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Justice Department Signs Agreement with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Department announced an agreement with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Department of Justice's Sexual Assault Awareness Month Program

"We should all be encouraged by President Obama’s historic commitment to shining a light on this problem and to seeking new pathways toward help, healing and justice," said Attorney General Holder.




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Remarks as Prepared for Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli at Sexual Assault Awareness Month Event

This year is not merely a commemoration of an anniversary. It is a time to recommit ourselves to ending sexual and domestic violence. Our government and this Department have a responsibility to speak out and act on issues of violence against women.




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Former NSA Senior Executive Charged with Illegally Retaining Classified Information, Obstructing Justice and Making False Statements

A federal grand jury in the District of Maryland has returned a 10-count indictment charging former National Security Agency (NSA) senior executive Thomas A. Drake with the willful retention of classified information, obstruction of justice and making false statements.



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Arkansas Private Banking System Barred from Operating by Federal Court

A federal judge in Fayetteville, Ark., has barred Wayne Hicks and his company, My Icis Inc., from operating a private banking system that allegedly helped customers avoid taxes by shielding their identities and other financial transactions from the Internal Revenue Service.



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Arkansas Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Commit Murders of African-Americans

Paul Schlesselman was sentenced today on federal charges for conspiring to murder dozens of African-Americans, including then-Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama, because of their race.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Addresses the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee 50th Anniversary Conference

"We at the Justice Department have recommitted ourselves to this work. We’re strengthening civil rights protections in employment, housing, voting, and sentencing, and we’ve launched a new initiative aimed at expanding access to justice."




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U.S. Army Contracting Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery and Unlawful Salary Supplementation in Off-Post Housing Scheme

A U.S. Army contracting official pleaded guilty today to bribery and unlawful salary supplementation in connection with two schemes to solicit more than $17,000 in bribes and other payments from an Egyptian businessman in Kuwait.



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Massachusetts Couple Charged Found Guilty of Tax Crimes

Frederick Allen and Kimberlee Allen, both of Harwich, Mass., today were convicted of conspiracy, tax evasion and failure to file tax returns.



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Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Samuel R. Bagenstos Testifies Before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

"The Civil Rights Division enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and we have a substantial role in implementing Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act."




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Attorney General Holder Delivers Vassar College Lecture on Public Service

"On Saturday, I understand that many of you will come together to mark one of Vassar’s oldest traditions – Founder’s Day – when you’ll celebrate the extraordinary foresight, generosity and optimism that Matthew Vassar showed in establishing this college," said Attorney General Holder.




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Salt Lake Federal Court Bars CPA from Preparing Tax Returns for Others

A federal court in Salt Lake City has permanently barred Dick Jenkins, a CPA from Heber City, Utah, from preparing tax returns for others.



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Two Puerto Rico Police Officers Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Charges Related to Fatal Assault

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel R. Dominguez sentenced former San Juan, Puerto Rico, Police Officers, Aaron Vidal Maldonado and Jose Pacheco Cruz today for their roles in the fatal assault by San Juan officers against Jose Rivera Robles, an unarmed civilian.



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Tennessee Man Convicted of Illegally Accessing Sarah Palin’s E-mail Account and Obstruction of Justice

David C. Kernell, 22, was convicted by a federal jury in Knoxville, Tenn., today for intentionally accessing without authorization the e-mail account of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and obstruction of justice.



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Former Guatemalan Special Forces Soldier Arrested in Palm Beach County, Fla., for Masking Role in 1982 Massacre of Guatemalan Villagers on Immigration Forms

A former Guatemalan special forces soldier was arrested today in Palm Beach County, Fla., for lying on his naturalization application about his participation in a 1982 massacre at a Guatemalan village known as Dos Erres.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Arkansas Alleging Statewide Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act

The Department has filed a lawsuit alleging that the state of Arkansas is systemically violating the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with St. Clair County, Illinois, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Department announced an agreement with St. Clair County, Ill., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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U.S. Court Bars Kansas City-Area Attorney & CPA from Promoting Tax Fraud Schemes That Cost Treasury at Least $45 Million

A federal judge in Kansas City, Mo., has permanently barred Allen R. Davison from promoting a variety of tax fraud schemes, including some that used sham companies, sham chicken-flock contracts, and sham pension plans.



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Two Men Charged with Additional Counts for the Racially-Motivated Arson of a Massachusetts Church

A federal grand jury in the District of Massachusetts has charged Michael Jacques and Thomas Gleason of Springfield, Mass., in a three-count superseding indictment in relation to the arson of a church.



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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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Former Guatemalan Special Forces Soldier Indicted for Making False Statements on Immigration Forms Regarding 1982 Massacre of Guatemalan Villagers

A former Guatemalan special forces soldier was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Palm Beach County, Fla., for lying on his naturalization application about his participation in a 1982 massacre at a Guatemalan village known as Dos Erres.



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Massachusetts-Based EMC Corporation Pays U.S. $87.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Case

EMC Corporation has paid the United States $87.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the information technology company violated the False Claims Act and the federal Anti-kickback Act.



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Brothers Charged with Guiding Illegal Deer Hunts in Southwestern Kansas

A federal grand jury in Wichita, Kan., returned a 23-count felony indictment charging two brothers with conspiracy and wildlife trafficking stemming from the illegal sale of guided deer hunts.



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Federal Court Bars Kansas Man from Preparing Federal Tax Returns

A federal judge in Kansas City, Kan., has permanently barred a Garden City, Kan. tax preparer, Jose Lares, from preparing federal tax returns.



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Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks at the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development

"Only by working together, across borders and jurisdictions, can we ensure that the ideals set forth in the Anti-Bribery Convention more than a decade ago are realized today and in the future.  And only by working together will the promise of democracy be fulfilled, and will the rule of law be respected, across the globe," said Attorney General Holder.




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Colorado Couple Pleads Guilty to Illegal Trapping and Sale of Bobcats

A Colorado couple pleaded guilty in a Denver federal court to charges related to the illegal trapping and interstate sale of bobcats.



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Illinois and Louisiana Attorneys Convicted of Tax and Bank Fraud in Connection with Tax Shelter Transactions and Referral Fee Kickback Scheme

Chicago attorney and Certified Public Accountant John B. Ohle III and Louisiana attorney William Bradley were found guilty Wednesday in Manhattan federal court of wire and tax fraud conspiracy charges stemming from a scheme to fraudulently obtain referral fees relating to a tax shelter sold by Ohle’s employer, Bank One, and thereafter failing to accurately report those fees to the IRS and pay the appropriate taxes due.



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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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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's 30th Anniversary National Convention

"It’s a special honor to be part of this anniversary and to continue one of our nation’s most important conversations – the crucial, ongoing dialogue between law enforcement and members of the Arab-American community," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the department's wide-ranging initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Smyth County, Virginia, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the department’s wide-ranging initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez at the National Disability Rights Network Annual Conference

"The progress made in 20 years is remarkable. But our anniversary celebration must be marked by turning our attention to the next 20 years so that we can continue to create a nation where every individual has access to equal opportunity and equal justice," said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez




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Springfield, Massachusetts, Man Pleads Guilty to Church Arson

Benjamin Haskell, 23, of Springfield, Mass., pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with two crimes related to the burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American church in Springfield.



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Faisal Shahzad Indicted for Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square

A federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York has returned a 10-count indictment charging Faisal Shahzad for allegedly driving a car bomb into Times Square on the evening of May 1, 2010.



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Faisal Shahzad Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to 10 Federal Crimes Arising from Attempted Car Bombing in Times Square

“Faisal Shahzad plotted and launched an attack that could have led to serious loss of life, and today the American criminal justice system ensured that he will pay the price for his actions,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. 



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Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Sanitary Authority Agrees to Clean up Sewage Discharges to the Susquehanna River

The Williamsport, Pa., Sanitary Authority (WSA) has agreed to make significant improvements to its combined sewer system at an estimated cost of approximately $10 million, in order to resolve long-standing problems with combined sewer overflows to the Susquehanna River, which flows to the Chesapeake Bay.



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Second Defendant in Springfield, Massachusetts, Church Arson Pleads Guilty

Thomas Gleason, 22, of Springfield, Mass., pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with two crimes related to the burning of the Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a predominantly African-American church, in Springfield on the morning after President Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American President of the United States.



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Three Individuals with Alleged Ties to Aryan Brotherhood Charged with a 2008 Murder That Occurred in Atascosa County, Texas

Three alleged members or associates of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) have been indicted for their alleged roles in a 2008 murder in Atascosa County, Texas.



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Jury Convicts District of Columbia Fish Wholesaler & Two Employees for Purchasing Illegally Harvested Striped Bass

Following a five-week trial, a fish wholesaler and two of its employees were found guilty with purchasing illegally harvested striped bass, known locally as rockfish, from the Potomac River in Virginia and Maryland from 1995 through 2007.



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Justice Department Resolves Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Against Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Housing Authority

The lawsuit alleged that the Fitchburg Housing Authority and Hill violated the Fair Housing Act by adopting and implementing policies that denied tenants with disabilities other than mobility impairments the opportunity to transfer between apartments within Fitchburg’s public housing neighborhoods.



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Former Guatemalan Special Forces Soldier Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements on Immigration Forms Regarding 1982 Massacre of Guatemalan Villagers

Gilberto Jordan, 54, a former Guatemalan special forces soldier, pleaded guilty today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to a federal charge of unlawfully procuring his U.S. citizenship, admitting that he lied on his naturalization application about his participation in a 1982 massacre at a Guatemalan village known as Dos Erres.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Project Safe Neighborhoods Annual Conference

"Our future progress, I believe, will depend on our ability to bring innovative, evidence-based solutions to the work of addressing our most overwhelming and intractable challenges – namely, the prevalence and consequences of gun-, gang-, and drug-related violence, as well as the devastating impact of childhood exposure to violence," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Settles Remainder of Voter Registration Case with State of New York for Violating Rights of Students with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced a court-approved consent decree which resolves a lawsuit against the state of New York and its public university systems for their failure to provide voter registration services at offices serving students with disabilities at each public university and college campus in New York State. 



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Milton, Wash., to Ensure Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the city of Milton, Wash., under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to improve access to city parks and recreational activities for persons with disabilities.



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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Child Pornography Charges

Douglas Carruthers, 46, formerly of Rockland, Mass., was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and eight years of supervised release following his prison term for child pornography offenses.



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Justice Department Announces Recipients of Annual Project Safe Neighborhoods Achievement Awards

The Department of Justice today announced the 24 recipients of the annual Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Achievement Awards in a ceremony hosted by Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler at the PSN national conference in New Orleans.



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Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler Speaks at the Project Safe Neighborhood Awards Ceremony

"What makes Project Safe Neighborhoods so unique as an initiative is that it relies on teamwork that goes beyond law enforcement," said Acting Deputy Attorney General Grindler.




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Former U.S. Army Contracting Official Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Bribery and Unlawful Salary Supplementation in Off-post Housing Scheme

A former U.S. Army contracting official was sentenced today to 42 months in prison in connection with two schemes to solicit more than $30,000 in bribes and other payments from an Egyptian businessman in Kuwait.



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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Disability Discrimination by Ventura County, California

The Justice Department today announced a consent decree resolving a lawsuit filed against Ventura County, Calif., alleging that the county violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it refused to hire a qualified applicant for a children’s social services position because she is deaf and required reasonable accommodations.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Blockbuster Inc. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Blockbuster Inc. to ensure equal access to its stores nationwide for individuals with disabilities who use service animals.



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