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Consol Energy to Pay $5.5 Million Penalty and Install Wastewater Treatment Plant to Settle Clean Water Act Violations

The U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the state of West Virginia announced today that Consol Energy Inc., the largest producer of coal from underground mines in the United States, has agreed to pay a $5.5 million civil penalty for Clean Water Act violations at six of its mines in West Virginia.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of California for Violating Inmate’s Right to Practice His Religion

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the state of California, Governor Jerry Brown and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for violating the right of an inmate to practice his religion.



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California Man Convicted of Conspiracy and Violating the Clean Air Act by Improperly Handling Asbestos

A Santa Clarita, Calif., resident was convicted today of five environmental charges related to the improper renovation of a San Fernando Valley, Calif., apartment complex – work that caused asbestos to be released into the complex and the surrounding community.



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Founder and Treasurer of Washington D.C. Labor Union Charged with Stealing Pension Funds for Personal Use, Violating a Court Order and Obstructing Investigation

The founder and treasurer of the National Association of Special Police and Security Officers (NASPSO) was charged today in a superseding indictment with mail fraud, theft from a labor organization, obstruction of justice, criminal contempt and various recordkeeping offenses related to his operation of a pension plan for NASPSO members.



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Comverse Technology INC. Agrees to Pay $1.2 Million Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Comverse Technology Inc., a New York City headquartered corporation, has agreed to pay a $1.2 million penalty for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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Justice Department Files Suit Against Woman for FACE Act Violations Against Kansas Physician

The Justice Department today filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas against Angel Dillard for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the Berkeley County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office for Violating the First Amendment and Inmate’s Right to Practice His Religion

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the Berkeley County, S.C., Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Wayne DeWitt for violating the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.



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Idaho Mining Company Agrees to Pay $1.4 Million Penalty to Settle Alleged Clean Water Act Violations

The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that P4 Production LLC, a mining and phosphorus processing company wholly-owned by Monsanto and operating near Soda Springs in southeast Idaho, has agreed to pay a $1.4 million civil penalty for alleged Clean Water Act violations at its South Rasmussen Mine.



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Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Violations

The Justice Department announced today that Johnny Mathis, 47, of Lecompte, La., pleaded guilty to two federal crimes for shooting at the home of three Hispanic men living across the street from him because of the victims’ race and national origin.



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Tenaris S.A. Agrees to Pay $3.5 Million Criminal Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Tenaris S.A., a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Luxembourg, has agreed to pay a $3.5 million penalty for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and has entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice.



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Texas Egg Producer Will Pay $1.9 Million Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations

Mahard Egg Farm Inc., a Texas corporation operating in both Texas and Oklahoma, has agreed to pay a $1.9 million penalty to resolve claims that the company failed to comply with the Clean Water Act at its egg production facilities.



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Former White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Officer Charged with Civil Rights Violations

A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a two-count indictment today charging former White Mountain Apache Tribal police officer, Glenn Cromwell, with federal crimes in connection with maliciously abandoning Anthony Archuleta and Barry Lowe in dangerously cold weather conditions in December 2008.



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Wisconsin Man Charged with FACE Act Violations

The Justice Department announced today that Ralph Lang, 63, Marshfield, Wis., was charged today in a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wis., with attempting to injure, intimidate and interfere with other persons because those persons were providing reproductive health services.



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Justice Department Files Suit Against Colorado Couple for Face Act Violations

The Justice Department today filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado against Kenneth and JoAnn Scott for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.



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Former Senator and Presidential Candidate John Edwards Charged for Alleged Role in Scheme to Violate Federal Campaign Finance Laws

A federal grand jury today returned a six-count indictment against former U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate John Edwards for allegedly participating in a scheme to violate federal campaign finance laws.



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California Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

The owner and manager of a California condominium complex were sentenced today for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards during the renovation of a 204-unit apartment building in Winnetka, Calif., in 2006 – work that caused asbestos to be released into the complex and the surrounding community.



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Swift Beef Company to Pay $1.3 Million Penalty for Clean Water Act and State Law Violations at Its Grand Island, Nebraska Beef Processing Plant

Swift Beef Company, a subsidiary of JBS S.A, the world’s largest beef producer, has agreed to pay $1.3 million to the United States and state of Nebraska to settle alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Nebraska state law at its Grand Island, Neb., beef processing plant.



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Iowa Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

Bobby Joe Knapp, the former owner and operator of the Equitable Building in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James E. Gritzner to 41 months in prison for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and the Clean Air Act’s asbestos work practice standards for his role during the renovation of more than 10 floors of the building between 2005 and 2008.



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Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Duck Hunting Violations

Professional duck hunter and guide Jeffrey B. Foiles pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Ill., to wildlife charges arising from the illegal sale of guided waterfowl hunts.



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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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North Carolina Corporate Hog Farm and President Plead Guilty to Violating the Clean Water Act

Freedman Farms, Inc. and its president, William B. Freedman, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in New Bern, N.C., to violating the Clean Water Act when they discharged hog waste into a stream that leads to the Waccamaw River.



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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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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Louisiana Alleging Violations of the National Voter Registration Act

The complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, alleges that Louisiana has violated the NVRA by failing to provide voter registration services at offices providing public assistance and serving persons with disabilities in Louisiana.



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Armor Holdings Agrees to Pay $10.2 Million Criminal Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Armor Holdings Inc. has entered into an agreement with the Department of Justice to pay a $10.29 million penalty to resolve violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Maryland Man for FACE Act Violation at a Planned Parenthood

The Justice Department today filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Richard Retta for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).



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Jersey City, N.J. to Upgrade and Repair Sewer System to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations

A settlement between the United States and the Jersey City, N.J. Municipal Utilities Authority (JCMUA) will resolve Clean Water Act violations by JCMUA for failing to properly operate and maintain its combined sewer system.



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Supervisor for Texas Natural Gas and Oil Drilling Company Pleads Guilty in Oklahoma to Negligent Violation of Clean Water Act

Gabriel Henson, a supervisor for Integrated Production Services, Inc., a Houston-based natural gas and oil drilling contractor, pleaded guilty to a negligent violation of the Clean Water Act in federal court in Muskogee, Okla.



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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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Caterpillar Inc. to Pay $2.55 Million Penalty to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

Caterpillar Inc. has agreed to pay a $2.55 million civil penalty to settle alleged Clean Air Act violations for shipping more than 590,000 highway and non-road engines without the correct emissions controls.



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Dow Chemical Agrees to Pay $2.5 Million Penalty to Resolve Air, Water and Waste Violations at Its Midland Michigan Complex

The Dow Chemical Company has agreed to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act at its chemical manufacturing and research complex in Midland, Michigan.



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Micronesian Couple Pleads Guilty in Washington to Withholding Passport in Connection with Human Trafficking Violations

Edk Kenit, 29, and Choimina Lukas, 31, a Micronesian couple living in Longview, Wash., pleaded guilty today to document servitude in connection with a scheme to compel the labor of an 18-year-old woman, also from Micronesia.



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New Orleans Police Officers Convicted of Civil Rights Violations in Danziger Bridge Case

A federal jury today convicted five officers from the New Orleans Police Department on 25 counts in connection with the federal prosecution of a police-involved shooting on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina and an extensive cover-up of those shootings.



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U.S. Files Complaint Against Education Management Corp. Alleging False Claims Act Violations

The United States has intervened and filed a complaint in a whistleblower suit pending under the False Claims Act against Education Management Corp. (EDMC) and several affiliated entities.



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The City of Newport, R.I., Will Upgrade Facilities and Pay Fine to Settle Clean Water Violations

Under the terms of a settlement filed today in federal court, the city of Newport has agreed to eliminate illegal discharges of sewage into Narragansett Bay from its wastewater treatment plant and wastewater collection system.



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Three Men Charged in Louisiana for Civil Rights Violations

The Justice Department today announced that three men were charged for their role in intentionally attempting to intimidate and interfere with African-American students who were attending Beekman Junior High School in Beekman, Morehouse Parish, La.



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Braintree, Mass., Waste Facility Agrees to Spend More Than $1.7 Million to Settle Alleged Hazardous Waste Violations

In a settlement valued at more than $1.7 million, Clean Harbors of Braintree Inc. has agreed to pay a significant penalty and perform additional projects, to settle a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), regarding numerous violations of hazardous waste management and emergency planning laws at the company’s Braintree, Mass., facility.



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Former Worth County Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Violating the Civil Rights of Eight Women in Missouri

The Department of Justice announced today that Neal Wayne “Bear” Groom, former sheriff of the Worth County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty to depriving eight Missouri women of their civil rights by coercing the women to expose parts of their bodies to him, which was in violation of the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable seizures.



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Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Importation of Polar Bear Trophy from Canada

Rodger Dale DeVries, 73, a resident of Jenison, Mich., has pleaded guilty to illegally importing a polar bear trophy mount in 2007 from Canada into Michigan in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.



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Former Columbus County, N.C., Detention Center Inmate Charged with Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of Justice

The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging former inmate Terry Lashavious McMillian, 26, of Whiteville, N.C., with federal civil rights violations involving the assault of an inmate and related acts of obstruction of justice.



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CSK Auto Corporation Agrees to Pay $20.9 Million to Resolve Violations of Securities Laws Related to Scheme to Manipulate Corporate Earnings

CSK Auto Corporation, a specialty retailer of automotive parts and accessories and formerly a publicly-traded company, has agreed to pay a $20.9 million penalty to resolve securities law violations stemming from a corporate earnings manipulation and double-billing scheme.



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Former Natchez County, Miss., Officer Sentenced for Theft and Civil Rights Violations

DeWayne Johnson, 33, of Natchez, Miss., and a former Natchez Police Department officer, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge David Bramlette for crimes related to the theft and subsequent unlawful use of credit cards that belonged to a person in the custody of Johnson while he was on duty.



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Florida Manufacturer of Skin Products Agrees to Consent Decree to Resolve Allegations of FDCA Violations

The complaint and consent decree were filed today in accordance with an agreement with the defendants resolving numerous violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.



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Trident Seafoods Corp. to Pay $2.5 Million to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations and Spend More Than $30 Million to Upgrade Processing Plants

Trident Seafoods Corp., one of the world’s largest seafood processors, has agreed to pay a $2.5 million civil penalty and invest millions in seafood processing waste controls to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.



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Former Columbus County, N.c., Detention Center Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation

A former Columbus County, N.C., Sherriff’s Office sergeant pleaded guilty today in federal court in Greenville, N.C., to a civil rights charge related to the assault of a detainee, the Justice Department announced.



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Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations in Connection with Arson at Planned Parenthood and Vandalism of Mosque in Madera, California

Donny Eugene Mower of Madera, Calif., pleaded guilty in federal court today to one count of arson, one count of damaging religious property and one count of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.



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Texas Natural Gas and Oil Drilling Contractor Pleads Guilty to Negligent Violation of Clean Water Act in Oklahoma

Integrated Production Services, LLC, (IPS), a Houston-based natural gas and oil drilling contractor, pleaded guilty today to a negligent violation of the Clean Water Act in federal court in Muskogee, Okla.



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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Anti-Abortion Protestor for Face Act Violations in Colorado

The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado has ordered that Jo Ann Scott be permanently enjoined from using force, threat of force or physically obstructing any person because that person is or has been obtaining or providing reproductive health services.



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Micronesian Couple Sentenced in State of Washington in Connection with Human Trafficking Violations

Edk Kenit, 28, and Choimina Lukas, 30, a Micronesian couple living in Longview, Wash., were sentenced today for their roles in a scheme to compel the labor of an 18-year-old woman, also from Micronesia.



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Spokane, Wash., Police Officer Convicted of Civil Rights and Obstruction Violations in Connection with Beating Otto Zehm

A federal jury today convicted Spokane, Wash., Police Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr., 64, of civil rights and obstruction charges stemming from his March 18, 2006, beating of an unarmed citizen and an extensive cover-up that followed.



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Justice Department Settles with Lowe’s Hardware Store for USERRA Violations

Lowe’s, a national hardware store chain, has agreed to settle the Justice Department’s claims alleging that the company violated the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) when it terminated the employment of Matthew King, a U.S. Army Guard member and Iraq War veteran, without just cause.



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