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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division Joseph F. Wayland Testifies Before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee

"In our system, antitrust and intellectual property policy function together to provide consumers with high-quality products and services at competitive prices, while at the same time preserving strong incentives for the innovation that creates and improves those products," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wayland.




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Justice Department Settled Claims of Discrimination Against United Natural Foods Inc.

The Justice Department announced today that it reached a settlement agreement with United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), resolving allegations that the company discriminated under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), when it impermissibly “reverified” the work authority of lawful permanent residents and required some non-citizen workers to provide specific Form I-9 documentation.



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Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Order for United Technologies Corporation to Proceed with Its Acquisition of Goodrich Corporation

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require United Technologies Corporation (UTC) to divest certain assets used in the production of electrical power systems and aircraft engine control systems in order to proceed with its acquisition of Goodrich Corporation.



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United States Settles Fair Housing Act Lawsuit Against Wisconsin Housing Provider

The Justice Department announced today that the owner and former manager of the Lowrey Hotel and Café in New Richmond, Wis., has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging they had sexually harassed a homeless woman who sought shelter at the hotel.



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Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the United Neighborhood Centers of America Neighborhood Revitalization Conference

"For more than a century, UNCA has worked to improve conditions in distressed neighborhoods and restore opportunity to those who live there," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.




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United States Joins Lawsuit Against San Francisco Area’s North East Medical Services

The United States has joined a whistleblower action pending in the Northern District of California against the federally-qualified health center (FQHC), North East Medical Services (NEMS), alleging that the center under-reported income it received from a managed care organization in order to artificially inflate reimbursements it received from the California Medicaid program, the Justice Department announced today. North East serves the San Francisco Bay area.



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Former Chief of Party in Baghdad for the United States Institute of Peace Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy

The former chief of party in Baghdad for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Robert Nathan Boorda, pleaded guilty to an information unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for conspiring to enrich himself by having USIP award a security contract at a fraudulently inflated price in exchange for a purported monthly consulting fee of $20,000 paid by the contractor.



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Eduardo Arellano-Felix Extradited from Mexico to the United States to Face Charges

Eduardo Arellano-Felix, 55, one of the alleged members of the Arellano-Felix Organization (AFO), was extradited today by the government of Mexico to the United States to face racketeering, money laundering and narcotics trafficking charges in the Southern District of California.



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United States Intervenes in False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Orlando, Florida-area Hospice

The government has intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) alleging false Medicare billings, the Justice Department announced today. HOTCI provides hospice services to patients residing in the vicinity of Orlando, Fla.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Women’s Access to Justice High-Level Lunch Event at the United Nations

"As history has consistently shown us, the most successful societies are those in which women are not only engaged in decision-making processes, but also empowered to assume larger roles and participate more broadly in society," said Attorney General Holder.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the United Nations General Assembly's High-Level Event on the Rule of Law

"I am here not only to pledge the United States’ commitment to these principles – but also our support for the United Nations’ robust efforts to strengthen the rule of law worldwide," said Attorney General Holder.




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Co-Founder of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Targeting Casinos Across the United States

Van Thu Tran was sentenced today in San Diego to 36 months in prison for her role in a scheme to cheat casinos across the country out of millions of dollars.



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Federal Court in New York Enters Consent Decree Between United States and Fan Club Website Company

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a consent decree between the United States and a company that operates fan club websites for popular recording artists such as Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, the Justice Department announced today. The government’s complaint, filed in connection with the decree, charges the company with violating both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule. The company has agreed to pay a $1 million penalty to settle these charges.



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Man Pleads Guilty in New York to Conspiring with Iranian Military Officials to Assassinate Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States

Manssor Arbabsiar, aka Mansour Arbabsiar, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Southern District of New York to participating in a plot to murder the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States while the Ambassador was in the United States.



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United States Sues Jacintoport International for False Claims in Connection with the Delivery of Humanitarian Food Aid

The United States has filed a complaint against Jacintoport International LLC under the False Claims Act in connection with a warehousing and logistics contract for the storage and redelivery of humanitarian food aid, the Justice Department announced today. Jacintoport is a cargo handling and stevedoring firm headquartered in Houston.



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United States Sues Virginia-based Contractor for False Claims Under Contract for Security in Iraq

The United States has filed a complaint against a Virginia-based contractor alleging that the company submitted false claims for unqualified security guards under a contract to provide security in Iraq, the Justice Department announced today. The company, Triple Canopy Inc. is headquartered in Reston, Va.



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United States Files Suit to Stop Virginia Man from Promoting Tax Fraud Scheme

The United States has sued Charles Sewell of Bristol, Va., to bar him from promoting an alleged scheme involving fraudulent tax refund claims, the Justice Department announced today.



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Al-Qaeda Operative Sentenced to Life in Prison in One of the Most Serious Terrorist Plots Against the United States since 9/11

Earlier today, Adis Medunjanin, age 34, a Queens, N.Y., resident who joined al-Qaeda, then plotted and attempted to commit suicide terrorist attacks, was sentenced in the Eastern District of New York to life in prison for multiple federal terrorism offenses.



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United States Sues Houston-based KBR and Kuwaiti Subcontractor for False Claims on Contracts to House American Troops in Iraq

The United States has filed a civil complaint against Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc. (KBR) and First Kuwaiti Trading Company for submitting inflated claims for the delivery and installation of trailers to house troops in Iraq.



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Iranian National and His Company Charged in Plot Involving Export of Military Antennas from the United States

Amin Ravan, a citizen of Iran, and his Iran-based company, IC Market Iran, have been charged in an indictment unsealed today with conspiracy to defraud the United States, smuggling, and violating the Arms Export Control Act in connection with the unlawful export of 55 military antennas from the United States to Singapore and Hong Kong.



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California Jewelry Store Owner Convicted of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Conspiracy to Launder the Proceeds of Bank Fraud

A federal jury sitting in Santa Ana, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, convicted Safieh Fard of one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and one count of conspiracy to launder the proceeds of bank fraud obtained after submitting fraudulent mortgage applications, the Justice Department and IRS Criminal Investigation announced. Fard’s co-conspirators, her sister Sedigheh Bahramian, and two of her sons, Mohsen Kikalaye and Ahmad Kikalaye, pleaded guilty to related counts of bank fraud in 2010.



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Financial Consultant Extradited to the United States for Alleged Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-import Bank

Manuel Ernesto Ortiz-Barraza, an independent financial consultant, was extradited to the United States today for his alleged role in a scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) of over $2.5 million.



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Former Executive Convicted for Role in Price-Fixing Conspiracy Involving Coastal Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico

Following a two-week trial, a federal jury in Puerto Rico today convicted a former executive of a Florida-based coastal water freight transportation company for his participation in a conspiracy to fix rates and surcharges for water transportation of freight between the continental United States and Puerto Rico.



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Former Department of Defense Contractor Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Smuggling Kickback Proceeds from Afghanistan to the United States

A former employee of a Department of Defense contracting company at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, was sentenced today to serve 30 months in prison for attempting to smuggle $150,000 in kickback proceeds he received for steering U.S. government subcontracts to an Afghan company.



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United States Joins Lawsuit Alleging Lance Armstrong and Others Caused the Submission of False Claims to the U.S. Postal Service

The Department of Justice announced today that the government has joined a civil lawsuit alleging that Lance Armstrong, Johan Bruyneel and Tailwind Sports LLC and Tailwind Sports Corporation submitted or caused the submission of false claims to the U.S. Postal Service in connection with its sponsorship of a professional bicycle racing team by regularly employing banned substances and methods to enhance their performance, in violation of the USPS sponsorship agreements.



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United States to Accept Concurrent Jurisdiction Over White Earth Reservation in Minnesota

The Department of Justice has granted a request by the White Earth Nation for the United States to assume concurrent criminal jurisdiction on the 1,300 square mile White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota.



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Former Shipping Executive Indicted for Role in Price-Fixing Conspiracy Involving Coastal Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico

A federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, returned an indictment against Thomas Farmer, a former executive of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Crowley Liner Services, for participating in a conspiracy to fix rates and surcharges for freight transported by water between the continental United States and Puerto Rico.



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Doreen Alexander Extradited to the United States to Face Kidnapping Charges

Doreen Alexander has been extradited to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago to face charges related to her alleged role in the 2005 kidnapping of naturalized U.S. citizen Balram “Balo” Maharaj.



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United States Files Complaint Against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. for Allegedly Paying Kickbacks to Doctors in Exchange for Prescribing Its Drugs

The Justice Department announced today that the United States has filed a second civil false claims lawsuit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. involving alleged kickbacks paid by the company to health care providers.



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United States Files False Claims Act Lawsuit Against the Largest For-Profit Hospice Chain in the United States

The United States has filed suit against Chemed Corporation and various wholly owned hospice subsidiaries, including Vitas Hospice Services LLC and Vitas Healthcare Corporation, alleging false Medicare billings for hospice services.



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International Cybercriminal Extradited from Thailand to the United States

Algerian national Hamza Bendelladj, aka “Bx1,” has been extradited from Thailand to the United States to face charges in Atlanta for allegedly playing a critical role in developing, marketing, distributing and controlling “SpyEye,” a pernicious computer virus designed to steal unsuspecting victims’ financial and personally identifying information.



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Adventist Health Pays United States and State of California $14.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Adventist Health System/West, dba Adventist Health, and its affiliated hospital White Memorial Medical Center have agreed to pay the United States and the state of California $14.1 million to settle claims that they violated the False Claims Act.



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California Jewelry Store Owner Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Conspiracy to Launder the Proceeds of Bank Fraud

Safieh Fard, 52, of Escondido, Calif., was sentenced late yesterday to 63 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney. Fard was also ordered to pay $594,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid individual income taxes.



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United States Sues Brooklyn Fish Processors in Food Safety Case

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit and sought a preliminary injunction against N.Y. Fish Inc.; New York City Fish Inc.; Maxim Kutsyk, Pavel Roytkov, Leonid Staroseletesky, and Steven Koyfman under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).



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Florida Woman Indicted on Conspiracy for Role in Bringing 143 Haitian Nationals to the United States on Fraudulently Obtained Guest Worker Visas

Today, a federal judge unsealed a three-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charging Jetta McPhee, 59, of Tamarac, Fla., for her role in bringing 143 Haitian nationals to the United States on fraudulently obtained guest worker visas that McPhee and her co-conspirator secured based on false representations that there were jobs awaiting those workers.



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French Oil and Gas Company, Total, S.A., Charged in the United States and France in Connection with an International Bribery Scheme

Total, S.A., a French oil and gas company that trades on the New York Stock Exchange, has agreed to pay a $245.2 million monetary penalty to resolve charges related to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with illegal payments made through third parties to a government official in Iran to obtain valuable oil and gas concessions



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Manssor Arbabsiar Sentenced in New York City Federal Court to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiring with Iranian Military Officials to Assassinate the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States

Manssor Arbabsiar, aka “Mansour Arbabsiar,” was sentenced today in New York City federal court to 25 years in prison for participating in a plot to murder the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S. while the Ambassador was in the U.S..



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For-Profit School in Texas to Pay United States up to $2.5 Million for Allegedly Submitting False Claims for Federal Student Financial Aid

American Commercial Colleges Inc. (ACC) has agreed to pay the United States up to $2.5 million, plus interest, to resolve allegations that it violated the civil False Claims Act by falsely certifying that it complied with certain eligibility requirements of the federal student aid programs.



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United States and Arkansas File Joint Complaint Against ExxonMobil for Pegasus Pipeline Oil Spill in Mayflower, Arkansas

Today the United States and the state of Arkansas filed a joint enforcement action against ExxonMobil Pipeline Company and Mobil Pipe Line Company (ExxonMobil) in federal district court in Little Rock, Ark.



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United Technologies Corporation Liable for Over $473 Million for Inflating Prices on Aircraft Engines Sold to Air Force

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio found United Technologies Corporation liable for over $473 million in damages and penalties arising out of a contract to provide the Air Force with fighter aircraft engines for F-15 and F-16 aircraft between 1985 and 1990.



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United States Reaches Agreement with Suncoke Energy Resolving Clean Air Violations at Plants in Illinois and Ohio

SunCoke Energy Inc. and two of its subsidiaries have agreed to pay $1.995 million to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations of emission limits at the Gateway Energy and Coke plant in Granite City, Illinois, and the Haverhill Coke plant in Franklin Furnace, Ohio.



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United States and Tennessee Reach Agreement with King Pharmaceuticals LLC to Resolve Allegations of Clean Air Act Violations

King Pharmaceuticals LLC (King) will pay $2.2 million and take measures to comply with the Clean Air Act to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility located in Bristol, Tenn.



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Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Implementation of the Supreme Court’s Decision in United States v. Windsor

Attorney General Eric Holder today issued the following statement regarding the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance to Federal agencies.



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United States Reaches an Agreement with XTO Energy to Prevent Waste Spills from Natural Gas Exploration and Production

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement with XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, to resolve an alleged violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) related to the discharge of wastewater from XTO’s Penn Township, Lycoming County, Pa. facility used for the storage of wastewater generated by natural gas exploration, commonly known as fracking, and production.



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United States Reaches Agreement with Arcadia, California, School District to Resolve Sex Discrimination Allegations

The United States entered into a settlement agreement with the Arcadia Unified School District in Arcadia, Calif., to resolve an investigation into allegations of discrimination against a transgender student based on the student’s sex.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes the Confirmation of Tony West as the Associate Attorney General of the United States

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation by the U.S. Senate of Tony West as the Department of Justice’s Associate Attorney General.



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United States Files Lawsuit Against PharMerica Corporation for Violations of the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act

The United States has filed suit against PharMerica Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The lawsuit alleges that PharMerica violated the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act by dispensing controlled drugs without valid prescriptions and causing claims for illegally dispensed drugs to be submitted to the Medicare program.



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Alabama Tax Return Preparers and 19 Foreign Nationals Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the United States, Identity Theft and Money Laundering

Justice Department announced that a 14-count superseding indictment was unsealed today, charging JB Tax Professional Services Inc., Jacqueline J. Arias and Jose Bayron Estrada, of Spruce Pine, Ala., along with 19 foreign nationals, many of whom resided in the New Orleans area, with conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud by filing fraudulent income tax returns.



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United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky Reach Agreement with AK Steel Corporation to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

The United States and the Commonwealth of Kentucky have reached a settlement with the AK Steel Corporation (AK Steel) in Ashland, Ky., resolving alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, AK Steel’s title V permit, and the Kentucky State Implementation Plan, announced the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).



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United States and Switzerland Issue Joint Statement Regarding Tax Evasion Investigations

The Department of Justice today announced a program that will encourage Swiss banks to cooperate in the department’s ongoing investigations of the use of foreign bank accounts to commit tax evasion.



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