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U.S. Intervenes in False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Fla. Home Health Care Company and Its Owner

The government has intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against A Plus Home Health Care, Inc., a home health care company in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and its owner, Tracy Nemerofsky.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Eight Arrested in Puerto Rico on Charges of Illegal Trade in Endangered Sea Turtles for Human Consumption

Federal authorities arrested eight people in the cities of Arroyo and Patillas, Puerto Rico, yesterday on felony and misdemeanor charges for the illegal take, possession and sale of endangered sea turtles and their parts for human consumption as well as aiding and abetting violations of the Endangered Species and Lacey Act, announced Robert G. Dreher, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.



  • OPA Press Releases

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California Man Sentenced to 960 Months for Producing Child Pornography Involving Two Young Virginia Girls

John Stuart Dowell, 47, of Santa Cruz, Calif., was sentenced late yesterday in Harrisonburg, Va., to serve 960 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for producing child pornography.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Signs Agreement with the Town of Poestenkill, N.Y., to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today an agreement with the town of Poestenkill, N.Y., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of New York Construction Company Indicted for Tax Fraud

The Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that Gurmail Singh, of Richmond Hill, N.Y., was arrested yesterday following his indictment on July 11, 2013, for multiple tax crimes.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Florida for Unnecessarily Segregating Children with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida alleging the state is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in its administration of its service system for children with significant medical needs, resulting in nearly 200 children with disabilities being unnecessarily segregated in nursing facilities when they could be served in their family homes or other community-based settings.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Owner of Two Florida Airline Fuel Supply Companies Charged for Role in Scheme to Defraud Illinois-Based Ryan International Airlines

A former owner and operator of two Florida-based airline fuel supply service companies made his initial appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach on charges of participating in a scheme to defraud Illinois-based Ryan International Airlines.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Home Health Agency Owner Pleads Guilty for Role in $13.8 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Detroit-area resident Javed Rehman pleaded guilty today for his role in a $13.8 million Medicare fraud scheme



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the Puerto Rico Police Department for Race, Color and Religious Discrimination

The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit against the Puerto Rico Police Department PRPD) alleging that the PRPD discriminated against Yolanda Carrasquillo on the basis of race, color and religion in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (Title VII).



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Senior Executive of ArthroCare Corp. Pleads Guilty in $400 Million Securities Fraud Scheme

A former senior executive of ArthroCare Corp., a publicly traded medical device company based in Austin, Texas, pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to defraud the company’s shareholders and members of the investing public by falsely inflating ArthroCare’s earnings, announced Acting Assistant Attorney Mythili Raman of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman of the Western District of Texas. The plea was taken under seal on June 24, 2013, and unsealed late yesterday.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Southern Illinois Tax Preparer

The Justice Department announced today that it has asked a federal court to bar Ronald Manis of Carbondale, Ill., from preparing tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Obtains Comprehensive Agreement to Ensure New York City Adult Home Residents with Mental Illness Are Afforded Opportunities to Live in the Community

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced today that they, along with plaintiff adult home residents, entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement with the state of New York under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Settles with Louisiana Tech University Over Inaccessible Course Materials

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with Louisiana Tech University and the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Shipping Firms Sentenced to Pay $10.4 Million for Obstructing Justice and Environmental Crimes for Concealing Vessel Pollution

Two shipping firms based in Germany and Cyprus were sentenced today in federal court in Newark, N.J., to pay a $10.4 million penalty for felony obstruction of justice charges and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to the deliberate concealment of vessel pollution from four ships that visited ports in New Jersey, Delaware and Northern California, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in New Jersey and Delaware, the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S. Coast Guard announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

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San Antonio Agrees to $1.1 Billion Upgrade of Sewer Systems to Comply with Clean Water Act

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) has agreed to make significant upgrades to reduce overflows from its sewer system and pay a $2.6 million civil penalty to resolve Clean Water Act (CWA) violations stemming from illegal discharges of raw sewage. The state of Texas is a co-plaintiff in this case and will receive half of the civil penalty.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Government Seizes Dietary Supplements Containing Unsafe Food Additive in Three States

The Department of Justice has favorably resolved three actions it filed in Arizona, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, to seize and condemn dietary supplements containing the unsafe food additive 1,3-dimethylamylamine, commonly known as DMAA, an amphetamine-like stimulant that has been linked to at least 86 adverse health events.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Investment Banker and His Associate Sentenced for Insider Trading Scheme

A former San Francisco investment banker and his college friend were sentenced yesterday to 16 months in prison for their roles in an insider trading scheme involving two impending corporate mergers, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag of the Northern District of California.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Court Bars South Carolina Tax Return Preparer from Preparing Returns for Others

The Justice Department announced today that a federal district judge in Charleston, S.C. permanently barred Stacy Middleton from preparing federal income tax returns for others.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Philadelphia Money Launderer Pleads Guilty in Connection with Brooklyn Medicare Fraud Scheme

A Philadelphia resident pleaded guilty today for his role as a money launderer in a $13 million health care fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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United States Reaches Agreement with Arcadia, California, School District to Resolve Sex Discrimination Allegations

The United States entered into a settlement agreement with the Arcadia Unified School District in Arcadia, Calif., to resolve an investigation into allegations of discrimination against a transgender student based on the student’s sex.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Former UBS Executives Sentenced to Serve Time in Prison for Frauds Involving Contracts Related to the Investment of Municipal Bond Proceeds

Three former financial services executives were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for their participation in frauds related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Owner of California Medical Equipment Supply Company Found Guilty of $11 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The daughter of a church pastor and owner of a California-based durable medical equipment (DME) supply company was found guilty by a jury of Medicare fraud charges for her role in a Medicare fraud scheme that resulted in over $11 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Michigan Physical Therapist Assistant/home Health Agency Owner Pleads Guilty for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme

A greater Detroit-area physical therapist assistant – who was also an owner of a home health agency and a patient recruiter – pleaded guilty today for his role in a $22 million home health care fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Five Indicted in New Jersey for Largest Known Data Breach Conspiracy

A federal indictment made public today in New Jersey charges five men with conspiring in a worldwide hacking and data breach scheme that targeted major corporate networks, stole more than 160 million credit card numbers and resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. It is the largest such scheme ever prosecuted in the United States.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Health Care Clinic Director Sentenced for Role in $63 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

A former health care clinic director and licensed clinical psychologist at defunct health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN) was sentenced today in Miami to serve 135 months in prison for her central role in a fraud scheme that resulted in more than $63 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Florida Medicaid.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes the Confirmation of Tony West as the Associate Attorney General of the United States

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation by the U.S. Senate of Tony West as the Department of Justice’s Associate Attorney General.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Florida Residents Indicted on Charges of Scheming to Defraud and Threaten Spanish-Speaking Consumers

A grand jury in the Southern District of Florida issued an indictment for two individuals on charges of conspiracy, fraud and extortion alleging they operated a series of fraudulent businesses targeting Spanish-speaking consumers.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Army National Guard Captain Pleads Guilty to Playing a Lead Role in Bribery and Fraud Scheme Resulting in a Loss of $210,000 to the U.S. Army National Guard Bureau

A captain in the Army National Guard pleaded guilty today to playing a lead role in a bribery and fraud scheme resulting in a loss of at least $210,000 to the U.S. Army National Guard Bureau, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) gang pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Acting Assistant Attorney Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Flossmoor, Ill., Man Indicted for Obstruction of Justice and Filing False Liens Against Two Federal Judges and Other Government Employees

The Justice Department announced today that Tyree Davis Sr. of Flossmoor, Ill., was arrested on an eight-count indictment charging him with obstruction of justice and filing fraudulent multi-billion dollar liens against government employees.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Halliburton Agrees to Plead Guilty to Destruction of Evidence in Connection with Deepwater Horizon Tragedy

Halliburton Energy Services Inc. has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence in connection with the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the Department of Justice announced today. A criminal information charging Halliburton with one count of destruction of evidence was filed today in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the National Urban League Annual Conference

Just as it always has been, the American dream is founded – today – on the fundamental promise of equal protection, and equal justice under law, for everyone in this country.




c

Dubuis Health System and Southern Crescent Hospital for Specialty Care, Inc. to Pay U.S. $8 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Dubuis Health System and Southern Crescent Hospital for Specialty Care, Inc. (Southern Crescent) have agreed to pay the United States $8,000,000 to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. Dubuis Health System manages long-term acute care hospitals in multiple states, including Southern Crescent. Southern Crescent is a long-term acute care hospital located in Riverdale, GA and is part of the CHRISTUS Health System.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Settles with Bariatric Clinic in Michigan and Pennsylvania Over HIV Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today that, as part of its Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, it has reached a settlement with Barix Clinics under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Louisiana Men Indicted for Threatening to Retaliate Against a Witness in a Federal Tax Trial

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Baton Rouge, La., returned an indictment yesterday charging Anthony Williams and Bobby Riley with conspiring to threaten to retaliate against a witness in a federal trial, threatening to retaliate against a witness in a federal trial and making false statements to federal agents.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Vermont Man Charged with Obtaining U.S. Citizenship by Failing to Disclose Violent Crimes Committed During the Bosnian Conflict

Edin Sakoc, 54, of Burlington, Vt., was arrested today on charges that he obtained his naturalized citizenship through fraud by failing to disclose his prior acts of persecution and crimes committed during the Bosnian conflict, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Tristram J. Coffin of the District of Vermont, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge in Boston Bruce M. Foucart and Special Agent in Charge Andrew W. Vale of the FBI’s Albany, N.Y., Field Office.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Meeting of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Building on the work of the original and successful Defending Childhood Task Force and efforts across the Department of Justice in Indian country, the American Indian and Alaska Native Task Force will consist of two groups – an Advisory Committee and a Federal Working Group.




c

Federal Courts Authorize Service of John Doe Summonses Seeking Identities of Persons Using Payment Cards in Norway

The Justice Department announced that federal courts in Minnesota, Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Virginia and California have entered orders over the past week authorizing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to serve John Doe summonses on certain U.S. banks and financial institutions, seeking information about persons who have used specific credit or debit cards in Norway.



  • OPA Press Releases

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New Indictment Charges Maryland Man and an Illinois Woman in a Violent Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging Jean Claude Roy, aka “Dredd the Don,” and “Dreddy,” age 31, of Germantown, Md., and Brittney Creason, aka“Kitty Amor,” age 19, of Detaur, Ill., of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Vero Beach, Fla. Doctor and Medical Practice for Retaliating Against Deaf Couple

The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Hal Brown and Primary Care of the Treasure Coast of Vero Beach, Fla. (PCTC), alleging that the doctor and the medical practice violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by discriminating against Susan and James Liese, who are deaf.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Statement by the Attorney General on Senate Vote to Confirm James Comey as FBI Director

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Monday night after the U.S. Senate voted 93-1 to confirm James Comey as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Agrees to Pay $490.9 Million for Marketing the Prescription Drug Rapamune for Unapproved Uses

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc., a pharmaceutical company acquired by Pfizer, Inc. in 2009, has agreed to pay $490.9 million to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the unlawful marketing of the prescription drug Rapamune for uses not approved as safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice Announces Agreement with Liechtenstein Bank to Pay $23.8 Million to Resolve Criminal Tax Investigation

Kathryn Keneally, the Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Richard Weber, the Chief of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced today that Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, a bank based in Vaduz, Liechtenstein (LLB-Vaduz), has agreed to pay more than $23.8 million to the United States and entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Senior Executive of French Power Company Charged in Connection with Foreign Bribery Scheme

A former senior executive of a French power and transportation company has been charged in a second superseding indictment for his alleged participation in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign government officials.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Owner of Los Angeles Medical Equipment Supply Company Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud Medicare

The owner and operator of a durable medical equipment (DME) supply company was sentenced today to serve 24 months in prison for conspiring to submit nearly $1 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.



  • OPA Press Releases

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False Claims Act Judgment Entered Against Washington, DC, Health Care Provider for More Than $17 Million

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has entered judgment for more than $17 million against Dr. Ishtiaq Malik and his two companies, Ishtiaq Malik M.D., P.C. and Advanced Nuclear Diagnostics, for submitting false nuclear cardiology claims to federal and state health care programs.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Brooklyn Clinic Employee Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison in Connection with $77 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Yuri Khandrius, 50, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was sentenced today to eight years in prison for his role in a $77 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Three Men Sentenced in Puerto Rico in Operation Guard Shack Prosecution

Two former officers with the Police of Puerto Rico and another individual were sentenced to prison late yesterday for their roles in providing security for drug transactions.



  • OPA Press Releases

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The Department Announces Departure of Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force Executive Director Michael Bresnick

The Justice Department announced today that the Executive Director of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) Michael Bresnick will be leaving the department on Thursday, August 1, 2013.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Michigan Man Sentenced to 165 Years for Child Sex Tourism Offenses

A former Michigan resident was sentenced today in Miami to 165 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for child sex tourism offenses, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale, and Special Agent in Charge Alysa D. Erichs of the ICE Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Miami Office.



  • OPA Press Releases