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Los Angeles Physician Assistant Found Guilty for Role in $18.9 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

On June 1, 2012, after a two-week trial in federal court in Los Angeles, a jury found David James Garrison, 50, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, six counts of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.



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Arecibo, Puerto Rico, to Upgrade Sewer System to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations

A settlement between the United States and the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, will resolve violations of the Clean Water Act and specifically violations of its Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System General Permit.



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Former Arizona State Representative Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion Related to the Misuse of More Than $140,000 in Charity Funds

Former Arizona State Representative Richard David Miranda was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for defrauding a charity of more than $140,000 and evading income tax related to those unlawfully obtained funds.



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Former American Samoan Department of Education Employee Sentenced to 25 Months in Prison

Gustav Nauer, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra in the District of Hawaii.



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Autoliv Inc. and a Yazaki Corp. Executive Agree to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

Stockholm-based Autoliv Inc. has agreed to plead guilty for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels installed in U.S. cars to one automobile manufacturer and a separate conspiracy to fix prices of seatbelts to another.



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Perth Amboy, New Jersey, to Upgrade Sewer System to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations

Under the agreement, which was lodged by the Department of Justice in federal court today, the city will reduce the amount of sewage and other pollutants that flow out of 16 combined sewer points into the Raritan River and Arthur Kill.



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Nevada Lobbyist Harvey Whittemore Indicted for Making Unlawful Campaign Contributions and Lying to Investigators

F. Harvey Whittemore, 55, of Reno, Nevada, was charged with one count of making excessive campaign contributions, one count of making contributions in the name of others and two counts of making a false statement to a federal agency.



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Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West and U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter Announce Pilot Initiative to Address Sexual Assault on Montana Reservations

Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West today joined U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter and Vice-Chairman of the Crow Nation Calvin Coolidge Jefferson to announce a multi-agency collaboration with tribal governments to establish sexual assault response teams (SARTs) in the six Montana reservations under federal jurisdiction.



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Home Health Agency Owner Pleads Guilty in Connection with Detroit Fraud Scheme

Detroit-area resident Muhammad “Sib” Ahmad pleaded guilty today for his role in organizing a more than $13 million home health care fraud and money laundering scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee

"As someone who spent over a dozen years as a prosecutor and then nearly twenty more as a defense attorney, I know firsthand the importance that discovery plays in ensuring criminal defendants fair trials. But, at the same time, I am acutely aware of the other critical interests – such as the safety and privacy of witnesses and victims – that our criminal justice system properly takes into account," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Justice Department’s LGBT Pride Month Celebration

"Here at the Justice Department, we can all be proud of the robust efforts that are underway to combat discrimination – in all its forms – in every community, every workplace, and every school," said Attorney General Holder.




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Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the Press Conference Regarding Sexual Assault Response Team Initiative

"We hope that establishing SART teams on every Montana reservation will bring healing and justice to victims of sexual violence – the kind of help that will also strengthen the faith and confidence that native women have in their criminal justice system," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.




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Texas-based Medical Device Manufacturer Pays U.S. $34 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Orthofix Inc., a Texas-based manufacturer of medical devices, has agreed to pay the United States $34,234,263 to settle allegations under the civil False Claims Act relating to the company’s sale of bone growth stimulator devices, the Justice Department announced today. The company has also agreed to plead guilty to a felony of obstruction of a federal audit, and to pay a $7,765,737 criminal fine.



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Justice Department Files Complaint Against Forsyth County, North Carolina, Sheriff for Violating the Employment Rights of Army National Guard Soldier

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina against Forsyth County, N.C., and the county sheriff, William T. Schatzman, for violating the employment rights of North Carolina Army National Guard soldier Michael Russell under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).



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Justice Department Seeks to Intervene in Lawsuit Alleging Sex Discrimination Against Summit County, Ohio, and Summit County Sheriff

The Justice Department announced today that it has moved to intervene in Hawkins, et al. v. Summit County, Ohio, et al., a private lawsuit alleging sex discrimination by Summit County, Ohio, and the Summit County Sheriff, as well as other defendants. The United States’ complaint in intervention alleges that the county and sheriff discriminated against twenty female deputy sheriffs who filed charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other similarly-situated female deputies because of their sex and engaged in a pattern or practice of sex discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Four More Defendants Plead Guilty in Indiana to Participating in International Child Pornography Distribution Ring

Shaun Kuykendall, 32, of South Carolina; Richard Szulborski, 21, of Pennsylvania; Javahn Algere, 23, of Louisiana; and Jeremy Labrec, 22, of Texas, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary

" am proud of the work that’s been done – by the Department’s 116,000 employees, as well as our government and law enforcement partners worldwide – to help fulfill the promises that I made before this Committee more than three years ago," said Attorney General Holder.




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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the National Disability Rights Network 2012 P&A/CAP Annual Conference

"In the Civil Rights Division, we still see every single day barriers facing individuals with disabilities that stand in the way of allowing all people to maximize the contribution they can make to society," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Acting Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery Speaks at the American Bar Association’s Ninth National Institute on the Civil False Claims Act and Qui Tam Enforcement

"Protecting taxpayer dollars is one of the Attorney General’s core priorities. This includes a commitment to increase our efforts to reduce fraud at the outset," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Delery.




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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit with United Airlines to Enforce Employment Rights of Air National Guardsman

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with United Airlines Inc., resolving Ten Eyck LaTourrette’s allegation that the airline violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by under compensating his retirement plan during his military service. LaTourrette is currently a major serving in the Colorado Air National Guard and a first officer for United Airlines.



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Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Assignment of U.S. Attorneys to Lead Investigations of Possible Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the assignment of U.S. Attorneys to lead investigations of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the SEED School of Washington, D.C. 2012 Commencement Ceremony

"Yet – if, as they say, what’s past is prologue – and if this class’s record of achievement is any indication – then I believe there is good reason for confidence in the future that your generation will create, and the legacy of progress that each of you will carry forward – and build upon," said Attorney General Holder.




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Minnesota Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Federal Excise Tax Crimes and Tax Fraud

Jason W. Leas, a resident of Crookston, Minn., and co-founder of Best Used Trucks of Minnesota Inc., pleaded guilty today to one count of failing to pay federal excise taxes, one count of failing to file a federal excise tax return and one count of filing a false individual federal income tax return for tax year 2007, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Leas was charged by information filed on May 29, 2012. He entered his plea of guilty before U.S. District Court Senior Judge Richard H. Kyle in Duluth, Minn.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the League of Women Voters Convention

"As Attorney General, it is my obligation – and solemn duty – to ensure that the rights of all Americans are protected. And I’m proud that, under this Administration, our Civil Rights Division – and its Voting Section – have taken meaningful steps to ensure integrity, independence, and transparency in our enforcement of the Voting Rights Act," said Attorney General Holder.




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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Plyler v. Doe 30th Anniversary Event

"The benefits of Plyler are felt by all of us, wherever we or our ancestors were born. Three decades after Plyler, immigrant students have made and continue to make vast and deep contributions to America’s cultural, civic, and economic landscape," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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New York Certified Public Accountant Who Failed to Pay Employment Taxes Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

Silford Warren, a resident of Queens, N.Y., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for failure to pay over employment taxes in connection with his ownership of Silford Warren, CPA PC., the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Judge William F. Kuntz II of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York also ordered Warren to pay $184,263 in restitution to the IRS.



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Former Fort Deposit, Alabama, Police Officer Arrested for Stealing Money from Motorists and Obstructing Justice

Former Fort Deposit, Ala., Police Officer Carlos Tyson Bennett was arrested today on charges of stealing money from motorists on Interstate 65 in central Alabama and subsequently trying to conceal his criminal activity, announced the Justice Department.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary

"I am proud of all that’s been achieved by the 116,000 men and women who serve the Department in offices around the world. Their dedicated efforts – and those of our government and law enforcement partners at every level – have allowed me to fulfill the commitments that I made during my first appearance before this Committee as Attorney General," said Attorney General Holder.




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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the 2012 Oklahoma Sovereignty Symposium

"Respect for tribal sovereignty, which inspires the title of this Symposium, underlies all of the work that the Department of Justice does to further tribal justice and public safety," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich Announces Departure from Department of Justice

The Justice Department announced today that Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Ronald Weich will be leaving the department to join the University of Baltimore School of Law as its new dean.



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Co-Owner of Houston-Area Home Health Care Agency Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Role in $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud

Clifford Ubani, a former co-owner and chief financial officer at Family Healthcare Group, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas.



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Justice Department Transfers 1,000 Acres of Land in Cannon County, Tenn., to State of Tennessee

The U.S. Department of Justice has transferred to the state of Tennessee approximately 1,000 acres of undeveloped land in Cannon County, Tenn., as a result of a federal criminal conviction of two individuals for distribution of marijuana.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Women Mayors Meeting

"At the Department of Justice, we are fully engaged in combating human trafficking, with many components deeply involved in this fight," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Criminal and Social Justice Standing Committee Meeting

"This coordinated approach to finding solutions involves more than just enforcement -- we must also direct our efforts to prevent the occurrence of crime in the first place, provide support through intervention programs, and provide individuals reentering our communities from jails and prisons with the tools they need to succeed and turn away from crime," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Bribery Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

Derrick L. Shoemake, 50, of Moreno Valley, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Dolly M. Gee in the Central District of California.



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North Carolina Resident Found Guilty of Terrorism Violations

Today in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, a jury found Anes Subasic, 35, guilty of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad.



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Allen Stanford Sentenced to 110 Years in Prison for Orchestrating $7 Billion Investment Fraud Scheme

R. Allen Stanford, the former board of directors chairman of Stanford International Bank (SIB), was sentenced today in Houston to a total of 110 years in prison for orchestrating a 20-year investment fraud scheme in which he misappropriated $7 billion from SIB to finance his personal businesses.



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Check Cashers in Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Los Angeles Charged for Alleged Violations of Anti-Money Laundering Laws

Seven individuals and four check cashing businesses were charged today in the Eastern District of New York and the Central District of California for their alleged roles in separate schemes to violate the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Grayson County, Virginia, on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Grayson County, Va., that will allow for the county and its four political subdivisions, the Grayson County School District and the towns of Independence, Fries and Troutdale, Va., to bail out from their status as “covered jurisdictions” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt these jurisdictions from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The agreement is in the form of a consent decree filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and must be approved by the court.



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Pennsylvania Man Arrested on Computer Hacking Charges

Andrew James Miller, 23, of Devon, Penn., was arrested this morning on charges contained in a four-count indictment filed in the District of Massachusetts.



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Two Members of the U.S. Army Plead Guilty to Bribery Charges Related to Fuel Theft in Afghanistan

Sergeant Regionald Dixon, 30, pleaded guilty yesterday in the District of Hawaii to one count of bribery and Specialist Larry Emmons, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery on June 8, 2012.



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Owner and Operator of Halfway House Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Hassan Collins, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive and pay health care fraud kickbacks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres.



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Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Speaks at the White House World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Event

"For me, and for today’s Department of Justice, protecting older Americans is a top priority that we advance on multiple fronts," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.




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Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the White House World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Event

"So as we continue to bring our law enforcement tools to bear to investigate, prosecute and punish elder abuse perpetrators, we at the Department also know that the most effective elder abuse case is the one we prevent," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.




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Three Tax Return Preparers Charged with Helping Clients Evade Taxes by Hiding Millions in Secret Accounts at Two Israeli Banks

David Kalai, Nadav Kalai and David Almog were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Central District of California and charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The superseding indictment, which was returned late yesterday, was unsealed following the defendants’ arrests.



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Former Vice President at California Valve Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Offense

David Edmonds, the former vice president of worldwide customer service at Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.-based valve company Control Components Inc., pleaded guilty today to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act



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Former Chief Financial Officer of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Fraud Scheme

Delton de Armas, a former chief financial officer (CFO) of Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp. (TBW), was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his role in a more than $2.9 billion fraud scheme that contributed to the failure of TBW.



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Brooklyn Doctor Convicted for Role in Medicare and Private Insurance Fraud Scheme

A Brooklyn board-certified colorectal surgeon, who owned and operated a New York medical clinic, was convicted for his role in a fraud scheme that billed Medicare and numerous private insurance companies for surgeries and other complex medical procedures that were never performed.



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Data Systems & Solutions LLC Resolves Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violations and Agrees to Pay $8.82 Million Criminal Penalty

Data Systems &s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride.



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Owner of Southern California-Based Mesquite Charcoal Distributor Pleads Guilty to Customer Allocation and Bid-Rigging Conspiracy

The owner of a southern California-based mesquite charcoal distributor pleaded guilty for his role in a customer allocation and bid-rigging conspiracy for the sale of mesquite charcoal.



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