https://www.justice.gov/ en https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/alabama-man-pleads-guilty-detonating-explosive-device-outside-alabama-attorney-generals Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, of Irondale, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court to the malicious use of an explosive device. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/alabama-man-pleads-guilty-detonating-explosive-device-outside-alabama-attorney-generals https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/second-former-memphis-police-officer-pleads-guilty-federal-civil-rights-and-conspiracy A former Memphis, Tennessee, Police Department (MPD) officer facing federal civil rights charges for the tragic killing of Tyre Nichols pleaded guilty in federal court today. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/second-former-memphis-police-officer-pleads-guilty-federal-civil-rights-and-conspiracy https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-california-towing-company-auctioning-servicemembers-vehicle The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Tony’s Auto Center Inc., doing business as Tony’s Auto Center, in Chula Vista, California, alleging that it illegally auctioned off a deployed U.S. Navy Lieutenant’s car, in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). &nbsp;The SCRA prohibits a towing company from auctioning off a vehicle owned by a servicemember unless it first obtains an order from a court allowing it to do so. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-california-towing-company-auctioning-servicemembers-vehicle https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/iowa-man-charged-distributing-videos-depicting-monkey-torture-and-mutilation An indictment was unsealed today in which an individual was charged based on his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/iowa-man-charged-distributing-videos-depicting-monkey-torture-and-mutilation https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-realpage-algorithmic-pricing-scheme-harms-millions-american-renters The Justice Department, together with the Attorneys General of North Carolina, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today against RealPage Inc. for its unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing and to monopolize the market for commercial revenue management software that landlords use to price apartments. RealPage’s alleged conduct deprives renters of the benefits of competition on apartment leasing terms and harms millions of Americans. The lawsuit was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina and alleges that RealPage violated Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-realpage-algorithmic-pricing-scheme-harms-millions-american-renters https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/florida-telecommunications-and-information-technology-worker-pleads-guilty-conspiring-act Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General. Fri, 23 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/florida-telecommunications-and-information-technology-worker-pleads-guilty-conspiring-act https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/tennessee-man-and-company-plead-guilty-violating-clean-water-act On Aug. 20, Christopher Domermuth, 49, and Domermuth Environmental Services LLC (DES), based in Knoxville, Tennessee, both pleaded guilty today to violating the Clean Water Act by knowingly discharging pollutants into a navigable waterway without a permit. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/tennessee-man-and-company-plead-guilty-violating-clean-water-act https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-energy-trader-vitol-inc-pleads-guilty-international-bribery-scheme A former energy trader pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a scheme to bribe Mexican government officials to secure contracts for his then-employer, Vitol Inc. (Vitol), the U.S.&nbsp;affiliate of the largest independent energy trading firm in the world. Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-energy-trader-vitol-inc-pleads-guilty-international-bribery-scheme https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/clean-harbors-inc-agrees-clean-devils-swamp-lake-superfund-site-near-baton-rouge-louisiana Clean Harbors Inc. and two of its subsidiaries, Clean Harbors Baton Rouge LLC and Baton Rouge Disposal LLC, have reached an over $5 million agreement with the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up decades-old contamination at the Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site just north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.&nbsp; Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/clean-harbors-inc-agrees-clean-devils-swamp-lake-superfund-site-near-baton-rouge-louisiana https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-suit-against-georgia-institute-technology-and-georgia-tech-research The United States joined a whistleblower suit and filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GTRC) asserting claims that those defendants knowingly failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with the Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. GTRC is an affiliate of Georgia Tech that contracts with government agencies for work to be performed at Georgia Tech. The whistleblower suit was initiated by current and former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity team. Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-suit-against-georgia-institute-technology-and-georgia-tech-research https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-former-presidents-boilermakers-international-union-among-seven-indicted-20m-embezzlement A federal grand jury in Kansas returned an indictment yesterday charging seven defendants, including five current and former high-level officers of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmith, Forgers and Helpers (Boilermakers Union) for their alleged roles in a 15-year, $20 million embezzlement scheme. Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-former-presidents-boilermakers-international-union-among-seven-indicted-20m-embezzlement https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-florida-men-plead-guilty-multimillion-dollar-tax-refund-scheme Christopher Johnson, of Orlando, Florida, and Jasen Harvey, of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting a tax fraud scheme called the “Note Program.”&nbsp; Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-florida-men-plead-guilty-multimillion-dollar-tax-refund-scheme https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-who-threatened-kill-federal-judges-and-other-public-officials-sentenced-20-years-prison A man who sent letters from state prison expressing a desire to kill federal judges, U.S. Marshals, and federal prosecutors was sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison.&nbsp; Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-who-threatened-kill-federal-judges-and-other-public-officials-sentenced-20-years-prison https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/major-enforcement-operation-guatemala-secures-arrest-human-smuggler-indicted-joint-task On Wednesday, extensive coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department and its domestic and international partners resulted in a major enforcement operation that dismantled a human smuggling network based in Guatemala. In June 2022, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtx/pr/four-more-arrested-tractor-trailer-smuggling-investigation-progresses">this network smuggled people into the United States</a> on a journey that ended with the deaths of 53 migrants in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. Twenty-one of the deceased migrants were Guatemalan. Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/major-enforcement-operation-guatemala-secures-arrest-human-smuggler-indicted-joint-task https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-arrested-operating-illegal-agent-chinese-government-united-states Yuanjun Tang, 67, a naturalized citizen of the United States and resident of Queens, New York, was charged by criminal complaint with acting and conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and making materially false statements to the FBI. Tang was arrested today in Flushing, Queens, and will be presented this afternoon. Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-arrested-operating-illegal-agent-chinese-government-united-states https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/latvian-national-extradited-scheme-illegally-export-advanced-us-origin-aircraft-technology Oleg Chistyakov, also known as Olegs Čitsjakovs, 55, of Latvia, made his initial appearance in a federal court in Kansas City, Kansas, today after being extradited from Latvia. Chistyakov is the third defendant in this case to face charges in connection with a years-long conspiracy to sell sophisticated avionics equipment to Russian companies, after Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine and despite heightened additional U.S. economic countermeasures levied against Russia. Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/latvian-national-extradited-scheme-illegally-export-advanced-us-origin-aircraft-technology https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-organizational-assessment-charlottesville-virginia-police The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced that it will conduct an organizational assessment of the Charlottesville, Virginia, Police Department through its Collaborative Reform Initiative. Over the next year, the Charlottesville Police Department will work with the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative team to focus on: Wed, 21 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-organizational-assessment-charlottesville-virginia-police https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/seven-defendants-convicted-federal-civil-rights-conspiracy-and-freedom-access-clinic A federal jury convicted seven defendants today of federal civil rights offenses arising out of their blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan, on Aug. 27, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense. Two defendants were convicted of a second FACE Act offense arising out of a blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Saginaw, Michigan. Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/seven-defendants-convicted-federal-civil-rights-conspiracy-and-freedom-access-clinic https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/venezuelan-national-pleads-guilty-sanctions-evasion-scheme George Semerene Quintero (Semerene), 60, of Venezuela, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for his role in a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions imposed on Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), a Venezuelan state-owned oil company. Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/venezuelan-national-pleads-guilty-sanctions-evasion-scheme https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/payroll-company-owner-sentenced-employment-tax-crimes-and-embezzling-employees-401k-plans A Maryland woman was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for not paying employment taxes to the IRS and embezzling from an employee benefit plan. Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/payroll-company-owner-sentenced-employment-tax-crimes-and-embezzling-employees-401k-plans https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nationwide-home-healthcare-and-hospice-provider-pay-385m-resolve-false-claims-act Intrepid U.S.A. Inc., headquartered in Dallas, and various wholly-owned subsidiaries (Intrepid) have agreed to pay $3,850,000 to resolve allegations that Intrepid violated the False Claims Act in connection with two lines of its business: first, that Intrepid knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for home healthcare services for patients who did not qualify for the Medicare home healthcare benefit or where services otherwise did not qualify for Medicare reimbursement; and second, that Intrepid knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for patients who did not qualify for the hospice benefit. The settlement is based on Intrepid’s ability to pay. Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/nationwide-home-healthcare-and-hospice-provider-pay-385m-resolve-false-claims-act https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-conditions-tennessees-trousdale The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a Tennessee Department of Correction facility operated by the private correctional management company CoreCivic. Trousdale Turner, located approximately an hour outside of Nashville, is Tennessee’s largest correctional facility. &nbsp; Tue, 20 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-civil-rights-investigation-conditions-tennessees-trousdale https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-congressman-george-santos-pleads-guilty-fraud-and-identity-theft Former U.S. Representative George Anthony Devolder Santos pleaded guilty today to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Mon, 19 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-congressman-george-santos-pleads-guilty-fraud-and-identity-theft https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-monitor-compliance-federal-voting-rights-laws-alaska The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in certain jurisdictions in the State of Alaska for the Aug. 20 primary election. The department will assign federal observers to monitor in Bethel Census Area, Dillingham Census Area, Kusilvak Census Area, Nome Census Area and North Slope Borough, Alaska. The federal observers, permitted by court order, will monitor for compliance with the language requirements of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, including the provision of election assistance in Yup’ik dialects. Mon, 19 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-monitor-compliance-federal-voting-rights-laws-alaska https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-agreement-eliminate-voting-barriers-native-americans-south-dakota The Justice Department has secured an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1364331/dl?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">agreement</a>&nbsp;with Bennett County, South Dakota, and county officials to resolve claims that the county has failed to make its registration and early voting opportunities equally open to Native American voters as required by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Mon, 19 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000 https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-agreement-eliminate-voting-barriers-native-americans-south-dakota