Press Releases for July 2006
Monday, July 31, 2006
Justice Department Settles Race Discrimination Case with Owners and Manager of Philadelphia Rental Properties (06-480)
The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the owners and manager of Philadelphia Rental Properties, to settle allegations of discrimination against an African American woman who had sought to rent a home. (Read more)
Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on its Decision to Close its Investigation of Medianews Group Inc.‘s Acquisition of the Contra Costa Times and San Jose Mercury News (06-479)
After a careful investigation of MediaNews‘ proposed acquisition of the Contra Costa Times and the Mercury News from The McClatchy Company, the Antitrust Division determined that the transaction is not likely to reduce competition substantially. (Read more)
Twenty-Five Federal Prosecutors to be Added to U.S./Mexico Border Districts (06-478)
The United States Departments of Justice and Homeland Security announced today additional resources to enhance the enforcement of immigration laws and border security along the Southwest border. (Read more)
Antitrust Premerger Notification Unit Returns to RFK Building (06-477)
Following its recent displacement due to flooding last month, the Antitrust Division‘s Premerger Notification Unit will return to its location in the Robert F. Kennedy Building effective August 1, 2006. (Read more)
Two Men Sentenced to Federal Prison on Obscenity Conviction (06-473)
Following a five-day jury trial in Dallas in March 2006, Gartman and McDowell were each found guilty of one count of Mailing Obscene Material and Aiding and Abetting. Gartman was found guilty of an additional count of Conspiracy to Mail Obscene Material. (Read more)
Friday, July 28, 2006
Justice Department Announces Agreement to Protect Voting Rights in Maine (06-475)
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached an agreement with Maine officials that will help to ensure full access to voting for Maine‘s citizens with disabilities and to protect the accuracy and integrity of Maine‘s statewide voter registration list in accordance with the provisions of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). (Read more)
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Pennsylvania to Protect Voting Rights of Military and Overseas Citizens (06-474)
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached an agreement with Pennsylvania officials to help ensure that military and overseas voters have an opportunity to participate fully in the state‘s federal elections. (Read more)
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Justice Department Settles Voting Rights Lawsuit with the North Harris Montgomery Community College District (06-472)
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against the North Harris Montgomery Community College District in Texas alleging that the district violated Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The Department simultaneously filed a consent decree resolving the lawsuit against the district. (Read more)
Statement of Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department‘s Civil Rights Division (06-471)
"The Civil Rights Division has been committed to the vigorous enforcement of this law, and with its reauthorization, we renew our commitment to the continued enforcement of its valuable protections." (Read more)
Government Reaches Agreement with Asarco & Point Ruston to Clean Up Contaminated Site in Washington State (06-470)
The federal government reached an agreement today which will help to protect the health and the environment of Tacoma and Ruston-area citizens by expediting the estimated $28 million cleanup of the Asarco Smelter Site in Tacoma and Ruston, Wash. (Read more)
Civil Rights Division Commemorates Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (06-469)
Today, the Department of Justice celebrates the 16th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a historic piece of legislation that was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990. (Read more)
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative (06-468)
The Department of Justice‘s ongoing Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative was established in October 2002 to spearhead the Department‘s expanded efforts to address election crimes and voting rights violations. (Read more)
Justice Department Holds Fifth Annual Symposium on Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative (06-467)
The Department of Justice announced today that it is holding its fifth annual Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Symposium in Washington, D.C. on July 25 and 26, 2006. (Read more)
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Attorney General Hails Passage of the Child Protection Act (06-466)
"The protection of our Nation's children has been, and will continue to be, one of the Department's highest priorities, and we believe this bill will help us do our job even better." (Read more)
Former White County Tennessee Corrections Officers Indicted and Arrested on Civil Rights Charges (06-465)
A two-count indictment by a federal grand jury in Nashville, Tenn. was unsealed today, charging two former White County corrections officers of violating the civil rights of an inmate at the White County Jail. (Read more)
Container Ship Owners and Operators to Pay $3.25 Million in National Marine Sanctuary Settlement (06-460)
The owners and operators of the foreign-flagged container vessel, Mad Taipei, have agreed to pay $3.25 million to the United States to resolve allegations that the 15 containers lost overboard in 2004 resulted in long-term damage to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce announced today. (Read more)
Monday, July 24, 2006
Justice Department Files Employment Discrimination Lawsuit against the City of Chesapeake (06-464)
The Justice Department today announced the filing of a lawsuit against the city of Chesapeake, Va. alleging that the city utilized hiring practices for its entry-level police officer position that had an unlawful disparate impact on African-American and Hispanic applicants in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Read more)
Martin County Woman Sentenced for Distribution of Sexually Explicit Material involving Minors (06-463)
Sheila L. Sellinger, 34, formerly of Shoals, Indiana, was sentenced to 140 months in prison, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Susan W. Brooks for the Southern District of Indiana announced today. (Read more)
Two Men Indicted for Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate at Greenville Federal Correctional Institution and Lying to Cover Up the Crime (06-462)
Daniel Gordon and Eric Newsome, correctional officers at the Greenville Federal Correctional Institution, were indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the civil rights of an inmate and then lying to cover up the crime, Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department‘s Civil Rights Division and Acting United States Attorney Randy Massey, for the Southern District of Illinois announced today. (Read more)
Justice Department Sues to Stop Texas Man from Preparing So-called “Zero” Income Tax Returns (06-461)
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed suit seeking to bar Phillip M. Ballard of Fort Worth, Texas, from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The civil injunction lawsuit, filed today in Dallas, alleges that Ballard, who uses the business name Asset & IRS Shield Inc., has repeatedly prepared tax returns that show nothing but zeroes on all lines. (Read more)
Friday, July 21, 2006
Commercial Fishing Vessel‘s Captain and Crewmember Sentenced for Smuggling Red Snapper (06-459)
Hoang Nguyen, captain of the Galveston, Texas-based commercial fishing vessel Thanh Tam, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally importing red snapper into the United States, the Justice Department announced today. Tam Le, a crewmember of the Thanh Tam, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for concealing red snapper which was illegally imported into the United States. (Read more)
Justice Department and State of Vermont Reach Settlement Regarding Conditions at Vermont State Hospital (06-458)
“One of the Attorney General‘s stated priorities is protecting the civil rights of all Americans, including these vulnerable institutionalized persons,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department‘s Civil Rights Division. “People with mental health problems in the care of the State are entitled to be safe and provided with adequate treatment.” (Read more)
GE & Two Subcontractors Pay $11.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of Selling Defective Aircraft Parts to Defense Department (06-457)
General Electric Co. (GE) and two of its subcontractors have paid the United States $11.5 million to settle a lawsuit that alleges that GE sold defective blades for engines in U.S. military airplanes and helicopters, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Attorney General Hails Passage of the Voting Rights Act (06-456)
"The reauthorization of this act is an important and proud American moment, and I know that President Bush looks forward to signing the bill. The Department of Justice stands ready and looks forward to continuing, vigorous enforcement of its protections." (Read more)
Arizona Construction Company Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to False Statement Charge (06-452)
A Mesa, Ariz. construction company executive has agreed to plead guilty for submitting a false reference on a federal construction contract, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
Former Department of State Agent and Northern Virginia Realtor Plead Guilty to Visa Fraud (06-450)
Harold Countryman, a former Department of State agent, and his wife, Kimberly Countryman, a realtor in northern Virginia, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting visa fraud, the Justice Department announced today. According to the plea agreement, Kimberly Countryman admitted to using the fraudulent visa to further the forced labor of a Cambodian woman in their employ. (Read more)
Three Convicted in Tax Fraud Scheme (06-267)
“Tax return preparers who help others evade taxes do more than harm the reputation of law-abiding professionals,” said Eileen J. O‘Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department‘s Tax Division. “By defrauding the federal treasury, they harm all honest taxpayers." (Read more)
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Court Bars Southern California Man from Tax Return Preparation (06-448)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has permanently barred Charles T. Kizer, of Riverside, Calif., from acting as a federal income tax return preparer. (Read more)
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Marion County Medical Center to Pay U.S. $3.75 Million to Resolve Kickback Allegations (06-447)
WASHINGTON — Marion County Medical Center in Marion County, S.C. has agreed to pay the United States $3.75 million to resolve allegations of health care fraud against the government, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Brothel Owner Sentenced to 10 Years for Coercing Korean Aliens into Prostitution (06-446)
WASHINGTON — Korean madam Mi Na Malcolm was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for her role in the ownership and operation of three Korean brothels in Dallas, Texas, the Justice Department announced today. Malcolm was further ordered to pay $460,000 to her victims. (Read more)
Medtronic to Pay United States $40 Million to Settle Kickback Allegations (06-445)
WASHINGTON — Medtronic Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $40 million to settle civil allegations that its Medtronic Sofamor Danek division (MSD) paid kickbacks to doctors to induce them to use MSD‘s spinal products, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Alabama and Georgia (06-444)
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced that the federal government will monitor primary runoff elections in Conecuh and Hale Counties, Ala., and the primary election in Randolph County, Ga., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)
Monday, July 17, 2006
Eleven Individuals and Four Corporations Indicted on Racketeering, Conspiracy and Fraud Charges (06-443)
WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri has returned a 22-count indictment charging 11 individuals and four corporations on various charges of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud, the Department of Justice announced today. The indictment was returned on June 1, 2006, and unsealed today. (Read more)
Justice Department Announces Settlement with University of Chicago to Increase Access to People with Disabilities (06-441)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the University of Chicago under which the University will make its campus and services more accessible to individuals with disabilities. (Read more)
Federal Court Blocks South Carolina Woman's Alleged Tax Scam Said to Have Cost Treasury an Estimated $48 Million (06-440)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced today that a federal judge in Greenville, South Carolina has permanently barred Heather Alexander Ferguson of Laurens, South Carolina, from promoting an alleged tax-fraud scheme. (Read more)
Friday, July 14, 2006
Justice Department Resolves Litigation with Laurel Regional Hospital to Ensure Effective Communication with People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (06-439)
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced a comprehensive consent decree under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Laurel Regional Hospital, a community hospital serving the Maryland suburbs of Washington. (Read more)
Virginia Man Sentenced To 150 Years In Prison On Child Pornography Charges (06-438)
WASHINGTON — A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court in Roanoke, Va., to 150 years in prison on multiple charges involving the sexual exploitation of minors and the operation of child pornography websites, (Read more)
Shipping Companies and Key Personnel Indicted for Vessel Pollution (06-437)
WASHINGTON — A grand jury in Delaware returned a five-count indictment charging Greece- based shipping companies, Chian Spirit Maritime Enterprises Inc. (Chian Spirit) and Venetico Marine and three individuals, Adrian Dragomere, Kristos Pagones, and Evangelos Madias, with conspiracy to commit environmental crimes and obstructing U.S. Coast Guard investigations related to the operation of the tanker vessel Irene E/M. (Read more)
Institute of Global Prosperity Co-Director Barred from Promoting Tax Scheme (06-436)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced today that a federal court in Seattle, Wash., has permanently enjoined “Institute for Global Prosperity” co-director, Lorenzo Lamantia, from promoting an arrangement that the government‘s complaint called a tax-fraud scheme. (Read more)
Government Moves To Deport Wisconsin Man Who Helped Carry Out 1943 Nazi Mass Murder Of Jews (06-435)
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have asked a federal immigration judge in Chicago to deport a Wisconsin man who admitted performing SS guard service during a Nazi mass killing operation in occupied Poland in 1943, (Read more)
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Former Memphis Tennessee Officer Sentenced for Criminal Civil Rights Charges of Stealing Money During Traffic Stop (06-434)
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced that Adam Gagnier, a former officer with the Memphis, Tennessee Police Department, was sentenced by a federal judge to 72 months imprisonment on civil rights and mail fraud charges. (Read more)
Former Manager of Inwood Dairy Sentenced for Violating Clean Water Act (06-433)
WASHINGTON — The former manager of the Inwood Dairy, David Inskeep, was sentenced today to 30 days in prison, one year supervised release and a $3,000 fine for a criminal misdemeanor violation of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Mario Gabelli & Affiliate Companies Pay U.S. $130 Million for Allegedly Defrauding FCC (06-431)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has reached a settlement of $130 million with Wall Street money manager Mario Gabelli and affiliated entities and individuals to resolve civil allegations of fraud in connection with the wireless spectrum license auctions conducted by the FCC, Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department‘s Civil Division; and Michael J. Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today. (Read more)
Odyssey Healthcare to Pay U.S. $12.9 Million to Resolve Hospice Fraud Case (06-430)
WASHINGTON — Odyssey HealthCare, a national hospice provider, has paid the United States $12.9 million to settle allegations that the company submitted false claims to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. The Dallas-based company is alleged to have billed Medicare for services provided to hospice patients who were not terminally ill and therefore were ineligible for the Medicare hospice benefit. (Read more)
Jackson Hewitt Franchise Banned from Preparing Improper Returns for Native Americans Large Florida Franchise Admits to Falsely Asserting That Tribe Members‘ Casino-Operations Income Is Tax-Free (06-429)
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that a federal court in Miami has entered separate injunctions barring a Jackson Hewitt franchise, its owner Ahmad Labib Baltagi, and two employees from preparing federal income tax returns that claim a frivolous federal income tax exemption for casino gaming proceeds paid to Native Americans. The court ordered the firm to notify all customers for whom the firm made such a claim by today. (Read more)
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Two Plead Guilty In $1.4 Million Virgin Islands Bribery Scandal (06-427)
WASHINGTON — Former Virgin Islands Fire Service employee Earl E. Brewley and Esmond J. Modeste, purported Project Manager of a fictitious company named Elite Technical Services (Elite), pleaded guilty today to engaging in an elaborate bribery and kickback scheme to defraud the U.S. Virgin Islands government of approximately $1.4 million in federal and local funds, (Read more)
Statement of Eileen J. O'Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division, on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Decision in Coltec Industries, Inc. v. United States (06-426)
“Today‘s decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit confirms that illusionary losses purportedly created by the so-called ′contingent liability‘ tax shelter are not deductible against actual taxable income. The Court‘s decision is the second from a United States Court of Appeals to address this tax shelter scheme, and represents a significant advance in the Justice Department‘s ongoing effort to combat abusive tax shelters and restore integrity to the tax laws.” (Read more)
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Provider of Juvenile Services on Effective Communication with Juveniles Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (06-425)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced an agreement with Youth Services International, Inc. (YSI), to resolve a lawsuit filed by the Department under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement requires YSI to ensure that youth who are deaf or hard of hearing have an equal opportunity to participate in its programs. (Read more)
Houston Man Sentenced To 90 Months For Identity Theft (06-424)
WASHINGTON — Chad Hatten, 36, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison, (Read more)
Natural Gas Pipeline Construction Company and Executive Agree to Plead Guilty to Participating in Bid-rigging Conspiracy (06-423)
A natural gas pipeline construction company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma and one of its executives have agreed to plead guilty to participating in a conspiracy to restrain trade by rigging bids submitted to BP America Production Company for the construction of natural gas pipelines in the Upper San Juan Basin in Colorado, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
Pair Charged With Engaging In Child Prostitution Scheme (06-422)
WASHINGTON - A Chelsea, Mass., woman and an East Boston, Mass., man will appear in federal court in Massachusetts this week on charges of conspiring to engage in a child prostitution scheme, (Read more)
Monday, July 10, 2006
Department of Justice Announces Grants for Training on Prevention of Immigration-Related Job Discrimination (06-421)
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced the award of nearly $725,000 in grants to 11 nonprofit groups serving communities throughout the country to conduct public education programs for workers and employers about immigration-related job discrimination. (Read more)
Justice Department Files Voting Rights Suit Against the City of Euclid, Ohio (06-420)
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced a lawsuit filed under the Voting Rights Act against the City of Euclid, Ohio. The lawsuit challenges the City‘s method of electing its governing body, alleging it violates the rights of African-American voters to elect candidates of their choice under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)
Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Single-firm Conduct to Continue on July 18 (06-419)
The Department of Justice‘s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that the third in a series of planned joint public hearings designed to examine the antitrust implications of single-firm conduct under the antitrust laws will take place on July 18, 2006, in Washington, D.C. (Read more)
Thursday, July 6, 2006
Former Wilson County, Tennessee Corrections Officer Sentenced to Life in Prison on Civil Rights-Related Charges (06-418)
WASHINGTON — Former Wilson County, Tenn., corrections officer Patrick Marlowe was sentenced to life imprisonment today on charges relating to violations of the civil rights of inmates at the Wilson County Jail in Lebanon, Tenn., announced Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Wan J. Kim, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Jim Vines, and Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation My Harrison. (Read more)
Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit Alleging Religious Discrimination by City of Hollywood, Florida (05-416)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced an agreement to a lawsuit filed by the Department against the City of Hollywood, Fla., resolving allegations that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) by discriminating against the Hollywood Community Synagogue based on its religious denomination, the Chabad Lubavitch movement of Orthodox Judaism. (Read more)
Federal Court Bars Ohio Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (06-415)
WASHINGTON—The Justice Department announced today that a federal court in Cleveland, Ohio, has permanently barred Joseph Flickinger from preparing federal tax returns for others. (Read more)
Monday, July 3, 2006
All 50 States Linked to Department of Justice National Sex Offender Public Registry Web Site (06-414)
WASHINGTON — All 50 states are now participating in the National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR) Web site, the Justice Department announced today. South Dakota and Oregon have now been added to the Web site, which provides real-time access to public sex offender data nationwide with a single Internet search. The Department of Justice-sponsored site allows parents and concerned citizens to search existing public state and territory sex offender registries beyond their own states. (Read more)