"It was here that I first learned to be a lawyer; where I learned my most important lessons about law and public service; and where I learned something that all of you already know: that the small steps we take in service can create giant leaps of difference."

The Justice Department announced today that the Hillsboro, Oregon, School District will allow Jordan “Scooter” Givens to bring his trained autism service dog into his classroom in the Hillsboro School District.

A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty today to falsely representing to Medicare that she owned a Los Angeles-area durable medical equipment (DME) company that was actually owned and operated by her brother, and used by her brother and others to submit more than $3.5 million in false claims to Medicare.

"I believe that this is a time of extraordinary opportunity – the opportunity to be more creative and innovative; to transform systems in need of reform; to harness 21st-century technologies; to incorporate research and science into our decision-making processes; to break down long-standing barriers to communication and cost-sharing; to forge and strengthen partnerships across, and beyond, government; and, even as we’re called on to do more with less, to do better for the most vulnerable citizens we serve."

Puerto Rico Senator Hector Martinez Maldonado and Juan Bravo Fernandez, the former president of one of the largest private security companies in Puerto Rico, were convicted by a jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for their roles in a bribery scheme involving legislation beneficial to Bravo Fernandez’ business.

Jamie Paulin Ramirez, 32, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Colorado, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

American Education and Travel Services Inc. (AETS) in Antioch, Calif., has agreed to pay $10,000 in back pay and compensatory damages to a lawful permanent resident who was denied a residential counselor position because he was not a U.S. citizen or native English speaker.

A Houston bus company was fined $55,000 for violating passenger carrier accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today about the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat health care fraud through criminal prosecution.

From the very first day of this investigation, prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in El Paso have worked around-the-clock with our law enforcement partners in Mexico and the United States to find those responsible for these heinous crimes and bring them to justice.

Marc S. Hermelin, the former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of St. Louis-based KV Pharmaceutical Company, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in a case involving KV’s production and distribution of oversized morphine sulfate tablets.

A former correctional officer from Cohoes, N.Y., was convicted following a jury trial in Albany, N.Y., of violating the civil rights of an inmate while working at the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility, and making false statements to the FBI regarding the incident.

A Bexar County, Texas, corrections officer was charged today in a two-count federal indictment with violating the civil rights of two detainees.

Richard A. Murdoch of Florida was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for immigration fraud and tax evasion charges related to his role in a scheme to fraudulently procure visas from the U.S. Embassy in London through a Florida property development company called Royal Development.

Jeffrey Tesler, a former consultant to Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. (KBR) and its joint venture partners, pleaded guilty today in Houston to conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to violating the FCPA for his participation in a decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials to obtain engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts.

Former Senior U.S. District Court Judge Jack T. Camp Jr., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Atlanta to one month in prison for unlawful possession of controlled substances charges and unlawful conversion of government property.

Helen Etinfoh, the former owner and operator of a Houston durable medical equipment (DME) company was sentenced today to 41 months in prison in connection with a $3 million power wheelchair fraud scheme.

A federal jury in Norfolk, Va., today convicted Justin Cannon, 27, of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Christopher Drotleff, 29, of Virginia Beach, Va., of involuntary manslaughter while working as contractors for the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan.

The Department of Justice marked the start of Sunshine Week today with the launch of FOIA.gov, the “flagship initiative” of the department’s Open Government Plan and one of the most significant contributions yet toward making this the most transparent administration in history.

The U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of West Virginia announced today that Consol Energy Inc., the largest producer of coal from underground mines in the United States, has agreed to pay a $5.5 million civil penalty for Clean Water Act violations at six of its mines in West Virginia.

A Kentucky couple and their caviar companies were charged today with trafficking in and falsely labeling illegally harvested paddlefish.

Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius visited Detroit today to participate in the fifth regional health care fraud prevention summit.

The Justice Department announced today that it has resolved a lawsuit alleging that Kimberly Sathoff was subjected to pregnancy discrimination by the Hertford County, N.C., Public Health Authority, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

A federal jury convicted Chinua Shepperson, aka “Nu,” “NuNu” and “King Nu,” 28, of Washington, D.C., late yesterday of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise known as the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings), murder in aid of racketeering, robbery, using a gun during a crime of violence and murder resulting from the use of a gun during a crime of violence.

Daniel Cox of Houston was sentenced today in the Western District of Pennsylvania to 84 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and receive child pornography.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the state of California, Governor Jerry Brown and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for violating the right of an inmate to practice his religion.

"This summit is an important step forward – an opportunity to build on what has been discussed, and achieved, since January of last year – when Secretary Sebelius and I convened the first “National Summit on Health Care Fraud” in Washington."

The two leaders of a Colorado-based scheme that defrauded more than 400 consumers throughout the country of $5 million were sentenced to prison.

Three former executives of Fair Financial Company, an Ohio financial services business, were arrested today and charged in an indictment filed in the Southern District of Indiana for their roles in a scheme to defraud approximately 5,000 investors of more than $200 million.

Teresa Kelly, a former operations supervisor in Colonial Bank’s Mortgage Warehouse Lending Division, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bank, wire and securities fraud for her role in a fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of Colonial Bank and Taylor, Bean & Whitaker.

"This conference comes at an important moment in Russia’s efforts to strengthen its rule of law. In the Justice Department, we have long recognized corruption as a transnational problem. Corruption affects countries rich and poor, large and small, and it has particularly harmful effects on emerging economies."

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings that the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has engaged in patterns of misconduct that violate the Constitution and federal law.

Nathan A. Peake, 40, a sports manager and resident of Silver Spring, Md., entered a plea of guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.

"The Justice Department opened its investigation of the New Orleans Police Department last year with a single mission: to work with all stakeholders to build a world class police force," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.

"Unfortunately, our conclusions reveal that many NOPD officers have failed to live up to what we rightfully expect from our law enforcement officers," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.

“The voting process begins with registration, and it is essential that all citizens have unfettered access to voter registration opportunities,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The owner of the Equitable Building in Des Moines, Iowa, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Des Moines to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and to violating the Clean Air Act’s work practice standards related to asbestos removal.

A superseding indictment was unsealed against Patricia Ervin and Monty Ervin of Dothan, Ala., charging them with three counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiring to defraud the United States.

The Justice Department has issued letters to the attorneys general of all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories to request their assistance in addressing the illegal exclusion of individuals with HIV/AIDS from occupational training and state licensing.

Murphy Hubbard, a Springfield, Mo., CPA, pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion before Judge James England in the Western District of Missouri.

Kathryn Charles Miles and husband John Scott Miles, of Mathews County, Va., pleaded guilty to conspiring to impair and obstruct the IRS in the ascertainment and assessment of federal income taxes from 2001 through 2010.

A former executive of a California aftermarket auto lights distributor has agreed to plead guilty for his participation in a global conspiracy to fix the prices of aftermarket auto lights.

“Our law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way every day to ensure the safety and security of the American people in cities and communities across the country, and we need to do everything we can to protect them,” Attorney General Holder said.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation, and OXY USA Inc. have agreed to pay the United States $2.05 million plus interest to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal leases.

The former managing director of the Pamrapo Service Corporation (Service Corporation), the investment arm of the former Pamrapo Savings Bank, was convicted today of embezzling more than $571,000 in commissions and fees belonging to the Service Corporation through a mail fraud scheme.

Christian M. Allmendinger, 39, of Houston, was convicted by a federal jury today for his role in a $100 million fraud scheme with more than 800 victims across the United States and Canada.

The former administrative assistant to a U.S. senator was charged today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia with violating criminal conflict of interest laws.

The Justice Department announced today the arrest of Russell County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Kirby Dollar, 37, and Timothy Watford, 42.

A Miami-area doctor, Fred Dweck, was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for his role in a wide-ranging Medicare fraud scheme involving several Miami-area home health agencies.

The Department of Justice today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Jon Fultz, a U.S. Marine Corps reservist, against the city of Winchester, Va., alleging that it violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by failing to properly reemploy Fultz in September 2009 when he returned from military service during which he sustained a knee injury.