ty

Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the COPS Community Policing Conference

"I appreciate the various agencies and backgrounds here today – from counterparts within the federal government, to chiefs and sheriffs and their rank and file, plus practitioners, analysts and researchers from numerous institutions and organizations. It’s that collaborative effort that will drive what Barney mentioned earlier – an evolution of policing," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.




ty

Department of Justice and Partner Agencies Announce Neighborhoods to Receive Innovative Support Through the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program

The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, on behalf of the White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, today announced the eight neighborhoods that will receive training and technical assistance through the groundbreaking Building Neighborhood Capacity Program.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Chicago Police Officer and Three Members of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation Plead Guilty to a Racketeering Conspiracy and Other Related Charges

A Chicago police officer and three members of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy and other related charges in a superseding indictment involving alleged members or associates of the Latin Kings, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David Capp of the Northern District of Indiana.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Member of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Family Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

Gaeton Lucibello, 59, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty today to participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving extortion and illegal gambling, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and George Venizelos, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Detroit-Area Adult Day Care Center Owner Pleads Guilty to $10 Million Psychotherapy Fraud Scheme

A Detroit-area adult day care center owner pleaded guilty today for her role in a $10 million psychotherapy fraud scheme, announced the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FBI.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Pfizer H.C.P. Corp. Agrees to Pay $15 Million Penalty to Resolve Foreign Bribery Investigation

Pfizer H.C.P. Corporation, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc., has agreed to pay a $15 million penalty to resolve an investigation of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Baltimore County, Maryland, Alleging Disability Discrimination

The Justice Department today announced it has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against Baltimore County, Md.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Former Chief of Party in Baghdad for the United States Institute of Peace Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy

The former chief of party in Baghdad for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Robert Nathan Boorda, pleaded guilty to an information unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for conspiring to enrich himself by having USIP award a security contract at a fraudulently inflated price in exchange for a purported monthly consulting fee of $20,000 paid by the contractor.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Capo Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

Martin Angelina, 50, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty today to participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving loan sharking and illegal gambling.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Alabama Return Preparer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax Conspiracy Involving Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Yumeitrius Manuel, a resident of Montgomery, Ala., was sentenced today in the Middle District of Alabama to 81 months in federal prison for filing false tax returns using stolen identities, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Former Co-Owner of Contracting Company Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Government

Jill Ann Charpia, 33, formerly of San Antonio and currently of Colorado, pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Bemporad in San Antonio to a criminal information charging her with one-count of false statements to a government agency.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Indiana Online Identity Thief Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Counterfeit Credit Card Conspiracy Involving More Than $3 Million in Losses

Peter Borgia Jr., 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

South Carolina Pharmaceutical Distribution Company Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Purchase and Sell Drugs in the Grey Market

The Department of Justice announced the guilty plea and sentencing of Easley, S.C.-based Aletec Medical for engaging in a multi-million dollar prescription drug scheme. Altec Medical pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Miami to one count of conspiring to defraud the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and to commit federal offenses in connection with a drug-diversion scheme that lasted from 2007 to 2009.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Owner of Miami Home Health Company Pleads Guilty in $60 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Rodolfo Nieto Jr., 40, of Miami, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive health care kickbacks.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Federal Court in Kansas City, Kansas, Shuts Down Tax-return Preparer

A federal court in Kansas City, Kan., has permanently barred Ahferom Goitom from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order, to which Goitom consented without admitting the allegations against him, was signed by Judge John W. Lungstrum of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The case is one of five similar lawsuits (the others were filed in Indianapolis; Las Vegas; Chicago; and Dayton, Ohio) to shut down four of the largest Instant Tax Service franchise owners, as well as the Dayton-based corporate franchisor of the Instant Tax Service brand—ITS Financial LLC.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

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 her role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Northern California.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Second Former Georgia Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Other Officers to Assault and Injure Inmates

Darren Douglass-Griffin, 35, a former member of the Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) at Macon State Prison (MSP) in Oglethorpe, Ga., pleaded guilty to a two-count bill of information charging him with conspiracy to violate the civil rights of inmates and falsification of records in a federal investigation, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

New Zealand Fishing Company Found Guilty in Washington, D.C., of Environmental Crimes and Obstruction of Justice

A federal jury in Washington, D.C., today returned guilty verdicts against Sanford Ltd., a New Zealand fishing company, on six counts of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Yazaki Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Automobile Parts Installed in U.S. Cars

An executive of Tokyo-based Yazaki Corporation has agreed to plead guilty for his role in a conspiracy to fix prices of instrument panel clusters, also known as meters, installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Alabama Man Indicted in a Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Conspiracy

A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., returned an indictment charging Quentin Collick for conspiring to file false tax returns using stolen identities, theft of public funds, and aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Georgia Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Crimes

A tax return preparer from Macon, Ga., pleaded guilty Thursday to filing a false claim for tax refund, theft of government money and aggravated identity theft.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Owner of Pavement Painting Business Pleads Guilty in Alaska to Illegally Disposing Hazardous Waste

William Duran Vizzerra Jr. pleaded guilty today to illegally disposing of hazardous waste, a felony criminal offense, at a storage lot in Anchorage, Alaska.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Sinclair Oil to Pay $3.8 Million Penalty and Install Pollution Controls at Wyoming Refineries to Resolve Violations of 2008 Consent Decree

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement with two subsidiaries of Sinclair Oil Corporation to resolve alleged violations of air pollution limits established in a 2008 consent decree at refineries in Casper and Sinclair, Wyo.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Alabama Woman Pleads Guilty in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Scheme

Sonya Darrington pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Alabama to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Florida Assisted Living Facility Owner Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme

Bobby Ramnarine, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in the Southern District of Florida.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Iraqi National Pleads Guilty to 12-count Terrorism Indictment in Kentucky

Iraqi citizen Mohanad Shareef Hammadi pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky before Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Detroit-Area Resident Pleads Guilty to Participating in $3.1 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Gregory Lawrence, 54, of Detroit, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Victoria A. Roberts in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Two Plead Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Consumers Seeking Immigration Services

Two Missouri men pleaded guilty today for their roles in a scheme to defraud consumers seeking immigration-related services, the Department of Justice announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Justice Department Resolves Race Harassment and Discrimination Lawsuit Against Burke County, N.C., Department of Social Services

The Justice Department today concurrently filed a complaint and consent decree against the Burke County, N.C., Department of Social Services, alleging that the county did not have an effective harassment and discrimination policy in place and did not provide sufficient training in race harassment and discrimination for its employees and supervisors, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. Title VII is a federal statute which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Final Defendant Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud Consumers Seeking Immigration Services

A Missouri woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a scheme to defraud consumers seeking immigration-related services, the Justice Department announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Japanese Automobile Parts Manufacturer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Parts Installed in US Cars

Nagoka, Japan-based Nippon Seiki Co. Ltd. has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $1 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of instrument panel clusters, commonly known as meters, installed in cars sold in the United States and elsewhere.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Detroit-Area Resident Pleads Guilty in $13.8 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Jawad Ahmad, 42, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen in Detroit to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Foreclosure Rescue Scam and Theft of Government Funds

Alex P. Soria, 65, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George in the District of Nevada to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft of government funds in connection with a scheme to defraud homeowners who were behind on their mortgages.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Former Alabama Police Officer Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Money and Property from Highway Motorists

Jessie Alan Fuller, 25, of Pensacola, Fla., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins to 37 months in prison and two years supervised release, the Justice Department announced. Fuller pleaded guilty on April 26, 2012, to one count of conspiracy against rights, a felony, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, a misdemeanor. These charges stemmed from Fuller’s stealing money and property from motorists on Interstate 65 in central Alabama while he was a police officer with the Fort Deposit Police Department.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Justice Department Settles with Sacramento, Calif., Public Library Authority Over Inaccessible “E-Reader” Devices

The Justice Department announced today that it and the National Federation of the Blind have reached a settlement with the Sacramento Public Library Authority in Sacramento, Calif., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement resolves allegations that the library violated the ADA by using inaccessible Barnes & Noble NOOK electronic reader devices in a patron lending program.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crimes Charge

Everett Dwayne Avery, 36, of Detroit, Mich., pleaded guilty in federal court today to a federal hate crime, admitting that he assaulted a victim because he believed the victim was gay, the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara McQuade and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Robert D. Foley, III announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Leader of Internet Piracy Group “IMAGiNE” Pleads Guilty to Copyright Infringement Conspiracy

Jeramiah B. Perkins, 39, of Portsmouth, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

U.S. Army Master Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Government

Julio Soto Jr., 52, of Columbus, Ga., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Chief Judge Margaret B. Seymour in the District of South Carolina to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to accept illegal gratuities.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Former U.S. Consulate Guard Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Communicate National Defense Information to China

Bryan Underwood, a former civilian guard at a U.S. Consulate compound under construction in China, pleaded guilty today in the District of Columbia in connection with his efforts to sell for personal financial gain classified photographs, information and access related to the U.S. Consulate to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Puerto Rico Man Found Guilty of Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy and Murder of a Witness

Edison Burgos-Montes, of Puerto Rico, was convicted after a two-month jury trial of cocaine possession with intent to distribute and killing a government witness.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the Islamic Society of North America Convention

"I am here to say that the United States Department of Justice will stand with you, and all people of good will, to preserve this great nation and its fundamental values of freedom, equality and justice," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




ty

Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Leading Role in Trafficking the Identities of Puerto Rican U.S. Citizens

Rafael Joaquin Beltre-Beltre, 35, formerly of Caguas, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit identification fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain and one count of international money laundering.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Associate Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

Louis Barretta, 48, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty today to participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving loan sharking and illegal gambling.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Justice Department Releases Investigative Findings Showing Violation of Constitutional Rights in Kansas Correctional Facility

Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today released its letter of findings determining that the Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF), an all-female facility in Topeka, Kan., under the jurisdiction of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), fails to protect women prisoners from harm due to sexual abuse and misconduct from correctional staff and other prisoners in violation of their constitutional rights. The Justice Department delivered a letter detailing the findings to Governor Samuel D. Brownback and Secretary of the KDOC Ray Roberts.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Statement on the Final Rule by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to Include Certain Cancers into the World Trade Center Health Program

Sheila Birnbaum, Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), released the following statement on the final rule by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to include certain cancers into the World Trade Center Health Program.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

Stephen Thomas of York, Pa., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to tax evasion, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

South Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

James Farnell, a resident of Boca Raton, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of income tax evasion, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Farnell was previously indicted on April 19, 2012.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

State of Alabama Employee Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Natacia Webster, an employee of the state of Alabama, pleaded guilty today to charges of conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false claims, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Justice Department Releases a Report on Accessibility of Federal Government Electronic and Information Technology

The Justice Department announced the release of its “Section 508 report to the President and Congress: “Accessibility of Federal Electronic and Information Technology.”



  • OPA Press Releases

ty

Justice Department Signs Agreement with Schuylkill County, Pa., to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Schuylkill County, Pa., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the department’s initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



  • OPA Press Releases