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U.S. and Mississippi Announce Clean Water Act Agreement with the City of Jackson

The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality announced today a comprehensive Clean Water Act settlement with the city of Jackson, Miss.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Texas Man Sentenced in Indiana to 330 Months in Prison for Participating in International Child Pornography Distribution Ring

A Texas man was sentenced today to serve 330 months in prison for his participation in an international child pornography distribution ring.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Participation in Online Conspiracy to Trade Child Pornography

Two Wisconsin men and a Missouri man were sentenced to prison for their role in a conspiracy to advertise, distribute and possess child pornography.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Mississippi Men Plead Guilty for Committing Hate Crimes Against African-American

William Kirk Montgomery, 23, from Puckett, Miss., and Jonathan K. Gaskamp, 20, from Brandon, Miss., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Miss., to conspiracy and federal hate crime charges in connection with their roles in the assault of African-Americans in Jackson, the Justice Department announced today. Defendants Deryl Paul Dedmon, 20; John Aaron Rice, 19; and Dylan Wade Butler, 21, all from Brandon, Miss., have previously entered guilty pleas in connection with their roles in these offenses. The conspiracy culminated in the death of James Craig Anderson, who was assaulted and killed on June 26, 2011.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart Delery Speaks at Pen and Pad Briefing Announcing Record Civil FY 2012 Recoveries

"We know that enforcement alone will not get us out of this problem. So our agency partners are working hard to root out fraud before it happens, and they negotiate compliance agreements in connection with their administrative remedies that establish tough structures to help prevent further instances of fraud." said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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Healthpoint Ltd. to Pay up to $48 Million for False Medicaid and Medicare Claims for Unapproved Prescription Drug

Healthpoint Ltd. and DFB Pharmaceuticals will pay up to $48 million to resolve allegations that Healthpoint caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid for an unapproved drug, Xenaderm, which was ineligible for reimbursement by those programs.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Dallas Securities Broker Pleads Guilty in Oklahoma for Role in Stock Manipulation Scheme

A former securities broker pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud thousands of investors through the manipulation of publicly traded stocks.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, His Girlfriend and Two of Their Associates Plead Guilty to Participating in Multi-year Bribery and Alien Smuggling Activities Along U.S./Mexico Border

A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, his girlfriend and two of their associates pleaded guilty today in federal court for their participation in multi-year bribery and alien smuggling activities along the U.S./Mexico border.



  • OPA Press Releases

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UBS Securities Japan Co. Ltd. to Plead Guilty to Felony Wire Fraud for Long-running Manipulation of LIBOR Benchmark Interest Rates

UBS Securities Japan Co. Ltd. (UBS Japan), an investment bank, financial advisory securities firm and wholly-owned subsidiary of UBS AG, has agreed to plead guilty to felony wire fraud and admit its role in manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a leading benchmark used in financial products and transactions around the world.



  • OPA Press Releases

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New Jersey Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Bid-Rigging Scheme at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions

A New Jersey company in the business of receiving the assignment of municipal tax liens pleaded guilty today for its role in a conspiracy to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities in New Jersey.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Financial Services Broker Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Prison for Role in Conspiracies Involving Investment Contracts for the Proceeds of Municipal Bonds

A former financial services broker was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, for his participation in conspiracies related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty for Conspiring to Commit Hate Crimes Against African-Americans in Jackson, Mississippi

Joseph Dominick, 21, from Brandon, Miss., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Miss., to one count of conspiracy to commit federal hate crimes in connection with his role in the assault of African-Americans in Jackson.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Municipal Special Election in South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the municipal special election on Jan. 8, 2013, in Branchville, S.C., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Dreamboard Member Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Participating in International Criminal Network Organized to Sexually Exploit Children

A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to serve 45 years in prison for his participation in an international criminal network, known as Dreamboard, dedicated to the sexual abuse of children and the creation and dissemination of graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse throughout the world.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Man Sentenced for Trafficking in Counterfeit Gm Diagnostic Equipment

A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court to serve one year and one day in prison for selling counterfeit General Motors (GM) automotive diagnostic devices used by mechanics to identify problems with and assure the safety of motor vehicles.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of Texas Durable Medical Equipment Companies Convicted in Fraud Scheme

A Texas federal judge convicted the owner of two Texas-based durable medical equipment companies today on multiple health care fraud charges following a five-day bench trial.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery Speaks at the Press Conference Announcing Lawsuit Against S&P

"As a result of these provisions, FIRREA is a powerful weapon for combatting financial fraud, and it will continue to play a key role in the Department's efforts to hold accountable those who violated the law," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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RBS Securities Japan Limited Agrees to Plead Guilty in Connection with Long-Running Manipulation of Libor Benchmark Interest Rates

RBS Securities Japan Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS), has agreed to plead guilty to felony wire fraud and admit its role in manipulating the Japanese Yen London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a leading benchmark used in financial products and transactions around the world.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Georgia Man Admits Taking Bribes to Allow $1 Million Theft of Government Equipment from Marine Base

A retired employee of the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany (MCLB-Albany) pleaded guilty today to receiving bribes in exchange for allowing heavy equipment to be stolen from the base for resale.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Oklahoma Jail Superintendent and Assistant Jail Superintendent Indicted on Multiple Civil Rights Offenses

A federal grand jury in Muskogee, Okla., has indicted Raymond A. Barnes, 42, and Christopher A. Brown, 31, the former jail superintendent and assistant jail superintendent, respectively, of the Muskogee County Jail (MCJ) on multiple counts of civil rights offenses related to allegations of excessive force on inmates at MCJ on or between August 2009 and May 2011.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery Speaks at the National Consumers League Fraud.org Relaunch Event

"Consumer advocates like NCL are the front line for so many consumers who have been defrauded and just don’t know where to turn. Like its predecessor, the Fraud Center, the new site will make it easier for consumers to report potential fraud or misrepresentation, and for law enforcement organizations, like the Civil Division, to do something about it," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery Speaks at the PCA Pen and Pad

"When food or drug manufacturers lie and cut corners, they put all of us at risk. The Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue any person whose criminal conduct risks the safety of Americans who have done nothing more than eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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Singapore-Based Shipping Company to Pay $2.2 Million for Covering up Oil Pollution

Pacific International Lines, a Singapore-based container ship company, was sentenced today in D.C. federal court under the terms of a plea agreement that requires the company to pay $2.2 million in criminal penalties.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Owners of Los Angeles-Area Medical Equipment Wholesaler Plead Guilty to Conspiring with Customers to Defraud Medicare

Two former owners of a Los Angeles-area medical equipment wholesale supply company pleaded guilty today to conspiring with their customers to defraud Medicare.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with School District of Palm Beach County, Fla., to Prevent and Address Discrimination in School Enrollment and Student Discipline

The Justice Department announced that it has reached a comprehensive settlement agreement with the School District of Palm Beach County, Fla., the nation’s eleventh-largest school district, to prevent and address discrimination in school enrollment and student discipline.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Stock Manipulators Sentenced in Texas to Prison for $1 Million Securities Fraud Scheme

An employee of a Texas securities firm and a broker-dealer who conspired with him and others to artificially pump up the stock prices of several publicly traded companies were sentenced to prison terms today for their roles in the $1 million scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Philippine Nationals Convicted in Los Angeles of Importing Military Grade Weapons

Three Philippine nationals were convicted today in Los Angeles of illegally importing military grade weapons in the United States after being caught in a sting operation that was conducted in the Philippines.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery Speaks at the Second Annual Consumer Protection Summit

"We have made protecting consumers a centerpiece of the Department’s overall anti-fraud efforts because consumer fraud affects ordinary people every day and can devastate victims," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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Shipping Corporations to Pay $10.4 Million for Environmental Crimes on Four Ships

Two shipping firms based in Germany and Cyprus today pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of justice charges and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to the deliberate concealment of vessel pollution from four ships that visited U.S. ports in New Jersey, Delaware and Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

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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.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Files Consent Decree to Prevent and Address Racial Discrimination in Student Discipline in Meridian, Miss.

The Justice Department announced that, jointly with the Meridian Public School District in Meridian, Miss., and private plaintiffs, it has filed a landmark consent decree to prevent and address racial discrimination in student discipline in district schools.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels Speaks at the Meridian Pen and Pad

"The Department is engaged in efforts across the country to break down barriers to opportunity for America’s schoolchildren, and to ensure that school is a road to success, not a pipeline to prison," said Prinicpal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Samuels.




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Robert Listenbee Jr. Assumes Leadership of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary announced that Robert L. Listenbee Jr. has assumed the role as administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Mississippi Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Orchestrating Assault on Inmate

Kenny McLaughlin, 35, a corrections officer at the Stone County Regional Facility in Stone County, Miss., pleaded guilty today in federal court to ordering the beating of an inmate at the detention facility.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Defense Department Contract Employee Sentenced to 35 Months in Prison for Participating in Corruption Scheme at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait

A former contract employee of the U.S. Defense Department (DoD) was sentenced today to serve 35 months in prison for his participation in a bribery and money laundering scheme arising from corruption in the award of defense contracts at Camp Arifjan, an Army base in Kuwait.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Settlement with Tyson Foods to Address Multiple Releases of Anhydrous Ammonia

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement with Tyson Foods Inc. and several of its affiliate corporations to address threats of accidental chemical releases after anhydrous ammonia was released during incidents at facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, resulting in multiple injuries, property damage and one fatality.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Reaches Multiple Settlements with Health Care Providers to Stop Discrimination Against Persons with Hearing Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that, as part of its Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, over the past year it has reached seven settlements with eight health care providers from across the United States to ensure that they are providing effective communication to people who are deaf or have hearing disabilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Owners and Managers of Rental Homes in Mississippi for Discriminating Against Families with Children

The Justice Department announced today that Marcus Manly Magee III, Ina Magee and their company, M.M. and S. Inc., have agreed to pay $27,000 to settle a lawsuit involving violations of the Fair Housing Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of Texas Durable Medical Equipment Companies Sentenced to 41 Months

Hugh Marion Willett, the owner of two Texas-based durable medical equipment companies, was sentenced today to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $182,450 in restitution.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Florida Woman Sentenced to Serve 72 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Prescription Drugs Over the Internet

Lina Rodriguez, 34, was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to serve 72 months in prison, followed by 24 months of supervised release, for operating and facilitating the operation of an Internet-pharmacy business that illegally shipped over $1.5 million of pharmaceuticals since July 2007 to U.S. and overseas purchasers.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Owner of Los Angeles Medical Equipment Supply Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Medicare

A former owner of a Los Angeles-area medical equipment supply company pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to defraud Medicare.



  • OPA Press Releases

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New Jersey Investor Pleads Guilty for Role in Bid-Rigging Scheme at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions

A financial investor who purchased municipal tax liens pleaded guilty today for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities in New Jersey.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of Multiple New York Construction Companies Indicted for Tax Fraud

Eric Anderson, of Dix Hills, N.Y., was arrested today following his indictment on April 25, 2013, on numerous tax crimes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder to Participate in Quintet Meeting of Attorneys General

Attorney General Eric Holder is traveling to Auckland, New Zealand, for the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Quintet of Attorneys General of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Mississippi and South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on May 7, 2013, in the towns of Clarksdale, Como and Ruleville, Miss., and in Charleston County, S.C., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Participating in Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Steal Payment Card Data from Hundreds of U.S. Merchants

A Romanian national pleaded guilty today to participating in an international, multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants’ computers.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Mississippi Corporation Pleads Guilty and Agrees to $ 1 Million Fine for Illegally Filling Protected Wetlands

Mississippi-based Hancock County Land LLC (HCL) pleaded guilty today to the unpermitted filling of wetlands near Bay St. Louis, Miss., and agreed to pay a $1 million fine and take remedial measures for two felony violations of the Clean Water Act/



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Dallas Securities Broker Sentenced in Oklahoma to 84 Months in Prison for Role in Stock Manipulation Scheme

A former stock broker was sentenced to prison today for his role in an extensive pump-and-dump stock manipulation scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Participating in Ambush Murder and Attempted Murder of Ice Agents in Mexico

Julian Zapata Espinoza, also known as “Piolin,” 32, pleaded guilty today to the murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Mississippi Laboratory Operator Found Guilty of Falsifying Records on Industrial Wastewater

The owner and sole operator of an environmental laboratory was found guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi of all counts of a federal indictment charging falsification of records and obstructing a federal criminal investigation.



  • OPA Press Releases