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Press Releases for February 2007

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Investigation of Major Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization Results in Hundreds of Arrests Nationwide (07-120)

SAN DIEGO — A long-term investigation into a Mexican drug trafficking organization and its U.S.-based distribution cells has resulted in the arrest of more than 400 individuals nationwide, including the arrest of more than 66 individuals this morning in California, Arizona and Illinois, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales announced today at a press conference in San Diego. (Read more)

Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Bar Illinois Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-118)

The Justice Department has filed a suit in federal court seeking to bar Bertha Steverson of Chicago from preparing federal income tax returns for others. (Read more)

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Justice Department Releases New Americans with Disabilities Act Technical Assistance Materials (07-117)

The Department of Justice today released new technical assistance materials to help state and local governments comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The materials are part of the “ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments,” a project announced by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales in October 2006. (Read more)

Monday, February 26, 2007

Justice Department Sues Cincinnati Landlord for Sexual Harassment

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against James G. Mitchell, the owner and operator of several rental properties in the Cincinnati, Ohio, metropolitan area, alleging a pattern or practice of sexual harassment of female tenants. (Read more)

Former Congressional Chief Of Staff Pleads Guilty To Corruption Crimes (07-112)

WASHINGTON — William J. Heaton, 28, former chief of staff for Congressman Robert W. Ney, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District for the District of Columbia to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud, (Read more)

Friday, February 23, 2007

Florida Attorney Convicted Of Witness Tampering and Conspiracy To Obstruct A Grand Jury (07-110)

WASHINGTON — A federal jury convicted former Monroe County, Fla., Attorney of conspiring to obstruct a federal grand jury and witness tampering, (Read more)

Former Executive Charged With Providing an Illegal Gratuity To D.C. Public Official (07-109)

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. today indicted a former vice president of a transportation contractor with providing an illegal gratuity to a former D.C. transportation official, the Department of Justice announced. (Read more)

Department of Treasury Special Agent Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud Conspiracy (07-108)

WASHINGTON — A Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiring to defraud three Jacksonville, Fla., banks of $106,000, (Read more)

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Florida Man Convicted for Child Exploitation (07-107)

Raymond George Bohning, 59, of Hollywood, Fla., entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for preying on children, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta for the Southern District of Florida, and FBI Special Agent in Charge, Jonathan I. Solomon, announced today. (Read more)

Two Pennsylvania Executives Agree to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging on Contract with the U.S. Navy (07-106)

Two executives of a Pennsylvania company have agreed to plead guilty, pay a fine, and serve jail time for participating in a conspiracy to rig bids on U.S. Navy contracts for metal sling hoist assemblies, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

15th Family Justice Center Opens in South Bend, Indiana (07-105)

The Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County opened its doors today, the Justice Department and the City of South Bend announced. The center, located in South Bend, Ind., is the final center to be opened under President Bush‘s Family Justice Center Initiative, and is located in one of 15 communities chosen under the President‘s Initiative to prevent and respond to violence against women. (Read more)

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Fact Sheet: Security at the Department of Justice Bureau of Prisons Adminstrative Maximum Security Facility (07-104)

Securing convicted terrorists and other violent criminals so that they no longer pose a threat to society is a top priority for the Department of Justice. For the second time in two years, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales toured the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Administrative Maximum Security (ADX) facility in Florence, Colorado today to see first hand the security at the nation‘s most secure prison. (Read more)

Second Ohio Man Sentenced for Hate Crimes (07-101)

Joseph Kuzlik, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 27 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for committing a racially motivated crime which violated the federally protected civil rights of a Cleveland family. (Read more)

Virginia Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging on Contracts with the U.S. Navy and Others and to Conspiring to Bribe a New York City Government Employee (07-100)

The former president of a Clearbrook, Va. marine products company agreed to plead guilty for his participation in two separate conspiracies to rig bids and allocate customers with respect to marine products purchased by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other public and private entities. The executive, Robert Taylor, was also charged for his role in a conspiracy to bribe an employee of the City of New York to win orders for marine products. (Read more)

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Environmental Crimes (07-099)

Dennis Rodriguez of El Paso, Texas, pleaded guilty today to criminal environmental crimes related to the operation of his company, North American Waste Assistance, LLC (NAWA), also located in El Paso. (Read more)

Software Piracy Ringleader Extradited from Australia (07-097)

In one of the first ever extraditions for an intellectual property offense, the leader of one of the oldest and most renowned Internet software piracy groups was arraigned today in U.S. District Court, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Highlights Justice Department‘s Efforts to Protect Religious Liberty (07-096)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales announced today the launch of the First Freedom Project, a program spear-headed by the Justice Department‘s Civil Rights Division that builds on the Department‘s extensive efforts to strengthen and preserve religious liberty throughout the nation. (Read more)

Statement of Justice Department Spokesman Erik Ablin on Today‘s Ruling in al Odah v. U.S. (07-095)

"We are pleased with the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upholding the constitutionality of the Military Commissions Act (MCA) and dismissing the consolidated Guantanamo detainee cases for lack of jurisdiction." (Read more)

High-ranking Member of Colombian FARC Narco-Terrorist Organization Convicted on U.S. Drug Charges (07-094)

A high-ranking member of the designated foreign terrorist organization Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) has been convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on drug charges, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Requires Mittal Steel to Divest Sparrows Point Steel Mill (07-093)

The Department of Justice today announced that it will require Mittal Steel Company N.V. to divest its Sparrows Point facility located near Baltimore, Md., to remedy the competitive harm arising from Mittal‘s recent $33 billion acquisition of Arcelor S.A. The Department said the acquisition, as originally proposed, would have substantially lessened competition in the market for tin mill products in the eastern United States. (Read more)

Friday, February 16, 2007

Justice Department to Monitor Election in New York (07-092)

The Justice Department today announced that on Feb. 20, 2007, it will monitor the special election in Richmond County (Staten Island), N.Y., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. The Department monitors will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in the county. (Read more)

Former DOD Employee Pleads Guilty to Corruption Charges While Working at U.S. Army Headquarters Europe (07-090)

Steven Merkes, a former Department of Defense (DOD) employee, pleaded guilty to accepting illegal gratuities while serving as an operational support planner in the Future Operations Division of the U.S. Army Headquarters, Special Operations Command—Europe (HQSOCEUR), Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

U.S. Contractor Sentenced in Case Involving Bribery, Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme in al-Hillah, Iraq (07-089)

A U.S. contractor was sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $3.6 million for his role in a bribery and fraud scheme involving contracts in the reconstruction of Iraq, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Virgin Islands Man Indicted on Child Pornography Charges (07-088)

A federal grand jury in the District of the Virgin Islands returned an indictment charging a St. Thomas man with five counts of child pornography, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Jenkins for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today. (Read more)

Chicago Attorney Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion (07-087)

Robert Wayne Hallock, an attorney from Chicago, Ill., was sentenced today in federal court for attempting to evade taxes on more than $1 million in income, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. (Read more)

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

U.S. Government Seeks to Permanently Bar Alleged Fraudulent Tax Return Operation (07-085)

The United States filed has filed suit seeking to permanently bar Richard E. Almy and his company, REA Associates, Inc., from preparing federal tax returns, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Attorney General Gonzales Announces New Initiatives for Law Enforcement Efforts in New Orleans (07-084)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales announced today a multi-faceted Department of Justice initiative to assist the city of New Orleans in its continued recovery from the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. (Read more)

Friday, February 9, 2007

Former Telecom Owner Convicted for Scheme to Defraud Federal E-Rate Program (07-081)

A federal jury in McAllen, Texas, convicted the former president and owner of ATE Tel Solutions Inc., which does business as ATE Telecom Solutions Inc. (ATE Tel), on seven of nine counts of wire fraud in a scheme to defraud the federal E-Rate program, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Former Telecom Owner Convicted for Scheme to Defraud Federal E-rate Program (07-080)

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Justice Department‘s Office on Violence Against Women Observes National Teen Violence Awareness and Prevention Week (07-079)

To continue its efforts to raise awareness and increase education of the alarming and often under-reported crime of teen dating violence, this week (Feb. 5-9), the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is observing National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. (Read more)

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Justice Department Reaches Fair Housing Act Settlement with Memphis Developers, Architects and Engineers (07-078)

The Justice Department today reached a Fair Housing Act settlement with a group of developers, builders, architects and engineers related to the design and construction of two Memphis-area apartment complexes. (Read more)

Five Defendants Indicted in Case Involving Bribery, Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme in al-Hillah, Iraq (07-077)

A federal grand jury in Trenton, N.J. has indicted three former U.S. Army officers and two U.S. civilians for their role in a bribery, fraud and money laundering scheme involving the theft of millions of dollars from the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty announced today. (Read more)

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Three Vetco International Ltd. Subsidiaries Plead Guilty to Foreign Bribery and Agree to Pay $26 Million in Criminal Fines (07-075)

Vetco Gray Controls Inc., Vetco Gray Controls Ltd., and Vetco Gray UK Ltd., wholly owned subsidiaries of Vetco International Ltd., have pleaded guilty to violating the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty announced today. (Read more)

Federal Court Bars Tax Fraud Scheme Involving Bogus Corporations (07-074)

A federal judge has ordered that William J. Kennedy, of Livermore, Calif., be barred from selling “corporation sole” tax fraud schemes, the Justice Department announced today. The preliminary injunction order was entered following a hearing before Judge Jeffrey White of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. (Read more)

Federal Court Permanently Bars Minnesota Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-073)

A federal court in Minnesota has issued a permanent order barring Nash Sonibare, who operated Liberty Financial Group in St. Paul, Minn., from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Monday, February 5, 2007

Department of Justice FY 2008 Budget Request (07-072)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced that the President‘s FY 2008 budget proposal for the Department of Justice (DOJ) is $21.8 billion in discretionary funding. The President‘s overall FY 2008 budget requests $227 million in program increases and directed state and local assistance for counterterrorism and intelligence programs, reflecting the Department of Justice‘s continued and expanding focus on national security and the prevention of terrorist attacks. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Aggressive New Joint Initiatives with El Salvador To Combat Transnational Gangs (07-071)

Today, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and Salvadoran President Elias Antonio Saca announced tough new collaborative efforts to combat transnational gangs such as MS-13 and 18th Street that operate in El Salvador, elsewhere in Central America, Mexico, and the United States. (Read more)

U.S. Civilian Translator Sentenced for Offering Bribes to Iraqi and U.S. Officials while Working in Adnon Palace in Baghdad (07-068)

A former U.S. army civilian translator was sentenced to three years in prison for attempting to bribe a senior Iraqi police official in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), 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)

Friday, February 2, 2007

Circus Agent Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Aliens and Visa Fraud (07-069)

A former acrobatic performer who resides in Orlando, Fla., has pleaded guilty to charges of inducing aliens to enter the United States illegally and to making false statements in visa applications, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher and U.S. Attorney Paul I. Perez for the Middle District of Florida announced today. (Read more)

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Lancaster, Pennsylvania Apartment Complex (07-067)

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the rental manager and owners of Barrcrest Manor Apartments, an apartment complex in Lancaster, Pa. (Read more)

Justice Department Seeks to Bar St. Louis Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-066)

The United States has sued a St. Louis woman in federal court to permanently bar her from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Three Massachusetts Men Indicted as Part of Nationwide Investigation of Internet Child Pornography Trade (07-065)

Three Massachusetts men have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography, announced Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan for the District of Massachusetts, and New England Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent in Charge Bruce M. Foucart. (Read more)