on Webb County Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Official Actions By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 11:55:11 EDT Kristopher Michael Montemayor, a county commissioner for Precinct 1 of the Webb County Commissioners Court in Texas, pleaded guilty to bribery today Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former Owner of Physical Therapy Clinic Sentenced to Prison in Connection with Health Care Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 11:56:22 EDT A Florida man who was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud was sentenced to serve 27 months in prison today in federal court in Tampa, Florida Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $169 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Credit Card Lending Discrimination by GE Capital Retail Bank By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 11:57:51 EDT The Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced a settlement to resolve allegations that GE Capital Retail Bank, known as of this month as Synchrony Bank, engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination by excluding Hispanic borrowers from two of its credit card debt-repayment programs Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Miami for Role in $205 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 12:01:01 EDT A former patient recruiter pleaded guilty today in Miami, Florida, for his role in a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Houston Man Charged with Biofuels Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 12:06:59 EDT A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas, today indicted Philip Joseph Rivkin, a/k/a Felipe Poitan Arriaga, for offenses involving a federal renewable fuel program that allegedly netted him more than $29 million, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division announced. The 68-count indictment against Rivkin, 49, of Houston and most recently, Guatemala City, Guatemala, includes allegations of wire fraud, mail fraud, Clean Air Act false statements, and money laundering Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Attorney General Holder Delivers at the ONDCP Summit on Heroin and Prescription Drugs By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 09:34:45 EDT You know as well as anyone that the challenges we face are daunting. You’ve shown us that, as we seek to address the problem of substance abuse, it makes sense to focus on the most dangerous types of drugs. And right now, few substances are more lethal than prescription opioids and heroin. Full Article Speech
on Remarks by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Jocelyn Samuels at GE Capital Retail Bank Press Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 13:25:34 EDT The settlement resolves claims that the bank discriminated against Hispanic borrowers by excluding them from two credit card debt-repayment programs. It is the federal government’s largest credit card discrimination settlement in history. Full Article Speech
on One Year After Supreme Court’s Historic Windsor Decision, Attorney General Holder Issues Report Outlining Obama Administration’s Work to Extend Federal Benefits to Same-sex Married Couples By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:29:52 EDT Following the Supreme Court’s historic decision striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday issued a formal report on the yearlong effort by the Justice Department and other federal agencies to implement the decision smoothly across the entire government Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Owners of Two Houston-Area Home Health Care Companies, Doctor, and Hospital Employee Sentenced for Their Roles in $3 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 12:09:35 EDT Owners of two home health agencies, a doctor, and a hospital employee who sold patient information were all sentenced today for their roles in an $3 million Medicare fraud scheme Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Joint Statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice on the Declassification of Renewal of Collection Under Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 12:11:02 EDT The Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the following joint statement Friday Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Owner of Home Health Company Pleads Guilty to Role in $6.5 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:59:32 EDT The owner and operator of Nestor’s Health Services, Inc. (Nestor HH), a now-defunct Miami home health care agency, pleaded guilty today in connection with a $6.5 million health care fraud scheme Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Attorney General Holder Vows Justice Department Will Continue to Look at Banks That Help Payment Processors Carry out Consumer Scams, Says More Cases to Be Resolved Soon By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:00:43 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday said that the Justice Department will continue to investigate financial institutions that knowingly facilitate consumer scams, or that willfully look the other way in processing such fraudulent transactions. He acknowledged that multiple investigations were ongoing in this area, and said he expected several of those cases to be resolved in the coming months Full Article OPA Press Releases
on District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against California-Based Firm and Individuals to Prevent Distribution of Adulterated Dietary Supplements By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:01:45 EDT The Justice Department announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Otis D. Wright II of the Central District of California entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against GM Manufacturing Inc. (GMM) and Mao L. Yang, Mary Chen and David Yang on Friday, June 20, 2014, to prevent the distribution of adulterated dietary supplements Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Three Former Georgia Correctional Officers Convicted for Offenses Related to Beating of Inmate and Ensuing Cover-Up By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:02:53 EDT The Justice Department announced that Christopher Hall, a former sergeant for the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Macon State Prison (MSP) in Oglethorpe, Georgia, and two former CERT officers, Ronald Lach and Delton Rushin, were convicted on Friday night by a federal jury on federal offenses related to the beating of an MSP inmate in 2010 and the cover-up that followed Full Article OPA Press Releases
on 168 Juveniles Recovered in Nationwide Operation Targeting Commercial Child Sex Trafficking By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:04:06 EDT During the past week, the FBI, its local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) conducted Operation Cross Country VIII, a week-long enforcement action to address commercial child sex trafficking throughout the United States Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Air Force NCO Sentenced to 120 years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Toddlers and Children to Produce Child Pornography By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:06:13 EDT Earlier today, William S. Gazafi, age 44, of Lusby, Maryland, was sentenced to 120 years in prison, for six counts of sexually exploiting a minor to produce child pornography Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former Union Official Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $190,000 in Funds By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:07:18 EDT JC Stamps, a former union official, pleaded guilty today to embezzling more than $190,000 from two labor organizations he founded and an employee benefit plan Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former Chesapeake, Virginia Subcontractor Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:53:37 EDT Roderic J. Smith, 50, the co-founder and former president of a government contracting company, was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiracy to bribe public officials. Smith was ordered to forfeit $175,000 Full Article OPA Press Releases
on New Jersey School District to Adopt Service Animal Policies and Pay Fine to Resolve Justice Department Investigation By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:55:06 EDT The Justice Department announced today that it reached a settlement with the Delran Township School District in New Jersey under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Rhino and Ivory Smuggling Conspiracy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:56:27 EDT Ning Qiu, a resident of Frisco, Texas, and an appraiser of Asian art, pleaded guilty today in federal court to participating in an illegal wildlife smuggling conspiracy in which rhinoceros horns and objects made from rhino horn and elephant ivory worth nearly $1 million were smuggled from the United States to China Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former Louisiana State Corrections Official Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:57:58 EDT Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Walt Green for the Middle District of Louisiana announced today that a third former state corrections official has pleaded guilty to civil rights violations related to the beating of an inmate at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Attorney General Holder Pledges Support for Legislation to Provide E.U. Citizens with Judicial Redress in Cases of Wrongful Disclosure of Their Personal Data Transferred to the U.S. for Law Enforcement Purposes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:42:23 EDT Attorney General Eric Holder announced today that the Obama administration, as part of successfully concluding negotiations on the E.U.-U.S. Data Protection and Privacy Agreement (DPPA), would seek to work with Congress to enact legislation that would provide E.U. citizens with the right to seek redress in U.S. courts if personal data shared with U.S. authorities by their home countries for law enforcement purposes under the proposed agreement is subsequently intentionally or willfully disclosed, to the same extent that U.S. citizens could seek judicial redress in U.S. courts for such disclosures of their own law enforcement information under the Privacy Act Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Criticizing Wisconsin’s Voter Id Statute, Attorney General Holder Pledges Aggressive Enforcement of Remaining Parts of Voting Rights Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:43:54 EDT On the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, Attorney General Eric Holder pledged Wednesday that the Justice Department would remain aggressive in using Section 2 of the law—which was left intact by the Court’s decision—to guard against unjust voting restrictions Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Nation’s Largest Nursing Home Pharmacy Company to Pay $124 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Billings to Federal Health Care Programs By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:45:39 EDT Omnicare Inc., the nation’s largest provider of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy services to nursing homes, has agreed to pay $124.24 million for allegedly offering improper financial incentives to skilled nursing facilities in return for their continued selection of Omnicare to supply drugs to elderly Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, the Justice Department announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former Jenkens & Gilchrist Attorney Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Multibillion Dollar Criminal Tax Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:47:25 EDT Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for the Southern District of New York announced that Paul M. Daugerdas, 63, a tax attorney and certified public accountant, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to serve 15 years in prison for orchestrating a massive fraudulent tax shelter scheme in which he and his co-conspirators designed, marketed and implemented fraudulent tax shelters used by wealthy individuals to evade over $1.6 billion in taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Full Article OPA Press Releases
on California Operators of Myredbook.com Website Arrested for Facilitating Prostitution and Money Laundering By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:49:55 EDT Eric Omuro, of Mountain View, California, a.k.a “Red,” was arrested today following his indictment by a federal grand jury on charges involving the use of the mail and the Internet to facilitate prostitution, and multiple counts of money laundering Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Associate Attorney General West Delivers Remarks at the International Conference on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 09:58:25 EDT And equally important, I want to thank all of you -- the gathered Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Attorneys General, Supreme Court Justices, and criminal legal aid providers and experts -- for participating in this conference. Your presence here epitomizes the dual truths that all free people, wherever they may live, lay valid claim to equality in the eyes of the law, and that the majesty of the law finds its best and highest use in the service of justice. Full Article Speech
on Justice Department and State of Texas Require Martin Marietta to Divest a Quarry and Two Rail Yards to Proceed with Acquisition of Texas Industries By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:39:00 EDT The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Martin Marietta Materials Inc. to divest one Oklahoma quarry and two Texas rail yards in order to proceed with its proposed $2.7 billion acquisition of Texas Industries Inc. Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty for Role in $6.5 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:28:32 EDT A patient recruiter for a Miami home health care agency pleaded guilty today in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving defunct home health care company Nestor’s Health Services Inc. (Nestor HH). The owner and operator of Nestor HH pleaded guilty to charges related to the scheme earlier this month Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Department of Justice and Office of the Director of National Intelligence Announce Declassification of Renewal of Collection Under Section 501 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:30:15 EDT The Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released the following statement Friday Full Article OPA Press Releases
on California Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud Internal Revenue Service and Wire Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:31:50 EDT Kathryn Darlene Coryell, a Fresno, California, resident, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and wire fraud, announced Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino for the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag for the Northern District of California Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former Army Soldier Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of His Five Year Old Daughter By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:35:00 EDT Army Soldier Naeem Williams, 34, will receive a life sentence for murdering his five-year-old daughter, Talia Williams, after a federal jury in Honolulu, Hawaii, reported today it was unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether to impose the death penalty Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former Bail Bondsman Indicted in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:36:28 EDT Roderick Neal, of Dothan, Alabama, was indicted for stolen identity refund fraud crimes, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ronald A. Cimino of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today following the unsealing of the indictment Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Ahmed Abu Khatallah Indicted for Terrorist Conspiracy Stemming from September 2012 Attack in Benghazi, Libya By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:24:36 EDT Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a federal terrorism offense arising from his alleged participation in the Sept. 11 through 12, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Denso Corp. Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:15:09 EDT An executive of Japan-based Denso Corp. has agreed to plead guilty and to serve one year and one day in a U.S. prison in connection with the Antitrust Division’s investigation into a conspiracy to fix the prices of instrument panel clusters, also known as meters, installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
on U.S. Bank to Pay $200 Million to Resolve Alleged FHA Mortgage Lending Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:17:28 EDT U.S. Bank has agreed to pay the United States $200 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly originating and underwriting mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) that did not meet applicable requirements, the Justice Department announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Houston Man Sentenced for Threatening to Bomb Synagogue By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:20:31 EDT Dante Phearse, 33, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt to serve 33 months in prison for calling in a bomb threat to Congregation Beth Israel, a synagogue in Houston Full Article OPA Press Releases
on BNP Paribas Agrees to Plead Guilty and to Pay $8.9 Billion for Illegally Processing Financial Transactions for Countries Subject to U.S. Economic Sanctions By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:22:16 EDT According to court documents submitted today, BNP Paribas S.A. (BNPP), a global financial institution headquartered in Paris, agreed to enter a guilty plea to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA) by processing billions of dollars of transactions through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Sudanese, Iranian, and Cuban entities subject to U.S. economic sanctions Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Attorney General Holder Speaks at the White House Champions of Change Recognition Ceremony By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 17:01:09 EDT "These groundbreaking efforts [Smart on Crime, Federal Interagency Reentry Council] are enabling us to tear down unnecessary barriers to opportunity and independence – while building up programs and policies that enable returning individuals to successfully reintegrate into their communities." Full Article Speech
on Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Significant Law Enforcement Action By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 17:57:50 EDT Today, the Department of Justice submitted to the United States District Court a criminal information against BNP Paribas, one of the largest banks in the world, for conspiring with other entities to deliberately and repeatedly violate longstanding U.S. sanctions against Sudan, Cuba, and Iran. Full Article Speech
on U.S. Files Complaint and Consent Decree Against Mira Health and Senior Officers By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:48:11 EDT The United States has filed a complaint and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has entered a consent decree against Mira Health Ltd. (Mira), its chief operating officer, Michael S. Ragno Sr., and its quality assurance manager, Michael S. Ragno Jr., all of Farmingdale, New York Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Seven Colombian Nationals Charged in Connection with the Murder of a DEA Agent Extradited to the United States By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:25:22 EDT Seven Colombian nationals were extradited to the United States to face charges relating to the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent James Terry Watson Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Racially-Motivated Assault on Hurricane Relief Workers By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:28:39 EDT Josh Jambon, 52, a resident of Grand Isle, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today in front of U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to two counts of federal civil rights violations, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite Jr. for the Eastern District of Louisiana Full Article OPA Press Releases
on SunTrust Mortgage Agrees to $320 Million Settlement By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:30:31 EDT The Department of Justice today announced an agreement with SunTrust Mortgage Inc. that resolves a criminal investigation of SunTrust’s administration of the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Member and Associate of Lucchese Organized Crime Family Convicted of Racketeering and Other Crimes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:33:38 EDT A member and an associate of the Lucchese organized crime family and two Texas brothers were convicted today of racketeering and other charges after a six-month trial Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Former U.S. Navy Officer Pleads Guilty in International Bribery Scandal By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:34:55 EDT A retired Navy official who started a second career working for defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he and others overcharged the Navy by up to $2.5 million for port services to American ships and then used some of the proceeds to treat Navy officials to lavish dinners, cocktails and entertainment Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Associate Attorney General West Delivers Remarks at Mount Vernon Naturalization Ceremony By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 8 Jul 2014 14:19:33 EDT George Washington himself conceived and designed them, but it was Mount Vernon’s other residents -- the hundreds of men and women who worked for Washington -- it was their hands that built and tended this splendor. Like you, those men and women had origins that stretched around the globe. They were Christians and Muslims; Africans and Europeans. Full Article Speech
on Southern California Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud and Identity Theft By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:36:51 EDT A Southern California man who was convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, six counts of health care fraud and six counts of aggravated identity theft was sentenced to serve 121 months in prison today in federal court in Los Angeles Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Attorney General Holder Urges International Effort to Confront Threat of Syrian Foreign Fighters By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:38:41 EDT In a speech Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder called Syria "a cradle of violent extremism" and urged multilateral law enforcement action to confront the security threat posed by radicalized individuals from the United States and Europe traveling there Full Article OPA Press Releases
on Virginia-Based Move Management Company Pays More Than $500,000 to Settle Overbilling Claims in Connection with Transportation of Personal Property in Relocating Federal Employees By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:40:14 EDT RE/MAX Allegiance Relocation Services, a Virginia-based move management company, has agreed to pay the government $509,807 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by overbilling for transportation services, the Department of Justice announced today Full Article OPA Press Releases