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City of Duluth, Minnesota, and Western Lake Superior Sanitary District Agree to Eliminate Sewer Overflows

The city of Duluth, Minn., and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District have agreed to make improvements to the area’s sewer system, estimated to cost about $130 million, to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows in an agreement filed today in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minn.



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Florida Man Indicted in Connection with Fraudulent Vending Machine Business Opportunity Venture

A Tampa federal grand jury has charged a Florida man with criminal contempt of a federal court order in connection with the operation of a fraudulent vending machine business opportunity. The criminal charges form part of the government’s continued nationwide crackdown on business opportunity fraud.



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Former Florida State Corrections Officer Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Assaulting an Inmate

Paul Tillis, a former Florida Department of Corrections officer, was sentenced today in federal court in Jacksonville, Fla., on a federal civil rights charge related to assaulting an inmate.



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Federal Court Permanently Bars Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Firm from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others

A federal court has permanently barred a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.,-area woman and her company from preparing federal income tax returns for others. According to the government complaint in the case, Carole Exantus of Plantation, Fla., operated a company called J’s Corporation in Miami. The court found that J’s Corporation repeatedly prepared federal income tax returns claiming false tax credits and deductions that it knew would result in understating customers’ tax liabilities.



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South Florida Stock Trader Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Role in Securities Fraud Scheme

A stock trader from Jupiter, Fla., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for engaging in securities fraud involving several publicly traded companies.



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Justice Department Seeks to Bar Couple’s “Asset-protection” Scheme Allegedly Operated from Florida and Bahamas

The United States has filed a lawsuit to bar a married couple’s alleged nationwide tax fraud scheme involving so-called asset protection.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Port St. Lucie, Florida, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the city of Port St. Lucie, Fla., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities. The agreement was reached under the Department’s Project Civic Access initiative to bring state and local governments into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Justice Department Settles Race Discrimination Allegations Against Davie, Florida, Apartment Complex

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the owner of College Square Apartments, in Davie, Fla., to settle allegations of discrimination against African Americans. Under the consent decree, approved today in U.S. District Court in Miami, the defendants must pay a total of up to $140,000 to victims of discrimination and a civil penalty of $74,000 to the government.



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Tampa Judge Shuts Down Florida Tax Preparer

A federal judge in Tampa, Fla., has permanently barred a Spring Hill, Fla., tax preparer from preparing federal tax returns. U.S. District Court Judge James D. Whittemore of the Middle District of Florida entered the permanent injunction order against Gerard Mirabella, who consented to it.



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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography

Jeffrey Robert Libman, 42, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pleaded guilty in Miami today to one count of receiving child pornography.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Race Discrimination by the City of Bonita Springs, Florida

The Department has reached a consent decree with the city of Bonita Springs, Fla., that, if approved in federal court in Fort Myers, Fla., will resolve the department’s allegations that the city discriminated against an African American employee in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Florida Limousine Drive Sentenced to Prison for Securities and Tax Fraud

Eli Goldshor of Boca Raton, Fla.,was sentenced today for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and willfully failing to file tax returns. Goldshor, a self-employed limousine driver, was sentenced by Judge William Zloch in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to 18 months in prison.



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Florida Man Indicted In Alleged Fraudulent Lobbying and Fund Raising Scheme

A Florida doctor was charged today by a federal grand jury in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with allegedly orchestrating a fraudulent political fund raising and lobbying scheme through which he secretly diverted to himself more than $350,000 from contributions to political organizations he controlled.



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Justice Department Settles Voting Rights Case with Lake Park, Florida

The department announced the filing of a consent decree settling a Voting Rights Act lawsuit against the town of Lake Park, Fla., that, subject to court approval, will alter the method of electing the town commission.



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U.S. Citizen Indicted in Florida for Traveling to the Philippines for Sex Tourism

Donald Mathias, 64, has been indicted for allegedly traveling to the Philippines in 2007 and 2008 to engage in sexual conduct with minors.



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Florida Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Receiving Child Pornography

Jeffrey Robert Libman, 42, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was sentenced to 87 months in prison today for receiving child pornography.



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Two Florida Executives, One Florida Intermediary and Two Former Haitian Government Officials Indicted for Their Alleged Participation in Foreign Bribery Scheme

Two Florida executives of a Miami-Dade County-based telecommunications company, the president of Florida-based Telecom Consulting Services Corp., and two former Haitian government officials were charged in an indictment unsealed today for their alleged roles in a foreign bribery, wire fraud and money laundering scheme.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by City of Fort Pierce, Florida

“Our nation’s civil rights laws ensure that every individual can go to work each day without fear of discrimination based on the color of their skin,” said Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez.



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Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to the Philippines for Sex Tourism

Donald Mathias of Davie, Fla., pleaded guilty today to engaging in sex tourism in the Philippines.



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Florida Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Extortion, Making Interstate Threats, Computer Fraud and Identity Theft

A Florida man has been sentenced to 90 months in prison for making e-mail and telephone threats, including threats intended to cause a candidate for statewide office in Florida to drop out of an election.



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West Palm Beach, Florida, Resident Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Cramming Scheme

Willoughby Farr, 46, of West Palm Beach, Fla., has been charged with perpetrating what is known as a cramming scheme, which was designed to place charges on consumers’ telephone bills for collect calls that were not made, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Miami Field Office announced today.



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Florida Businessman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering in Foreign Bribery Scheme

The president of a Miami-Dade County, Fla.,-based company pleaded guilty today to engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from a scheme to bribe former Haitian government officials.



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Justice Department Seeks to Stop South Florida Tax Preparers Who Allegedly Claim False Home Buyer Credits

The United States has asked a federal court to stop two Miami-based tax return preparers from improperly claiming the First-Time Home Buyer Credit.



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Florida Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Traveling to the Philippines in Sex Tourism Case

Donald Mathias was also sentenced to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term and to pay $200,000 in restitution to his victims.



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Three South Florida Men Charged in Obstruction of Justice and Money Laundering Operation

Three Florida men were arrested today on charges including obstruction of justice and money laundering as part of a joint U.S. and Italian law enforcement action.



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Justice Department Reaches Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement with Florida Income Tax Preparation Service

The Department announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with HRB Businesses of Florida Inc., to ensure effective communication with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in the provision of tax preparation services and courses.



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Florida Health Care Provider & Individual Physician to Pay $12 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

“The Justice Department is committed to vigorously pursuing those who defraud Medicare,” said Tony West, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice.



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Eight Promoters of Sham Tax Elimination Scheme Convicted of Tax Fraud Charges in Florida

Eight promoters of a fraudulent tax and debt elimination scheme were convicted of tax, wire fraud and money laundering charges by a federal jury following a month long trial in Pensacola, Fla.



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Federal Court Shuts Down Florida Tax Preparer

A federal district court in Florida has permanently barred Jacksonville resident Shirley Clark from preparing tax returns for others.



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U.S. Seeks Permanent Injunction Against Florida-Based Drug Compounding Lab

The United States has filed a civil suit on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida, against Franck’s Compounding Lab Inc., dba Franck’s Lab, a compounding pharmacy located in Ocala, Fla.



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Florida Couple Charged in Forced Labor and Document Servitude Conspiracies

Sophia Manuel and Alfonso Baldonado Jr. have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges arising from a human trafficking scheme to hold Filipino nationals in forced labor in country clubs and hotels in Southeast Florida.



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Kansas City, Missouri, to Spend $2.5 Billion to Eliminate Sewer Overflows

The city of Kansas City, Mo., has agreed to make extensive improvements to its sewer systems, at a cost estimated to exceed $2.5 billion over 25 years, to eliminate unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage and to reduce pollution levels in urban storm water.



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South Florida Resident Pleads Guilty in Connection with Business Opportunity Fraud Venture

Orlando Moncada entered a guilty plea in Miami federal district court to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.



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Briefs Filed in Florida, Illinois and New Jersey to Support the Supreme Court’s Olmstead Decision

The Department has filed briefs in three separate cases in Florida, Illinois and New Jersey as part of its continuing effort to enforce civil rights laws that require states to end discrimination against and unnecessary segregation of persons with disabilities.



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Four Florida Promoters of Tax Defier Schemes Convicted of Tax and Mail Fraud

Four promoters of a Florida-based business that sold fraudulent tax schemes were convicted today of selling worthless "bills of exchange" for the purpose of impeding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and promoting other schemes to orchestrate tax fraud.



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Florida Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison on Child Pornography and Obstruction of Justice Charges

Brian Thomas Smith, of Gainesville, Fla., was sentenced today to 42 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release following his prison term for attempted possession of child pornography and obstruction of justice.



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Florida Man Who Served in Military Unit Linked to Massacres During the Bosnian Conflict of 1992-1995 Leaves United States Following Denaturalization

A former member of the Bosnian Serb Army has left the United States to return to Serbia after a federal judge ordered his denaturalization based on concealment during his application for U.S. citizenship that he served in the military during the Bosnian war.



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Judge Orders State of Florida to Provide Community Services to Jacksonville Woman at Risk of Institutionalization

The state of Florida must provide Michele Haddad with services that will enable her to remain in her home, a U.S. District Court in Jacksonville, Fla., ruled Wednesday.



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Justice Department Settles Discrimination Lawsuit Against Pasco County, Florida, Fairgrounds Owner

The Justice Department today announced the filing and settlement of a lawsuit against the Pasco County Fair Association Inc. for allegedly discriminating against Hispanic patrons in the rental of a reception hall on its fairgrounds in Dade City, Fla.



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Promoters of Sham Tax Elimination Scheme Sentenced for Tax Fraud in Florida

Four of eight promoters of a fraudulent tax- and debt-elimination scheme have been sentenced to length prison terms for their roles in tax fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.



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Florida Businessman Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Role in Foreign Bribery Scheme

A Miami businessman was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to pay bribes to former officials of the Republic of Haiti.



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Two South Florida Residents Plead Guilty in Medicare Fraud Cases

Two South Florida residents pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Miami for their participation in separate Medicare fraud schemes.



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United States Takes Action to Reduce Hazards from Fertilizer Manufacturing Plant in Florida

CF Industries Inc. has agreed to spend approximately $12 million to implement facility-wide operational changes to reduce and properly manage hazardous wastes generated at its Plant City, Fla., phosphoric acid and ammoniated fertilizer manufacturing facility.



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Doctor and Clinic Owner Who Moved Fraud Operation from Florida to Detroit Convicted for Role in $2.3 Million Scheme

The owner of a Detroit-area medical clinic, Juan De Oleo, and a doctor who helped falsify files at the clinic, Dr. Rosa Genao, were convicted today by a federal jury in Detroit for their roles in a $2.3 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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South Florida Doctor, Clinic Owner and Five Nurses Plead Guilty in Home Health Care Fraud Scheme

A medical doctor, a clinic owner and four nurses, all South Florida residents, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan in U.S. District Court in Miami for their participation in a fraudulent Medicare home health care scheme, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.



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Florida Man Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Prison for Operating Cramming Scheme While Incarcerated

Willoughby Farr of West Palm Beach, Fla., has been sentenced to 262 months in prison and three years of supervised release for perpetrating a “cramming scheme,” which was designed to place charges on consumers’ telephone bills for collect calls that were not made.



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Federal Court Shuts Down Orlando, Florida, Tax Preparer

A federal district judge in Orlando, Fla., has permanently barred Elisa Veronica Barron of Orlando from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Vice President of Florida Corporation Pleads Guilty to 16 Counts of Transporting Child Pornography

Jeffrey Robert Libman, the vice president and co-director of Webe Web Corporation, a Florida corporation, pleaded guilty today to 16 counts of transporting child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama.



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Florida Couple Pleads Guilty to Forced Labor Conspiracy of 39 Filipino Guest Workers

Sophia Manuel and Alfonso Baldonado Jr., owners of Quality Staffing Services Corporation, a labor contracting service, pleaded guilty to conspiring to hold 39 Filipino nationals in compelled service in country clubs and hotels in Southeast Florida.



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Promoters of Sham Tax Elimination Scheme Sentenced for Tax Fraud in Florida

A federal court in Pensacola, Fla., has sentenced three of nine promoters of a fraudulent tax-and-debt-elimination scheme to prison terms for their roles in tax fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.



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