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Two California Men Charged in Boston with Computer Hacking in Connection with Gift Card Fraud Scheme

Two California men have been charged in an indictment unsealed today in Boston with remotely hacking into merchants’ computerized cash registers in order to obtain fraudulent gift cards.



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Former Department of Health and Human Services Employee Pleads Guilty in Washington to Wire Fraud Charge in Retention Bonus Scheme

An employee of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS-ASPR) pleaded guilty today in Washington, D.C., to defrauding the United States by submitting fraudulent employment offers in order to claim retention bonuses totaling $138,8875.



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Congressional Candidate Pleads Guilty to Violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act

Former Congressional candidate Justin Lamar Sternad pleaded guilty today in Miami to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act during his 2012 campaign.



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New York Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Mail Fraud and Attempting to Corruptly Influence a U.S. Attorney

A New York man was sentenced today in Buffalo to serve 11 years in prison for committing mail fraud and attempting to escape the charges by exerting pressure on a U.S. Attorney’s spouse and candidate for office, the Justice Department announced.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Two Colorado Law Enforcement Agencies to Improve Communication with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a cooperative settlement agreement with the Arapahoe, Colo., County Sheriff’s Office under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This agreement is a companion to one reached on March 8, 2013, with the city of Englewood, Colo.



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Agreement Reached with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, to Improve Sewer and Stormwater Systems

The Unified Government of Wyandotte Co. and Kansas City, Kan., has agreed to a settlement to address unauthorized overflows of untreated raw sewage and to reduce pollution levels in urban stormwater.



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Justice Department to Invest $20 Million in Firearm Background Check System Improvements

The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs is planning to invest more than $20 million to strengthen the firearm background check system by improving states’ abilities to share information with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Georgia Company to Resolve Immigration-related Unfair Employment Practices

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



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Forsyth County, North Carolina Sheriff to Resolve Employment Rights Claim of a North Carolina Army National Guard Soldier

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Forsyth County, N.C., and Sheriff William T. Schatzman of Forsyth County to resolve allegations that they violated the employment rights of North Carolina Army National Guard soldier Michael Russell under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.



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Former Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Deputy Indicted for Civil Rights, Bank Fraud, Computer Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and Obstruction of Justice Violations

An indictment against former Jefferson Parish, La., Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Hebert, 48, was announced today by Roy L. Austin Jr., Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division; Dana J. Boente, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI New Orleans Field Office; and Sheriff Newell Normand from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.



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Patient Recruiter for Miami Home Health Company Sentenced to 36 Months in $20 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

A patient recruiter for a Miami health care company was sentenced today to serve 36 months in prison for his participation in a $20 million home health Medicare fraud scheme.



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Operators of Louisiana Home Health Company Convicted in $17.1 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

The owner and the director of nursing of a Louisiana home health agency were each convicted late Friday for conspiring to defraud Medicare of $17.1 million.



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Former Defense Department Contract Employee Sentenced to 35 Months in Prison for Participating in Corruption Scheme at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait

A former contract employee of the U.S. Defense Department (DoD) was sentenced today to serve 35 months in prison for his participation in a bribery and money laundering scheme arising from corruption in the award of defense contracts at Camp Arifjan, an Army base in Kuwait.



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Fluor Hanford Agrees to Pay $1.1 Million to Resolve Allegations of Improper Lobbying

The Justice Department announced today that Fluor Hanford LLC has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle allegations that Fluor violated the False Claims Act by using federal funds for lobbying.



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Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Property Management Company

The Justice Department today reached an agreement with Milestone Management Company, a nationwide residential property management firm headquartered in Dallas, resolving claims that the staffing company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.



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Justice Department and Council of State Governments Identify States Cutting Correction Costs While Reducing Recidivism and Improving Safety

The Department of Justice and the Council of State Governments (CSG) highlight 17 states that have cut corrections costs while reducing recidivism and improving public safety. With funding from the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), staff from the CSG Justice Center – in partnership with the Pew Center on the States – worked with lawmakers, policymakers, and a wide range of justice system professionals and stakeholders from each state to identify crime and corrections trends and formulate strategies that would save money and improve safety.



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Arizona Businessmen and California Attorney Convicted for Hiding Millions in Secret Foreign Bank Accounts at UBS AG and Pictet & Cie

A jury convicted Stephen M. Kerr and Michael Quiel yesterday on federal tax charges stemming from their failure to disclose secret offshore bank accounts in Switzerland.



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North Carolina Man Charged in Odometer Tampering Scheme

In an information made public today, the United States charged Francis Marimo, of Raleigh, N.C., with two counts of odometer tampering.



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Parker Drilling Company Resolves FCPA Investigation and Agrees to Pay $11.76 Million Penalty

Parker Drilling Company, a publicly listed drilling-services company, headquartered in Houston, has agreed to pay an $11.76 million penalty to resolve charges related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for authorizing payment to an intermediary, knowing that the payment would be used to corruptly influence the decisions of a Nigerian government panel reviewing Parker Drilling’s adherence to Nigerian customs and tax laws.



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Foreign Bribery Charges Unsealed Against Current and Former Executives of French Power Company

Charges have been unsealed against one current and one former executive of the U.S. subsidiary of a French power and transportation company for their alleged participation in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign government officials.



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Court Approves Plan to Provide Comprehensive Services to ELL Students in Denver Public Schools

Today, a federal court in Denver approved a comprehensive consent decree between the Department of Justice, the Congress of Hispanic Educators (CHE), and the Denver Public Schools (DPS) that requires DPS to provide language services to the more than 28,000 English Language Learner (ELL) students enrolled in the district’s 170 schools.



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Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights

"We use our tools—criminal and civil enforcement, together with focused and effective competition advocacy—to ensure that consumers get the full advantage of our free-market economy," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.




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Justice Department Files Lawsuit in Illinois Against County Employees’ and Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Cook County and Cook County to Enforce the Employment Rights of Army Reserve Member

The Justice Department announced today the filing of a complaint alleging that the County Employees’ and Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Cook County and Cook County willfully violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by failing to allow U.S. Army Reserve Member Latoya Hayward to lawfully contribute to her pension for the time she was serving in the armed forces.



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Tennessee Salvage Company Owners and Operators Plead Guily to Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act

Three owners and operators of a Tennessee salvage and demolition company, A&E Salvage, Inc., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Greeneville, Tenn., for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act.



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Owner of Texas Durable Medical Equipment Companies Sentenced to 41 Months

Hugh Marion Willett, the owner of two Texas-based durable medical equipment companies, was sentenced today to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $182,450 in restitution.



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Former Owner of Los Angeles Medical Equipment Supply Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Medicare

A former owner of a Los Angeles-area medical equipment supply company pleaded guilty today to conspiring with others to defraud Medicare.



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Justice Department Releases Updated Protocol to Improve Standards for Responding to Rape and Sexual Assault

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced a revised version of the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations (SAFE Protocol, 2d.) The SAFE Protocol is a voluntary best practices guide to conducting sexual assault medical forensic examinations protocols.



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Detroit Home Health Company Employee Pleads Guilty for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme

An employee of Detroit medical service companies that fabricated patient visit notes and other documents as part of a $24 million home health care fraud scheme pleaded guilty today for her role in the conspiracy.



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International Competition Network Advances Convergence Through Initiatives on Enforcement Cooperation and Investigative Process

The International Competition Network advanced convergence through important initiatives on international enforcement cooperation and investigative processes in competition cases.



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United States Files Complaint Against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. for Allegedly Paying Kickbacks to Doctors in Exchange for Prescribing Its Drugs

The Justice Department announced today that the United States has filed a second civil false claims lawsuit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. involving alleged kickbacks paid by the company to health care providers.



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Owner of Multiple New York Construction Companies Indicted for Tax Fraud

Eric Anderson, of Dix Hills, N.Y., was arrested today following his indictment on April 25, 2013, on numerous tax crimes.



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Court Authorizes Service of John Doe Summons Seeking the Identities of U.S. Taxpayers with Offshore Accounts at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s FirstCaribbean International Bank

The Justice Department announced that late yesterday a federal court in San Francisco entered an order authorizing the Internal Revenue Service to serve a John Doe summons seeking information about U.S. taxpayers who may hold offshore accounts at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce FirstCaribbean International Bank.



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Former Executive of French Power Company Subsidiary Charged in Connection with Foreign Bribery Scheme

A former executive of the U.S. subsidiary of a French power and transportation company was charged in a superseding indictment for his alleged participation in a scheme to pay bribes to foreign government officials.



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Patient Recruiter of Miami Home Health Company Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Role in $20 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

A patient recruiter for a Miami health care company was sentenced today to serve 37 months in prison for his participation in a $20 million Medicare fraud scheme.



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Two U.S. Broker-dealer Employees and Venezuelan Government Official Charged for Massive International Bribery Scheme

Two employees of a U.S. broker-dealer and a senior official in Venezuela’s state economic development bank have been charged in New York’s federal court for their alleged roles in a massive international bribery scheme.



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Department of Justice Reaches Settlement to Resolve Complaints of Religious Harassment at Charter School in DeKalb County, Georgia

The Justice Department reached a settlement agreement today with DeKalb County, Ga., school district to resolve the department’s investigation into allegations of religious and national origin harassment of a Sikh middle school student.



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Former Middle School Employee Sentenced in Texas to 30 Years in Prison for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

A Texas man was sentenced today to serve 30 years in prison for producing and distributing material relating to the sexual exploitation of children.



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Former President of Port Arthur Company Guilty of Federal Crimes Related to Employee Deaths

The former president of Port Arthur Chemical and Environmental Services, LLC (PACES) has pleaded guilty in federal court to occupational safety crimes which resulted in the death of an employee.



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Generic Drug Manufacturer Ranbaxy Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay $500 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations, cGMP Violations and False Statements to the FDA

In the largest drug safety settlement to date with a generic drug manufacturer, Ranbaxy USA Inc., a subsidiary of Indian generic pharmaceutical manufacturer Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, pleaded guilty today to felony charges relating to the manufacture and distribution of certain adulterated drugs made at two of Ranbaxy’s manufacturing facilities in India.



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Former Construction Company Owner Indicted in Nevada for Income Tax Evasion

A federal grand jury in Nevada today returned an indictment against a former construction company owner for evading federal income and employment taxes.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Announces Improvements to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program

Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Mary Lou Leary announced several improvements to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program following the completion of a comprehensive review of the program ordered by the Attorney General in May 2012.



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Individual Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Id Fraud and Impersonating an Osha Official in Wake of Gulf Oil Spill

Connie M. Knight, 47, previously of Belle Chasse, La., was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison in New Orleans federal court late yesterday for providing fraudulent hazardous waste safety training in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill



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Two Alabama Real Estate Investors and Their Company Sentenced for Their Roles in Bid-Rigging and Mail Fraud Conspiracies Involving Real Estate Purchased at Public Foreclosure Auctions

Two Alabama real estate investors and their company were sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama in Mobile, for their participation in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in southern Alabama.



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Three Defendants Plead Guilty to Participating in Ambush Murder and Attempted Murder of Ice Agents in Mexico

Julian Zapata Espinoza, also known as “Piolin,” 32, pleaded guilty today to the murder of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata and the attempted murder of ICE Special Agent Victor Avila in Mexico.



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Owner of Investment Company Pleads Guilty to Engaging in a Fradulent Investment Scheme

The owner of an investment company pleaded guilty today for his role in an investment scheme involving false promises.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Leading Facility Services Company

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with ISS Facility Services Company resolving allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).



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One of the World’s Largest Digital Currency Companies and Seven of Its Principals and Employees Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Running Alleged $6 Billion Money Laundering Scheme

Liberty Reserve, a company that operated one of the world’s most widely used digital currency services, and seven of its principals and employees were charged with money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.



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Former Corporate Officers of China-Based Oil and Gas Company Charged with Fraud and False Statements

The former president and CEO, and the former vice president of corporate finance of China North East Petroleum Holdings Limited (CNEP), an oil and gas company whose stock is traded in the United States, have been charged with defrauding investors in connection with public offerings of stock.



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French Oil and Gas Company, Total, S.A., Charged in the United States and France in Connection with an International Bribery Scheme

Total, S.A., a French oil and gas company that trades on the New York Stock Exchange, has agreed to pay a $245.2 million monetary penalty to resolve charges related to violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with illegal payments made through third parties to a government official in Iran to obtain valuable oil and gas concessions



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Two Virginia Businessmen Sentenced for Illegally Reimbursing Campaign Contributions

William P. Danielczyk Jr. was sentenced today to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine for illegally reimbursing $186,600 in contributions to the Senate and Presidential campaign committees of a candidate for federal office and then obstructing the subsequent law enforcement investigation.



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