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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Laurie Robinson at the Animal Welfare Institute Albert Schweitzer Awards Ceremony

"The Albert Schweitzer Awards are given in honor of one of the world’s great humanitarians, a man who defined “good” as the preservation and enhancement of life in all its forms. The work that these recipients have done embodies the soul of Schweitzer’s philosophy," said Assistant Attorney General Robinson.




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Virginia Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods

Belal Amin Alsaidi, 30, of Buffalo, N.Y., pleaded guilty today to trafficking in counterfeit goods.



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Pennsylvania Man Charged with Copyright Infringement of Sports Broadcasts

The seven-count indictment alleges that Michael Moore, 44, of Chadds Ford, Penn., infringed the copyright protected works during seven six-month periods between May 2006 and June 2010.



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Former Bryan County, Okla., Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Indicted for Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of Justice

A federal grand jury sitting in Muskogee, Okla., returned an indictment today charging former Bryan County, Okla., Sheriff’s Lieutenant Kevin Bennett Holt, 48, of Achille, Okla., with federal civil rights violations and related acts of obstruction of justice.



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Former Pittsfield, Mass., Entrepreneur Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Financial Crimes

A former Pittsfield man was sentenced late yesterday in federal court for his role in a series of frauds and attempts to avoid paying taxes, as well as lying to federal authorities and financial institutions about his illegal activities.



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Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-Area Assisted Living Facility Manager Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Kickback Scheme

Ramchand Ramrup, aka Ramy Ramrup, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Justice Department Opens Investigation into the Miami Police Department

The Justice Department announced today that it has opened a civil investigation into allegations of excessive use of deadly force by members of the city of Miami Police Department (MPD), in accordance with the pattern or practice provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.



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HSBC India Client Indicted for Tax Evasion and Failing to Report Foreign Bank Accounts

A federal grand jury in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday indicted Ashvin Desai of San Jose on three counts of tax evasion, two counts of willfully aiding the preparation of materially false tax returns and three counts of failing to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts.



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Florida-Based Sea Star Line LLC Agrees to Plead Guilty and Its Former President Is Indicted for Price Fixing on Coastal Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico

Sea Star Line LLC has agreed today to plead guilty and to pay a $14.2 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the coastal water freight transportation industry. Additionally, a federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, returned an indictment against Frank Peake, the former president of Sea Star Line, for his role in the same conspiracy.



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Florida Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for $30 Million Investment Fraud Scheme

David Lewalski, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore. The court also ordered Lewalski to forfeit $29.8 million and numerous computers and computer equipment that are traceable to proceeds of the offense.



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Houston Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Claims of Hurricane Damage to Power Wheelchairs

Marion Beverly Metoyer, 57, of Dayton, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gray Miller in the Southern District of Texas. Metoyer was convicted by a jury on May 26, 2011, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive health care kickbacks and two counts of receiving kickbacks.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the Miami Police Department Investigation Announcement

"Today, I met with the Mayor, Acting Police Chief and City Manager to notify them of our civil investigation into allegations involving the use of excessive deadly force by officers with the City of Miami Police Department," said Assitant Attorney General Perez.




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Former Executive Director of the American Samoa Special Services Commission Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Steal More Than $325,000 in Americorps Grant Funds

Mine S. Pase, 62, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton.



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Former Alabama Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate

The Justice Department announced today that Scottie T. Glenn, 28, a former corrections officer of the Alabama Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Montgomery, Ala., to one count of violating the civil rights of a former inmate and to one count of conspiring with other corrections officers to cover up the incident.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the 14th Annual Law Enforcement Agency Directors of Western Pennsylvania Awards Ceremony

"Many of you here today are indeed being recognized precisely because of your courage in helping to make our communities safer," Assistant Attorney General Breuer said.




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Statement of U.S. Attorney General Holder on the Passing of Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Jack Keeney

"For the last six decades, Jack Keeney served the Department of Justice with dedication, integrity and an unshakeable commitment to the rule of law," stated the Attorney General.



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Civil Contempt Sanctions Assessed Against Arizona Company That Allegedly Targeted Fraud Victims

A federal judge in Arizona has held Mesa, Ariz.-based Business Recovery Services (BRS) and its owner, Brian Hessler, in civil contempt of court for violating the terms of a preliminary injunction.



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United States Files Complaint Against BestCare Laboratory Services Alleging False Claims for Medicare Funds

The United States filed a complaint against BestCare Laboratories, Inc. and its founder and principal, Karim A. Maghareh, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Upshur County, Texas, to Ensure Civic Access for Persons with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Upshur County, Texas, to improve access to all aspects of civic life for people with disabilities.



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U.S. Files Suit Against California Company for Allegedly Violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule

The United States has filed suit against Sonkei Communications Inc., and its principal corporate officers, Peter Turpel and Joseph Turpel.



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Seven Ohio Men Arrested for Hate Crime Attacks Against Amish Men

Seven Ohio men were arrested today on charges that they committed and conspired to commit religiously-motivated physical assaults in violation of the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act.



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Fair Housing Lawsuit Filed Against the University of Nebraska at Kearney for Discrimination Against Students with Psychological and Emotional Disabilities

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska and employees of UNK for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against students with disabilities.



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Federal Courts Order Seizure of 150 Website Domains Involved in Selling Counterfeit Goods as Part of DOJ, ICE HSI and FBI Cyber Monday Crackdown

“Through this operation we are aggressively targeting those who are selling counterfeit goods for their own personal gain while costing our economy much-needed revenue and jobs,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.



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Attorney General Holder Holds Public Hearing on Children Exposed to Violence

Attorney General Eric Holder’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence convened its first of four public hearings to gather expert and community testimony on the epidemic of children’s exposure to violence.



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Lafarge North America Inc. Agrees to Pay $740,000 Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations in Five States

The violations include unpermitted discharges of stormwater and failure to comply with stormwater permits at 21 stone, gravel, sand, asphalt and ready-mix concrete facilities in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland and New York.



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Attorney General Holder Announces Campaign to Combat Demand for Counterfeit Products in Partnership with the National Crime Prevention Council

"As our country continues to recover from once-in-a-generation economic challenges, the need to safeguard intellectual property rights – and to protect Americans from intellectual property crimes – has never been more urgent,” said Attorney General Holder.



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MS-13 Gang Leader in San Francisco Convicted of Racketeering Charges

A federal jury today convicted Danilo Velasquez, aka “Triste,” a local leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, in federal court in San Francisco of racketeering conspiracy and related charges.



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Justice Department Launches Webinar Series on Avoiding Workplace Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today the launch of a live webinar series on avoiding workplace discrimination. The webinars coincide with the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which created the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC).



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Pompano Beach, Fla.-Area Assisted Living Facility Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Kickback Scheme

Joseph B. Williams, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Miami to two counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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Former Executive of Peruvian Airline Pleads Guilty to Fixing Fuel Surcharge Rates on Air Cargo Shipments Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

A former executive of a Peruvian airline pleaded guilty today for his role in a conspiracy to fix surcharges on air cargo shipments from the United States to South and Central America following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.



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Washington State Man Convicted of Filing $20 Billion in False Liens Against Former US Attorney and Other Federal Officials

Ronald James Davenport, of Chewelah, Wash., was convicted Tuesday of filing more than $20 billion in false liens against four federal government officials.



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Member of Aryan Brotherhood Sentenced to 450 Months in Prison in Connection with Hate Crime Involving Church Arson and Attempted Murder of Disabled African-American in Texas

Steven Scott Cantrell, 26, of Crane, Texas, was sentenced today for hate crime charges stemming from a series of racially-motivated arsons in December 2010, including the arson of a historic African-American church as part of an effort to murder a disabled African-American man.



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Justice Department Opens Investigations into Two Western Pennsylvania State Correctional Institutions

The Justice Department announced today that it is opening civil investigations into two state correctional institutions (SCI) in Western Pennsylvania.



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Alabama Doctor Pleads Guilty; Husband Convicted of Tax Fraud

William Paul, formerly of Montgomery, Ala., was convicted today by a federal jury in Montgomery on four counts of tax evasion for the tax years 2004 through 2007, and of one count of failing to file a tax return.



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Maryland-Based Viable Communications, Its Owner and a Former Executive Sentenced for Roles in $20 Million Fraud Scheme

The owner and the former vice president for corporate strategy of Viable Communications Inc. were each sentenced yesterday to 108 months and 55 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a scheme that defrauded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of at least $20 million.



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Former White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Arizona to Civil Rights Violations

Former White Mountain Apache Tribal police officer, Glenn Cromwell, 35, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Phoenix to two counts of violating civil rights while acting under color of law for detaining, transporting, and then abandoning two adult males in extreme weather conditions on different occurrences in December 2008.



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Statement of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division on Its Decision to Close Its Investigation of Google Inc.'s Acquisition of Admeld Inc.

The Antitrust Division obtained extensive information from Google, Admeld and a wide range of market participants in connection with its merger investigation of the proposed transaction. After a thorough review of the evidence, the division concluded that the transaction is not likely to substantially lessen competition in the sale of display advertising.



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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Member Convicted of Federal Racketeering and Firearms Charges Related to Jefferson County, Texas, Shooting

John Oliver Manning, aka “Fish,” 52, of Pasadena, Texas, was charged by a federal grand jury on Mar. 17, 2011, with violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity.



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New Guidance Supports Voluntary Efforts to Promote Diversity and Reduce Racial Isolation in Education

Today, the Departments of Justice and Education released two new guidance documents ¨C one for school districts and one for colleges and universities ¨C detailing the flexibility that the Supreme Court has provided to educational institutions to promote diversity and, in the case of elementary and secondary schools, reduce racial isolation among students within the confines of the law.



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Alabama Real Estate Investor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Rig Bids for the Purchase of Real Estate at Public Foreclosure Auctions

A Mobile, Ala., real estate investor has agreed to plead guilty today for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in southern Alabama.



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Former Chicago Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Related Charges for Involvement with Latin Kings Gang

Antonio C. Martinez Jr., 40, a former Chicago police officer, pleaded guilty today to racketeering conspiracy and related charges, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana.



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Department of Justice Releases Investigative Findings on the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and the Jackson Juvenile Offender Center in Florida

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings that the state of Florida’s oversight system failed to detect and sufficiently address harmful practices at both the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and the Jackson Juvenile Offender Center.



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Five San Francisco MS-13 Members Sentenced to Life in Prison

Marvin Carcamo, aka “Cyco,” 31; Angel Guevara, aka “Peloncito,” 30; Moris Flores, 22; Jonathan Cruz-Ramirez, 22; and Erick Lopez, aka “Spooky,” 23, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Alsup in the Northern District of California.



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Ivory Smuggler Pleads Guilty in New York

Lin Feng Xu, 31, an antique dealer in China, has pleaded guilty to smuggling and to violating the Endangered Species Act in connection with the illegal export of African elephant ivory in his carry-on luggage.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination by University of California, San Diego Medical Center

The Department of Justice today filed a lawsuit against the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, alleging that the medical center discriminated in the employment eligibility verification process against people who are authorized to work in the United States.



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St. Louis-Based KV Pharmaceutical to Pay $17 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations

KV Pharmaceutical Company, which was the St. Louis-based parent company of now-defunct Ethex Corporation, will pay $17 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that Ethex failed to advise the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that two unapproved products did not qualify for coverage under federal health care programs, the Justice Department announced today.



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New Zealand Fishing Company Indicted for Enviromental Crimes and Obstruction of Justice

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has returned a seven-count indictment charging Sanford Ltd. with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.



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Seven Charged in in Florida in $120 Million National Tax Fraud Scheme

Penny Jones, a resident of Rigby, Idaho; Christopher Marrero of Davie, Fla.; Michael D. Beiter, Jr., formerly a resident of Coral Springs, Fla.; David Clum Jr. of Whites Creek, Tenn.; Dale Peters, a resident of San Mateo, Calif., Laura Barel, a resident of Lauderhill, Fla.; and John Michael Smith, Jr. of Hidden Hills, Calif., have been charged with participating in the scheme to file false tax returns.



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Justice Department Settles with Kentucky Apartment Complex Involving Allegations of Disability-based Housing Discrimination

The Justice Department today announced a settlement of its lawsuit against the owners, developers, architect and civil engineers of Park Place Apartments, a 276-unit complex in Louisville, Ky., resolving allegations that those involved in the design and construction of the complex discriminated against people with disabilities.



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Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Conceal Pakistan Government Funding for His U.S. Lobbying Efforts

Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, 62, a U.S. citizen and resident of Fairfax, Va., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and tax violations in connection with a decades-long scheme to conceal the transfer of at least $3.5 million from the government of Pakistan to fund his lobbying efforts in America related to Kashmir.



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