Press Releases for May 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Texas Boot Dealer Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Smuggling Protected Sea Turtles (08-485)
Jorge Caraveo, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Denver to serve 18 months in prison for his participation in the sale and smuggling of sea turtle and other exotic skins and skin products into the United States from Mexico, the Justice Department announced. (Read more)
Federal Court Shuts Down Washington State Bogus "Decoding" Tax Scheme (08-484)
A federal court has barred a Tacoma, Wash., woman from selling a tax scam, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction order, entered against Sharon Kukhahn, will remain in effect indefinitely. (Read more)
Attorney General Mukasey Appoints Five New Members to the Board of Immigration Appeals (08-483)
Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey announced today the appointment of five new members of the Executive Office for Immigration Review's Board of Immigration Appeals (Board). The new Board members are: Charles K. Adkins-Blanch, Anne J. Greer, Garry D. Malphrus, Hugh G. Mullane and Linda S. Wendtland. (Read more)
Former Manager of Long Island Defense Firm Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging and Soliciting and Accepting Kickbacks on Department of Defense Contracts (08-482)
A former manager of a West Sayville, N.Y., company pleaded guilty and has agreed to serve a jail sentence and pay a criminal fine for his role in two separate conspiracies, one to rig bids on U.S. Navy contracts for metal sling hoist assemblies and another to accept kickbacks from vendors and subcontractors, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
Ohio Judge Rejects Tax Claims on $423 Million Alleged Purchase of German Facility Made by Cleveland & Pittsburgh-Based Banks (08-481)
A federal judge in Cleveland rejected tax claims presented by a partnership owned by Key Bank and PNC Bank that they were entitled to more than $100 million in deductions related to an international leasing transaction, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. In addition to disallowing the deductions as improper, the court held the partnership was liable for penalties for substantial understatement of tax. (Read more)
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Campground Owner Pleads Guilty to Clean Water Act Violation (08-480)
Abner J. Schultz, a resident of Lake Havasu, Ariz., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Pocatello, Idaho, to a Clean Water Act (CWA) violation arising out of unlawful dredge and fill work in the Salmon River between June and November 2005, announced Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division and Thomas E. Moss U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho. (Read more)
Three Colombian Nationals Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy (08-479)
Three Colombian nationals - Ricardo Mauricio Bernal Palacios, 41, Juan Manuel Bernal Palacios, 47, and Camilo Andres Ortiz Echeverri, 38 - have been sentenced in connection with their guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit money laundering and 47 substantive counts of money laundering, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew W. Friedrich and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida, announced today. (Read more)
Three Miami Area Doctors and Six Others Charged in $56 Million Health Care Fraud Schemes (08-478)
Three Miami area doctors and six others have been charged in four separate indictments for their roles in HIV infusion fraud schemes totaling $56 million, the Department of Justice Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida announced today. (Read more)
Justice Department Settles Idaho Lawsuit Alleging Housing Discrimination on Behalf of Persons with Disabilities (08-477)
The Justice Department today announced that the owners and managers of Shadow Canyon Apartments, located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, have agreed to pay $62,000 to resolve a lawsuit filed by the Department alleging that defendants refused to allow residents with disabilities to keep assistance dogs. (Read more)
Bell, California, Police Officer Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges (08-476)
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted a Bell, Calif., police officer on federal civil rights charges, the Justice Department announced today. Feliciano Sanchez, a police officer with the Bell Police Department, was charged with sexually assaulting a motorist after stopping her for a traffic violation. The indictment also charges Sanchez with using a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. (Read more)
U.S. Sues European Transportation Firms for Bid Rigging Related to U.S. Military Personnel Moving Expenses (08-475)
The United States has intervened in two lawsuits that allege a conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices and allocate the market for the transportation of household goods belonging to military and Department of Defense (DoD) personnel between Europe and the United States, the Justice Department announced today. Gosselin Worldwide Moving N.V., a Belgian company, and its managing director, Marc Smet, as well as four German moving companies, Birkart Globistics GmbH & Co. Logistik und Service KG; ITO Möbel Transport GmbH; Viktoria International Spedition; and Andreas Christ Spedition & Möbeltransport GmbH are alleged to have participated in the scheme (Read more)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Boston Man Sentenced on Child Prostitution Charges (08-474)
Victor Diaz, 24, a resident of East Boston, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison after a federal jury in Boston convicted him of conspiring to engage in a child prostitution scheme, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Matthew W. Friedrich and U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan for the District of Massachusetts announced. (Read more)
Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Cengage's Acquisition of Houghton Mifflin College Division (08-473)
The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Cengage Learning Inc. (Cengage) to divest assets related to textbooks and educational materials used in 14 college level courses in order to proceed with Cengage's proposed $750 million acquisition of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company's College Division (HM College). (Read more)
Third Defendant Pleads Guilty in China Espionage Case (08-471)
Yu Xin Kang, age 33, of New Orleans, La., pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of Virginia to a one-count criminal information charging her with aiding and abetting an unregistered agent of a foreign government, namely the People's Republic of China (PRC), in violation of 18 U.S.C., Sections 2 and 951. Kang was arrested on Feb. 11, 2008 on a criminal complaint. (Read more)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Justice Department Settles Disability Discrimination Case with Connecticut Landlord for $115,000 (08-470)
The Justice Department today announced a $115,000 consent decree settlement to resolve a lawsuit alleging that a Windsor Locks, Conn., landlord violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to grant a tenant's requests for a reasonable accommodation. (Read more)
Justice Department Announces Settlement with the National Association of Realtors (08-467)
The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a proposed settlement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that requires NAR to allow Internet-based residential real estate brokers to compete with traditional brokers. The Department said the settlement will enhance competition in the real estate brokerage industry, resulting in more choice, better service, and lower commission rates for consumers. NAR has agreed to be bound by a 10-year settlement to ensure that it continues to abide by the requirements of the agreement. (Read more)
Friday, May 23, 2008
DOJ Settles Lawsuit with Robertson Fire Protection District of St. Louis for Racially Based Discrimination and Retaliation (08-464)
The Department of Justice today announced a consent decree with the Robertson Fire Protection District (Robertson), that, if approved by the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, will resolve a lawsuit in which the United States alleged that Robertson had engaged in racial discrimination and retaliation against two black former fire inspectors, Ephraim Woods Jr. and Lamont Downer. (Read more)
Toray Industries to Pay U.S. for Price Fixing on Carbon Fiber Materials (08-463)
Toray Industries Inc., a Japanese company, and its U.S. subsidiary, Toray Composites (America) Inc., have agreed to pay the United States $15.25 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that they conspired to fix prices on carbon fiber, a graphite substance used in aircraft, ammunition and satellites procured by the United States, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Efforts to Protect the Rights of Servicemembers and Veterans (08-462)
The Civil Rights Division protects servicemembers’ rights by vigorously enforcing the following laws: civilian employment rights are protected by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA); voting rights are protected by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act of 1986 (UOCAVA); financial security is protected by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 (SCRA); and the civil rights of veterans in public institutions are protected by the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980 (CRIPA). (Read more)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
California Man Indicted for Conspiracy in Operating Internet Pharmacy (08-461)
Jorge Alan Rodriguez Sanchez, 32, was indicted by a grand jury in Philadelphia yesterday for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances through the operation of an illegal Internet pharmacy, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Alice S. Fisher and U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced today. (Read more)
Former Child Acting Consultant Sentenced on Child Exploitation Charges (08-459)
Thomas Conrad Lowery, 48, of Americus, Ga., was sentenced today to 235 months in prison on child exploitation charges, announced Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Maxwell Wood for the Middle District of Georgia. (Read more)
National City Mortgage to Pay $4.6 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations Involving Federally Insured Mortgages (08-457)
National City Mortgage Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $4.6 million to settle allegations arising under the False Claims Act concerning 58 federally insured loans for mortgages submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Federal Grand Jury Charges Indiana Man with Obscenity Violations (08-456)
An Indiana man has been charged by a federal grand jury in Martinsburg, W. Va., with transportation of obscene materials and related offenses, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Medtronic Spine, Formerly Kyphon Inc., to Pay U.S. $75 Million to Resolve Allegations of Defrauding Medicare (08-455)
Medtronic Spine LLC, the corporate successor to Kyphon Inc., has agreed to pay the United States $75 million to settle allegations that it caused the submission of false claims to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. The government alleged that Kyphon caused the submission of fraudulent claims for its kyphoplasty procedure, which is a minimally-invasive surgery used to treat compression fractures of the spine caused by osteoporosis, cancer or benign lesions. (Read more)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Canadian Man Sentenced to 41 Months in U.S. Prison for Role in International Check Stealing Scheme (08-454)
A Canadian citizen was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 41 months in prison for his role in an international scheme to steal checks valued at more than $2 million from U.S. corporations and launder the funds derived from the stolen checks, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Alice S. Fisher. (Read more)
Federal Court in Dallas Bars Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (08-452)
Federal court has permanently barred Grace Machoko of Dallas from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. Judge David C. Godbey of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas held that Machoko, whose business is called Fast Income Tax Services, repeatedly prepared fraudulent tax returns claiming false fuel tax credits. (Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Discriminated against Female Employees on the Basis of their Sex (08-451)
The Department of Justice announced today the filing of a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico against Doña Ana County, alleging the county discriminated against five female employees by subjecting them to sexual harassment by a supervisor that resulted in a hostile work environment, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Read more)
Department of Justice Commemorates National Missing Children's Day (08-450)
Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey commemorated National Missing Children’s Day in a ceremony today that honored law enforcement officers and citizens from across the country for their commitment to recovering missing children and combating child exploitation. (Read more)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
University Professor and Tennessee Company Charged with Arms Export Violations (08-449)
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Tennessee returned an 18-count indictment today charging J. Reece Roth, a Professor Emeritus at The University of Tennessee, and Atmospheric Glow Technologies Inc. (AGT), a Knoxville-based technology company, with conspiring to defraud the U.S. Air Force and disclose restricted U.S. military data about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or “drones,” to foreign nationals without first obtaining the required U.S. government license or approval. (Read more)
Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit in Louisiana against Reggie and Kim Collier (08-447)
The Justice Department today sued Reggie and Kim Collier, of Haughton, La., for violating the Fair Housing Act when they interfered with the sale of a home because of the perceived race of the buyers. (Read more)
Miami, Florida, Schoolteacher and Ex-Husband Sentenced for Human Trafficking and Smuggling Charges (08-446)
A former Miami-area middle school teacher, Maude Paulin, and her ex-husband, Saintfort Paulin, were sentenced today in federal court for committing federal civil rights offenses when they forced a young Haitian teenager to work as a domestic servant in their home, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Grace Chung Becker and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida R. Alexander Acosta. U.S. Senior District Judge Jose A. Gonzalez sentenced Maude Paulin to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered that she, jointly with her co-defendant, pay $162,765 in restitution to the victim. Saintfort Paulin was sentenced to 18 months of probation, including six months in home confinement, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. (Read more)
California Man Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Crime for Race-Motivated Threats (08-445)
A federal jury in Fresno, Calif., yesterday found Bradley Smith guilty of a felony federal civil rights offense for a series of race-motivated threats against an African-American member of his community. Smith, a resident of Modesto, Calif., was convicted of race-based interference with the victim’s federally protected housing rights. Smith also was convicted of a second felony offense for providing a false statement to an agent of the FBI. Smith faces a maximum punishment of 15 years imprisonment, criminal fines and restitution for the victim. Sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2008. (Read more)
Hawaii Federal Court Bars Alleged Tax Fraud Scheme (08-444)
A federal court in Honolulu has permanently barred four Hawaii residents from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme, the Justice Department announced today. The civil injunction orders were entered by Senior Judge Samuel P. King against Morgan Liddell, Cherie Bright, Loren Trenholm and Edward Coda as well as two companies—Bright Enterprises and Hawaii Financial Specialists. The defendants all consented to the injunction orders. (Read more)
Monday, May 19, 2008
Two Kansas City, Missouri, Men to be Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racially Motivated Murder (08-441)
Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and John F. Wood, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a federal jury has returned special verdicts for two Kansas City, Mo., men who were convicted in the racially motivated murder of William McCay on March 9, 2005. The jury returned special verdicts which will result in the imposition of sentences of life imprisonment for Steven Sandstrom, 22, and Gary L. Eye, 21, both of Kansas City, Mo. The jury reached its sentencing verdict for Sandstrom on May 16, 2008, and for Eye on May 12, 2008. (Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Gibson County, Tennessee, to Enforce the Employment Rights of Tennessee Army National Guardsman (08-440)
The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mary V. Williams, a staff sergeant in the Tennessee Army National Guard, against Gibson County, Tenn., alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). Also filed with the complaint is a consent decree reached by the Justice Department and the County. (Read more)
Wyoming Firearms Dealer Convicted of Tax Evasion and Harassment of Federal Officials (08-439)
Michael John Smith, a former commemorative firearms dealer, was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment today in Cheyenne, Wyo., on federal tax and fraud charges, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Smith, formerly of Cheyenne and currently a resident of Mona, Utah, was convicted by a jury on March 5, 2008, of one count of obstructing the IRS, one count of tax evasion, and three counts of submitting fictitious obligations to the United States and the state of Wyoming. He was also convicted of two counts of making false statements relating to a bankruptcy petition. (Read more)
Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Efforts to Rebuild New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina (08-438)
In the two and one-half years since Hurricane Katrina flooded the city of New Orleans and battered the region, the Department of Justice has sought to do its part to assist in the efforts to rebuild the city. These efforts include groundbreaking partnerships with state and local officials to strengthen the criminal justice system; assisting local law enforcement in protecting communities; fighting violent crime with both manpower and funding; investigating and prosecuting fraud through the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force; and providing needed assistance to victims of crime. Following is an outline of some of these efforts. (Read more)
D.C. Metropolitan Police Detective Turned Tax Defier Convicted of Tax Fraud (08-437)
A federal jury in Washington, D.C., has convicted Michael C. Irving, a homicide detective and 18-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), of two counts of felony tax evasion, the Justice Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) announced today. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on four counts of tax evasion, resulting in the court declaring a mistrial on those counts. The jury acquitted Irving of three counts of filing false claims. (Read more)
Motorola, Siemens Corp. and Glaxosmithkline Pay $500,000 Penalty for System Failures a Superfund Site in Scottsdale, Arizona (08-436)
Motorola, Inc., Siemens Corp. and GlaxoSmithKline will collectively pay a $500,000 civil penalty for system failures that led to the release of trichloroethylene (TCE) into the public drinking water system in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)
United States Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey Visits New Orleans to Reaffirm Commitment by Justice Department and Announce New Funding (08-435)
Today, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey visited New Orleans and reaffirmed the Department of Justice’s commitment to rebuilding that city’s justice system in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Attorney General also announced additional funding for a legal aid grant benefiting the Family Justice Center in New Orleans. (Read more)
38 Individuals in U.S. and Romania Charged in Two Related Cases of Computer Fraud Involving International Organized Crime (08-434)
Thirty-eight individuals with ties to international organized crime have been charged in two separate indictments involving computer and credit card fraud schemes, Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip, Romanian Prosecutor General Laura Codruþa Kövesi, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Thomas P. O’Brien and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Nora R. Dannehy announced today. The Deputy Attorney General made the announcement with the Romanian Prosecutor General to highlight the extensive and continued cooperation between the two countries in addressing these types of international crimes. The announcement comes less than one month after U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey announced the Department’s new Law Enforcement Strategy to Combat International Organized Crime. (Read more)
Friday, May 16, 2008
Bahamian Drug Trafficker Convicted in U.S. Court on Drug Charges (08-432)
Bahamian national formerly residing in Haiti was convicted today by a jury in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on charges of narcotics distribution, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Alice S. Fisher announced. (Read more)
Federal Court Enjoins Nationwide Tax Scheme Promoters (08-431)
A federal court in Pensacola, Fla., has entered a preliminary injunction barring Pinnacle Quest International (PQI) and its principals from publicizing tax fraud schemes that have been promoted to customers from all over the United States, the Justice Department announced today. The order, which remains in effect indefinitely, comes in advance of a PQI conference scheduled for May 18, 2008, in Cancun, Mexico. (Read more)
North Carolina Federal Court Shuts Down Alleged Tax Preparation Scam (08-430)
A federal court in Charlotte, N.C., has permanently barred Kodjovi Raphael Totou from preparing tax returns for anyone other than himself, the Justice Department announced today. The permanent injunction order replaces a preliminary injunction entered earlier this year. (Read more)
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Member of Afghan Taliban Convicted in U.S. Court on Narco-terrorism and Drug Charges (08-429)
A member of an Afghan Taliban cell was convicted today by a jury in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on charges of narcotics distribution and narco-terrorism, Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Alice S. Fisher announced. The conviction represents the first time a defendant has been convicted in U.S. federal court of narco-terrorism since the statute was enacted in March 2006. (Read more)
Former PurchasePro.com CEO Found Guilty on Securities Fraud Charges (08-428)
Charles E. Johnson, Jr., the former CEO and Chairman of PurchasePro.com Inc., a now-defunct, publicly traded company that was headquartered in Las Vegas, was found guilty today of conspiring to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, witness tampering and obstructing an official proceeding, announced the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Department of Justice made the announcement today after U.S. District Judge Walter D. Kelley released his verdict in Johnson’s bench trial which was completed in December 2007. (Read more)
Cleveland, Ohio, Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Racially Motivated Threats (08-427)
David A. Tuason of Cleveland, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to eight counts of transmitting threatening communications, announced Grace Chung Becker, Acting Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, William J. Edwards, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the FBI. (Read more)
County Recorder in Ohio Pleads Guilty to Importation and Transportation of Obscene Matters (08-426)
Patrick J. O’Malley, the elected County Recorder of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to charges of importing and transporting obscene materials, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, William J. Edwards, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and C. Frank Figluizzi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Cleveland Division announced today. (Read more)
Justice Department Obtains Back Pay for Army Veteran in Settlement with Acme Towing & Recovery Inc. (08-425)
The Department of Justice announced today it has filed a settlement that, if approved and entered by the U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, N.M., will resolve its employment lawsuit under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), on behalf of Army Sergeant Jared Caldwell against Acme Towing & Recovery Inc. of Albuquerque, N.M. (Read more)
Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Arizona on Voter Registration at Public Assistance Agencies (08-424)
The Justice Department today announced an agreement to bring the state of Arizona into compliance with federal voting laws that require public assistance agencies to offer their clients the opportunity to register to vote. The agreement provides that Arizona’s Department of Economic Security (DES), the primary state agency in charge of disbursing public assistance, must ensure compliance with federal law within the next 60 days. (Read more)
Two Individuals Indicted on Charges of Conspiracy and Bribery in Connection with a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans Levee Reconstruction Project (08-420)
A former contract employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a dirt, sand and gravel subcontractor were both indicted in connection with a $16 million hurricane protection project for the reconstruction of the Lake Cataouatche Levee, south of New Orleans, the U.S. Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Counterfeit Software Worth $1 Million (08-419)
An Oregon man pleaded guilty today to selling counterfeit computer software with a retail value of more than $1 million, in addition to aggravated identity theft and mail fraud, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Alice S. Fisher and Karin J. Immergut, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. This case is part of the Justice Department’s initiative to combat online auction piracy. (Read more)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Solicitor General Paul D. Clement to Leave Department of Justice (08-418)
Today, the Department of Justice announced that Solicitor General Paul D. Clement will end his current service to the Department on June 2, 2008. (Read more)
Willbros Group Inc. Enters Deferred Prosecution Agreement and Agrees to Pay $22 Million Penalty for FCPA Violations (08-417)
Willbros Group Inc. (Willbros Group), a publicly-traded company that provides construction, engineering and other services in the oil and gas industry, and Willbros International Inc. (Willbros International), the wholly owned subsidiary through which it conducts international operations, have agreed to pay a $22 million criminal penalty in connection with corrupt payments to Nigerian and Ecuadoran government officials in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
California Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison in Connection with $10 Million Scheme to Defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (08-416)
Edward Chua, 55, of Montebello, Calif., has been sentenced to 37 months in prison in connection with a $10 million scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) of the United States, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor of the District of Columbia announced today. (Read more)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
14 Members of Colombian Paramilitary Group Extradited to the United States to Face U.S. Drug Charges (08-414)
Fourteen alleged members of a former paramilitary and drug-trafficking group known as the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), including high-ranking former leaders, have been extradited from Colombia to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. Indicted defendants face charges including: conspiracy to import cocaine; conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine; possession, manufacture or distribution of cocaine; providing material support to a designated terrorist organization; and money laundering. (Read more)
New Orleans Businessman Pleads Guilty to Espionage Charge Involving China (08-411)
Tai Shen Kuo, age 58, of New Orleans, La., pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of Virginia to a one-count criminal information charging him with conspiracy to deliver national defense information to a foreign government, namely, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in violation of 18 U.S.C., Section 794(a), (c). Kuo was arrested on Feb. 11, 2008 on a criminal complaint charging this same offense. (Read more)
Computer Sciences Corporation Settles False Claims Action Involving Government Contracts (08-409)
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), an information technology and business services company, agreed to pay $1,370,000 to settle allegations that it solicited and received improper payments and other things of value on technology contracts with government agencies, the Department of Justice announced today. The settlement resolves an action against CSC under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3730, filed by Norman J. Rille and Neal A. Roberts in September 2004. After an investigation, the Department of Justice joined the action. (Read more)
Strike Force Targets Medicare Fraud by Los Angeles Area Health Care Companies (08-399)
Eleven people have been indicted in the second phase of a targeted criminal, civil and administrative effort against individuals and health care companies that fraudulently bill the Medicare program, Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Alice S. Fisher and U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Thomas P. O’Brien announced today. (Read more)
Monday, May 12, 2008
Former Los Angeles Police Officer and Co-Conspirator Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations (08-412)
Former Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ruben Palomares and his cousin and co-conspirator, Gabriel Loaiza, were sentenced today in federal court in Los Angeles for their roles in a series of home-invasion robberies over a two-year period, the Justice Department announced. Palomares was sentenced to 158 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. Loaiza was sentenced to 108 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. (Read more)
Man Sentenced for Human Trafficking and Alien Smuggling (08-406)
Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Grace Chung Becker and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Don DeGabrielle announced that Walter Corea was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to smuggle Central American women and girls into the United States and hold them in a condition of forced labor in bars and cantinas in the Houston area. U.S. District Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore sentenced Corea to 180 months in prison and further ordered that he, jointly with his co-defendants, pay $1,715,588 in restitution to the victims. (Read more)
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Nebraska and New Jersey (08-405)
The Justice Department today announced that on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, it will monitor elections in Colfax County, Neb., and Bergen County, N.J., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act.
(Read more)
Hackers Indicted for Stealing Credit and Debit Card Numbers from National Restaurant Chain (08-403)
Three defendants have been charged in a federal grand jury indictment and complaint with illegally accessing the computer systems of a national restaurant chain and stealing credit and debit card numbers from that system. (Read more)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Texas (08-401)
The Justice Department today announced that on Saturday, May 10, 2008, it will monitor local elections in the cities of Farmers Branch and Irving in Dallas County, Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)
Second Former KBR Employee Sentenced for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Department of Defense (08-400)
James N. Sellman, a former Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR) employee who worked in Afghanistan, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 26 months in prison for conspiring to receive bribes, making false statements and filing false claims. (Read more)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
DOD Employee Arrested for Filing a False Federal Tax Return (08-398)
A U.S. Department of Defense civilian employee working at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City, Kuwait, was arrested and charged with filing a false federal tax return for the 2005 tax year. (Read more)
Former Talk Radio Host Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography (08-397)
Bernard V. Ward, 57, a San Francisco resident who previously worked as a radio station talk show host, entered a guilty plea today in federal court in San Francisco to one count of distributing child pornography via the Internet. (Read more)
Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Engage in Sex Trafficking and Transporting Illegal Aliens in Los Angeles (08-396)
Pablo Bonifacio pleaded guilty today in federal court in Los Angeles, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and transporting illegal aliens in the pending case of United States v. Vasquez-Valenzuela, announced Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division and Thomas P. O’Brien, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. The remaining eight defendants are scheduled for trial on Sept. 2, 2008, in Los Angeles. (Read more)
Jury Convicts two Kansas City, Missouri, Men for Racially-Motivated Murder (08-395)
Two Kansas City, Mo., men were convicted by a federal jury today for the racially-motivated murder of William McCay on March 9, 2005, announced Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and John F. Wood, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. (Read more)
Former Pacific Consolidated Industries LP Executive Pleads Guilty in Connection with Bribes Paid to U.K. Ministry of Defence Official (08-394)
A former Pacific Consolidated Industries LP (PCI) executive pleaded guilty to charges related to the bribery of a U.K. Ministry of Defence official to obtain lucrative equipment contracts with the U.K. Royal Air Force, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. (Read more)
Former Alaska State Representative Victor Kohring Sentenced on Public Corruption Charges (08-393)
Victor H. Kohring, a former elected member of the Alaska House of Representatives, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison. A federal jury in Anchorage previously convicted Kohring of bribery, attempted extortion, and conspiracy for corruptly soliciting and receiving financial benefits from VECO Corporation (Read more)
Indiana Man Indicted in Nationwide Investigation of Internet Child Pornography Trade (08-392)
James W. Dotts Jr. has been indicted by a federal grand jury on receipt and possession of child pornography charges. (Read more)
Indiana Man Indicted in Nationwide Investigation of Internet Child Pornography Trade (08-392)
James W. Dotts Jr. has been indicted by a federal grand jury on receipt and possession of child pornography charges. (Read more)
Former Qantas Airline Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Participating in Price-Fixing Conspiracy on Air Cargo Shipments (08-390)
The former highest-ranking Qantas Airways Limited cargo executive employed in the United States has agreed to plead guilty, serve 8 months in jail, and pay a criminal fine for participating in a conspiracy to fix rates for international air cargo shipments, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Man Pleads Guilty to Human Trafficking and Alien Smuggling Charges in Florida (08-389)
Juan Luis Cadena-Sosa pleaded guilty today to federal civil rights violations for conspiring to smuggle Mexican women and girls into the United States and to place them in a condition of involuntary servitude, announced Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. (Read more)
Colombian Paramilitary Leader Extradited to the United States to Face U.S. Drug Charges (08-388)
Carlos Mario Jimenez-Naranjo, a.k.a. Macaco, has been extradited from Colombia to the United States to face drug trafficking charges, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher announced today. Jimenez-Naranjo faces drug-related charges in the District of Columbia and the Southern District of Florida. Jimenez-Naranjo made his initial appearance today in the District of Columbia before Judge Alan Kay. (Read more)
Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit against City of Satsuma, Alabama (08-387)
The Justice Department today sued the City of Satsuma, Ala., for violating the Fair Housing Act when the city refused to allow three women with disabilities to live together in a group home. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, charges that Satsuma refused to make reasonable accommodations in its rules, policies, practices or services, which were necessary to afford the residents an opportunity to use and enjoy their home. (Read more)
U.S. Calls on Global Producers to Help Develop Increased Chemical Controls for Meth Precursors, Controlled Pharmaceuticals; Lauds Mexico as Example of Effective International Cooperation Against Meth Production, Trafficking (08-384)
Flanked by leaders from the world’s largest producing nations of methamphetamine precursor chemicals, and some of the principal consumers of finished meth and controlled pharmaceuticals, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey and John P. Walters, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), urged all producing and transit nations for precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine and other drugs to expand efforts to prevent illegal diversion of the products. (Read more)
Justice Department Announces Creation of 43 New Assistant United States Attorney Positions for Project Safe Childhood (08-383)
The Department of Justice announced today the distribution of $5 million in new funds to support Project Safe Childhood, the Department’s initiative that combats technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The money will fund 43 new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions across the nation to prosecute these offenses, which remain a high priority for the Department of Justice. (Read more)
Fact Sheet: Project Safe Childhood (08-382)
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 that aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for physical sexual contact is well-known and serious; the danger of perpetrators who produce, distribute, and possess child pornography is equally dramatic and disturbing. (Read more)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Third Defendant Pleads Guilty in Pensacola in Global Child Exploitation Enterprise Case (08-381)
Ruble Keys pleaded guilty today for his involvement in a vast global child pornography trafficking enterprise. Keys was one of 14 alleged members of the enterprise charged in a 40-count superseding indictment. (Read more)
U.S. Announces Indictment Of International Arms Dealer for Conspiracy to Kill Americans and Related Terrorism Charges (08-380)
Michael J. Garcia, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michele M. Leonhart, the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced today the unsealing of an indictment against international arms dealer Viktor Bout, a/k/a Boris, a/k/a Victor Anatoliyevich Bout, a/k/a Victor But, a/k/a Viktor Budd, a/k/a Viktor Butt, a/k/a Viktor Bulakin, a/k/a Vadim Markovich Aminov, for, among other things, conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (the FARC) -- a designated foreign terrorist organization based in Colombia -- to be used to kill Americans in Colombia. (Read more)
Monday, May 5, 2008
Former Long Beach, California, Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations (08-378)
Former Long Beach police officer Joseph Ferguson was sentenced today in federal court in Los Angeles, Calif., for his role in a series of home invasion robberies over a two-year period, the Justice Department announced today. Ferguson was sentenced to 97 months in prison and four years of supervised release. (Read more)
Water Supply and Storage Company to Pay $9 Million for Damages to Rocky Mountain National Park (08-377)
Water Supply and Storage Company (WSSC), a mutual ditch company and the owner and operator of the Grand River Ditch, has agreed to pay $9 million for damages to natural resources within Rocky Mountain National Park caused by a May 30, 2003, breach of the Grand River Ditch, the Justice Department and National Park Service announced today. (Read more)
Friday, May 2, 2008
McKesson Corporation Agrees to Pay More than $13 Million to Settle Claims that it Failed to Report Suspicious Sales of Prescription Medications (08-374)
McKesson Corp., one of the nation’s largest distributors of pharmaceutical drugs, has agreed to settle allegations that it violated federal reporting provisions relating to its handling of certain prescription medications regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Under the agreement between the company and six U.S. Attorney’s Offices, McKesson has agreed to pay $13,250,000 in civil penalties for alleged violations of its obligations under the Controlled Substances Act. (Read more)
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Consolidated Multiple Listing Service of South Carolina for Restraining Competition Among Real Estate Brokers (08-373)
The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today filed a lawsuit against the Consolidated Multiple Listing Service (CMLS) of Columbia, S.C., challenging its rules that unreasonably restrict competition among real estate brokers. (Read more)
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Former Federal Prison Supervisor Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges (08-371)
A federal grand jury in Fresno, Calif., indicted a former Bureau of Prisons supervisory corrections officer today on charges related to an April 2007 assault on an inmate, the Justice Department announced. Former Lieutenant Eric McEachern was charged with violating the civil rights of an inmate by assaulting the inmate, and with obstructing justice by filing a false report regarding the incident. (Read more)
U.S. Coast Guard Officer Pleads Guilty for Lying about Vessel Pollution (08-370)
David G. Williams, a Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Main Propulsion Assistant for the Coast Guard Cutter RUSH, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Hawaii to one count of making a false statement, announced Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment & Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Edward H. Kubo Jr. (Read more)
iGate Mastech Inc. to Pay $45,000 in Civil Penalties to Settle Discrimination Claim (08-369)
The Department of Justice today announced that iGate Mastech Inc. (iGate), a Pittsburgh computer consulting company, has agreed to pay $45,000 in civil penalties to settle allegations that iGate discriminated against United States citizens in its employment practices. The settlement also requires iGate to train its recruitment personnel and to post a nondiscrimination statement on its Web site. (Read more)
Justice Department Settles Race and Familial Status Discrimination Case against Virginia Beach Landlord (08-368)
Virginia Beach landlord Dr. John Crockett Henry and Henry LLC, have agreed to pay up to $361,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Former FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company Employee Sentenced for Lying to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (08-365)
David Geisen of DePere, Wisc., was sentenced today to four months of home confinement with electronic monitoring for making false statements and misleading the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) about the quality of past inspections of the reactor-head at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station during the fall of 2001, the Justice Department announced. (Read more)
Justice Department Obtains Back Pay for Air Force Veteran in Settlement with Wal-Mart (08-364)
The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a consent decree that will resolve its employment lawsuit on behalf of Sean Thornton against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation’s largest retailer. (Read more)
Former Del Rio, Texas, Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation (08-363)
The Justice Department announced today that Emmanuel Cassio, a former corrections officer at the Val Verde County Detention Center in Del Rio, Texas, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 30, 2008, in Del Rio to violating the civil rights of a pre-trial detainee and obstructing the subsequent criminal investigation. (Read more)