{"metadata":{"responseInfo":{"status":200},"resultset":{"count":"272012","pagesize":20,"page":0},"executionTime":0.67736911773681641},"results":[{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  \u0022Judge Bell\u2019s long record of public service, especially his efforts to enact FISA and champion civil rights, exemplified his dedication, integrity, and fearless pursuit of justice. He was not only an outstanding Attorney General, but also a true gentleman. The Justice Department mourns his passing.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:37:10-05:00\u0022\u003E1738777030\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"e99b9547-7d65-42c6-9404-68fab0db9543","name":"Office of the Attorney General"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-05T14:20:07-05:00\u0022\u003E1231183207\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231156800","image":"","number":"09-001","teaser":"\u0022Judge Bell\u0092s long record of public service, especially his efforts to enact FISA and champion civil rights, exemplified his dedication, integrity, and fearless pursuit of justice. He was not only an outstanding Attorney General, but also a true gentleman. The Justice Department mourns his passing.\u0022","title":"Statement of Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey on the Death of Former Attorney General Griffin Bell","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/statement-attorney-general-michael-b-mukasey-death-former-attorney-general-griffin-bell","uuid":"507fae43-85e6-45f6-aed3-94da8447f676"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON   \u2013 John B. Sawyer, a former trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston, S.C., to using excessive force during an arrest.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  During his plea, Sawyer acknowledged that he abused his authority as a law enforcement officer when, on May 26, 2006, he unnecessarily and repeatedly kicked the head and neck area of a man who had been apprehended in Sumter County after a chase on Interstate 95. Sawyer agreed that his conduct violated federal law and the constitutional rights of the arrested man.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022The overwhelming majority of police officers perform their duties with honor and professionalism,\u0022 said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. \u0022However, if an officer commits a criminal act by violating another person\u2019s civil rights, the Justice Department will not hesitate to step in and vigorously enforce the law.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022This is an important case, as the public places great trust in law enforcement to protect and serve them,\u0022 said Walt Wilkins, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. \u0022When an officer violates this oath, and the civil rights of those he encounters, the public\u2019s trust is eroded and fellow officers suffer as a result. We are dedicated to prosecuting those who engage in abusive police conduct, and who tarnish the reputation of the dedicated officers who serve each day with honor and distinction.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alston C. Badger and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Alan Gray formerly of the Civil Rights Division.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:19:52-05:00\u0022\u003E1738775992\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"da7df438-b3e4-4b73-9250-9974ae754efc","name":"Civil Rights Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-05T16:50:50-05:00\u0022\u003E1231192250\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231156800","image":"","number":"08-002","teaser":"John B. Sawyer, a former trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Charleston, S.C., to using excessive force during an arrest.","title":"Former South Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/former-south-carolina-highway-patrol-trooper-pleads-guilty-civil-rights-violation","uuid":"f5304777-60c9-49b2-9f02-db5176fef320"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON - Leo Burnett Company, a Chicago advertising firm, has agreed to pay the U.S. $15.5 million to settle allegations that the company submitted false claims to the U.S. Army, the Justice Department announced today. The firm had a contract from 2000 to 2005 with the Army to provide advertising services for the military service\u2019s recruiting mission.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The settlement resolves allegations that Leo Burnett improperly billed the Army while developing the recruiting Web site and for advertising under the \u0022Army of One\u0022 multimedia advertising campaign. Leo Burnett will make a cash payment of $12.1 million and credit the Army $3.4 million in work performed, but not billed.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022The Justice Department is committed to vigorously pursuing all those who knowingly submit false claims with respect to military contracts,\u0022 said Gregory G. Katsas, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.    \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E  The settlement resolves the lawsuit filed on behalf of the U.S. government by former Leo Burnett employees, Greg Hamilton and Michele Casey, who received $2,790,000 as their share of the recovery in the case. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The litigation and settlement of this case were conducted by the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Northern District of Illinois and the Justice Department\u2019s Civil Division.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022The Pentagon\u2019s Defense Criminal Investigative Service will aggressively pursue allegations of fraud that are perpetrated against the Department of Defense,\u0022 said Sharon Woods, Defense Criminal Investigative Service director.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022The American people trust us to ensure their tax dollars are spent appropriately and we will continue to aggressively seek out and investigate those who intend to defraud the Army and the American taxpayer,\u0022 said Brigadier General Rodney Johnson, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Command - Major Procurement Fraud Unit, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  This case was prosecuted as part of a National Procurement Fraud Initiative. In October 2006, the Deputy Attorney General announced the formation of a National Procurement Fraud Task Force designed to promote the early detection, identification, prevention and prosecution of procurement fraud associated with the increase in government contracting activity for national security and other government programs. The Procurement Fraud Task Force is chaired by the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division and includes the Civil Division, the U.S. Attorneys\u2019 Offices, the FBI, the U.S. Inspectors General community and a number of other federal law enforcement agencies. This case, as well as others brought by members of the task force, demonstrate the Justice Department\u2019s commitment to helping ensure the integrity of the government procurement process.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:21:33-05:00\u0022\u003E1738776093\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"dbbe4f45-4e70-4db6-88ec-c35012cac37d","name":"Civil Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-06T12:25:11-05:00\u0022\u003E1231262711\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231243200","image":"","number":"09-004","teaser":"Leo Burnett Company, a Chicago advertising firm, has agreed to pay the U.S. $15.5 million to settle allegations that the company submitted false claims to the U.S. Army. The firm had a contract from 2000 to 2005 with the Army to provide advertising services for the military service\u0092s recruiting mission.","title":"Chicago Advertising Firm Pays United States $15.5 Million to Settle Overbilling Allegations on Army Contract","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/chicago-advertising-firm-pays-united-states-155-million-settle-overbilling-allegations-army","uuid":"e9c7d691-4741-4450-a6f5-c342afdbda0d"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON - A former chief operating officer of Investment Properties of America, based in Richmond, Va., pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and to making a material false statement to federal investigators, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Dana Boentefor the Eastern District of Virginia announced.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  On July 10, 2008, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Lara Coleman, 40, for her role in a scheme to defraud and obtain millions of dollars in client funds held by the 1031 Tax Group (1031TG), a qualified intermediary company owned by the same person who owned Investment Properties of America.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Coleman, a resident of Houston, entered the guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Richmond before U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. Coleman pleaded guilty to one count of the superseding indictment that charged her with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and to a one-count information charging her with making a material false statement to federal investigators.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  According to the plea agreement and statement of facts, Coleman and others used 1031TG and its subsidiaries in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars of client funds by false pretenses. Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code allows investment property owners to defer the capital gains tax that would otherwise be due on properties sold, if the proceeds are used to purchase new property in a specified time frame. To facilitate such exchanges, investment property owners deposit the proceeds from the sale of their property with qualified intermediaries and sign exchange agreements, which include various promises by the qualified intermediaries to clients regarding the safekeeping of exchange funds in trust.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  In the plea agreement and statement of facts, Coleman admitted that 1031TG falsely represented that it would hold client funds solely to complete the clients\u2019 1031 exchanges. Coleman admitted that after obtaining clients\u2019 exchange proceeds with that false promise, she and others misappropriated approximately $132 million in client funds to support the lavish lifestyle of the owner of 1031TG, pay operating expenses for the owner\u2019s various companies, invest in commercial real estate and purchase additional qualified intermediary companies to obtain access to additional client funds. In addition, Coleman admitted that she lied to federal investigators about statements that she had made in 2006 to internal attorneys for Investment Properties of America about the amount of money that she and others had misappropriated.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Coleman has agreed, under the terms of the plea, to a sentence of 10 years in prison. At sentencing, scheduled for May 1, 2009, she also faces a $500,000 fine. In addition, the indictment seeks forfeiture of all funds and assets owned by Coleman that were derived from or connected to the misappropriation of the approximately $132 million in 1031TG funds.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  In related cases, Robert D. Field II and Richard E. Simring have pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to defraud 1031TG customers. Field was the chief financial officer and Simring was the chief legal officer of a holding company that was\u0026nbsp;set up, in part,\u0026nbsp;to oversee both Investment Properties of America and 1031TG, however neither company was ever officially made a subsidiary of the holding company.\u0026nbsp;Both\u0026nbsp;men\u0026nbsp;are\u0026nbsp;also scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2009.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Dry for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Brigham Cannon of the Criminal Division\u2019s Fraud Section. This continuing investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service and the FBI.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:16:18-05:00\u0022\u003E1738775778\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"46370d9f-afee-4408-a29b-48812154bc0c","name":"Criminal Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-06T14:54:25-05:00\u0022\u003E1231271665\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231243200","image":"","number":"09-006","teaser":"A former chief operating officer of Investment Properties of America, based in Richmond, Va., pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and to making a material false statement to federal investigators.","title":"Former Chief Operating Officer Pleads Guilty in $132 Million Scheme \u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nto Defraud Clients of Funds Allegedly Held in Trust","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/former-chief-operating-officer-pleads-guilty-132-million-scheme-defraud-clients-funds","uuid":"73ff12b8-a232-4ec1-9855-8534cbefd5e6"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWASHINGTON\u2014Tyson Foods Inc. pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Arkansas and agreed to pay the maximum fine for willfully violating worker safety regulations that led to a worker\u2019s death in its River Valley Animal Foods (RVAF) plant in Texarkana, Ark., the Justice Department announced.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the information filed along with a plea agreement, Tyson operated several RVAF plants that recycled poultry products into protein and fats for the animal food industry. As part of the rendering process in four of the plants, the company used high-pressure steam processors called hydrolyzers to convert the poultry feather into feather meal.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDecomposition of biological material such as poultry feathers produces hydrogen sulfide gas, an acute-acting toxic substance. Employees at the Tyson facilities often were exposed to the toxic gas when working on or near the hydrolyzers, which required frequent adjustment and replacement.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs of October 2003, corporate safety and regional management were aware that hydrogen sulfide gas was present in the RVAF facilities and three of the four facilities with hydrolizers had taken measures to protect employees from hydrogen sulfide gas near the hydrolyzers. However, Tyson Foods did not take sufficient steps to implement controls or protective equipment to reduce exposure within prescribed limits or provide effective training to employees on hydrogen sulfide gas at the Texarkana facility despite an identical exposure, resulting in hydrogen sulfide poisoning of an RVAF Texarkana employee in March 2002.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, at approximately 1 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2003, RVAF maintenance employee Jason Kelley was overcome with hydrogen sulfide gas while repairing a leak from a hydrolyzer and later died. Another employee and two emergency responders were hospitalized due to exposure during the rescue attempt. Two employees also were treated at the scene.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Federal laws require employers to undertake steps that limit exposure to dangerous substances like the gas that killed Jason Kelley. Tyson Foods willfully ignored these regulations and today is being held responsible,\u0022 said Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department\u2019s Environment and Natural Resources Division. \u0022The Justice Department takes its enforcement responsibility seriously and companies that ignore these laws and risk their employees\u2019 lives will be prosecuted.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires that employers furnish places of employment free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. This includes taking steps to ensure that employee exposure to dangerous substances such as hydrogen sulfide gas remains within prescribed limits. Tyson Foods pleaded guilty today to a \u0022willful violation of an OSHA standard resulting in the death of an employee,\u0022 the most serious offense available to OSHA.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to today\u2019s plea agreement, Tyson Food has agreed to pay $500,000, the maximum criminal fine. The company also will serve one year probation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe investigation was conducted by the Department of Labor and prosecuted by the Justice Department\u0027s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Western District of Arkansas under the Environmental Crimes Section\u2019s worker endangerment initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-06T13:04:59-05:00\u0022\u003E1738865099\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"034d161d-6ac9-4dff-8362-616a47d3ecb7","name":"Energy and Natural Resources Division"},{"uuid":"f979c7d0-a090-4fd2-9712-db78eb905a94","name":"ENRD - Environmental Crimes Section"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-06T15:02:03-05:00\u0022\u003E1231272123\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231243200","image":"","number":"09-005","teaser":"\u003Cp\u003ETyson Foods Inc. pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Arkansas and agreed to pay the maximum fine for willfully violating worker safety regulations that led to a worker\u2019s death in its River Valley Animal Foods (RVAF) plant in Texarkana, Ark.\u003C\/p\u003E","title":"Tyson Foods Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay Fine for OSHA Violation That Led to Worker Death","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/tyson-foods-pleads-guilty-and-agrees-pay-fine-osha-violation-led-worker-death","uuid":"1995ed1e-765f-4607-b885-792cfcc7a03b"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 The President\u2019s Corporate Fraud Task Force has been expanded to include six new agencies to help in the focus on mortgage and securitization fraud cases, Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip, the Task Force Chairman, announced today.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E    The Task Force\u2019s expanded roster   \u003Cspan\u003E  includes the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The new member agencies represent a continuing focus by the Task Force to \u003C\/span\u003Ecrack down on mortgage fraud, particularly with regard to ongoing investigations into securitization fraud. The additions mark the largest expansion of the Task Force since it was formed in July 2002.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp class=\u0022AGDraft\u0022 style=\u0022margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal; mso-layout-grid-align: none;\u0022\u003E    \u201cThe Task Force is uniquely suited to providing the kind of thoughtfulness and collaboration that can be invaluable in tackling mortgage fraud at the corporate level, and in trying to analyze whether and when law enforcement action is appropriate,\u201d said Deputy Attorney General Filip. \u201cThese new members reflect the breadth and depth of the mortgage crisis that we are now confronting, and the urgency of the task before us.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  In addition to remarks by the Deputy Attorney General, the Task Force was briefed today by representatives from several of the regulatory agencies on their efforts to tackle mortgage fraud and heard from the Special Inspector General of the newly formed TARP.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The Task Force\u2019s current members include the Assistant Attorneys General for the Justice Department\u2019s Civil and Tax Divisions, the Director of the FBI, seven U.S. Attorneys Offices, the Secretaries of the Departments of Treasury and Labor, and the heads of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Federal Communications Commission, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development\u0027s Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Since July 2002, the task force has yielded remarkable results with nearly 1,300 corporate fraud convictions to date, including more than 200 chief executive officers and presidents, more than 120 corporate vice presidents, and more than 50 chief financial officers.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  President Bush created the President\u2019s Corporate Fraud Task Force on July 9, 2002 to restore public and investor confidence in America\u2019s corporations following a wave of major corporate scandals. Since its inception, the Task Force has compiled a strong record of combating corporate fraud and punishing those who violate the trust of employees and investors. Prosecutors and agency attorneys who are part of the Task Force have brought charges for accounting fraud, securities fraud, insider trading, market manipulation, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, false statements, money laundering, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, stock option backdating and conspiracy, among others. More information on the task force can be found at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/dag\/cftf\/\u0022\u003E  \u003Cspan\u003E  http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/dag\/cftf\/\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E .\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:46:23-05:00\u0022\u003E1738777583\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"b2121930-8c93-4acc-8386-e8f63b538a51","name":"Office of the Deputy Attorney General"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-06T16:13:23-05:00\u0022\u003E1231276403\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231243200","image":"","number":"09-003","teaser":"The Task Force\u0092s expanded roster includes the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The new member agencies represent a continuing focus by the Task Force to crack down on mortgage fraud, particularly with regard to ongoing investigations into securitization fraud.","title":"President\u0092s Corporate Fraud Task Force Adds Six New Member Agencies","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/president-s-corporate-fraud-task-force-adds-six-new-member-agencies","uuid":"6eac10ec-f182-437e-8d57-009a9059196b"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWASHINGTON\u2014A multi-party settlement involving the federal government, the state of New Jersey and approximately 300 parties will ensure that clean-up efforts continue to be funded at the Combe Fill South Superfund Site Landfill (CFS) in Morris County, N.J., the Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the many parties potentially responsible for contamination at the site are Honeywell International Inc., Warner-Lambert Company doing business as Pfizer, the Colgate-Palmolive Company as a successor to The Mennen Company, Mars Inc., and Waste Management.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EUnder terms of a consent decree lodged in the U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., the defendants will pay at least $61 million in past costs with interest running from Dec. 8, 2007 with up to an additional $8 million as other municipal defendants join; pay more than $3.2 million for natural resource damage claims to be used for restoration projects; and purchase a $27 million annuity paying $900,000 a year for 30 years for the continued performance of the remedy.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe CFS site is contaminated with both chemical wastes and refuse as a result of its use as a sanitary landfill from the early 1950s until it was closed down in 1981. A 1986 EPA Record of Decision called for the containment of the waste through a landfill cap and continuous operation of a pump and treat facility. The cap and pump and treat facility have been in place for more than 10 years. The state is currently conducting a study of the deep aquifer to determine what additional work may be required.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Today\u2019s agreement is an excellent result that recovers money spent by federal and state agencies to clean up contamination at the site and provides funding for the remaining work for years to come,\u0022 said Michael Guzman, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department\u2019s Environment and Natural Resources Division. \u0022This legal action, which has spanned more than 10 years, is an example of the Justice Department\u2019s dedication to protecting the environment and taxpayer dollars while holding those responsible for the costs of cleanup.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With this important settlement, we are recovering most of the money that EPA and the state spent to clean up this site,\u0022 said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Region 2 Administrator. \u0022This is an example of Superfund working just as it should. We went forward with the cleanup while still pursuing those responsible for the contamination, with today\u2019s successful result.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe CFS site is located in Chester and Washington Townships in Chester, N.J. Contaminants found in the ground and surface waters include benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and chlorethane.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey, is subject to a 30-day federal comment period and a statutory state comment period, as well as final court approval. The consent decree is available on the Justice Department Web site at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/enrd\/Consent_Decrees.html\u0022\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E www.usdoj.gov\/enrd\/Consent_Decrees.html\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-06T13:31:07-05:00\u0022\u003E1738866667\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"034d161d-6ac9-4dff-8362-616a47d3ecb7","name":"Energy and Natural Resources Division"},{"uuid":"2356156f-999c-4471-9e87-d68da06dc79f","name":"ENRD - Environmental Enforcement Section"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-06T16:43:50-05:00\u0022\u003E1231278230\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231243200","image":"","number":"09-007","teaser":"\u003Cp\u003EA multi-party settlement involving the federal government, the state of New Jersey and approximately 300 parties will ensure that clean-up efforts continue to be funded at the Combe Fill South Superfund Site Landfill (CFS) in Morris County, N.J.\u003C\/p\u003E","title":"Settlement Clears Way for Continued Funding of New Jersey Superfund Cleanup","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/settlement-clears-way-continued-funding-new-jersey-superfund-cleanup","uuid":"34d95a06-3296-4a66-97c0-b9f8470cea9b"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 Dennis G. Sartain of Hilliard, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The judge found the tax loss to be more than $1million and the fraud loss to be nearly $3.7 million.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E      \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E  In November 2007, a federal grand jury returned a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/usao\/ohs\/Press\/11-16-07-Col.pdf\u0022\u003E  \u003Cspan\u003E    \u003Cspan\u003E  superseding indictment\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E against Sartain, charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States, four counts of aiding in the filing of false tax returns, one count of aiding and abetting credit and loan application fraud and one count of aiding and abetting money laundering. In February 2008, Sartain pleaded guilty to all charges. According to court documents, Sartain was the accountant for two Columbus, Ohio, businesses involved in home building and real estate brokerage services.\u003C\/p\u003E      \u003Cp\u003E  According to the indictment, Sartain conspired with others to pay the Realtors and others who worked for these two companies \u0022under the table.\u0022 Court documents asserted that Sartain either prepared false Forms 1099 that underreported the amount of compensation paid to the individuals working for the companies, or he did not prepare and file any Forms 1099 with the IRS reporting any compensation paid. In addition, the superseding indictment alleged that Sartain prepared or helped prepare false individual income tax returns that underreported the income earned and taxes owed by the individuals who had received payments from these companies. Finally, the indictment claimed that Sartain and others shredded and discarded documents and business records and concealed electronic records maintained on computers and memory sticks that were relevant to the investigation.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Sartain also pleaded guilty to filing false individual income tax returns on behalf of himself and his wife. He did not report all of the income he was paid by one of these companies in the years 2001 through 2004. According to the superseding indictment, in two of those four years, Sartain listed his occupation as \u0022unemployed.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Additionally, Sartain admitted aiding in the submission of a false loan application by helping submit false payroll check stubs to a mortgage company. The false payroll stubs misrepresented the loan applicant\u2019s position and salary for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a mortgage.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Finally, Sartain aided and abetted money laundering by engaging in conduct that contributed to a $54,295 payment to the buyer of a home sold by a local real estate business, according to court documents. That payment represented excess fraudulently obtained loan proceeds derived from the credit and loan application fraud.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022Today\u2019s sentence shows that taxpayers who fail to comply with their federal tax obligations or assist others in doing so will pay a heavy price,\u0022 said Nathan J. Hochman, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department\u2019s Tax Division. \u0022Mr. Sartain has been branded a convicted felon for the rest of his life, will spend ten years in prison, and still has to pay back all of the taxes plus interest and steep penalties.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022Paying individuals \u2018under the table\u2019 in an effort to circumvent the tax laws is criminal activity,\u0022 said Eileen Mayer, IRS Chief, Criminal Investigation. \u0022Unfortunately, there are individuals who are relentless in their efforts to thwart our nation\u0027s tax laws; however, we are equally relentless in our efforts to investigative these individuals and hold them accountable.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  In addition to the charges for which he was sentenced today, Sartain faces additional charges stemming from a September 2008 indictment for conspiracy, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. This matter is currently scheduled for a December 2008 trial.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Assistant Attorney General Hochman commended the IRS special agents who investigated the case, as well as Tax Division trial attorneys Richard M. Rolwing, Jill M. Cassara and Sean B. O\u2019 Connell, who prosecuted the case.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  More information about the Justice Department\u2019s Tax Division and its enforcement efforts is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/tax\/\u0022\u003E  \u003Cspan\u003E    \u003Cspan\u003E  http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/tax\/\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:38:26-05:00\u0022\u003E1738777106\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"66a0b5f0-dab8-4d8e-9d59-fbaa4a440787","name":"Tax Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-06T17:30:31-05:00\u0022\u003E1231281031\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231243200","image":"","number":"09-008","teaser":"Dennis G. Sartain of Hilliard, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. The judge found the tax loss to be more than $1million and the fraud loss to be nearly $3.7 million.","title":"Columbus, Ohio, Accountant Sentenced to 120 Months for Fraud","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/columbus-ohio-accountant-sentenced-120-months-fraud","uuid":"47b886cf-2bbd-4860-942f-6bacbcd0d6f9"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury in Houston returned a superseding indictment today charging U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent, 59, with aggravated sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact and obstruction of justice, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division announced. Kent was previously indicted on Aug. 28, 2008, on one count of attempted aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact of a clerk\u2019s office employee.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The superseding indictment charges three counts based on alleged offenses involving an additional victim who is also a court employee. The first two additional counts charge Kent with aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. The third count of the superseding indictment charges obstruction of justice related to an inquiry by a special investigative committee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit into a complaint of judicial misconduct filed against Kent by the clerk\u0027s office employee.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Chief for Litigation Peter J. Ainsworth and Trial Attorneys John P. Pearson and AnnaLou T. Tirol of the Criminal Division\u2019s Public Integrity Section, which is headed by Section Chief William M. Welch II. This case is being investigated by the FBI.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:31:19-05:00\u0022\u003E1738776679\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"46370d9f-afee-4408-a29b-48812154bc0c","name":"Criminal Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-06T19:01:40-05:00\u0022\u003E1231286500\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231243200","image":"","number":"09-009","teaser":"A federal grand jury in Houston returned a superseding indictment today charging U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent, 59, with aggravated sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact and obstruction of justice.","title":"U.S. District Court Judge Charged in Superseding Indictment with Aggravated Sexual Abuse \u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nand Abusive Sexual Contact","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/us-district-court-judge-charged-superseding-indictment-aggravated-sexual-abuse-and-abusive","uuid":"3c7ad51a-0de1-4ab2-b983-7a8d5dfae8ef"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 A federal court in Sacramento, Calif., issued a preliminary injunction ordering Capitol Waste Inc. and Iva and Kenneth Whitmire of Sacramento to comply with federal employment tax withholding requirements and to timely pay all present and future employment tax, unemployment tax and income tax liabilities, the Justice Department announced today. Capitol Waste, Inc. and the Whitmires agreed to the preliminary injunction order.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The Justice Department filed suit on Oct. 8, 2008, seeking to enjoin the defendants from interfering with the administration of the Internal Revenue laws. The complaint alleges that the defendants have failed to comply fully with Capitol Waste\u2019s employment tax, unemployment tax and income tax obligations since 2000. According to the complaint, Capitol Waste failed to pay almost $2.6 million in federal employment and unemployment taxes between 2000 and 2007.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  According to court documents, Capitol Waste is a commercial waste disposal business based in Sacramento County, Calif. The complaint also alleges that the Whitmires have failed to comply with their individual income tax obligations since 2000.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Capitol Waste, Inc. was also ordered to file of all of its back employment, unemployment and income tax returns, and the Whitmires are required to file all of their back individual income tax returns within 90 days. The court order also prevents Capitol Waste from transferring any assets that would prevent timely payment of all present and future tax liabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022All employers must comply with federal employment tax laws,\u0022 said Nathan J. Hochman, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department\u2019s Tax Division. \u0022Employers face not only a federal court injunction for failing to withhold and pay federal taxes, but also significant civil penalties and, in some cases, criminal prosecution. When employers fail to withhold FICA and income taxes, they are harming their employees as well as the United States, and the government will take action.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Assistant Attorney General Hochman thanked Tax Division trial attorney Adair F. Boroughs, who is handling the case for the government, for her efforts. More information about the Justice Department and its efforts to enforce the federal employment tax laws is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/tax\/\u0022\u003E  \u003Cspan\u003E    \u003Cspan\u003E  http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/tax\/\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:22:59-05:00\u0022\u003E1738776179\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"66a0b5f0-dab8-4d8e-9d59-fbaa4a440787","name":"Tax Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-07T10:29:20-05:00\u0022\u003E1231342160\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231329600","image":"","number":"09-010","teaser":"A federal court in Sacramento, Calif., issued a preliminary injunction ordering Capitol Waste Inc. and Iva and Kenneth Whitmire of Sacramento to comply with federal employment tax withholding requirements and to timely pay all present and future employment tax, unemployment tax and income tax liabilities.  Capitol Waste, Inc. and the Whitmires agreed to the preliminary injunction order.","title":"Court Orders Sacramento Employer to Timely Pay Withholding and Unemployment Taxes","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/court-orders-sacramento-employer-timely-pay-withholding-and-unemployment-taxes","uuid":"dcd89c49-29ee-4330-96a6-cb5287cfc69b"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 The Department of Justice announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging three Staten Island, N.Y., men with conspiring to assault African-Americans in retaliation for President-Elect Barack Obama\u2019s election victory.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Ralph Nicoletti and Michael Contreras, both 18, and Brian Carranza, 21, were arrested late Tuesday and are scheduled for arraignment today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann in Brooklyn. As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, on the night of Nov. 4, 2008, shortly after learning of Barack Obama\u2019s election victory, the group, along with a fourth friend, decided to find African-Americans to assault.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022It is shocking and sobering that allegations of racial violence continue in this day and age,\u0022 said Acting Assistant Attorney General Grace Chung Becker.\u0026nbsp; \u0022The Justice Department takes these allegations very seriously and the Civil Rights Division, working with U.S. Attorneys Offices across the country, will continue to use federal laws to prosecute individuals who conspire to commit such acts of violence and intimidation.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  As cited in the indictment and other court filings, Nicoletti allegedly drove the other defendants to Park Hill, a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Staten Island, where they came upon a 17-year-old African-American who was walking home after watching the election at a friend\u2019s house. One of the defendants yelled \u0022Obama!\u0022 as they passed the youth, and all four men then got out of the car and beat him, using a metal pipe and a collapsible police baton. The young man, who managed to escape and run home, suffered injuries to his head and legs.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The group then found an African-American man in the Port Richmond section of Staten Island and assaulted him, pushing him to the ground. The defendants also accosted a Latino man, demanding to know for whom he had voted, and later yelled profanities about Obama as they drove past an Election Night gathering of African-Americans at a hair salon.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The group\u2019s final assault involved a man they mistakenly believed to be African-American, whom they spotted walking along Blackford Avenue in Port Richmond. Nicoletti hit him with the car, causing the victim to be thrown onto the hood of the car and into the front windshield, shattering it. Although the victim survived, he was in a coma for a period of time after the attack.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The charges announced today are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, each faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  In addition to Becker, the charges were announced by Benton J. Campbell, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph M. Demarest, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022Violence and intimidation aimed at interfering with the constitutional rights of every citizen, including the right to vote, which is the bedrock of democracy, will not be tolerated,\u0022 stated United States Attorney Campbell. \u0022Such conduct is loathsome and despicable, and those who engage in it will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are grateful for our partnership with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, the FBI, and the New York City Police Department, which has been vital to the success of this joint investigation and prosecution.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Demarest stated, \u0022The defendants, motivated by racial animus, committed violent assaults resulting in real, and in one case near-fatal, injuries. But the Election Night assaults, coming on the day when we participate most directly in our democracy, were also an attack on the democratic process and an affront to everyone. The FBI is committed to civil rights enforcement and policing hate crimes.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  NYPD Commissioner Kelly stated, \u0022I want to commend the NYPD detectives and their federal partners who pursued this case, particularly NYPD Inspector Michael J. Osgood, who as Commanding Officer of the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force had the foresight to assign a special team on Election Night until 4 a.m. the next morning. These officers were able to respond quickly to the bias attacks and begin an immediate investigation. They located an eyewitness to one of the attacks, and their subsequent distribution of flyers in the Rosebank area of Staten Island over three days led to the first major break in the case. History was made on Election Day. We wanted to make sure those who tried to retaliate did not escape justice.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The government\u2019s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Pamela K. Chen and Margo K. Brodie and Special Litigation Counsel Kristy Parker.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:35:55-05:00\u0022\u003E1738776955\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"da7df438-b3e4-4b73-9250-9974ae754efc","name":"Civil Rights Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-07T14:39:30-05:00\u0022\u003E1231357170\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231329600","image":"","number":"09-011","teaser":"The Department announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging three Staten Island, N.Y., men with conspiring to assault African-Americans in retaliation for President-Elect Barack Obama\u0092s election victory.","title":"Three Staten Island, NY Men Indicted\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\non Federal Hate Crime Conspiracy Charges","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/three-staten-island-ny-men-indicted-federal-hate-crime-conspiracy-charges","uuid":"2d49d66e-ac94-4511-be1b-10351b50bff1"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWASHINGTON\u2014Five defendants associated with the construction of the Liberty Village housing development in Lynchburg, Va., will pay a $300,000 penalty and fund more than $1 million in stream and wetlands restoration work for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and permit restrictions during construction, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe settlement with Savoy Senior Housing Corporation, Savoy Liberty Village LLC, SDB Construction, Inc., Best G.C., Inc., and Acres of Virginia, Inc., was part of a consent decree lodged today in the Western District of Virginia by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the EPA.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe consent decree would resolve allegations that the defendants discharged and\/or controlled and directed the discharge of pollutants including dredged and\/or fill material, sediment, and other pollutants carried by stormwater into waters of the United States during the construction of a housing development without required permits, and then in violation of the stormwater permit after one was obtained.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESpecifically, the defendants allegedly buried existing streams on the site and filled wetlands that formed the headwaters of one of the filled streams. Silt and sediment from the construction activities were also discharged into streams on and off the site and flowed downstream to Pine Lake and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe current owner of the property, Liberty Ridge, LLC, which is not a defendant, has agreed to implement approximately $250,000 in on-site restoration work, which will be funded by the defendants. The defendants will also pay approximately $825,000 to purchase credits to fund stream and wetland restoration projects in the region.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe alleged Clean Water Act violations at the Liberty Village site, located at 5700 Candlers Mountain Road in Lynchburg, Va., occurred from July 2001 through January 2003 when the defendants cleared and graded the site, installed roads and utilities, and completed or partially built several housing units. In the process, the defendants allegedly destroyed approximately 3,765 feet of stream, and wetlands at the headwaters of tributaries to the Roanoke and James Rivers. Silt and sediment were discharged into streams on and off the site and flowed downstream to Pine Lake and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThese waters are important for flood control, nutrient and sediment retention, filtration, water quality improvement and maintenance of healthy aquatic ecological communities for other water bodies down stream. As the result of defendants\u2019 actions, water now flows downstream faster and at a higher temperature, killing or stressing aquatic animals and plants.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe site restoration plan requires restoration of one stream, restoration and enhancement of four ponds, installation of plantings, and eradication of invasive species in certain areas. The consent decree also prohibits future disturbances of the restoration project area. A copy of the decree will be filed with the Circuit Court in Virginia and each future deed, title, or other conveyance instrument must contain a notice stating that the property is subject to this consent decree.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice Web site at: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/enrd\/Consent_Decrees.html\u0022\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/enrd\/Consent_Decrees.html\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about wetlands and permitting requirements, go to: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.epa.gov\/owow\/\u0022\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E http:\/\/www.epa.gov\/owow\/\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E . For more information on stormwater and permitting requirements, go to \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/cfpub.epa.gov\/npdes\/home.cfm?program_id=6\u0022\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E http:\/\/cfpub.epa.gov\/npdes\/home.cfm?program_id=6\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-06T13:31:07-05:00\u0022\u003E1738866667\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"034d161d-6ac9-4dff-8362-616a47d3ecb7","name":"Energy and Natural Resources Division"},{"uuid":"2356156f-999c-4471-9e87-d68da06dc79f","name":"ENRD - Environmental Enforcement Section"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-07T17:09:16-05:00\u0022\u003E1231366156\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231329600","image":"","number":"09-013","teaser":"\u003Cp\u003EFive defendants associated with the construction of the Liberty Village housing development in Lynchburg, Va., will pay a $300,000 penalty and fund more than $1 million in stream and wetlands restoration work for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and permit restrictions during construction.\u003C\/p\u003E","title":"Settlement Reached in Virginia Stream and Stormwater Case","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/settlement-reached-virginia-stream-and-stormwater-case","uuid":"7a1433d3-2c1f-4219-8cfa-09da2396ec3a"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act against the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and three of its members alleging that the defendants intimidated voters and those aiding them during the Nov. 4, 2008, general election.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The complaint, filed in the United States District Court in Philadelphia, alleges that, during the election, Minister King Samir Shabazz and Jerry Jackson were deployed at the entrance to a Philadelphia polling location wearing the uniform of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, and that Samir Shabazz repeatedly brandished a police-style baton weapon.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022Intimidation outside of a polling place is contrary to the democratic process,\u0022 said Acting Assistant Attorney General Grace Chung Becker. \u0022The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to protect the fundamental right to vote and the Department takes allegations of voter intimidation seriously.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  According to the complaint, party Chairman Malik Zulu Shabazz confirmed that the placement of Samir Shabazz and Jackson in Philadelphia was part of a nationwide effort to deploy New Black Panther Party members at polling locations on Election Day. The complaint alleges a violation of Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits intimidation, coercion or threats against \u0022any person for voting or attempting to vote.\u0022 The Department seeks an injunction preventing any future deployment of, or display of weapons by, New Black Panther Party members at the entrance to polling locations.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, which claims active chapters nationwide, is distinct from the Black Panther Party founded by Bobby Seale in the 1960s.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The Civil Rights Division enforces the Voting Rights Act of 1965. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931. More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws is available on the Department of Justice\u2019s web site at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/crt\/voting\/index.htm\u0022\u003E   \u003Cspan\u003E     \u003Cspan\u003E   www.usdoj.gov\/crt\/voting\/index.htm\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:25:43-05:00\u0022\u003E1738776343\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"da7df438-b3e4-4b73-9250-9974ae754efc","name":"Civil Rights Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-07T18:10:08-05:00\u0022\u003E1231369808\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231329600","image":"","number":"09-014","teaser":"The Department today filed a lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act against the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and three of its members alleging that the defendants intimidated voters and those aiding them during the Nov. 4, 2008, general election.","title":"Justice Department Seeks Injunction \u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAgainst New Black Panther Party","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-seeks-injunction-against-new-black-panther-party","uuid":"959f1c45-4b92-4c47-9d1b-e74b8d5ec498"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 The owner and operator of two Miami medical clinics has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Medicare program in connection with a $5.3 million HIV infusion fraud scheme, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced today.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Orlando Pascual Jr., 43, pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2009, to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud before U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro. In his plea, Pascual admitted that he co-owned two Miami clinics named Medcore Group LLC (Medcore) and M\u0026amp;P Group of South Florida Inc. (M\u0026amp;P) that purported to specialize in the treatment of HIV-positive patients. Pascual admitted that beginning in August 2004 and continuing through November 2006 he conspired with others to submit approximately $5.3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. Pascual also pleaded guilty to two separate schemes to launder the proceeds of the health care fraud.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  During the plea, Pascual admitted that Medcore and M\u0026amp;P were operated for the purpose of defrauding Medicare, that the treatments for infused or injected drugs were not medically necessary, and that he and others paid cash kickbacks to the patients for every visit to the clinic. To obtain all the cash necessary to pay the patients, Pascual stated that he and others would write checks that appeared legitimate to people who would cash the checks and then return the cash to them for a fee.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Pascual acknowledged that most patients were HIV-positive or were given false diagnoses of cancer. He stated during the plea that he and others used physicians, a physician\u2019s assistant and phlebotomists to help facilitate the scheme. In addition, Pascual acknowledged that clinic employees intentionally manipulated patients\u2019 blood samples so that they would appear to need treatment, when in fact they did not. Pascual stated that such tampering was done to make the medical files appear legitimate.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Pascual is currently incarcerated for Medicare fraud involving the operation of a durable medical equipment (DME) company in Miami from 2001 to 2003. Sentencing in this case is scheduled for April 3, 2009.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Seven co-defendants in the case are scheduled for trial beginning Feb. 9, 2009, in the Southern District of Florida. An indictment is merely a charge, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Kirk Ogrosky and Assistant Chief John S. \u0022Jay\u0022 Darden of the Criminal Division\u2019s Fraud Section and investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and FBI. The case was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF), supervised by the Criminal Division\u2019s Fraud Section and U.S. Attorney Acosta of the Southern District of Florida. Since the inception of MFSF operations, federal prosecutors have indicted 106 cases with 189 defendants in both Los Angeles and Miami. Collectively, these defendants fraudulently billed the Medicare program for more than half a billion dollars.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:20:32-05:00\u0022\u003E1738776032\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"46370d9f-afee-4408-a29b-48812154bc0c","name":"Criminal Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-08T09:55:58-05:00\u0022\u003E1231426558\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231416000","image":"","number":"09-015","teaser":"The owner and operator of two Miami medical clinics has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Medicare program in connection with a $5.3 million HIV infusion fraud scheme.","title":"Medical Clinic Owner Pleads Guilty to Role in $5.3 Million \u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nMedicare Fraud Scheme","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/medical-clinic-owner-pleads-guilty-role-53-million-medicare-fraud-scheme","uuid":"a97ea75f-681d-4b17-98f3-626db6cf6f15"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 A former executive of an Orange County, Calif.-based valve company pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a conspiracy to pay approximately $1 million in bribes to numerous foreign government officials, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O\u2019Brien of the Central District of California and Joseph Persichini Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI\u2019s Washington Field Office announced.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Mario Covino, 44, an Italian citizen and resident of Irvine, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, Calif., to a one-count information charging him with conspiring to make corrupt payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of securing business for the Orange County valve company from state-owned enterprises in several countries, including Brazil, China, India, Korea, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  According to court documents, the valve company designed and manufactured service control valves for use in the nuclear, oil and gas, and power generation industries worldwide. Covino was the director of worldwide factory sales at the valve company from March 2003 through August 2007. In this position, Covino was responsible for overseeing new construction projects and the replacement of existing valves made by other companies and installed at customer plants in more than 30 countries.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  In connection with his guilty plea, Covino admitted that from March 2003 through August 2007, he caused employees and agents of the valve company to make corrupt payments totaling approximately $1 million to foreign officials employed at state-owned enterprises in order to assist in obtaining and retaining business for the valve company. Covino also admitted that the valve company earned approximately $5 million in profits from the contracts it obtained as a result of these corrupt payments. According to the court documents, the corrupt payments were made to foreign officials at state-owned entities including, but not limited to, Petrobras (Brazil), Dingzhou Power (China), Datang Power (China), China Petroleum, China Resources Power, China National Offshore Oil Company, PetroChina, Maharashtra State Electricity Board (India), KHNP (Korea), Petronas (Malaysia), Dolphin Energy (UAE) and Abu Dhabi Company for Oil Operations (UAE).\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Covino also admitted to providing false and misleading responses to internal auditors during a 2004 internal audit of the company\u2019s commission payments, and to deleting emails and instructing others to delete emails that referred to corrupt payments, for the purpose of obstructing the internal audit.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  As part of his plea agreement, Covino has agreed to cooperate with the Department in its ongoing investigation. At sentencing, scheduled for July 20, 2009, Covino faces a maximum of five years in prison.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The case was prosecuted by Assistant Chief Hank Bond Walther and Trial Attorney Andrew Gentin of the Criminal Division\u2019s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas McCormick of the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Central District of California. The case was investigated by the FBI\u2019s Washington Field Office.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:24:22-05:00\u0022\u003E1738776262\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"46370d9f-afee-4408-a29b-48812154bc0c","name":"Criminal Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-08T13:18:29-05:00\u0022\u003E1231438709\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231416000","image":"","number":"09-016","teaser":"A former executive of an Orange County, Calif.-based valve company pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a conspiracy to pay approximately $1 million in bribes to numerous foreign government officials.","title":"Former Executive at California Valve Company\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nPleads Guilty to Bribing Foreign Government Officials","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/former-executive-california-valve-company-pleads-guilty-bribing-foreign-government-officials","uuid":"e414d497-999c-464b-bdf0-21289890f54a"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWASHINGTON\u2014The Explorer Pipeline Company has agreed to pay a $3.3 million civil penalty in order to resolve an alleged violation of the Clean Water Act stemming from a July 14, 2007, spill of over 6,500 barrels (approximately 275,000 gallons) of jet fuel from its interstate pipeline at a location near Huntsville, Texas, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe United States\u2019 complaint, which was filed on Oct. 2, 2008 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleges that Explorer discharged oil into navigable waters of the United States in violation of the Clean Water Act. On July 14, 2007, Explorer\u2019s 28-inch interstate refined petroleum products pipeline ruptured near Huntsville and jet fuel spilled onto the surrounding area and into nearby Turkey Creek. Turkey Creek flows to the Trinity River at the upper reaches of Lake Livingston.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn earlier responses to the spill, Explorer replaced the section of pipe that ruptured, completed cleanup of the impacted waters and adjoining shorelines, is cooperating in a joint federal and state natural resource damage assessment, and commenced additional assessment and followup work under a Corrective Action Order issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Oil spills into our nation\u2019s waters endanger public health and the environment and warrant concerted enforcement efforts,\u0022 said Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department\u2019s Environment and Natural Resources Division. \u0022Today\u2019s settlement achieves an appropriate result and furthers our enforcement mission.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This settlement is the result of coordination and cooperation between a number of federal and state entities. EPA is committed to working with its state and federal partners to ensure a strong water protection program,\u0022 said Richard E. Greene, EPA Regional Administrator.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Clean Water Act makes it unlawful to discharge oil or hazardous substances into or upon the navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines in quantities that may be harmful to the environment or public health. The penalty paid for this spill will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund managed by the National Pollution Fund Center. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is used to pay for federal response activities and to compensate for damages when there is a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or hazardous substances to waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe proposed consent decree, lodged in the Southern District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court review and approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice website at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/enrd\/Consent_Decrees.html\u0022\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E http:\/\/www.usdoj.gov\/enrd\/Consent_Decrees.html\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-06T13:31:07-05:00\u0022\u003E1738866667\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"034d161d-6ac9-4dff-8362-616a47d3ecb7","name":"Energy and Natural Resources Division"},{"uuid":"2356156f-999c-4471-9e87-d68da06dc79f","name":"ENRD - Environmental Enforcement Section"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-08T14:38:06-05:00\u0022\u003E1231443486\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231416000","image":"","number":"09-017","teaser":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Explorer Pipeline Company has agreed to pay a $3.3 million civil penalty in order to resolve an alleged violation of the Clean Water Act stemming from a July 14, 2007, spill of over 6,500 barrels (approximately 275,000 gallons) of jet fuel from its interstate pipeline at a location near Huntsville, Texas.\u003C\/p\u003E","title":"Oklahoma Pipeline Company to Pay Penalty for Jet Fuel Spill","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/oklahoma-pipeline-company-pay-penalty-jet-fuel-spill","uuid":"235bb6e1-af73-46db-bc68-eccb2fa9e32a"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWASHINGTON \u2014 A retired major in the U.S. Army pleaded guilty today to charges of bribery and making a false statement arising out of his activities as both a contracting specialist and a contracting officer at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from 2005 through 2007, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and Acting Assistant Attorney General Deborah A. Garza of the Antitrust Division announced.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EChristopher H. Murray, 41, a resident of Cataula, Ga., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Clay D. Land in U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ga., to a five-count information charging him with four counts of bribery and one count of making a false statement.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the information, in 2005 and 2006, Murray served as a contracting specialist in the small purchases branch of the contracting office at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where he was responsible for soliciting bids for military contracts, evaluating the sufficiency of those bids, and then recommending the award of contracts to particular contractors. In this capacity, Murray admitted he received approximately $225,000 in bribes from DOD contractors in exchange for recommending the award of contracts for various goods and services.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the information, Murray admitted that when he returned to Kuwait in fall 2006 as a contracting officer, he received an additional $20,000 in bribes from a Department of Defense (DOD) contractor in exchange for the award of a construction contract. When confronted with evidence of his criminal conduct, Murray admitted he made false statements to federal agents investigating this matter.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EMurray faces up to 15 years in prison on each bribery count, as well as a criminal fine of $250,000 or three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value for each count. Murray also faces up to five years in prison on the false statement charge as well as a fine of $250,000. The maximum fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Murray abused his position of trust by awarding contracts to those willing to pay him bribes,\u0022\u0026nbsp;said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich. \u0022There are no more important purchases made by the federal government than those of goods and services used by our men and women in uniform.\u0026nbsp; Procurement officers who sacrifice their positions of trust for the sake of personal enrichment can expect to be prosecuted.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The Antitrust Division will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit bribery and other offenses, which deprive the U.S. military and, ultimately, U.S. taxpayers, of a competitive market,\u0022 said Deborah A. Garza, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department\u0027s Antitrust Division.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022SIGIR vigorously continues to pursue investigations into allegations of fraud in Iraq,\u0022 said Stuart Bowen, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. \u0022Maj. Murray grossly abused his position of trust, committing multiple acts of fraud for which he will now pay a just price. This successful investigation was part of ongoing cooperative efforts being carried out by SIGIR and our law enforcement partners.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBrig. Gen. Rodney Johnson of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command said this guilty plea is just another example of how seriously his criminal investigators and the U.S. Army take these criminal acts of greed and how determined he and his special agents are to bring these people to justice. \u0022People who do business with the U.S. military should know by now that if they violate the public\u2019s trust and commit criminal acts, they will be caught by a team of highly-trained professionals looking for this type of criminality. We will not stand for it,\u0022 said Johnson.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The American public expects military officers to behave in an aboveboard manner,\u0022 said James R. Ives, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service\u2019s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. \u0022The vast majority of officers are disciplined, law abiding professionals who serve with honor. Duty, accountability, responsibility and integrity inspire their attitudes and actions. Officers who fail to live up to these standards erode public support for the military and undermine confidence in government. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service remains committed to working with the Department of Justice to ensure officials who betray the public trust are held firmly accountable.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EToday\u2019s charges represent the Department\u2019s commitment to protecting U.S. taxpayers from procurement fraud through its creation of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force. The National Procurement Fraud Initiative, announced in October 2006, is designed to promote the early detection, prosecution, and prevention of procurement fraud associated with the increase in contracting activity for national security and other government programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division\u2019s Public Integrity Section, which is headed by Chief William M. Welch II, and Trial Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher, Emily W. Allen and Finnuala Kelleher of the Antitrust Division\u2019s National Criminal Enforcement Section, which is headed by Chief Lisa Phelan.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe case is being investigated by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction; the Army Criminal Investigation Command, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the FBI; and the Internal Revenue Service.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EPlea Agreement\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-06T08:17:29-05:00\u0022\u003E1738847849\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"46370d9f-afee-4408-a29b-48812154bc0c","name":"Criminal Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-08T15:53:12-05:00\u0022\u003E1231447992\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231416000","image":"","number":"09-018","teaser":"\u003Cp\u003EA retired major in the U.S. Army pleaded guilty today to charges of bribery and making a false statement arising out of his activities as both a contracting specialist and a contracting officer at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from 2005 through 2007.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","title":"Retired Army Major Pleads Guilty in Bribery SchemeInvolving Department of Defense Contracts in Kuwait","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/retired-army-major-pleads-guilty-bribery-schemeinvolving-department-defense-contracts-kuwait","uuid":"fdd6189a-4697-4061-a61f-95bdc84ef974"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWASHINGTON \u2013 A federal grand jury in Portland, Ore., returned a superseding indictment against Micaela Renee Dutson and her husband, Tony Dutson, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Dutsons were originally indicted May 8, 2008, on charges that they conspired to defraud the United States of more than $8 million and failed to file income taxes. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges on June 5, 2008.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe superseding indictment adds charges that the Dutsons attempted to obstruct the IRS in its attempt to enforce the tax laws by filing lawsuits, baseless liens and multiple Forms 1099-OID against IRS employees. The indictment alleges that the baseless liens claimed a debt owed by the IRS employees to the defendants totalling $1,003,680,000,000. According to the superseding indictment, the Forms 1099-OID falsely claimed payment of millions of dollars to IRS employees who were investigating the defendants.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe superseding indictment also includes charges that the Dutsons presented five fictitious financial obligations totalling approximately $9,903,870 for use by their clients in purported payment of IRS debts. It further includes a charge that the Dutsons willfully aided and assisted the filing of a false 2002 federal tax return by clients.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This indictment shows that the government will not tolerate taxpayers\u2019 use of bogus financial instruments to pay tax debts and IRS forms as a means to harass IRS employees,\u0022 said Tax Division Assistant Attorney General Nathan J. Hochman. \u0022Under the National Tax Defier Initiative launched in April 2008, the Tax Division has committed to vigorously investigate and prosecute tax defiers and all others who use baseless arguments and fictitious documents to evade their tax liabilities.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Obstruction is a crime that does not pay in Oregon - we will aggressively investigate and prosecute attempts by those who obstruct revenue agents and officers from doing their jobs,\u0022 said U.S. Attorney Karin J. Immergut, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The IRS works quickly to identify and stop these nuisance schemes aimed at harassing honest taxpayers and the government,\u0022 said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Eileen Mayer. \u0022We take seriously these types of actions that attempt to impede our ability to administer efficient tax administration. Today\u0027s indictment signals our determination to hold accountable those who engage in this type of frivolous activity.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EConspiracy carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Failure to file tax returns carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison for each offense. Obstructing the internal revenue laws carries a maximum penalty of up to three years for each offense. Using fictitious financial instruments carries a maximum penalty of up to 25 years for each count. Aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns carries a maximum penalty of up to three years.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EA criminal indictment is only an allegation and not evidence of guilt. Each of these defendants is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges stem from an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service \u2013 Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwight C. Holton.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T14:43:46-05:00\u0022\u003E1738784626\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"66a0b5f0-dab8-4d8e-9d59-fbaa4a440787","name":"Tax Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-08T17:37:29-05:00\u0022\u003E1231454249\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231416000","image":"","number":"09-019","teaser":"\u003Cp\u003EA federal grand jury in Portland, Ore., returned a superseding indictment against Micaela Renee Dutson and her husband, Tony Dutson.  The Dutsons were originally indicted May 8, 2008, on charges that they conspired to defraud the United States of more than $8 million and failed to file income taxes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","title":"Two Former Oregon Residents Now Residing in Arizona Indicted for Obstructing IRS Investigation and Other Tax Crimes","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/two-former-oregon-residents-now-residing-arizona-indicted-obstructing-irs-investigation-and","uuid":"62ddff79-20b0-4d6f-8229-d9124ec90f78"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 The Department of Justice has filed a forfeiture action against accounts worth nearly $3 million that are alleged to be the proceeds of a wide-ranging conspiracy to bribe public officials in Bangladesh and their family members in connection with various public work projects, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division announced today.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The forfeiture action was filed Jan. 8, 2009, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia against funds located in Singapore held by multiple account holders. The forfeiture complaint relates primarily to alleged bribes paid to Arafat \u0022Koko\u0022 Rahman, the son of the former prime minister of Bangladesh, in connection with public works projects awarded by the government of Bangladesh to Siemens AG and China Harbor Engineering Company.\u0026nbsp; According to the forfeiture complaint, the majority of funds in Koko\u2019s account are traceable to bribes allegedly received in connection with the China Harbor project, which was a project to build a new mooring containment terminal at the port in Chittagong, Bangladesh.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022This action shows the lengths to which U.S. law enforcement will go to recover the proceeds of foreign corruption, including acts of bribery and money laundering,\u0022 said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich. \u0022Not only will the Department, for example, prosecute companies and executives who violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, we will also use our forfeiture laws to recapture the illicit facilitating payments often used in such schemes.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (Siemens AG), a German corporation, and three of its subsidiaries pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2008, to violations of and charges related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Specifically, Siemens Bangladesh admitted that from May 2001 to August 2006, it caused corrupt payments of at least $5,319,839 to be made through purported business consultants to various Bangladeshi officials in exchange for favorable treatment during the bidding process on a mobile telephone project.\u0026nbsp; At least one payment to each of these purported consultants was paid from a U.S. bank account.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  According to the forfeiture complaint, the bribe payments from Siemens AG and China Harbor Engineering Company were made in U.S. dollars, and the illicit funds flowed through financial institutions in the United States before they were deposited in accounts in Singapore, thereby subjecting them to U.S. jurisdiction. Money laundering laws in the United States cover financial transactions that flow through the United States involving proceeds of foreign offenses, including foreign bribery and extortion.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  In August 2006, the President announced a National Strategy to Internationalize Efforts Against Kleptocracy to fight high-level corruption around the world. This strategy combines the policy and law enforcement tools of several federal agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Treasury, State and Homeland Security.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u003Cem\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Linda Samuel and Trial Attorney Frederick Reynolds of the Criminal Division\u2019s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Additional assistance was provided by the Criminal Division\u2019s Office of International Affairs. The case was investigated by the FBI\u2019s Washington Field Office in cooperation with Bangladeshi law enforcement.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:19:52-05:00\u0022\u003E1738775992\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"46370d9f-afee-4408-a29b-48812154bc0c","name":"Criminal Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-09T14:12:40-05:00\u0022\u003E1231528360\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231502400","image":"","number":"09-020","teaser":"The Department has filed a forfeiture action against accounts worth nearly $3 million that are alleged to be the proceeds of a wide-ranging conspiracy to bribe public officials in Bangladesh and their family members in connection with various public work projects.","title":"Department of Justice Seeks to Recover Approximately $3 Million \u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nin Illegal Proceeds from Foreign Bribe Payments","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/department-justice-seeks-recover-approximately-3-million-illegal-proceeds-foreign-bribe","uuid":"99c74405-a551-4b82-a2f5-4e68acc17d7a"},{"attachment":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E      \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E      \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E  WASHINGTON \u2013 Roy M. Belfast Jr. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga today to 97 years in prison for crimes related to the torture of people in Liberia between April 1999 and July 2003, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta for the Southern District of Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E        \u003Cp\u003E  Belfast, a\/k\/a Chuckie Taylor, Charles Taylor Jr., Charles Taylor II and Charles McArther Emmanuel, was convicted on October 30, 2008, by a federal jury after a six-week trial of five counts of torture, one count of conspiracy to torture, one count of using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and one count of conspiracy to use a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022The lengthy prison term handed down today justly reflects the horror and torture that Taylor Jr. visited upon his victims. This case was made in no small part by the courage of individual victims who had the mettle to come forward and speak the truth about what had been done to them,\u0022 Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division said. \u0022Our message to human rights violators, no matter where they are, remains the same: We will use the full reach of U.S. law, and every lawful resource at the disposal of our investigators and prosecutors, to hold you fully accountable for your crimes.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  According to trial testimony, Belfast, who was born in the United States and is the son of the former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, commanded a paramilitary organization known as the Anti-Terrorist Unit, which was directed to provide protection for the Liberian president and additional dignitaries of the Liberian government. Between 1999 and 2003, in his role as commander of that unit, Belfast and his associates committed numerous and varied forms of torture, including burning victims with molten plastic, lit cigarettes, scalding water, candle wax and an iron; severely beating victims with firearms; cutting and stabbing victims; and shocking victims with an electric device.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022There is justice today for the many victims of Chuckie Taylor\u0022, said John P. Torres, Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. \u0022This sentence ensures that he pays for his barbaric acts. I want to thank the more than one hundred ICE agents, attorneys, victim advocates and other federal partners whose meticulous investigative work and coordination led to this landmark conviction.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  \u0022This sentence sends a resounding message that torture will not be tolerated here at home or by U.S. nationals abroad,\u0022 said Executive Assistant Director Arthur M. Cummings, II, of the FBI National Security Division. \u0022The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate such acts wherever they occur.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  On March 30, 2006, Belfast attempted to enter the United States with a passport obtained through false statements submitted on his passport application, and was arrested. Belfast pleaded guilty on Sept. 15, 2006, to passport fraud and was sentenced on Dec. 7, 2007, to 11 months in prison on that charge.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  Belfast\u2019s prosecution on the torture charges was the first ever under a statute that criminalizes torture and provides U.S. courts jurisdiction to hear cases involving acts of torture committed outside the United States if the offender is a U.S. national or is present in the United States, regardless of nationality.\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003Cp\u003E  The case was jointly investigated by ICE and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Rochlin and Caroline Heck Miller of the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Chris Graveline of the Criminal Division\u2019s Domestic Security Section. National Security Division Trial Attorney Brenda Sue Thornton and Criminal Division Attorneys John Cox, John-Alex Romano, Michael Surgalla, and Pragna Soni also provided assistance.\u003C\/p\u003E","changed":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222025-02-05T12:47:08-05:00\u0022\u003E1738777628\u003C\/time\u003E\n","component":[{"uuid":"46370d9f-afee-4408-a29b-48812154bc0c","name":"Criminal Division"}],"created":"\u003Ctime datetime=\u00222009-01-09T15:00:44-05:00\u0022\u003E1231531244\u003C\/time\u003E\n","date":"1231502400","image":"","number":"09-021","teaser":"Roy M. Belfast Jr. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga today to 97 years in prison for crimes related to the torture of people in Liberia between April 1999 and July 2003.","title":"Roy Belfast Jr., A\/K\/A Chuckie Taylor, Sentenced on Torture Charges","topic":"","url":"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/archives\/opa\/pr\/roy-belfast-jr-aka-chuckie-taylor-sentenced-torture-charges","uuid":"bb49095b-e376-4ab6-b02c-0d4a4362af10"}]}