississippi violated the constitutional rights of youth detained at the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility.



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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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United States Files Lawsuit Against AT&T in Telecommunications Relay Services Fraud Case

The United States has filed a complaint against AT&T Corporation under the False Claims Act for conduct related to its provision of Internet Protocol (IP) Relay services, the Justice Department announced today.



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Former San Juan, Puerto Rico, Police Department Officer Convicted for Role in Providing Security for Drug Transactions

Arcadio Hernandez-Soto, 35, was convicted in San Juan of three counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, four counts of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and four counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug transaction.



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Louisiana Jury Convicts General Manager/former Owner of Arkla Disposal Services of Violations of Clean Water Act and Obstructing an EPA Investigation

Father and son, John Tuma and Cody Tuma, 28, of Shreveport, were both charged in a five-count indictment with violations of the Clean Water Act, conspiracy and obstruction of justice related to illegal discharges coming from the Arkla Disposal Services Inc., a facility in Shreveport, La.



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Three Brandon, Miss., Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in the Racially Motivated Assault and Murder of an African-American Man

Deryl Paul Dedmon, John Aaron Rice and Dylan Wade Butler, all from Brandon, Miss., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Jackson to federal hate crime charges in connection with an assault culminating in the death of James Craig Anderson.



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Baton Rouge, La.-area Residents Sentenced in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Two patient recruiters for several Louisiana durable medical equipment (DME) companies were sentenced today for their roles in Medicare fraud schemes involving fraudulent claims and illegal kickback payments for unnecessary DME, announced the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FBI and the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office.



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Justice Department Settles Document Abuse Claim Against Ross Stores Inc.

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Ross Stores Inc., resolving allegations that the company had engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on citizenship status while verifying employment eligibility at its store in San Ysidro, Calif.



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Armenian Power Member and Three Armenian Power Associates Convicted in Los Angeles for Roles in Identity Theft Ring

Arman Sharopetrosian, Karen Markosian, Artush Margaryan and Kristine Ogandzhanyan were found guilty of conspiring to commit bank fraud, attempted bank fraud and various counts of aggravated identity theft.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Raising the Bar in D.C. Event

"Over the last 15 years, more than half of all states – plus the District of Columbia – have created Access to Justice Commissions. Here in Washington, Commission leaders, supporters, and partners have taken a central role in reinvigorating this city’s pro bono culture – and providing representation to those who cannot afford to retain counsel. And, despite the absence of adequate funding, your efforts to reduce barriers to access have made a difference in thousands of lives," said Attorney General Holder.




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Former East Alton, Ill., Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Abusing an Arrestee

Brent E. Wells, a former police sergeant with the East Alton, Ill., Police Department, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis, Ill., to violating the civil rights of a civilian by assaulting the man during an arrest in front of Wells’s home on Sept. 11, 2010.



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Pennsylvania- Based Eusa Pharma (USA) Inc. to Pay U.S. $180,000 for Allegedly Submitting Inflated Claims to Medicare

EUSA Pharma (USA) Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $180,000 to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by allegedly encouraging doctors to submit inflated claims to Medicare for imaging scans.



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United States Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Illinois-Based Lifewatch Services

LifeWatch Services Inc., a Rosemont, Ill.-based company, has agreed to pay the United States $18.5 million to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims to federal health care programs.



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Two Bloods Gang Members in Tennessee Convicted for Roles in Three Murders, Racketeering Conspiracy and Firearms Offenses

Keairus Wilson, 22, aka “Key-Thang,” of Nashville, and Rondarius Williamson, 21, also of Nashville, were convicted yesterday in U.S. District Court in Nashville.



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Justice Department Announces Agreement to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Wisconsin officials to help ensure that military servicemembers, their family members and U.S. citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in Wisconsin’s April 3, 2012, federal presidential primary election.



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Third Medical Device Company Resolves Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Investigation

Biomet Inc. has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice to resolve improper payments by the company and its subsidiaries in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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DENSO Corporation Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing and Bid Rigging on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

An executive of DENSO Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to serve time in prison for his role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for heater control panels installed in U.S. cars.



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U.S. and Mexican Officials Sign Letter of Intent to Share $6 Million in Forfeited Assets to Combat Financial Infrastructure of Organized Crime

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Mexican Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibáñez today signed a letter of intent for the United States to share approximately $6 million in forfeited funds with the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic of Mexico to support Mexican efforts to combat the financial infrastructure of organized criminal groups and to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in forfeiture matters.



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Washington State Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Filing False Liens Against Government Officials

Ronald James Davenport of Chewelah, Wash., was sentenced to 41 months in prison today for filing more than $20 billion in false liens against four federal government officials, the Justice Department and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) announced today.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Humana Inc.'s Acquisition of Arcadian Management Services Inc.

The Justice Department will require Humana Inc. and Arcadian Management Services Inc. to divest assets relating to Arcadian’s Medicare Advantage business in parts of five states in order for Humana to proceed with its acquisition of Arcadian.



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Greek Shipping Company Sentenced in New Orleans to Pay $2 Million for Intentional Cover-Up of Oil Pollution and Obstruction of Justice

Ilios Shipping Company S.A. was sentenced today in federal court in New Orleans for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstruction of justice.



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New York Financial Investor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions in New Jersey

A financial investor who purchased municipal tax liens at auctions in New Jersey pleaded guilty today for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities throughout the state.



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Witness in Identity Theft and Tax Trial Convicted of Perjury and Lying to a Federal Agent

A federal jury in Montgomery, Ala., convicted Nacretia Lewis today of perjury and lying to a federal agent, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



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Detroit Podiatrist Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme

Dr. Errol Sherman was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in Detroit.



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Justice Department Intervenes in Lawsuit Involving New Hampshire’s Mental Health System

The Justice Department today moved to intervene in Lynn E. v. Lynch, a recently-filed lawsuit alleging that the state of New Hampshire fails to provide mental health services to people with disabilities in community settings in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.



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Former Grant Administrator and Legal Assistant of American Samoa Non-profit Legal Aid Corporation Sentenced for Stealing Nearly $160,000 in Federal Grant Funds

Julie Matau, 49, and her daughter, Andrea Matau, 28, each were sentenced yesterday in Oakland, Calif., for their participation in the theft of nearly $160,000 in federal grant funds from a now-defunct nonprofit American Samoa legal services corporation.



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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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Mississippi Pharmaceutical Firm and CEO to Pay $2.8 Million to Resolve Allegations of Illegal Marketing of Unapproved Drugs

Mississippi-based Cypress Pharmaceutical Inc., its subsidiary Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its CEO, Max Draughn, have agreed to pay $2.8 million to resolve civil allegations under the False Claims Act, the Justice Department announced today.



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Residential Youth Treatment Facility for Medicaid Recipients in Marion, Virginia Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS) and two subsidiaries have reached a settlement in a False Claims Act lawsuit with the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Resolves Allegations of Discrimination with Onward Healthcare in Connecticut

The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with Onward Healthcare, a healthcare staffing company based in Wilton, Conn., resolving allegations that the company posted discriminatory job advertisements on its home page and third party websites that limited its jobs to U.S. citizens.



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Justice Department Sues National Tax Preparation Firm and Franchisees to Stop Alleged Pervasive Tax Fraud

The United States has filed civil injunction lawsuits in five cities seeking to shut down both the company that operates Instant Tax Service (ITS) as well as five owners of ITS franchises, the Justice Department announced today.



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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Shooting Two Hispanic Men

Mark Gautreau, 50, was sentenced today in federal court in New Orleans to 72 months in prison for shooting two Hispanic men on the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish, La., on Aug. 20, 2006.



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Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Bar Indiana Firm from Preparing Tax Returns

The United States has asked a federal court to bar a tax preparation firm and its owner, John Newlin, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Detroit Medical Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

Juan Villa, 29, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice in Relation to Her Husband’s Disappearance

Abby Beard Hogan, 50, pleaded guilty yesterday in the Northern District of Florida for her role in the obstruction of a multinational investigation into the disappearance of her husband, James Hogan, then an employee in the U.S. Consulate in Curacao, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Pamela Cothran Marsh for the Northern District of Florida, U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security Eric J. Boswell and John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office.



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Justice Department Reaches Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement with Trinity Health Systems in Iowa

The Justice Department announced today a settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Trinity Health Systems to ensure that Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge, Iowa, provides effective communication to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.



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Former Corrections Officer at Shiprock, N.M., Detention Center Charged for Sexually Abusing a Female Inmate

A federal grand jury in Albuquerque indicted Sylvester Bruce, 44, a former corrections officer with Navajo Nation’s Shiprock, N.M., Detention Center, on charges related to the sexual abuse of an inmate during the summer and fall of 2010.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes Confirmation of Kathryn Keneally and Michael E. Horowitz

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation of Kathryn Keneally as Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division and Michael E. Horowitz as Inspector General for the Justice Department.



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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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Miami-Area Resident Pleads Guilty to Participating in $200 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Lazaro Acosta, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz in Miami to one count of currency structuring to avoid reporting requirements.



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Former Senate Office Manager Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Theft of Government Property

Ngozi Pole, of Waldorf, Md., also was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in the District of Columbia to serve three years of supervised release and 500 hours of community service following his prison term and ordered to pay $77,608.86 in restitution.



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West Memphis, Ark., Police Department Officer Convicted of Criminal Civil Rights Violation

A federal jury convicted West Memphis, Ark., Police Department (WMPD) Officer Scott McCall, 39, of West Memphis, Ark., of one misdemeanor count of Deprivation of Rights under Color of Law.



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Justice Department to Monitor Election in Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor the election on April 3, 2012, in Milwaukee.



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Michigan Man Arrested on Tax Charges

Steven Kern of Marine City, Mich., was arrested today following his indictment on March 27, 2012, on eight counts of failing to file his individual tax returns and eight counts of filing false corporate tax returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Alabama Woman Indicted for Tax Fraud

A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., returned an indictment on March 28, 2012, charging Wanda Davis with filing false federal income tax returns, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today



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New Hampshire and Massachusetts Residents Convicted for Promoting and Using Tax Defier Schemes

A federal jury in Worcester, Mass., convicted William Scott Dion and Catherine Floyd, both of Sanbornville, N.H., and Charles Adams of Norwood, Mass., for conspiracies to defraud the United States through the promotion and use of multiple tax fraud schemes, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Justice Department Alleges GFI Mortgage Bankers Engaged in Illegal Lending Discrimination

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed a lawsuit alleging that GFI Mortgage Bankers Inc., a mortgage banker with operations in seven states, violated federal fair lending laws by charging African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher interest rates and fees on home mortgage loans because of their race or national origin, not based on their creditworthiness.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Summit

"I don’t need to tell anyone here what a difficult challenge youth violence is. You’re all part of the Forum because you’ve seen the consequences of juvenile crime in your own communities. You understand how complex this issue is – and you know this is not a problem any of us can solve alone – especially in this tough fiscal climate," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Summit

"Especially in recent weeks – as the importance of protecting our children from harm has been at the forefront of our national discourse – the urgency of this challenge has been brought into stark focus. And the need to take action has never been more clear," said Attorney General Holder.




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G.S. Electech Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

Toyota City, Japan-based G.S. Electech Inc. has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $2.75 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix the prices of auto parts used on antilock brake systems installed in U.S. cars



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