o Fourteen Motorcycle Gang Leaders and Members Plead Guilty in Detroit to Violent Crime, Drug and Firearms Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:55:36 EDT Fourteen members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club have pleaded guilty in Detroit to charges including violent crimes in aid of racketeering, illegal drug distribution and firearms violations. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o New Mexico-based Computer Assets Inc. Agrees to Settle False Claims Allegations Involving the E-Rate Program By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:58:21 EDT Computer Assets Inc. and its principals, Abraham Salazar and Damon Salazar, have agreed to pay $350,000 over three years and surrender up to $35 million in pending E-Rate applications to settle allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act in connection with the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate program. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Former Congressional Chief of Staff Sentenced for Honest Services Fraud Conspiracy By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:19:05 EDT A former chief of staff to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr. to three years of probation, including 170 days of home detention, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o South Florida Stock Trader Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Role in Securities Fraud Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:29:32 EDT A stock trader from Jupiter, Fla., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for engaging in securities fraud involving several publicly traded companies. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Massachusetts Man Convicted on Child Pornography Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:33:36 EDT Johnny Pires, 24, of Middleboro, Mass., was convicted today by a federal jury in Boston of attempting to receive child pornography and possessing child pornography. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Two Individuals Charged with Attempting to Bribe U.S. Army Contracting Official By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:05:19 EDT Two dual Afghan/U.S. citizens were charged today with conspiracy and bribery in connection with a scheme to offer $1 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official in order to influence the award of a road construction contract in Afghanistan. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o British Citizen Arrested in Connection with Costa Rica-based Business Opportunity Fraud Ventures By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:20:06 EDT A British citizen charged in connection with the operation of a series of fraudulent business opportunities was arrested Thursday evening in Miami following his indictment by a Miami federal grand jury on June 9, 2009. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Control Components Inc. Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Charges and Agrees to Pay $18.2 Million Criminal Fine By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:40:52 EDT Control Components Inc. (CCI), a Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.-based company, pleaded guilty today to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Travel Act in a decade-long scheme to secure contracts in approximately 36 countries by paying bribes to officials and employees of various foreign state-owned companies as well as foreign and domestic private companies. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Two Chemical Companies Agree to Resolve Environmental Violations in Ohio By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:44:23 EDT The former and current owners and operators of a chemical facility in Addyston, Ohio, LANXESS Corp. and INEOS ABS USA Corp., have agreed to pay a $3.1 million civil penalty and INEOS will spend up to $2 million to install environmental controls and modify operating procedures to resolve violations of multiple environmental laws. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Canadian National Charged with Foreign Bribery and Paying Kickbacks Under the Oil for Food Program By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:23:36 EDT A Canadian citizen has been charged in an indictment unsealed yesterday for his alleged participation in an eight-year conspiracy to defraud the United Nations Oil for Food Program (OFFP) and to bribe Iraqi government officials in connection with the sale of a chemical additive used in the refining of leaded fuel. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Announces Disabled Access Settlement with Developers of Woodbridge, Virginia, Apartment Complex By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:45:23 EDT The Justice Department today announced a settlement that, pending court approval, will resolve allegations that those involved in the design and construction of the Summerland Heights Apartments, a 318-unit apartment complex in Woodbridge, Va., discriminated on the basis of disability in the design and construction of the project. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Attorney General Holder Appoints New Member to the Board of Immigration Appeals By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 13:00:55 EDT Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr., announced today the appointment John H. Guendelsberger as a new member of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). The BIA is part of the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review located in Falls Church, Va., and is responsible for hearing appeals of decisions rendered by immigration judges or certain Department of Homeland Security officers. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Signs Agreement with Wendell, Idaho, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 13:05:15 EDT The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the city of Wendell, Idaho, 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, which aims to bring state and local governments into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Five Companies Agree to $21 Million Settlement for Environmental Damages in Pennsylvania By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 13:48:20 EDT Five companies have agreed to compensate the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania nearly $21.4 million in cash and valuable property to address natural resource damages resulting from decades of zinc smelting operations at the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund site in northeast Pennsylvania. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o U.S. Sues First Choice Armor & Equipment for Providing Defective Bullet-Proof Vests to Law Enforcement Agencies By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 10:07:02 EDT The United States has filed a False Claims Act lawsuit against First Choice Armor & Equipment Inc. and its founder, Edward Dovner, for submitting false claims for bullet-proof vests purchased by the United States for federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Associate Attorney General Perrelli at the D.C. Cops Hiring Recovery Program Announcement By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 15:17:54 EDT "I stand here to celebrate the more than $12 million that has been awarded to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to fund the hiring and rehiring of 50 law enforcement officers in the District. These funds will provide 100 percent of the approved salary and benefits for these officers for three years, and all police departments receiving the grants will then be required to retain the grant-funded positions for a fourth year." Full Article Speech
o Aluminum Recycler Agrees to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 11:42:57 EDT Aleris International Inc., one of the nation’s largest aluminum recyclers, and 13 of its subsidiaries have committed to implementing environmental improvements and controls projected to cost $4.2 million at 15 plants located in 11 states. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Signs Agreement with Chautauqua County, New York, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 11:46:17 EDT The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Chautauqua County, N.Y., 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, which aims to bring state and local governments into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Boston-Based Bus Company Agrees to $650,000 Penalty for Violating the Clean Air Act and Anti-Idling Regulations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 13:46:14 EDT Paul Revere Transportation LLC, a bus company based in Boston, has agreed to pay a $650,000 civil penalty after being found liable by a jury in June for violating federal and state clean air laws for idling their buses for extended periods of time. The company was found liable on June 8, 2009, after a six-day trial in U.S. District Court in Boston, for 234 separate violations of the Clean Air Act and a Massachusetts anti-idling regulation. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Obtains $35,000 in Disability-Based Housing Discrimination Settlement with Apartment Complex in Longview, Washington By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 12:13:10 EDT The Justice Department announced an agreement with the former owners and managers of Valley View Apartments in Longview, Wash., to settle allegations that they violated the Fair Housing Act by intentionally discriminating against an individual with a disability. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Business Owner Sentenced to 100 Years for His Role in Scheme to Defraud Clients of Funds Allegedly Held in Trust By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 16:46:15 EDT Edward H. Okun, the former owner of The 1031 Tax Group LLP (1031TG), was sentenced today to 100 years in prison for his leading role in a scheme to defraud and obtain approximately $126 million in client funds held by 1031TG. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli at the National Conference for the Office of Safe and Drug-free Schools By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 14:11:20 EDT "People who actually work in law enforcement, and people who actually work in our nation’s schools, know that our jobs are closely interwoven. When their neighborhoods and homes don’t feel safe, our children have a tough time paying attention in school. And when our children are not engaged at school, they’re going to be much more likely to get into trouble outside of it." Full Article Speech
o Former Border Patrol Agent Sentenced for Attempting to Receive Protected Leopard Tortoises By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 12:16:34 EDT Rene Soliz of Alice, Texas, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Corpus Christi, Texas, to serve three years of supervised probation, 250 hours of community service and pay a $1,500 fine for violating the Lacey Act by attempting to receive 15 Tanzanian leopard tortoises that were transported into the United States. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Signs Agreement with Fayette County, Pennsylvania, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 13:33:45 EDT The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Fayette County, Pa., 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, which aims to bring state and local governments into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Seeks to Bar Couple’s “Asset-protection” Scheme Allegedly Operated from Florida and Bahamas By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 15:50:22 EDT The United States has filed a lawsuit to bar a married couple’s alleged nationwide tax fraud scheme involving so-called asset protection. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Husband of Former Army Officer Pleads Guilty to Laundering Money Stolen from Iraq By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 16:04:49 EDT A New Jersey accountant pleaded guilty today to laundering portions of more than $300,000 stolen from the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in the Republic of Iraq and brought back to the United States by his wife, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Former Congressman William J. Jefferson Convicted of Bribery, Racketeering, Money Laundering and Other Related Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 5 Aug 2009 19:21:48 EDT A federal jury today convicted former United States Congressman William J. Jefferson, 62, of New Orleans, La., of using his office to corruptly solicit bribes. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Ready-Mix Concrete Producer Agrees to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 12:20:49 EDT Aggregate Industries - Northeast Region Inc., will pay a $2.75 million civil penalty and implement a regional evaluation and compliance program to resolve numerous violations of the Clean Water Act at 23 facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Oregon Man Indicted for Dumping Hazardous Waste By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 16:10:58 EDT Dennis Beetham and his company, D.B. Western Inc., have been indicted on both federal and state charges alleging that he illegally dumped hazardous and other industrial waste in Crook County, Ore. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Union Pacific Railroad Company Agrees to Settle Clean Water Act Violations in Nevada By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 6 Aug 2009 18:23:11 EDT Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) has agreed to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in Nevada by restoring 122 acres of mountain-desert streams and wetlands, implementing storm water controls at its construction sites, and paying a civil penalty. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Offering to Bribe U.S. Army Contracting Official in Afghanistan By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 12:38:27 EDT Two dual Afghan/U.S. citizens today pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to offer $1 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official in Afghanistan. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Federal Judge Sentences Defendants Who Perpetrated $10.9 Million Medicare Fraud HIV Infusion Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 16:20:04 EDT Miami physician Keith Russell, 65, and physician’s assistant Jorge Luis Pacheco, 50, were each sentenced to 97 months in prison, and physician’s assistant Eda Marietta Milanes, 43, was sentenced to 63 months in prison, for their roles in fraud schemes that involved billing Medicare for $10,903,509 worth of unnecessary HIV infusion treatments. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Former U.S. Army Contracting Official Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes By www.justice.gov Published On :: Fri, 7 Aug 2009 17:48:42 EDT A former U.S. Army contracting official pleaded guilty today to accepting more than $80,000 in bribes in exchange for providing contract work to two Afghan trucking companies. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o ICE and DOJ Sign Agreements to Share Information on Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:43:36 EDT U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, to foster increased communication between participating agencies at the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Fusion Center and the International Organized Crime Intelligence and Operations Center (IOC-2). Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Signs Agreement with Port St. Lucie, Florida, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities By www.justice.gov Published On :: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:03:35 EDT 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). Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Ohio Edison Agrees to Repower Power Plant with Renewable Biomass Fuel By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:28:31 EDT Ohio Edison Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has agreed in a consent decree to repower one of its coal-fired power plants using primarily renewable biomass fuels. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Leader of Colombian Drug Cartel and Former FBI Top-Ten Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Drug, Murder and Racketeering Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:46:20 EDT Diego Montoya Sanchez, 48, one of the leaders of the Norte Valle Colombian drug cartel and a former FBI Top Ten Fugitive, pleaded guilty today in Miami to drug trafficking, murder and racketeering charges. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Former Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Convicted of Stealing Large Amounts of Fuel from U.S. Army in Iraq By www.justice.gov Published On :: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:54:15 EDT Robert Jeffery, 55, was convicted today by a federal jury in Alexandria, Va., for his role in a scheme to steal fuel worth approximately $39.6 million from the U.S. Army in Iraq. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Atlanta Defendant Found Guilty of Supporting Terrorists By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:08:31 EDT A federal jury has found Ehsanul Islam Sadequee, 23, of Roswell, Ga., guilty on all four counts of an indictment charging him with supporting terrorists and a foreign terrorist organization, after a trial that lasted seven days. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Arizona Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:55:08 EDT Charles Brown, 54, of Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced today to five years in prison and lifetime supervised release following his prison term for receiving child pornography. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Two Defendants Plead Guilty in Counterfeit Pipe Coupling Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:27:47 EDT Hayden B. Greene, 31, of Tulsa, Okla., and James Robert Roy, 42, of Tomball, Texas, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture and sell counterfeit pipe couplings. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Federal Court Permanently Enjoins Founder of the “Global Prosperity” Tax Scheme By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:58:03 EDT A federal court in Seattle has permanently barred Daniel Andersen from promoting fraudulent tax schemes. Documents the government filed on August 11 requested that the court enjoin Andersen, arguing that he was a founding member of the Institute for Global Prosperity, an entity that promoted both its own fraudulent tax scheme and the fraudulent tax schemes of others. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Exxon-Mobil Pleads Guilty to Killing Migratory Birds in Five States By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:54:49 EDT Exxon-Mobil Corporation, the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Denver to violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) in five states during the past five years. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Cosco Busan Operator Admits Guilt in Causing Oil Spill By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:17:22 EDT Fleet Management Ltd., a Hong Kong-based ship management firm, pleaded guilty today to a criminal violation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 for its role in negligently causing the discharge of more than 50,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay from the Cosco Busan when the vessel struck the San Francisco Bay Bridge in dense fog on Nov. 7, 2007. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Boeing Company to Pay U.S. $25 Million to Resolve Allegations Related to Defective Work on KC-10 Aerial Refueling Aircraft By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:26:26 EDT The Boeing Company will pay the United States $25 million to resolve allegations that the company performed defective work on the entire KC-10 Extender fleet. The KC-10 Extender is a mainstay of the Air Force’s aerial refueling fleet in the Iraq and Afghanistan war theaters. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Justice Department Resolves Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Against Indiana Provider of Retirement Housing By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:13:33 EDT The operator and manager of the Rathbone Retirement Community in Evansville, Ind., has agreed to pay up to $116,000 to resolve a housing discrimination lawsuit. The November 2008 lawsuit alleged that the defendants violated the Fair Housing Act by prohibiting the use of motorized wheelchairs and scooters in residents’ apartments and in the home’s common dining room during meals. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Dynamics Research Corporation to Pay $15 Million to Resolve Allegations of Kickbacks and False Claims Related to Air Force Contracts By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:54:17 EDT Dynamics Research Corporation (DRC), a defense contractor based in Andover, Mass., has agreed to pay the United States $15 million plus interest to settle allegations that two of its former executives engaged in a fraudulent kickback scheme in connection with two technical services contracts with the Air Force. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Massachusetts Man Sentenced in Child Pornography Case By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:30:20 EDT Michael D. Doyle, 41, of Woburn, Mass., was sentenced today to four years in prison for possessing images of child pornography. Doyle also was sentenced to nine years of supervised release following his term in prison by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. The court accepted Doyle’s guilty plea to a one-count information charging possession of child pornography, which was filed on April 22, 2009. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Former Tamimi Global Executive Convicted of Witness Tampering Following Reinstatement of Charges By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:58:33 EDT Mohammad Shabbir Khan, the former director of operations in Kuwait and Iraq for Tamimi Global Company, a Saudi Arabian company, has been convicted of witness tampering and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. Full Article OPA Press Releases
o Four Puerto Rico Police Officers Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Charges Related to Fatal Assault By www.justice.gov Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:29:17 EDT A federal jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, found four San Juan Municipal Police Officers guilty today of felony federal civil rights charges related to the fatal beating of Jose Antonio Rivera Robles. Full Article OPA Press Releases