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San Diego Attorney Sentenced for Tax Crimes

A San Diego attorney was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Houston to 10 months in prison for evading taxes on at least $3 million in unreported income from 2000 to 2002.



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Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks on Settlements with Bank of America and Saxon Mortgage

"The Civil Rights Division enforces several laws designed to protect the rights of members of the military – so that their brave and selfless service doesn’t put them at risk of losing their jobs at home; so that they don’t have to forfeit their right to vote; so that they can be assured they and their families in the consumer context will not be penalized for their courageous decision to serve our nation."




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Justice Department Reaches Americans with Disabilities Act Settlement with Wells Fargo

The Justice Department announced today a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Wells Fargo &s services nationwide, including its nearly 10,000 retail banking, brokerage and mortgage stores, over 12,000 ATMs, and its telephone and website services.



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Kansas Man Convicted of Visa Fraud

A Kansas man who previously resided in Rwanda was convicted today of visa fraud, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton.



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Florida and Arkansas Residents Charged for Involvement in Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Tax Refund Scheme

Laura Barel of Lauderhill, Fla., has been charged with one count of filing a false claim and two counts of aiding and abetting the filing of a false claim.



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Pasadena, Texas, Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Murder Scheme

A Pasadena, Texas, man pleaded guilty today to charges related to a homicide that took place in Atascosa County, Texas, in May 2008.



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Project Safe Childhood Operation Announced Following Indiana Man’s Guilty Plea to Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses

David R. Bostic, of Bloomington, Ind., pleaded guilty today to multiple charges of sexual exploitation of children relating to his participation in an international conspiracy to sexually exploit children through the trading of child pornography.



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Former NSA Senior Executive Pleads Guilty to Unauthorized Access of Government Computer

Former National Security Agency (NSA) senior executive Thomas A. Drake pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore to a one-count criminal information charging him with unauthorized access of an NSA computer.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Summit

"As we have seen repeatedly – most clearly on September 11th and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – in times of crisis and emergency, law enforcement officers and first responders must be able to communicate quickly, across all jurisdictions. And as national security and public safety threats have continued to grow and to evolve, the need to bring public safety communications into the 21st century has never been greater."




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United States and Two California State Agencies File Civil Lawsuit Against Greka Oil & Gas Inc. for Oil Spills in Santa Barbara County

The United States, the California Department of Fish and Game and the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Coast Region, filed a civil complaint today in federal court against Greka Oil & Gas Inc. alleging that the company violated federal and state water laws.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with City of Manassas Park, Virginia, on Bailout from the Voting Rights Act

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with the city of Manassas Park, Va., that, if approved by the court, will allow for the city to bail out from its status as a “covered jurisdiction” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt the city from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.



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Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Applaud Final Approval of Cobell Settlement

Today, the Departments of Justice and Interior applauded the final approval by U.S. Senior District Judge Thomas F. Hogan of Cobell v. Salazar, a long-running and contentious individual American Indian trust class-action lawsuit.



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Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum Announces Draft Regulations to Govern 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

One month after assuming the position, September 11th Victim Compensa­tion Fund (VCF) Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum today published draft regulations to govern the VCF, and asked the public to give her feedback on the proposals before victims can begin submitting claims to the fund later this year.



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Texas Man Sentenced to Jail in Connection with Kansas Deer Hunting and Guiding Operation

A Texas man was sentenced today in federal court in Wichita on felony charges of conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and obstruction of justice related to the illegal sale of guided deer hunts in southern Kansas.



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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison on Child Pornography Charges

George H. Lunt, 27, of Plymouth, Mass., was sentenced today to 96 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release for his transportation and possession of child pornography.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Welcomes Confirmation of James Cole, Lisa Monaco and Virginia Seitz

Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation of James Cole, as Deputy Attorney General; Lisa Monaco, as Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and Virginia Seitz, as Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Legal Counsel.



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Former U.S. Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Stealing Equipment in Iraq and Receiving Proceeds from Sale on Black Market

A former U.S. Army sergeant pleaded guilty today to conspiring to steal U.S. Army equipment related to his work as a non-commissioned officer helping to train Iraqi army personnel in Mosul, Iraq, in 2008.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement with Van Buren County, Arkansas, to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Van Buren County, Ark., to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access, the department’s wide-ranging initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Arkansas Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Violations

Wendy Treybig, 31, of Evening Shade, Ark., pleaded guilty today to obstructing an investigation related to the Jan. 14, 2011, firebombing of the home of an interracial couple in Hardy, Ark.



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Coinciding with One-Year Anniversary of “Operation Stolen Dreams,” Three Loan Officers and a Title Agent Charged in $2.5 Million Reverse Mortgage and Loan Modification Scheme

The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a criminal information earlier today, charging four defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving a nation-wide reverse mortgage scam that defrauded elderly borrowers, financial institutions and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).



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Former Port Isabel Detention Officer Charged with Violating Civil Rights of Detainee

A federal indictment returned by a McAllen, Texas, grand jury on June 7, 2011, charging former Port Isabel Detention Center Lieutenant Raul Leal with using excessive force on a detainee, obstruction of justice and lying to a federal agent was unsealed today following Leal’s arrest.



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Statement of Deputy Attorney General James Cole Regarding Information Requests for Multiple Sales of Semi-Automatic Rifles with Detachable Magazines

“The international expansion and increased violence of transnational criminal networks pose a significant threat to the United States."



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Federal Court Bars Three Men from Promoting “Intermediary Transaction” Tax Shelter

A federal court has permanently barred Charles Klink, Caleb Grodsky and Steven Block from promoting abusive tax shelters known as “intermediary transactions” and “distressed asset trusts.”



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Two Arkansas Men Plead Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Cross Burning

Tony Branscum, 25, and James Bradley “Brad” Branscum, 23, both of Salado, Ark., pleaded guilty today to criminal violations of housing rights related to their role in the Aug. 28, 2010, cross burning in front of an African American man’s apartment in Salado.



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Longtime Associate of the New England La Cosa Nostra Pleads Guilty in Extortion and Racketeering Conspiracy

Thomas Iafrate, 70, of Johnston, R.I., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I., today to participating in an extortion and racketeering conspiracy that shook down several Rhode Island businesses for “protection” payments.



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Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Cross Burning

Curtis Coffee, 19, of Salado, Ark., pleaded guilty today to criminal violations of housing rights related to his role in the Aug. 28, 2010, cross burning in front of an African-American man’s apartment in Salado.



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Justice Department Signs Agreements in Massachusetts, Kentucky and Indiana to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities

The Justice Department today announced agreements with Norfolk County, Mass.; Daviess County, Ky.; and the city of Madison, Indiana, to improve access to all aspects of civic life for individuals with disabilities.



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Former Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Sergeant Charged with Civil Rights Violations

The Justice Department announced today that a federal grand jury in Birmingham, Ala., returned a three-count indictment charging former Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s sergeant, Althea Mallisham, 52, with federal civil rights crimes for using a stun gun on three jail detainees in 2008.



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Federal Agencies Teach Leadership Skills, Hear from Students at 2011 Intertribal Youth Summit in Santa Fe, New Mexico

One hundred and seventy five young men and women from nearly 50 tribal communities across the country have convened at the week-long 2011 National Intertribal Youth Summit in Santa Fe, N.M., which runs from July 24-28, 2011.



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$1 Million Settlement Reached for Natural Resource Damages at Superfund Site in Massachusetts

A $1-million settlement has been reached for natural resource damages (NRD) at the Blackburn & Union Privileges Superfund Site in Walpole, Mass.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with VeriFone and Hypercom After Gores Group is Determined to be Acceptable Buyer for Point-of-Sale Terminals Business

The Department of Justice announced today that, in order for VeriFone Systems Inc. to complete its acquisition of Hypercom Corp., it must divest Hypercom’s U.S. point-of-sale terminals business to an entity sponsored by Gores Group LLC, a private equity fund.



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Detroit-Area Strip Club Owner Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Using Computer Program to Delete Clubs’ Sales to Cheat on Taxes

Nicholas J. Faranso of Farmington Hills, Mich., was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge John Corbett O’Meara in the Eastern District of Michigan to one year and one day in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States.



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Former TSA Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime for Assaulting Elderly Somali Man

George Thompson, 64, a former employee of the Transportation Security Administration in Minneapolis, pleaded guilty today in federal court to violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act by assaulting an 83-year-old Somali man on May 4, 2010.



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Former Russell County, Ala., Sheriff Deputy Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charge for Assaulting a Handcuffed Man

Kirby Dollar, 37, a former detective with the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty in federal court in Montgomery, Ala., for his role in the assault of a handcuffed man.



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Three Fishermen, Seafood Wholesaler and Associated Employees Indicted for Obstruction of Justice and the Illegal Harvest and Sale of New Jersey Oysters

A 15-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Camden, N.J., was unsealed today following the arrest of six individuals from New Jersey and Maryland, and the seizure or restraint of 10 oyster fishing boats in New Jersey, announced Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Paul J. Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.



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Justice Department Signs Agreement to Ensure Civic Access for People with Disabilities in Maryland

The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Montgomery County, Md., and Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC), to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities.



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Two Men Plead Guilty to Racially-Motivated Assault in New Mexico

Paul Beebe and Jesse Sanford of Farmington, N.M., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, N.M., to federal hate crime charges related to a racially-motivated assault on a 22-year-old developmentally disabled man of Navajo descent.



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Google Forfeits $500 Million Generated by Online Ads & Prescription Drug Sales by Canadian Online Pharmacies

Online search engine Google Inc. has agreed to forfeit $500 million for allowing online Canadian pharmacies to place advertisements through its AdWords program targeting consumers in the United States, resulting in the unlawful importation of controlled and non-controlled prescription drugs into the United States.



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Florida Woman Charged with Witness Tampering, False Statements and Obstruction of Justice in Relation to Her Husband’s Disappearance

Abby Beard Hogan, 50, was charged with two counts of making false statements to federal law enforcement officials, one count of witness tampering and four counts of obstruction of justice.



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Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Offenses Related to Firebombing of Mixed-Race Couple’s Home

Jason Walter Barnwell, 37, of Evening Shade, Ark., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Little Rock, Ark., to charges related to his involvement in the Jan. 14, 2011, racially motivated firebombing of the home of a mixed-race couple in Hardy, Ark.



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Justice Department Requires Divestiture in Order for General Electric Company to Proceed with its Acquisition of Converteam Group SAS

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement that will require General Electric Company (GE) to divest Converteam Group SAS’s Electric Machinery Holding Company in order to proceed with its acquisition of Converteam.



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Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum Announces Final Rule to Govern 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

With the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, approaching, September 11th Victim Compensa¬tion Fund Special Master Sheila L. Birnbaum today announced the final rule governing the fund.



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Six MS-13 Gang Members in San Francisco Convicted of Racketeering Charges

After a five-month trial, a federal jury today convicted six members of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, in federal court in San Francisco of racketeering (RICO) conspiracy and related charges.



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Former Massachusetts State Senator Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

Bernard Joseph Tully, a former Massachusetts state senator, has pleaded guilty for devising a scheme to defraud a Boston-area businessman out of approximately $18,000 by falsely representing that Tully and his co-conspirator were using the funds to bribe public officials.



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Member of Aryan Brotherhood Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime in Connection with Church Arson and Attempted Murder of Disabled African-American in Texas

Steven Scott Cantrell, of Crane, Texas, pleaded guilty today to hate crime charges stemming from a series of racially-motivated arsons in December 2010, including the arson of a historic African-American church as part of an effort to murder a disabled African-American man.



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Former Russell County, Ala., Sheriff’s Deputy Convicted for Assaulting a Man in Custody

A federal jury in Opelika, Ala., has convicted a former deputy sheriff with the Russell County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office of a civil rights offense for his role in the assault of a handcuffed man.



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Justice Department Awards $118 Million to Enhance, Support Tribal Justice and Safety

The Department of Justice today announced grants to nearly 150 American Indian and Alaskan Native nations providing $118.4 million to enhance law enforcement practices, and sustain crime prevention and intervention efforts in eight purpose areas.



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Former Heber City, Utah, Resident Indicted in Salt Lake City for Presenting False Claims to the United States

April Rampton, formerly a resident of Heber City, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City with 15 counts of presenting false claims to the United States.



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Saudi Arabia-Based Tamimi Global Company to Pay U.S. $13 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Allegations of Kickbacks and Illegal Gratuities

Saudi Arabia-based Tamimi Global Company Ltd has agreed to pay the United States $13 million to resolve criminal and civil allegations that the company paid kickbacks to a Kellogg Brown &s operations in Iraq and Kuwait.



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Ship Owners and Operators to Pay $44 Million in Damages and Penalties for 2007 San Francisco - Oakland Bay Bridge Crash and Oil Spill

Federal, state and Bay-area officials announced a comprehensive civil settlement with the owners and operators of the M/V Cosco Busan, resolving all natural resource damages, penalties and response costs that resulted from the ship striking the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 2007, and subsequent oil spill in the San Francisco Bay.



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