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U.S. Announces Clean Air Act Settlement with Wisconsin Utility

The Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS) will invest approximately $300 million in pollution control technology, pay a civil penalty of $1.2 million, and spend $6 million on environmental mitigation projects to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), according to the terms of a settlement with the United States.



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U.S. Soldier Sentenced in Texas to 18 Months in Prison for His Role in Fraudulent Military Recruiting Referral Bonus Scheme

A member of the U.S. military was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to obtain approximately $244,000 in fraudulent recruiting referral bonuses from various U.S. military components and their contractor.



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Pittsburgh Ex-Convict Pleads Guilty to Tax Obstruction

Michael Carlow, a resident of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty today to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service.



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Foreign National Pleads Guilty in Houston to Human Smuggling Charges

A foreign national pleaded guilty today to federal human smuggling charges for his role in a scheme to smuggle undocumented migrants from India into the United States.



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Former Owner of Employee Leasing Company Pleads Guilty in Salt Lake City to Federal Employment Tax Crime

Richard R. Whatley, a former owner of Alliance Staffing Management Inc., pleaded guilty today for willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes.



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Former Prince George’s County, Maryland, Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice

Anthony McIntosh, a former correctional officer at the Prince George’s County Detention Center, in Upper Marlboro, Md., today pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for providing false information about the circumstances surrounding the in-custody death of Ronnie White on June 29, 2008.



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Former Police Officer in New Town, North Dakota, Arrested on Federal Civil Rights Violation

The Justice Department announced today that Lindrith Tsoodle, 57, a former officer with the Three Affiliated Tribes Police Department, was apprehended and arrested on the Rocky Boy Reservation in Montana yesterday in relation to his indictment on civil rights and obstruction violations.



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Justice Department to Monitor Municipal Special Election in South Carolina

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor the municipal special election on Jan. 8, 2013, in Branchville, S.C., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.



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Georgia Woman Indicted for Stealing Identities to Obtain Tax Refunds

A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., returned a superseding indictment charging Deatrice Smith Williams and Quentin Collick for their roles in a stolen identity refund fraud conspiracy.



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EMH Regional Medical Center and North Ohio Heart Center to Pay U.S. $4.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

EMH Regional Medical Center has agreed to pay the United States $3,863,857 and North Ohio Heart Center Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $541,870 to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare.



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U.S. Attorneys Loretta E. Lynch and Sally Yates to Lead Attorney General’s Advisory Committee

Attorney General Eric Holder announced today the appointment of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch as chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys.



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Owner of Detroit Adult Day Care Centers Pleads Guilty in Connection with Medicare Psychotherapy Fraud Scheme

The owner of several Detroit-area businesses that housed severely mentally-disabled Medicare recipients pleaded guilty today for his role in a $13.2 million fraud scheme.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with South Carolina Food Service Provider to Resolve Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Centerplate Inc., resolving allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.



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Louisiana Home Inspector Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Tax Fraud

Jack Ray Carr, of Baton Rouge, La., was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison for one count of corruptly interfering with the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws, four counts of filing false income tax returns and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return.



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Romanian National Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Role in Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Remotely Hack into and Steal Payment Card Data from Hundreds of U.S. Merchants’ Computers

A Romanian national was sentenced today to serve 21 months in prison for his role in an international, multimillion-dollar scheme to remotely hack into and steal payment card data from hundreds of U.S. merchants’ computers.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit in Idaho Against Jerome County Sheriff’s Office to Enforce the Employment Rights of Army National Guard Member

The United States Justice Department and U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today the filing of a complaint alleging that the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 by failing to reemploy and terminating Idaho Army National Guard Member Mervin Jones while he was recuperating from a knee injury that he sustained while performing military service.



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South Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Failing to Disclose Income from Swiss Bank Accounts and Agrees to $21 Million Penalty

Mary Estelle Curran of Palm Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to filing false tax returns for tax years 2006 and 2007.



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Former Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Corrections Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations

Demetrio Juan Gonzales, 40, a former corrections officer at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised released for violating the civil rights of an individual in his custody when he struck and choked the victim in the shower room/dress out area of MDC.



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Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty in Pennsylvania to Premeditated Prison Murder

A federal inmate formerly held in Pennsylvania’s Allenwood Federal Correctional Complex pleaded guilty today in Harrisburg, Pa., before U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane, to first degree murder for stabbing and kicking a fellow inmate to death.



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Dreamboard Member Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Participating in International Criminal Network Organized to Sexually Exploit Children

A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to serve 45 years in prison for his participation in an international criminal network, known as Dreamboard, dedicated to the sexual abuse of children and the creation and dissemination of graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse throughout the world.



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Canadian Citizen Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud Consumers Purchasing Pharmaceuticals Online

A Canadian citizen was sentenced to 48 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to defraud consumers purchasing pharmaceuticals online, the Justice Department announced. Andrew J. Strempler was also ordered to pay a forfeiture of $300,000, a fine of $25,000 and restitution.



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Virginia Charter Fishing Boat Captain Pleads Guilty to Felony Lacey Act Violation

Jeffery S. Adams, 41, of Hudgins, Va., and his corporation Adams Fishing Adventures Inc. pleaded guilty today to trafficking in illegally-harvested striped bass, in violation of the Lacey Act.



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Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Woman Across State Lines for Prostitution

Montell Williams, of Chicago, pleaded guilty today in Hammond, Ind., to violating the Mann Act by transporting a woman across state lines for the purpose of having her engage in prostitution.



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Justice Department Obtains Comprehensive Agreement to Resolve Long Standing Litigation Regarding the Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities

Today, the Justice Department announced that yesterday afternoon it filed in federal court a comprehensive agreement that will resolve long running litigation with the state of Tennessee originally concerning conditions of care at the former Arlington Developmental Center (ADC).



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Justice Department Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Bazaarvoice Inc. Regarding the Company’s Acquisition of PowerReviews Inc.

The Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today against Bazaarvoice Inc. challenging the company’s June 2012 acquisition of PowerReviews Inc.



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Justice Department Challenges Joint Contracting on Behalf of Oklahoma Chiropractors

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement that will require the Oklahoma State Chiropractic Independent Physicians Association (OSCIPA) and its executive director to stop jointly determining prices and negotiating contracts with insurers on behalf of competing chiropractors in Oklahoma.



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Barrio Azteca Associate Sentenced in Texas to 18 Months in Prison for Role in Racketeering Conspiracy

An associate of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a trans-national border gang allied with the Juarez Cartel, was sentenced today to serve 18 months in prison.



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Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund Fraud

Kenneth Jerome Blackmon Jr., a resident of Montgomery, Ala., pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft and access device fraud.



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Three Men Convicted in Puerto Rico in Final Operation Guard Shack Prosecution

Three men, including two former officers with the Police of Puerto Rico, were convicted today by a federal jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for their roles in providing security for drug transactions.



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Georgia Men Plead Guilty to Bribing Official to Secure Government Contracts

Two men employed by a machine products vendor in Albany, Ga., have pleaded guilty to bribing a public official working for a military organization at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany (MCLB-Albany) to secure contracts for machine products



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Assistant Attorney General Lisa Monaco Speaks at the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security Breakfast Event

“Above all, our goal is to serve as practical problem solvers on the operational, legal, and policy questions we confront with our partners, and to keep pace with an evolving threat, while ensuring that we do so consistent with the rule of law and civil liberties,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.




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Justice Department Reaches Agreement to Protect Rights of Military and Overseas Voters in Illinois

The Justice Department announced that yesterday it reached an agreement with Illinois officials to help ensure that military service members, their family members and other U.S. citizens living overseas have an opportunity to participate fully in the upcoming Feb. 26, 2013, special primary election, and the April 9, 2013, special election to fill a vacated seat in the state’s 2nd Congressional District.



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Virginia Man Sentenced for Trafficking in Counterfeit Gm Diagnostic Equipment

A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court to serve one year and one day in prison for selling counterfeit General Motors (GM) automotive diagnostic devices used by mechanics to identify problems with and assure the safety of motor vehicles.



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Axius Ceo Roland Kaufmann Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Pay Bribes in Stock Sales

Roland Kaufmann, CEO of Axius Inc., pleaded guilty today in Brooklyn for conspiring to bribe stock brokers.



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New Zealand Fishing Company and Chief Engineer Sentenced for Environmental Crimes and Obstruction of Justice

A New Zealand fishing company that owned and operated the tuna fishing vessel San Nikunau, and a former chief engineer on the ship, were sentenced in federal court today for environmental crimes and obstruction of justice.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Tax Preparer

The Justice Department announced today that it has sued a Kissimmee, Fla., tax return preparer, seeking to bar him permanently from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Connecticut Couple Arrested on Tax Evasion and Conspiracy Charges

Husband and wife John and Sandra Cote, both of Brooklyn, Conn., were arrested on tax charges, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service announced today.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit for Violation of the FACE Act

The Justice Department announced today that a settlement has been reached with David Hamilton for violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.



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Former Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations

Craig Billings, 39, a former deputy sheriff with the Murray County Sheriff’s Office in Sulphur, Okla., pleaded guilty today in federal court to a one-count information charging him with Deprivation of Rights for using unreasonable force and violating the civil rights of an individual who was being booked into the Murray County Jail.



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Idaho Businessman Convicted of Income Tax Evasion

A Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, jury convicted Michael George Fitzpatrick, 51, of Hope, Idaho, of two counts of income tax evasion after a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns.



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Court Finalizes Consent Decree to Transform the New Orleans Police Department

Today, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered an order granting the joint motion of the United States and the city of New Orleans to enter the consent decree regarding the New Orleans Police Department.



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Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary Speaks at the Science Advisory Board Meeting

"Over the last four years, we've generated tremendous momentum in our work to integrate evidence into our programs and activities. Our leadership – not only at BJS and NIJ, but across OJP – has demonstrated a strong scientific ethic," said Assistant Attorney General Leary.




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Justice Department Obtains Judgment Against Maine Landlord for Sexually Harassing Tenants

The Justice Department today announced that property manager Rudy Ferrante agreed to a $15,000 civil judgment against him, to resolve allegations that he sexually harassed female tenants in Portland, Maine.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Alleging Interference with Persons Exercising Right to Seek or Provide Reproductive Health Care

The Department of Justice today settled a civil complaint against Richard A. Retta, of Rockville, Md, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, for violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.



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Los Angeles Check Cashing Store, Its Head Manager and Compliance Officer Sentenced for Violating Anti-money Laundering Laws

A Los Angeles check cashing store, its head manager and its designated anti-money laundering compliance officer were sentenced today in the Central District of California for failing to follow reporting and anti-money laundering requirements for over $8 million in transactions in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at the Conference on the Transformation of Security and Fundamental Rights Legislation – Rights and Responsibilities: Between Hope and Challenges on “Legislating National Harmony”

"Our Declaration of Independence declared in 1776 that “all men are created equal,” but it took 100 years and a civil war that took hundreds of thousands of lives to end slavery; another hundred years to create legal equality for African Americans; and we struggle to this day to make equality a reality. I see this every day in my work as the chief civil rights law enforcement official for the United States," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.




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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Community State Bank Regarding Alleged Lending Discrimination in Michigan

Community State Bank of St. Charles, Mich., will open a loan production office in an African-American neighborhood in Saginaw, Mich., invest $165,000 in majority African-American areas in and around Saginaw and take other steps as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of race.



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Federal Court Permanently Bars San Antonio Tax Preparers from Preparing Tax Returns

A federal court has permanently barred Pete Escalante Gutierrez and Jeanette Gutierrez from preparing federal tax returns for others.



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Eleven Defendants Indicted for Alleged Roles in Scheme to Fraudulently Control Homeowners’ Associations in Las Vegas

A federal grand jury in Nevada today returned an indictment against 11 individuals for their alleged roles in a scheme to fraudulently take control of homeowners’ associations in the Las Vegas area.



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Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today for coercing and enticing a minor and possessing child pornography.



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