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North Carolina Man Sentenced on Odometer Tampering Charges

Francis Marimo was sentenced today in connection with an odometer tampering scheme.



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Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Cross Burning

Timothy Stafford, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Nashville, Tenn., for his role in the April 30, 2012, cross burning in front of an interracial family’s home in Minor Hill, Tenn.



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Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $35 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination by National City Bank

The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a consent order today to resolve allegations that National City Bank engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination that increased loan prices for African-American and Hispanic borrowers who obtained residential mortgages between 2002 and 2008 from National City Bank’s retail offices and nationwide network of mortgage brokers.



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Four Minneapolis-based Return Preparers Indicted for Conspiracy, Aggravated Identity Theft, Preparing False Returns

A 63-count superseding indictment charging Chatonda Khofi, Ishmael Kosh, Amadou Sangaray and Francis Saygbay in a conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was unsealed on Monday, December 23, in Minneapolis, Minn.



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District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Pennsylvania-Based Dairy Firms and Individuals to Prevent Distribution of Foods That Contain Excessive Drug Residue

U.S. District Court Judge Kim R. Gibson of the Western District of Pennsylvania has entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Metzler & Sons LLC and Pleasant View Farms Inc., the Justice Department announced today.



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Colorado Health Care Organization and One of Its Montana Hospitals to Pay $3.85 Million for Allegedly Providing Financial Benefits to Referring Physicians and Physician Groups

St. James Healthcare (St. James), a hospital located in Butte, Mont., and its parent company, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System (Sisters of Charity), a health care organization based in Denver, Colo., have agreed to pay $3.85 million to resolve allegations that they violated the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Stark Law and the False Claims Act by improperly providing financial benefits to physicians and physician groups that made referrals to the hospital.



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Justice Department Requires Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to Divest Assets Acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. to Keystone Sensors LLC

The Department of Justice today announced that it will require Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to divest certain assets that it acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. (Minco) to Keystone Sensors LLC in order to resolve the department’s competitive concerns.



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Department of Justice Takes Steps to Strengthen Federal Background Check System for Firearms Transfers

The Department of Justice today announced it is proposing a regulation that will clarify who, due to mental health reasons, is prohibited under federal law from receiving, possessing, shipping or transporting firearms. In addition to providing general guidance on the federal law, this clarification will help states determine what information may be appropriately shared with the federal background check system for firearms transfers – the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) – in order to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who may be a danger to themselves or others.



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Dallas-Based Companies Agree to Pay Civil Penalty to Settle Clean Air Act Violations Stemming from Illegal Import of Vehicles

A Dallas-based group of companies and their owner must either stop importing vehicles or follow a comprehensive compliance plan to settle Clean Air Act (CAA) violations stemming from the alleged illegal import of over 24,167 highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles into the United States without proper documentation.



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RBS Securities Japan Ltd Sentenced for Manipulation of Yen Libor

RBS Securities Japan Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS) that engages in investment banking operations with its principal place of business in Tokyo, Japan, was sentenced today for its role in manipulating the Japanese Yen London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).



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United States Government Settles False Claims Act Allegations Against Florida Vein Clinic and Its Owner

A Florida-based physician, Dr. Ravi Sharma, has agreed to pay $400,000 to resolve allegations that he and his clinics violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing Medicare for vein injections and physician office visits performed by unqualified personnel.



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Medical Clinic Owner and Other Patient Recruiters Plead Guilty in Miami for Roles in $8 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Several patient recruiters, including a medical clinic owner, pleaded guilty today in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving Flores Home Health Care Inc., a defunct home health care company.



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Tennessee Men Plead Guilty to Illegally Trafficking Narwhal Tusks

Jay G. Conrad, of Lakeland, Tenn., pleaded guilty today in the District of Maine to conspiring to illegally import and traffic narwhal tusks, conspiring to launder money, and illegally trafficking narwhal tusks.



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Departments of Justice and Education Issue School Discipline Guidance to Promote Safe, Inclusive Schools

The Department of Justice (DOJ), in collaboration with the Department of Education (ED), today released a school discipline guidance package that will assist states, districts and schools in developing practices and strategies to enhance school climate, and ensure those policies and practices comply with federal law.



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Florida Couple Sentenced for Roles in Procurement Contract Bribery Scheme

A Florida man was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison, and his wife was sentenced to 24 months of probation, for their roles in a bribery and fraud scheme.



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Justice Department Closes Investigation of Prison in Pittsburgh, Pa., After Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Works Cooperatively to Improve Security Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it has closed its investigation of State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh after the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PDOC) significantly improved security policies and practices at the prison and throughout the Pennsylvania prison system.



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Justice Department Obtains $317,000 in Discrimination Settlement with Euless, Texas, Apartment Complex

The United States has settled a housing discrimination lawsuit in Euless, Texas, concerning discrimination against persons of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent, the Justice Department announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Department of Justice and Department of Education School Discipline Guidance Rollout at Frederick Douglass High School

"Too often, so-called “zero-tolerance” policies – however well-intentioned – make students feel unwelcome in their own schools. They disrupt the learning process. And they can have significant and lasting negative effects on the long-term well-being of our young people – increasing their likelihood of future contact with juvenile and criminal justice systems," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Collects More Than $8 Billion in Civil and Criminal Cases in Fiscal Year 2013

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that the Justice Department collected at least $8 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013.



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CareFusion to Pay the Government $40.1 Million to Resolve Allegations That Include More Than $11 Million in Kickbacks to One Doctor

CareFusion Corp. has agreed to pay the government $40.1 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks and promoting its products for uses that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.



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Former Tennessee Mayor and Associate Sentenced for Running Illegal Gambling Business

A former mayor of South Pittsburg, Tenn., and an associate were sentenced today in Chattanooga, Tenn., for managing an illegal gambling business.



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Florida Residents Sentenced for Defrauding and Threatening Spanish-Speaking Consumers

Two individuals charged with running a telemarketing operation that defrauded Spanish-speaking consumers were sentenced today in Miami federal district court.



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Two More Former Officers and Another Former Lieutenant at Roxbury Correctional Institution Plead Guilty for Conduct Related to the Assault of an Inmate

Edwin Stigile, formerly a Lieutenant at Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown, Md., and two former RCI Correctional Officers, Tyson Hinckle and Reginald Martin, each pleaded guilty to an offense arising out of the assault of an inmate on Mar. 9, 2008.



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Justice Department Issues Statement on U.S. District Court Ruling That Bazaarvoice’s Acquisition of PowerReviews Violated Antitrust Laws

"We are pleased that the court, after carefully weighing all of the evidence, agreed with the Justice Department that Bazaarvoice’s acquisition of PowerReviews was likely to extinguish price competition and substantially diminish the pace of innovation in the market for product ratings and reviews platforms," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.



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U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce Name Experts to First-ever National Commission on Forensic Science

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced appointments to a newly created National Commission on Forensic Science.



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Former HealthEssentials Solutions Inc. Executives to Pay More Than $1 Million to Resolve Allegations of Submitting False Claims to Federal Health Care Program

Michael R. Barr, former chief executive officer of Louisville, Kentucky-based HealthEssentials Solutions Inc., has agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that he knowingly caused HealthEssentials to submit false claims to Medicare between 1999 and 2004.



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Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder on Federal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages in Utah

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the status of same-sex marriages performed in the state of Utah.



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Irish National Sentenced to Serve 14 Months in Prison for Trafficking of Endangered Rhinoceros Horns

Michael Slattery Jr., an Irish national, was sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., today to serve 14 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.



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Justice Department Alleges “Buy Here, Pay Here” Used-Car Dealerships Engaged in Illegal Lending Discrimination

The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and the North Carolina Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today alleging that the owners and operators of two “buy here, pay here” used-car dealerships in Charlotte, N.C., violated the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act by intentionally targeting African-American customers for the extension and servicing of installment sale contracts on unfair and predatory terms.



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Social Worker Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft, Tax Crimes

Rakecia Matrese Brame, formerly of Greensboro, N.C., and now of Grand Prairie, Texas, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10, 2014, to identity theft, tax, and fraud charges, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Government Intervenes in Lawsuits Against Health Management Associates Inc. Hospital Chain Alleging Unnecessary Inpatient Admissions and Payment of Kickbacks

The government has intervened in eight False Claims Act lawsuits against Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA) alleging that HMA billed federal health care programs for medically unnecessary inpatient admissions from the emergency departments at HMA hospitals and paid remuneration to physicians in exchange for patient referrals.



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Three Former Rabobank Traders Charged with Manipulating Yen Libor

Two former Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A. (Rabobank) Japanese Yen derivatives traders and the trader responsible for setting Rabobank’s Yen London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR) were charged as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the manipulation of LIBOR.



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Attorney General Announces $8.3 Million to Support Victims of Boston Marathon Bombings

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) today announced a $8,355,648 grant to organizations providing direct support to assist the victims, witnesses and first responders involved in the events surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings in April 2013.



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Court Rejects Banking Associations’ Challenge to Regulations Addressing Offshore Tax Avoidance

Today the District Court in the District of Columbia dismissed a challenge filed by the Florida Bankers Association and Texas Bankers Association challenging 2012 amendments to the Department of the Treasury’s interest-reporting regulations.



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Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Identity Theft

Nakia Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of aggravated identity theft for his role in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division, U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).



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Former Lorain County, Ohio, Corrections Officer Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Prison for Repeatedly Striking Inmate

A former Lorain County, Ohio, corrections officer was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.



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Former Sevierville, Tenn., Resident Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that Jimmie Duane Ross, of Lehi, Utah, and formerly of Sevierville, Tenn., was sentenced to serve 51 months in prison based on his Aug. 7, 2013 conviction of five counts of tax evasion following a jury trial.



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Former Miami Real Estate Agents Sentenced for Roles in Multimillion-dollar Mortgage Fraud Scheme

Two former Miami real estate agents were sentenced today for their roles in a $2.4 million mortgage fraud scheme.



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Three Men from Tennessee Charged with Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud and Coercion in the New Orleans Area

Three men from Tennessee were arrested today for offenses related to their involvement in sex trafficking adult victims to New Orleans as charged in a five-count indictment dated Dec. 20, 2013, and unsealed today by Chief Judge Sarah S. Vance of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced the Justice Department’s and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.



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Jury Convicts Georgia Woman for Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud

A jury in the Middle District of Georgia convicted Kimberly Michelle Banks on Jan. 14, 2014, of conspiring to file false federal income tax returns in the names of stolen identities, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the “Safe Streets, Strong Communities” Conference

More than 30 years ago, LISC was launched in a moment of great challenge – at a time when distressed neighborhoods across the country faced uncertain futures. After decades of rising crime and deteriorating fortunes in parts of America’s most vibrant cities, the Ford Foundation and its allies stepped forward. And they established the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to take what was – at the time – a novel approach to addressing community challenges.




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Two Men Charged in Las Vegas with Biofuels Fraud Scheme

Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas for offenses involving the federal renewable fuel program that allegedly netted them more than $37 million.



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Former Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Sentenced for Conspiracy and Bribery

A former sergeant of the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office (PSO) was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison today for accepting bribes in exchange for favors and referrals. Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.



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Alabama Medical Clerk and Another Indicted in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Schemes

Sasha Webb and Charlie Jackson have each been indicted for stolen identity refund fraud crimes, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today.



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Check Casher Sentenced to Jail for Involvement in Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme

David Haigler of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced today to serve 37 months in federal prison for his involvement in a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division, U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama and the IRS announced today.



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Alabama Tax Preparer Indicted for Preparing False Returns for Clients

Russell Burroughs, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., was indicted on 33 counts of filing false tax returns, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today.



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Statement from Justice Department Spokesman Regarding President Obama’s Speech on U.S. Signals Intelligence

The U.S. Justice Department released the following statement by department spokesman Brian Fallon in response to President Obama’s speech on U.S. signals intelligence.



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Miami Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty for Role in $190 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A patient recruiter for a fraudulent Miami-area mental health company, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), pleaded guilty today for her participation in a $190 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Associate Attorney General Tony West at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Hosted by the Union League of Chicago

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Associate Attorney General Tony West at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration Hosted by the Union League of Chicago




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Justice Department Releases Findings Showing That the Alabama Department of Corrections Fails to Protect Prisoners from Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women

Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced its letter of findings determining that prison officials at the Alabama Department of Corrections and the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women violate women prisoners’ constitutional rights by failing to take reasonable steps to protect them from harm due to sexual abuse and sexual harassment caused by correctional staff.



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