Press Releases for March 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Attorney General Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Combat Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in Massachusetts (07-206)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan to highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement in combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Massachusetts. (Read more)
Justice Department Files Suit Seeking to Bar North Carolinian from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-205)
The United States has filed a suit in federal court in Raleigh seeking to bar Raymond A. Renfrow of Elm City, N.C., from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, alleges that Renfrow prepared tax returns for customers that contained fictitious or inflated deductions. The suit alleges that Renfrow has prepared an estimated 993 returns since 2001 that have caused an estimated loss to the U.S. Treasury of more than $2.9 million. (Read more)
Founder of Betonsports Arrested (07-204)
ST. LOUIS — Gary Stephen Kaplan was arrested late Wednesday, March 28, in the Dominican Republic, (Read more)
Federal Court Revokes Citizenship of Former Nazi Policeman Who Shot Jews (07-203)
A federal judge in Detroit has revoked the U.S. citizenship of John (Ivan) Kalymon of Troy, Mich., because he shot Jews in 1942 while serving in a Nazi-sponsored police unit that helped liquidate a Nazi-created Jewish ghetto in German-occupied Poland, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Justice Department Statement on District Court's Decision in Tunney Act Review of Proposed Settlements in U.S. v. SBC Communications and U.S. v. Verizon Communications (07-202)
Thomas O. Barnett, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department's Antitrust Division, made the following statement today after the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued its decision yesterday approving the Department's settlements of the antitrust challenges to SBC's acquisition of AT&T and Verizon's acquisition of MCI: (Read more)
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Chief Engineers Plead Guilty to Concealing Deliberate Pollution in “Magic Pipe” Cases (07-199)
The chief engineers of two American-flagged car-carrier ships based in Baltimore have pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the deliberate discharge of oil-contaminated bilge waste through “magic pipes” that bypassed required pollution prevention equipment, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew J. McKeown for the Department of Justice‘s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. (Read more)
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Indiana Resident Sentenced to 27 Months for Selling More Than $700,000 Worth of Counterfeit Software on eBay (07-198)
An Indiana man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for selling more than $700,000 worth of counterfeit computer software on the eBay Internet auction site, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the U.S. Justice Department‘s Criminal Division and Susan W. Brooks, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced today. (Read more)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Combat Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in Houston (07-197)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined U.S. Attorney Donald J. DeGabrielle Jr., of the Southern District of Texas and Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), to highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as community leaders, in combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Houston. (Read more)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Three Shipping Companies Indicted for Covering Up Pollution (07-196)
Three companies that own and operate an oceangoing chemical tanker named the M/T Clipper Trojan were indicted today in connection with an attempt by crew members to cover up the illegal dumping of oily waste in international waters, the Justice Department announced. (Read more)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Combat Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in The Northern District of Illinois (07-194)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald of the Northern District of Illinois and Ernie Allen, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, to highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as community leaders, in combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the Northern District of Illinois. (Read more)
ITT Corporation to Pay $100 Million Penalty and Plead Guilty to Illegally Exporting Secret Military Data Overseas (07-192)
ITT Corporation, the leading manufacturer of military night vision equipment for the U.S. Armed Forces, has admitted sending classified materials overseas and will pay a $100 million penalty, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division Kenneth L. Wainstein and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia John L. Brownlee announced today, along with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Read more)
Monday, March 26, 2007
Attorney General Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Combat Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in Colorado (07-189)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined U.S. Attorney Troy Eid to highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as community leaders, in combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Colorado. (Read more)
Civil Rights Division Announces Agreement with City of Hernando, Miss. to Ensure Access for People with Disabilities (07-188)
The Justice Department entered into a settlement agreement today with the city of Hernando, Miss., that ensures people with disabilities will have access to local government programs, services and facilities. The agreement is the 153rd reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the Department‘s wide-ranging initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Department has conducted compliance reviews with certain localities in all 50 states, helping to improve the lives and broaden opportunities for more than 3 million Americans with disabilities. (Read more)
Bulgarian Woman Arrested and Charged with Conspiracy and Money Laundering (07-186)
A Bulgarian member of a transnational criminal group has been arrested on U.S. charges by law enforcement authorities in Budapest, Hungary, in connection with an elaborate Internet scheme responsible for defrauding American citizens of over $350,000, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and FBI Assistant Director Chip Burrus of the Criminal Investigative Division announced today. (Read more)
Illinois Car Dealer and Tax Scam Promoters Indicted for Tax and Wire Fraud Scheme (07-184)
A prominent Southern Illinois automobile dealer and three promoters of a tax fraud scheme in the U.S. Virgin Islands were charged with a variety of tax and wire fraud-related charges in an indictment returned last Friday and made public today, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. (Read more)
Friday, March 23, 2007
Justice Department Files Complaint and Consent Decree Alleging Unlawful Treatment of New Hampshire National Guard Soldier (07-181)
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a complaint and consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire concerning allegations that the Town of Stewartstown, N.H., violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by denying Brendon McKeage, a New Hampshire National Guardsman, reemployment following a tour of duty in Iraq. (Read more)
Georgia Federal Court Bars Promotion Of Alleged Offshore Trust Tax Scheme (07-180)
A federal court has permanently barred Victor Carlysle Sullivan Jr. of Albany, Ga., from promoting and organizing an alleged tax fraud scheme involving the use of offshore trusts, the Justice Department announced today. Judge W. Louis Sands of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia signed the civil permanent injunction, which Sullivan agreed to without admitting wrongdoing. (Read more)
Four Former Harrison County, Miss. Deputy Sheriffs Indicted for Role in Violating Inmates‘ Civil Rights (07-179)
A federal grand jury in Jackson, Miss., returned a five-count criminal superseding indictment against four former deputies with the Harrison County Sheriff‘s Department for conspiring to violate the civil rights of inmates at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice‘s Civil Rights Division, and Dunn Lampton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, announced today. The Department alleges that the four former deputies‘ actions resulted in injury to the inmates and resulted in the death of inmate Jessie Lee Williams Jr. on Feb. 6, 2006. (Read more)
Former Congressional Chief of Staff Pleads Guilty to Making a False Certification (07-178)
Virginia M. Kontnik, 51, former chief of staff for a U.S. Senator from Colorado, has pleaded guilty to a charge of making a false certification, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Department of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Single-Firm Conduct to Continue on March 28 and March 29 (07-177)
The Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that the latest in a series of joint public hearings designed to examine the implications of single-firm conduct under the antitrust laws will take place on March 28 and March 29 in Washington. (Read more)
U.S. Department of Justice Partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Ad Council to Help Prevent Online Sexual Exploitation (07-176)
The U.S. Department of Justice together with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and the Ad Council today announced a new phase of their Online Sexual Exploitation public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to educate teenage girls about the potential dangers of posting and sharing personal information online. Part of the Department‘s Project Safe Childhood initiative, this campaign targets teen girls with the message Think Before You Post. (Read more)
Federal, State and Local Officials and Community Leaders across the Nation Highlight Efforts to Combat the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (07-175)
The U.S. Department of Justice together with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) and the Ad Council today announced a new phase of their Online Sexual Exploitation public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to educate teenage girls about the potential dangers of posting and sharing personal information online. (Read more)
Former Interior Deputy Secretary Pleads Guilty to Obstructing U.S. Senate Investigation into Abramoff Corruption Scandal (07-174)
James Steven Griles, the former deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI), has pleaded guilty to obstructing the U.S. Senate‘s investigation into the corruption allegations surrounding former Washington lobbyist Jack A. Abramoff, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. Griles admitted that he knowingly and willfully lied and concealed material information about the relationship that he had with Abramoff . (Read more)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Attorney General Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Combat Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in St. Louis (07-173)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined U.S. Attorneys Catherine Hanaway and Bradley Schlozman to highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as community leaders, in combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in St. Louis. (Read more)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Tanker Company Sentenced for Concealing Deliberate Vessel Pollution (07-171)
Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. (OSG) pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court to pay $27 million dollars for violations in Boston, Portland, Maine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Wilmington, N.C., announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew J. McKeown, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan for the District of Massachusetts, and U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Timothy Sullivan. (Read more)
EPEC Polymers Agrees to Settlement Worth $23.4 Million to Clean Up Texas Superfund Site (07-170)
EPEC Polymers Inc., headquartered in Houston, has reached a settlement worth an estimated $23.4 million regarding the Petro-Chemical Systems Inc. Superfund Site in Liberty County, Texas, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Two Former Alcatel Executives Indicted for Allegedly Bribing Costa Rican Officials to Obtain a Telecommunications Contract (07-169)
A federal grand jury in Miami has returned a superseding indictment charging an additional former Alcatel executive with making corrupt payments to Costa Rican officials in order to obtain a mobile telephone contract from the state-owned telecommunications authority, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
Fact Sheet: Department Of Justice Corrective Actions on the FBI‘s Use of National Security Letters (07-168)
Nearly two weeks ago, the Attorney General commended the work of the Inspector General in uncovering serious problems in the FBI's use of National Security Letters (NSLs). The Attorney General and the Director of the FBI agreed that such mistakes would not be tolerated, and the Attorney General ordered the FBI and the Justice Department to put in place safeguards to ensure greater oversight and controls over the use of NSLs. (Read more)
Federal Court Bars Michigan Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-167)
A federal court in Grand Rapids, Mich., has issued a temporary restraining order barring Donald A. Gray from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Monday, March 19, 2007
Two Former White County Tennessee Corrections Officers Convicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges (07-163)
Two former White County corrections officers were found guilty on Friday by a federal jury in Nashville, Tenn., of violating the constitutional rights of an inmate at the White County Jail in May 2004. The announcement was made by Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department‘s Civil Rights Division, and Craig Morford, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. (Read more)
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Florida and Georgia (07-162)
The Justice Department today announced that on Tuesday, March 20, 2007, it will monitor special elections in Osceola County, Fla., and Randolph County, Ga., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)
Chiquita Brands International Pleads Guilty to Making Payments to a Designated Terrorist Organization And Agrees to Pay $25 Million Fine (07-161)
WASHINGTON - Chiquita Brands International Inc. ("Chiquita"), a multinational corporation incorporated in New Jersey and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of engaging in transactions with a specially-designated global terrorist, announced Assistant Attorney General Kenneth L. Wainstein National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor; Wendy Wysong, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce ("Commerce"); and William Reid, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Washington, D.C. Office of Investigations. (Read more)
Friday, March 16, 2007
Former Hagerstown Police Officer Jeffrey Shifler Sentenced on Civil Rights Charges (07-160)
WASHINGTON - U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz today sentenced Jeffrey Shifler, age 42, of Maugansville, Md., to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for interference with attendance at public schools and interference with housing, in connection with threats he made against African-American students at two Hagerstown high schools, and against an African-American Hagerstown City Council member, the Justice Department announced. (Read more)
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge (07-159)
WASHINGTON — Steven Padron, of Palm Beach County, Fla., entered a guilty plea today in West Palm Beach, Fla., to distribution of child pornography, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and William Sims, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, announced today. (Read more)
Chuck Rosenberg Named Interim Chief of Staff (07-158)
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today named Chuck Rosenberg, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, as his Interim Chief of Staff. In this role, Rosenberg will assist the Attorney General and senior Department of Justice staff in managing policy activities and Department priority areas. (Read more)
Justice Department Moves to Deport Former Nazi Policeman Who Participated in Wartime Persecution of Jews (07-157)
WASHINGTON—The Justice Department has asked an immigration judge in Chicago to enter an order directing the deportation of Osyp Firishchak, a Chicago resident who served during World War II in the Nazi-sponsored Ukrainian Auxiliary Police (UAP) in German-occupied L‘viv, announced Alice S. Fisher, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. (Read more)
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Detroit Man Sentenced for Child Prostitution (07-154)
WASHINGTON—Robert Lewis Young of Detroit was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison for running a criminal operation prostituting adults and children, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and Steven J. Murphy, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan announced. (Read more)
Two Michigan Construction Firms Agree to Pay U.S. $11.75 Million for Alleged Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Fraud (07-153)
WASHINGTON — Two Michigan construction companies have agreed to pay the United States $11.75 million to resolve claims that they knowingly violated Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) contracting requirements for federally funded construction projects at Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Justice Department Hosts First-Ever Conference on Federal Efforts to Increase Accessibility to Limited English Proficient Individuals (07-152)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department‘s Civil Rights Division, along with several other federal agencies, is hosting a two-day national conference on providing services to individuals with limited English skills. The conference provides an opportunity for over 400 representatives from federal, state and local agencies; community organizations; and interpreters and translators from around the country to promote and share ideas to ensure that Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals have meaningful access to programs and activities as required by Executive Order 13166. (Read more)
Justice Department Settles Discrimination Case with Former Owners and Manager of Las Vegas Rental Property (07-151)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the former owners and manager of Bonanza Springs Apartments in Las Vegas, Nev., to settle allegations of discrimination on the basis of race, disability and familial status. (Read more)
New Jersey Hospital to Pay United States $7.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of Defrauding Medicare (07-150)
WASHINGTON — Raritan Bay Medical Center has agreed to pay the United States $7.5 million to settle allegations that it defrauded the federal Medicare program, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Connecticut Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Human Trafficking Ring (07-148)
WASHINGTON — Shanaya Hicks of Hartford, Conn., pleaded guilty today to five counts related to her role in a sex-trafficking ring that involved minors. Hicks is the eighth of ten defendants to plead guilty to federal charges in this case. (Read more)
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Natural Gas Pipeline Company and Executives Indicted for Role in Bid-Rigging Conspiracy (07-147)
A federal grand jury in Denver today indicted a Eunice, N.M.-based construction company and two of its executives for participating in a bid-rigging conspiracy involving natural gas pipeline construction projects in Colorado, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more)
Refiner to Pay $2.2 Million for Environmental Violations (07-146)
WASHINGTON — Williams Refining Co., the former owner and operator of a Memphis, Tenn., petroleum refinery, has agreed to pay $2.2 million in civil penalties to resolve allegations that the company violated the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. (Read more)
Kyle Sampson Steps Down as Chief of Staff (07-144)
WASHINGTON - Chief of Staff D. Kyle Sampson has resigned his position as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General effective Monday, March 12, 2007. (Read more)
Monday, March 12, 2007
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Florida (07-143)
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced that on March 13, 2007, it will deploy Department personnel to monitor municipal general elections in the cities of Miramar and Hallandale in Broward County, Fla., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)
Federal Court Bars St. Louis Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-142)
WASHINGTON — A federal court in St. Louis has permanently barred Yolanda White of St. Louis from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. Senior Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri issued the permanent injunction order against White, who, according to papers filed in the case, works as a St. Louis school bus driver. (Read more)
Hackers from India Indicted for Online Brokerage Intrusion Scheme that Victimized Customers and Brokerage Firms (07-141)
WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury in Omaha, Neb., has indicted three individuals on charges of conspiracy, fraud and aggravated identity theft stemming from a high-tech, international fraud scheme designed to hijack online brokerage accounts for profit, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Joe W. Stecher for the District of Nebraska, FBI Executive Assistant Director for Criminal Investigations Michael A. Mason, and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Christopher Cox announced today. (Read more)
Friday, March 9, 2007
Statement From Justice Department Spokesman Dean Boyd Regarding Office of Inspector General Report on FBI's use of Section 215 Orders (07-140)
"We are pleased with the Office of Inspector General's (OIG) report that demonstrates that the Department of Justice, including the FBI, have been responsible in using the authority granted by Congress to obtain business records under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act. We are also pleased that the OIG found it unnecessary to make any recommendations for changes to Justice Department or FBI procedures and practices for use of this authority." (Read more)
FACT SHEET: Department of Justice Actions on FBI Use of National Security Letters (07-139)
The Attorney General commends the work of the Inspector General (IG) in uncovering serious problems in the FBI's use of National Security Letters (NSLs). The Attorney General has told the Director of the FBI that such mistakes will not be tolerated and has ordered the FBI and the Department to restore accountability and to put in place safeguards to ensure greater oversight and controls over the use of national security letters. The following are some of the actions directed by the Attorney General (Read more)
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Jury Convicts Virgin Islands Man of Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography (07-136)
A federal jury convicted a St. Croix, V.I., man of two counts of child pornography, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Jenkins for the District of the Virgin Islands, and Special Agent in Charge Manuel Oyola-Torres of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), announced today. (Read more)
Islamic Charity and Five Individuals Indicted for Money Laundering, Theft of Public Funds, Iraqi Sanctions Violations and Obstructing Tax Laws (07-135)
The U.S. branch of an international Islamic charity and five of its officers, employees or associates have been indicted for illegally transferring funds to Iraq, laundering money, stealing federal funds, and obstructing tax laws by, among other things, falsely denying that a procurement agent of Osama bin Laden had been an employee of the charity, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Kenneth L. Wainstein, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Bradley J. Schlozman, and Assistant Director of the FBI‘s Counterterrorism Division Joseph Billy announced today. (Read more)
Baltimore Fugitive Sweep Results in Nearly 200 Arrests (07-134)
The largest sweep of its kind ever conducted in Baltimore has resulted in hundreds of violent criminal arrests, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein of the District of Maryland, and U.S. Marshal Johnny Hughes announced today. (Read more)
Department of Defense Civilian Employee Arrested for Embezzlement Scheme (07-133)
Jesse D. Lane, Jr., a Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employee, was arrested in Seattle, Wash., after being indicted by a grand jury in the Central District of California on one count of conspiracy, nine counts of honest services wire fraud, and one count obstruction of justice, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Former Army Official and Virginia-based Defense Contractor Sentenced for Honest Services Wire Fraud and Bribery Convictions (07-132)
Kenneth N. Harvey, 51, and Michael G. Kronstein, 45, were sentenced today in Charlottesville, Va., for their involvement in a bribery and honest services wire fraud scheme, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Monday, March 5, 2007
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in California (07-131)
The Justice Department today announced that on March 6, 2007, it will monitor municipal elections in Azusa, Gardena, Paramount, and Rosemead, Calif., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)
Friday, March 2, 2007
Attorney General Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Combat Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Of Children in Sacramento (07-129)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined members of the Sacramento Project Safe Childhood initiative, to highlight the ongoing efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as community leaders, in combating the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. (Read more)
Statement of Eileen J. O'connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division on the Federal Circuit's Decision in Ad Global Fund, LLC v. United States (07-128)
"Today's decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in AD Global Fund, LLC v. United States makes it clear that the United States‘ efforts to combat abusive tax shelters will not be thwarted by implausible interpretations of the statute of limitations." (Read more)
Accused Sex Trafficker Arraigned in Federal Court (07-127)
Consuelo Carreto-Valencia, an accused sex trafficker extradited to the United States from Mexico in January, was arraigned today in federal court on a 27-count indictment charging her with multiple counts of sex trafficking and related crimes, the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security announced. (Read more)
New York City Man Pleads Guilty to Human Trafficking Charge (07-126)
A Queens, N.Y., man was sentenced to serve 38 months in prison for attempting to recruit a Korean woman whom he believed to be a minor to work as a prostitute, the Justice Department announced today. Do Hyup Bae was also ordered to forfeit $50,000 to the government for his role in the trafficking scheme. (Read more)
Former Department of Defense Official Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $100,000 in DOD Intelligence Funds (07-125)
A former Department of Defense (DOD) official pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of theft and embezzlement of public money, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Department of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Single-Firm Conduct to Continue on March 7 and March 8 (07-124)
The Department of Justice‘s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that the latest in a series of joint public hearings designed to examine the implications of single-firm conduct under the antitrust laws will take place on March 7 and March 8 in Washington, D.C. (Read more)
Attorney General Gonzales Highlights Department Efforts to Fight Gang Violence in Los Angeles (07-123)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today joined Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in highlighting the collaboration between the Department of Justice and the City of Los Angeles to curb the threat of violent gang crime in the city. (Read more)
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Justice Department Reaches Fair Housing Act Settlement with Owners of Arlington Park Racecourse (07-122)
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today reached a settlement with the owners of the Arlington Park Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Ill., resolving claims that the owners violated the provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act that prohibit discrimination on the basis of familial status. The racecourse owners, Arlington Park LLC and Churchill Downs Inc., were sued by the Justice Department in September 2005. (Read more)
Michigan Tax Scam Promoter Arrested for Contempt of Court (07-121)
WASHINGTON - U.S. Marshals arrested Charles Conces of Battle Creek, Mich., earlier today, the Justice Department has announced. The arrest resulted from a federal judge‘s order on the Feb. 23, 2007, finding Conces in civil contempt of court for failing to obey a court order entered on February 8. (Read more)