U.S. Department
of Justice
Check back frequently as we will add to and change the list of FAQs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The following is a sampling of some of the questions we hear from callers to our office. If your question is not answered here, please feel free to contact us.
FAQ
A.
You can locate recent cases on this website by following the “News” link. Each week, cases are highlighted and described in detail in the news releases, which are sent out to dozens of media outlets. Citizens can often find out details about large scale cases, and other cases which directly affect the community.
A.
The United States Bureau of Prisons website has a section called “Inmate Locator” on the left side of the page. By typing in a name and other information, you can find out how long an inmate is serving, where the inmate is housed, and a brief description of the location and picture of the institution. If an inmate has been released, the website will often give a date of release. www.bop.gov
A.
Federal crimes are investigated by many agencies. Here are just a few of the federal agencies which investigate federal crimes and their general contact.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FB I)
1-800-CALLFBI (225-5324)
www.fbi.gov
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
www.ic3.gov
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
www.dea.gov
Philadelphia Division: (215) 861-3474
Pittsburgh Field Office: (412) 777-6940
A.
Not in individual litigation you may wish to bring against another person, company, or government agency.
A.
Sorry, our office is not permitted to make direct referrals. May we suggest, however, that you contact the Pennsylvania State Bar Association at 800.932.0311 who can refer you to an attorney in good standing who handles your particular type of litigation.
A.
Yes, federal law allows us to become involved when the non-custodial parent is in another state. They must have failed to have paid a past due child support obligation for over a year or one that is greater than $5000.
A.
Though it is not our function to provide legal advice, may we suggest that you contact either the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce. Both organizations have clearinghouses for such complaints.
A.
If the agency has a local office, you can find their number in the blue pages of the telephone book. If not or if you need to contact their Washington, D.C. office, you may call the Federal Information Center toll-free at (800) 688-9889. You can also check and see if we have their web site listed in our links page.