c

Irish National Pleads Guilty in New York to Crimes Relating to Illegal Trafficking of Endangered Rhinoceros Horns

Michael Slattery Jr., 25, an Irish national, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act in relation to illegal rhinoceros horn trafficking, announced Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice, and Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Alabama Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Identity Theft Scheme

Mary Young and Christian Young each pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of aggravated identity theft for their role in a stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Philadelphia Reentry Court

There are kids and younger people who are going to be looking at you all and who are going to learn from you, from your example. You have a unique opportunity and I think a responsibility to give something back and to make better the lives of those youngsters who will be looking up to you.




c

Patient Broker of South Florida Psychiatric Hospital Sentenced for Role in $67 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

A patient broker of a South Florida psychiatric hospital was sentenced today to serve 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her participation in a $67 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Former Tennessee Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Handcuffed Arrestee

Christopher Eugene Reynolds, 39, a former police officer of the Selmer, Tenn., Police Department (SPD), pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee to violating the civil rights of an arrestee, the Justice Department announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Former Mental-Health Clinic Therapist Sentenced for Role in $55 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

A former therapist for Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, was sentenced today to serve 120 in prison for his participation in a $55 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Navy Commander Charged with Accepting $100,000 Cash and Prostitutes in Widening International Bribery Scheme

A third senior U.S. Navy official has been charged in a complaint unsealed today with accepting prostitutes, luxury travel and $100,000 cash from a foreign defense contractor in exchange for classified and internal U.S. Navy information, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Lutz, Fla., Man Convicted on Drug Distribution and Sex Trafficking Charges

Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division today announced the conviction of Andrew Blane Fields, 62, of Lutz, Fla., in the Middle District of Florida on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely Oxycodone, Dilaudid and Morphine, and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

New Hampshire Man Charged with Passing Fraudulent Documents in Connection with His Sale of Black Rhinoceros Horns for $35,000

Ari B. Goldenberg, 46, of Milton, N.H., was charged today with trafficking in and making a false record for illegally selling a black rhinoceros head mount to an undercover U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) special agent.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Detroit-Area Home Health Care Agency Owner Sentenced for Role in $2.2 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The owner of a Detroit-area home health care agency was sentenced today to serve 65 months in prison for her leading role in a $2.2 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Northern California Real Estate Investor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at Public Foreclosure Auctions

A Northern California real estate investor has agreed to plead guilty for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

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

Detroit-area resident Javed Rehman was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison today for his role in a $13.8 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Federal Court in Ohio Shuts Down Nation’s Fourth-Largest Tax-Preparation Firm and Bars CEO from Tax-Preparation Business

Judge Finds that Instant Tax Service Franchisor Defrauded Customers, Obstructed the IRS and Violated Court Orders on Lending Practices



  • OPA Press Releases

c

AT&T Agrees to Settle Allegations Involving IP Relay Services Provided to Hearing- and Speech-Impaired Persons

AT&T has agreed to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act in connection with a program administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).



  • OPA Press Releases

c

North Carolina Paving Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax and Bank Fraud

Tommy Edward Clack pleaded guilty in federal court in Greensboro, N.C., to one count of willfully filing a false federal income tax return and one count of knowingly making a false statement to a federally-insured bank in order to obtain a mortgage loan, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Chicago Lawyer Permanently Barred from Promoting Tax-Fraud Schemes and Preparing Related Tax Returns

A federal court has permanently barred Gary J. Stern from promoting tax fraud schemes and from preparing related tax returns, the Justice Department announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Former Belen, N.M., Police Department Detective Indicted for Using Excessive Force Against Arrestee

A federal grand jury in Albuquerque, N.M., has returned a one-count indictment charging former Belen Police Department Detective John Lytle with unlawfully assaulting a victim, identified in the indictment as R.A., during an investigative stop and arrest on March 15, 2012.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Attorney General Eric Holder Selects Ronald Davis to Lead Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced Ronald L. Davis as the director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Justice Department Requires US Airways and American Airlines to Divest Facilities at Seven Key Airports to Enhance System-wide Competition and Settle Merger Challenge

The Department of Justice today announced that it is requiring US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines’ parent corporation, AMR Corp. to divest slots and gates at key constrained airports across the country to low cost carrier airlines (LCCs) in order to enhance system-wide competition in the airline industry resulting in more choices and more competitive airfares for consumers.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Justice Department Selects Four Courts to Identify Promising Practices in Custody and Visitation Decisions in Domestic Violence Cases

The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), in partnership with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), announces the selection of four courts to participate in the Family Court Enhancement Project (FCEP) to improve custody and visitation decision-making for families who have experienced domestic violence.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Former Defense Contractor Employee and Wife Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Millions in Scheme Involving Supplies to Afghan National Army

Keith Johnson, 46, and his wife, Angela Johnson, 44, of Maryville, Tenn., pleaded guilty today to their roles in a $9.7 million procurement fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Brooklyn Clinic Owner Sentenced for Role in $77 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

The owner of a Brooklyn medical clinic was sentenced today to serve 15 years in prison for her leading role in a $77 million Medicare fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Justice Department and HUD Settle Discrimination Claims Against the City of Joliet, Ill.

The Justice Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of Joliet, Ill., have settled housing discrimination litigation that will preserve affordable housing for low-income residents in the southwest Chicago suburb for at least the next 20 years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois and the Civil Rights Division announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Justice Department Sues to Stop Louisiana Tax Return Preparer

The United States has asked a federal court in New Orleans to permanently bar Shawanda Nevers (aka Shawanda Bryant, aka Shawanda Hawkins, aka Shawanda Johnson) of La Place, La., from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Court Authorizes IRS to Issue Summonses for Records Relating to U.S. Taxpayers with Offshore Bank Accounts

Five Banks Directed to Produce Records for Accounts at Zurcher Kantonalbank, The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited and Affiliates



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Memorial Service for TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez

No one understood this better than Gerardo Hernandez – a passionate public servant who stood on the front lines of our struggle to prevent terrorism. But what made Gerardo Hernandez a hero was not only how he died – in the line of duty, becoming the first member of the Transportation Security Administration to lose his life in service of his country.




c

Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Delivers Remarks at the Conference Call Regarding the Justice Department’s Proposed Settlement with US Airways and American Airlines

The Department of Justice filed a proposed settlement with US Airways and American Airlines that, if approved by the court, would resolve our lawsuit challenging their proposed merger. Under the agreement, we are requiring US Airways and American Airlines to divest critically important facilities at seven key airports across the country




c

Alleged Leader of Mexican Narcotics Trafficking Organization Extradited to U.S.

The alleged leader of a Mexican narcotics trafficking organization responsible for trafficking multi-ton quantities of cocaine, Juan Juarez Orosco, aka “El Abuelo,” was extradited to the United States from Panama on Nov. 8, 2013, and arraigned on Nov. 10, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom in the Eastern District of New York.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Attorney General Eric Holder Announces First Public Hearing of Task Force to Examine Impact of Violence on American Indian and Alaska Native Children

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced the first public hearing of a new task force to examine the impact of exposure to violence on American Indian and Alaska Native children. Joining President Obama and other officials at the Department of the Interior for the White House Tribal Nations Conference, Attorney General Holder shared the announcement with leaders from the 566 federally recognized tribes and emphasized the Justice Department’s long-standing collaboration with leaders in American Indian and Alaska Native communities to improve public safety.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Internet Pharmacy Website Affiliate Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Return

Pamela B. Reid pleaded guilty last night to one count of filing a false individual income tax return for the 2006 tax year, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Justice Department Officials Raise Awareness of Disaster Fraud Hotline Following Typhoon Haiyan

The Department of Justice, the FBI, and the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) remind the public that there is a potential for disaster fraud in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Suspected fraudulent activity pertaining to relief efforts associated with Typhoon Haiyan should be reported to the toll-free NCDF hotline at 866-720-5721. The hotline is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the purpose of reporting suspected scams being perpetrated by criminals in the aftermath of disasters.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

City of Shreveport Agrees to $342 Million Sewer System Upgrade to Comply with Clean Water Act

The city of Shreveport, La., has agreed to make significant upgrades to reduce overflows from its sanitary sewer system and pay a $650,000 civil penalty to resolve Clean Water Act (CWA) violations stemming from illegal discharges of raw sewage, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The state of Louisiana, a co-plaintiff in this case, will receive half of the civil penalty.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Conference

As we gather for this year’s Tribal Nations Conference – here in our nation’s capital, during American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month – it’s appropriate that we celebrate these and other momentous achievements.




c

Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council

For at-risk young people—and particularly those affected by violence—the services provided by the Affordable Care Act represent more than an insurance policy; they are a lifeline. They are the tools of prevention and reorientation that can mean the difference between a life of fulfillment, and one that perpetuates a cycle of trauma and violence.




c

Justice Department Announces More Than $62 Million to Strengthen Reentry, Probation and Parole Programs

The Justice Department has awarded more than $62 million in grants to strengthen efforts to help people returning from prison rejoin their communities and become productive, law-abiding citizens.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Attorney General Eric Holder Calls on Congress to Pass Bipartisan Second Chance Act

Attorney General Eric Holder today endorsed the reauthorization of the Second Chance Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy and Rob Portman and its companion legislation by Representatives Danny Davis and F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. that provides resources and support to people reintegrating into their communities after being incarcerated.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Claim for Housing Allowance

A Department of Defense (DOD) employee has pleaded guilty to filing a false claim with the DOD while stationed in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to fraudulently obtain $64,000 in housing allowance, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden of the District of Nevada.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Alabama Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Identity Theft and Tax Refund Scheme

Kevin Jackson of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced to serve 102 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release, along with an order to pay $150,840.49 in restitution, for his role in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Ohio-Based Basco Manufacturing Co. to Pay $1.1 Million for Allegedly Falsifying Customs Documents to Evade Import Duties on Chinese Products

Ohio-based Basco Manufacturing Co. (Basco) has agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by making false customs declarations to avoid paying duties on products imported from a Chinese manufacturer, and that it has filed a complaint against four other companies and two individuals based on similar allegations.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Associate Attorney General Tony West Delivers Remarks at the Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation

Now perpetrators of domestic and dating violence will be held accountable, whether they’re Indian or non-Indian, and countless Indian women will enjoy safer lives as a result. Section 904 of VAWA 2013 recognizes the inherent power of “participating tribes” to exercise “special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction” over certain defendants, regardless of their Indian or non-Indian status, who commit acts of domestic violence or dating violence or violate certain protection orders in Indian country.




c

Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer and Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division Ronald T. Hosko Testify Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights on Cartel Prosecution

Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer and FBI Assistant Director Ronald T. Hosko testify on cartel prosecution before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights




c

Justice Department and San Francisco Restaurant Settle Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim

The Justice Department today reached an agreement with Kim Hoang Coffee and Fast Food, a restaurant in San Francisco, resolving claims that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Northern California Couple Indicted for Filing False Claims for Refunds and for Filing Liens Against the IRS Commissioner

Robert Eldon Robertson and his wife Esther Lynne Robertson of Manteca, Calif., were indicted on charges of filing two false claims for federal tax refunds, filing liens against the former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commissioner and impeding the administration of federal tax laws, the Justice Department and IRS announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Former Miami Mortgage Broker and Real Estate Agent Sentenced for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Mortgage Fraud Scheme

A former Florida-licensed real estate associate and mortgage broker was sentenced to serve 135 months in prison for his role in a $2.4 million mortgage fraud scheme.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Two Florida Men Convicted in Philadelphia of Conspiring and Trafficking in Protected Reptiles

A federal jury today found Robroy MacInnes, 54, of Inverness, Fla., and Robert Keszey, 47, of Bushnell, Fla., guilty of conspiracy to traffic in state and federally protected reptiles. MacInnes also was convicted of trafficking in protected timber rattlesnakes in violation of the Lacey Act.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Pittsburgh Repeat Offender Sentenced to Prison for Tax Obstruction

Michael Carlow, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., was sentenced today to serve 35 months in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department and IRS announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Former Puerto Rico Police Officers Sentenced for Roles in Scheme to Extort a State Defendant for $50,000

Two former police officers with the Police of Puerto Rico were sentenced to serve 63 and 60 months in prison for attempting to extort a defendant and soliciting bribe payments of $50,000.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Joint Statement Following the EU-US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting

Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Rand Beers today hosted an EU/U.S. Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial with their counterparts in the European Union: Lithuanian Minister of Justice Juozas Bernatonis and Lithuanian Vice Minister of Interior Elvinas Jankevicius representing the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU; Greek Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights Charalampos Athanasiou representing the incoming Greek Presidency of the EU; and European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding and Commissioner Cecilia Malmström representing the EU Commission.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

High-Ranking Bank Official at Venezuelan State Development Bank Pleads Guilty to Participating in Bribery Scheme

A senior official in Venezuela’s state economic development bank has pleaded guilty in New York federal court to accepting bribes from agents and employees of a New York-based broker-dealer (Broker-Dealer) in exchange for directing her bank’s security-trading business to the Broker-Dealer.



  • OPA Press Releases

c

Statement of Mythili Raman Acting Assistant Attorney General U.s. Justice Department Criminal Division Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs United States Senate for a Hearing Entitled “Beyond the Silk Road: Potential Risks, T

Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Coburn, and distinguished Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the Committee today to discuss the Department of Justice’s work regarding virtual currencies.



  • OPA Press Releases