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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit with Washington State Company to Enforce Employment Rights of U.S. Air Force Reservist

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with James J. Williams Bulk Service Transport Inc. (JJW), its parent company Trans-System Inc. and System TWT Transportation Inc. alleging that the companies violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by failing to promptly and properly reemploy U.S. Air Force reservist Dave Axtell in April 2009 when he returned from military service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.



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Owner of Miami Company Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-Import Bank

Guillermo O. Mondino, 48, was sentenced by Judge Ricardo M. Urbina in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.



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Point Blank Pays U.S. $1 Million for the Sale of Defective Zylon Bulletproof Vests

The United States alleged that the Pompano Beach, Fla.,and Jacksboro, Tenn., companies manufactured and sold Zylon bulletproof vests despite possessing information showing that the Zylon materials degraded quickly over time and were not suitable for ballistic use.



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Justice Department Files Complaint Against City of Pittsfield, Mass., for Violating the Employment Rights of a U.S. Navy Reservist

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a complaint against the city of Pittsfield, Mass., for violating the rights of a U.S. Navy Reservist under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.



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U.S. Attorney General Holder and Dominican Prosecutor General Jiménez Sign Agreement to Share $7.5 Million in Forfeited Assets

The agreement represents approximately 20 percent of the estimated $37.5 million in forfeited assets located in the Dominican Republic that stem from a conspiracy led by brothers Carlos, Luis and Jose Benitez, who allegedly defrauded the U.S. Medicare program of approximately $80 million.



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Statement of U.S. Attorney General Holder on the Passing of Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Jack Keeney

"For the last six decades, Jack Keeney served the Department of Justice with dedication, integrity and an unshakeable commitment to the rule of law," stated the Attorney General.



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U.S. Pharmaceutical Company Merck Sharp &

American pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp &.



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U.S. Files Suit Against California Company for Allegedly Violating the Telemarketing Sales Rule

The United States has filed suit against Sonkei Communications Inc., and its principal corporate officers, Peter Turpel and Joseph Turpel.



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Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Conceal Pakistan Government Funding for His U.S. Lobbying Efforts

Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, 62, a U.S. citizen and resident of Fairfax, Va., pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and tax violations in connection with a decades-long scheme to conceal the transfer of at least $3.5 million from the government of Pakistan to fund his lobbying efforts in America related to Kashmir.



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Four Romanian Nationals Charged with Allegedly Participating in Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Hack into and Steal Credit Card Data from U.S. Merchants

Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, 27, of Constanta, Romania; Iulian Dolan, 27, of Craiova, Romania; Cezar Iulian Butu, 26, of Ploiesti, Romania; and Florin Radu, 23, of Rimnicu Vilcea, Romania, were charged in a four-count indictment filed in the District of New Hampshire with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud.



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Former U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison for Receiving Bribes in Return for the Award of Contracts at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

Patrick W. Boyd, 44, of Gainesville, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly of the Northern District of Illinois.



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Attorney General Holder Appoints Eight New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory Committee

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the appointments of eight new U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee.



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U.S. Bureau of Prisons Employee Pleads Guilty in Florida to Sexual Abuse of a Ward

Bureau of Prisons employee Jack Chris Jackson, 45, pleaded guilty today to the charge of sexual abuse of a ward.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit with Commonwealth of Massachusetts and City of Brockton, Mass., to Enforce Employment Rights of U.S. Army Reservist

The Justice Department announced today that the city of Brockton, Mass., promoted U.S. Army Reservist Brian Benvie on Dec. 16, 2011, to the position of lieutenant in the city’s police department.



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GE Healthcare Inc. Pays U.S. $30 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

GE Healthcare Inc. has paid the United States $30 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that a company it acquired in 2004, Amersham Health Inc., had violated the False Claims Act by causing Medicare to overpay for Myoview, a radiopharmaceutical used in certain cardiac diagnostic imaging procedures, the Justice Department announced.



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Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson Speaks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Criminal and Social Justice Committee Meeting

"At the Department of Justice, we know protecting communities falls on your shoulders. Most crime, we know, is handled by local law enforcement, local prosecutors, and local judges, not to mention their local allies outside the justice system," said Assistant Attorney General Robinson.




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U.S. Files Consent Decree for Permanent Injunction Against Pharmaceutical Ranbaxy Laboratories

The United States has filed a consent decree for permanent injunction against the generic drug manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., an Indian corporation, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the Department of Justice announced today.



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U.S. Attorney General Holder, State and Federal Officials Announce Collaboration to Investigate Residential Mortgage-backed Securities Market

At the direction of the President, this Working Group brings together the Department of Justice (DOJ), several state attorneys general and other federal entities to investigate those responsible for misconduct contributing to the financial crisis through the pooling and sale of residential mortgage-backed securities.



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Swiss Bank Indicted on U.S. Tax Charges

Wegelin & Co., a Swiss private bank, was indicted today for conspiring with U.S. taxpayers and others to hide more than $1.2 billion in secret accounts and the income these accounts generated from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department announced today.



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Former U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Sentenced to Prison for Role in Scheme to Steal Military Equipment in Iraq

A former U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) gunnery sergeant was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for conspiring to steal at least 55 electrical generators from USMC bases in Iraq in 2008.



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Fourteen Hospitals to Pay U.S. More Than $12 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Kyphoplasty

Fourteen hospitals located in New York, Mississippi, North Carolina, Washington, Indiana, Missouri and Florida have agreed to pay the United States a total of more than $12 million to settle allegations that the health care facilities submitted false claims to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today.



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U.S. Court Bars Two in Alabama from Preparing Federal Tax Returns

A federal court has permanently barred Paul E. Foster Jr. and Sheree McDade, both of Montgomery, Ala., from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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U.S. and Chinese Defendants Charged with Economic Espionage and Theft of Trade Secrets in Connection with Conspiracy to Sell Trade Secrets to Chinese Companies

A federal grand jury in San Francisco has charged five individuals and five companies with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets for their roles in a long-running effort to obtain U.S. trade secrets for the benefit of companies controlled by the government of the People’s Republic of China.



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Dava Pharmaceuticals to Pay U.S. $11 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

Dava Pharmaceuticals Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $11 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by misreporting drug prices in order to reduce its Medicaid Drug Rebate obligations, the Justice Department announced today.



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Pennsylvania-based Lender to Pay U.S. $3.9 Million to Resolve False Claims Liability Related to Two Nursing Home Mortgages

Capmark Finance LLC in Horsham, Pa., has agreed to pay the United States $3.9 million, to settle a False Claims Act lawsuit, the Justice Department announced today.



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U.S. Files Criminal Charges Against Dallas Company in Connection with Misbranded Drug Shipment That Led to Three Deaths

The Justice Department, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), has charged Gary D. Osborn and his corporation, ApothéCure Inc., with two misdemeanor criminal violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) in connection with their interstate shipment of two lots of misbranded colchicine injectable solution that led to the deaths of three people in the Pacific Northwest.



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Justice Department Settles with City of Highland Park, Michigan, to Enforce Employment Rights of U.S. Army Reservist

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with the city of Highland Park, Mich., to resolve allegations that the city willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act by failing to properly reemploy firefighter and U.S. Army reservist Paul A. Baetz in July 2009 when he returned from military service in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.



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U.S. Army Reserves Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

Sergeant Amasha M. King, 33, of Forsyth, Ga., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell in Macon, Ga., to criminal information charging her with one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense.



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Virginia Man Accused of Attempting to Bomb U.S. Capitol in Suicide Attack

Amine El Khalifi, an immigrant from Morocco who is illegally present in the United States, was charged today by criminal complaint with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against property that is owned and used by the United States.



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Total Companies to Pay U.S. $15 Million to Resolve Allegations of Royalty Underpayments from Federal and Indian Lands

Total Fina S.A., Total Minatome Corporation, Total Exploration Production USA Inc., Fina Oil and Chemical Company, Elf Exploration Inc., Total E&P USA Inc. and their affiliates have agreed to pay the United States $15 million to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the Justice Department announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

"“In response to my call to identify savings across the department, almost $700 million in savings have been developed – funds that are being reinvested in critical mission areas. I also want to note that, in the department’s FY 2013 budget of $27.1 billion, proposed spending increases have been exceeded by proposed cuts," said Attorney General Holder.




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Australian Man and His Firm Indicted in Plot to Export Restricted Military and Other U.S. Technology to Iran

An Australian man and his company have been indicted today by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for conspiring to export sensitive military and other technology from the United States to Iran, including components with applications in missiles, drones, torpedoes and helicopters.



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U.S. Files False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Florida-based Federal Grant Recipient

The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against the Florida-based Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA), the Justice Department announced today.



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U.S. Army Captain Pleads Guilty to Accepting Illegal Gratuities Related to Contracting in Support of Iraq War

Michael George Rutecki, 33, of North Pole, Alaska, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline in the District of Alaska to a criminal information charging him with one count of accepting illegal gratuities.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

"Despite the significant fiscal constraints the federal government has faced in recent years, the 116,000 dedicated employees who serve in Department offices around the world have made significant – and, in many cases, historic – progress in safeguarding our citizens from terrorism, violent crime, financial fraud, and a range of threats that often disproportionately threaten the most vulnerable members of society," said Attorney General Holder.




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Devon Energy to Pay U.S. $3.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of Royalty Underpayments from Federal and Indian Lands

Devon Energy Corporation and its affiliates have agreed to pay the United States $3,492,463 to resolve claims that PennzEnergy, a predecessor to Devon, violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian lands, the Justice Department announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at U.S. Department of Justice Sunshine Week Celebration

"Today and throughout the week, we have an important opportunity to showcase and celebrate the progress that’s been made here at the Department – and all across the federal government – in realizing the promise of the Freedom of Information Act," said Attorney General Holder.




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U.S. Orders Pennylvania Diet Supplement Company to Cease Operations Pending Reinspection by FDA

The United States has entered a consent decree against ATF Fitness Products Inc., Manufacturing ATF Dedicated Excellence Inc. (MADE), and the owner and president of both companies, James G. Vercellotti, the Justice Department announced today.



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Lockheed Martin Corporation Reaches $15.85 Million Settlement with U.S. to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Lockheed Martin Corporation has agreed to pay $15,850,000 to settle allegations that it mischarged perishable tools used on numerous government contracts.



  • OPA Press Releases

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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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DENSO Corporation Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing and Bid Rigging on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

An executive of DENSO Corporation has agreed to plead guilty and to serve time in prison for his role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for heater control panels installed in U.S. cars.



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U.S. and Mexican Officials Sign Letter of Intent to Share $6 Million in Forfeited Assets to Combat Financial Infrastructure of Organized Crime

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Mexican Attorney General Marisela Morales Ibáñez today signed a letter of intent for the United States to share approximately $6 million in forfeited funds with the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic of Mexico to support Mexican efforts to combat the financial infrastructure of organized criminal groups and to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in forfeiture matters.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Virginia Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Scheme to Conceal Pakistan Government Funding for His U.S. Lobbying Efforts

Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, 62, a U.S. citizen and resident of Fairfax, Va., was sentenced today to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and tax violations in connection with a decades-long scheme to conceal the transfer of at least $3.5 million from the government of Pakistan to fund his lobbying efforts in America related to Kashmir.



  • OPA Press Releases

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G.S. Electech Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Auto Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

Toyota City, Japan-based G.S. Electech Inc. has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $2.75 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix the prices of auto parts used on antilock brake systems installed in U.S. cars



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U.S. Announces Innovative Clean Air Agreement for Industrial Flares with Marathon Petroleum Company

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced an innovative environmental agreement with Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum Company that already has significantly reduced air pollution from all six of the company’s petroleum refineries.



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Juarez Drug Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to U.S. Consulate Murders and Is Sentenced to Life in Prison

Jose Antonio Acosta-Hernandez, 34, aka “Diego,” “Dienton,” “Diez” and “Bablazo,” of Chihuahua, was extradited to the United States from Mexico on March 16, 2012.



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U.S. and Tennessee Announce Clean Water Act Agreement with the City of Memphis

The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Office of the Tennessee Attorney General announced today a comprehensive Clean Water Act settlement with the city of Memphis, Tenn.



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U.S. Pharmaceutical Company Merck Sharp & Dohme Sentenced in Connection with Unlawful Promotion of Vioxx

American pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp & Dohme was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris in Boston to pay a criminal fine in the amount of $321,636,000 in connection with its guilty plea related to its promotion and marketing of the painkiller Vioxx (rofecoxib), the Justice Department announced today.



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U.S. Attorney General Holder and Dominican Prosecutor General Jiménez Pena Sign Permanent Agreement to Share Forfeited Assets

Attorney General Eric Holder and Dominican Prosecutor General Radhamés Jiménez Peña met today in Washington, D.C., to sign a permanent agreement to share forfeited assets between the governments of the United States and the Dominican Republic. The permanent sharing agreement acknowledges the consistent forfeiture-related cooperation that United States authorities have received from the Dominican Republic and creates a more efficient process for sharing assets with the Dominican Republic.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against City of Pittsfield, Mass., to Enforce the Employment Rights of a U.S. Navy Reservist

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with the city of Pittsfield, Mass., to resolve allegations that the city violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by failing to promote a navy reservist and Pittsfield firefighter, and by retaliating against him after he invoked his rights.



  • OPA Press Releases