United States Department of Justice

Press Releases for December 2005

Friday, December 30, 2005

Federal Judge Bars Arizona Couple From Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others (05-698)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department announced today that a federal court has permanently barred Beverly J. and Darrell J. Hill, of Mesa, Arizona, from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The permanent injunction order, entered by Judge David G. Campbell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, also requires the Hills to remove from their website all information advertising their services as tax preparers, to post to the website a copy of the permanent injunction entered against them, and to give the government a list identifying their customers and their customers' addresses, phone numbers, and taxpayer identification numbers.  (Read more)

Thursday, December 29, 2005

CHIEF IMMIGRATION JUDGE ORDERS FORMER NAZI GUARD JOHN DEMJANJUK REMOVED TO UKRAINE (05-696)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chief Immigration Judge Michael J. Creppy has ordered the removal to Ukraine of Ivan Demjanjuk, 85, on the basis of his service during World War II as an armed guard at a Nazi extermination camp and two concentration camps in German-occupied Poland, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today.  (Read more)

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Former Enron Chief Accounting Officer Richard Causey Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud (05-695)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Richard A. Causey, the former chief accounting officer at Enron Corp., has pleaded guilty to a charge of securities fraud, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. Causey, 44, a resident of The Woodlands, Texas, entered his plea at a hearing in Houston this afternoon before Judge Sim Lake of U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Texas. Trial for Causey‘s co-defendants, former Enron chief executive officers Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, is scheduled to begin before Judge Lake on Jan. 30, 2006.  (Read more)

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

STATEMENT OF TASIA SCOLINOS, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, IN RESPONSE TO THE FOURTH CIRCUIT‘S ORDER REGARDING TRANSFER OF JOSE PADILLA INTO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: (05-690)

"We are disappointed that the court has denied the unopposed motion to transfer Jose Padilla to the criminal justice system to face the terrorism charges currently pending against him. The President's authority to detain enemy combatants, which the Fourth Circuit has upheld, should not be viewed as an obstacle to an exercise of the government's undoubted authority to prosecute federal crimes, including those related to terrorism. The Department is in the process of reviewing the court's order and will continue to consider all options with respect to pursuing the criminal charges as expeditiously as possible.” (Read more)

ILLINOIS ETHANOL FACILITY WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE EMISSIONS, PAY CIVIL PENALTY (05-689)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — MGP Ingredients of Illinois, Inc. (MGP)—an ethanol producing company—has reached a settlement to resolve claims that it violated the Clean Air Act (CAA), which will result in a reduction of over 1,700 tons of air pollutants a year at its ethanol production plant in Pekin, Illinois, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of Illinois announced today. With today‘s settlement, approximately 83 percent of the ethanol production capacity nationwide will be under consent decrees requiring new pollution controls.  (Read more)

U.S. ANNOUNCES $94 MILLION CLEAN AIR ACT SETTLEMENT WITH CHRYSLER OVER EMISSION CONTROL DEFECTS ON 1.5 MILLION JEEP AND DODGE VEHICLES (05-688)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States has reached a settlement with DaimlerChrysler Corporation (Chrysler) to repair defective emission controls on nearly 1.5 million Jeep and Dodge vehicles from model years 1996 through 2001, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The agreement also settles allegations that the company violated the Clean Air Act (CAA) by failing to properly disclose defective catalytic converters installed on the affected vehicles. (Read more)

*******Fact Sheet******* Consequences Of Letting The USA Patriot Act Expire  (05-687)

If the USA PATRIOT Act is allowed to expire, we will return to a pre-9/11 mode of information sharing where there are not clear rules governing investigators‘ ability to share information with each other, where terrorists and spies can use technology against us, and where it is more difficult to investigate a potential terrorist attack that it is to catch a drug dealer, a mobster, or a white collar criminal.  (Read more)

ELI LILLY AND COMPANY TO PAY U.S. $36 MILLION RELATING TO OFF-LABEL PROMOTION (05-685)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — American pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company agreed to plead guilty and to pay $36 million in connection with its illegal promotion of its pharmaceutical drug Evista, the Justice Department announced today.  (Read more)

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

*******FACT SHEET******* CIVIL LIBERTIES SAFEGUARDS IN THE USA PATRIOT ACT CONFERENCE REPORT (05-682)

The Administration has scored a number of key victories in the War on Terror over the past four years, many as a result of expanded information sharing and investigative tools provided by the USA PATRIOT Act. On December 31, 2005, 16 key provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act will expire unless the Senate acts to reauthorize them.  (Read more)

President George W. Bush Granted Pardons to the Following 11 Individuals  (05-681)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President George W. Bush granted pardons to the following 11 individuals: (Read more)

Monday, December 19, 2005

SHIP COMPANY TO PAY $10.5 MILLION FOR COVERING UP OIL POLLUTION (05-680)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — MSC Ship Management (Hong Kong) Limited—a Hong Kong-based container ship company—has agreed to plead guilty to charges that it engaged in conspiracy, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, false statements and violated the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, the Department of Justice announced today. Per the terms of a plea agreement that must be approved by the court, MSC Ship Management will pay $10.5 million in penalties. This is the largest fine in which a single vessel has been charged with deliberate pollution and the largest criminal fine paid by a defendant in an environmental case in Massachusetts history. (Read more)

Friday, December 16, 2005

STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO R. GONZALES ON THE SENATE‘S REFUSAL TO ALLOW A VOTE ON THE USA PATRIOT ACT: (05-678)

"These provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act are essential to our efforts in the war on terrorism and their loss will damage our ability to prevent terrorist attacks. Our Nation cannot afford to let these important counterterrorism tools lapse. The House of Representatives has already acted, through a bipartisan vote that renewed the PATRIOT Act's sunsetted provisions while strengthening the Act's significant civil liberties protections. After 23 congressional hearings, testimony from more than 60 different witnesses, and months of deliberations, it is now time for the Senate to act. National security should not be compromised with procedural delaying tactics. The PATRIOT Act has clear bipartisan majority support, and the Senate should be allowed to vote up or down on the conference report. The American people deserve no less." (Read more)

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, FBI, ANNOUNCE ARRESTS TARGETING CHILD PROSTITUTION RINGS IN PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY, AND MICHIGAN (05-677)

WASHINGTON D.C. — In one of the largest coordinated enforcement actions ever taken against child prostitution rings in the United States, 19 individuals have been arrested and more than 30 charged in the latest phase of “Innocence Lost,” an ongoing national investigation into criminal enterprises involved in the recruitment of children for prostitution, the Department of Justice announced today.  (Read more)

PROJECT MANAGER INDICTED FOR ILLEGAL DREDGING OPERATION IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA (05-663)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michael L. Hayhurst, Jr. was indicted today by a federal grand jury and charged with violating the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act and for covering up illegal discharges of dredged material from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in connection with a dredging operation he supervised in Calibogue Sound in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Read more)

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Justice Department Announces Agreement with the City of Waukegan, Illinois to Ensure Civic Access for People With Disabilities (05-672)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with the City of Waukegan, Illinois to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities. The agreement is part of "Project Civic Access," a wide-ranging effort to ensure that cities, towns, and villages comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To date, the Department has entered into 143 formal agreements with villages, towns, cities, and counties across the country. (Read more)

Former RNC New England Regional Director Convicted In New Hampshire Phone Jamming Case (05-672)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After a four-day trial, a jury in Concord, New Hampshire today convicted James Tobin, the former New England Regional Director of the Republican National Committee, of charges stemming from a scheme to disrupt phone service to five Democratic Party offices and a firefighters' ride-to-the-polls program on Election Day 2002, the Department of Justice announced today.  (Read more)

Second U.S. Army Officer Arrested in Case Involving Bribery, Fraud And Money Laundering Scheme in Al-hillah, Iraq (05-671)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve has been arrested on charges of conspiring to commit bribery, money laundering, possession of automatic weapons, theft, and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Coalition Provisional Authority - South Central Region (CPA-SC) in Al-Hillah, Iraq, the Department of Justice announced today.  (Read more)

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO STOP ALLEGED WASHINGTON STATE TAX SCAM (05-669)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to bar a Gig Harbor, Washington woman from marketing an alleged tax-fraud scheme. The complaint in the civil injunction case—filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington—alleges that Rita I. Johnson, conducting business as Estate Preservation Association, falsely advises customers that they can use a so-called “corporation sole” to avoid paying federal income taxes. (Read more)

Former Labor Department Official Pleads Guilty To Stealing Government Laptop Computers  ( 05-67)

WASHINGTON, DC — A former Supervisory Program Manager for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor has pleaded guilty to the theft of government laptop computers, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Justice Department Announces Court Decision that Erie, Pennsylvania Police Officer Test Discriminates Against Women (05-667)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department announced today that United States District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin of the Western District of Pennsylvania found that the City of Erie, Pennsylvania, violated federal law by using a physical ability test that eliminated the vast majority of female applicants for police officer positions in the Erie Bureau of Police. The court‘s December 13th ruling followed a four-day trial held in March 2005.  (Read more)

STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO R. GONZALES ON THE HOUSE PASSAGE OF THE USA PATRIOT ACT (05-666)

"The USA PATRIOT Act is an essential part of our Nation's efforts in the war against terrorism, and I commend the House of Representatives for deciding to renew these critical sections. Our number-one priority is protecting the American people from another terrorist attack, and today's bipartisan vote is an important step toward ensuring that the men and women of law enforcement continue to have the tools they need keep us safe. I strongly urge the Senate to act now." (Read more)

WALNUT, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT INDICTED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES (05-664)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Andrew Anhh Nguyen, a Walnut, California resident, was charged by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles, California with conspiring to import plant specimens protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Department of Justice announced today. Nguyen, who was allegedly conspiring to import into the United States, specimens of cycads—which resemble palms or tree ferns—was also charged with eight counts of customs offenses, including smuggling and importing cycads by means of false declarations and statements, and one count of violating the Endangered Species Act. (Read more)

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES TO SHUT DOWN ALLEGED OHIO TAX-FRAUD SCHEME (05-660)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a civil injunction suit in federal court in Cleveland to stop Ohio twin brothers, Joseph and Edward Flickinger, from promoting alleged tax-fraud schemes. The suit also asks the court to permanently bar the Flickinger brothers from preparing federal income tax returns for others.  (Read more)

HOUSTON-BASED COMPANY TO PAY UNITED STATES $3 MILLION FOR FRAUD RELATED TO MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM (05-655)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Texas highway construction firm has agreed to pay the United States $3 million to resolve claims that it knowingly violated the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) contracting requirements on federally-funded Texas highway construction projects, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Former Lewiston, New York Financial Advisor Indicted for Tax Fraud (05-659)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A federal grand jury in Buffalo, New York indicted tax and financial advisor Richard A. Muto for his involvement in a tax fraud scheme that cost the Treasury at least $1.9 million in taxes, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The two-count indictment charges the defendant with attempting to obstruct the administration of the internal revenue laws and filing a false federal income tax return for 1998.  (Read more)

FORMER LEWISTON, NEW YORK FINANCIAL ADVISOR INDICTED FOR TAX FRAUD (05-659)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A federal grand jury in Buffalo, New York indicted tax and financial advisor Richard A. Muto for his involvement in a tax fraud scheme that cost the Treasury at least $1.9 million in taxes, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The two-count indictment charges the defendant with attempting to obstruct the administration of the internal revenue laws and filing a false federal income tax return for 1998.  (Read more)

Thursday, December 8, 2005

Statement of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the Reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act (05-652)

I applaud the House and the Senate conferees for coming together to produce a comprehensive USA PATRIOT Reauthorization bill. The Department strongly supports the bill, which reauthorizes all of the sunsetting provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, creates a new national security division at the Department of Justice, helps clarify certain existing authorities, provides additional protections against the threat of attacks on mass transportation systems and at our seaports, and grants us additional tools to protect Americans from terrorism. I urge both houses of Congress to act promptly to pass this critical piece of legislation. (Read more)

Wednesday, December 7, 2005

Statement of Deputy Assistant Attorney General J. Bruce Mcdonald Regarding Korean Fair Trade Commission‘s Decision in its Microsoft Case (05-648)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — J. Bruce McDonald, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, issued the following statement today after the Korean Fair Trade Commission announced a decision in its antitrust case against Microsoft, ordering Microsoft to sell in Korea a version of its Windows operating system that includes neither Windows Media Player nor Windows Messenger functionality, requiring that Microsoft facilitate consumer downloads of third party media player and messenger products selected by the Commission, and prohibits Microsoft from selling in Korea a version of its server software that includes Windows Media Services: (Read more)

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Statement of Tasia Scolinos, Director of Public Affairs, on the Al Arian Case:  (05-647)

"The Justice Department has a strong track record of success in prosecuting terrorists and those who support terrorist activities, as evidenced by the convictions in recent weeks in the Abu Ali and Paracha cases. We remain focused on the important task at hand, which is to protect our country through our ongoing vigorous prosecution of terrorism cases. While we respect the jury‘s verdict, we stand by the evidence we presented in court against Sami Al Arian and his co-defendants. Discussions are ongoing as to whether the government will seek to retry defendants Al Arian and Hatem Fariz on the outstanding charges."  (Read more)

DEFENDANTS RECEIVE MAJOR JAIL SENTENCES, PAY RESTITUTION FOR MAJOR WETLANDS CRIMINAL PROSECUTION  (05-644)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In one of the most significant wetlands criminal enforcement prosecutions in United States history, Robert J. Lucas, Jr.; his daughter, Robbie Lucas; and M. E. Thompson, Jr.; and two affiliated corporations-Big Hill Acres, Inc., and Consolidated Investments, Inc.-were sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.  (Read more)

Monday, December 5, 2005

Tax Scam Promoter "Judge Rizzo" and Wife Sentenced to Prison (05-645)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tax scam promoters John J. Rizzo and his wife, Carol A. Rizzo, were sentenced, respectively, to 43 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release in connection with a tax evasion scheme, the Department of Justice and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. In addition to the prison sentences, each of the Rizzos was issued a fine of $10,000, instructed to cooperate with the IRS in payment of tax liabilities, and prohibited from providing tax advice. Both of the Rizzos-who have been in custody since their arrests in April 2003-were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roslyn O. Silver in Phoenix, Arizona.  (Read more)

Mcwane, Inc. and Company Executives Sentenced for Environmental Crimes  (05-643)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Cast-iron pipe manufacturer McWane Inc. (McWane) and company executives James Delk, Michael Devine, and Charles “Barry” Robison were sentenced today in federal court for environmental crimes connected with the operation of McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company in Birmingham, Alabama. Judge Robert Propst sentenced McWane to pay a fine of $5 million and serve a period of probation for five years. McWane, Inc. is also ordered to perform a community service project valued at $2.7 million. Judge Propst ordered McWane executive James Delk to serve probation for three years, including six months of home detention and a fine of $90,000; Mike Devine received two years of probation, including three months of home detention and a fine of $35,000; and Charles Robinson received two years of probation and a fine of $2,500. Additionally, Robinson will serve 150 hours of community service work.  (Read more)

Thursday, December 1, 2005

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Highlights Success in the War on Terror at the Council on Foreign Relations  (05-641)

The prevention of terrorist attacks and the prosecution of the war on terrorism remain the top priorities of the Department of Justice. In the past year alone, there have been significant convictions in terrorism cases from Virginia to Texas, following a track record of success over the past four years in previous cases such as John Walker Lindh, Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid, among others. (Read more)

U.S. Army Officer Arrested in Case Involving Bribery, Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme in Al-hillah, Iraq  (05-639)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve was arrested on charges of conspiring to commit bribery, money laundering, possession of automatic weapons, theft, and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Coalition Provisional Authority - South Central Region (CPA-SC) in Al-Hillah, Iraq, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

 

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