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Department of Justice Access to Justice Initiative Issues Report to Assist Foreclosure Mediation Programs

The Access to Justice Initiative today released Foreclosure Mediation: Emerging Research and Evaluation Practices, a report resulting from a March 7, 2011, workshop with dozens of foreclosure mediation program stakeholders and researchers.



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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

Robert Rosenbeck, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper in Boston.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against the Berkeley County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office for Violating Detainees’ First Amendment Religious and Speech Rights

The United States alleged that BCSO denied detainees access to books, magazines, newspapers or other expressive materials and denied them the right to practice their religion, in violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).



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Korean Shipping Company, Chief Engineer and Assistant Engineer Convicted in Hawaii for Environmental Crimes

Keoje Marine was sentenced to pay a $1.15 million criminal penalty, $250,000 of which will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as a community service payment for projects aimed at protecting and restoring marine resources in the District of Hawaii.



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Oklahoma Inmate Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Jailer to Assault Another Inmate

Phillip Oliver, 46, an inmate at the Muskogee County, Okla., Jail (MCJ) pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Muskogee to one count of conspiracy related to the orchestrated beating of a fellow inmate at the behest of an unnamed jailer on duty.



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Former Milwaukee Police Officer Convicted of Civil Rights Violation for Sexual Assault of Milwaukee Woman

A federal jury today convicted Ladmarald Cates, 44, a former Milwaukee Police Officer, of a civil rights charge stemming from his July 16, 2010, sexual assault of a Milwaukee woman.



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Deputy US Marshal in Chicago Indicted for Civil Rights Violations

A federal grand jury in Chicago returned an indictment today charging Deputy U.S. Marshal Stephen Linder, 36, with violations of federal criminal civil rights law related to two separate incidents in which Linder assaulted a handcuffed civilian.



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Utah Chiropractor Convicted of Attempted Evasion of Payment of Income Tax

Douglas R. Madsen, a chiropractor from Ephraim, Utah, was convicted today after a jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City of income tax evasion, the Justice Department announced.



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Owner and Patient Recruiter Sentenced to Prison for Roles in $4.7 Million Louisiana Medicare Fraud Scheme

An owner and a patient recruiter for a Louisiana durable medical equipment (DME) company were sentenced today to 60 and 55 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a $4.7 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Former L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Corruption Charge

A former Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy was charged today with agreeing to accept $20,000 in bribes in exchange for smuggling contraband into the Men's Central Jail.



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Former Dow Research Scientist Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Stealing Trade Secrets and Perjury

A former research scientist was sentenced late yesterday to 60 months in prison for stealing trade secrets from Dow Chemical Company and selling them to companies in the People’s Republic of China, as well as committing perjury.



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Louisiana Health Care Company Owner and Recruiter Plead Guilty to Medicare Fraud Scheme

Two Baton Rouge, La., residents have pleaded guilty for their role in a Medicare fraud scheme, which allegedly involved more than $21 million.



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Justice Department Settles with Warren, Ohio, Police Department

The investigation focused on whether WPD engages in unconstitutional or unlawful policing through the use of excessive force.



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Federal Officials Close the Investigation into the Death of Native American Woodcarver in Washington State

The U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington announced today that they are closing the federal criminal civil rights investigation of a former Seattle Police Department Officer for the fatal shooting of the late Native American woodcarver John T. Williams, and that charges will not be filed.



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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Production Charges in Indiana and Is Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison

A Maryland man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Indianapolis to seven counts of child pornography production and was sentenced to 33 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett of the Southern District of Indiana.



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Attorney General Holder Speaks at the Utah Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission Annual Drum Major Awards Luncheon

"More than half a century has passed since Dr. King traveled from Atlanta to Salt Lake City – to spread his message of hope and unity, and to sound his call for change," said Attorney General Holder.




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Kentuckians Convicted of Lacey Act Crimes for Illegally Harvesting and Making False Records for Ohio River Paddlefish

Steve Kinder, along with his wife, Cornelia Joyce Kinder, both of Owenton, Ky., owned and operated Kinder Caviar Inc. and Black Star Caviar Company. Those companies were in the business of exporting paddlefish eggs as caviar to customers in foreign countries.



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Marubeni Corporation Resolves Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Investigation and Agrees to Pay a $54.6 Million Criminal Penalty

Marubeni Corporation has agreed to pay a $54.6 million criminal penalty to resolve charges related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for its participation in a decade-long scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials to obtain engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts.



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Former Employee and Contractors of Florida Property Management Company Indicted in Illinois for Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Wire Fraud

A Rockford, Ill., grand jury today indicted a former residential sales manager and two former contractors of a Florida property management company in connection with housing repair contracts for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.



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New Jersey Pipe Supply Company and Owner Sentenced for Their Role in Fraud and Bribery Conspiracy in Power Generation Industry

A New Jersey industrial pipe supply company and its owner were sentenced today for participating in a conspiracy to commit fraud and pay bribes to a purchasing manager at Consolidated Edison of New York (Con Ed) in return for the manager’s efforts to steer contracts to the company.



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Miami-Area Resident Pleads Guilty to Participating in $200 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Sandra Jimenez, 38, admitted to participating in a fraud scheme that was orchestrated by the owners and operators of American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC); its management company, Medlink Professional Management Group Inc.; and the American Sleep Institute (ASI).



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Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Shut Down Louisiana Tax Preparer

The United States has sued Larry Carnell Dixon Sr., seeking to bar him and his business, Dixon’s Tax Service, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Barrio Azteca Gang Member Pleads Guilty in Texas to Racketeering Conspiracy

Ricardo Gonzalez, 44, aka “Cuate,” of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Norbert J. Garney in the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division, to racketeering conspiracy.



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Justice Department Announces Grant Solicitation for Funding to Federally-Recognized Tribes and Tribal Consortia

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that the comprehensive grant solicitation for funding to support improvements to public safety, victim services and crime prevention in American Indian and Alaska Native communities will be posted at 3:00 p.m. EST today.



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Alabama Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United States

The Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that Tracey Fergerson pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Charles S. Coody in Montgomery, Ala., to conspiring to defraud the United States government.



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Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Claiming Fraudulent Tax Refunds

Philip Butcher pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz in Miami to filing a false claim for a tax refund, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



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Former Oklahoma Detention Officer Indicted for Assaulting an Inmate

A federal grand jury in Muskogee, Okla., has indicted Jerrod Porter Lane, 26, former detention officer at the Muskogee County Jail (MCJ) in Oklahoma, on six charges related to two separate assaults of an inmate housed at MCJ and the subsequent attempts to cover up his behavior, all during October 2011.



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Third Springfield, Massachusetts, Man Sentenced to Prison for Arson of African-American Church

Thomas Gleason, 24, was sentenced today in federal court for his role in the arson of the predominately African-American Macedonia Church of God in Christ just hours after the election of President Barack Obama.



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Four Men Indicted in Houston on Federal Hate Crime Charges Related to the Assault of African-American Man

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Houston has indicted Charles Cannon, 26; Michael McLaughlin, 40; Brian Kerstetter, 32; and Joseph Staggs, 49, on federal hate crime charges related to a racially motivated assault of a 29-year-old African-American man.



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Justice Department Charges Leaders of Megaupload with Widespread Online Copyright Infringement

Seven individuals and two corporations have been charged in the United States with running an international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted works, through Megaupload.com and other related sites, generating more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and causing more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners.



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Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Health Care Fraud Scheme

Karen Rayburn, 47, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James J. Brady of the Middle District of Louisiana to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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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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Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Export Military Antennae to Singapore and Hong Kong

Rudolf L. Cheung, 57, a resident of Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the District of Columba to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act in connection with the unlawful export of 55 military antennae from the United States to Singapore and Hong Kong.



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Co-Founder of NinjaVideo.net Website Sentenced in Virginia to 14 Months in Prison for Criminal Copyright Conspiracy

Matthew David Howard Smith, 24, of Raleigh, N.C., was sentenced today in Alexandria, Va., to 14 months in prison for his role in founding NinjaVideo.net, a website that provided millions of users with the ability to illegally download high-quality copies of copyright-protected movies and television programs.



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Colorado Resident Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors in Texas Real Estate Scheme

Thomas B. Evans, 47, of Centennial, Colo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine M. Arguello in Denver to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.



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Individuals Plead Guilty in Two Detroit Medicare Fraud Cases

Four individuals pleaded guilty today in Detroit for their roles in a $14 million Medicare fraud scheme. In a separate case, the owner of a Detroit psychotherapy clinic also pleaded guilty today for his role in a $3 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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US Army Sergeant Major and Former Sergeant Sentenced to Prison for Bribery Conspiracy at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

Former Sergeant Charles O. Finch, 45, of Milalani, Hawaii, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi in the District of Hawaii to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the Department of Defense.



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Former CIA Officer John Kiriakou Charged with Disclosing Covert Officer’s Identity and Other Classified Information to Journalists and Lying to CIA’s Publications Review Board

A former CIA officer, John Kiriakou, was charged today with repeatedly disclosing classified information to journalists, including the name of a covert CIA officer and information revealing the role of another CIA employee in classified activities.



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Florida Loan Officer Sentenced in Connection with $2.5 Million Reverse Mortgage Fraud and Loan Modification Scheme

A loan officer was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for his participation in a nationwide $2.5 million reverse mortgage fraud scheme, the Justice Department announced.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General Pozen Announces Departure from Antitrust Division

Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis A. Pozen announced her resignation from the Department of Justice today, effective as of April 30, 2012.



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Alabama Woman Indicted for Using Stolen Identities to Obtain Tax Refunds

Crystal Sayles was arrested today on charges stemming from her use of stolen identities to commit federal tax fraud, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Three Indicted in Alabama in Conspiracy to Obtain Tax Refunds Using Stolen Identities

Chiquanta Davis, Terrence Davis and Laurekshia Blakely were charged in a superseding indictment by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama on multiple counts stemming from an identity theft and tax fraud scheme, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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State of Alabama Employee Indicted for Identity Theft and Tax Fraud

Natacia Webster was arrested today as part of a federal crackdown on identity theft and tax refund fraud.



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Michigan Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Participating in International Child Pornography Ring and Producing Child Pornography

Joshua Boras of Lapeer, Mich., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips.



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Philadelphia Man Convicted for Role in Violent Home Invasion Robberies of Business Owners in Four States

After a four-day trial, a federal jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found Tahn Le, 44, guilty on Jan. 20, 2012, of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce through multiple home invasion robberies and related firearms violations.



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Four East Haven, Connecticut, Police Officers Charged with Civil Rights Offenses

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport, Conn., returned an indictment charging four East Haven Police officers with conspiring to violate, and violating, the civil rights of members of the East Haven community.



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Justice Department Prevails for a Second Time in Long-running Tax Shelter Case

A federal court of appeals has, for the second time, rejected an alleged abusive tax shelter engineered by a subsidiary of General Electric Capital Corporation, the Justice Department announced today.



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Owner of Alabama Tax Business Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Identity Theft and Tax Fraud Scheme

Marsha Elmore of Wetumpka, Ala., the owner of a tax preparation business called Community Tax, was sentenced today to 184 months in prison, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



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Miami-Area Nurse Pleads Guilty in $25 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Jorge Pineiro, 42, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



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New Mexico Man Indicted for Using Stolen Identities to Obtain Tax Refunds

Douglas J. Kuester of Silver City, N.M., was arrested today on identity theft and tax fraud charges, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



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