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Four Men Sentenced to a Combined 293 Months in Prison for Election Night Assaults

The Department announced that four men who committed three hate crime assaults in response to President Barack Obama’s election victory were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Carol B. Amon in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y.



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California Court Bars Four Men from Promoting Alleged Stock-Loan Tax Fraud Scheme

A federal judge in San Francisco has issued permanent injunctions barring four individuals from promoting what a government lawsuit describes as a complex tax-fraud scheme involving several entities located around the globe.



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Justice Department Asks Court to Bar Nebraska CPA from Preparing Tax Returns

The United States has asked a federal court in Lincoln, Neb., to bar Donald Ondrak, a Lexington, Neb., CPA, from preparing tax returns. According to the government complaint in the case, Ondrak’s firm, Don Ondrak PC, prepares federal income tax returns for customers that unlawfully understate income and employment tax liabilities by under-reporting income, overstating expenses and claiming improper deductions for non-deductible personal expenses.



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Seafood Wholesaler and Owner Sentenced in a Conspiracy to Illegally Harvest Rock Fish

Robert Lumpkins, owner of Golden Eye Seafood LLC, of St. Mary’s County, Md., was sentenced to 18 months in prison and the company was sentenced today to 3 years probation by U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte after a two day sentencing hearing in the District of Maryland.



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Former GSA Chief of Staff David Safavian Sentenced for Obstruction of Justice and Making False Statements

David H. Safavian was sentenced today to one year in prison on charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements in connection with the investigation into the activities of former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.



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More Than 300 Alleged La Familia Cartel Members and Associates Arrested in Two-Day Nationwide Takedown

Today Attorney General Eric Holder announced the arrest of nearly 1,200 individuals on narcotics-related charges and the seizure of more than 11.7 tons of narcotics as part of a 44-month multi-agency law enforcement investigation known as “Project Coronado.”



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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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California Court Permanently Enjoins Developer of the “Derivium” “90% Loan” Tax Scheme

The complex tax scheme involved numerous entities located around the globe and sales of over $1.25 billion in securities



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Georgia Couple Charged with Human Trafficking and Immigration Violations for Exploiting Woman from Swaziland

A federal grand jury in Atlanta has indicted an Ellenwood, Ga., husband and wife, Juna Gwendolyn Babb, 54, and Michael J. Babb, 53, on charges of conspiracy, forced labor, document servitude, which is confiscating someone’s passport and visa, and harboring an alien for financial gain, the Justice Department announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Enters Agreement with Alameda County, California, Sheriff to Guarantee Effective Communication for Persons Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind

The Department has reached a settlement agreement with the Alameda County, Calif., Sheriff’s Office, under which it will provide sign language interpreters and other auxiliary aids and services to arrestees, detainees, suspects, victims, witnesses, complainants and visitors who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind at two jails.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Signs a Settlement Agreement with North Carolina Company to Ensure Fair Treatment in the Workplace

The Department announced a settlement agreement with Sunlight Inc., doing business as Beauty Smart, of Durham, N.C., to resolve allegations of a pattern or practice of discrimination in recruitment and hiring on the basis of national origin.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Cincinnati Packaged-Ice Manufacturer Sentenced to Pay $9 Million for Its Role in a Customer and Territory Allocation Conspiracy

The Home City Ice Company pleaded guilty in 2008 to conspiring to suppress and eliminate competition by allocating packaged-ice customers and territories in the Detroit metropolitan area and southeastern Michigan.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Innospec Inc. Pleads Guilty to FCPA Charges and Defrauding the United Nations; Admits to Violating the U.S. Embargo Against Cuba

Innospec Inc., a Delaware corporation, pleaded guilty today to defrauding the United Nations (UN), to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to violating the U.S. embargo against Cuba.



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Owner of Los Angeles-Area Company Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Medicare Fraud

Leonard Nwafor, 44, was sentenced in absentia by U.S. District Judge John F. Walter of the Central District of California to nine years in prison.



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Louisiana Civilian Charged in Danziger Bridge Case in New Orleans

A two-count bill of information filed today in federal court charges David Ryder of Opelousas, La., with lying to the FBI and with illegally possessing a firearm, announced Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; Jim Letten, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and David Welker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.



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Women from Colorado and Pennsylvania Charged with Terrorism Violations in Superseding Indictment

A superseding indictment unsealed this afternoon in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania charges Jamie Paulin Ramirez, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Colorado, and Colleen R. LaRose, aka "Fatima LaRose," aka "JihadJane," a resident of Pennsylvania, with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.



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Florida Couple Charged in Forced Labor and Document Servitude Conspiracies

Sophia Manuel and Alfonso Baldonado Jr. have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges arising from a human trafficking scheme to hold Filipino nationals in forced labor in country clubs and hotels in Southeast Florida.



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Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the California Cities Gang Prevention Network

"I’m proud that, for the first time, the Department is directing resources for the express purpose of reducing childhood exposure to violence and raising awareness of its ramifications, advancing scientific inquiry on its causes and characteristics, and, of course, countering its negative impact," said Attorney General Holder.




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Miami-area Clinic Owner Charged in $23 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Miami charges Flor Crisologo, 58, with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, to cause the submission of false claims to the Medicare program, and to pay health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; and three counts of submitting false claims to the Medicare program.



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Former U.S. Official Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact and Possession of a Firearm While Unlawfully Using a Controlled Substance

Andrew Warren, 42, a former official with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), pleaded guilty today to a two-count criminal information charging him with abusive sexual contact and unlawful use of cocaine while possessing a firearm.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the District of Columbia College Access Program Graduation Celebration

"Over the last decade, you have redefined statistics, expectations, and, most importantly, possibilities for students across this city," said Attorney General Holder.




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Three Individuals with Alleged Ties to Aryan Brotherhood Charged with a 2008 Murder That Occurred in Atascosa County, Texas

Three alleged members or associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been indicted for their alleged roles in a 2008 murder in Atascosa County, Texas.



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California Couple Sentenced for Their Role in Hate-motivated Beating

Today in Sacramento, Calif., U.S. District Court Judge John A. Mendez sentenced a couple from Fairfield, Calif., for their roles in a July 2007 beating of an American citizen who is originally from India.



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Accountant for Former Arizona Congressman Convicted of Embezzling Insurance Premiums and Conspiracy

Dwayne Lequire, 51, of Elgin, Ariz., was found guilty by a federal jury in Tucson, Ariz., late yesterday of eight counts of embezzling insurance premiums and one count of conspiracy.



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Justice Department Announces a Comprehensive Agreement with New York to Remedy Violations and Ensure Constitutional Rights at Four Juvenile Justice Facilities

The United States has entered into a comprehensive agreement with the State of New York and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) that resolves previous findings of unconstitutional conditions at four juvenile justice facilities.



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Justice Department Reaches Comprehensive Settlement with National Owner of Gas Stations Resolving ADA Claims

The Justice Department today announced a comprehensive settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with QuikTrip Corporation, a private company that owns and operates more than 550 gas stations, convenience stores, travel centers, and truck stops in the Midwest, South and Southwestern United States. 



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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability Discrimination by Ventura County, California

The Justice Department today announced a consent decree resolving a lawsuit filed against Ventura County, Calif., alleging that the county violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it refused to hire a qualified applicant for a children’s social services position because she is deaf and required reasonable accommodations.



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Two New Orleans Police Officers Charged in Connection with the Beating Death of a Civilian

Two officers with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) have been charged in a three-count indictment with federal crimes in connection with the beating death of civilian Raymond Robair in July 2005.



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Miami-area Clinic Owner, Patient Recruiter, Two Nurses and Medicare Beneficiary Plead Guilty in Home Health Care Fraud Scheme

Arturo Fonseca, Isis Torres, Francisco Portillo, Eduardo Romero and William Madrigal pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan to various health care fraud charges.



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Owners of “Super Soda Center Stores” in Maryland and Delaware Settle Allegations of Underground Storage Tank Violations

The United States has settled alleged violations of federal and state underground storage tank (UST) regulations at 17 gas stations in Delaware and Maryland formerly owned by Duncan Petroleum Corp.



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Two Former Navajo Police Officers in Tuba City, Arizona, Charged with Civil Rights Violations

A federal grand jury in Phoenix, Ariz., returned a three-count indictment today charging former Navajo Police Officer Christine Thinn and former Navajo Police Sergeant Phillip Bedonie Jr. with federal crimes in connection with the beating of Newton Charlie in January 2009.



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Detroit-area Clinic Operator Sentenced to 56 Months in Prison for Role in Fraudulent Diagnostic Testing Scheme

Carlos Grana, a Miami resident, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff in the Eastern District of Michigan to three years of supervised release following his prison term and was ordered to pay $2 million in restitution.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Announces Agreement With Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Board Of Elections On Protecting The Rights Of Spanish-Speaking Puerto Rican Voters

The Justice Department announced today a settlement with Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to protect the rights of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican voters under Section 4(e) of the Voting Rights Act.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office For Refusing Full Cooperation With Title VI Investigation

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Maricopa County, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for refusing full cooperation with the department’s investigation of alleged national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Miami-area Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty in $23 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Flor Crisologo, 58, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Barry L. Garber in U.S. District Court in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Vice President of Florida Corporation Pleads Guilty to 16 Counts of Transporting Child Pornography

Jeffrey Robert Libman, the vice president and co-director of Webe Web Corporation, a Florida corporation, pleaded guilty today to 16 counts of transporting child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama.



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Florida Couple Pleads Guilty to Forced Labor Conspiracy of 39 Filipino Guest Workers

Sophia Manuel and Alfonso Baldonado Jr., owners of Quality Staffing Services Corporation, a labor contracting service, pleaded guilty to conspiring to hold 39 Filipino nationals in compelled service in country clubs and hotels in Southeast Florida.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Northern Virginia Couple Indicted for Conspiracy, Bank Fraud and Tax Evasion

A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., returned an indictment against a married couple from Fairfax Station, Va., for conspiracy, bank fraud and tax evasion.



  • OPA Press Releases

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California Company and Two Executives Indicted for Their Alleged Participation in Scheme to Bribe Officials at State-owned Electrical Utility in Mexico

Lindsey Manufacturing Company, an Azusa, Calif., company and two of its executives were indicted today for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to pay bribes to Mexican government officials at the Comisión Federal de Electricidad, a state-owned utility company.



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Virginia Couple Charged with Tax Crimes

A Newport News, Va., federal grand jury has indicted a married couple for conspiring to defraud the United States.



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Justice Department Obtains $120,000 Settlement in Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Indiana Condominium Association

The Justice Department announced today that a Munster, Ind., condominium association and its three member board of directors have agreed to pay $120,000 to resolve allegations that they refused to approve the sale of a condominium to an African-American couple because of their race and because they had children.



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Virginia Contractor and Its President to Pay United States to Settle Allegations of Falsely Obtaining Hubzone Contract

CFP Group, located in McLean, Va., and its president, Roberto Clark, have agreed to pay the United States $150,000 to settle claims that they used false statements to obtain a contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs.



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Pennsylvania Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Conspiracy

The owner of a Langhorne, Penn., asbestos abatement company pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).



  • OPA Press Releases

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U.S. Court Approves Agreement Between Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, United States, State of Michigan, Isabella County and City of Mt. Pleasant to Settle Jurisdiction

The settlement declares the entire Isabella Reservation to be Indian Country, resolving longstanding disputes over the boundaries and existence of the Isabella Reservation in south central Michigan.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Bank of America Agrees to Pay $137.3 Million in Restitution to Federal and State Agencies as a Condition of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Corporate Leniency Program

Bank of America entities have agreed to pay a total of $137.3 million in restitution to federal and state agencies for its participation in a conspiracy to rig bids in the municipal bond derivatives market and as a condition of its admission into the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Corporate Leniency Program.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Maryland Man Indicted for Operating a Child Pornography Online Bulletin Board

A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Md., has indicted George Sell, 68, of Cumberland, Md., for advertising, transporting, receiving and possessing child pornography in connection with his operation of an online bulletin board in which members circulated images of child pornography and links to other child pornography websites.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Florida Couple Sentenced in Forced Labor Conspiracy to Exploit Filipino Guest Workers

Sophia Manuel and Alfonso Baldonado Jr., owners of Quality Staffing Services Corporation, a labor contracting service, were sentenced for conspiring to hold approximately 39 Filipino nationals in forced service to work in country clubs and hotels in Southeast Florida.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Indiana Casino Dealer Found Guilty in Cheating Conspiracy

Mike Waseleski, 46, a former casino card dealer, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday in San Diego for his role in a cheating scheme by a group of conspirators known as the “Tran Organization” to steal approximately $1.5 million from Resorts East Chicago Casino.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Vice President of Florida Corporation Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Transporting Child Pornography

Jeffrey Robert Libman, the vice president and co-director of Webe Web Corporation, a Florida corporation, was sentenced yesterday to 108 months in prison for transporting child pornography.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Miami-area Clinic Owner Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Miami-area Home Health Agencies

Yudel Cayro, owner and operator of Courtesy Medical Group Inc., a medical clinic in Miami, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for his role in a wide-ranging Medicare fraud scheme involving Miami-area home health agencies.



  • OPA Press Releases