Press Releases for October 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Justice Department Settles Discrimination Lawsuit Against Milwaukee Nightclub (06-741)
The Department of Justice today reached a settlement resolving allegations of racial discrimination with the owner and operator of Eve, a nightclub in Milwaukee, Wis. (Read more)
Fact Sheet: Protecting Voting Rights and Prosecuting Voter Fraud (06-738)
"The Department of Justice plays a limited, but important, role with respect to elections. The Justice Department‘s Criminal and Civil Rights Divisions enforce specific federal laws that help to ensure that all qualified voters have an opportunity to cast their ballots and have them counted." (Read more)
Orlando Woman Pleads Guilty to Human Trafficking Charge (06-737)
An Orlando, Fla., woman pleaded guilty to forcing a Russian woman to work against her will as a prostitute, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Monday, October 30, 2006
Lorraine Edmo Announced as Tribal Deputy Director of Office on Violence Against Women (06-736)
The Department of Justice has announced the selection of Lorraine Edmo as Tribal Deputy Director of the Office on Violence Against Women. (Read more)
Friday, October 27, 2006
Former GSA Chief of Staff David Safavian Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison on Charges of Obstruction, Making False Statements (06-733)
Former General Services Administration (GSA) Chief of Staff David H. Safavian was sentenced to 18 months in prison on charges of obstructing a GSA proceeding and making false statements, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
New York Man Enters Guilty Plea to Operating an Interstate Organization Using Children for Prostitution (06-732)
A New York City man who led an interstate prostitution enterprise including recruiting and prostituting minor girls in several U.S. cites pleaded guilty today in federal court, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie of the District of New Jersey announced today. (Read more)
Federal Jury Convicts Nashville Man on Child Pornography Offenses Involving Multiple Commercial Websites (06-731)
A Nashville, Tenn., man has been convicted by a federal jury of 11 child pornography-related offenses for the operation of several Web sites that depicted adolescent boys engaging in sexually explicit activity, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Craig S. Morford of the Middle District of Tennessee announced today. (Read more)
Department Of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Single-Firm Conduct to Continue on November 1 (06-730)
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 Nov. 1, 2006, in Washington. (Read more)
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charges (06-729)
An Ohio man, David Fredericy, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit and for committing hate crimes targeting African-American residents of Cleveland. (Read more)
Biopharmaceutical Firm Intermune to Pay U.S. Over $36 Million for Illegal Promotion and Marketing of Drug Actimmune (06-728)
InterMune, Inc, a Brisbane, Cal., biopharmaceutical company, has agreed to pay the United States more than $36.9 million to resolve criminal charges and civil liabilities in connection with its alleged illegal promotion and marketing of Actimmune, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
$13.9 Million Clean Air Act Settlement with Multinational Soybean and Corn Processor Secures Major Pollution Reductions in Eight States (06-727)
A multi-state Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement, reached today with oilseed processor Bunge North America Inc. and three of its subsidiaries, will eliminate more than 2,200 tons of harmful pollution emissions per year when fully implemented. (Read more)
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Chicago Attorney Convicted of Tax Evasion (06-726)
Robert Wayne Hallock, an attorney from Chicago, was convicted by a federal judge today of tax evasion for attempting to hide from the government over $1 million obtained by selling fraudulent Certificates of Deposit (CD), the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. (Read more)
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Justice Department Settles Allegations of Disability Discrimination Against City of Saraland, Alabama (06-725)
The Justice Department today settled a lawsuit against the city of Saraland, Ala., alleging housing discrimination against individuals with disabilities. (Read more)
Two Officers are Indicted, One Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charges (06-724)
In a federal indictment unsealed today, two former supervisors at the Winston-Choctaw County Regional Correctional Facility (WCCRCF) in Louisville, Miss., were charged with criminal civil rights and obstruction of justice violations. (Read more)
Monday, October 23, 2006
Former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Prison on Fraud, Conspiracy Charges (06-723)
Former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey K. Skilling has been sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison on conspiracy, securities fraud and other charges related to the collapse of the Enron Corporation, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Medco to Pay U.S. $155 Million to Settle False Claims Act Cases (06-722)
Medco Health Solutions has agreed to pay the United States $155 million plus interest to settle allegations that the Parsippany, N.J.-based company submitted false claims to the government, solicited and accepted kickbacks from pharmaceutical manufacturers to favor their drugs, and paid kickbacks to health plans to obtain business, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Friday, October 20, 2006
Federal Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Misconduct Violations (06-721)
Former Bureau of Prisons Officer Ricky Bernard pleaded guilty today to a five-count information charging him with sexual abuse of a ward and abusive sexual contact with a ward stemming from sexual misconduct with three inmates at the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Bryan, Texas. (Read more)
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Justice Department Reaches Agreement Requiring Divestitures in Merger of Regions Financial Corp. and Amsouth Bancorporation (06-716)
The Department of Justice announced today that Regions Financial Corporation and AmSouth Bancorporation have agreed to sell 52 AmSouth branch offices with approximately $2.7 billion in deposits in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee in order to resolve competitive concerns raised by the companies' proposed merger. (Read more)
Five Former and Current Milwaukee Police Officers Indicted on Civil Rights Charges; Additional Officer Pleads Guilty To Obstruction (06-715)
A federal grand jury in Milwaukee, Wis., indicted former Milwaukee police officers Jon Bartlett, Andrew Spengler, Daniel Masarik, and Ryan Lemke, as well as current Milwaukee police officer Ryan Packard, with one count each of conspiring to violate the civil rights of Frank Jude and Lovell Harris and of violating the civil rights of Frank Jude by assaulting him in October 2004. (Read more)
Nightclub Owner Sentenced to 10 Years for Forcing Women to Work as Hostesses (06-712)
The Justice Department today announced that Sung Bum Chang, a Korean American man who owned and operated the nightclub, “Club Wa,” in Dallas was sentenced to 10 years in prison for forcing young Korean women to work as club hostesses. (Read more)
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Statement of Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, on Opinion in United States v. Osceola County (06-713)
“We are extremely pleased with today's Court ruling, which affirms that Osceola County must abandon its illegal election system." (Read more)
Three Executives Indicted for Their Roles in the Dram Price-fixing & Bid-Rigging Conspiracy (06-710)
A federal grand jury in San Francisco today returned an indictment against two executives from Samsung Electronics Ltd. (Samsung) and one executive from Hynix Semiconductor America Inc. (Hynix America) for their participation in a global conspiracy to fix DRAM prices, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more)
Operation Truth or Consequences Targets Bankruptcy Fraud Across the Country; U.S. Trustees Announce Bankruptcy Fraud Hotline (06-709)
United States Attorneys have filed criminal charges against 78 individuals in 69 separate prosecutions in 36 judicial districts on a variety of federal bankruptcy fraud and related counts, including 18 cases charged Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty, announced today. (Read more)
Monday, October 16, 2006
Attorney General Issues Report to the President Regarding the Administration of the Freedom of Information Act (06-706)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales submitted to President Bush today the Department‘s report regarding the government-wide administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). (Read more)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces New Initiative to Fight Crime in Targeted Cities (06-705)
Today, while addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales announced the launch of the Initiative for Safer Communities to target violent crime prevention efforts in selected communities across America that have shown unexplained increases in crime. (Read more)
Friday, October 13, 2006
Justice Department Files Voting Rights Lawsuit Against Philadelphia (06-704)
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia, alleging violations of the rights of Hispanic and Spanish-speaking voters under two key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Centier Bank Regarding Alleged Discrimination in Lending (06-702)
The Justice Department today announced that Centier Bank of Whiting, Ind., will invest more than $4.3 million and open new branches in minority neighborhoods in the northwestern portion of the state, to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin. (Read more)
Congressman Robert W. Ney Pleads Guilty to Charges Involving Corruption and False Statements (06-701)
Congressman Robert W. Ney has pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit multiple offenses — including honest services fraud, making false statements, and violations of his former chief of staff‘s one-year lobbying ban — and with making false statements to the U.S. House of Representatives, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
U.S. Resolves Probe Against Oil Company that Bribed Iranian Official (06-700)
An international oil company, Statoil ASA, headquartered in Norway and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has acknowledged making bribe payments to an Iranian official in order to secure valuable oil and gas rights in Iran, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael J. (Read more)
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Verton County Jail Administrator Convicted of Violating Inmate‘s Rights; Two Others Plead Guilty (06-699)
Michael Gilpatrick, former Overton County Jail Administrator, was convicted today in federal court for violating the civil rights of an inmate detained in the Overton County Jail. (Read more)
Justice Department Agreement will Help Protect Voting Rights of New Jersey Citizens in 2006 Federal Election (06-698)
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached an agreement with the state of New Jersey that will help to ensure an orderly process for the implementation of New Jersey‘s statewide computer voter database, in accordance with federal law. (Read more)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civilian Employee Pleads Guilty to Corruption Charges While Working at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait (06-697)
Gheevarghese Pappen, a retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee pleaded guilty today in Savannah, Ga., to soliciting and accepting nearly $50,000 in illegal gratuities, announced Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division. (Read more)
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Former DOD Employee Indicted for Accepting Illegal Gratuity from Iraqi Contractor (06-696)
A former Department of Defense (DOD) employee has been indicted on charges of accepting an illegal gratuity while deployed in the Republic of Iraq. (Read more)
U.S. Citizen Indicted on Treason, Material Support Charges for Providing Aid and Comfort to al Qaeda (06-695)
A former resident of Orange County, Calif., has been indicted in the Central District of California on charges of treason and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization for making a series of propaganda videotapes for al Qaeda, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)
Contractor Sentenced for Paying Gratuities to Former U.S. Army Director of Contracting (06-694)
A U.S. contractor has been sentenced to six months in prison and six months of monitored home confinement for paying illegal gratuities to a former U.S. Army Director of Contracting and violating the Travel Act in connection with U.S. Army contracts awarded from an Army recreational facility in Germany, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)
Atlanta-based Insurance Services Firm to Pay $1.36 Million for Allegedly Overbilling the Government (06-693)
Crawford and Company, an insurance services firm, has agreed to pay the United States $1,363,204 to resolve allegations that between 1992 and 2002 it violated the False Claims Act when it submitted invoices to the federal government that contained inflated charges, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Statement by Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett Regarding the Closing of the Investigation of AT&T‘s Acquisition of Bellsouth (06-692)
“After thoroughly investigating AT&T‘s proposed acquisition of BellSouth, the Antitrust Division determined that the proposed transaction is not likely to reduce competition substantially. The Division investigated all areas in which the two companies currently compete — including residential local and long distance service, telecommunications services provided to business customers, and Internet services — and the merger‘s impact on future competition for wireless broadband services." (Read more)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Florida Charter Boat Captain Sentenced for Shooting at Dolphins (06-691)
Christopher Kevin Weaver, a charter boat captain from Panama City, Fla., was sentenced today to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine for violating the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) by knowingly and unlawfully shooting at one or more dolphins in U.S. waters. (Read more)
Oracle Agrees to Pay $98.5 Million for False Pricing Information Provided by PeopleSoft to Obtain Government Contract (06-689)
Oracle Corporation (Oracle) has agreed to pay the United States $98.5 million to settle its liability for defective pricing disclosures made by PeopleSoft Inc. (PeopleSoft) during the negotiation of a contract under the General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty, Assistant Attorney General Peter D. Keisler of the Justice Department‘s Civil Division, United States Attorney Rod J. (Read more)
Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty Announces Formation of National Procurement Fraud Task Force (06-688)
Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty announced today a new national procurement fraud initiative established by the Justice Department‘s Criminal Division to promote the early detection, prevention and prosecution of procurement fraud associated with increased contracting activity for national security and other government programs. (Read more)
Friday, October 6, 2006
Manhattan Telecommunications Installation Company Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charge (06-686)
A Manhattan telecommunications installation company executive pleaded guilty today to charges relating to his role in a conspiracy involving kickbacks, bribery, and false statements on income tax returns for the supply of telecommunications equipment and services to Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai Hospital (Mount Sinai), the Department of Justice announced. (Read more)
Promoters Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme (06-685)
A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Susan E. O‘Brien, a professional tax preparer who operated The O‘Brien Group, to 10 years and five months in prison. (Read more)
Thursday, October 5, 2006
Milwaukee Police Officers Plead Guilty in Connection with Civil Rights Violations (06-684)
Two former Milwaukee police officers today pleaded guilty to civil rights violations in relation to an assault on two men in October 2004. (Read more)
Three Former New York Archdiocese Purchasing Officials Sentenced for Fraud, Tax And Obstruction of Justice Charges (06-683)
Three former purchasing representatives for the Archdiocese of New York were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Manhattan for participating in schemes that defrauded the archdiocese of more than $2 million, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more)
Federal Court Bars Louisiana Tax Preparers from Claiming Inflated Deductions on Income Tax Returns (06-682)
A federal court in New Orleans today barred Rodney G. Bourg and Cynthia M. Bourg of Houma, La, from preparing federal income tax returns claiming inflated deductions or asserting unrealistic positions, the Justice Department announced. The Bourgs consented to the injunctions. (Read more)
Statement of Tasia Scolinos, Director of Public Affairs, Regarding the Detention of Luis Posada-Carriles (06-681)
“The Department of Justice is committed to defending the Department of Homeland Security‘s decision to detain him under the Immigration and Nationality Act.” (Read more)
Trust Scheme Promoter Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison (06-680)
Tax fraud promoter Michael Joseph Shanahan of Everett, Washington, was sentenced today in Tacoma, Wash., to 36 months in prison, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Judge Ronald B. Leighton, finding that the tax loss to the federal Treasury was more than $8.5 million, ordered Shanahan to pay that sum in restitution to the IRS. (Read more)
American Medical Response Pays $9 Million to Settle Civil Fraud Case (06-679)
American Medical Response Inc. (AMR), one of the nation‘s largest ambulance providers, has paid the United States over $9 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)
Department of Justice Issues Five-year Report Highlighting Successes in Enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (06-678)
The Justice Department today released “Access for All: Five Years of Progress,” a status report highlighting the Administration‘s successes over the last five years in enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (Read more)
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
City of Indianapolis Agrees to Make $1.86 Billion in Improvements to Sewer System (06-676)
The city of Indianapolis has agreed to make an estimated $1.86 billion worth of improvements to resolve longstanding problems with overflows from its sewer system, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Department of Justice Announces $125 Million in Grants for President Bush's DNA Initiative and Other Crime-Solving Forensic Services (06-675)
The Department of Justice has awarded more than $125 million in grants nationwide as part of President Bush's DNA Initiative, Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology, and for other crime-solving forensic services. (Read more)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Enhanced Programs to Combat Human Trafficking (06-671)
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced additional funding, totaling nearly $8 million, for law enforcement agencies and service organizations for the purpose of identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and apprehending and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses. (Read more)
Monday, October 2, 2006
Justice Department Obtains Dairy Processor Divestiture in Settlement with Dairy Farmers of America (06-672)
The Department of Justice today announced a settlement that resolves its antitrust concerns with the Dairy Farmers of America Inc. (DFA) acquisition of Southern Belle Dairy Co. LLC, by requiring DFA to divest its interest in Southern Belle. As a result of the settlement, DFA‘s partner, the Allen Family Limited Partnership (AFLP), will also sell its interest in Southern Belle. (Read more)
Justice Department Sues to Bar California CPA from Promoting Alleged Tax Scam (06-670)
The Justice Department brought suit against a Bakersfield, Calif., CPA to stop him from promoting two alleged tax fraud schemes and to bar him from preparing federal tax returns for others. (Read more)
Justice Department Announces William E. Moschella as New Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (06-666)
The Justice Department today announced that William E. Moschella will serve as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General effective immediately. Mr. Moschella succeeds William Mercer, who was nominated in early September to serve as Associate Attorney General. (Read more)