Lake Worth Tax Return Preparer Convicted on Tax Fraud, Contempt Charges (07-306)

Following a five-week trial, a federal jury in West Palm Beach has found defendant Louis Wayne Ratfield, a Lake Worth, Fla., tax return preparer, guilty on 50 charges against him in connection with his participation in a tax fraud scheme to hide income and assets in bogus trusts, Eileen J. O’Connor, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, R. Alexander Acosta, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael Yasofsky, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation Division announced today. (Read more)

Texas Refinery Will Pay $2.9 Million to Resolve Air Violations (07-305)

Total Petrochemical USA Inc. (Total) will pay a $2.9 million penalty and upgrade pollution controls at its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Announces Sixth Guilty Plea in P2P Piracy Crackdown (07-304)

A sixth defendant has pleaded guilty in connection with Operation D-Elite, the first criminal enforcement action targeting individuals committing copyright infringement on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network using BitTorrent technology, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory A. White for the Northern District of Ohio announced today. (Read more)

Department of Justice Will Not Oppose Standards-Setting Organization’s Proposal on Patent Information Policy (07-303)

The Department of Justice announced today that it will not oppose a proposal by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) to implement a policy on the disclosure and licensing of patents in IEEE’s standards-setting process. (Read more)

Three Defendants Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Securities and Email Fraud (07-302)

Sarasota, Fla., man has been sentenced to five years in prison and two years of supervised release for conspiring to commit both securities fraud and email fraud stemming from stock manipulation scheme involving four publicly-traded companies – Masslick Inc., eDollars Inc., Emerging Holdings Inc., and China Score Inc. – 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)

Digital Currency Business E-Gold Indicted for Money Laundering and Illegal Money Transmitting (07-301)

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. has indicted two companies operating a digital currency business and their owners on charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today. (Read more)

Three Atlanta Police Officers Charged in Fatal Shooting of Elderly Atlanta Woman (07-299)

Two Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers pleaded guilty today to state and federal charges related to the fatal police shooting of Kathryn Johnston, a 92-year-old woman, in her Atlanta home during the execution of a search warrant in November 2006. (Read more)

Former IRS District Director Pleads Guilty to $1.3 Million Tax Fraud (07-298)

A former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) district director, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States through his involvement in a tax fraud scheme promoted by the Topeka, Kansas-based “Renaissance, The Tax People, Inc.,” the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service announced. (Read more)

Justice Department Resolves Voting Rights Lawsuit Against Philadelphia (07-297)

The Justice Department today reached a settlement agreement with the City of Philadelphia related to allegations that the city violated the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). (Read more)

Baker Hughes Subsidiary Pleads Guilty to Bribing Kazakh Official and Agrees to Pay $11 Million Criminal Fine as Part of Largest Combined Sanction Ever Imposed in FCPA Case (07-296)

Baker Hughes Services International Inc. (BHSI)—a wholly owned subsidiary of Baker Hughes Incorporated—pleaded guilty to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)

Four Men Convicted in Online Auction Piracy Initiative (07-295)

Four more defendants pleaded guilty in Milwaukee to selling copyrighted software, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic for the Eastern District of Wiscon­sin announced today. (Read more)

U.S. Joins Case Against Healthessentials Solutions for Alleged False Claims Billings to Medicare (07-294)

The United States has intervened in three qui tam suits accusing HealthEssentials Solutions Inc. (HES) of false claims billings to Medicare, the Justice Department announced today. Specifically, HES is accused of upcoding – the practice of improperly assigning a diagnosis code to a patient discharge that is not supported by the medical record for the purpose of obtaining a higher level of reimbursement. (Read more)

Acid Manufacturer Will Spend $50 Million to Reduce Air Pollution (07-294)

Rhodia Inc., an acid manufacturer, will pay a $2 million penalty and spend approximately $50 million on air pollution controls at eight production plants in four states across the country, per the terms of a settlement which will resolve allegations that the company violated the Clean Air Act. The pollution controls are expected to reduce harmful emissions from its production plants in Texas, Louisiana, California and Indiana by 19,000 tons per year. (Read more)

Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Burn Home of African-American Family in Taylor, Michigan (07-293)

Ricky Cotton of Taylor, Mich., was sentenced yesterday to 78 months in prison for conspiring to violate the civil rights of an African-American family in Taylor. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Announces Expansion of Justice Department’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative (07-292)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today announced the expansion of the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative to include four additional sites targeting dangerous street gangs and promoting prevention efforts to keep communities and neighborhoods safe. Attorney General Gonzales made the announcement during a visit to Rochester, N.Y., one of four sites that will receive $2.5 million in additional grant funding to combat gang violence. Oklahoma City, Indianapolis and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. were also selected to receive funding as part of the Department’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative. (Read more)

U.S. Asks Federal Court to Bar Dallas Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-291)

According to the government’s civil injunction complaint, Farai Mushaninga, who operates FW Hawk Services and FW Hawk Taxes in Dallas, prepared federal income tax returns claiming fraudulent fuel tax credits, a scam that the complaint says is a serious enforcement problem for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (Read more)

Richmond Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography Via Peer-to-Peer Software (07-290)

A Richmond man has pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg of the Eastern District of Virginia announced today. (Read more)

Cabinet Officials to Look into Issues Raised by Virginia Tech Tragedy (07-288)

At the direction of President Bush, federal officials at the Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services are providing assistance to the Virginia Tech community and participating in a review of the broader questions raised by the tragedy. (Read more)

Justice Department Announces Public Education Campaign Grants to Fight Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination (07-287)

The Justice Department announced today that it is making available $725,000 in funding for grant programs designed to promote public education efforts regarding immigration-related employment discrimination. (Read more)

Washington, D.C. Police Officer Indicted for Tax Fraud (07-286)

A federal grand jury in Washington returned an indictment charging Michael C. Irving with federal and District of Columbia tax fraud charges, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. (Read more)

Two Men Sentenced for Violating Environmental Law (07-285)

A former boat builder, Michael Bonner of Wetumpka, Ala. and a commercial fisherman, Gerald E. Andrews Jr. of Pensacola, Fla., were each sentenced today to three years of probation and fines of $25,000 and $40,000, respectively, the Justice Department announced. (Read more)

Former Congressional Aide Mark D. Zachares Pleads Guilty to Public Corruption Charge (07-283)

A former high-level staffer of the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation & Infrastructure Committee has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Department of Justice/Federal Trade Commission Hearings on Single-Firm Conduct to Continue on May 1 (07-282)

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission today announced that the second-to-last panel in a series of joint public hearings designed to examine the implications of single-firm conduct under the antitrust laws will take place on May 1 in Washington, D.C. The final panel will be held on May 8. (Read more)

Former Deputy Sheriff Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation in Pensacola, Florida (07-281)

Richard G. Farnham, a former Pinnellas County Deputy Sheriff, was today sentenced to 12 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release for violating the federally protected civil rights of a man while Farnham was on storm patrol in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. Farnham was also ordered to pay $2,300 in restitution to the victim. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Election in Florida (07-280)

The Justice Department today announced that on April 24, 2007, it will monitor the special election in Osceola County, Fla., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Three Men Convicted of Committing Federal Hate Crime in Utah (07-279)

A federal jury in Salt Lake City, late Friday night, convicted Shaun A. Walker of Mill Point, W.Va., and Travis D. Massey and Eric G. Egbert, both of Salt Lake City, of assaulting a Mexican-American man in 2002 and conspiring to violate the civil rights of individuals for racially-motivated reasons in 2002 and 2003. (Read more)

Fact Sheet: The Department of Justice’s Efforts to Combat Identity Theft (07-278)

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The President’s Identity Theft Task Force Releases Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Combat Identity Theft (07-277)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras today announced the completion of the President’s Identity Theft Task Force strategic plan to combat identity theft. (Read more)

Federal Jury Convicts Man for Violating the Civil Rights of a Michigan Family and Conspiring to Obstruct Justice (07-275)

A federal jury in Detroit today convicted Wayland Mullins, of Taylor, Mich., of violating the civil rights of an African-American family by attempting to burn down the family’s house. Mullins was also found guilty of conspiring to violate the family’s housing rights, conspiring to obstruct a federal investigation, and using fire in the commission of a felony. Mullins faces a maximum of 25 years in prison on the civil rights violations and obstruction charges, and an additional mandatory 10 years in prison on the use-of-fire count. Mullins is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23, 2007. (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Allegations of Disability Discrimination Against Chapel Hill, North Carolina (07-274)

The Justice Department reached an agreement today with Chapel Hill, N.C., to settle allegations that the city engaged in housing discrimination on the basis of disability. (Read more)

Extradited Software Piracy Ringleader Pleads Guilty (07-273)

The leader of one of the oldest and most renowned Internet software piracy groups has pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement charges, in one of the first ever extraditions for an intellectual property offense, 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)

Two Defendants Plead Guilty in Internet Music Piracy Crackdown (07-272)

Two defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully reproduce and distribute copyrighted music over the Internet, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg of the Eastern District of Virginia announced today. (Read more)

Operator of For-Profit Software Piracy Web Site Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison (07-271)

The owner of a massive for-profit software piracy Web site was sentenced in federal court to 24 months in prison, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg of the Eastern District of Virginia announced today. (Read more)

Statement of Tasia Scolinos, Director of Public Affairs, In Response to the Attorney General’s Hearing Today on the U.S. Attorney Resignation Matter (07-270)

This matter began as an inquiry into whether any of these 8 U.S. Attorneys were fired for improper reasons. After several hours of testimony by the Attorney General, over five thousand pages of documents released to Congress and hours of interviews with other senior DOJ officials, it is clear that the Attorney General did not ask for the resignation of any individual in order to interfere with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain. (Read more)

Former Qwest Chief Executive Officer Joseph Nacchio Convicted on 19 Counts of Insider Trading (07-269)

A federal jury has found Joseph P. Nacchio, the former chief executive officer of Qwest Communications International Inc., guilty of insider trading charges, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Announces E-Submission Voting Rights Act Initiative (07-268)

The Justice Department today announced a new E-Submission program by the Civil Rights Division that is designed to improve the administration of the Voting Rights Act. This new program will ease the process by which jurisdictions submit voting changes for administrative review under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act by enabling them to do so online. (Read more)

Former Memphis Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations (07-267)

Alexander Johnson, a former officer with the Memphis Police Department, pleaded guilty today to a one-count felony violation for conspiring to deprive individuals of their civil rights. (Read more)

Tyco International (US) Inc. to Pay More Than $1.1 Million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations at Former Facility (07-266)

Tyco International (US) Inc. will pay a penalty of more than $1.1 million to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at its former metal forming and finishing facility located in Hamburg, N.J., the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. (Read more)

U.S. Joins Cases Against Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems & Accenture Alleging False Claims On Hardware, Software & Technology Services Sales (07-265)

The United States has intervened in three whistleblower suits alleging that Hewlett-Packard Company (HP), Accenture LLP, and Sun Microsystems Inc. solicited and provided improper payments and other things of value on technology contracts with government agencies, the Justice Department announced today. (Read more)

Department of Justice Files Motion to Dismiss, Reflecting Recent Court Decisions and Legislation (07-264)

Today the Department of Justice asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss the Guantanamo Bay detainee habeas corpus cases pending before it. This action is in accordance with both the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upholding the constitutionality of the Military Commissions Act (MCA) and directing that such cases be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction and the recent decision of the Supreme Court to deny certiorari in those cases. (Read more)

Sixth Samsung Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Participating in DRAM Price-Fixing Cartel (07-263)

A sixth executive from Samsung Electronics Company Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of memory chips, has agreed to plead guilty to participating in a global conspiracy to fix dynamic random access memory (DRAM) prices, the Department of Justice announced. Il Ung Kim, a Korean executive, has agreed to serve 14 months in a United States prison, the longest imprisonment ever by a foreign defendant charged with price fixing in the United States. (Read more)

Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Amsted Industries Inc.’s Purchase of FM Industries (07-262)

The Department of Justice today announced that it has reached a settlement that will require Chicago-based Amsted Industries Incorporated to divest certain assets in order to remedy harm to competition arising from its December 2005 acquisition of FM Industries (FMI). (Read more)

Statement of Justice Department Spokesman Erik Ablin on Today’s Supreme Court Ruling in Gonzales v. Carhart (07-261)

“We are pleased with the Court’s decision today to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, which overwhelmingly passed Congress with strong bipartisan support." (Read more)

Former Executive of Window Blind Slat Manufacturing Company Indicted for Conspiracy and Wire Fraud (07-260)

A federal grand jury in Houston indicted a former president of a window blind slat manufacturing company for committing wire fraud and for participating in a conspiracy to defraud customers, the Department of Justice announced today. (Read more)

Department of Justice Response to Shootings at Virginia Tech (07-259)

Following his expression of condolence and offer of support yesterday, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales pledged Department of Justice assistance to the victims of the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech and the state and local agencies that are leading the investigation. (Read more)

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. to Pay United States $10.5 Million to Resolve Claims for Illegal Marketing of Cancer Drug (07-258)

Cell Therapeutics Inc. (CTI) of Seattle, Wash., has agreed to pay the United States $10.5 million to resolve allegations of the company’s illegal marketing of the anti-cancer prescription drug Trisenox, the Justice Department announced today. According to the government’s complaint, CTI promoted the drug for various uses that were unapproved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). (Read more)

National Security Division Names New Chief of Counterterrorism Section (07-257)

Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced today that Michael Mullaney, a 28-year veteran of law enforcement, has been appointed Chief of the Counterterrorism Section in the Justice Department’s National Security Division. (Read more)

Department of Justice Selects General Dynamics as Its Contractor for the Integrated Wireless Network (07-256)

The Department of Justice announced today that it has selected General Dynamics C4 Systems of Scottsdale, Ariz., to implement wireless communications services to Department field agents as part of the Integrated Wireless Network (IWN) Program. (Read more)

Antitrust Division Names New Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Regulatory Matters (07-255)

Thomas O. Barnett, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, today announced that Deborah A. Garza will serve as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Regulatory Matters. Garza will oversee transportation, energy, agriculture, telecommunications and other regulatory matters for the Division. (Read more)

U.S. Court Bars Miami Flea Market Tax Preparer from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others (07-254)

A federal judge in Miami today permanently barred Tashanna McFarland from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced. (Read more)

Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission Issue Report on Antitrust and Intellectual Property (07-253)

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today issued a joint report, “Antitrust Enforcement and Intellectual Property Rights: Promoting Innovation and Competition,” to inform consumers, businesses, and intellectual property rights holders about the agencies’ competition views with respect to a wide range of activities involving intellectual property. (Read more)

Illinois Man Convicted of Serving as Long-Time Iraqi Intelligence Agent in the United States (07-252)

A suburban Chicago man has been convicted of serving as a long-time agent of the Iraqi Intelligence Service in the United States, Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI, announced today. (Read more)

Statement Of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on Shooting Spree at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) (07-251)

“I am deeply saddened and angered by these senseless acts of violence. My deepest condolences and prayers go out to those affected by this horrific crime, especially those who lost loved ones." (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Illinois and Massachusetts (07-250)

The Justice Department today announced that on April 17, 2007, it will monitor municipal elections in Kane County, Ill., and Boston, Mass., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Producing Video of Toddler Being Sexually Abused (07-249)

A Boise, Idaho man has been sentenced to life in prison plus 60 years for producing a video of a toddler being sexually abused and sharing it on the Internet with a sex offender in Canada, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Moss of the District of Idaho announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department Announces Fifth Guilty Plea in P2P Piracy Crackdown (07-248)

A fifth defendant has pleaded guilty in connection with Operation D-Elite, the first criminal enforcement action targeting individuals committing copyright infringement on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network using BitTorrent technology, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Eric F. Melgren for the District of Kansas announced today. (Read more)

Federal Agreement Ensures Funding for Cleanup of Beede Waste Oil Site in Plaistow, New Hampshire (07-241)

The federal government and state of New Hampshire today reached a comprehensive settlement agreement with 101 potentially responsible parties which will ensure cleanup actions at the 41-acre Beede Waste Oil Superfund Site in Plaistow, N.H. The agreement provides for site-wide cleanup estimated to cost approximately $48 million, payment of over $9 million for future federal and state oversight costs, and recovery of over $17 million in past response costs incurred by federal and state agencies at the site. (Read more)

Fact Sheet: Title IV of the Fiscal Year 2008 Intelligence Authorization Act, Matters Related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (07-247)

Today, following over a year of coordinated effort among the Intelligence Community and the Department of Justice a bill is being submitted to Congress to request long overdue changes to FISA. The proposed legislation’s core objective is to bring FISA up to date with the revolution in telecommunications technology that has taken place since 1978, while continuing to protect the privacy interests of persons located in the United States. This legislation is important to ensure that FISA continues to serve the nation as a means to protect our country from foreign security threats, while also continuing to protect the valued privacy interests and civil liberties of persons located in the United States. (Read more)

California CPA Temporarily Barred from Giving Legal Advice and Promoting Illegal Conduct (07-243)

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California has issued a preliminary injunction against Lowell Baisden, a Bakersfield, Calif., Certified Public Accountant, the Justice Department announced today. The injunction prevents him from promoting his tax scheme and was issued after a two-day evidentiary hearing in Fresno, Calif. (Read more)

Justice Department Files Voting Rights Lawsuit Against the City of Walnut, California (07-242)

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the City of Walnut, Calif., alleging violations of the rights of Chinese- and Korean-speaking voters under the Voting Rights Act. (Read more)

Ohio Man Indicted and Arrested for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists (07-240)

Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Gregory G. Lockhart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Timothy P. Murphy, Special Agent-in-Charge, FBI Cincinnati Division, announced today that an Ohio man has been indicted and arrested for conspiring to provide material support and resources to terrorists, conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) and providing material support and resources to terrorists. (Read more)

Justice Department Seeks to Bar North Carolina Man from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (07-239)

The United States has sued a Greensboro, N.C., man in federal court, seeking to permanently bar him from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The government complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for Middle District of North Carolina, alleges that Marcel Thomas and his business, Refund Recovery Group (RRG), prepare fraudulent federal income tax returns containing bogus information such as fabricated businesses and business deductions and false Earned Income Tax Credit information. (Read more)

Justice Department Sues to Bar Missouri Woman from Preparing Tax Returns (07-238)

The Justice Department announced today that it has asked a federal court to permanently bar Marva Bilberry of Belton, Mo., from preparing tax returns for others. The civil injunction suit, filed in Kansas City with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, alleges that Bilberry operates a business called Bilberry Bookkeeping & Tax Service that has prepared fraudulent income tax returns for customers in the Kansas City metropolitan area. (Read more)

Creator of Girls Gone Wild Indicted for Tax Evasion (07-237)

A federal grand jury in Reno, Nev., returned an indictment charging Joseph R. Francis with tax evasion, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The indictment alleges that Francis, whose companies Mantra Films Inc. and Sands Media Inc. produce and sell the Girls Gone Wild videotapes and DVDs, deducted more than $20 million in false business expenses on the companies’ 2002 and 2003 corporate income tax returns. (Read more)

Justice Department Settles Allegations of Sex Discrimination Against Knoxville Landlords (07-236)

The Justice Department today reached an agreement with the owners and managers of several rental properties in Knoxville, Tenn., to resolve allegations of systemic discrimination against female tenants. The settlement, pending approval by the U.S. District Court in Knoxville, will require the defendants to pay a total of $110,000 to nine alleged victims and pay a civil penalty to the government of $15,000. (Read more)

Justice Department Resolves Discrimination Case Against Springfield, Illinois, Developer (07-235)

The Justice Department today reached a $60,000 settlement with a Springfield, Ill., development company and the estate of its former principal officer to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed in November 2005. The settlement resolves allegations that the defendants refused to sell property in a Springfield-area subdivision because the buyer intended to house six persons with disabilities there. (Read more)

Circus Agent Sentenced for Alien Smuggling and Visa Fraud (07-234)

A former acrobatic performer who resides in Orlando, Fla., was sentenced to 15 months in prison on charges of inducing aliens to enter the United States illegally and making false statements in visa applications, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher and Acting U.S. Attorney James R. Klindt for the Middle District of Florida announced today. (Read more)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Appoints Melanie Ann Pustay as Director of the Office of Information and Privacy (07-233)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today appointed Melanie Ann Pustay as Director of the Office of Information and Privacy (OIP). Pustay is a 24-year career civil servant at OIP, starting in the Department in 1983 as an attorney advisor. She has served as Acting Director since January 2007 and replaces Daniel J. Metcalfe as Director. (Read more)

Attorney General Gonzales Announces Kevin O’Connor as Chief of Staff for the Department of Justice (07-232)

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today named Kevin J. O’Connor, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, as his Chief of Staff. In this role, O’Connor will assist the Attorney General and senior Department of Justice staff in managing and implementing the Department’s policy initiatives and priorities. (Read more)

U.S. Court Bars Florida CPA from Preparing Tax Returns for Clients (07-231)

A federal judge has permanently barred Max Holcher of Naples, Fla., from promoting a scheme he calls “Tax Engineering” and from preparing federal income tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. According to the government complaint in the civil injunction suit, Holcher operates businesses known as Holcher & Company and Holcher CPA Group. (Read more)

Justice Department Will Not Oppose Proposal by Trucking Companies for Benchmarking Survey (07-230)

The Department of Justice announced today that it will not oppose a proposal by the National Association of Small Trucking Companies (NASTC) and Bell & Company (Bell) to conduct an operational and financial survey of small- and medium-sized trucking companies. (Read more)

Four Defendants Sentenced on one of New England’s Largest Counterfeit Goods Conspiracies (07-229)

Four Massachusetts residents were sentenced in federal court for money laundering and trafficking and conspiring to traffic in more than $1 million of counterfeit luxury handbags and wallets, as well as the materials needed to make these counterfeits, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher for the Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael J. Sullivan of the District of Massachusetts; Special Agent in Charge Bruce M. Foucart of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New England; and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Bricker of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation in New England announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department And Inova Fairfax Hospital Reach Americans with Disabilities Act Agreement (07-228)

The Department of Justice today announced a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Inova Fairfax Hospital, a hospital serving the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. The settlement agreement, which is designed to ensure effective communication with patients or companions who are deaf or hard of hearing, resolves allegations that the hospital did not appropriately respond to an incident involving a patient who was hearing-impaired. (Read more)

Ecuadorian National Charged with Attempting to Kill a DEA Agent Extradited to the U.S. from Colombia (07-227)

An Ecuadorian national charged with the attempted murder of a DEA agent has been extradited from Colombia to the United States, the Department of Justice announced today. Jairo Motta-Vargas arrived in Miami from Colombia on April 4, and was transported to Washington, D.C. on April 5. (Read more)

Sparks, Nevada-based Company Pleads Guilty to Violating the Clean Water Act (07-226)

Greg Street Plating Inc.—an electroplating, metal plating and finishing company based in Sparks, Nev.—pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging the company with discharging highly acidic waste into the sewer system that leads to the Truckee Meadows Sewage treatment facility, in violation of the Clean Water Act. The company, which is no longer operating, was also sentenced to pay a $30,000 penalty for its criminal violation. (Read more)

MIAMI MAN CONVICTED OF SEX TOURISM, CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES (07-225)

Miami resident Kent Frank was convicted of eight counts of sex tourism and child pornography charges following a five-week trial in federal court, (Read more)

Justice Department Requires Divestitures in Cemex’s Acquisition of Rinker Group (07-224)

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement that will require Mexico-based Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. to divest 39 ready mix concrete, concrete block, and aggregate facilities in Arizona and Florida in the event Cemex succeeds in its hostile takeover of Australia-based Rinker Group. (Read more)

Insulation Service Companies and Executive Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging at New York City Hospitals (07-223)

Two Long Island, N.Y. insulation service companies and an owner of the companies pleaded guilty today to conspiring to rig bids on the supply of maintenance and insulation services to New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) and Mount Sinai Medical Center (Mount Sinai), the Department of Justice announced. (Read more)

Sinclair Tulsa Refining Company and Managers Sentenced for Environmental Crimes (07-222)

Sinclair Tulsa Refining Company, a subsidiary of major oil and gasoline producer Sinclair Oil, and two company managers, were sentenced today for environmental crimes related to the operation of the Tulsa Refinery. (Read more)

United States Announces Clean Air Act Settlement with Two Oil and Gas Companies in Illinois (07-221)

The United States government and the state of Illinois today reached a Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement with oil producers Rex Energy Operating Corp. and PennTex Resources Illinois, Inc. which will result in reduced emissions from the companies’ facilities in Illinois. (Read more)

Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Human Trafficking Ring (07-220)

Brian Forbes of Hartford, Conn., pleaded guilty today to six counts related to his role in a sex-trafficking ring. Forbes is the ninth of ten defendants to plead guilty to federal charges in this case. In his plea agreement, Forbes has admitted to placing three juveniles in prostitution and compelling two adults into prostitution through force, fraud or coercion. (Read more)

Oregon White Supremacist Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Attack on Synagogue (07-219)

Jacob Albert Laskey, of Springfield, Ore., was sentenced today to serve 11 years and three months in federal prison for his role in the Oct. 25, 2002, racially-motivated attack on Temple Beth Israel, in Eugene, Ore. The defendant is a self-avowed white supremacist who admitted that he sought to commit acts of violence and destruction against Jews, African-Americans, and members of other ethnic and racial groups, when such opportunities arose. In August 2006, Laskey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deprive individuals of their civil rights, intentionally damaging religious property, solicitation to murder witnesses, soliciting a bomb threat against the federal courthouse in Eugene, two counts of obstruction of justice, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. (Read more)

Justice Department Obtains $535,000 Judgment in Housing Discrimination Case Against Ohio Landlord (07-218)

The Justice Department today announced that a former landlord in the Dayton, Ohio, area has been ordered by District Court Judge Walter H. Rice to pay $535,000 in damages for discriminating against African-Americans and families with children at three apartment complexes he owned and managed. The damage award is the second largest ever obtained by the Justice Department in a Fair Housing Act case. (Read more)

Two Indicted and Arrested on Charges of Supplying Indian Government with Controlled Technology (07-217)

A South Carolina man and woman have been indicted and arrested on charges of supplying the Government of India with controlled technology without the required licenses, Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, and Jeffrey A. Taylor, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, announced today. (Read more)

Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service Highlight Tax Enforcement Results (07-216)

The Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today announced highlights of their work during the past year to defend and enforce federal tax laws. (Read more)

U.S. Government Sues Jackson Hewitt Tax Preparation Franchises in Four States, Alleging Pervasive Fraud (07-215)

The United States has filed civil injunction suits against five corporations that operate Jackson Hewitt tax preparation franchises, as well as 24 individuals who manage or work at the franchises, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. According to the four lawsuits—filed in federal courts in Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and Raleigh, N.C.—the corporations operate under franchise agreements with Jackson Hewitt Tax Services Inc. of Parsippany, N.J., the nation’s second largest tax preparation firm. (Read more)

Justice Department Sues Robert L. Schulz and “We the People” to Stop Alleged Tax Scam (07-214)

The United States announced that it has sued to block Robert L. Schulz, of Queensbury, N.Y., from selling an alleged tax fraud scheme said to have cost the U.S. Treasury more than $21 million, the Justice Department announced today. Also named in the suit are two corporations, We the People Foundation for Constitutional Education Inc., and We the People Congress Inc. (Read more)

Antitrust Division Statement Regarding the Release of the Antitrust Modernization Commission Report (07-212)

Over the last three years, the Antitrust Modernization Commission (AMC) has undertaken a comprehensive review of U.S. antitrust laws, as well as the policies and practices of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission in implementing those laws. (Read more)

Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and Federal Government Reach $90 Million Joint Settlement with Nevada Power (07-208)

Nevada Power Company has agreed to a joint settlement today with the federal government and the state of Nevada that will require the utility to spend nearly $85 million on cleaner technology and pay a $1.11 million fine, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced. (Read more)

Former New Mexico Corrections Officer Convicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges (07-211)

A former New Mexico corrections officer, John Gould, was found guilty today by a federal jury in Albuquerque, N.M., of physically assaulting two prisoners, one at the Dona Ana County Detention Center in October 2002, and another inmate at the Cibola County Detention Center in March 2004, in violation of their constitutional rights. Gould was also found guilty of obstructing justice for filing false reports. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. (Read more)

Biloxi Attorney Paul Minor and Two Former Mississippi State Court Judges Convicted for Role in Bribery Scheme (07-210)

A federal jury in Jackson, Miss., has convicted Biloxi attorney Paul S. Minor, former Mississippi state chancery court judge Walter W. Teel, and former Mississippi state court circuit judge John H. Whitfield of charges related to their role in a bribery scheme in which Minor provided Teel and Whitfield with money and other things of value in exchange for favorable rulings in cases brought before the judges by Minor’s law firm, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today. (Read more)