Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Friday that Universal Health Services, Inc. (“UHS, Inc.”) and a subsidiary of UHS, Inc., UHS of Delaware, Inc., have agreed to a settlement of which $34,338.73 will go to the Division of Medicaid and Medicaid Assistance (DMMA) within the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). “We expect all […]

A New Castle County grand jury has indicted a New Castle woman for 53 felonies following the alleged murder of an infant and the abuse of four other children at a Bear daycare facility. Dejoynay Ferguson, 20, is alleged to have suffocated a 4-month-old child to death and to have abused that child and four other children between July […]

DOJ’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust and Delaware State Police’s Financial Crimes Unit brought case A Kent County grand jury Monday charged Dawn Hill, former employee of the Controller General’s Office, with two felonies arising from a scheme that deprived a retiring Legislative Hall employee from a farewell vacation overseas. The grand jury […]

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the State of Delaware announced Friday a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) setting forth information sharing procedures between the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Delaware Department of Justice. This MOU is intended to: Promote the sharing of certain U.S. economic sanctions-related information between OFAC and the […]

Suit comes at a time when Delaware response rates are lagging. Attorney General Kathy Jennings has joined a large coalition of attorneys general, cities, counties, and the bipartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors in taking legal action against the Trump Administration’s impairment of the 2020 Decennial Census. The coalition filed an amicus brief in National Urban League v. […]

Claims include Negligent Failure to Warn, Trespass, Nuisance and Consumer Fraud Act violations Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday that Delaware is suing 31 fossil fuel companies on behalf of the state’s residents and businesses to hold them accountable for decades of deception about the role their products play in causing climate change, the harm […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Monday that Delaware has joined the United States, twenty-seven other states, and the District of Columbia to settle allegations against Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Novartis”). Delaware’s settlement amount of $94,450.99 will go to the Division of Medicaid and Medicaid Assistance (“DMMA”) within the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (“DHSS”). […]

Attorney General Jennings announced Friday a settlement by 48 states and the District of Columbia with C.R. Bard, Inc. and its parent company Becton, Dickinson and Company for the deceptive marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices. The settlement follows a 2019 settlement with Johnson & Johnson Ethicon, Inc. for similar conduct. Surgical mesh is a […]

Attorney General Jennings announced Tuesday that the Delaware Department of Justice’s Investor Protection Unit is participating in a consolidated nationwide enforcement action to disrupt a fraudulent precious metals scheme that has solicited more than $180 million from seniors and other investors. The Delaware Department of Justice, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and 29 other […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Wednesday that Delaware has joined a total $39.5 million settlement with Anthem stemming from the massive 2014 data breach that involved the personal information of 78.8 million Americans. Through the settlement, Anthem has reached a resolution with the 43-state multistate coalition and California. The DOJ’s Consumer Protection Unit helped secure […]

DCRPT requested prison time, citing extraordinary breach of public trust A former Wilmington police officer has been sentenced to one year of probation for Official Misconduct after receiving oral sex while on-duty in his patrol vehicle. Thomas R. Oliver, Jr. was charged in February 2019 with Rape Second Degree, Extortion, and Official Misconduct following a […]

The Delaware Department of Justice secured Thursday a Court of Chancery ruling dissolving two LLCs owned by Michael Cohen after petitioning the Court to approve a stipulation of judgment. “Dissolving Mr. Cohen’s LLCs ensures that they can never again be used to evade or violate the law,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Delaware’s role in the […]

Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust is prosecuting the case Following an investigation by the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust, a New Castle County grand jury charged a Dover man with multiple felonies for removing and pointing a handgun toward others while he participated in a counter-protest on September 24, 2020.  Michael […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released Friday the following statement regarding a plea agreement reached between Purdue Pharma and federal authorities this week: The Sackler family and Purdue Pharma still have blood on their hands. This settlement took the easy way out ahead of an election rather than holding the Sacklers fully accountable. I’m especially disappointed and angered […]

The Delaware Department of Justice secured Friday a Court of Chancery ruling dissolving four LLCs and two corporations owned by Paul J. Manafort, Jr. and Richard W. Gates, III after the Court approved an Order granting a default judgment. “This is another victory for the integrity of Delaware’s corporate brand,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Paul Manafort […]

The Delaware Department of Justice secured Friday a Court of Chancery ruling dissolving four LLCs and two corporations owned by Paul J. Manafort, Jr. and Richard W. Gates, III after the Court approved an Order granting a default judgment. “This is another victory for the integrity of Delaware’s corporate brand,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Paul Manafort and […]

Delaware DOJ outlines coordination on Election Protection With Delaware’s general election one week away, Attorney General Kathy Jennings is reminding the public that the Delaware Department of Justice, state and local law enforcement, and the Department of Elections will strictly enforce Delaware’s voter intimidation laws in order to ensure that Delawareans are able to vote […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released Tuesday the following statement regarding news of the tragic passing of former Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove and her husband: It is especially painful to learn of Elaine and Wayne’s passing on Election Day — a day that she dedicated so much of her career to administering and defending. Elaine was […]

Attorney General Kathleen Jennings’ Investor Protection Unit (“IPU”) announced on Friday that it has secured restitution for investors in real estate investments who were sold unregistered securities styled as joint ventures. Pathmaker Solutions, LLC (“Pathmaker”), and its managing member Jared Guckenberger, agreed to pay restitution to several investors in a real estate flipping business. From […]

Attorney General Jennings today called on U.S. Attorney General William Barr to reverse his abrupt change to a 40-year-old U.S. Department of Justice policy that until this week had kept the department from interfering with election results. In a letter to AG Barr, AG Jennings and 22 other attorneys general strongly objected to a November […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Tuesday that Delaware has joined a total $17.5 million settlement against Georgia-based retailer The Home Depot, resolving a multistate investigation of a 2014 data breach which exposed the payment card information of approximately 40 million Home Depot consumers nationwide. Through the settlement The Home Depot has reached a resolution with […]

Case settles allegations of past violations affecting thousands of ‘Mr. Cooper’ customers Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Monday that Delaware has joined with 51 attorneys general and other federal and state agencies to reach an $86.3 million settlement with Nationstar Mortgage. Nationstar is the country’s fourth-largest mortgage servicer. The consent judgment resolves allegations that Nationstar, which does business […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement Friday regarding the Thursday night shooting of a Milford police officer: “My thoughts — and those of every person in this Department — are with a Milford police officer who was hospitalized after being wounded during a U.S. Marshals Service operation last night. The U.S. Marshals Fugitive […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement Saturday regarding the Supreme Court’s rejection of Texas’ last-ditch election suit: Last night the Supreme Court — including President Trump’s own judicial appointees — rejected a desperate, 11th hour attempt by Texas’ attorney general to overturn millions of votes. It was only the latest in a virtually […]

DOJ-CLASI agreement covers most disputes with community owners Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Monday that manufactured home owners in disputes with their community owners will be eligible for free legal representation by the non-profit Delaware Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI), under a contract it entered with the Delaware Department of Justice. “Constituents in all three counties have […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement Wednesday regarding the insurrection unfolding in Washington, D.C.: Patriotism is an action, not a title. Democracy is no more invincible now than it was in 1861, nor in this nation than in any of history’s other experiments in self-governance. Our democracy has only been strong when the […]

The Delaware Judiciary, Delaware Department of Justice, Department of Correction and Delaware State Police are warning the public of a phone scam that is apparently targeting probationers. The Delaware State Police have received information about fraudulent callers threatening individuals on probation with re-arrest for allegedly committing new crimes. In at least one case, the caller […]

Legislation introduced in the Delaware House of Representatives Thursday would encourage competition, and protect consumers and business alike, by empowering the Attorney General to intervene against unfair business practices. Deceptive business practices have been illegal under Delaware’s Consumer Fraud Act, passed in 1965. However, Delaware is one of only six states that do not also […]

The Delaware Department of Justice Investor Protection Unit is closely monitoring the extreme price volatility of certain stocks and cautioned investors about the risks associated with investing in publicly traded companies that are experiencing volatility. “It can be risky investing in stocks with extreme changes in price over a short period of time. Investors should […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released Tuesday a legislative agenda outlining ten policy priorities that she will advocate to the 151st General Assembly in 2021. “I know what we’re capable of in 2021, because I know what we accomplished together in the last two years,” said Attorney General Jennings. “We’ve made real progress, from historic criminal […]

Defendants placed more than 1.3 billion deceptive fundraising calls claiming to support veterans, children, firefighters The Delaware Department of Justice, along with the Federal Trade Commission and 46 agencies from 38 states and the District of Columbia, has stopped a massive telefunding operation that bombarded 67 million consumers with 1.3 billion deceptive charitable fundraising calls, […]

The Investor Protection Unit of the Delaware Department of Justice is encouraging anyone who invested with precious metals dealers Metals.com, Tower Equity, Chase Metals, or Barrick Capital to learn more about whether they may have been defrauded and the process for potentially recovering some of their losses. In September, the Investor Protection Unit joined the […]

Attorney General Jennings announced Monday a settlement with Boston Scientific Corporation (Boston), a medical device manufacturer, to resolve allegations of deceptive marketing of its transvaginal surgical mesh devices for patients. The multistate settlement follows a 2019 settlement with Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon, Inc. and a 2020 settlement with C.R. Bard, Inc. for similar conduct. Surgical […]

A New Castle woman has pleaded guilty to Murder by Abuse First Degree, 6 counts of Child Abuse First Degree, and 2 counts of Child Abuse Second Degree. Following an extensive investigation by the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit and the Delaware Department of Justice, a grand jury indicted Dejoynay Ferguson in July for the repeated […]

My heart is heavy tonight for three innocent victims: Cpl. Keith Heacook of the Delmar Police Department, who is being treated for grave injuries he suffered in an attack this morning, and an elderly couple who also suffered severe injuries at the hands of the same attacker. DOJ personnel have been onsite in Delmar since […]

These are the worst moments any of us can imagine: mourning the loss of a member of our law enforcement family.  Cpl. Keith Heacook served his Department and his community honorably and faithfully for more than two decades – a family man, a public servant, and a protector of his community until his final days. […]

Legislation passed by the State Senate on Tuesday is one step away from ensuring Delawareans are protected from unfair business practices by a statute as protective as the law in nearly every other state. House Bill 91, sponsored by Rep. David Bentz, D-Newark, and Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, amends Delaware’s Consumer Fraud Act to explicitly add unfair practices to the list of prohibited practices. […]

The State Senate unanimously passed legislation Wednesday that would formalize a responsible, independent, and collaborative process to allocate the significant funds the State has received, and will continue to receive, from opioid settlements. Senate Bill 166, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Hansen and House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, and supported by Attorney General Kathy Jennings, would establish […]

The First State is one giant step closer to being a national leader on transparency.  I’m thrilled that more than a year’s worth of hard work and dedication now means that a statewide body camera program heads to the Governor’s desk. This will mean stronger community relationships, trust, and accountability. This legislation makes Delaware a […]

Today Delaware is ready to fix one of America’s weakest use-of-force laws, period. This issue has come up again and again throughout our state’s debate on police reform. The need for reform is overwhelming: not only the Department of Justice, but police reform advocates and the police themselves all recognize the need to better align […]

Complaint alleges Google illegally maintains App Store monopoly Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday that Delaware and other state have filed suit against Google, alleging exclusionary conduct relating to the Google Play Store for Android mobile devices and Google Billing.  This antitrust lawsuit is the newest legal action against the tech giant, claiming illegal, anti-competitive, […]

The State of Delaware and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, The Chemours Company, DuPont de Nemours, Inc. and Corteva, Inc, (the “Companies”), businesses with a long history of operations within the State, today announced a settlement agreement designed to benefit Delaware’s natural resources and the people of the State of Delaware now, […]

Police seek information on suspect Prosecutors have secured the indictment of Justin Michael Chaffier in a February 2021 killing. Chaffier, 35, is charged with Murder First Degree and Stalking following a New Castle County police investigation into the murder of Nicole Crawford. “Nobody should ever have to know the pain that the Crawford family is […]

Claims include public nuisance, trespass and unjust enrichment Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings filed a lawsuit Wednesday against agrochemical giant Monsanto and two of its corporate spinoffs for long-lasting damage to Delaware’s natural resources. The lawsuit seeks to recover damages and clean-up costs associated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), extremely toxic and persistent chemicals which Monsanto […]

Attorney General Kathy Jennings released the following statement Thursday after the Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust secured a jury conviction against a Dover man for two violent felonies.  Originally indicted in October 2020 after removing and pointing a handgun toward others during a counter-protest, Michael Hastings was convicted today of Reckless Endangering 1st […]

Lengthy DCRPT investigation yields five charges, including felonies Charges include orchestrating State contract with political consultant Indictment alleges McGuiness hired teenage daughter, paid her while enrolled in college   Following an investigation involving dozens of witness interviews, thousands of document reviews, and more than a year of work, Attorney General Kathy Jennings and the DOJ’s […]

Today we lost one of the most remarkable women our State has ever known: former Governor Ruth Ann Minner. By the time Ruth Ann Minner broke her second glass ceiling as Governor — she was also our first female Lt. Governor — she had already recorded decades of public service. From the House of Representatives […]

Attorney General Jennings today joined a nationwide investigation into Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly known as Facebook, for providing and promoting its social media platform – Instagram – to children and young adults despite knowing that such use is associated with physical and mental health harms. Attorneys General across the country are examining whether the company […]

More than 1,500 Delaware borrowers to see relief Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday that Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, will provide $1.85 billion in relief to student borrowers under a multistate settlement stemming from allegations of widespread unfair, deceptive, and predatory practices. More than 97% of Delaware’s $5.34 million share […]

Defendant convicted of racist harassment of Governor’s employee The Attorney General’s Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust (DCRPT) secured a historic guilty verdict in a felony hate crimes case, Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced Thursday. A New Castle County jury convicted Defendant Matthew Gregg of Hate Crimes, Harassment, and Terroristic Threatening, for repeatedly verbally […]