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Maryland Couple Charged with Domestic Servitude of Filipina Woman

A federal grand jury in Greenbelt, Md., indicted Alfred Edwards and Gloria Edwards, both of Upper Marlboro, Md., on charges arising from a scheme to compel the labor and domestic service of a Filipina national.



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New England Commercial Fisherman Charged with Lacey Act Crimes for Illegally Harvesting Striped Bass

Daniel B. Birkbeck, 46, of North Stonington, Conn., was charged today in federal court with trafficking in and falsifying records for illegally harvested Atlantic Striped Bass.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with City of Bedford, Virginia, on Bailout Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department has reached an agreement with the city of Bedford, Va., that, if approved by the court, will allow for the city’s bailout from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the city from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the act.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with California Irrigation District on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Alta Irrigation District, a special district in California, that, if approved by the court, will allow for the district to bail out from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the district from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.



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Owner of Illinois Technology Company Sentenced to Serve 12 Months and a Day in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Defraud the Federal E-Rate Program

An owner of an Illinois-based technology company was sentenced today to serve one year and a day in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to defraud the federal E-Rate program.



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Tahawwur Rana Guilty of Providing Material Support to Terror Group and Playing Supporting Role in Denmark Terror Conspiracy

A Pakistani native who operated a Chicago-based immigration business was convicted today of participating in conspiracy involving a terrorism plot against a Danish newspaper and providing material support to a terrorist organization based in Pakistan.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Northwest Indiana Cyber Security Summit

"Today's summit proves our unwavering commitment to preventing terrorists and other criminals from exploiting the Internet for planning, financing, or executing attacks; to engaging with an expanded network of partners across government and the private sector; and to strengthening our efforts to establish the rule of law in cyberspace."




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Assistant Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the “Combating Immigration Services Scams” Press Conference

The Department of Justice, through our United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Civil Division’s Office of Consumer Protection Litigation, is investigating and prosecuting dozens of cases against these so-called “notarios,” said Assistant Attorney General West.




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Jackson County, Michigan, Man Charged with Gun Crime and Obstructing the Internal Revenue Service

A Detroit grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Karl Herrington, of Parma, Mich., with being a felon in possession of six different firearms.



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Former Treasurer and President of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Each Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Scheme

The former treasurer and the former president of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW) were sentenced today to 72 months in prison and 30 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a more than $2.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failures of TBW and Colonial Bank.



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Two Officers of Fraudulent Physical Therapy Company Plead Guilty in Tampa, Fla., to Medicare Fraud

Two Miami-area residents who were officers of a fraudulent physical therapy company in Lakeland, Fla., pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare.



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Nigerian Citizen Convicted in Atlanta for Trafficking Young Women from Nigeria to Work for Her as Nannies

Bidemi Bello, 41, a former resident of Suwanee, Ga., and a citizen of Nigeria, was convicted on eight counts by a federal jury late on Friday on charges of two counts of forced labor, two counts of trafficking for forced labor, one count of document servitude, one count of alien harboring and two counts of making false statements in an application to become a U.S. citizen.



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Former U.S. Army Major Pleads Guilty to Bribery Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

A former U.S. Army major pleaded guilty today to bribery related to his work as a contracting officer’s representative in Kuwait from 2004 to 2006.



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United States Files Suit Against Florida-Based Bay Area Sleep Associates LLC and Its Owner

The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (FCA) against Bay Area Sleep Associates LLC, dba SomnoMedics LLC, and its owner, Edward Killmer Jr.



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Three Defendants Plead Guilty in Honolulu in Connection with Human Trafficking Scheme That Exploited 600 Thai Workers

Bruce Schwartz, 53, Sam Wongsesanit, 40, and Shane Germann, 42, have pleaded guilty to human trafficking violations involving the Los Angeles based recruiting company Global Horizons.



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Montgomery, Alabama, Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Tax Fraud and Identity Theft Conspiracy

Laquanta Grant, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to file false claims for refunds.



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Federal Court Bars Firm with Offices in Pennsylvania and Virginia from Promoting Stock-Loan Tax Scheme

According to court findings, HedgeLender, which maintained offices in Philadelphia and Reston, Va., promoted a scheme purportedly allowing owners of appreciated stock to obtain cash through purported loans without reporting or paying tax on capital gains.



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Swift Beef Company to Pay $1.3 Million Penalty for Clean Water Act and State Law Violations at Its Grand Island, Nebraska Beef Processing Plant

Swift Beef Company, a subsidiary of JBS S.A, the world’s largest beef producer, has agreed to pay $1.3 million to the United States and state of Nebraska to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Nebraska state law at its Grand Island, Neb., beef processing plant.



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Five Alabama Tax Return Preparers Charged with Tax Fraud

James E. Moss, who owned and operated “Flash Tax,” was charged with four of his employees by a grand jury sitting in Montgomery, Ala.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Midwest BankCentre Regarding Alleged Lending Discrimination in St. Louis

Midwest BankCentre will open a full-service branch in an African-American neighborhood and invest approximately $1.45 million in majority African-American areas of the St. Louis metropolitan area as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that they engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race and color.



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Alabama Women Sentenced for Roles in Tax Fraud Conspiracy

Betty Washington, a resident of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced today to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,440,632 for conspiring to file false claims for refunds.



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Chief Engineer Sentenced in Maryland for Obstructing Investigation into the Illegal Overboard Discharge of Oily Waste

Dimitrios Grifakis, 57, of Kallithea, Greece, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis to six months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for obstructing a Coast Guard inspection that took place in May 2010 aboard a Liberian-operated cargo ship M/V Capitola at the Port of Baltimore.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Summit

"As we have seen repeatedly – most clearly on September 11th and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – in times of crisis and emergency, law enforcement officers and first responders must be able to communicate quickly, across all jurisdictions. And as national security and public safety threats have continued to grow and to evolve, the need to bring public safety communications into the 21st century has never been greater."




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United States and Two California State Agencies File Civil Lawsuit Against Greka Oil & Gas Inc. for Oil Spills in Santa Barbara County

The United States, the California Department of Fish and Game and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region, filed a civil complaint today in federal court against Greka Oil & Gas Inc. alleging that the company violated federal and state water laws.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Nixon State Bank to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

Nixon State Bank of Nixon, Texas, will establish uniform pricing policies, conduct employee training, and pay nearly $100,000 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of national origin.



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Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Company Pleads Guilty to Participating in Price-Fixing Conspiracy

An Iowa ready-mix concrete company pleaded guilty to participating in a price-fixing conspiracy for the sales of ready-mix concrete.



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Justice Department Files Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Waupaca County, Wisconsin

The Justice Department today announced it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Waupaca County, Wis., discriminated against Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department patrol officer Julie Ann Thobaben because of her gender when it failed to promote her.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with City of Manassas Park, Virginia, on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with the city of Manassas Park, Va., that, if approved by the court, will allow for the city to bail out from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the city from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Medicare

An owner of a Houston health care company pleaded guilty today in connection with a $654,227 Medicare fraud scheme.



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California UBS Clients Plead Guilty to Hiding Assets in Secret Swiss Bank Account

Sean Roberts and Nadia Roberts of Tehachapi, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii of the Eastern District of California to a criminal information charging them with filing a false tax return related to an undisclosed Swiss bank account that they maintained at UBS, as well as other offshore bank accounts.



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Former TBW CEO Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Fraud Scheme

The former chief executive officer (CEO) of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker (TBW) was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for his role in a more than $2.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failure of TBW.



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Former Co-Owner of Illinois Technology Company Sentenced to Serve One Year and a Day in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Defraud the Federal E-Rate Program

A former co-owner of an Illinois-based technology company, Global Networking Technologies Inc. (GNT), was sentenced today to serve one year and a day in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to defraud the federal E-Rate program.



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Texas Man Sentenced to Jail in Connection with Kansas Deer Hunting and Guiding Operation

A Texas man was sentenced today in federal court in Wichita on felony charges of conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and obstruction of justice related to the illegal sale of guided deer hunts in southern Kansas.



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U.S. Army Sergeant and Associate Indicted for Alleged Bribe Scheme Involving Contracts at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait

An 11-count indictment unsealed today in federal court in Wheeling, W.V., charges an Army sergeant first class and his associate for their alleged roles in a bribery and money laundering scheme at Camp Arifjan, a U.S. military base in Kuwait.



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Owner of Detroit-Area Medical Clinic Sentenced to Prison for Role in $1.12 Million Diagnostic Testing Fraud Scheme

An owner of a Detroit-area medical clinic was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for her role in a $1.12 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Department of Justice Launches Crimesolutions.Gov Website

This new site is a central, credible resource to inform practitioners and policymakers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.



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Michael Jackson’s Former General Manager Pleads Guilty to Tax Charges in Washington, D.C., Court

Raymone Bain, a public relations specialist and the former general manager of the late pop star Michael Jackson, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Washington, D.C., to charges that she failed to file federal and District of Columbia income tax returns.



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Iowa Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

Bobby Joe Knapp, the former owner and operator of the Equitable Building in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James E. Gritzner to 41 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards for his role during the renovation of more than 10 floors of the building between 2005 and 2008.



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Department of Justice Disrupts International Cybercrime Rings Distributing Scareware

Today the Department of Justice and the FBI, along with international law enforcement partners, announced the indictment of two individuals from Latvia and the seizure of more than 40 computers, servers and bank accounts as part of Operation Trident Tribunal, an ongoing, coordinated enforcement action targeting international cybercrime.



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Former Army Contracting Officials Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud the U.S. & Filing False Tax Returns and Ethics Forms

Kenneth H. Nix and Velma I. Salinas-Nix, both of Boerne, Texas, were indicted by a federal grand jury in San Antonio on a multi-count indictment alleging tax fraud and false statements to the U.S. government.



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Owner of Houston Health Care Company Pleads Guilty in Connection with $1.3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

An owner of a Houston health care company pleaded guilty today to committing health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters.



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Owners of Houston Health Care Company Plead Guilty to Medicare Fraud

Two owners of a Houston health care company pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $800,000.



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Members of International Procurement Network Indicted for Supplying Iran with U.S. Military Aircraft Components

Seven individuals and five corporate entities based in the United States, France, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Iran have been indicted in the Middle District of Georgia for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to illegally export military components for fighter jets and attack helicopters from the United States to Iran.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with George’s Inc.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with George’s Inc. that requires George’s to make important capital improvements to a Harrisonburg, Va., chicken processing plant in order to settle the litigation surrounding George’s acquisition of the Tyson Foods Inc. plant.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the Alamance County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Office

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), Alamance County and Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson seeking a judicial declaration that department attorneys may interview particular ACSO personnel outside the presence of ACSO’s counsel.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against City of New Berlin, Wisconsin, for Blocking Affordable Housing

The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the city of New Berlin, Wis., alleging that the city violated the Fair Housing Act by repeatedly taking action to prevent the construction of an affordable housing development by a private developer, MSP Real Estate Inc.



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Two Men Charged in Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center

Two men were arrested late last night and are charged by criminal complaint with terrorism and firearms related charges.



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Two Indicted in Kentucky on Conspiracy and Harboring of Undocumented Bolivian National for Financial Gain

Javier Arce, 58, and Cristina Mier Arce, 55, were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy and harboring of an undocumented Bolivian national for their financial gain.



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Texas Contract Security Officer Charged with Sexual Abuse

The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Contract Security Officer Edwin Rodriguez, 31, of Raymondville, Texas, with sexual abuse of a female Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee who was under his supervision at the Willacy Detention Center, a federally contracted detention facility in Raymondville, Texas.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division Speaks at the Third Annual Gangs, Drugs & Prosecution Conference in New Mexico

"In every district, the Attorney General’s anti-violence strategy will require close coordination among state, local, and tribal law enforcement. In the Attorney General’s view – and I share his vision as well – fighting violent crime requires more than just putting offenders in jail. It also requires preventing crime before it occurs, and smoothing the transition of released prisoners back into society."