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Texas Man Sentenced to 292 Months in Prison for Advertising and Possessing Child Pornography

Mark Edwin Cairnes, 51, was sentenced today to 292 months in prison and lifetime supervised release following his prison term for advertising and possessing child pornography.



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Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Kickback Scheme Involving Government Contract in Afghanistan

Bryan Lee Burrows admitted that he conspired with others to solicit kickbacks from private security vendors in return for favorable treatment for those potential bidders in connection with the award of a subcontract.



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Roanoke, Virginia, Neo-Nazi Convicted for Threats, Witness Intimidation

William A. “Bill” White, the self-proclaimed commander of the neo-Nazi group the American National Socialist Workers Party, was convicted by a federal jury for threatening three individuals and for attempting to intimidate litigants in a federal housing discrimination lawsuit.



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Duke Energy to Spend Approximately $93 Million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

“This important settlement resolves lengthy litigation on very favorable terms,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.



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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to the Philippines for Sex Tourism

Donald Mathias of Davie, Fla., pleaded guilty today to engaging in sex tourism in the Philippines.



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Two Former San Juan Municipal Police Officers Sentenced for Using Excessive Force Resulting in Death

Elias Perocier Morales received a sentence of 10 years in prison and Eliezer Rivera Gonzalez received a sentence of six and a half years in prison.



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Visiting Physicians Association to Pay $9.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Visiting Physicians Association, which is based in Farmington Hills, Mich., will pay the United States and the state of Michigan $9.5 million to settle allegations that the association violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to Medicare, TRICARE and the Michigan Medicaid program.



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Chevron to Pay U.S. More Than $45 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Royalties Underpayment

Chevron Corporation, Texaco, Unocal Incorporated and their affiliates (the Chevron companies) have agreed to pay the United States $45,569,584.74, to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases.



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Nashville, Tennessee, Woman Sentenced on Sex Trafficking Charges

Cristina Andres Perfecto of Nashville, Tenn., was sentenced late yesterday in federal court in Memphis to 190 months in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of a juvenile and conspiracy.



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Michigan Health Care Provider to Pay United States $669,413 to Settle False Claims Allegations

“As this case demonstrates, we are committed to vigorously pursuing those who defraud Medicare.”



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Colorado-based Spectranetics Corporation to Pay $5 Million to Resolve Allegations Relating to Its Medical Devices

“The Department of Justice will be vigilant in pursuing cases against medical device companies that break the law and defraud taxpayers,” said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division.



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Major International Hacker Pleads Guilty for Massive Attack on U.S. Retail and Banking Networks

Albert Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to the payment card networks operated by, among others, Heartland Payment Systems, 7-Eleven and Hannaford Brothers Co. Inc.



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Minnesota Hospital to Pay U.S. to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Involving Unnecessary Admissions

Wheaton Community Hospital, the City of Wheaton, Minn. and Dr. Stanley Gallagher (collectively WCH) have agreed to pay $846,461 to settle allegations that their hospital admission practices violated the False Claims Act.



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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison on Child Pornography Charges

Johnny Pires, 24, was sentenced today to five years in prison and five years of supervised release following his prison term for attempting to receive and possessing child pornography. Pires was also ordered to register as a sex offender.



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Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Activities Focused on Addressing Abuses in Juvenile Facilities

The findings reported in the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) report, Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-2009, bring into focus the dire circumstances that too many youth in juvenile correctional facilities have to endure.



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Former Military Official Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Participation in Bribery Conspiracy Involving $206 Million Telecommunications Contract in Korea

A former Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) official was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ga., to three years in prison for his role in a bribery conspiracy involving a multi-million dollar telecommunications contract, and for not reporting the bribes he accepted on his income tax returns.



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Two Individuals Charged with Murder and Other Offenses Related to Shooting Death of Two Afghan Nationals in Kabul, Afghanistan

Justin Cannon, 27, of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Christopher Drotleff, 29, of Virginia Beach, Va., have been charged with crimes including second-degree murder, attempted murder and firearms offenses while working as contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan. Cannon and Drotleff were charged under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA).



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging New Jersey’s Written Civil Service Examination for Promotion to Police Sergeant Discriminates Against African-Americans and Hispanics

The Department filed a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey and the New Jersey Civil Service Commission alleging a pattern or practice of employment discrimination against African-Americans and Hispanics, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964



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10 Las Vegas Men Indicted for Falsifying Vehicle Emissions Tests

A federal grand jury in Las Vegas today returned indictments against 10 Nevada-certified emissions testers for falsifying vehicle emissions test reports.



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Former Vice President of Texas Company Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crime

Michael Sayklay, the former vice president of Economy Cash & Carry Inc., a Texas-based grocery wholesaler, pleaded guilty today in federal court in El Paso, Texas, to a criminal violation of the Plant Protection Act.



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Attorney General Announces Significant Reforms to Improve Public Safety in Indian Country

The new directive is part of a larger Justice Department initiative to create better communication and coordination to fight crime and promote justice in Indian Country.



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North Carolina Ginseng Dealer Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Export of Ginseng Valued Over $100,000

Howard William Ledford of Hayesville, N.C., was sentenced today in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina to serve one year in prison for illegally selling and transporting wild American ginseng into Georgia.



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Phoenix Asphalt Paver Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

John D. Stacey of Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake to 77 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.5 million dollars in restitution on Jan. 7, 2010.



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Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden Announces Francey Hakes as National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction

The national coordinator is charged with formulating and implementing a national strategy to combat child exploitation, and with submitting the strategy and relevant reports to Congress.



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Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Bar Nationwide Frivolous Lawsuit Scheme

The Department has sued George K. Pragovich of Clarksville, Tenn., to stop him from promoting an alleged nationwide scheme involving hundreds of frivolous lawsuits filed against the United States.



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Two Cincinnati Dentists Plead Guilty to Conspiracy, Tax Evasion on Eve of Trial

Bradley C. Brennecke, a resident of Pleasant Plain, Ohio, and Bruce A. Mrusek, a resident of Maineville, Ohio, pleaded guilty late Tuesday to conspiracy and tax evasion charges before District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett in Cincinnati.



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Two Former Executives of Indicted Video Relay Services Company Plead Guilty to Defrauding FCC Program

Anthony Mowl, the former assistant vice president of business development for Viable Communications Inc. (Viable), and Donald Tropp, the former human resources manager for Viable, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Video Relay Service (VRS) program of more than $2.5 million, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.



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Former Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Convicted on Civil Rights Charges

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all four counts of the indictment that charged Michael Anthony Higgins with violating federal law by willfully stealing money from motorists that he had stopped on the highway while working as a trooper.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, Country Club Alleging Discrimination

The lawsuit alleges that the Valley Club adopted a racially-discriminatory policy to bar summer camps from using its facilities after a group of predominantly African-American school children visited the facility.



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Thirteen Detroit-Area Individuals Arrested and Charged for $14.5 Million Medicare Fraud

Thirteen Detroit-area residents were arrested today by federal agents from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and FBI in connection with an alleged home health care scheme to defraud the Medicare program of more than $14.5 million.



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Tahawwur Rana and David Headley Indicted for Alleged Roles in India and Denmark Terrorism Conspiracies

A federal grand jury today returned a superseding indictment adding three defendants, including Tahawwur Rana, to charges filed last month against David Coleman Headley, alleging that they and others participated in conspiracies involving a planned terrorist attack against a Danish newspaper and the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, that killed approximately 164 people, including six Americans.



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British Citizen Pleads Guilty in Connection with Costa Rica-Based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures

On Jan. 13, 2010, Dilraj Mathauda entered a guilty plea in federal district court in Miami Federal to one count of an indictment pending against him, charging conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.



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Andrew Goldsmith Appointed as National Coordinator of Criminal Discovery Initiatives

The position was established as part of the Department’s ongoing efforts, initiated last year at the direction of the Attorney General, to review and improve its criminal discovery and case management policies and procedures.



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Twenty-Two Executives and Employees of Military and Law Enforcement Products Companies Charged in Foreign Bribery Scheme

The 16 indictments unsealed today represent the largest single investigation and prosecution against individuals in the history of DOJ’s enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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Former Owner of New Hampshire Direct Mail Advertising Printing Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax Conspiracy

As a part of the tax conspiracy, Ronald Boyarsky assisted in paying approximately $2.6 million in commissions earned by a printing services broker to third parties, so that the broker and his companies could avoid paying taxes on the income they earned.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging HIV Discrimination by RV Resort in Alabama

The Department announced the settlement of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) discrimination lawsuit against Wales West LLC, owner and operator of Wales West RV Resort and Train and Garden Lovers Family Park in Silverhill, Ala.



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National Dental Management Company Pays $24 Million to Resolve Fraud Allegations

The United States alleged that FORBA was liable for causing the submission of claims for reimbursement for a wide range of dental services provided to low-income children that were either medically unnecessary or performed in a manner that failed to meet professionally-recognized standards of care.



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General Reinsurance Corporation Enters into Agreement Resolving Its Role in Fraudulent Reinsurance Transaction with AIG

General Re has admitted that its most senior management engaged in a scheme to falsely inflate AIG’s reported loss reserves, a key indicator of financial health to insurance industry analysts and investors.



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CEO of Seafood Importer Pleads Guilty to Importing and Selling Falsely Labeled Fish from Vietnam

The chief executive officer of Sterling Seafood Corporation located in Cresskill, N.J., pleaded guilty to importing falsely labeled fish from Vietnam and evading over $60 million in federal tariffs, as well as selling over $500,000 in similarly misbranded fish purchased from another importer in the United States.



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Southern California Pipeline Firm to Pay $1.3 Million to Resolve Pyramid Lake Oil Discharges

Pacific Pipeline Systems LLP, a Long Beach, Calif.-based oil transport company, has agreed to pay a $1.3 million civil penalty and discontinue the use of a section of pipeline through an unstable section of mountains to resolve a Clean Water Act violation.



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United States Announces Two Major Clean Air Act New Source Review Settlements at 28 Industrial Plants Nationwide

The United States filed two major Clean Air Act settlements to reduce air emissions from container glass and Portland cement plants throughout the country.



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Wyoming Used Car Dealer Convicted in Federal Court for Odometer Tampering

After a two-week trial, a federal jury in Cheyenne, Wyo., today convicted Randy Lee (aka Jimmy Lee) on eleven of fourteen felony counts with which he was charged.



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Northern Virginia Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Failure to File Tax Return

Dallas S. Hale of Reston, Va., pleaded guilty today to willful failure to file a tax return.



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Attorney General Announces $11 Million from Zylon Settlement Set Aside for Bulletproof Vests

“There is nothing more basic, or more important, to our work than keeping our law enforcement officers safe,” Attorney General Holder said.



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Louisiana Man Convicted of Civil Rights Violation in Connection with Cross-burning

Daniel Earl Danforth of Minden, La., was convicted by a jury in Shreveport, La., of a civil rights conspiracy, use of fire in the commission of a federal felony, and obstruction of justice in connection with a cross-burning near the home of an interracial couple in Athens, La.



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Jury Convicts Detroit Area Doctor of Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

Troy, Mich., physician Toe Myint was convicted today by a Detroit jury of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in a $4.2 million Medicare Fraud scheme.



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Justice Department Announces Release of New Information Online as Part of President’s Open Government Initiative

As part of the Obama Administration’s Open Government Initiative, and in compliance with the Open Government Directive issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli today announced the online publication of three high-value sets of data not previously made available by the Department of Justice.



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Westar Energy to Spend Approximately $500 Million to Settle Clean Air Act Violations

Westar Energy has agreed to spend approximately $500 million to significantly reduce harmful air pollution from a Kansas power plant and pay a $3 million civil penalty, under a settlement to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act.



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United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Slovakia

The United States is grateful to the Government of Slovakia for its willingness to support U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.



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Justice Department Requires Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. to Make Significant Changes to Its Merger with Live Nation Inc.

The Department will require Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. to license its ticketing software, divest ticketing assets and subject itself to anti-retaliation provisions in order to proceed with its proposed merger with Live Nation Inc.



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