Return to Index of Pre-January 2009 Press Releases

Press Releases for August 2008

Friday, August 29, 2008

Convicted Medicare Fraud Defendant Pleads Guilty to Laundering More Than $3 Million in Fraudulent Proceeds (08-762)

Juan Carlos Castaneda pleaded guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to launder approximately $3.8 million in proceeds from several Medicare fraud schemes. Castaneda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Arizona (08-761)

The Department will monitor primary elections in Apache and Navajo counties, Ariz., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights statutes. (Read more)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

U.S. District Court Judge Charged with Attempted Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Abusive Sexual Contact (08-760)

U.S. District Court Judge Samuel B. Kent was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Houston for allegedly attempting aggravated sexual abuse and for abusive sexual touching of a clerk’s office employee. (Read more)

Justice Department Requires Divestiture in Raycom Media’s Acquisition of WWBT-TV (08-759)

The Department announced that it will require Raycom Media, Inc. (Raycom) to divest the local CBS affiliate in Richmond, Va., WTVR-TV, following Raycom’s April 2008 purchase of the Richmond NBC affiliate, WWBT-TV, from Lincoln Financial Media Company (Lincoln). The Department said that the transaction, as originally proposed, would have resulted in Raycom owning two of the four local broadcast stations, which likely would have led to higher prices for those seeking to advertise on local broadcast television. (Read more)

Former Talk Radio Host Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Distributing Child Pornography (08-758)

Bernard V. Ward, a San Francisco resident who previously worked as a radio station talk show host, was sentenced today to serve 87 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. (Read more)

Justice Department Revises Charging Guidelines for Prosecuting Corporate Fraud (08-757)

The changes that the Department announces today are in keeping with the long-standing tradition of refining the Department’s policy guidance in light of lessons learned from our prosecutions, as well as comments from others in the criminal justice system, the judiciary, and the broader legal community (Read more)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Five Individuals Arrested, Two Contracting Companies Charged in Bribery Conspiracy Related to Department of Defense Contracts in Afghanistan (08-756)

Two U.S. military personnel, four Department of Defense (DOD) contractors and two contracting companies have been charged with bribery and conspiracy arising out of their conduct in Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005. Four individuals were arrested on Aug. 25, 2008, and one individual was arrested yesterday on charges contained in an indictment returned on Aug. 21, 2008, and unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. (Read more)

Buffalo-Area Chiropractor Sentenced to Jail for Tax Defier Crimes (08-755)

An East Aurora, N.Y., man was sentenced to 21 months in prison and, as a condition of supervised release, ordered to cooperate with the IRS in filing tax returns and paying back taxes that he has not paid. (Read more)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Former FENOC Employee Convicted for Concealing Information from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (08-752)

Andrew Siemaszko, a former reactor coolant system engineer at FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), was convicted today by a federal jury in Toledo, Ohio, for concealing information from and making false statements to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). (Read more)

Miami Physician and HIV Clinic Administrator Plead Guilty for Their Roles in a $37 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (08-751)

Ronald Harris, M.D., and Mariela Rodriguez each pleaded guilty to defrauding the Medicare program in connection with a $37 million HIV infusion fraud scheme. (Read more)

Former New York Power Authority Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Tax Charges (08-750)

A former employee of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) pleaded guilty today to charges that he accepted approximately $167,000 in kickbacks and bribes from a vendor while he was at the purchasing department at the NYPA. (Read more)

Monday, August 25, 2008

District of Columbia Grocery Store Owner Sentenced to More Than Twelve Months in Prison for Tax Evasion (08-749)

Stephen B. Cohen was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for tax crimes involving his willful failure to collect and pay more than $500,000 of payroll and sales taxes. (Read more)

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Retaliation by the City of Fort Pierce, Florida Against an African-American City Employee (08-748)

The Department filed a lawsuit today against the City of Fort Pierce, Fla., alleging that the city retaliated against Shirley Kirby, an African-American code enforcement officer, for complaining that superiors racially discriminated against her and three other African-American code enforcement officers. (Read more)

Justice Department to Monitor Three Local Elections in Alabama and Florida (08-747)

On Aug. 26, 2008, the Department will monitor elections in the towns of Bayou La Batre and Marion, Ala., as well as in Seminole County, Fla., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). (Read more)

Friday, August 22, 2008

Cocaine Cartel Leader to Face Charges in the United States (08-746)

Juan Carlos Ramirez-Abadia, a/k/a "Chupeta," one of the leaders of Colombia’s most powerful cartel, known as the "Norte Valle Cartel" (NVC), was extradited to face federal charges in the Eastern District of New York and the District of Columbia. (Read more)

California Man Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights Crime for Race-Motivated Threats (08-745)

Bradley Smith, of Modesto, Calif., was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, for a series of race-motivated threats against an African-American man and his family. In addition to his sentence, Smith was ordered to pay a $200 special penalty assessment. On May 19, 2008, a jury convicted Smith of race-based interference with the victim’s federally protected housing rights. Smith also was convicted of a second felony offense for providing a false statement to an agent of the FBI. (Read more)

Three Defendants Plead Guilty for Online Commercial Distribution of Pirated Software (08-744)

Three defendants pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit computer software on the Internet in violation of criminal copyright infringement laws. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. (Read more)

Justice Department Sues Smalltownpapers, Inc. to Enforce Employment Rights of Air Force Reservist (08-743)

A lawsuit was filed against SmallTownPapers, Inc. (STP) of Seattle, alleging that STP violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by terminating Frank Bonnin, an Air Force reservist, because of his military obligation to attend active duty training. (Read more)

U.S. Court Permanently Bars Washington State Woman’s Bogus “Decoding” Tax Scheme (08-742)

A federal court found that Sharon Kukhahn’s “IMF Decoder” scheme falsely purported to “decode” Internal Revenue Service (IRS) computer transcripts of customers’ taxpayer accounts to show that the customers were not liable for federal income tax. (Read more)

Fresno Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography (08-741)

A Fresno, Calif., man was sentenced to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a life term of supervised release, for producing and distributing child pornography. (Read more)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Former Foster Parent Sentenced for Production and Transportation of Child Pornography (08-740)

Brian Bergthold was sentenced today to 70 years in prison for producing and transporting child pornography. Bergthold was also ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Jimm Hendren to pay a $75,000 fine and serve a lifetime of supervised release following his release from prison. (Read more)

Brazilian Man Charged in Conspiracy to Infect More Than 100,000 Computers Worldwide with Malicious Software (08-739)

A Brazilian man was charged by a federal grand jury for his role in a conspiracy to sell a network of computers infected with malicious software. The indictment alleges that more than 100,000 computers worldwide were damaged. (Read more)

Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Trafficking in More Than Half a Million Tubes of Counterfeit Toothpaste (08-738)

Two individuals and two corporations pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking in counterfeit Colgate toothpaste. The defendants admitted during the plea hearings to having trafficked in a combined total of 518,028 tubes of counterfeit Colgate toothpaste with an estimated retail value of $730,419. (Read more)

Justice Department Reaches Agreement to Protect Employment Rights of U.S. Army Reservist (08-737)

The Department has settled its employment lawsuit on behalf of Tracey Marshall, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, against the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County, Fla. (Read more)

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Tennessee Technology Company Pleads Guilty to Arms Export Control Act Violations (08-736)

Atmospheric Glow Technologies Inc. (AGT), a privately-held plasma technology company located in Knoxville, Tenn., pleaded guilty today to ten counts of a federal indictment charging AGT with unlawfully exporting in 2005 and 2006 ten different “defense articles” to a citizen of the People’s Republic of China in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. (Read more)

Former U.S. Coast Guard Officer Sentenced for Lying About Vessel Pollution (08-735)

David G. Williams, a former Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and main propulsion assistant for the Coast Guard Cutter Rush, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Hawaii for making a false statement to federal criminal agents investigating allegations of potential discharges of oil-contaminated waste from the cutter into the Honolulu Harbor. (Read more)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Former Customs and Border Protection Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Charges (08-734)

Santiago Perez, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Houston to violating the civil rights of a Guatemalan national and a Mexican National, who had crossed the border into the United States. (Read more)

Puerto Rico Governor, Senior Aide and Former Campaign Director Indicted on Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Charges (08-733)

A federal grand jury in San Juan, Puerto Rico, today returned an indictment against Puerto Rico Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, a senior aide and a former campaign director for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. This indictment follows an earlier indictment which charged these same defendants and others with related crimes. (Read more)

New Jersey Manufacturer Agrees to Reduce Harmful Emissions (08-732)

Colorite Specialty Resins, headquartered in Somerville, N.J., has agreed to perform corrective measures at its Burlington, N.J., manufacturing facility that will reduce harmful emissions of vinyl chloride to resolve alleged violations of federal and state environmental laws. (Read more)

Friday, August 15, 2008

Canadian Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison in Sex Tourism Case (08-731)

Bradley Hanaback, a would-be sex tourist from Saskatchewan, Canada, was sentenced today to four years in prison, after pleading guilty to arranging a trip to Mexico for the purpose of having sex with a minor. (Read more)

Utah Attorney Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison in $20 Million Offshore Tax Fraud Conspiracy (08-730)

Attorney Dennis B. Evanson of Sandy was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell in Salt Lake City to 120 months in prison and 36 months supervised release. A federal jury convicted Evanson of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, tax evasion and assisting in the filing of false tax returns charges in February 2008, following a two week trial. (Read more)

Alaska Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison on Sex Trafficking and Drug Charges (08-729)

Don Arthur Webster Jr. was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking of minors and adults, as well as drug trafficking offenses. In addition to his prison sentence, Webster was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release following his release from prison. (Read more)

Florida Man Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay $415,900 in Restitution for Selling Pirated Video Game Systems (08-728)

Kifah Maswadi was sentenced to 15 months in prison for selling pirated video game systems. In addition, Maswadi was ordered to to pay $415,900 in restitution, serve three years of supervised release and to perform 50 hours of community service, which includes educating the public on the perils of criminal copyright infringement. (Read more)

Former Grant County, Kentucky Detention Center Officers Found Guilty of Civil Rights Violations in Teenager Rape Case (08-727)

A Kentucky jury convicted Wesley Lanham and Shawn Freeman, both former deputy jailers, on federal civil rights, conspiracy, and obstruction charges. The defendants, former deputies at the Grant County Detention Center were found guilty of conspiring to violate the civil rights of a teenage traffic offender when they arranged for him to be raped by inmates. The jury convicted the defendants on all charges and specifically found that the defendants were responsible for the aggravated sexual assault carried out by the inmates. (Read more)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Two Virgin Islands Commissioners Sentenced in $1.4 Million Bribery and Kickback Scheme (08-726)

The former commissioners of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) and the Department of Property and Procurement (P&P) were sentenced to nine and seven years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a $1.4 million bribery and kickback scheme. (Read more)

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Charge of Traveling to Sexually Exploit a Minor (08-725)

Bobby Minnis pleaded guilty to one count of traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Minnis was already serving a prison sentence on the state conviction prior to today's federal conviction. (Read more)

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey Announces $17 Million in Grant Funds for Project Safe Neighborhoods (08-724)

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey today met with Denver’s Metro Gang Task Force, and announced that the Department intends to award more than $17 million to combat gangs and gun crime around the country through locally organized Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) task forces. (Read more)

Amerigroup Settles Federal & State Medicaid Fraud Claims for $225 Million (08-723)

Amerigroup Corporation has agreed to pay $225 million to resolve claims that it defrauded the Illinois Medicaid program. The settlement resolves allegations that Amerigroup and its Illinois subsidiary systematically avoided enrolling pregnant women, and unhealthy patients in their managed care program in Illinois. (Read more)

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Texas Man Pleads Guilty in International Child Exploitation Enterprise Case (08-722)

Erik Raymond Wayerski, of Leander, Texas, pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement in a vast global child pornography trafficking enterprise. Wayerski was one of 14 alleged members of the enterprise who were charged in a 40-count superseding indictment. (Read more)

U.S. Army Major Pleads Guilty to Bribery Scheme Related to Department of Defense Contracts in Kuwait (08-721)

A U.S. Army Major pleaded guilty today to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery arising out of his activities as a Contracting Officer in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait in 2005 and 2006. (Read more)

Oregon Corporation Sentenced for Ocean Pollution Violation (08-720)

Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals Incorporated (KMBT) was sentenced for a felony violation of federal ocean protection laws. KMBT admitted to violating the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act, more commonly known as the Ocean Dumping Act, which makes it a crime to knowingly transport or cause to be transported, without a permit, certain materials from the United States for the purpose of dumping the materials into ocean waters. (Read more)

Operation Home Sweet Home Results in Florida Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination Against African-Americans (08-719)

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against C.F. Enterprises, LLC and its on-site manager, Don Murroni, for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against African-Americans in the rental of units at College Square Apartments in Davie, Fla. The lawsuit is based on evidence generated by Operation Home Sweet Home--an ongoing initiative designed to identify and root-out housing discrimination through the Department’s Fair Housing Testing Program. (Read more)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

University of Rhode Island and Local Municipalities Agree to Clean up Superfund Site (08-718)

The University of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, and two municipalities have agreed to pay for past and future cleanup costs at the West Kingston Town Dump/URI Disposal Area Superfund Site, located in South Kingstown, R.I. (Read more)

Federal Government Announces Settlement with Coal-fired Power Plant (08-716)

As part of the fifteenth settlement secured by the Department and the Environmental Protection Agency to control harmful air pollution from coal-fired power plants, the owner and operator of a plant in St. Johns, Ariz., has agreed to install pollution controls at an estimated cost of $400 million to reduce harmful emissions and pay a $950,000 civil penalty. (Read more)

Justice Department and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission File Lawsuit Against the Housing Authority of El Paso, Texas (08-715)

The Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have jointly filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to enforce a mediation settlement agreement that was entered into by the EEOC on behalf of an individual and the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (Housing Authority). The settlement agreement resolved a charge that was filed against the Housing Authority under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment on the bases of sex, race, national origin and religion, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). (Read more)

Former Alaska Businessman Pleads Guilty to Public Corruption Charges (08-711)

William Weimar, a former owner of an Alaska-based company, pled guilty to making $20,000 in illegal payments to cover consulting and advertising expenses incurred by a candidate running for an elected position in the Alaska state legislature. In addition, Weimar admitted that he manipulated and structured the illegal payments to avoid currency reporting requirements for financial institutions under federal law. (Read more)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Two Former Sheriff’s Deputies Indicted on Civil Rights and Obstruction Charges (08-713)

Two former Tippah County, Miss., sheriff’s deputies, William Rogers, 57, and Jeffrey Rogers, 37, were indicted by a federal grand jury today in a three-count indictment, which included civil rights and obstruction of justice charges. (Read more)

Two Sentenced for Civil Rights Violations in Connection with Police Home-Invasion Robberies (08-712)

Alvin Moon and Manuel Hernandez were sentenced today in federal court in Los Angeles, for their roles in a series of home-invasion robberies, which took place in the Los Angeles-area between 1999-2001. Moon and Hernandez conspired with 15 others in these robberies, including five former law enforcement officials. Moon was sentenced to 24 months in prison, and five years of post-incarceration supervised release. Hernandez was sentenced to 12 months in prison, and three years of post-incarceration supervised release. (Read more)

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee to Pay U.S. $2.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations (08-709)

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBS-T) has agreed to pay the United States $2.1 million to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act. BCBS-T, which is headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., operates as Riverbend Government Benefit Administrators. (Read more)

Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Comprehensive Efforts to Fight Gang Violence (08-705)

The Department has enacted a comprehensive plan across its many components to effectively fight and limit the impact of gang violence nationwide. This plan includes two primary elements: Prioritize prevention programs to provide America’s youth, as well as offenders returning to the community, with opportunities that help them resist gang involvement; and ensure robust enforcement policies when gang-related violence does occur. (Read more)

Department of Justice Announces New Anti-Gang Funding to Chicago and Detroit (08-704)

Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip today announced the intent to award $2 million to both Chicago and Detroit as part of an expansion of the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative. The awards are designed to help law enforcement develop plans to combat gang violence in these cities and surrounding suburbs, and to implement their own anti-gang strategies using three components of prevention, enforcement, and prisoner reentry. (Read more)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Former National Century Financial Enterprises CEO Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison on Conspiracy, Witness Tampering and Obstruction of Justice Charges (08-708)

Lance K. Poulsen, the former chief executive officer of National Century Financial Enterprises (NCFE), was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio, to ten years in prison for conspiring to interfere with a witness who was preparing to testify in the fraud trial against Poulsen and other NCFE executives involved in a $3 billon securities fraud scheme. (Read more)

Twelfth Member of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Targeting Casinos Across the United States (08-707)

Tien Duc Vu, 50, pleaded guilty today in San Diego to conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise, the "Tran Organization," in a scheme to cheat casinos across the country out of millions of dollars. (Read more)

Former Grant County, Kentucky, Detention Center Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Crime (08-706)

Clinton Shawn Sydnor, a former sergeant at the Grant County, Ky., Detention Center, pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiring with deputy jailers and with inmates to violate the civil rights of a man who was in his custody at the jail. Sydnor faces a possible sentence of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 8, 2008. (Read more)

New Orleans Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Espionage Involving China (08-701)

Tai Shen Kuo, age 58, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced today in the Eastern District of Virginia to 188 months in prison and required to forfeit $40,000 for conspiracy to deliver national defense information to a foreign government, namely, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in violation of 18 U.S.C., Section 794(a), (c). Kuo pleaded guilty to this offense on May 13, 2008, after being arrested on February 11, 2008. (Read more)

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Former National Century Financial Enterprises Executives Sentenced for Roles in $3 Billion Securities Fraud Scheme (08-700)

Four former National Century Financial Enterprises (NCFE) executives have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to deceive investors about the financial health of NCFE. (Read more)

Pennsylvania Woman Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced on Obscenity Charges (08-699)

Karen Fletcher, of Donora, Pa., pleaded guilty to six counts of using an interactive computer service to distribute obscene materials. Fletcher was sentenced to serve five years probation. (Read more)

Nevada Landfill Operator Agrees to $36 Million Plan to Close Landfill Site (08-698)

Republic Services of Southern Nevada, the current operator of the Sunrise Mountain Landfill located in Clark County, Nev., has agreed to construct and operate a comprehensive remedy for the site and to pay a $1 million civil fine in order to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act. (Read more)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Transcript of Amerithrax Investigation Press Conference (08-697)

As the Department indicated last week and has been widely reported, substantial progress has been made in the Amerithrax investigation in recent years. As you know, this investigation into the worst act of bioterrorism in U.S. history has been one of the largest and most complex ever conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has also made an extraordinary contribution to this investigation. Over the past seven years, hundreds of thousands of agent-hours have been dedicated to solving this crime as well as I may add, many hours of prosecution time. (Read more)

Court Documents Unsealed in Amerithrax Investigation Available Online at DOJ Website (08-696)

The Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) today announced that the search warrant affidavits unsealed earlier today in federal court in the District of Columbia relating to the 2001 anthrax mailings are now available at the Department's website (Read more)

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey Announces Brian A. Benczkowski to Serve as Chief of Staff for the Department of Justice (08-695)

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey announced today that he will appoint Brian A. Benczkowski to serve as his Chief of Staff, effective August 15, 2008. Benczkowski, 38, currently serves as chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip. (Read more)

Two Indicted for Smuggling Leopard Hides into U.S. (08-694)

An indictment was returned charging two individuals with smuggling the hides and a skull of two leopards into the United States in violation of the Convention on International Trade in Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), an international treaty that regulates international shipments of listed species, to which the United States and 172 other countries are members. The leopards allegedly were hunted and killed in South Africa illegally and then smuggled into Zimbabwe to obtain false CITES permits. (Read more)

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Efforts to Combat Cyber Crimes (08-693)

In May 2006, President Bush created an interagency Identity Theft Task Force, chaired by the Attorney General and co-chaired by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman. After examining government and private sector efforts in the identity theft area, the Task Force in April 2007 issued a report to the President with 31 recommendations to improve our national efforts to combat identity theft (Read more)

Fact Sheet: Department of Justice Efforts to Combat Cyber Crimes (08-693)

Former Jackson, Mississippi Police Officer Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Sexually Assaulting a Detainee (08-692)

Maceo Simmons, a former officer with the Jackson Police Department in Jackson, Miss., was sentenced to life imprisonment on Aug. 4, 2008, for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman he had detained after a traffic stop. (Read more)

Federal Court Convicts Tax Return Preparer of Criminal Contempt (08-691)

A federal court in St. Paul, Minn., found Nash Sonibare guilty of criminal contempt for violating a preliminary injunction order entered against him in 2006. The injunction prohibited Sonibare from preparing federal tax returns and required Sonibare to post a sign at his offices indicating he was not allowed to prepare returns. The court found that Sonibare violated the terms of the injunction beyond a reasonable doubt. (Read more)

Former Gary, Indiana Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Police Report (08-690)

A former Gary, Ind., Police Department officer pleaded guilty today to a charge that he knowingly falsified a police report to obstruct and influence a criminal civil rights investigation. Robert Irving, age 36, pleaded guilty in the Northern District of Indiana before Senior Judge James T. Moody. Irving admitted that, after using force during an arrest made on Sept. 11, 2005, he knowingly and intentionally made false statements in a police report and that he did so “in substantial part, to avoid a criminal investigation into [his] actions.” (Read more)

Retail Hacking Ring Charged for Stealing and Distributing Credit and Debit Card Numbers from Major U.S. Retailers (08-689)

Eleven perpetrators allegedly involved in the hacking of nine major U.S. retailers and the theft and sale of more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers have been charged with numerous crimes, including conspiracy, computer intrusion, fraud and identity theft. The scheme is believed to constitute the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted by the Department. (Read more)

Monday, August 4, 2008

Aafia Siddiqui Arrested for Attempting to Kill United States Officers in Afghanistan (08-687)

Michael J. Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mark J. Mershon, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Raymond W. Kelly, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York, announced today the arrest of Aafia Siddiqui on charges related to her attempted murder and assault of United States officers and employees in Afghanistan. (Read more)

Federal Court Bars Mississippi Woman from Preparing Tax Returns for Others (08-686)

Hazel M. Harris, has been permanently barred by a federal court from preparing federal tax returns for others. Harris was ordered to provide her customer lists to the government and to mail copies of the court order to her customers. (Read more)

Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Pornography (08-685)

Theodore Craig Allan pleaded guilty today to one count of distributing child pornography. Allan admitted that he knowingly distributed images of child pornography through the Internet on multiple occasions. (Read more)

Senior Member of FARC Terrorist Organization Indicted for His Role in Hostage-Taking of Three Americans Recently Rescued in Colombia (08-684)

Hely Mejia Mendoza, known better by his alias “Martin Sombra,” was indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., on Friday on seven counts of terrorism and weapons charges arising out of his participation in the hostage-taking of three American citizens, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes, in the Republic of Colombia. The three former hostages had been held in the Colombian jungle by the members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for over five years, until they were rescued last month by Colombian military forces. (Read more)

Federal Court Bars Ohio Accountant from Selling Oil and Gas Tax Scheme (08-683)

A federal judge barred accountant Daniel D. Weddington from promoting an alleged tax fraud scheme involving interests in gas and oil wells. The government’s amended complaint in the civil injunction case alleged that Weddington and other defendants sold the scheme to more than 200 customers across the country that resulted in an estimated loss of between $5.7 and $6.9 million to the U.S. Treasury. (Read more)

Friday, August 1, 2008

Two Physicians Plead Guilty in International Internet Pharmacy Conspiracy (08-682)

Two physicians plead guilty to conspiracy for their participation in an Internet pharmacy business that generated more than $126 million in gross revenues from the illegal sale of prescription pharmaceuticals. (Read more)

New Orleans Woman Sentenced to Prison for Aiding and Abetting Unregistered Agent of China (08-681)

WASHINGTON — Yu Xin Kang, age 33, of New Orleans, La., was sentenced today in the Eastern District of Virginia to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for aiding and abetting an unregistered agent of a foreign government, namely the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in violation of 18 U.S.C., Sections 2 and 951. Kang pleaded guilty to this offense on May 28, 2008, after being arrested by federal authorities on Feb. 11, 2008. (Read more)

Statement by the Department of Justice on the Anthrax Investigation (08-680)

The Justice Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) today announced that there have been significant developments in the investigation into the 2001 anthrax mailings, which killed five individuals and injured 17 others. In particular, we are able to confirm that substantial progress has been made in the investigation by bringing to bear new and sophisticated scientific tools. (Read more)

Statement of Deputy Assistant Attorney General John A. DiCicco on the Decision in Stobie Creek Investments, LLC v. United States (08-679)

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruled in favor of the United States in a case involving one family’s attempt to avoid taxes on $204 million in gain realized on the sale of their business. (Read more)

Pratt & Whitney and PCC Airfoils to Pay More Than $52 Million to Settle Allegations of Selling Defective Jet Engine Parts (08-675)

Pratt & Whitney and its subcontractor, PCC Airfoils LLC, agreed to pay the United States $52,325,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that Pratt & Whitney and PCC knowingly sold defective turbine blade replacements for jet engines used in military aircraft. The engines power the large fleet of twin-engine F-15 and single-engine F-16 fighter aircraft used primarily by the U.S. Air Force. (Read more)