en Wilcox County, Georgia, Sheriff and Three Men Charged with Federal Civil Rights Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:34:59 EST The Justice Department announced today a 14-count indictment charging Wilcox County, Ga., Sheriff Stacy Bloodsworth; his son, Austin Bloodsworth; former Wilcox County Jailer Casey Owens; and former inmate Willie James Caruthers, for violating the rights of an inmate. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Fort Lauderdale, Florida-Area Halfway House Operator Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Participating in Fraud and Kickback Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:31:53 EST Butler Moultrie, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in the Southern District of Florida. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Tennessee Couple Plead Guilty to Tax Crimes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:39:17 EST Angela Palmer and her husband, Warren Palmer, both of Knoxville, Tenn., each pleaded guilty today to two counts of willful failure to file tax returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Total Companies to Pay U.S. $15 Million to Resolve Allegations of Royalty Underpayments from Federal and Indian Lands By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:55:15 EST Total Fina S.A., Total Minatome Corporation, Total Exploration Production USA Inc., Fina Oil and Chemical Company, Elf Exploration Inc., Total E&P USA Inc. and their affiliates have agreed to pay the United States $15 million to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en South Florida Corrections Officer Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights Charge By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:53:12 EST Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) officer Guruba Griffin, 32, was sentenced by District Judge Cecilia Altonaga to serve one year in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Department of Justice African-American History Month Celebration By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:04:28 EST "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. Full Article Speech
en Two Financial Investors Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions in New Jersey By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:01:25 EST Two financial investors pleaded guilty today for conspiring to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities throughout New Jersey. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Wife of Former Army Major Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Role in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to Dod Contracts By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:29:29 EST Eurica Pressley, 39, was sentenced today in Birmingham, Ala., to 72 months in prison for her participation in a bribery and money laundering scheme related to bribes paid for contracts awarded in support of the Iraq war. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Pensacola, Florida, Man Indicted for Arson at American Family Planning Clinic By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:04:44 EST Bobby Joe Rogers, 41, of Pensacola, Fla., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the fire that destroyed the American Family Planning Clinic in Pensacola on Jan. 1, 2012. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Settles with Arizona Department of Corrections Resolving Sexual Harassment Allegations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:02:46 EST The department’s complaint, filed today along with the consent decree, alleges that Susan Peterson, a female correctional officer at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson, Ariz., was regularly subjected to verbal and physical sexual harassment by several of her male supervisors and coworkers from early 2005 through November 2008. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Former Chairman and CEO of Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Foreign Bribery and Kickback Schemes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:09:50 EST Albert “Jack” Stanley, a former chairman and chief executive officer of Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. (KBR), was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by participating in a decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials to obtain engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts and for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud as part of a separate kickback scheme. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at Columbia University Law School on Preventing and Combating Financial Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:09:56 EST " 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. Full Article Speech
en Houston Patient Recruiter Convicted in $1.1 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:07:24 EST Michelle Turner, 44, of Spring, Texas, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiring to receive illegal kickbacks for referring Medicare beneficiaries and two counts of receiving illegal kickbacks for referring Medicare beneficiaries. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Announces Lawsuit to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in Alabama By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:30:39 EST The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the state of Alabama and its chief election official seeking relief to help ensure that military servicemembers, their family members and U.S. citizens living overseas have the opportunity to participate fully in Alabama’s March 13, 2012, federal primary election. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inaugural Members Leadership Summit By www.justice.gov Published On :: Sat, 25 Feb 2012 19:09:02 EST "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. Full Article Speech
en Attorney General Appoints Tony West as Acting Associate Attorney General and Stuart Delery as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:32:43 EST “Tony and Stuart have served the department with professionalism, integrity and dedication, and both bring a wealth of experience to their new positions,” said Attorney General Holder. “I’m confident they will provide invaluable leadership and will play a critical role in furthering the department’s key priorities and fulfilling its traditional missions.” Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Los Angeles Church Pastor Sentenced to Serve 36 Months in Prison for $14.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:41:30 EST Connie Ikpoh, 49, also was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Terry J. Hatter for the Central District of California to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $6.7 million in restitution jointly and severally with her co-conspirators. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Announces Agreement Protecting the Rights of Spanish-speaking Voters in Colfax County, Nebraska By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:23:29 EST The Justice Department announced today an agreement with Colfax County, Neb., that requires the county to provide election materials and information in Spanish in order to comply with provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Case Involving Disabled Veteran in Utah By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:07:26 EST The Justice Department today announced a $20,000 consent decree that resolves a lawsuit alleging that a Park City, Utah, condominium association and its management company violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to grant a resident’s request for a reasonable accommodation. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en United States Intervenes in Suit Against American Commercial College Inc. Alleging False Claims Act Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:36:20 EST The United States has intervened in a whistleblower suit pending under the False Claims Act against American Commercial College Inc. (ACC), a chain of for-profit colleges located in west Texas. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Settles with Georgia School District to Ensure Desegregation of Its Faculty and Staff By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:41:31 EST The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Valdosta City Schools in Georgia to ensure that the school district complies with its obligations to recruit, hire and assign faculty and staff in a nondiscriminatory way in furtherance of its obligations to desegregate its schools. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:17:22 EST "“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. Full Article Speech
en Deputy Attorney General James Cole Speaks at the Dallas Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Press Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:56:04 EST "This announcement underscores the bold, innovative and coordinated ways in which we are working alongside authorities at every level to prevent, identify and prosecute health care fraud throughout the country," said Deputy Attorney General Cole. Full Article Speech
en Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the Dallas Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action Press Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:57:50 EST "In Dallas, and the eight other Strike Force cities, the Criminal Division and our partners in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will continue to crack down on Medicare fraud and hold accountable those stealing from the public fisc," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. Full Article Speech
en Three Individuals Charged with 1998 Racially-Motivated Murders of Two Men in Las Vegas By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:50:59 EST The Justice Department announced today that Ross Hack, 40, Leland Jones, 31, and Melissa Hack, 37, have been charged with first degree murder and firearms offenses in relation to the 1998 deaths of Lin Newborn and Daniel Shersty. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Reaches Agreement with King George County, Virginia, on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:45:28 EST The Justice Department filed a consent decree today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after reaching an agreement with King George County, Va., that will allow for the county’s bailout from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Former Puerto Rico Senator and Businessman Each Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Their Roles in Bribery Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 12:20:19 EST Hector Martinez Maldonado, a former Puerto Rico Senator, and Juan Bravo Fernandez, the former president of the largest private security firm in Puerto Rico, were each sentenced today to 48 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a bribery scheme involving the passage of legislation beneficial to Bravo Fernandez’s business. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Settles Landlord-Tenant Case Under Servicemembers Civil Relief Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 16:26:48 EST The Justice Department today announced that it had reached a settlement resolving allegations that Empirian Property Management Inc. refused to terminate residential leases entered into by active duty members of the U.S. Air Force assigned to Offutt Air Force Base in Sarpy County, Neb., after those servicemembers received permanent change of station orders. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Ripley, Tennessee, Police Officer Arrested on Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction Charges Involving Alleged Use of Force By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 17:44:18 EST Stephen Michael Kirkpatrick, 47, was indicted on two counts of violating the victim’s rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and the use of unreasonable force by a person acting under color of law and one count of obstruction of justice. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Former Mississippi Office Manager Sentenced to 89 Months in Prison for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 18:16:44 EST Cynthia Cooley, of Hattiesburg, Miss., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett in the Southern District of Mississippi. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Deputy Attorney General James Cole Speaks at High Level Hemispheric Meeting Against Transnational Organized Crime By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 Mar 2012 12:20:54 EST "It is a distinct pleasure to be in Mexico City at today’s Hemispheric Meeting and to have the unique opportunity to speak with you – our shared partners in the Americas and Spain – about transnational organized crime, undoubtedly a global menace that we must work together to defeat. Organized criminals have adapted rapidly to the new, globalized world. They are, in fact, helping to shape that world, and not in a good direction," said Deputy Attorney General Cole. Full Article Speech
en U.S. Files False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Florida-based Federal Grant Recipient By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 10:22:15 EST The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against the Florida-based Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA), the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Miami Taxidermist Sentenced for Wildlife Smuggling By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 12:13:23 EST Enrique Gomez De Molina, 48, of Miami Beach, Fla., was sentenced in federal court in Miami today to 20 months in prison for illegal trafficking in endangered and protected wildlife. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Readout of Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary Janet Napolitano’s Trip to Ottawa, Canada By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 16:10:43 EST U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today visited Ottawa, Canada to participate in the Cross-Border Crime Forum with Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General Rob Nicholson, and Canadian Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews. Secretary Napolitano, Attorney General Holder and Minister Toews also signed a memorandum of understanding to better prevent and combat human smuggling and trafficking. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Manager for Violent Fraudulent Document Ring Sentenced to Two Life Sentences for Murdering Rival Vendor By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 2 Mar 2012 19:10:19 EST Edy Oliverez-Jiminez, aka “Daniel,” Erasmo,” “Ulysses” and “Jesus,” 25, of Virginia Beach, Va., was sentenced today to two consecutive life terms on prison, after having been convicted by a jury for racketeering, murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to produce and transfer false identification documents. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Justice Department Recovers More Than $900 Million in Consumer Protection Cases in 2011 By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 11:15:51 EST The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch recovered more than $913 million in criminal and civil fines, penalties, and restitution in 2011, Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Italian Shipping Company and Chief Engineer Charged with Environmental Crimes and Obstruction of Justice By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 16:02:51 EST Italian-based shipping company Giuseppe Bottiglieri Shipping Company S.P.A., owner and operator of the Motor Vessel Bottiglieri Challenger, and Vito La Forgia, the vessel’s chief engineer, have been charged in a four-count indictment with the illegal dumping of waste oil and oil-contaminated waste water in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, conspiracy and two counts of obstruction of justice. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Illinois Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Advertise Child Pornography By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 17:00:53 EST Jonathon Sudduth of Springfield, Ill., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips in Los Angeles to 22 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to advertise child pornography. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Former FDA Chemist Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Insider Trading By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 17:06:30 EST Cheng Yi Liang, a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chemist from Gaithersburg, Md., was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for engaging in insider trading on multiple occasions based on material, non-public information he obtained in his capacity as an FDA scientist. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Departments of Justice and Education Resolve Harassment Allegations in Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 19:36:56 EST The Departments of Justice and Education, together with six private student plaintiffs and the Anoka-Hennepin School District, filed a proposed consent decree today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, resolving complaints of sex-based harassment of middle and high school students in the school district. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Member of the Aryan Brotherhood Sentenced for Assaulting a Jewish Inmate in Texas By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 19:12:42 EST Timothy Lee York, 35, of Fountain Valley, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 63 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to violently assaulting a Jewish inmate at a federal correctional facility in Texas. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at Northwestern University School of Law By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 16:27:17 EST "Since this country’s earliest days, the American people have risen to this challenge – and all that it demands. But, as we have seen – and as President John F. Kennedy may have described best – 'In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger,'" said Attorney General Holder. Full Article Speech
en Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Ohio By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 09:16:17 EST The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor elections today in Cuyahoga, Hamilton and Lorain Counties, Ohio. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Federal Court in Illinois Shuts Down Nationwide “Employee Benefit Plan” Tax Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 09:29:43 EST A federal court has permanently barred Tracy L. Sunderlage, Linda Sunderlage and four companies from operating an alleged scheme to help high-income individuals attempt to avoid income taxes by funneling money through purported employee benefit plans, the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Kansas Refinery to Pay Nearly $1 Million Penalty for Environmental Violations Related to Air Emissions By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 15:14:06 EST Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing (CRRM) has agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $970,000 and invest more than $4.25 million in new pollution controls and $6.5 million in operating costs to resolve alleged violations of air, Superfund and community right-to-know laws at its Coffeyville, Kan., refinery. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Allen Stanford Convicted in Houston for Orchestrating $7 Billion Investment Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 18:22:59 EST A Houston federal jury today convicted Robert Allen Stanford, the former Board of Directors Chairman of Stanford International Bank (SIB), for orchestrating a 20-year investment fraud scheme in which he misappropriated $7 billion from SIB to finance his personal businesses. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the National Association of Attorneys General Spring Meeting By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 10:43:49 EST "Today’s most urgent challenges continue to bring us together. Some of us are collaborating on critical public safety and consumer protection initiatives. Some of us are working together to strengthen our courts and corrections systems – and to find ways to cut costs and share resources," said Attorney General Holder. Full Article Speech
en Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks on Anoka-Hennepin Conference Call By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Mar 2012 13:34:53 EST "The consent decree is a comprehensive blueprint for sustainable reform that will enhance the district’s policies, training and other efforts to ensure that every student in the district is free from sex-based harassment," said Assistant Attorney General Perez. Full Article Speech
en Former Department of Veterans Affairs Official Sentenced to Serve 60 Months in Prison for Conspiracy and Wire Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 16:55:23 EST The former associate director of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy in Hines, Ill., his wife and their temporary staffing company were sentenced today for their participation in a conspiracy to defraud the VA and the Small Business Administration. Full Article OPA Press Releases
en Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee at Hearing on Fair Lending By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 12:42:42 EST "As the 2011 enforcement record illustrates, the Division’s Fair Lending Unit uses every possible tool to address the range of abuses seen in the market, in both mortgage and non-mortgage lending," said Assistant Attorney General Perez. Full Article Speech