Three individuals, including Alabama businessman Ronald Gilley, lobbyist Jarrod Massey and former Alabama state representative Terry Spicer were sentenced to prison today in Montgomery, Ala., for bribery-related offenses.

The former director of corporate maintenance and renovations at Medical Facilities of America Inc. (MFA) was today sentenced to serve 63 months in prison for accepting kickbacks from contractors and evading federal income taxes.

Attorney General Eric Holder and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter today announced the Department of Justice and city of Philadelphia’s Violent Crime Reduction Partnership, which directs additional federal agents and technological resources to assist local law enforcement in combating violent crime.

An Alabama real estate investor pleaded guilty today for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in southern Alabama.

A bail bondsman in Portsmouth, Va., pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of Virginia for bribing public officials in exchange for receiving favorable treatment.

U.S. Attorney’s offices across the nation are partnering with the Civil Rights Division to target their enforcement efforts on a critical area for individuals with disabilities through a new Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, the Justice Department announced today. The announcement comes on the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was passed on July 26, 1990. Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez announced the new initiative today at an event celebrating the anniversary of the ADA in Washington, D.C.

James E. Moss and Avada L. Jenkins were both sentenced yesterday to 160 months and 41 months in prison respectively for their involvement in a fraudulent tax return perpetration scheme, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. U.S. District Judge Mark E. Fuller of the Middle District of Alabama also ordered Moss and Jenkins to pay over $120,000 in restitution, jointly and severally, to the IRS.

"It’s a special privilege to be among so many dedicated public servants. Above all – I’m grateful for the chance to say 'thank you' to the servicemen and women gathered here – for the contributions you make, the actions that continue to set you apart, and the remarkable legacy of service you’re working to extend – and helping to build upon – each day," said Attorney General Holder.

"Using all the civil and criminal tools at our disposal, we are working hard to strengthen our role in protecting consumers and punishing those responsible. In that effort, we are making the fight against fraud aimed at servicemembers and veterans a top priority," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Delery.

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Merced County, Calif., that will allow for the county and some 84 political subdivisions in the county that conduct elections to bail out from their status as “covered jurisdictions” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt these jurisdictions from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The agreement is in the form of a consent decree filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and must be approved by the court.

More than 200 American Indian and Alaska Native youth and adult leaders from 53 tribal communities across the country have convened at the 2012 National Intertribal Youth Summit.

"You’ve already shown that leadership is a quality available in abundance in tribal communities. The future clearly is in good hands. Thank you for everything you’re doing for your communities, and keep up the good work," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.

"My wish for all of you is that the experience of this week will transform your present and give momentum to your future as proud members of your tribe and proud Americans, working to bring about the best for you as an individual and for your tribal nation," said Acting Associate Attorney General West.

Two former high-ranking employees of facilities operations at New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) pleaded guilty today to an indictment charging them with conspiring to defraud NYPH.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Crowley Liner Services Inc. pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $17 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices in the coastal water freight transportation industry.

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an out-of-court agreement with the Escambia County School District in Alabama to end the use of race-based selection criteria for homecoming courts and other student activities in two of the district’s high schools.

Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman was resentenced today to serve 78 months in prison for his role in bribery, conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice charges involving former HealthSouth CEO Richard M. Scrushy.

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.

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.

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.

A federal court in Central Islip, N.Y., has permanently barred Diana D. Bertocci-Aliffi from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order, to which Aliffi agreed without admitting the government’s allegations, was signed by Judge Joanna Seybert of the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York.

A federal court has permanently barred a Michigan couple, Damian and Holly Jackson, of Detroit, from preparing federal tax returns for others, preparing their own federal tax returns using false 1099 forms, and promoting an alleged tax-fraud scheme based on the frivolous “redemption” theory, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order, to which the Jacksons consented without admitting the allegations against them, was signed by Judge Paul D. Borman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

James W. Carell, CareAll Management LLC (formerly known as Diversified Health Management Inc.), CareAll Inc., the James W. Carell Family Trust, VIP Home Nursing and Rehabilitation Services LLC, Professional Home Health Care LLC, University Home Health, LLC and Elizabeth Vining (as representative of the Estate of Robert Vining) have agreed to pay $9.375 million to the federal government. This payment is to resolve the lawsuit that the United States filed in 2009 alleging that they violated the False Claims Act, caused Medicare to pay out money through mistake of fact, and were unjustly enriched by falsely concealing the home health agencies’ relationship with their management company, the Justice Department announced today.

A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., returned a superseding indictment charging Antoinette Djonret, Angelique Djonret, Tabitha Stinson, Melba Wilson, Chantresa Hayes and Corey Means with conspiring to file false tax returns using stolen identities, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The 49-count indictment charges Djonret with filing false claims, theft of government funds, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft and possession of unauthorized access devices. Angelique Djonret is also charged with filing false claims, theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. Corey Means and Chantresa Hayes are charged with theft of government funds.

A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., returned a 25-count indictment charging Larreka Jackson for conspiring to file false tax returns using stolen identities, filing false claims, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.

Giusseppe Bottiglieri Shipping Company S.P.A, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Ginny Granade in the Southern District of Alabama to pay a $1 million criminal fine, serve four years of probation, and make a $300,000 community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

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.

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.

A jury convicted Arvind Ahuja yesterday on federal tax charges stemming from his failure to disclose offshore bank accounts maintained in India and the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Trial began on Aug. 15, 2012 before U.S. District Judge Charles N. Clevert, Jr., in Milwaukee. Ahuja, a prominent neurosurgeon in Milwaukee, was convicted of one count of filing a false 2009 individual income tax return and one count of failing to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR).

The United States has entered into a settlement agreement with Pacific Health Corporation (PHC) and related entities in which they agreed to pay the government and the state of California $16.5 million for allegedly engaging in an illegal kickback scheme in Los Angeles, the Justice Department announced today.

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Aug. 28, 2012, in Lanett, Reform, and Phenix City, Ala., and Maricopa County, Ariz., 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.

GFI Mortgage Bankers Inc., a large independent home mortgage firm that concentrates on the New York, New Jersey, and Florida markets, will pay $3.555 million to resolve a lending discrimination lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit alleges that GFI engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination by pricing residential mortgage loans for qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers higher than for similarly-qualified non-Hispanic white borrowers between 2005 and 2009.

A federal court in San Diego has permanently barred a tax lawyer and his law firm from providing tax advice and from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order against Scott A. Waage, of San Diego, was signed by Judge William Q. Hayes of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Waage agreed to the injunction without admitting the allegations against him.

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.

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint against the private, for-profit chain of schools, ATI Enterprises Inc. based in North Richland, Texas, the Justice Department announced today. ATI Enterprises, Inc., which does business as ATI Technical Training Center, ATI Career Training Center and ATI Career Training, operates career college campuses in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

3M Co. abandoned its plan to acquire Avery Dennison Corp.’s Office and Consumer Products Group, its closest competitor in the sale of adhesive-backed labels and sticky notes, after the Department of Justice informed the companies that it would file a civil antitrust lawsuit to block the deal.

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the owner and operator of the Heritage Point mobile home park in Montgomery, Ala., alleging that the companies and their employees or officers discriminated against African-Americans.

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.

The Justice Department announced today that Luther Burbank Savings will invest $2 million in California communities 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 and national origin.

Bank of America N.A. has agreed to maintain revised policies, conduct employee training and pay compensation to victims to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of disability and receipt of public assistance in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).

Crystal Sayles, of Montgomery County, Ala., was sentenced today to 64 months in prison for filing false claims, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Sayles had pleaded guilty to those charges on May 17, 2012. She was also ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution and will serve three years on supervised release following her release from federal prison. In addition to the sentence imposed today, Sayles had also agreed to the forfeiture of a Mercedes Benz as part of her plea agreement.

"What I’m here to tell you, is that, along with the other tools we have, DPAs have had a truly transformative effect on particular companies and, more generally, on corporate culture across the globe," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.

A federal court in Philadelphia has permanently barred Deron O. Joe of Darby, Pa.; Edmund G. Dassin of Lansdowne, Pa.; and James M. Tokpawhiea of Philadelphia from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The three men consented to the civil injunction order without admitting the allegations against them. Judge Paul S. Diamond of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania signed the injunction.

"Together, we can create atmospheres of tolerance, climates of trust, environments both virtual and real where people young and old can feel welcome to be who they truly are," said Assistant Attorney General Perez.

Three defendants involved in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme were sentenced today in the Middle District of Alabama, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. Chiquanta Davis received a prison term of 66 months, Terrence Davis was sentenced to 18 months in jail and Laurekshia Blakely received a six month prison sentence. All three were also sentenced to three years supervised release.

Song Ja Cha, 70, a bar owner in Guam, was sentenced to life in prison today for her involvement in a sex trafficking scheme to force young women and one juvenile girl into prostitution, the Department of Justice announced. Cha was also ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the victims in this case as well as a $10,000 fine.

AU Optronics Corporation, a Taiwan-based liquid crystal display (LCD) producer, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco to pay a $500 million criminal fine for its participation in a five-year conspiracy to fix the prices of thin-film transistor LCD panels sold worldwide.

ReadyOne Industries Inc. has agreed to pay $5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false certifications regarding the annual percentages of direct labor hours performed by people with severe disabilities.

Federal and tribal officials joined together in Tulsa, Okla., today in commemorating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month at opening ceremonies before the department’s annual tribal consultation on Violence Against Native Women, held this year in Tulsa.

The Residential Mortgage Backed Securities Working Group members today announced their first legal action since the working group formation earlier this year.