y UBS Client Pleads Guilty to Failing to Report $6.1 Million in Swiss Bank Accounts By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:11:00 EDT A Saddle River, N.J., man pleaded guilty today to failure to file a Report of Foreign Bank or Financial Accounts (F-BAR. Juergen Homann appeared today before Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark, N.J., and accepted responsibility for concealing more than $5 million in Swiss bank accounts. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by Franklin County, North Carolina By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:51:58 EDT The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Raleigh, N.C., against Franklin County, N.C., alleging that the county retaliated against a former employee in its Department of Public Utilities, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, after the employee complained about sexual harassment by a co-worker. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Michigan Servicemember Against Security Company By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:11:20 EDT The Department today filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan alleging that Knight Protective Service Inc., willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by failing to promptly and properly reemploy King A. Gatten, a retired Army servicemember, when he returned from military service. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Jury Convicts Defense Department Official of Unlawful Communication of Classified Information and Making False Statements By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:49:01 EDT James Wilbur Fondren Jr., was convicted by a federal jury today on charges involving providing classified information to a man working with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and lying to the FBI about it. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Seafood Wholesaler and Owner Sentenced in a Conspiracy to Illegally Harvest Rock Fish By www.justice.gov Published On :: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:13:03 EDT Robert Lumpkins, owner of Golden Eye Seafood LLC, of St. Mary’s County, Md., was sentenced to 18 months in prison and the company was sentenced today to 3 years probation by U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte after a two day sentencing hearing in the District of Maryland. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y United States Transfers Three Guantanamo Bay Detainees By www.justice.gov Published On :: Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:15:16 EDT Three detainees have been transferred from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the control of the governments of Ireland and Yemen. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Announced Public Education Campaign Grants to Fight Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:59:27 EDT The Department today awarded $723,000 in grants to twelve groups serving communities throughout the country. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Detroit-Area Rehabilition Facility Executive Pleads Guilty To $18.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:44:45 EDT Suresh Chand pleaded guilty today to participating in multiple conspiracies to defraud the Medicare program and to launder the proceeds of the fraud. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Settlement Will Ensure Accessibility of Donna's Restaurant in Baltimore By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:13:39 EDT The Department announced a settlement agreement to make Donna’s, a café and restaurant located in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore accessible to people with disabilities. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by Franklin County, North Carolina By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:25:48 EDT The Department has reached a consent decree with Franklin County, N.C., that, if approved in federal court in Raleigh, N.C., will resolve the department’s allegation that the county retaliated against a former employee in its Department of Public Utilities, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Virginia, Agrees to Settle Clean Water Act Violations in Chesapeake Bay Area By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:58:57 EDT Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), based in Virginia Beach, Va., has agreed to pay a $900,000 civil penalty and to take corrective actions to reduce alleged sanitary sewer overflows from its collection system and nine sewage treatment plants that have polluted the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Florida Man Indicted In Alleged Fraudulent Lobbying and Fund Raising Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:25:47 EDT A Florida doctor was charged today by a federal grand jury in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with allegedly orchestrating a fraudulent political fund raising and lobbying scheme through which he secretly diverted to himself more than $350,000 from contributions to political organizations he controlled. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Polembros Shipping LTD. Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Pollution from Cargo Ship Traveling to New Orleans By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:34:19 EDT Polembros Shipping LTD pleaded guilty today for violating anti-pollution laws, ship safety laws, and making false statements during a U.S. Coast Guard investigation of the M/V Theotokos. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Files Lawsuit Challenging Conditions at Two Erie County, New York, Correctional Facilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:35:34 EDT The lawsuit alleging that conditions at the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility routinely and systematically deprive inmates of constitutional rights. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Indianapolis Law Firm to Enforce the Employment Rights of Indiana National Guardsman By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:36:34 EDT The consent decree will resolve the Department’s complaint on behalf of an Indiana National Guardsman alleging that the law firm violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
y AGCO Corp. to Pay $1.6 Million in Connection with Payments to the Former Iraqi Government Under the U.N. Oil-For-Food Program By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:02:35 EDT AGCO Corp., a U.S. corporation based in Duluth, Ga., has agreed to pay a $1.6 million penalty for illegal kickbacks paid to the former government of Iraq. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y New Jersey Hospital to Pay $8.3 Million for Alleged Kickbacks and Causing Submission of False Claims to Medicare By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:04:08 EDT “Today’s settlement reflects the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to protect the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship,” said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Owner of Tennesse Salvage and Demolition Company Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crimes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:55:17 EDT Gary Fillers pleaded guilty to one criminal felony count for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act’s “work practice standards” related to the proper stripping, bagging, removal and disposal of asbestos. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Five Detroit Residents Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:02:32 EDT Detroit residents Dierdre Teagen, Robert Wynn, Ernest Neal, James Harris and Steve Sherman pleaded guilty for their roles in various Medicare fraud schemes. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Former U.S. Army Reserve Major Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiracy and Bribery Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:05:11 EDT Theresa Jeanne Baker was sentenced for her participation in two separate bribery conspiracies relating to DOD contracts at Camp Vistory, Iraq. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Reaches Settlement with First United Security Bank of Thomasville, Alabama, Regarding Alleged Discrimination in Lending By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:10:21 EDT The Bank will invest more than $600,000, open a new branch in an African-American neighborhood in west central Alabama and take other steps as part of a settlement. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli's Testimony "Advancing Freedom of Information in the New Era of Responsibility" By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:49:10 EDT "We at the Department are especially committed to encouraging compliance with the Act and to fulfilling President Obama's goal of making this Administration the most open and transparent in history." Full Article Testimony
y Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden Speaks at the Phoenix OCDETF Strike Force By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:38:04 EDT The OCDETF Program -- now in its 27th year -- is a model of interagency coordination, innovation, and teamwork, and is the cornerstone of the Justice Department’s anti-cartel strategy. Full Article Speech
y Justice Department Announces Success in Battle Against Firearms Trafficking and Recovery Act Funds to Build on Project Gunrunner By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:48:03 EDT Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Kenneth E. Melson today announced the results of ATF’s Gun Runner Impact Team (GRIT) initiative, a 120-day deployment of ATF resources to the Houston Field Division to disrupt illegal firearms trafficking by Mexican drug cartels Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Former New Jersey Firefighter Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:44:25 EDT Matthew Fox, a former Atlantic City, N.J., firefighter, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Newark, N.J. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Southern Union Company Is Penalized $18 Million for Illegally Storing Mercury at a Rhode Island Site By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 17:25:37 EDT A federal judge today assessed the Southern Union Company $18 million for illegally storing mercury at a company-owned site in Pawtucket. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Three Gang Members Plead Guilty to Murder and Drug Conspiracy Charges; Two Others Sentenced on Drug Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 2 Oct 2009 16:58:42 EDT Guilty pleas were entered today in federal court in Lubbock, Texas, by three admitted gang members who were charged for their participation in a violent drive-by shooting in which two people, a man and a pregnant woman, were killed, and four others were wounded. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Seattle Area UBS Client Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax Return By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 14:59:07 EDT According to court documents and statements made in court, Cittadini, a retired sales manager for Boeing, failed to report income from bank accounts under his control at UBS AG in Switzerland on his individual income tax returns from 2001 through 2003. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 12:32:52 EDT "Talk alone isn’t going to keep crime rates down. Talk alone isn’t going to protect innocent victims. Talk alone isn’t going to stop rival gangs from shooting up our streets, or drug dealers from peddling dope in our schools, or terrorists from attacking our cities. Indeed, we all know that the best ideas in the world are worth little without the resources to implement them." Full Article Speech
y Hunting Guides Plead Guilty for Knowingly Attempting to Acquire Protected Alligator By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 12:48:22 EDT Travis Dardenne and Jeffery Brown of Plaquemine, La., each pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, La., to a violation of the Lacey Act for knowingly attempting to acquire an American alligator in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act and Louisiana law. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes Thomas E. Perez as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 15:04:01 EDT “One of my highest priorities as Attorney General has been to ensure that the Civil Rights Division will again continue to advance the interests of justice and equal protection for all Americans. Tom is an exceptional lawyer and both the Department and the nation will benefit from his leadership and legal expertise,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Indiana Man Sentenced on Child Pornography Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 17:20:43 EDT James M. Tanksley, 52, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 80 months in prison. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Colorado Man Sued by the Justice Department for Promoting Alleged Tax Fraud Schemes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 17:49:29 EDT The United States has asked a federal court in Denver to bar Curtis Morris, an Elizabeth, Colo., tax return preparer, and his business, Numbers & Beyond, from preparing tax returns. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Attorney General and Education Secretary Call for National Conversation on Values and Student Violence By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 13:05:29 EDT “Youth violence isn’t a Chicago problem, any more than it is a black problem or a white problem. It’s something that affects communities big and small, and people of all races and colors. Today is the beginning of what will be a sustained, national effort on behalf of this entire administration to address youth violence and to make our streets safe for everyone,” Holder said. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Indianapolis Man Sentenced for Transportation and Possession of Child Pornography By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 15:01:18 EDT Michael Wildridge, 41, pleaded guilty today to transportation and possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Moldovan National Pleads Guilty to Forced Labor Trafficking By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 16:48:00 EDT A Moldovan national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Kansas City, Mo., for his role in a forced labor trafficking scheme that victimized workers in 14 states. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Indiana Man Pleads Guilty to Cross Burning By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 15:40:28 EDT Bruce Mikulyuk, 50, of Mishawaka, Ind., pleaded guilty today to interfering with the housing rights of a white woman and an African American man by burning a cross in their yard and later returning with a knife and threatening the man if he did not leave. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at News Conference on Youth and School Violence By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 7 Oct 2009 12:11:45 EDT "We simply cannot stand for an epidemic of violence that robs our youth of their childhood and perpetuates a cycle in which today’s victims become tomorrow’s criminals." Full Article Speech
y Oregon White Supremacist Indicted for Threatening Ohio Civil Rights Leader by Mailing a Noose By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 11:09:02 EDT “A noose is an unmistakable symbol of hatred and violence in our nation, conjuring up images of a despicable period in our history. Mailing a noose to an individual who advocates for racial equality sends a clear threat of violence,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Harborside Healthcare to Pay U.S. $1.375 Million to Resolve Allegations of Kickbacks and Sham Durable Medical Services By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 14:07:53 EDT “It is critical that Medicare providers base their DME purchasing decisions on what is in the best interests of their patients,” stated Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Justice Department Commemorates National Disability Employment Awareness Month By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 13:08:58 EDT “The Justice Department today renews its vigilance to fairly and judiciously enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of a disability. By protecting the rights of all individuals so that they can contribute to our society, we strengthen our communities and our nation as a whole." said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Carpinteria, California, Man Sentenced for Mailing Child Pornography By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 17:28:26 EDT Donald Collier, 45, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for mailing child pornography. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y United States Transfers Two Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Kuwait and Belgium By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 09:17:58 EDT As directed by the President’s Jan. 22, 2009 Executive Order, the interagency Guantanamo Review Task Force conducted a comprehensive review of each of these cases. As a result of that review, these detainees were approved for transfer from Guantanamo Bay. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden at the 78th Interpol General Assembly By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:56:48 EDT "Under the visionary leadership of Secretary General Noble, INTERPOL is already at the forefront of the battle against globalized crime. To highlight just one of the many critical steps he has taken: he has modernized the ‘I-24/7’ network, which is used thousands of times each day and millions of times each year to conduct the cross-border police work necessary to find and arrest wanted persons, and to solve and prevent crimes." Full Article Speech
y Maryland Tax Preparer Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Preparing False Tax Returns for Clients By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:22:51 EDT Marcel J. Toto-Ngosso of Silver Spring, Md., was sentenced to 70 months in prison today for preparing and filing false tax returns in connection with a scheme to generate fraudulent tax refunds for his clients. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Minneapolis Packaged-Ice Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Customer Allocation Conspiracy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:57:40 EDT Arctic Glacier International Inc., headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $9 million criminal fine for allocating customers. Three of the company’s former executives pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y German National Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Coral from the Philippines By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:50:51 EDT Gunther Wenzek, a German national, pleaded guilty today before District Judge Anna J. Brown, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, to one count of smuggling coral into the United States at the port of Portland, Ore. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli at the 2009 Office on Violence Against Women National Rural Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:07:55 EDT "Listening to the complex needs of the communities, and recognizing their unique responses, is perhaps the most important thing we can do at the Department." Full Article Speech
y Ship Captain Sentenced to 10 Months Confinement for Obstruction, Environmental and Ship Safety Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:16:18 EDT Panagiotis Lekkas, the captain of the cargo ship, M/V Theotokos, was sentenced today in federal court in New Orleans to 10 months confinement. Full Article OPA Press Releases
y Federal Court Permanently Bars Utah Man from Promoting “Asset Protection” Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:56:36 EDT A federal judge in St. George, Utah, has permanently enjoined Kent Bickmore, the founder of a so-called asset-protection business, from helping customers file fraudulent liens and create hidden nominee bank accounts Full Article OPA Press Releases