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Georgia Realtors to Pay $60,000 to Settle Fair Housing Lawsuit

The Justice Department today announced that Harry Norman Realtors (HNR) and Jennifer Sherrouse have agreed to pay monetary damages and civil penalties of $60,000 to settle a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that they discriminated against families with children.



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Large Network of Private Schools Pays $215,000 to Settle Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against Children with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against Nobel Learning Communities, Inc. (NLC), a private, for-profit entity that operates a nationwide network of more than 180 preschools, elementary schools and secondary schools.



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Justice Department Obtains $35,000 Discrimination Settlement Against Chicago-area Landlord

The Justice Department announced today that Orland Park, Ill., property owner Terence Flanagan has agreed to pay $35,000 in monetary damages and civil penalties to settle consolidated Fair Housing Act lawsuits against him.



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Food Processor to Pay $390,000 Penalty for Illegal Wastewater Discharges into Kansas-Oklahoma River

An Illinois food processing company has agreed to pay a $390,000 civil penalty to the United States to settle allegations that its Baxter Springs, Kan., processing facility overloaded the city’s wastewater treatment system with millions of gallons of industrial wastewater, at times causing pollution along a 22-mile-long section of the Spring River in southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma.



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Former Senate Office Manager Convicted in $75,000 Wire Fraud Scheme

Ngozi T. Pole, 40, a former office manager in the U.S. Senate, was convicted today of five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property.



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Employee of U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Convicted of Stealing Nearly $250,000

An employee of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was found guilty today by a jury in Alexandria, Va., of stealing nearly $250,000 intended for the payment of shipping and customs services for the embassy.



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Justice Department Obtains $110,000 Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit Against Apartment Complex Near Seattle

The owners and operators of Summerhill Place Apartments, a 268 apartment complex in Renton, Wash., have agreed to pay $110,000 in damages and civil penalties to settle a lawsuit alleging that the complex had discriminated against African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Indian Americans and families with children in violation of the Fair Housing Act.



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Justice Department Fines Houston Bus Company $55,000 for Violating the ADA

A Houston bus company was fined $55,000 for violating passenger carrier accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Former Managers of South Dakota Apartment Complex Fined $30,000 for Racial Discrimination

The government’s lawsuit, filed on Oct. 15, 2009, alleged that former property manager Ann Wagner and former maintenance supervisor Corey Anderson created a racially hostile housing environment for one African-American family and two white families who associated with the African-American family while they were tenants at Lakeport Village.



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Managing Director of Bank’s Investment Company Convicted of Embezzling More Than $571,000

The former managing director of the Pamrapo Service Corporation (Service Corporation), the investment arm of the former Pamrapo Savings Bank, was convicted today of embezzling more than $571,000 in commissions and fees belonging to the Service Corporation through a mail fraud scheme.



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Former Employee of U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Stealing Nearly $250,000

A former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., to 42 months in prison for stealing nearly $250,000 intended for the payment of shipping and customs services for the embassy.



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Terra Industries Inc. to Pay $625,000 Clean Air Act Penalty and Spend $17 Million to Install Pollution Controls at Acid Plants in Iowa, Mississippi and Oklahoma

Terra Industries Inc., one of the nation’s largest producers of nitric acid and nitrogen fertilizers, has agreed to pay $625,000 in civil penalties to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act at nine of its plants in Iowa, Mississippi and Oklahoma.



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Michigan Woman Pleads Guilty to Selling More Than $400,000 in Counterfeit Business Software

A Michigan woman pleaded guilty today to selling more than $400,000 worth of counterfeit computer software.



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North Carolina Bank Agrees to Pay $400,000 in Restitution to Victims of Investment Fraud Scheme It Failed to Detect and Report

CommunityONE Bank N.A. with 45 offices throughout the state has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice related to its failure to file a suspicious activity report and maintain an effective anti-money laundering program.



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Former U.S. Marshals Service Employee Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Theft of $104,000 in U.S. Government Funds

A former U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) employee was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for theft of $104,000 in U.S. government funds.



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Lender to Pay $300,000 to Settle Allegations Involving Small Business Administration Loan

Garsh Lending LLC, a lender located in Miami, has agreed to pay the United States $300,000 to settle allegations involving a Small Business Administration loan.



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New Jersey UBS Client Sentenced for Failing to Report More Than $750,000 in Swiss Bank Account

Lucille Abrahamsen Jackson pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2010, to an information charging her with willfully subscribing to a false tax return.



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Areté Sleep to Pay the United States $650,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Areté Sleep LLC, Areté Sleep Therapy LLC and Areté Holdings LLC have agreed to pay the United States $650,000 to settle allegations that their sleep medicine and durable medical equipment facilities in Arizona and Texas submitted false claims to Medicare.



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Former United Nations Employee Charged in Connection with a $100,000 Fraud Scheme Involving Concurrent Jobs

A former employee of the United Nations (U.N.) was arrested today for allegedly obtaining more than $100,000 in salary payments as a result of holding jobs at the U.N. and the National Labor Relations Board at the same time.



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California Firm to Pay U.S. $400,000 to Resolve False Claims

PRIDE Industries, and its subsidiary, PRIDE Industries One, has agreed to pay the United States $400,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims relating to a contract to provide maintenance services at the Department of the Army’s Ft. Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas.



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“Project Delirium” Results in Nearly 2,000 Arrests During 20-Month Operation, Seizures of More Than 12 Tons of Drugs and $62 Million in U.S. Currency

Approximately 1,985 individuals have been arrested on narcotics-related charges as part of a 20-month multi-agency law enforcement investigation known as “Project Delirium,” which targeted the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel.



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Hacker Sentenced in Virginia to 10 Years in Prison for Stealing 675,000 Credit Card Numbers Leading to $36 Million in Losses

Rogelio Hackett Jr., 25, of Lithonia, Ga., was sentenced today to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga in Alexandria, Va., for trafficking in counterfeit credit cards and aggravated identity theft.



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Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Online Identity Theft Involving More Than $700,000 in Reported Fraud

A Brooklyn, N.Y., man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., for his role in managing a credit card fraud operation that operated throughout the East Coast of the United States.



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Michigan Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Selling More Than $400,000 in Counterfeit Business Software

Jacinda Jones, 31, of Ypsilanti, Mich., also was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit to serve three years of supervised release following her prison term and to pay $441,035 in restitution.



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Puerto Rican-based Shipping Company Sentenced to Pay $700,000 Penalty for Intentional Cover-Up of Oil Pollution

Epps Shipping Company, a Liberian corporation doing business out of Carolina, Puerto Rico, was sentenced in federal court for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and making false statements to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors.



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Justice Department Obtains $70,000 Settlement in Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against New Orleans Landlords

New Orleans landlords Betty Bouchon, the Bouchon Limited Family Partnership and Sapphire Corp., have agreed to pay $70,000 in damages and civil penalties to settle a lawsuit alleging they unlawfully denied housing to African-American prospective renters at a 16-unit apartment building located in New Orleans.



  • OPA Press Releases

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German Shipping Company Sentenced in Puerto Rico to Pay $800,000 Penalty for Intentional Cover-Up of Oil Pollution

Uniteam Marine Shipping GmbH, a German corporation, was sentenced in federal court in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and making false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard.



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Californian Convicted for Evading More Than $150,000 in Taxes

William H. Nurick was convicted of one count of attempted evasion of payment of individual income taxes for the tax year 1995 following a jury trial before U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer in Los Angeles.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Alabama Defense Contractor and Its President to Pay $200,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Future Research Corp., located in Huntsville, Ala., and its president, Jesse Nunn, have agreed to pay the United States $200,000 to settle claims that they inappropriately obtained contracts from the Navy.



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Homebuilder Ryland Group Inc. to Pay $625,000 Clean Water Act Penalty and Implement Company-Wide Stormwater Controls

The Ryland Group Inc. will pay a civil penalty of $625,000 to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations at its construction sites, including sites located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.



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Former Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Travel Claims Totaling Nearly $500,000

John R. Brock, 52, of Crofton, Md., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Wilkins in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a criminal information charging him with one count of making a false claim against the United States.



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Former Executive Director of the American Samoa Special Services Commission Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Steal More Than $325,000 in Americorps Grant Funds

Mine S. Pase, 62, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton.



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Lafarge North America Inc. Agrees to Pay $740,000 Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations in Five States

The violations include unpermitted discharges of stormwater and failure to comply with stormwater permits at 21 stone, gravel, sand, asphalt and ready-mix concrete facilities in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland and New York.



  • OPA Press Releases

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CEO of Comcast Brian Roberts to Pay $500,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification Requirements

Comcast Corporation’s CEO Brian L. Roberts will pay a $500,000 civil penalty to settle charges that he violated premerger reporting and waiting requirements when he acquired Comcast voting securities.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Illinois Company to Pay $500,000 Fine for Violating Do Not Call Provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule

Americall Group Inc. (AGI), a Naperville, Ill., telemarketing company specializing in sales for financial service and insurance companies, has agreed to settle charges that AGI violated “do not call” provisions of the Telemarketing Sales Rule.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Grant Administrator and Legal Assistant of American Samoa Non-Profit Legal Aid Corporation Plead Guilty to Stealing More Than $150,000 in Federal Grant Funds

Julie Matau, 49, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. Andrea Matau, 28, also of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft of federal funds before Judge Wilken.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Department of Defense Employee Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Submitting False Travel Claims Totaling Nearly $500,000

John R. Brock, 52, of Crofton, Md., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Wilkins in the District of Columbia.



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South San Francisco Food Processing Factory Will Pay Nearly $700,000 in Penalties, Spend $6 Million to Update Refrigeration System Safety

Columbus Manufacturing Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbus Foods LLC, has agreed to pay a penalty and make significant upgrades to settle Clean Air Act violations.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Californian Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Evading More Than $150,000 in Taxes

William H. Nurick, of Camarillo, Cal., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and ordered to pay $286,443 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer in Los Angeles, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Florida Jury Holds Tax Preparer Liable for $135,000 in Penalties for False Tax Returns

An eight-member jury has unanimously found that a former Jackson Hewitt tax preparer, Frances Carlson of Bradenton, Fla., prepared 27 federal tax returns that she knew would understate her customers’ tax liabilities, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Settlement Requires Gunnison Energy and SG Interests to Pay the United States a Total of $550,000 for Antitrust and False Claims Act Violations

The department reached a settlement with Gunnison Energy Corporation, SG Interests I Ltd. and SG Interests VII Ltd. that requires the companies to pay a total of $550,000 to the United States for antitrust and False Claims Act violations related to natural gas leases sold at auction by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management.



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Former Arizona State Representative Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion Related to the Misuse of More Than $140,000 in Charity Funds

Richard David Miranda, a former Arizona state representative, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to a two-count information charging him with defrauding a charity of more than $140,000 and evading income tax related to those unlawfully obtained funds.



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Pennsylvania- Based Eusa Pharma (USA) Inc. to Pay U.S. $180,000 for Allegedly Submitting Inflated Claims to Medicare

EUSA Pharma (USA) Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $180,000 to resolve claims that it violated the False Claims Act by allegedly encouraging doctors to submit inflated claims to Medicare for imaging scans.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Grant Administrator and Legal Assistant of American Samoa Non-profit Legal Aid Corporation Sentenced for Stealing Nearly $160,000 in Federal Grant Funds

Julie Matau, 49, and her daughter, Andrea Matau, 28, each were sentenced yesterday in Oakland, Calif., for their participation in the theft of nearly $160,000 in federal grant funds from a now-defunct nonprofit American Samoa legal services corporation.



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Department of Justice Seizes More Than $896,000 in Proceeds from the Online Sale of Counterfeit Sports Apparel

The Department of Justice has seized more than $896,000 in proceeds from the distribution of counterfeit sports apparel and jerseys as the result of an investigation into the sale of counterfeit goods on commercial websites.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Ohio Construction Firm Agrees to Pay $500,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Anthony Allega Cement Contractor Inc., a Cleveland construction firm, has agreed to pay the United States $500,000 to resolve allegations that it knowingly submitted false claims related to a federally-funded construction project, the Justice Department announced today. The United States alleged that Allega submitted false claims that made it appear that the company was in compliance with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, as required in order to obtain and maintain Allega’s contract with the government. The DBE program provides opportunities to businesses owned by minorities and women, as well as socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, to participate in federally-funded construction and design projects.



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Hess Corporation to Install $45 Million in Pollution Controls and Pay $850,000 Penalty to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations at New Jersey Refinery

Hess Corporation has agreed to pay an $850,000 civil penalty and spend more than $45 million in new pollution controls to resolve Clean Air Act violations at its Port Reading, N.J., refinery.



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Direct Resource Inc. Agrees to Pay $450,000 to Settle Allegations of Selling Foreign Products to Federal Agencies

Direct Resource Inc. has agreed to pay the government $450,000 to resolve allegations that the company falsely claimed payment in violation of the Trade Agreements Act (TAA), which prohibits the sale of products to federal agencies from countries that do not have a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States, the Justice Department announced today. The Columbus, Ohio, company allegedly knowingly sold products from China, a country that does not have such an agreement with the United States.



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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.



  • OPA Press Releases

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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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