com Former Chief Executive of Mortgage Servicing Company Sentenced for Scheme to Withhold Funds from Wells Fargo Bank By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 18:13:17 EST Earl Gross, 74, of Las Vegas, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Mortgage, a loan servicing company, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for his role in an $8 million scheme to defraud Wells Fargo Bank Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole, Director Keith B. Alexander and General Counsel Robert S. Litt Testify Before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 11 Dec 2013 18:31:41 EST "A key step in promoting greater public confidence in these intelligence activities is to provide greater transparency so that the American people, as well as ordinary citizens around the world, understand what the activities are, how they function, and how they are overseen." Full Article Speech
com Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Hacking into Multiple Computer Networks By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:25:44 EST A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for his role in a scheme to hack into computer networks and sell access to those networks. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Two Patient Recruiters for Miami Home Health Companies Sentenced for Roles in $48 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:40:57 EST Two patient recruiters for Miami health care companies were sentenced today for their participation in a $48 million home health Medicare fraud scheme Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Former Contractor of a Florida Property Management Company Sentenced to Serve Time in Prison for Wire Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 17:19:10 EST A former repair contractor of a Florida property management company was sentenced to serve time in prison for his participation in a wire fraud scheme related to housing repairs made under a contract between Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Energy Company to Pay $3.2 Million Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Violations in West Virginia By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 19 Dec 2013 15:14:45 EST The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, a subsidiary of Chesapeake Energy,will spend an EPA-estimated $6.5 million to restore 27 sites damaged by unauthorized discharges of fill material Full Article OPA Press Releases
com President Obama Grants Commutations and Pardons By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 19 Dec 2013 17:17:11 EST Today President Barack Obama granted clemency to 21 individuals, consisting of eight commutations and 13 pardons. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Justice Department Reaches Settlement with State of New Hampshire to Expand Community Mental Health Services and Prevent Unnecessary Institutionalization By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 19 Dec 2013 19:08:58 EST The Justice Department announced today that the United States and a coalition of mental health advocacy organizations have entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement with the state of New Hampshire that will transform New Hampshire’s mental health system by significantly expanding and enhancing mental health service capacity in integrated community settings. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Patient Recruiter and Therapy Staffing Company Owner Sentenced for Roles in $7 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 13:29:10 EST A patient recruiter and a therapy staffing company owner were sentenced today to serve 50 months and 46 months in prison, respectively, for their participation in a $7 million health care fraud scheme. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Abbott Laboratories Pays U.S. $5.475 Million to Settle Claims That Company Paid Kickbacks to Physicians By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 27 Dec 2013 17:07:51 EST Abbott Laboratories has agreed to pay the United States $5.475 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to induce doctors to implant the company’s carotid, biliary and peripheral vascular products, the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Justice Department Requires Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to Divest Assets Acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. to Keystone Sensors LLC By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 2 Jan 2014 14:53:56 EST The Department of Justice today announced that it will require Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to divest certain assets that it acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. (Minco) to Keystone Sensors LLC in order to resolve the department’s competitive concerns. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Dallas-Based Companies Agree to Pay Civil Penalty to Settle Clean Air Act Violations Stemming from Illegal Import of Vehicles By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 12:46:03 EST A Dallas-based group of companies and their owner must either stop importing vehicles or follow a comprehensive compliance plan to settle Clean Air Act (CAA) violations stemming from the alleged illegal import of over 24,167 highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles into the United States without proper documentation. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Foreign Bribery Charges Unsealed Against Former Chief Executive Officers of Oil Services Company By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 16:33:17 EST Two former chief executive officers of PetroTiger Ltd. – a British Virgin Islands oil and gas company with operations in Colombia and offices in New Jersey – have been charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign government officials in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Justice Department Obtains $317,000 in Discrimination Settlement with Euless, Texas, Apartment Complex By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 8 Jan 2014 18:15:58 EST The United States has settled a housing discrimination lawsuit in Euless, Texas, concerning discrimination against persons of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent, the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Michigan Companies to Pay $3.8 Million to Resolve Allegations of Falsely Claiming Disadvantaged Business Credits By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 9 Jan 2014 14:51:15 EST Michigan-based Cadillac Asphalt LLC (Cadillac) and Michigan Paving and Materials Co. (MPM), have agreed to pay $3.8 million to resolve allegations that they falsely claimed Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) credits on a number of federally funded transportation projects. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce Name Experts to First-ever National Commission on Forensic Science By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 10 Jan 2014 12:23:32 EST The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced appointments to a newly created National Commission on Forensic Science. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the “Safe Streets, Strong Communities” Conference By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 15 Jan 2014 11:04:32 EST More than 30 years ago, LISC was launched in a moment of great challenge – at a time when distressed neighborhoods across the country faced uncertain futures. After decades of rising crime and deteriorating fortunes in parts of America’s most vibrant cities, the Ford Foundation and its allies stepped forward. And they established the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to take what was – at the time – a novel approach to addressing community challenges. Full Article Speech
com United States Government Sues Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc. and Two Foreign Companies for Kickbacks and False Claims Relating to Iraq Support Services Contract By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:24:38 EST The government has filed a complaint against Kellogg, Brown &s contract with the Army to provide logistical support in Iraq. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Owner of Houston Medical Equipment Companies Indicted for $3.4 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 17:08:28 EST Huey P. Williams Jr., the owner and operator of two durable medical equipment (DME) companies, was arrested yesterday for his alleged role in a $3.4 million Medicare fraud scheme. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Attorney General Holder Appoints Eight New U.S. Attorneys to Advisory Committee By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 16:46:43 EST Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the appointment of the following eight U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Attorney General Eric Holder Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 09:20:06 EST As I have often said, the Department’s top priority must always be the protection of the American people from terrorism and other national security threats. Full Article Speech
com Assistant Attorney General Stuart F. Delery Delivers the Keynote Address at the CBI Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 09:30:50 EST "Why is health care enforcement so important? A major reason is the importance of the health care industry itself. From compliance officers to physicians, from corporate executives to nurses and researchers, you contribute to producing the drugs and medical devices on which we and our loved ones rely. Your efforts help to ensure that, when we are sick, the medicines we take will heal us effectively; that when we are in pain, we can obtain relief safely," said Assistant Attorney General Delery Full Article Speech
com Court Permanently Enjoins Georgia Tax Return Preparer and Her Company By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 3 Feb 2014 14:22:18 EST A federal district judge in the Atlanta Division for the Northern District of Georgia permanently barred Joan Leger and her company from preparing federal income tax returns for others on Jan. 31, 2014, the Justice Department announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Delivers Remarks at the National Commission on Forensic Science Meeting By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 10:07:41 EST The fact that we cannot compel other federal, state, and local laboratories and units to adopt this Commission’s guidance does underscore the need to be mindful of the diversity of practice and resources across the country. We must delicately balance the desire to develop meaningful policy with the reality of limited funding at the federal, state, and local levels. And we must do so without taking shortcuts. Full Article Speech
com Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Testifies Before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 10:17:10 EST We have benefited from the consideration of these difficult issues by the PCLOB and the PRG and it is a pleasure to appear with them today. In his speech on January 17th, the President laid out a series of measures to reform our surveillance activities that draw upon many of the core recommendations issued by the PCLOB and Presidential Review Group. Full Article Speech
com Testimony as Prepared for Delivery by Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Mythili Raman Before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the Topic, “Privacy in the Digital Age” By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Feb 2014 16:28:52 EST At the Department of Justice, we are devoting significant resources and energy to fighting computer hacking and other types of cybercrime. The recent revelations about the massive thefts of financial information from large retail stores have served as a stark reminder to all of us about how vulnerable we are to cyber criminals who are determined to steal our personal information. The Justice Department is more committed than ever to ensuring that the full range of government enforcement tools is brought to bear in the fight against cybercrime. Full Article Speech
com W.R. Grace Pays Over $63 Million Toward Cleanup and Restoration of Hazardous Waste Sites in Communities Across the Country By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Feb 2014 17:06:15 EST W.R. Grace & Co, based in Columbia, Md., paid over $63 million to the U.S. government under its bankruptcy plan of reorganization to resolve claims for environmental cleanups at approximately 39 sites in 21 states. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Former Executive of Power Generation Company Charged with Fraud and Money Laundering By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 16:10:51 EST Asem Elgawhary, the former principal vice president of Bechtel Corporation and general manager of the Power Generation Engineering and Services Company (PGESCo), was indicted by a grand jury in Maryland today on charges that he defrauded his former employers, laundered the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme and violated federal tax laws. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Federal Advisory Committee Examines Juvenile Courts and Justice System Programs for American Indian Children Exposed to Violence By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:26:37 EST More than 30 tribal leaders, juvenile court judges, child advocates, juvenile justice system experts and community members from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community testified today in the second public hearing of the Advisory Committee of the Attorney General’s Task Force on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Statements of Associate Attorney General Tony West and Acting Assistant Attorney General of Enrd on the National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Trafficking By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:22:23 EST Today, the White House released the National Strategy for Combatting Wildlife Trafficking. The Department of Justice, along with the Departments of State and the Interior, are co-chairs of the U.S. Task Force established by President Obama to lead the implementation of this strategy. On Thursday, Associate Attorney General Tony West will lead the U.S. Delegation’s participation at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence Hearing By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:05:37 EST Let us reaffirm our commitment to the safety and health of tribal communities. And let us rededicate ourselves to giving native children a future unclouded by violence and brightened by hope. This is the responsibility of every one of us. Full Article Speech
com Former Chief Executive Officer of Oil Services Company Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 17:18:12 EST The former chief executive officer of PetroTiger Ltd., a British Virgin Islands oil and gas company with operations in Colombia and offices in New Jersey, pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign government officials and to defraud PetroTiger. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Government Files Enforcement Action Against Four California Companies and Six Individuals to Stop the Importation of Dangerous Children’s Products By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 11:19:49 EST The government has asked a federal court in California to issue an injunction shutting down the importation and sales activities of four California companies and six individuals in connection with their imports of illegal children’s products containing, among other things, lead, phthalates and small parts inappropriate for children under age three. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Justice Department Highlights Efforts to Combat Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 11:40:54 EST Today, the Justice Department announced the results of its ongoing efforts to combat tax refund fraud that involves identity theft. The Tax Division, in conjunction with the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, has prioritized the investigation and prosecution of individuals who engage in stolen identity refund fraud. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Discrimination at Nine Multifamily Housing Complexes in Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 14:56:38 EST The Justice Department announced today that a federal district court judge in Jackson, Miss., approved a settlement of the department’s lawsuit against the original owners and developers of nine multifamily housing complexes located in Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Former Employee of Florida Airline Fuel Supply Company Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Federal Investigation By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 16:01:14 EST A former employee of a Florida-based airline fuel supply service company pleaded guilty today to obstructing an investigation into fraud and anticompetitive conduct in the airline charter services industry. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services Announce Record-Breaking Recoveries Resulting from Joint Efforts to Combat Health Care Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 09:13:31 EST Attorney General Eric Holder and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released the annual Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) Program report showing that for every dollar spent on health care-related fraud and abuse investigations through this and other programs in the last three years, the government recovered $8.10. This is the highest three-year average return on investment in the 17-year history of the HCFAC Program. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 09:48:31 EST Since 2009, the Department has publicly charged 73 account holders and 35 professionals with violations arising from their offshore banking activities, and 72 individuals have pled guilty or were convicted at trial. Just as importantly our enforcement efforts have driven over 43,000 taxpayers with secret offshore accounts to identify themselves to the IRS, disclose their offshore accounts, and to pay a total of over $6 billion in back taxes, penalties and interest. And that number is growing. Full Article Speech
com South American Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Ocean Shipping Services for Cars and Trucks By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 12:51:34 EST Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores S.A. (CSAV), a Chilean corporation, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay an $8.9 million criminal fine for its involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo, such as cars and trucks, to and from the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Fort Benning Employee Allegedly Steals Military Identities to Commit Multi-Million Dollar Tax Refund Fraud By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 14:46:02 EST Tracy Mitchell, a resident of Phenix City, Ala., was indicted for her involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. for the Middle District of Alabama announced today following the unsealing of the indictment. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Singapore Shipping Company, Crew Member, Plead Guilty to Illegally Discharging Oily Waste By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Mar 2014 15:02:47 EST Singapore-based ODFJELL ASIA II PTE LTD (ODFJELL) and one of its senior crew members pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Hartford, Conn., for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Coal Companies and Subsidiaries to Spend Estimated $200 Million on Treatment and System-wide Upgrades to Reduce Water Pollution By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Mar 2014 14:49:39 EST Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (Alpha), one of the nation’s largest coal companies, Alpha Appalachian Holdings (formerly Massey Energy), and 66 subsidiaries have agreed to spend an estimated $200 million to install and operate wastewater treatment systems and to implement comprehensive, system-wide upgrades to reduce discharges of pollution from coal mines in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Two Individuals and Company Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Sell Trade Secrets to Chinese Companies By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Mar 2014 17:33:47 EST A federal jury in San Francisco has found two individuals and one company guilty of economic espionage, theft of trade secrets, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice 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. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Enter into Consent Decree with Harmony Public Schools Resolving Claims of Retaliation and Pay Discrimination Against Teacher By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Mar 2014 17:53:37 EST The Justice Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced today that they have entered into a consent decree that, if approved by the court, will resolve both agencies’ claims against Harmony Public Schools on behalf of Nicole M. Tuchscherer, a former teacher at Harmony Science Academy-Austin. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Former Owner of Florida Airline Fuel Supply Company Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Illinois-Based Ryan International Airlines By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 6 Mar 2014 13:48:41 EST A former owner and operator of a Florida-based airline fuel supply service company pleaded guilty today to participating in a kickback scheme to defraud Illinois-based Ryan International Airlines, a charter airline company located in Rockford, Ill. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Two Ocean Shipping Companies to Pay $3.4 Million to Settle Claims of Price Fixing Government Cargo Transportation Contracts By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 7 Mar 2014 09:45:36 EST Sea Star Line LLC and Horizon Lines LLC have agreed to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by fixing the price of government cargo transportation contracts between the continental United States and Puerto Rico. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Owner of Tax Preparation Business in Washington, D.C., Indicted for Conspiring to Defraud the Internal Revenue Service and Preparing False Individual Income Tax Returns By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 7 Mar 2014 18:45:33 EST On Feb. 26, 2014, a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia returned a 17 count indictment charging Sherri Davis for conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), aiding and assisting in the preparation of false individual income tax returns and filing false individual income tax returns, the Justice Department and IRS announced following the unsealing of Davis’ indictment today. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Pharmaceutical Company to Pay $27.6 Million to Settle Allegations Involving False Billings to Federal Health Care Programs By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:06:10 EDT Pharmaceutical manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and a subsidiary, IVAX LLC, have agreed to pay the government and the state of Illinois $27.6 million for allegedly violating the False Claims Act by making payments to induce prescriptions of an anti-psychotic drug for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Full Article OPA Press Releases
com Office of Information Policy Director Melanie Ann Pustay Testifies Before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:30:14 EDT "As you know, this Sunshine Week we will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Attorney General’s FOIA Guidelines. Issued during Sunshine Week on March 19, 2009, those Guidelines address the presumption of openness that the President called for in his FOIA Memorandum, the necessity for agencies to create and maintain an effective system for responding to requests, and the need to improve timeliness and to work to reduce backlogs," said Pustay. Full Article Speech
com Construction Company Owner Convicted of Two Counts of Filing False Corporate Tax Returns By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:55:36 EDT The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today that construction company owner Tomas Olazabal, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y., was convicted of two counts of filing false corporate tax returns for his corporation, Tupac Construction Corporation. Full Article OPA Press Releases