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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Conclusion of the Presentation of the Final Report of the Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence

"This report is a central part of the Department’s broader efforts to collect information, solicit expert guidance, and formulate proactive strategies for addressing children’s exposure to violence. Its findings are consistent with, and complementary to, another recent report – focused on exposure to domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault – that was released by the National Advisory Committee for the Office on Violence Against Women," said Attorney General Holder.




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Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer, His Girlfriend and Two of Their Associates Plead Guilty to Participating in Multi-year Bribery and Alien Smuggling Activities Along U.S./Mexico Border

A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, his girlfriend and two of their associates pleaded guilty today in federal court for their participation in multi-year bribery and alien smuggling activities along the U.S./Mexico border.



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Florida Accountant Indicted for Stealing Client Money Intended for IRS

An indictment was unsealed today in Fort Pierce, Fla., charging Joseph Rizzuti with one count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and four counts of wire fraud, the Justice Department and the IRS announced. The indictment was returned by a grand jury on Nov. 29, 2012.



  • OPA Press Releases

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U.S., Pennsylvania and Scranton, Pa., Sewer Authority Settle Violations of Sewage Overflows

The United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania announced today a settlement with the Scranton Sewer Authority (SSA) resolving alleged Clean Water Act violations involving sewer overflows to the Lackawanna River and its tributaries/



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of Louisiana-Based Health Care Company Convicted in Texas for Role in $6.7 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The owner and operator of a Louisiana-based durable medical equipment (DME) company was convicted today by a federal jury in Houston for his role in a $6.7 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Louisiana Man Arrested on Charges of Receiving Illegal Kickbacks in Afghanistan

The former vice president of a construction company doing work in Afghanistan was arrested today on allegations of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gratuities from subcontractors during his employment in Afghanistan.



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Former New Jersey Chiropractor Charged in Scheme to Extinguish Debt and to Obtain Fraudulent IRS Tax Refunds

A federal grand jury in Trenton, N.J., returned an indictment charging David Moleski with 14 counts of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of corruptly impeding the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws and three counts of filing false claims for tax refunds, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



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Louisiana Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to FBI, Falsifying Records

Kevin L. Groom Sr, 45, a correctional officer with the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge James J. Brady for the Middle District of Louisiana for his role in covering up an incident in which correctional officers used excessive force against an inmate. Groom admitted filing a false report and subsequently providing false information to the FBI about the incident. Investigation of the incident is ongoing.



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Department of Justice Forfeits Nearly $7 Million in Proceeds of Unlawful Offshore Gambling and Money Laundering Following Guilty Plea by William Paul Scott

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a consent order of forfeiture today ordering the civil forfeiture of $6,976,924 traced to international money laundering of the proceeds from an offshore Internet gambling operation that illegally targeted U.S. residents.



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Former Lincoln County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office Detective Sentenced on Sexual Abuse Charges

Scott Edwards, a former Lincoln County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department detective, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by three years supervised release for violating the constitutional rights of five women through acts of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual contact while serving as their “drug court tracker,” when the women were participants in the Lincoln County Drug Court program.



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Former Alabama State Employee Sentenced for Identity Theft and Tax Fraud

Natacia Webster of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Webster had pleaded guilty to those charges in September 2012. She was also ordered to pay $113,000 in restitution and will serve three years on supervised release following her release from federal prison.



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Payment Processor for Scareware Cybercrime Ring Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison

A Swedish credit card payment processor was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for his role in an international cybercrime ring that netted $71 million by infecting victims’ computers with “scareware” and selling rogue antivirus software that was supposed to secure victims’ computers but was, in fact, useless.



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Japanese-Based Toyo Ink and Affiliates in New Jersey and Illinois Settle False Claims Allegation for $45 Million

Japan-based Toyo Ink SC Holdings Co. Ltd. and various affiliated entities (collectively, Toyo Ink) have agreed to pay $45 million, plus interest, to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly failing to pay antidumping and countervailing duties, the Justice Department announced today.



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Bridgeport, Conn., Drug Dealer Sentenced to Death for Murdering Three People in 2005

U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton today sentenced Azibo Aquart to death for murdering three Bridgeport, Conn., residents on Aug. 24, 2005.



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Justice Department and the City of Portland, Ore., Jointly File Court Enforceable Agreement to Reform Portland Police Bureau’s Use of Force Practices

The United States and the city of Portland, Ore., have jointly filed in federal court a proposed court enforceable settlement agreement to remedy constitutional claims that the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional uses of force in response to “low-level offenses” against persons with actual or perceived mental illness. The agreement addresses the allegations described in a civil action also filed today by the United States, under provisions of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 for alleged violations of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.



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Leader of $63 Million Mental Health Fraud Scheme Pleads Guilty in Miami

The owner of a string of community mental health centers pleaded guilty today in connection with a health care fraud and money laundering scheme involving defunct health care provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN).



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Department of Justice Enters into Agreement to Reform the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee

The Department of Justice today announced that it has entered into a comprehensive memorandum of agreement with the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County, Tenn., to resolve findings of serious and systemic failures in the juvenile court that violate children’s due process and equal protection rights.



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Convicted Fraudster Admits Obstructing Justice, Attempting to Corruptly Influence U.s. Attorney to Dismiss Case

A defendant who tried to escape fraud charges against him by exerting pressure on a U.S. Attorney’s spouse and candidate for office pleaded guilty today to obstruction of justice for perpetrating the scheme.



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AU Optronics Corporation Executive Convicted for Role in LCD Price-fixing Conspiracy

Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in San Francisco today convicted an executive of the largest Taiwan liquid crystal display (LCD) producer for his participation in a worldwide conspiracy to fix the prices of thin-film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels sold worldwide.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Penguin Group (USA) Inc. in E-Books Case

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Penguin Group (USA) Inc.–one of the largest book publishers in the United States–and will continue to litigate against Apple Inc. and Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, for conspiring to raise e-book prices to consumers.



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Former Heber City, Utah Resident Convicted of Filing False Claims for Tax Refunds Totaling More Than $2.2 Million

April J. Rampton, 41, formerly of Heber City, Utah, was convicted yesterday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City of nine counts of filing false claims for income tax refunds, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Rampton, who was indicted on Sept. 14, 2011, was released following the verdict. She is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Dee Benson on Feb. 27, 2013. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on six similar counts.



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Owner of Brooklyn, N.Y., Clinic Pleads Guilty in Connection with $71 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The owner and manager of a Brooklyn, N.Y., health care clinic pleaded guilty today in federal court for her role in a $71 million Medicare fraud and money laundering scheme.



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Individual Arrested in Connection with Costa Rica-based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures

A dual United States and Costa Rican citizen charged in connection with the operation of a series of fraudulent business opportunities was arrested today in Chicago following his indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami on Nov. 29, 2011, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today. Sean Rosales was arrested based on charges that he and his co-conspirators purported to sell beverage and greeting card business opportunities, including assistance in establishing, maintaining and operating such businesses. The charges in the indictment form part of the government’s continued nationwide crackdown on business opportunity fraud.



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Manalapan, N.J., Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Girl, Streaming Assault Live Over the Internet

A New Jersey woman was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison for producing child pornography through the sexual exploitation of a 5-year-old girl on more than one occasion and streaming footage of a sexual assault over the Internet.



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Five Foreign Nationals Sentenced to Prison for Role in Trafficking Identities of Puerto Rican U.S. Citizens

Five foreign nationals were sentenced to prison for their respective roles in trafficking the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens and corresponding identity documents.



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Physical Therapy Assistant Pleads Guilty in Connection with Detroit Medicare Fraud Scheme

Detroit-area resident Ankit Patel pleaded guilty today for his role in a $13.8 million home health care fraud scheme.



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UBS Securities Japan Co. Ltd. to Plead Guilty to Felony Wire Fraud for Long-running Manipulation of LIBOR Benchmark Interest Rates

UBS Securities Japan Co. Ltd. (UBS Japan), an investment bank, financial advisory securities firm and wholly-owned subsidiary of UBS AG, has agreed to plead guilty to felony wire fraud and admit its role in manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a leading benchmark used in financial products and transactions around the world.



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Amgen Inc. Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge in Brooklyn, NY.; Pays $762 Million to Resolve Criminal Liability and False Claims Act Allegations

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S. District Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr. accepted a guilty plea by American biotechnology giant Amgen Inc. (Amgen) for illegally introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce. The plea is part of a global settlement with the United States in which Amgen agreed to pay $762 million to resolve criminal and civil liability arising from its sale and promotion of certain drugs. The settlement represents the single largest criminal and civil False Claims Act settlement involving a biotechnology company in U.S. history.



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New Jersey Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Bid-Rigging Scheme at Municipal Tax Lien Auctions

A New Jersey company in the business of receiving the assignment of municipal tax liens pleaded guilty today for its role in a conspiracy to rig bids for the sale of tax liens auctioned by municipalities in New Jersey.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with New York Manufacturer to Resolve Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it reached a settlement agreement with R-Tronics LLC, a company based in Rome, N.Y., which manufactures custom and prototype cables, wire harnesses and electro-mechanical assemblies. The agreement resolves allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by limiting its hiring practices to U.S. citizens.



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Sanofi US Agrees to Pay $109 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Free Product Kickbacks to Physicians

Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC, subsidiaries of international drug manufacturer Sanofi (collectively, Sanofi US), have agreed to pay $109 million to resolve allegations that Sanofi US violated the False Claims Act by giving physicians free units of Hyalgan, a knee injection, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute, to induce them to purchase and prescribe the product. The settlement also resolves allegations that Sanofi US submitted false average sales price (ASP) reports for Hyalgan that failed to account for free units distributed contingent on Hyalgan purchases. The government alleges that the false ASP reports, which were used to set reimbursement rates, caused government programs to pay inflated amounts for Hyalgan and a competing product.



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Las Vegas Real Estate Agent Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Her Role in Mortgage Fraud Scheme

A Las Vegas real estate agent was sentenced today to serve 70 months in prison for her participation in a mortgage fraud scheme that netted more than $10 million in fraudulent mortgage loans.



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New Mexico Probation Officer Indicted on Sexual Assault Charges

A federal grand jury in Albuquerque, N.M., has indicted Gordon Chavez, 35, a probation officer with the New Mexico Corrections Department on charges related to the sexual assault of a probationer whom he supervised. The New Mexico Corrections Department placed Chavez on administrative leave following his arrest on Dec. 4, 2012.



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Justice Department Settles Immigration-Based Discrimination Claim Against New York Hospital

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Holliswood Hospital, a hospital in Queens, N.Y., resolving claims that the hospital violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), when it required newly hired lawful permanent residents to provide more or different documents during the Form I-9 employment eligibility verification process.



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Former Army Contractor Employee and Two Former U.S. Army Staff Sergeants Plead Guilty to Roles in Afghanistan Contract Fraud Scheme

A former employee of a U.S. Army contractor and two former U.S. Army staff sergeants pleaded guilty today for their roles in a fraud scheme involving a contract to provide armored vehicles to the U.S. Military in Afghanistan.



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Owners of Two Miami Home Health Companies Plead Guilty in $48 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

The owners and operators of two Miami health care agencies pleaded guilty today for their participation in a $48 million home health Medicare fraud scheme.



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Indiana Man Pleads Guilty to Religiously Motivated Attack on Toledo-Area Mosque

An Indiana man faces a likely sentence of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to hate crimes stemming from the arson of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, the Justice Department announced today.



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Owner of Pavement Painting Business Sentenced in Alaska for Illegally Disposing Hazardous Waste

The former owner of a road and parking lot painting and striping business in Anchorage, Alaska, was sentenced today for illegally disposing of more than 200,000 pounds of highly flammable hazardous waste in Anchorage.



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Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer Speaks at the UBS Press Conference

"We cannot, and we will not, tolerate misconduct on Wall Street of the kind admitted to by UBS today, and by Barclays last June. We will continue to follow the facts and the law wherever they lead us in this matter, as we do in every case," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the UBS Press Conference

"Today, the Justice Department is filing a criminal information charging UBS Securities Japan – a subsidiary of the multinational financial institution UBS AG – with felony wire fraud for engaging in a scheme to manipulate the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR – a key benchmark for financial products and transactions around the world," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Files Civil Rights Lawsuit Against the Alamance County, N.C., Sheriff’s Office

The Justice Department today filed a civil rights lawsuit against Terry S. Johnson, in his official capacity as head of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in North Carolina.



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Department of Justice Will Not Challenge STARS Alliance LLC’s Joint Procurement Proposal

The Department of Justice today announced that it will not challenge a proposal by STARS Alliance LLC (STARS), a group of seven nuclear power plant operators, to procure jointly certain goods and services.



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Ohio-Based Wheelchair Manufacturer Agrees to Consent Decree to Resolve Allegations of Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act Violations

The Justice Department, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), today filed a complaint and a proposed consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against Invacare Corp., Gerald B. Blouch and Ronald J. Clines.



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Justice Department and Lesley University Sign Agreement to Ensure Meal Plan Is Inclusive of Students with Celiac Disease and Food Allergies

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., to ensure that students with celiac disease and other food allergies can fully and equally enjoy the university’s meal plan and food services in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Clinical Director for Miami-based Health Care Clinic Sentenced to Prison for Role in $50 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A former clinical director for Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for his participation in a Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of more than $50 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Georgia Tax Preparers

The United States has asked a federal court in Atlanta to bar Larry J. Heath, who operates Heath’s Income Tax II in Cartersville, Ga., and his brother Andrew R. Heath, who operates Excellent Tax Service of Acworth, Ga., from preparing tax returns for others.



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Justice Department Enters into Agreement to Reform the Puerto Rico Police Department

The Justice Department today entered into a sweeping agreement with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Governor Luis Fortuño to resolve its civil investigation of the Puerto Rico Police Department.



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Justice Department Announces Agreement with the State of New Hampshire on Bailout of Covered Jurisdictions Under the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the State of New Hampshire that will allow for all 10 of the towns in that state that are covered jurisdictions under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act to bail out from coverage by these provisions.



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District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against New Mexico-Based Producer of Peanut Butter Products and Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer

U.S. District Court Judge William P. Johnson entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Sunland Inc., a Portales, N.M.-based producer of peanut butter, and Jimmie D. Shearer, president and chief executive officer of Sunland, the Justice Department announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Annual Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial Service

"Although no speech or ceremony can erase the pain that you’ve carried with you since that terrible night – by gathering to exchange stories, to share memories, and to lift up the legacies of those we’ve come to remember – I am confident that this community can continue to heal, to grow, and to move into a brighter future," said Attorney General Holder.