This Week at DOJ, March 15, 2019

Highlight of the Week

On Tuesday, dozens of individuals involved in the largest ever nationwide college admissions scam were arrested by federal agents in multiple states. The conspiracy involved cheating on college entrance exams and securing the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits through bribery and fraud. Those implicated ranged from CEOS, actresses, college exam administrators, and athletic coaches from Yale, Stanford, USC, Wake Forest and Georgetown.  

“There will not be a separate admissions system for the wealthy. And there will not be a separate criminal justice system either,” said U.S. Attorney Lelling.

Learn more about this case in the press release and view the latest status. 

The Department of Justice in Action

The Department of Justice is fighting to curb the opioid epidemic.  We are aggressively pursuing corrupt medical professionals who are contributing to the opioid epidemic by selling addictive opioids to patients they haven't medically examined. On Wednesday, a doctor in Philadelphia pleaded guilty on eight counts to illegally distributing oxycodone (an opioid) outside the scope of his medical practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Find resources and read more about how the Department is combating the opioid crisis. 

Did you know?

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Voting rights are constitutional rights, and they’re part of what it means to be an American, and the Department seeks to protect these rights for the people of this nation. On Tuesday, the Department reached an agreement with Harris County, Texas to ensure that polling places are made accessible to all eligible voters, including those with mobility and vision disabilities. “Every eligible voter with a disability must have an equal opportunity to vote in person at his or her local polling place,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “This fundamental right secures participation in our democracy and it must not be diminished or restricted by barriers to access.” You can read more about the settlement in the press release