b Former Staff Member in U.S. House of Representatives Indicted on Corruption Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 15:09:17 EST A grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a three-count indictment today charging a former staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives with corruption offenses. Fraser C. Verrusio, 39, was charged by the grand jury with conspiring to accept an illegal gratuity, accepting an illegal gratuity, and making a false statement in failing to report his receipt of gifts from a lobbyist and the lobbyists client on his 2003 financial disclosure form. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Guilty Plea in Case of <i>Cosco Busan</i> Ship Pilot By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 17:04:23 EST John Joseph Cota, a California ship pilot, pleaded guilty today to negligently causing the discharge of approximately 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay in violation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, a law enacted in the wake of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Cota, who piloted the M/V Cosco Busan when it hit the San Francisco Bay Bridge on Nov. 7, 2007, also pleaded guilty today to violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the death of protected migratory birds. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b 60th Felony Conviction Obtained in Software Piracy Crackdown Operation Fastlink By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 18:27:04 EST The 60th felony conviction from Operation Fastlink, a major Department of Justice initiative to combat online piracy worldwide. Bryan Thomas Black, 30, of Waterloo, Ill., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal infringement of a copyright for his involvement in a multinational software piracy organization that was targeted by investigators as part of Operation Fastlink, an internationally coordinated 18-month investigation. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Two Indicted for Conspiring to Steal Trade Secrets from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 18:29:22 EST An indictment was unsealed today charging Clark Alan Roberts, 46, and Sean Edward Howley, 38, both engineers with Wyko Tire Technology Inc., located in Greenback, Tenn., with conspiring to steal trade secrets from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and scheming to defraud Goodyear of confidential and proprietary information. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Illinois Man Convicted for Production, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography, as Well as Bank Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 9 Mar 2009 16:10:24 EDT Carl Courtright III, of Granite City, Ill., was convicted today on child pornography and bank fraud charges in the Southern District of Illinois following a five-day jury trial. The federal jury convicted Courtright of one count of production of child pornography, two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, as well as one count of bank fraud. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Alaska State Senator Sentenced on Public Corruption Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:18:56 EDT John Cowdery, a former elected member of the Alaska state senate, was sentenced today to three years probation with a special condition requiring him to serve six months of home confinement for conspiring to bribe another Alaska state legislator. U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline for the District of Alaska also ordered Cowdery to pay a $25,000 fine. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b U.S. Department of Justice Promotes International Network to Combat Intellectual Property Crime By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:57:51 EDT Building upon the successes of earlier efforts, the Department today announced the opening in Bangkok of a regional conference of approximately 100 key law enforcement and industry officials from more than a dozen nations with the goal of strengthening international cooperation in fighting large-scale intellectual property crimes. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Individual Indicted in Connection with Costa Rica-based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:43:37 EDT A British citizen was charged in connection with the operation of a series of fraudulent business opportunities on March 10, 2009, by a Miami federal grand jury. Sirtaj Mathauda was indicted on charges that he and his co-conspirators purported to sell vending machine, beverage and greeting card business opportunities, including assistance in establishing, maintaining and operating such businesses. The charges form part of the governments continued nationwide crackdown on business opportunity fraud. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Alaska State Representative Pleads Guilty to Public Corruption Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:39:53 EDT Beverly L. Masek, a former elected member of the Alaska House of Representatives, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bribery. Masek pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline in Anchorage to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Four Arrested in Killings of Eagles and Other Protected Birds By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:27:09 EDT Four men have been arrested by special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the result of an undercover investigation into the illegal killing and trade of bald and golden eagles and other protected birds. The men are charged in four complaints with alleged violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Lacey Act. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Jury Convicts Former Social Worker of Defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs and Obstructing Justice By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:05:02 EDT A former Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) social work associate was convicted yesterday by a jury on four counts of honest services mail fraud, violating the criminal conflict of interest statute and making a false statement to agency officials. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b U.S. Border Patrol Agent Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charge for Assault in Federal Detention Facility By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:59:17 EDT A U.S. Border Patrol agent has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Tucson, Ariz., on federal civil rights charges related to an alleged assault on a detainee at a federal detention facility. The two-count indictment, returned on March 11, 2009, alleges that on May 10, 2006, Eduardo Moreno violated the civil rights of a federal detainee by assaulting and causing bodily injury to the individual while Moreno was on duty at the U.S. Border Patrol processing facility in Nogales, Ariz. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Accounting Firm Vice Chairman/Board Member Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Related to Tax Shelters By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:40:53 EDT Adrian Dicker, a United Kingdom chartered accountant and former vice chairman and board member at a major international accounting firm, pleaded guilty today to conspiring with certain tax shelter promoters to defraud the United States in connection with tax shelter transactions involving clients of the accounting firm and the law firm Jenkens & Gilchrist (J&G). Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Justice Department Settles Allegations of Disability Discrimination Against Town of St. John, Indiana By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:45:09 EDT The Department today announced a settlement resolving allegations that the town of St. John, Ind., violated the Fair Housing Act when it denied a petition for a zoning variance based on the disability of a prospective resident. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b U.S. Sues Union Pacific R.R. for $37 Million for Allegedly Failing to Prevent Use of Rail Cars to Smuggle Narcotics Across Border By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:49:15 EDT The government has filed two lawsuits against the Union Pacific Railroad Company for allegedly failing to prevent the use of its rail cars to smuggle large quantities of narcotics into the United States. The complaints, filed in San Diego and Houston, seek more than $37 million in monetary penalties. The government alleges the rail cars were brought across the border at the ports of entry at Calexico, Calif., and Brownsville, Texas. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Third Defendant Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Scheme Involving Bribes for Contracts at Kuwait Army Base By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:41:25 EDT The sister of a U.S. Army officer has pleaded guilty for her participation in a money-laundering scheme related to bribes paid for contracts awarded in support of the Iraq war. Carolyn Blake, of Sunnyvale, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy after accepting more than $3 million in bribe proceeds on behalf of her brother, Major John Cockerham. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b MS-13 Member Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Involvement in Rico Conspiracy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:48:50 EDT A member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release for his participation in a racketeering enterprise. Manuel Marquez, a/k/a Morro, was sentenced in Nashville, Tenn., by Chief Judge Todd J. Campbell of the Middle District of Tennessee. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Justice Department Announces Public Education Campaign Grants to Fight Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:18:03 EDT The Department is making grant funding available for public education programs concerning immigration-related employment discrimination. The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), a section of the Departments Civil Rights Division, announced the availability of funds for public education programs regarding employees rights and employers obligations under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Arrested for Violating Civil Rights by Kidnapping By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:12:24 EDT Agents with the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Wyoming Department of Criminal Justice arrested Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Franklin Joseph Ryle late yesterday in Douglas, Wyo., on criminal civil rights charges. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Disaster Fraud Hotline Available to Report Flood-Related Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:03:07 EDT In response to the Red River flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota and subsequent relief efforts, the National Center for Disaster Fraud is reminding members of the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Members of the public can report fraud, waste, abuse or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations through the Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, the Disaster Fraud Fax at 225-334-4707 or the Disaster Fraud e-mail at disaster@leo.gov. Individuals can also report criminal activity to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b United States Files Civil Lawsuit Against BP Exploration for Oil Spills on North Slope in Alaska By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:28:45 EDT The United States has filed a civil complaint against BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. (BPXA) alleging that the company violated federal clean air and water laws. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b One Current and Two Retired Baltimore City Police Department Officers Indicted on Civil Rights Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 17:10:48 EDT A current Baltimore City Police Department officer and two retired officers were charged in a six-count federal indictment unsealed today with civil rights and obstruction of justice violations stemming from an April 2004 incident during which officers allegedly assaulted a handcuffed and shackled juvenile with a baton and pool stick. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Baton Rouge, Louisiana Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 18:30:30 EDT Nathan Davis, a former police officer with the Baton Rouge Police Department in Baton Rouge, La., pleaded guilty today to a felony civil rights violation for use of excessive force. At todays court hearing, defendant Davis admitted that he intentionally used excessive force in March 2007 against a man who had been arrested, handcuffed and taken to a police department holding center. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b UBS Client Charged with Filing False Tax Return By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 12:30:24 EDT Steven Michael Rubinstein, of Boca Raton, Fla., has been charged, via criminal complaint, with filing a false income tax return. Rubinstein made his initial appearance this morning before Magistrate Judge Barry S. Seltzer in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The defendant was temporarily detained, pending a bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. before Magistrate Judge Seltzer. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b U.S. Sues 32 Individuals, Alleging $30 Million Tax Credit Scam Based on Sham Sales from Non-Existent Methane Production Facilities at Landfills By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 14:08:05 EDT The United States has sued four Certified Public Accounts (CPA), 27 tax preparers and one other individual, seeking to bar them from promoting an alleged tax scam involving bogus income tax credits claimed for sham sales of methane from landfills. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Two Individuals Convicted on Charges of Conspiracy and Bribery in Connection with a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans Levee Reconstruction Project By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 18:03:49 EDT A former contract employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a dirt, sand and gravel subcontractor were both convicted on charges of conspiracy and bribery in connection with a $16 million hurricane protection project for the reconstruction of the Lake Cataouatche Levee, south of New Orleans. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Efforts to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 2 Apr 2009 18:00:23 EDT The increased efforts and reallocation of personnel recently announced by the Department of Justice builds on the foundation of expertise and experience gained from ongoing efforts to combat Mexican drug cartels in the United States and to help Mexican law enforcement battle cartels in its own country. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Member of U.S. Navy Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Disclosing Classified Information By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 14:57:08 EDT Nora R. Dannehy, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and other federal officials announced that Hassan Abu-Jihaad, formerly known as Paul R. Hall, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for disclosing previously classified information relating to the national defense. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Statement from Department of Justice Regarding Federal Law Enforcement Response to Binghamton, N.Y., Shootings By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 14:49:40 EDT The Department of Justice, through the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), is providing federal law enforcement assistance to the Binghamton Police Department in response to the shootings in Binghamton. The FBIs Albany, N.Y., field office has sent hostage negotiators, an evidence response team and command post assistance. ATF is providing seven special agents from the Syracuse and Albany field offices. The Department will continue to provide assistance as requested in response to this rapidly developing situation. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Justice Department Seeks Removal of Pittsburgh-Area Man Who Served as Nazi Concentration Camp Guard By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 16:10:15 EDT The Department of Justice has initiated removal proceedings against a Sharon, Penn., resident who served as an armed SS guard at two Nazi concentration camps in Germany during World War II. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Lobbyist Sentenced for Destroying Evidence in Public Corruption Investigation By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 16:49:19 EDT A partner in a Pennsylvania-based lobbying firm was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr., to five months of home detention for destroying evidence in connection with a public corruption investigation, Acting Assistant Attorney General Rita M. Glavin of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director of the FBIs Washington Field Office Joseph Persichini Jr., and Special Agent in Charge C. André Martin of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation announced. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Bristol-Myers Squibb Senior Executive Pleads Guilty for Role in Dishonest Dealings with the Federal Government By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 15:18:13 EDT A former senior executive of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS), Andrew Bodnar, pleaded guilty for his role in BMSs dishonest dealings with the federal government relating to a patent deal involving the popular blood-thinning drug Plavix. This plea agreement follows BMSs June 11, 2007, agreement to plead guilty and pay a $1 million criminal fine the maximum fine permitted by statute for misleading the government about the Plavix patent deal. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Virginia Physicist Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Illegally Exporting Space Launch Data to China and Offering Bribes to Chinese Officials By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 7 Apr 2009 17:57:44 EDT A physicist in Newport News, Va., was sentenced to 51 months in prison today for illegally exporting space launch technical data and defense services to the Peoples Republic of China and offering bribes to Chinese government officials. Shu Quan-Sheng, 68, a native of China, naturalized U.S. citizen and Ph.D. physicist, was sentenced by Judge Henry C. Morgan, Jr. in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Norfolk Division. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Asbestos Monitoring Contractor Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 12:09:42 EDT A former owner of an asbestos monitoring contractor that provided services to New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) pleaded guilty today for making false statements to FBI agents and representatives of the Departments Antitrust Division. Stephen E. McAnulty, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, for lying about his knowledge of a kickback and fraud conspiracy that took place at NYPH. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Six Former Executives of California Valve Company Charged in $46 Million Foreign Bribery Conspiracy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 17:43:58 EDT Six former executives of an Orange County, Calif.-based valve company were charged today in connection with a conspiracy to secure contracts by paying bribes to officials of foreign state-owned companies as well as officers and employees of foreign and domestic private companies. The contracts resulted in net profits to the company of approximately $46.5 million. According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly engaged in a bribery conspiracy from approximately 1998 through 2007. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Justice Department and Fort Bend County, Texas, Resolve Claims Alleging Voting Rights Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 15:43:52 EDT The Justice Department today announced the filing of a lawsuit and the settlement of its claims against Fort Bend County, Texas, alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Two Department of Defense Contractors Charged in Bribery Conspiracy Related to DOD Contracts in Afghanistan By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 16:50:23 EDT Two Department of Defense (DOD) contractors were charged with conspiracy and bribery relating to their roles involving DOD contracts in Afghanistan. A Lebanese contracting company is also charged with participating in the same conspiracy. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Shelby County, Tenn., Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 17:00:56 EDT Adam S. Pretti, 31, a former deputy with the Shelby County Sheriffs Office, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Memphis, Tenn., to using excessive force during an encounter with a citizen. During his plea hearing, Pretti acknowledged that he abused his authority as a law enforcement officer when, in March 2006, he willfully and without justification used excessive force by striking a man in the head. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Federal Court Bars Homewood, Illinois, Tax Preparers from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 17:15:41 EDT U.S. District Court Judge Robert W. Gettlemen entered an order barring tax preparers, Michael J. Singleton and his wife, Ladonna Singleton, from preparing federal tax returns for others. The court’s ruling came after the Singletons failed to defend against the government’s allegations. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Federal Court Blocks Chicago Tax Preparation Firm from Claiming Improper Tax Credits By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 17:41:10 EDT A federal court has barred a Chicago tax preparation firm, El Caminante, Inc. and its principal operator, Maria Colica, from preparing federal income tax returns claiming false tax credits. The company and Colica agreed to the injunction. The Government civil injunction complaint filed in the case alleged that Colica fraudulently claimed fuel tax credits for customers who were not entitled to them. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Arrested on Civil Rights Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 18:47:19 EDT The Department announced the arrest of a former trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety who is charged with depriving multiple Latino motorists of their civil rights. According to the four count indictment returned by a federal Grand Jury in Corpus Christi, Texas, on April 8, 2009, Michael Anthony Higgins violated federal law by willfully stealing money from Latino motorists that he had stopped on the highway while working as a trooper. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Disbarred Maryland Attorney Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:44:52 EDT Tax return preparer Lawrence Sperling pleaded guilty today to aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. Sperling was scheduled to begin trial on April 14, 2009 before Judge Deborah Chasanow in Greenbelt, Md. According to the indictment and the plea agreement, Sperling knowingly prepared tax returns for his clients that contained false and fraudulent items, including inflated medial expenses, charitable contributions, miscellaneous employment-related expenses, and child care credits. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Bronx Return Tax Preparer Indicted for Aiding in Preparation of False Tax Returns By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:12:20 EDT Alexander Tajong, a Bronx, N.Y.-based return preparer, was charged today with twenty counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns for 10 of his clients during the 2002 and 2003 tax years. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b UBS Client Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return Hid Assets Worth $3 Million in Secret Swiss Bank Account By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:42:53 EDT Robert Moran, of Lighthouse Point, Fla., pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with filing a false income tax return. Moran appeared today before Judge James I. Cohn in Ft. Lauderdale and accepted responsibility for concealing more than $3 million in assets in a secret bank account at UBS in Switzerland. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty for Attempting to Receive Protected Leopard Tortoises By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:13:21 EDT Rene Soliz of Alice, Texas, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Corpus Christi, Texas, to a violation of the Lacey Act for attempting to receive fifteen Tanzanian leopard tortoises that were transported into the United States in violation of a law, regulation or treaty, specifically, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Housing Discrimination at 12 Multifamily Housing Complexes in Louisville, Kentucky By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:00:23 EDT The Department announced that a federal district court judge in Louisville, Ky., approved a settlement of the Departments lawsuit alleging that those involved in the design and construction of 12 multifamily housing complexes discriminated on the basis of disability. The complexes contain more than 800 units covered by the Fair Housing Acts accessibility provisions. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Quest Diagnostics to Pay U.S. $302 Million to Resolve Allegations That a Subsidiary Sold Misbranded Test Kits By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:44:48 EDT Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and its subsidiary, Nichols Institute Diagnostics (NID), have entered into a global settlement with the United States to resolve criminal and civil claims concerning various types of diagnostic test kits that NID manufactured, marketed and sold to laboratories throughout the country until 2006. The payment of $302 million will resolve these allegations and represents one of the largest recoveries ever in a case involving a medical device. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Former Oklahoma Deputy Sheriff Indicted for Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:58:53 EDT Ben Milner, a former deputy sheriff with the Choctaw County, Okla., Sheriffs Department, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the civil rights of a man during a traffic stop and the civil rights of two inmates at the Choctaw County Jail. The grand jury also indicted Milner on two counts of obstructing justice in connection with the incident involving the inmates. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Iraqi-Born Dutch Citizen Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Terrorism Conspiracy Against Americans in Iraq By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:01:59 EDT An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for conspiring to murder Americans overseas, including by planting roadside bombs targeting U.S. soldiers in Fallujah, Iraq, and by demonstrating on video how these explosives would be detonated to destroy American vehicles and their occupants. Full Article OPA Press Releases
b Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Philadelphia Regarding Polling Place Access for People with Disabilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:31:49 EDT The Department announced a settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the city of Philadelphia to greatly improve accessibility for individuals with mobility disabilities at the citys 1,200 polling places. Todays settlement is the first settlement by the Department with a city focused solely on accessible polling places. Under the terms of the settlement, the city of Philadelphia recognizes that accessible polling places are the cornerstone of its voting accessibility program and will make its polling places accessible to persons with disabilities. Full Article OPA Press Releases