District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Justice Department Sues Missouri Landlords Based on Discriminatory Criminal History PolicyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that the owners and managers of Suburban Heights Apartments, a residential rental property in Kinloch, Missouri, near St. Louis, engaged in a pattern or practice of race and/or color discrimination against prospective Black tenants by banning tenants with any past felony conviction and certain other criminal histories, in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The defendants, Suburban Heights LLC, Crestline Property LLC, Triline Properties LLC and Jingle Properties LLC, each owned and/or managed the property at various relevant times since at least 2015.
“Rental property owners and managers that ban tenants with a criminal history risk running afoul of the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Policies that perpetuate racial discrimination in the housing market can prove devastating for communities of color. This lawsuit should send a clear message to housing providers that certain criminal history bans on people seeking to put a roof over their heads are not just unfair but unlawful. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the protections of the Fair Housing Act to prevent housing discrimination on the basis of race and color in all its forms.”
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and alleges that, during their respective periods of ownership or management of the property from at least November 2015 to January 2024, the defendants publicized and enforced a categorical ban on tenants with felony convictions and certain other criminal histories, regardless of how long ago the conviction occurred. This policy excluded prospective tenants based on their criminal histories, which are known to have significant racial disparities, and which are not accurate proxies for actual underlying criminal activity nor reliable predictors of future criminal activity. By choosing to use that policy, the defendants likely deterred prospective Black tenants from applying to rent and excluded them from housing opportunities at Suburban Heights Apartments.
The allegations were based, in part, on evidence generated by the department’s Fair Housing Testing Program, in which individuals pose as prospective renters to gather information about possible discriminatory practices.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to remedy the harms caused by the defendants’ policy, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination at Suburban Heights Apartments or other dwellings owned or managed by the defendants, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Civil Rights Division’s Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-833-591-0291. Press 1 for English, press 1 for discrimination in housing and then press 8 for Suburban Heights Apartments to leave a message. Individuals may also send an email to [email protected] or submit a report online.
법무부와 콜로라도 사법부, 영어 능력이 제한된 개인을 위한 법원의 언어 접근성 개선Read the Press Release
법무부는 오늘 콜로라도 사법부가 주 법원 시스템과 상호 작용하는 제한된 영어 능력(LEP)을 가진 사람들이 의미 있는 언어 접근을 보장하기 위해 중요한 조치를 취했다고 발표했습니다.
2023년 7월, 법원이 1964년 민권법 제6조(Title VI)에 따라 LEP를 갖춘 개인에게 필요한 언어 서비스를 제공하지 않는다는 불만을 접수한 후 법무부 민권부는 콜로라도 사법부와 합의했습니다. 제6조는 연방 재정 지원을 받는 사람들의 인종, 피부색 및 국적을 바탕으로 차별을 금지합니다.
법무부의 조사에 따라 콜로라도 사법부는 불만 사항에서 제기된 우려 사항을 해결하기 위해 이미 취한 사전 조치를 확인하고 부서와 협력하여 언어 접근 프로그램을 다양하게 개선했습니다.
법무부 민권부의 Kristen Clarke 법무차관보는 "법정 안팎에서 정확하고 시기적절하게 통역 서비스를 제공하는 것은 모든 법원 사용자가 사법부에 동등하게 접근할 수 있도록 보장하는 데 가장 중요합니다. 콜로라도 사법부가 취한 조치는 강력한 언어 접근 프로그램을 구축하기 위한 진정한 의지를 보여주는 모델입니다."라고 말했습니다.
법무부가 콜로라도 사법부와 협력하기 시작한 해에 법원은 새로운 언어 접근 코디네이터를 고용하고, 언어 접근 금융 정책국을 개정하고, 통역사를 위한 새로운 스케줄링 시스템을 만들기 시작했으며, 헤드셋과 아이패드를 포함한 법원 통역에 사용할 새로운 장비를 구입하고, 법원 직원과 통역사를 교육하고, 기타 주요 개선 사항을 구현했습니다.
부서는 계속해서 이러한 변경 사항 실행을 모니터하고 대중들의 피드백도 받을 것입니다. 차별적 관행에 대한 불만은 민권부 웹사이트(civilrights.justice.gov)를 통해 신고할 수 있습니다.
민권부에 대한 더 많은 정보는 웹사이트(www.justice.gov/crt)에서 이용 가능합니다. www.lep.gov에서 제한된 영어 능력과 제6조에 대한 정보를 확인할 수 있으며, 법원별 정보는 www.lep.gov/state-courts에서 확인할 수 있습니다.
司法部和科羅拉多州司法機構改善英語能力有限人士在法院的無障礙語言使用情況Read the Press Release
司法部今日宣佈，科羅拉多州司法機構已採取重大措施，確保使用州法院系統的英語能力有限 (LEP) 人士能以有意義的方式無障礙地使用他們的語言。
司法部民權司於 2023 年 7 月收到投訴，指法院未有按照 1964 年《民權法案》第六章下的規定，向英語能力有限的人士提供所需的語言服務。其後，民權司就此事宜與科羅拉多州司法機構聯絡。《民權法案》第六章禁止接受聯邦財務援助的實體因個人的種族、膚色和國籍而作出歧視。
為回應司法部的查詢，科羅拉多州司法機構現已採取積極措施，以解決該投訴提出的問題，並與該部門合作，進一步改善其無障礙語言使用計劃。
司法部民權司助理檢察長 Kristen Clarke 表示：「在法庭內外提供準確及時的口譯服務，能確保所有法庭使用者都能平等地獲得司法保護。“科羅拉多州司法機構所採取的行動堪稱典範，更顯示出他們積極履行建立一個強大的無障礙語言使用計劃的承諾。”
司法部已與科羅拉多州司法機構合作一年。該法院目前已聘請了一名新的語言使用協調員，也修訂了語言使用辦公室的財務政策，更開始為口譯員建立新的排班系統。此外，他們也購置了適用於法院口譯的新設備（包括耳機和 iPad）和對法院工作人員和口譯員進行培訓，也落實了其他重要的改善措施。
司法部會繼續跟進和監測這些改善措施的落實情況，並歡迎公眾提出相關意見。您可以透過民權司網站civilrights.justice.gov舉報或投訴任何歧視性行爲。
有關民權司的更多資訊，請前往 www.justice.gov/crt。 有關英語能力有限和《民權法案》第六章的資訊，請瀏覽 www.lep.gov，而有關法院的特定資訊，請前往 www.lep.gov/state-courts。
司法部和科罗拉多州司法机构改善英语水平有限的个人在法庭上的语言使用Read the Press Release
司法部今天宣布，科罗拉多州司法机构已采取重要措施，确保英语水平有限 (LEP) 与州法院系统互动的人能够获得有意义的语言服务。
2023 年 7 月，司法部民权司收到科罗拉多州司法机构的投诉，称法院没有按照 1964 年《民权法案》第六章的要求向 LEP 个人提供所需的语言服务。《民权法案》第六章禁止接受联邦财政援助的实体基于种族、肤色和民族血统做出歧视行为。
为了回应该部门的询问，科罗拉多州司法机构确定了 已经采取的积极措施解决投诉中提出的问题，并与该司合作对其语言访问计划进行了各种其他改进。
“在法庭内外提供准确、及时的口译服务对于确保所有法庭使用者都能平等诉诸司法至关重要，”司法部民权司助理司法部长克里斯汀·克拉克说。“科罗拉多州司法机构采取的行动堪称典范，体现了对建立强大的语言准入计划的真正承诺。”
自司法部开始与科罗拉多州司法机构合作以来，法院聘请了一位新的语言协调员；修订了语言使用办公室的财务政策；开始为口译员创建新的排班系统；购买了用于法庭口译的新设备，包括耳机和 iPad；培训了法庭工作人员和口译员；并实施了其他重要改进。
该部门将继续监督这些改革的实施，并欢迎公众提供反馈意见。有关歧视性做法的投诉可通过民权部门的网站进行举报：civilrights.justice.gov
有关民权部门的更多信息，请访问其网站： www.justice.gov/crt. 有关英语水平有限和第六章的信息，请访问： www.lep.gov, 关于法院的信息可以在以下网址找到：www.lep.gov/state-courts.
የፍትህ ዲፓርትመንት እና የኮሎራዶ የህግ ተርጓሚ በፍርድ ቤት ውስጥ ውስን የሆነ የእንግሊዘኛ ቋንቋ ችሎታ ያላቸውን ሰዎች የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት አሻሽለዋል።Read the Press Release
የኮሎራዶ የህግ ተርጓሚ አካላት ውስን የሆነ የእንግሊዘኛ ቋንቋ ችሎታ ያላቸው ሰዎች (LEP) እና የፍርድ ቤት ጉዳይ ያላቸው ሰዎች ትርጉም ያለው የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት እንዲኖራቸው ትልቅ እርምጃ መውሰዳቸውን የህግ ክፍል በዛሬው እለት አሳውቋል።
ጁላይ 2023 ላይ የዲፓርትመንቱ የሲቪል መብቶች ክፍል የኮሎራዶ ህግ ተርጓሚን ያገኘ ሲሆን ይህም የሆነው ፍርድ ቤቶች ውስን የሆነ የእንግሊዘኛ ቋንቋ ችሎታ ላላቸው ሰዎች በሲቪል መብቶች አዋጅ 1964 (ርእስ VI) መሰረት አስፈላጊ የሆነ የቋንቋ አገልግሎት ካለማቅረባቸው ጋር በተያያዘ ቅሬታ ከተቀበለ በኋላ ነው። ርእስ VI በዘር፣ ቀለም እና የፌደራል ፋይናንስ ድጋፍን ለሚቀበሉ በብሄራዊ መገኛ መሰረት ማግለልን ይከለክላል።
ክፍሉ ባቀረበው የምርመራ ጥያቄ መሰረት የኮሎራዶ የህግ ተርጓሚ የተነሱትን ቅሬታዎች በሚመለከት ቀድመው የተወሰዱ እርምጃዎችን የለየ ሲሆን ከቋንቋ ተደራሽነት ፕሮግራም ጋር በተያያዘ ተጨማሪ የተለያዩ ማሻሻያዎችን ለማድረግ ከክፍሉ ጋር ስራ ሰርቷል።
“ትክክለኛ እና ጊዜውን የጠበቀ የማስተርጎም አገልግሎት በፍርድ ቤት ውስጥ ማቅረብ ሁሉም የፍርድ ቤት ተጠቃሚዎች እኩል የሆነ የፍትህ ተደራሽነት እንዲኖራቸው የሚያደርግ ቁልፍ ነገር ነው” ሲሉ የፍትህ ክፍሉ የሲቪል መብቶች ምክትል አቃቤ ህግ ክሪስቲን ክላርክ ተናግረዋል። “በኮሎራዶ የህግ ተርጓሚ የተወሰዱት እርምጃዎች ለሌሎች ምሳሌ የሚሆኑ ሲሆን ጠንካራ የሆነ የቋንቋ ተደራሽነትን ለማቅረብ ያለውን እውነተኛ ቁርጠኝነትን የሚያሳይ ነው።"
DOJ ከኮሎራዶ የህግ ተርጓሚ ጋር መስራት ከጀመረበት አመት ጀምሮ ፍርድ ቤቱ አዲስ የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት አስተባባሪን ቀጥሯል፣ የቋንቋ ተደራሽነት ፋይናንስ ፖሊሲን ከልሷል፣ አዲስ የቀጠሮ ስርአትን ለአስተርጓሚዎች ዘርግቷል፣ የጆሮ ማዳመጫ እና አይፓዶችን ጨምሮ ለፍርድ ቤት ማስተርጎም አገልግሎት እንዲሆን አዳዲስ መሳሪያዎችን ገዝቷል፣ የፍርድ ቤት ሰራተኞችን እና አስተርጓሚዎችን አሰልጥኗል እና ሌሎች ቁልፍ የሆኑ ማሻሻያዎችን ተግብሯል።
ክፍሉ የእነዚህን ለውጦች መተግበር መቆጣጠር ይቀጥላል እና ከህዝቡ ደግሞ ግብረመልሶችን ይቀበላል። ከማግለል ጋር ግንኙነት ያላቸው ቅሬታዎች በሲቪል መብቶች ክፍል ድረገጽ civilrights.justice.gov በኩል መቅረብ ይችላሉ።
ስለ ሲቪል መብቶች ክፍል ተጨማሪ መረጃ በ www.justice.gov/crtይገኛል። ውስን የሆነ የቋንቋ ችሎታ መረጃ እና ርእስ VI www.lep.gov ላይ የሚገኝ ሲሆን ከፍርድ ቤቶች ጋር ግንኙነት ያለው መረጃ ደግሞ www.lep.gov/state-courts ላይ ይገኛል።
وزارة العدل والقضاء في كولورادو يحسنان توفير الخدمات اللغوية في المحاكم للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزيةRead the Press Release
أعلنت وزارة العدل اليوم أن القضاء في كولورادو اتخذ خطوات مهمة لضمان إتاحة هامة للخدمات اللغوية للأشخاص ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية (LEP) الذين يتعاملون مع نظام المحكمة بالولاية.
في يوليو/تموز 2023، تعاقد قسم الحقوق المدنية التابع للوزارة مع القضاء في كولورادو بعد تلقي شكاوى تفيد بأن المحاكم لم تقدم الخدمات اللغوية اللازمة للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية كما هو مطلوب بموجب الباب السادس من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964 (الباب السادس). يحظر الباب السادس التمييز على أساس العرق واللون والأصل القومي من قبل المتلقين للمساعدات المالية الفيدرالية.
حدد القضاء في كولورادو، ردًا على استفسار الوزارة، خطوات استباقية تم اتخاذها بالفعل لمعالجة المخاوف التي أثيرت في الشكوى وعمل مع القسم لإجراء مجموعة متنوعة من التحسينات الأخرى على برنامج إتاحة الولوج للغة.
"صرحت مساعدة المدعي العام كريستين كلارك من قسم الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل: "إن توفير خدمات الترجمة الدقيقة وفي الوقت المناسب داخل قاعة المحكمة وخارجها أمر بالغ الأهمية لضمان تكافئ اللجوء إلى العدالة لجميع مَن يترددون على المحكمة". "تشكل الإجراءات التي اتخذتها السلطة القضائية في كولورادو نموذجًا وتُظهر التزامًا حقيقيًا ببناء برنامج قوي لإتاحة الولوج للغة".
قامت المحكمة في العام الذي مرّ، منذ أن بدأت وزارة العدل العمل مع السلطة القضائية في كولورادو، بتعيين منسق جديد لإتاحة الخدمات اللغوية؛ ومراجعة السياسة المالية لمكتب إتاحة الخدمات اللغوية؛ وبدأت في إنشاء نظام جدولة جديد للمترجمين؛ وشراء معدات جديدة لاستخدامها في الترجمة في المحكمة بما في ذلك سماعات الرأس وأجهزة iPad؛ وتدريب موظفي المحكمة والمترجمين؛ وتنفيذ تحسينات رئيسية أخرى.
سوف تستمر الوزارة في مراقبة تنفيذ هذه التغييرات، وترحب بملاحظات عامة الناس. يمكن الإبلاغ عن الشكاوى المتعلقة بالممارسات التمييزية من خلال موقع قسم الحقوق المدنية عبر الإنترنت على civilrights.justice.gov
تتوفر المزيد من المعلومات حول قسم الحقوق المدنية على موقعه عبر الإنترنت على www.justice.gov/crt. تتوفر معلومات حول الكفاءة المحدودة للغة الإنجليزية والباب السادس على الموقع www.lep.gov، ويمكن العثور على معلومات خاصة بالمحاكم على الموقع www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Министерство юстиции и судебные органы штата Колорадо упрощают доступ к судебной системе для лиц с ограниченным владением английским языкомRead the Press Release
Сегодня Министерство юстиции объявило о том, что судебные органы штата Колорадо предприняли серьезные меры для обеспечения полноценного языкового доступа к судебной системе штата для лиц с ограниченным владением английским языком (LEP).
В июле 2023 года Отдел по гражданским правам при Министерстве юстиции обратился в судебные органы штата Колорадо, получив несколько жалоб относительно того, что суды не предоставляют необходимые языковые услуги лицам с ограниченным владением английским языком, как того требует Раздел VI Закона о гражданских правах 1964 года (Раздел VI). Раздел VI запрещает дискриминацию по признаку расы, цвета кожи и национального происхождения в отношении лиц, получающих федеральную финансовую помощь.
В ответ на прошение министерства судебные органы штата Колорадо утвердили превентивные меры, которые уже предпринимались ранее для урегулирования вопросов, поднятых в поданных жалобах, а также доработали программу языкового доступа, согласуя свои действия с Отделом по гражданским правам.
«Предоставление качественных и своевременных услуг устного перевода в зале суда и за его пределами имеет первостепенное значение для обеспечения равного доступа к системе правосудия для всех участников судебного процесса», — заявила помощник генерального прокурора Кристен Кларк из Отдела по гражданским правам при Министерстве юстиции. «Меры, предпринятые судебными органами Колорадо, являются образцовыми и демонстрируют твердое намерение создать эффективную программу, гарантирующую комплексный языковой доступ».
За год, прошедший с тех пор, как Министерство юстиции начало сотрудничать с судебными органами штата Колорадо, суд назначил нового координатора по языковому доступу; пересмотрел финансовую политику Управления языкового доступа; приступил к созданию новой системы планирования для переводчиков; закупил новое оборудование для использования при судебном переводе, в том числе гарнитуру и iPad; провел обучение для сотрудников суда и переводчиков; а также провел иные немаловажные доработки.
Министерство продолжит следить за внедрением этих изменений и будет радо обратной связи от общественности. Жалобы на дискриминационные действия можно подавать через веб-сайт Отдела по гражданским правам по адресу civilrights.justice.gov
Более подробную информацию о работе Отдела по гражданским правам читайте на сайте по адресу www.justice.gov/crt. Информация об ограниченном владении английским языком и содержание Раздела VI доступны на сайте www.lep.gov, а информация в отношении судов доступна на сайте www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Yankton, South Dakota Woman Sentenced for Escape from Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jordon Whipple, age 30, of Yankton, South Dakota, was sentenced on October 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for escape from federal custody. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Whipple to 6 months’ imprisonment, consecutive to her previously imposed sentence, which she had yet to complete when she escaped from custody. There is no parole in the federal system. After Whipple’s release from prison, she will begin a 1-year term of supervised release.
In September 2022, Whipple was sentenced to the Bureau of Prisons for a term of 41 months following her conviction for involuntary manslaughter. On November 21, 2023, Whipple was transferred to a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in Omaha to complete her federal sentence, which was set to expire on May 12, 2024. On April 13, 2024, Whipple left the RRC without permission or authorization while she was still in the custody of the Attorney General or his designee. Whipple was placed in escape status until she was arrested June 11, 2024.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service.
Vice President of Asphalt Paving Company Pleads Guilty to Bid RiggingRead the Press Release
A senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company pleaded guilty today for his role in two separate conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.
According to court documents, David A. Coppola, vice president of Taylor-based Al’s Asphalt Paving Company Inc. (Al’s Asphalt), conspired with Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied) and employees from those companies to rig their bids. Coppola participated in the two conspiracies from March 2013 through November 2018, and from June 2013 through June 2019, respectively.
Today’s guilty plea is the ninth in the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation into collusion in the Michigan asphalt paving industry. Coppola’s employer, Al’s Asphalt, and its president pleaded guilty in January, and, in 2023, Allied and two of its executives pleaded guilty, as did ASI and two of its former executives. On July 31, Al’s Asphalt was sentenced to pay a fine of $795,661.31.
In both charged conspiracies, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company submitted intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators had already decided who would win the contracts.
“Americans expect and deserve the benefits of competitive markets — including for vital aspects of our transportation infrastructure like asphalt paving services,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma M. Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The division and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable executives who seek to profit at the expense of consumers.”
“The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) continues to work closely with our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division to target individuals who knowingly participate in bid rigging and other anti-competitive activities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of DOT OIG’s Midwestern Region. “Today’s guilty plea shows our commitment to bringing to justice those who engage in illegal and unfair practices that adversely impact transportation projects.”
“Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General. “The guilty plea in this case represents a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served.”
Coppola pleaded guilty to two counts of violating Section One of the Sherman Act. Coppola faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The fine 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. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and Offices of Inspectors General for the DOT and USPS investigated the case, as part of an ongoing operation investigating bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Texas Hospital CEO to Pay over $5.3M to Settle Kickback Allegations Involving Laboratory TestingRead the Press Release
Former hospital chief executive officer (CEO) Jeffrey Madison, of Georgetown, Texas, has agreed to pay $5,343,630 to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act involving illegal payments to physicians for laboratory referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Madison also has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigations of, and litigation against, other participants in the alleged schemes.
“The Justice Department will continue to pursue individuals — including C-suite executives — who commit health care fraud,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickbacks to physicians from laboratories or other healthcare providers can undermine healthcare decision-making, subject patients to unnecessary medical services and waste taxpayer funds.”
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally funded health care programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations in a lawsuit alleging that Madison, the former CEO of Little River Healthcare (Little River), a critical access hospital in Rockdale, Texas, caused the submission of false claims for laboratory testing to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE from January 2015 to June 2018. Madison allegedly agreed to a kickback scheme in which Little River paid commissions to recruiters who used purported management service organizations (MSOs) to pay kickbacks to doctors to induce their laboratory testing referrals to Little River. The settlement resolves allegations that Madison knowingly signed, and caused others to sign, false certifications in Medicare cost reports regarding Little River’s compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute, and thereby caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs.
In addition, the settlement resolves allegations in the same lawsuit that, after defendant Doyce Cartrett Jr., M.D., of Silsbee, Texas, informed Little River of his potential laboratory testing referral volume, Madison agreed to have Little River pay Cartrett $2,000 per month in kickbacks disguised as purported medical director fees from February 2015 to May 2017, to induce Cartrett to shift his laboratory testing referrals to Little River. Madison allegedly agreed for Little River to pay the monthly fees, even though Little River did not receive any genuine medical director services from Dr. Cartrett.
Madison did not contest, and accepted responsibility for, the allegations against him in the United States’ amended complaint. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Madison was excluded from participating in federal healthcare programs for 25 years. The lawsuit is captioned United States, et al. ex rel. STF LLC v. True Health Diagnostics LLC et al., No. 4:16-cv-547 (EDTX).
“Seeing past a corporate entity and holding individuals responsible for making the decisions to engage marketers to pay providers for their laboratory referrals is what justice requires,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “This settlement is a testament to our continued efforts to combat fraud against our federal healthcare programs and to hold accountable all participants who profited from knowingly violating the laws meant to guard against overutilization of medical services and protect the public fisc.”
“Illegal kickback payments, even when disguised as medical director fees, undermine and corrupt the medical decision-making process,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Both the payer and recipient benefit from these schemes, but it is ultimately the taxpayers who foot the bill. HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with law enforcement and prosecutors to protect the Medicare trust fund that millions of Americans depend on.”
“Our nation’s uniformed military service members and their families should never have to question the integrity of their healthcare providers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Settle of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southwest Field Office. “Medical decisions influenced by greed destroy the fundamental element of trust in patient care. This settlement reinforces the commitment the DCIS shares with our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department to pursue all available remedies against those who conspire to commit fraud against our Military Health System.”
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DCIS. The United States has recovered over $52 million relating to conduct involving MSO kickbacks to health care providers, which includes recoveries from 46 physicians.
Trial Attorneys Christopher Terranova and Gavin Thole of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Betty Young for the Eastern District of Texas handled the case.
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Settlement
Russian Man Sentenced for Running an Illegal Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
Feliks Medvedev, 43, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business which transferred over $150 million in Russian money.
According to the court documents and other information presented in court, Medvedev is a Russian citizen who resides in North Georgia. He registered eight companies in Georgia that were used to transmit more than $150 million in over 1,300 transactions. The companies were purportedly headquartered in Buford and Dacula, Georgia, but they did not have typical business expenses or employees. The money was used, in part, to purchase over $65 million in overseas gold bullion. Medvedev transferred millions of dollars overseas from multiple bank accounts in the United States.
As part of the conspiracy, Medvedev worked with a Russian company and was directed by multiple Russian nationals at that company to make illegal transfers of funds. Subsequent to Medvedev’s indictment, on Sept. 14, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, acting pursuant to Executive Order 14024, sanctioned two of Medvedev’s alleged co-conspirators: Russian national Alexey Chubarov and his company KSK Group. Earlier this year, on Feb. 13, Chubarov, KSK Group and Russian national Lev Solyannikov were separately indicted in the Northern District of Georgia for conspiring with Medvedev.
Medvedev was convicted of the charges on Feb. 7, after he pleaded guilty.
The FBI and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber and Norman L. Barnett for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Le ministère de la justice et le système judiciaire du Colorado améliorent l'accès linguistique aux tribunaux pour les personnes ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglaisRead the Press Release
Le ministère de la Justice a annoncé aujourd'hui que le système judiciaire du Colorado avait pris des mesures importantes pour garantir un accès linguistique approprié aux personnes ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglais (LEP) qui ont affaire au système judiciaire de l'État.
En juillet 2023, la division des droits civils du ministère a fait appel à l'appareil judiciaire du Colorado après avoir reçu des plaintes selon lesquelles les tribunaux ne fournissaient pas les services linguistiques nécessaires aux personnes ayant une maîtrise limitée de l'anglais, comme l'exige le titre VI de la loi sur les droits civils de 1964 (titre VI). Le titre VI interdit toute discrimination fondée sur la race, la couleur et l'origine nationale de la part des bénéficiaires de l'aide financière fédérale.
En réponse à la demande du ministère, le système judiciaire du Colorado a identifié les mesures proactives déjà prises pour répondre aux préoccupations soulevées dans la plainte et a travaillé avec la division pour apporter une série d'autres améliorations à son programme d'accès linguistique.
« Il est essentiel de fournir des services d'interprétation adéquats et opportuns à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur des tribunaux pour garantir à tous les usagers des tribunaux un accès égal à la justice », a déclaré Kristen Clarke, procureur général adjoint de la division des droits civils du ministère de la justice. « Les mesures prises par le système judiciaire du Colorado ont valeur de modèle et témoignent d'un véritable engagement en faveur de la mise en place d'un programme d'accès linguistique solide ».
Au cours de l'année qui s'est écoulée depuis que le ministère de la justice a commencé à travailler avec le système judiciaire du Colorado, le tribunal a embauché un nouveau coordinateur de l'accès linguistique, révisé la politique financière du bureau de l'accès linguistique, commencé à créer un nouveau système de planification pour les interprètes, acheté de nouveaux équipements à utiliser pour l'interprétation judiciaire, y compris des casques et des iPads, formé le personnel du tribunal et les interprètes, et mis en œuvre d'autres améliorations clés.
Le ministère continuera à surveiller la mise en œuvre de ces changements et invite le public à lui faire part de ses commentaires. Les plaintes concernant des pratiques discriminatoires peuvent être déposées sur le site web de la division des droits civils, à l'adresse suivante : civilrights.justice.gov
Pour plus d'informations sur la division des droits civils, rendez-vous sur son site web : www.justice.gov/crt. Des informations sur la maîtrise limitée de l'anglais et le titre VI sont disponibles à l'adresse suivante : www.lep.gov, et des informations spécifiques aux tribunaux sont disponibles sur : www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Justice Department and Colorado Judiciary Improve Language Access in Courts for Individuals with Limited English ProficiencyRead the Press Release
Note: View the release in Somali here.
The Justice Department announced today that the Colorado Judiciary has taken significant steps to ensure meaningful language access for people with limited English proficiency (LEP) who interact with the state court system.
In July 2023, the department’s Civil Rights Division engaged the Colorado Judiciary after receiving complaints that the courts were not providing needed language services to individuals with LEP as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance.
In response to the department’s inquiry, the Colorado Judiciary identified proactive steps already taken to address the concerns raised in the complaint and worked with the division to make a variety of other improvements made to its language access program.
“Providing accurate and timely interpreter services in and outside of the courtroom is paramount to ensuring that all court users are provided equal access to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The actions taken by the Colorado Judiciary stand as a model and show a true commitment to building a strong language access program.”
In the year since the Justice Department began working with the Colorado Judiciary, the court has hired a new language access coordinator; revised the Office of Language Access Financial Policy; began to create a new scheduling system for interpreters; purchased new equipment to be used for court interpretation including headsets and iPads; trained court staff and interpreters; and implemented other key improvements.
The department will continue to monitor the implementation of these changes, and it welcomes feedback from the public. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov.
More information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov, and information specific to courts can be found at www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Justice Department Awards $4B to Support Community SafetyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding $4 billion to support public safety and community justice activities in the states and territories and in local and Tribal communities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will fund efforts across the country to reduce violence, expand services for crime victims and survivors, and improve outcomes for youth and adults involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
“The Justice Department is working together with our law enforcement and community partners across the country to turn the tide in the fight against violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $4 billion investment across more than 3,800 different programs will advance our efforts to drive down violent crime, support victims, build trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve, and ensure that all Americans feel safe and are safe in their communities.”
The more than 3,800 fiscal year 2024 grants that OJP is awarding will support community-driven public safety efforts and evidence-informed interventions designed to curb violent crime, address victimization, reduce recidivism, and strengthen bonds of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This funding continues the investments in community safety made by the Justice Department since the release of its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime in 2021.
Last week, the White House and the Justice Department announced targeted investments to aid communities in reducing gun violence, a centerpiece of which is OJP’s Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative. This initiative has now awarded more than $270 million to support community-led violence intervention programs and related training and technical assistance and research, funded in part through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
“The Department of Justice is committed to supporting violence prevention efforts, increasing safety and wellness for law enforcement and the communities they serve, expanding services for victims, and enhancing our research and data collection capacity to advance effective community safety strategies,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “The grants announced today further our longstanding efforts to work with our state, local, and Tribal partners to advance community-based approaches to promoting safety and justice for all communities.”
The funding announced today will expand partnerships between the justice system and community-based organizations, support collaboration between law enforcement officials and behavioral health professionals when responding to crises, help people involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems successfully return to their communities, provide trauma-informed services to victims and survivors of crime, including those in underserved areas, make available a full range of support for children and youth, improve registration and management practices for people convicted of sex offenses, and support research and statistical activities to expand the base of knowledge and available data about the nation’s community safety challenges for years to come.
“Over the last three-and-a-half years, we have been working closely with our justice system and community partners, as co-producers of safety and justice, to advance comprehensive solutions to the most pressing public safety challenges facing America’s communities,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “Today, we are proud to deliver billions of dollars in additional resources to promote community safety and create a more equitable justice system for all. I look forward to the progress we will continue to make, together, to achieve safer and more just communities.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Promoting safety and strengthening trust through both long-standing programs like Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants programs and more recent innovative efforts like the groundbreaking Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative and the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program. Funding will also support the well-being and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success through initiatives like OJP’s Second Chance Act programs and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- Accelerating justice system reforms designed to achieve justice and fair treatment for all. Through programs like Reimagining Justice, funding will support alternative solutions to low-level offenses in historically underserved and marginalized communities, and efforts like the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and the Connect and Protect initiative will increase opportunities for deflection and diversion and build pathways to treatment and other recovery support services for individuals with behavioral health conditions. Funding from the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program will improve prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery options to address the substance use and overdose challenges facing communities across America.
- Improving the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Programs like the Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success initiative will help build an infrastructure of support for youth, from prevention and intervention to trauma-informed services and reentry. Funding will also support programs designed to protect children from violence and abuse, and support the new Children’s Justice Project to help identify children who have been found deceased but have not yet been identified.
- Expanding access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims and survivors. In addition to supporting thousands of local victim assistance and state victim compensation programs in every state and five territories, initiatives like the Trauma Recovery Center Demonstration Project and the Meeting the Basic Needs of Crime Victims in Underserved Communities Program will help bring services to survivors of violence in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by violence and victimization. The Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Program will fund healing and support services for victims and survivors in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
- Advancing science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers, practitioners and communities can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, from firearms violence and domestic radicalization to hate crimes and school safety. Funding will also help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent and deliver justice to victims.
More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting the OJP Grant Awards homepage.
El Departamento de Justicia y el Poder Judicial de Colorado mejoran el acceso lingüístico en los tribunales para personas con un dominio limitado del inglésRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que el Poder Judicial de Colorado ha tomado medidas importantes para garantizar un acceso lingüístico significativo para las personas con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés) que interactúan con el sistema judicial estatal.
En julio del 2023, la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento se enfrentó al Poder Judicial de Colorado después de recibir quejas de que los tribunales no estaban proporcionando los servicios lingüísticos necesarios a personas LEP según lo requerido por el Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI). El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y origen nacional por parte de entidades que reciben apoyo financiero federal.
En respuesta a la consulta del Departamento, el Poder Judicial de Colorado identificó pasos proactivos que ya se han tomado para abordar las inquietudes planteadas en la queja y ha trabajado con la División para realizar una variedad de otras mejoras en su programa de acceso lingüístico.
«La provisión de servicios de interpretación precisos y oportunos dentro y fuera de la sala judicial es primordial para poder garantizar que todos los usuarios del tribunal tengan acceso igualitario a la justicia», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Las medidas adoptadas por el Poder Judicial de Colorado sirven como ejemplo y muestran un verdadero compromiso con la creación de un sólido programa de acceso lingüístico».
En el año desde que el DOJ comenzó a trabajar con el Poder Judicial de Colorado, el tribunal ha contratado a un nuevo coordinador de acceso lingüístico; ha revisado la política financiera de la Oficina de Acceso Lingüístico; ha comenzado a crear un nuevo sistema de programación para intérpretes; ha comprado nuevos equipos para su uso en la interpretación judicial, incluidos auriculares y iPads; ha capacitado a personal e intérpretes del tribunal; y ha implementado otras mejoras clave.
El Departamento continuará a supervisar la implementación de estos cambios y recibirá con agrado los comentarios del público. Las quejas sobre prácticas discriminatorias pueden notificarse a través del sitio web de la División de Derechos Civiles en civilrights.justice.gov
Puede encontrar más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt. La información sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI está disponible en www.lep.gov y la información específica de los tribunales se puede encontrar en www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Bộ Tư Pháp và Cơ Quan Tư Pháp Tiểu Bang Colorado Cải Thiện Khả Năng Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ tại Tòa Án Cho Những Cá Nhân Có Trình Độ Tiếng Anh Hạn ChếRead the Press Release
Bộ Tư Pháp hôm nay thông báo rằng Cơ Quan Tư Pháp Colorado đã thực hiện các bước quan trọng để đảm bảo quyền tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa cho những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế (Limited English Proficiency, hoặc LEP) khi tương tác với hệ thống tòa án tiểu bang.
Vào tháng 7 năm 2023, Ban Dân Quyền của Bộ đã liên hệ với Cơ Quan Tư Pháp Tiểu Bang Colorado sau khi nhận được khiếu nại rằng tòa án không cung cấp các dịch vụ ngôn ngữ cần thiết cho những cá nhân có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế (LEP) theo yêu cầu của Tiêu Đề VI của Đạo Luật Dân Quyền Năm 1964 (Tiêu Đề VI). Tiêu Đề VI nghiêm cấm hành vi phân biệt đối xử dựa trên chủng tộc, màu da và nguồn gốc quốc gia của người nhận hỗ trợ tài chính liên bang.
Để trả lời yêu cầu của Bộ, Cơ Quan Tư Pháp Tiểu Bang Colorado đã xác định các bước chủ động được thực hiện để giải quyết những lo ngại nêu trong khiếu nại và làm việc với Ban để thực hiện nhiều cải tiến khác cho chương trình tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của mình.
“Trợ Lý Tổng Chưởng Lý Kristen Clarke thuộc Ban Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp cho biết: “Việc cung cấp dịch vụ phiên dịch chính xác và kịp thời trong và ngoài phòng xử án là tối quan trọng để đảm bảo tất cả người dùng tòa án đều được tiếp cận công lý một cách bình đẳng”. “Những hành động mà Cơ Quan Tư Pháp Tiểu Bang Colorado thực hiện là hình mẫu và thể hiện cam kết thực sự trong việc xây dựng một chương trình tiếp cận ngôn ngữ mạnh mẽ.”
Trong năm kể từ khi DOJ (Bộ Tư Pháp) bắt đầu làm việc với Cơ Quan Tư Pháp Tiểu Bang Colorado, tòa án đã tuyển dụng một điều phối viên tiếp cận ngôn ngữ mới; sửa đổi Chính Sách Tài Chính của Văn Phòng Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ; bắt đầu tạo hệ thống lập lịch trình mới cho phiên dịch viên; mua thiết bị mới để sử dụng cho việc phiên dịch tại tòa án bao gồm tai nghe và iPad; đào tạo nhân viên tòa án và phiên dịch viên; và thực hiện các cải tiến quan trọng khác.
Bộ sẽ tiếp tục theo dõi việc thực hiện những thay đổi này và hoan nghênh phản hồi từ công chúng. Khiếu nại về các hành vi phân biệt đối xử có thể được báo cáo thông qua trang mạng của Ban Dân Quyền tại civilrights.justice.gov
Quý vị có thể tìm hiểu thêm thông tin về Ban Dân Quyền trên trang mạng của bộ phận này tại www.justice.gov/crt. Thông tin về trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và Tiêu Đề VI có tại trang mạng www.lep.gov,và thông tin cụ thể về tòa án có thể được tìm thấy tại trang mạng www.lep.gov/state-courts.
Arizona Man Sentenced for 10 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Carlos Daniel Ruelas, age 21, of Arizona, was sentenced October 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ruelas to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Ruelas also agreed to forfeit $68,460.
On July 31, 2023, the DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit was working at the bus station in Omaha, Nebraska, when they made contact with Xavier Olivas-Valenzuela. During the contact, Olivas-Valenzuela admitted to contraband in his bag. When investigators began to search his bag, Olivas-Valenzuela ran out the door. After a short pursuit, Olivas-Valenzuela was detained. A search of his luggage resulted in 51 pounds of methamphetamine being seized. A search that night of Olivas-Valenzuela’s phone showed that he was directed to stay at a residence in the 1700 block of N. 10th Street. A search warrant was obtained for that residence. Investigators found Ruelas at the residence, along with 10 kilograms of cocaine and $68,460.
Olivas-Valenzuela has pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing on October 23, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Florida Tax Return Preparer Agrees to Permanent Injunction and to Pay $85,000 in Ill-Gotten GainsRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction yesterday against West Palm Beach, Florida, tax return preparer Gregory Salgado, both individually and doing business as GMJ Real Investments Inc. and doing business as Cuba Salgado Tax & Real Estate.
The injunction bars Salgado from preparing tax returns, working for or having any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, assisting others prepare tax returns or set up business as a preparer and transferring or assigning customer lists to any other person or entity. The court also ordered Salgado to pay $85,000 in ill-gotten gains he received from his return preparation business. Salgado agreed to both the injunction and the order to pay $85,000.
The complaint alleged that Salgado pleaded guilty in 2012 to filing a false personal return and filing a false return for another taxpayer, and the IRS subsequently assessed more than $500,000 in civil penalties against him for willfully underreporting tax on returns he prepared for customers. According to the complaint, neither Salgado’s conviction, 33-month incarceration nor civil penalties altered his behavior. After his release from prison in August 2015, Salgado continued to prepare thousands returns for customers that either reduced their tax liability or inflated their refund claims. He did this largely by falsifying or overstating itemized deductions, fabricating or overstating business income and expenses and falsifying filing statuses and dependents.
As a result of the court’s order, Salgado must send notice of the injunction to each person for whom he or his business prepared federal tax returns, amended tax returns or claims for refund between Jan. 1, 2019, to the present. Additionally, the court ordered Salgado post a copy of the injunction at all locations where he conducts business and on his business’s website.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Salgado - PI and Disgorgement Order.pdfConvicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Steven Schrank.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Eric Damone Wilson, aka “Hector,” 35, of Hoover, to 180 months in prison for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Wilson went to trial in May but pleaded guilty after the government rested its case.
According to court documents, on two separate occasions in April 2022, Wilson distributed methamphetamine at a gas station on Green Springs Highway in Birmingham and at his apartment in Hoover. Upon Wilson’s arrest for those drug-trafficking offenses, officers found him to be in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl, digital scales, money from the previous sale of methamphetamine, and a pistol.
HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.
TD Securities to Pay $15.5M in Connection with Scheme to Defraud U.S. Treasuries MarketsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – TD Securities (USA) LLC (TD Securities), a securities firm based in New York, has entered into a resolution with the Justice Department to resolve criminal charges concerning a scheme to defraud that involved hundreds of episodes of unlawful trading in the secondary (cash) market for U.S. Treasuries.
TD Securities entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed today in the District of New Jersey charging the company with one count of wire fraud. Under the terms of the DPA, TD Securities will pay over $15.5 million in a criminal monetary penalty, forfeiture, and victim compensation. Under the DPA, TD Securities will pay the equivalent of the statutory maximum criminal fine in connection with the offense (approximately $9.4 million) and will ensure that victims of the offense are made whole through a claims administration process (approximately $4.7 million in victim compensation).
The former head of the TD Securities desk that was responsible for trading U.S. Treasuries, Jeyakumar Nadarajah, was indicted on Nov. 7, 2023, in the District of New Jersey in connection with this scheme and is awaiting trial. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“TD Securities placed hundreds of orders to buy and sell U.S. Treasuries that it never intended to execute, in order to deceive market participants and manipulate prices by creating the false appearance of supply and demand,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Such efforts to profit through unlawful trading undermine public confidence in U.S. Treasuries markets and defraud other market participants. The Criminal Division is committed to ensuring the integrity of our financial markets and holding accountable those who engage in deceptive trading practices.”
“The American public places trust in our financial institutions and relies on companies to be truthful and execute their obligations to traders in an ethical manner,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)’s Criminal Investigations Group. “The USPIS’ DOJ Mail Fraud team found there was a blatant violation of that trust, as this individual placed billions of dollars in spoof orders, distorting supply and demand and causing significant losses. These charges send a clear message that such deceptive practices will not be tolerated, and we are dedicated to protecting the integrity of our markets and the interests of honest investors.”
According to court documents and admissions, Nadarajah, a former director and head of the TD Securities U.S. Treasuries trading desk, engaged in a scheme to defraud in connection with the purchase and sale of U.S. Treasuries in the secondary market. In hundreds of instances, Nadarajah placed orders to buy and sell U.S. Treasuries with the intent to cancel those orders before execution. Nadarajah did so in an attempt to profit by injecting false and misleading information concerning the existence of genuine supply and demand for U.S. Treasuries, thereby deceiving other market participants and fraudulently inducing those participants to trade at prices, quantities, and times that they otherwise would not have traded.
As part of the DPA, TD Securities, and its U.S. parent company, TD Group US Holdings LLC (TDGUS), have agreed to, among other things, continue to cooperate with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section in any ongoing or future investigations by the Fraud Section begun before or during the term of the DPA. As part of its cooperation, TD Securities and TDGUS are required to report evidence or allegations of conduct that may constitution a violation of the U.S. anti-fraud, securities, and commodities laws as defined in the DPA. In addition, TD Securities and TDGUS have also agreed to enhance TD Securities’ compliance program where necessary and appropriate, and to report to the government regarding remediation and implementation of their enhanced compliance program.
The department reached this resolution with TD Securities based on numerous factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct, which involved placing hundreds of fraudulent spoof orders amounting to tens of billions of dollars of false supply and demand in the secondary market for U.S. Treasuries, and TD Securities’ failure to voluntarily self-disclose the offense conduct to the department.
TD Securities received credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation and for remedial measures taken, including terminating Nadarajah, and reviewing and continuing to enhance the compliance function.
Today, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced a separate settlement with TD Securities in connection with a related, parallel proceeding. Under the terms of that resolution, TD Securities agreed to pay a fine of approximately $6 million. Also today, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a separate settlement with TD Securities in connection with a related, parallel proceeding. Under the terms of that resolution, TD Securities agreed to pay approximately $7 million, which includes a civil monetary penalty of approximately $6.5 million, as well as approximately $400,000 in disgorgement and $135,000 in prejudgment interest. A portion of the forfeiture agreed to in the department’s DPA will be credited against payments made to the SEC under a separate agreement with the SEC.
USPIS is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. Former Deputy Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section provided substantial assistance.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen’s Participation at United Nations General Assembly High-Level Side EventRead the Press Release
On Thursday, Sept. 26, Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division traveled to New York City to lead a multilateral side meeting on stopping the destabilizing flow of sensitive technology as part of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week. AAG Olsen chaired the meeting, which was co-led by Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin and European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders. In total, officials from 18 countries and the EU attended the meeting, which was held at the Reiss Center on Law and Security at NYU’s School of Law in Manhattan.
©Creighton: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau.In the first session, presenters described the threats and risks posed by the acquisition of sensitive technology by malign actors.
“Stopping our adversaries from acquiring sensitive, emerging technology is one of our top national security priorities at the Department of Justice and across the U.S. government. And it’s not something we can do alone,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen.
The second session of the meeting focused on the sharing of attendees’ experiences using legal authorities and other tools to stop the illicit flow of sensitive technology, as well as opportunities for collaboration and partnership. During his remarks, AAG Olsen highlighted the work of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency enforcement effort co-led with the Department of Commerce to prevent critical technologies from being unlawfully acquired and used by foreign adversaries.
“Today’s meeting reflects the understanding that this type of partnership is foundational to our ability to turn the tide against malign uses of sensitive technology — it requires partnership and collaboration within our own governments, and it requires us to come together and find ways to work together on an international level,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen.
©Creighton: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau. ©Creighton: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau.Along with AAG Olsen, presenters from the U.S. delegation were:
- Matthew Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at U.S. Department of Commerce;
- Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and
- Tom West, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. Department of State.
Presenters from other delegations were:
- Yamazaki Kazuyuki, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN;
- Ivars Lasis, the Undersecretary of State – Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Latvia;
- Brendan Dowling, Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology; and
- Mina Noor, Head of Counterterrorism and National Security Division and Special Envoy for Counterterrorism at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for The Netherlands.
The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
Ovintiv USA to Pay $5.5M Penalty and Upgrade Facilities in Utah to Resolve Clean Air Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a more than $16 million settlement with Ovintiv USA Inc. resolving Clean Air Act violations at the company’s oil and gas production facilities on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah and Utah state lands. The settlement requires Ovintiv to pay the United States and the state of Utah a civil penalty of $5.5 million. It also requires Ovintiv to implement extensive compliance measures to achieve major reductions in pollutants emitted from 139 of its facilities across the state.
The settlement resolves a civil suit, filed jointly by the United States and the state of Utah, alleging that Ovintiv failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions and comply with inspection, monitoring and recordkeeping requirements from 22 of its oil and gas production facilities in the Uintah Basin. These violations resulted in illegal emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC), which contribute to asthma and increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses. Additionally, greenhouse gases, including methane, were released in large quantities, contributing to climate change.
Along with the civil penalty, the settlement requires Ovintiv to take corrective action and mitigation projects estimated to cost over $10 million at 139 of its facilities that will eliminate over 2,000 tons of VOC emissions annually. It will also eliminate methane emissions equivalent to a reduction of over 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, a reduction similar to taking nearly 13,000 gas powered cars off the road each year.
“This case is a win for the environment and for consumers,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The work required under the consent decree will significantly reduce the amount of gas Ovintiv facilities vent into the atmosphere and return some of that gas to the sales pipeline where it can be sent to productive use.”
“As climate change accelerates and wreaks havoc in communities across the nation, EPA is doing everything possible to limit the methane emissions that are among the most powerful drivers of climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement with Ovintiv will significantly reduce emissions across 139 facilities on Tribal and state lands and provides another example of how EPA is delivering on its climate enforcement strategy and holding companies accountable for climate pollution.”
The settlement requires Ovintiv to invest in extensive compliance measures for the proper design of Ovintiv’s oil and gas facilities to capture all VOC emissions and send the emissions to an appropriate control device. Compliance measures also include periodic infrared camera inspections, enhanced maintenance requirements and installation of storage tank pressure monitors at many facilities. The settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change. This initiative focuses, in part, on reducing methane emissions from oil and gas and landfill sources. Like all of EPA’s national enforcement initiatives, this initiative prioritizes communities already overburdened by pollution and other potential environmental justice concerns.
More information on the settlement agreement is available on EPA’s webpage at www.epa.gov/enforcement/ovintiv-usa-inc-2024-clean-air-act-stationary-source-case-summary.
The complaint and proposed consent decree were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day comment period. A copy of the complaint and the proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
The EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
Montana Man Sentenced for Federal Wildlife Trafficking Charges as Part of Yearslong Effort to Create Giant Hybrid Sheep for Captive HuntingRead the Press Release
A Montana man was sentenced today to six months in prison for committing two felony wildlife crimes — a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and substantively violating the Lacey Act — as part of an almost decade-long effort to create giant sheep hybrids in the United States with an aim to sell the species to captive hunting facilities.
Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 81, of Vaughn, is the owner and operator of Sun River Enterprises LLC, also known as Schubarth Ranch, which is a 215-acre alternative livestock ranch in Vaughn. The Schubarth Ranch is engaged in the purchase, sale and breeding of “alternative livestock” such as mountain sheep, mountain goats and various ungulates. The primary market for Schubarth’s livestock is captive hunting operations, also known as shooting preserves or game ranches.
According to court documents, Schubarth conspired with at least five other individuals between 2013 and 2021 to create a larger hybrid species of sheep that would garner higher prices from shooting preserves. Schubarth brought parts of the largest sheep in the world, Marco Polo argali sheep (Ovis ammon polii), from Kyrgyzstan into the United States without declaring the importation. Average males can weigh more than 300 pounds, with horns that span more than five feet. Marco Polo argali are native to the high elevations of the Pamir region of Central Asia. They are protected internationally by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and domestically by the Endangered Species Act, and are prohibited in the State of Montana to protect native sheep from disease and hybridization.
Schubarth sent genetic material from the argali parts to a lab to create cloned embryos. Schubarth then implanted the embryos in ewes on his ranch, resulting in a single, pure genetic male Marco Polo argali that he named “Montana Mountain King” or MMK.
December 2023 photo of MMK from the sentencing memo, United States v. Arthur “Jack” Schubarth case number 24-cr-0006 in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.Court documents explain that Schubarth worked with the other unnamed coconspirators to use MMK’s semen to artificially impregnate various other species of ewes — all of which were prohibited in Montana — and create hybrid animals. Their goal was to create a larger and more valuable species of sheep to sell to captive hunting facilities, primarily in Texas.
To move the prohibited sheep into and out of Montana, Schubarth and others forged veterinary inspection certificates, falsely claiming that the sheep were legally permitted species. On occasion, Schubarth sold MMK semen directly to sheep breeders in other states. According to court documents, disease introduction was a risk associated with Schubarth’s conduct and at least two sheep from the scheme died from Johne’s disease. Johne’s disease is a contagious, chronic wasting disease easily spread between animals directly or through environmental contamination.
Court documents also describe how Schubarth illegally obtained genetic material from wild-hunted Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Montana. Schubarth purchased parts of these wild-hunted sheep in violation of Montana law, which prohibits the sale of game animal parts within the state and prohibits the use of Montana game animals on alternative livestock ranches. Schubarth transported and sold the bighorn parts in interstate commerce.
“Schubarth not only violated federal and state law and international treaties, but he and others illegally conspired to conceal their actions from authorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Violations of the Lacey Act, CITES and other laws can be devastating for our domestic populations of wild animals, which is why we are unwavering in our commitment to enforce them.”
“Schubarth’s criminal conduct is not how Montanans treat our wildlife population,” said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich for the District of Montana. “Indeed, his actions threatened Montana’s native wildlife species for no other reason than he and his co-conspirators wanted to make more money. Schubarth’s greed drove their conspiracy to bring to Montana parts of the largest sheep in the world from Kyrgyzstan. Such actions to create hybrid animals are as unnatural as they are illegal, and I applaud the extensive collaboration and diligence of all of our law enforcement partners to bring Schubarth to justice.”
“This case exemplifies the serious threat that wildlife trafficking poses to our native species and ecosystems,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “Mr. Schubarth's actions not only violated multiple laws designed to protect wildlife, but also risked introducing diseases and compromising the genetic integrity of our wild sheep populations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service remains committed to working with our partners to investigate and prosecute those who exploit protected species for personal gain. This sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the illegal importation, sale and transport of wildlife, especially when it endangers our natural heritage.”
“This case is complex and is a great example of how we work together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect resources no matter where the investigation takes us,” said Chief of Law Enforcement Ron Howell of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
In addition to his prison sentence, Schubarth was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine to the Lacey Act Reward Fund, a $4,000 payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and a $200 special assessment.
The Lacey Act prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law. The Lacey Act also prohibits the interstate sale of wildlife that has been falsely labeled. The Act is one of the most powerful tools the United States has to combat wildlife trafficking and prevent ecological invasion by injurious wildlife.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah M. Brown and Senior Trial Attorney Patrick M. Duggan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Starnes for the District of Montana are prosecuting the case.
Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Awards $228.5 Million in Awards, Contributing to a Total of over $690 Million in Awards this Year to Combat Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, and StalkingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is today awarding over $228.5 million in grants to enhance a wide range of supportive services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The awards will go toward court-based programs, legal assistance, and initiatives tailored for older adults, rural communities, and other underserved groups. This set of awards also includes funding with a special emphasis on reducing barriers and enhancing access to services, safety, and healing for survivors in culturally specific communities.
These awards are part of the $690 million in grants administered by OVW that the Department announced earlier this month as part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. Over the past month, many of these grants have been distributed to communities across the country. Those awards will enhance coordinated community responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking across all states, territories, and numerous Tribal nations. They also build on an additional $86 million in awards announced earlier this week by OVW’s Office of Tribal Affairs.
This funding comes as the Justice Department is preparing to kick off National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) in collaboration with survivors, victim service providers, law enforcement agencies, advocates, and other community partners nationwide. DVAM encourages expanding access to justice and supportive services, particularly for underserved and historically marginalized communities, and promoting best practices in addressing domestic violence. It calls for strengthening prevention efforts and enhancing responses to meet the diverse needs of survivors. The impact of domestic violence extends beyond individuals, affecting entire communities, including workplaces and schools. The Justice Department acknowledges the critical work of first responders and victim service providers who support those affected by domestic violence.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring the safety of all Americans, and that includes addressing and preventing the harm caused by domestic violence,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This year, we are investing over $690 million, through the Office on Violence Against Women, in funding awards to prevent domestic and dating violence, as well as sexual assault and stalking; to hold offenders accountable; and to reach survivors in every community, territory, and Tribal nation. These awards reflect our steadfast dedication to ending these forms of violence and helping survivors find safety and healing.”
Beyond direct service funding, OVW invests in training and technical assistance through the Training and Technical Assistance Initiative. With grant awards exceeding $39 million to implement more than 59 training and technical assistance projects, this initiative will enhance the capacity of professionals within the civil and criminal justice systems and provide increased training and support for victim service providers nationwide. This funding supports effective responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking while also strengthening a coordinated community response and fostering partnerships among organizations that have not traditionally collaborated in addressing these issues.
“As we celebrate three decades of progress since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, the landscape of gender-based violence continues to evolve,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Prosecutors, law enforcement, and victim service providers must be equipped to meet emerging challenges and support victims, as well as hold violent actors to account. The grants announced today will bolster services for survivors and provide the tools necessary to address violence against women and advance public safety.”
- The release of grants also coincides with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) weeks, highlighting the importance of preventing and addressing violence among younger generations to break the cycle of violence and support healthy relationships. The Department has announced targeted grants focusing on two crucial areas: violence in higher education settings and programs designed specifically for children and youth. To enhance initiatives to prevent and address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking including online harassment and technology-facilitated abuse, college campuses nationwide will receive support from $12.19 million in grants from the Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program. Additionally, OVW will distribute $9.48 million through the Strengthening Culturally Specific Campuses’ Approaches to Address Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Initiative. This funding aims to bolster programs at historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Tribal colleges and universities. Grants totaling more than $8.8 million from the Grants to Prevent and Respond to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking Against Children and Youth Program will support comprehensive, community-based efforts to develop or expand prevention, intervention, treatment, and response strategies for children and youth impacted by gender-based violence.
“We must prevent and address dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on our campuses and in the lives of our young people,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “By empowering campuses and providing resources to support children and youth, we can create environments where all are free to pursue their educational and personal aspirations without fear of violence.”
“As we commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, we reaffirm our commitment to a future where everyone can live free from the threat of violence," said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. "Every survivor of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking deserves access to trauma-informed, comprehensive services to seek safety, justice, and healing. Through these grants, we support our grantees to provide crucial support, advancing our shared mission to eradicate gender-based violence. We are dedicated to bringing together key partners to advance this vital work through a coordinated community response.”
Additional grant program awards and their respective amounts include:
- Grants totaling more than $22.97 million through the Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program will support community-based programs that provide culturally specific services for survivors of gender-based crimes, as well as the developing innovative culturally specific strategies and projects that enhance access to services and resources for survivors who face obstacles to using more traditional services and resources.
- Grants totaling more than $8 million through OVW's Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program will support nonprofit organizations that focus primarily on culturally specific communities and have experience working with survivors of sexual assault.
- Grants totaling more than $10.82 million through its Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations Program will support efforts to develop or enhance population-specific outreach and victim services to adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in underserved populations.
- Grants totaling more than $36.09 million from OVW's Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program will enhance efforts to support victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural areas and fund projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas.
- Grants totaling more than $39.29 million through the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program will provide funds for comprehensive direct civil and criminal legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by providing assistance with legal matters arising out of that abuse. Additionally, grants totaling more than $3.14 million through the LAV Grant Program’s Expanding Legal Services Initiative will support community-based organizations establishing legal representation programs for survivors.
- Grants totaling more than $14.66 million from the Justice for Families Program will support court-based and court-related programs such as supervised visitation and safe exchange by and between parents; training for people who work with families in the court system; and civil legal assistance.
- Grants totaling more than $1.42 million from the Training and Services to End Violence and Abuse Against Individuals with Disabilities and Deaf People Program will support efforts to improve the response to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and caregiver abuse who have disabilities or are Deaf, and to hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable.
- Grants totaling $3 million from the National Deaf Services Program Initiative will be used to support the continued efforts of Activating Change to reduce barriers and strengthen services for Deaf victims and survivors and to implement recommendations in the report, Expanding Deaf-Specific Victim Services Nationwide: A 5-Year Strategy.
- Grants totaling more than $6.87 million from the Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program will support a comprehensive approach to addressing abuse in later life, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, neglect, abandonment, economic abuse, or willful harm committed against victims who are 50 years of age or older.
- Grants totaling more than $3.35 million from the Grants to Engage Men and Boys as Allies in the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls Program will support efforts to create educational and community-based programming designed to encourage men and boys to work as allies with women and girls to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.
- Grants totaling $3.6 million from OVW's Research and Evaluation Initiative will support efforts to research and evaluate approaches to preventing and addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking so that communities that benefit from VAWA funding will be better equipped to align their work with practices that are known to be effective.
- Grants totaling more than $1.48 million for a new program, the Expanding Sexual Assault Victim Services on Campus Pilot Program, will support institutions of higher education in improving victim services on campus by expanding access to holistic sexual assault services and creating a promising practices guide for higher education institutions that wish to expand their sexual assault services and advocacy.
- Grants totaling $1.5 million for the STOP Formula Training and Technical Assistance program, which will support the efforts of all states and territories to successfully implement projects through the use of STOP Formula funds to strengthen and build the capacity of civil and criminal justice system professionals and victim service providers across the nation to respond effectively to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to foster partnerships among organizations that have not traditionally worked together to address these crimes.
- Grants totaling $600,000 from the Specialized Training and Technical Assistance for Sexual Assault Victim Response will continue to support the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect and the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault to provide frequent and sufficient training, resources, and technical assistance to those working with sexual assault survivors and to provide scholarships for advocates to attend the National Sexual Assault Conference.
- Grants totaling $1.5 million for the Electronic Service Protection Order Court Pilot will be used to support courts that have multidisciplinary partnerships to develop and implement a program for serving protection orders through electronic communication methods and develop best practices relating to such electronic services.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent reauthorizing legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
View the Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program Awards here.
View the ALL Awards here.
View the Campus Awards here.
View the CS Campus Awards here.
View the Culturally Specific Services Program Awards here.
View the CY Awards here.
View the Deaf Services Awards here.
View the Disability Awards here.
View the ELSI Awards here.
View the EM Awards here.
View the ESPOC Awards here.
View the Expanding Sexual Assault Victim Services on Campus Pilot Program Awards here.
View the LAV Awards here.
View the R&E Awards here.
View the Rural Awards here.
View the SA TA Awards here.
View the STOP-TA Awards here.
View the Underserved Awards here.
View the JFF Awards here.
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in AlaskaRead the Press Release
Note: Yuvriryukuvgu Yugtun, una neg'arrluku.
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in the State of Alaska, for the Oct. 1 Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) elections. The department will monitor in the Bethel Dillingham and Kusilvak Census Areas, as well as the Northwest Arctic and North Slope Boroughs.
The Justice Department will assign federal observers to monitor the election in the Dillingham and Kusilvak Census Areas to observe compliance with the Voting Rights Act. A federal court previously issued an order to resolve claims under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the rights of Yup’ik-speaking voters. The order authorizes federal observers to monitor election day activities in these two census areas. The department is also sending its staff to monitor compliance in the Bethel Census Area, Northwest Arctic Borough and North Slope Borough, Alaska.
The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country. In addition, the department also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, when authorized by federal court order.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Information on the language requirements of Section 203 of the Voting Rights and about voting rights generally is available in Yup’ik on the department’s website. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Hawaii Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Atomic Energy ActRead the Press Release
Mark Kazee, 60, of Hawaii, pleaded guilty today to violating the Atomic Energy Act by transferring equipment containing Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-regulated radioactive material from a company he was employed by, which held an NRC required license for the material, to another company without making a record of such transfer as required. Kazee was part owner of the second company, which did not have a license from the NRC.
According to court documents, Kazee worked in the materials and equipment testing industry for over 30 years, serving both as an inspector and as a supervisor of inspectors who used industrial radiography. Industrial radiography is the process of using a radiation source and a specialized camera to examine materials below the surface to check for flaws. Industrial radiography can emit X-rays, gamma rays and neutrons. Kazee worked for the first company starting in 2016 as its regional manager in Hawaii. Kazee’s employer had contracts to conduct testing with various companies in Hawaii, including petroleum refineries.
In September 2018, Kazee and another person created their own company to conduct the same type of testing as Kazee’s employer. Kazee’s company did not have the required license from the NRC to conduct industrial radiography. Soon after Kazee’s employer’s contract with a major refinery on Oahu expired in January 2019, Kazee’s new company began conducting inspections at the refinery, including industrial radiography, using his old employer’s equipment. The equipment contained Iridium-192 and depleted uranium radioactive material. Although Kazee knew he was required to create and maintain a record for his employer for any transfer of the radiography equipment to any other company or individual who was not his employer, he did not.
“Radiography is an impressive technology, and when it is used with proper safeguards, it increases safety and improves lives,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute those like Kazee who would circumvent legal requirements for transfer of radioactive materials and treat radiation safety and security as an afterthought.”
“Kazee knew what had to be done to comply with the regulations that protect the public from potential harms arising from the use of radioactive materials, but consciously chose not to follow them,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii. “His failures appropriately have criminal consequences and we will continue to pursue such to protect the community.”
“It is crucial that those who use radioactive material for commercial purposes follow the rules to protect the user and the public,” said Director Thomas Ashley of the NRC’s Office of Investigations. “The NRC does not tolerate willful violations of its requirements and demands that licensees and their employees act with integrity and abide by requirements put in place to ensure they’re used safely.”
Kazee is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 13 before U.S. District Court Judge J. Michael Seabright for the District of Hawaii. Kazee faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Judge Seabright will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The NRC's Office of Investigations investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Kris Dighe of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Injectable Stem Cell Product Manufacturer Sentenced for Distributing Unapproved DrugRead the Press Release
The founder and chief executive officer of a California-based company that marketed stem cell-based products allegedly linked to 19 hospitalizations was sentenced today to 36 months in prison following his conviction under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
John W. Kosolcharoen, 53, most recently of Orange County, California, pleaded guilty last month in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to one count of introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud and mislead. Kosolcharoen is currently in federal custody on a separate, unconnected conviction. The court set a restitution hearing for Dec. 3.
According to court documents, beginning in 2016, Kosolcharoen created two companies, Liveyon LLC and Genetech Inc., to manufacture and distribute injectable stem cell products made from human umbilical cord blood. Liveyon marketed the products under different brand names, including “ReGen.” In pleading guilty, Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others misrepresented ReGen as suitable for the treatment of a variety of conditions, such as lung and heart diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others. Liveyon marketed the products throughout the United States until about April 2019 using advertising materials that contained multiple false and misleading statements about their purported safety and effectiveness. At sentencing, the government alleged that sales of Liveyon products generated approximately $21.6 million in revenue between 2017 and 2018.
“Misleading the public about the safety and effectiveness of purported cures and treatments is illegal,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work with its law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who market potentially dangerous products for personal gain.”
“Exploiting the hopes of patients suffering from serious illnesses is not merely greedy, it’s cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who take advantage of victims’ fears and anxieties to line their pockets.”
In recent years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned consumers that patients seeking cures and remedies for serious diseases and conditions may be misled about unapproved stem cell products that are illegally marketed, have not been shown to be safe or effective, and, in some cases, may have significant safety issues that put patients at risk. Stem cell products are regulated by FDA, and generally they must have FDA approval before being introduced into interstate commerce.
In 2018, FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) received reports of patients in multiple states requiring hospitalization for bacterial infections after receiving Liveyon products. Kosolcharoen admitted that he and others fraudulently induced customers into purchasing stem cell-derived Liveyon products by, among other things, misleading the public about the cause and severity of adverse events suffered by Liveyon patients and falsely reporting and concealing material facts regarding the outcome of an FDA inspection of Genetech. The government alleged in court filings that an investigation by CDC, with the assistance of state and local health departments, found that the stem cell products were linked to the hospitalization of 19 patients in eight different states.
The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Employment Benefits Security Administration and the California Department of Health Care Services investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Aveis and David Chao for the Central District of California and Assistant Director Ross S. Goldstein and Trial Attorneys Meredith B. Healy, Kathryn A. Schmidt and Peter J. Leininger of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch handled the case.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Epsilon Senior Executive and Sales Manager Both Sentenced for Selling Data on Millions of U.S. Consumers to FraudstersRead the Press Release
Two men were sentenced to prison today for selling targeted lists of U.S. consumers for the benefit of mass-mailing fraud schemes that defrauded hundreds of thousands of Americans out of tens of millions of dollars. Following a two-week trial, a federal jury convicted Robert Reger, 57, of Boulder, Colorado, and David Lytle, 64, of Leawood, Kansas, of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and numerous counts of substantive mail fraud and wire fraud. For these crimes, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado sentenced Reger, 57, to 120 months in prison, and Lytle, 64 to 48 months in prison.
According to evidence presented at trial, over the course of 10 years, the defendants were key participants in a scheme that knowingly sold targeted lists of consumers and their addresses to perpetrators of fraud schemes involving the sending of false and deceptive mail to consumers, particularly elderly and vulnerable people. The defendants committed the crimes while working at data broker Epsilon Data Management LLC (Epsilon), which used transactional data collected from marketing clients to predict new “responsive buyers” using computer algorithms and a database of 100 million U.S. households. Evidence at trial showed that the defendants used Epsilon’s algorithms to predict and sell lists of consumers most likely to respond to the fraud schemes’ mailings. The defendants’ business unit worked with dozens of clients that sent scam letters promising large prizes or falsely personalized astrological mailings promising wealth.
Evidence at trial showed that the defendants’ crimes helped facilitate harmful fraud on the victims whose data they sold. For example, the defendants sold nearly 100 lists of names and addresses to a particular fraudster client who used the data to defraud more than 218,000 victims of more than $23.7 million. Epsilon’s data showed that many victims were repeatedly defrauded by this single scheme, including more than 12,000 victims who were defrauded more than 20times each. At trial, elderly victims and their adult children testified about the scam letters victims received falsely promising cash prizes.
“Today’s sentences should make clear that those who illegally use Americans’ personal information to facilitate fraud will face serious consequences.” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will investigate and prosecute individuals who use their access to our personal data to target vulnerable Americans for their own gain.”
“Far too often, we prosecute cases where criminals prey on the elderly and vulnerable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matt Kirsch for the District of Colorado. “This sentence demonstrates that those who exploit the most vulnerable in our society for financial gain will be prosecuted and held accountable for their despicable actions.”
“The results of this collaborative investigation with the US Postal Inspection Service and its partners, has resulted in the arrests and convictions of two individuals who knowingly helped criminals target and scam vulnerable members of our community out of millions,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)’s Criminal Investigations Group. “This investigation demonstrates the continued commitment of the US Postal Inspections Service, to protect our most vulnerable communities. Our dedicated fraud teams allow us to expose and target criminals who try to hide behind these complex schemes. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to ensure these individuals face justice.”
USPIS’ Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force investigated this matter.
Senior Trial Attorney Alistair Reader and Assistant Director Rachael Doud of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Weber for the District of Colorado prosecuted the case. Senior Trial Attorney Ehren Reynolds and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Hetal Doshi for the District of Colorado also assisted in the case.
The defendants’ former employer, Epsilon resolved its criminal liability via a deferred prosecution agreement in 2021, paying $150 million in penalties and victim compensation. That victim compensation effort has returned $122 million to more than 200,000 victims of fraud schemes to which Epsilon provided data.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
U.S. Marshals Arrest over 3,400 fugitives in Operation North StarRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 3,421 violent fugitives, including 216 for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses, during the latest phase of its high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative called Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24).
ONS FY24 enforcement activities covered 74 operational days, from May 10 to Sept. 13, and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas, prioritizing those who used firearms in the commission of crimes or signaled high risk factors for violence. ONS FY24 targeted violent offenders wanted on warrants for homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, and firearms violations. During the operation, investigators also seized 534 firearms, more than $508,000 in U.S. currency, and 456 kilograms in illegal narcotics, including 138 pounds and over 550,000 pills of deadly fentanyl.
The 10 metropolitan areas selected for ONS FY24 were identified using data from the National Crime Information Center and the FBI Uniform Crime Report, and included Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Charleston and North Charleston, South Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix; St. Louis (to include East St. Louis, Illinois); Birmingham, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and San Antonio.
“We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders and seize large quantities of firearms and fentanyl. I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”
“Over the past year, the Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star in 10 cities across the country experiencing high levels of gun violence,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “Over 3,000 dangerous fugitives, including over 200 homicide suspects, were apprehended and removed from neighborhoods. The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
Since July 2022, in a total of 30 locations, USMS Operation North Star initiatives have resulted in the apprehension of more than 10,200 wanted fugitives, including 1,153 charged with homicide, in addition to the removal of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime. The agency utilized a data-driven, evidence-based approach to remove the dangerous criminals who are the drivers of violence in those communities. The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as ONS evolved largely from regional and district fugitive task forces. Since the 1980s, the USMS has combined its resources and expertise with local, state, and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives.
Significant arrests:
Aaron Michael Jones was arrested on May 20, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by members of the Middle Louisiana Task Force. He was wanted by the Baton Rouge Police Department for home invasion, domestic abuse battery, and child endangerment.
Hayden Bates-Vellmure, Jordan Elijah Jackson, Allan Gilbert, and Patrick Biscoe were arrested on May 22, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas, by members of the North Texas Fugitive Task Force. The four were wanted on charges relating to a drive-by shooting, which injured multiple children. The arrest team recovered nine handguns and one shotgun.
Garron Stevenson was arrested on May 21, in St. Louis, by USMS personnel from the Eastern District of Missouri. He was wanted for the unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree murder after opening fire at a street racing event, striking seven people and killing a 14-year-old. An AR-15 style rifle and a revolver were recovered during the arrest.
Michael Muldovan was arrested on Aug. 15, in Sterling, Virginia, by members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was wanted in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for first degree statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child.
View ONS FY24 operational photographs here.
View the ONS FY24 B-Roll video here.
For more information on ONS FY24 visit USMarshals.gov.
Shipping Companies Sentenced to $2M Criminal Penalty for Concealing Oil DischargeRead the Press Release
Two corporations that operated the motor tanker P/S Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced yesterday in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The court sentenced the P/S Dream’s Captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation.
The charges pertain to the investigation of the P/S Dream vessel when it was heading to New Orleans in January 2023. Senior corporate managers were aware that Korkmaz had arranged to discharge oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank on deck into the ocean. The captain ordered the crew to pump the waste overboard and clean the tank with soap. The seamen rigged a portable pump to empty the contents overboard over three days. The defendants falsified the vessel’s oil record book by omitting the discharge.
One of the crew members alerted the Coast Guard and shared videos of the discharge and resulting oil sheen. When the ship arrived in Louisiana, another crew member came forward and gave the Coast Guard a recording of an officer discussing the discharge.
The falsified logs, presented to the Coast Guard during its inspection, were intended to conceal the fact that the crew had dumped oil-contaminated waste overboard in violation of MARPOL Annex I, an international treaty regulating oil pollution from ships. Corporate representatives at Prive Shipping were aware that the oil-contaminated waste remained in the tank and were informed by the ship’s master that it had been dumped overboard.
The $2 million criminal penalty includes $500,000 in organizational community service payments that will fund various maritime environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Those projects will be managed by the congressionally established National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
Captain Korkmaz is a Turkish national. Prive Overseas Marine is based in Dubai and Prive Shipping is headquartered in Turkey. As a condition of probation, the corporations must also adhere to an environmental compliance plan mandating audit, safety and inspection requirements over the next four years.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service and EPA Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer and Christine M. Calogero for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Prive JFS Filed.pdf Exhibits Prive.pdfReadout of Departments of Justice and Interior Roundtable on Media Coverage of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human TraffickingRead the Press Release
Senior officials from the Justice Department and Department of the Interior yesterday convened a roundtable discussion with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).
The virtual roundtable was organized as part of the federal response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) — a federal advisory committee established in November 2023 under the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combating violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people. During seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing that informed the Commission’s recommendations, people affected by the crisis of MMIP and HT shared their concerns about lack of media coverage and whether that may contribute to cases being ignored or going unsolved. The Commission in turn recommended the Justice Department and Department of the Interior hold a roundtable discussion as a step toward developing a set of best practices.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and delivered video remarks.
“Public communication, news stories, and social media can be crucial in finding and investigating cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons,” said Attorney General Garland. “That is why, on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendation, we convened this roundtable to develop best practices and guidelines to aid law enforcement, families, advocates, and journalists when a member of a Native community is reported missing. It is our hope that this convening will strengthen those partnerships, which are essential to advancing our shared goal of ending this crisis.”
“Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to fulfilling our promises to Indian Country,” said Secretary Haaland, who authored the Not Invisible Act while in Congress. “This roundtable is part of that promise as we act on one of the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations because a crisis that exists in silence will never be solved. Today is one step of many to ensure our missing relatives’ stories are told.”
Attorney General Garland also announced that this month, the Justice Department will award more than $210 million to American Indian and Alaska Native communities through three separate programs to support a wide range of public safety challenges. These funds will go directly to efforts to support Tribal safety. They include programs dedicated to reducing domestic violence and sexual violence, supporting victims of crime, and providing resources to law enforcement, Tribal youth programs, and treatment programs.
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered opening remarks at the roundtable, saying “it is critical now, more than ever,” to work together to draw attention to the MMIP and HT crises. “The potential for immediate, real-time alerts makes media, particularly social media, a powerful tool to get the word out fast when emergencies happen. And the widespread use of media facilitates information sharing and collaboration that can help resolve missing persons cases.”
Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland opened the roundtable and said, “The overarching principle that guides our work is to make life better for people in Tribal communities and making sure that Indian people have the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in their tribal communities. Public safety is a big part of this, and addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and human trafficking are at the forefront of our public safety work.”
In August, Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP crisis and human trafficking with federal and Tribal leaders. Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country. Read more about these efforts.
The Departments plan to publish best practices stemming from this discussion by the end of the year. To submit recommendations, email [email protected] no later than Friday, Oct. 4.
Additional Background on the Departments of Justice and Interior’s commitment to addressing MMIP and HT
Law Enforcement Collaboration: At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that BIA’s Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.
Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU): As one of her first acts as Secretary, Secretary Haaland created a new MMU within BIA-OJS to pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU, headquartered in Albuquerque, provides leadership and direction for cross-Departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU has enabled the Interior Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other agencies, such as working to enhance the Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and working through strategic partnerships with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs), the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the USMS’ Missing Child Unit (MCU) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
MMIP Regional Outreach Program: Since the start of this Administration, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. In Summer 2023, the Department launched an MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.
Not Invisible Act Commission: The Departments worked collaboratively to stand up the Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by legislation the Secretary led in Congress, to develop recommendations on how the federal government can combat crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Commission included federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. In 2023, the Commission held seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing to hear directly from individuals affected by the MMIP crisis. In March, the Departments released their response to the Commission’s recommendations, which they are in the process of implementing in collaboration with Congress.
Operation Not Forgotten: The FBI established this operation to focus resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. Operation Not Forgotten first surged resources to Tribal communities in 2023 with the mission of examining cases that have gone unresolved. The goal was to move those cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. Due to the success of the 2023 operation, the FBI is currently partnering with the BIA-MMU to surge resources in 2024. BIA-MMU is providing significant intelligence and investigative support for the duration of the operation. Over 45 special agents and five intelligence personnel have deployed in support of the 2024 operation.
White House Council on Native American Affairs: At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and included new provisions to address the crisis of MMIP across the country and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is continuing to implement this work through its Public Safety and Justice committee, which is co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and the Interior, as part of an all of government approach to address public safety and the MMIP crisis.
International Collaboration: The United States is also working with its international counterparts from Canada and Mexico to address public safety issues on a larger scale. In September 2023, Canada chaired the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and global subject-matter experts. Discussions at this year’s convening focused on human trafficking and access to justice. Officials from the three countries agreed to continue to protect and uphold the rights of Indigenous women, learn from and implement Indigenous-led approaches, provide accessible and culturally safe services, and support the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages. A sixth gathering is expected later this year.
Justice Department and EPA Announce Settlement to Reduce Benzene and Volatile Organic Compounds from Wastewater at Lima Refining Company’s Refinery in OhioRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with the Lima Refining Company (LRC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian-based Cenovus Energy, to address violations of the Clean Air Act at its refinery in Lima, Ohio.
Under the settlement, LRC must pay a civil penalty of $19 million and implement an estimated $150 million in capital investments, including control technology expected to reduce emissions of benzene by an estimated 4.34 tons per year, other hazardous air pollutants (HAP) by 16.26 tons per year, and other volatile organic compound emissions (VOC) by 219 tons per year. The Lima Refinery is surrounded by a community with environmental justice concerns.
“This settlement is part of an ongoing initiative to curtail illegal benzene and VOC emissions at refineries that have failed to allocate the necessary personnel and capital investments to ensure compliance with rules they have long been subject to,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under the settlement, the refinery will implement controls that will greatly improve air quality and reduce health impacts on the overburdened community that surrounds the refinery.”
“Lima Refining unlawfully exposed the surrounding community to toxic benzene emissions and other hazardous pollutants,” said Assistant Administrator David Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement demonstrates how monitoring can help protect overburdened communities from harmful emissions from refineries. Lima will pay a substantial penalty for its violations and install $150 million in emissions controls that will provide cleaner air to a community that deserves nothing less.” *
“Environmental justice is a core priority of our Office and of the Department. Through its illegal emissions of benzene, VOCs and other pollutants from its facility, the LRC impermissibly violated the Clean Air Act and jeopardized the health of Ohio’s residents,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will continue to be vigilant and strictly enforce environmental laws and regulations to protect our district’s residents from toxic pollutants. Ohioans should not have to worry about living and working in an area where air pollution from local industry could make them sick.”
As part of the settlement, LRC will install one or more flash columns to reduce benzene in wastewater streams leading to its wastewater treatment plant and will cease operating, replace or upgrade other units at the refinery. LRC will also install six air pollutant monitoring stations to monitor air quality outside of the refinery fence line and make the results publicly available.
The United States’ complaint, filed simultaneously with the settlement, alleges that LRC violated federal regulations limiting benzene in refinery wastewater streams, and HAP and VOC emissions at its Lima Refinery, as well as the general requirement to use good air pollution control practices.
Benzene is known to cause cancer in humans. Short-term inhalation exposure to benzene also may cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, as well as eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation, and, at high levels, unconsciousness. Long-term inhalation exposure can cause various disorders in the blood, including reduced numbers of red blood cells and anemia in occupational settings. Reproductive effects have been reported for women exposed by inhalation to high levels, and adverse effects on the developing fetus have been observed in animal tests.
VOCs, along with nitrous oxide, play a major role in the atmospheric reactions that produce ozone, which is the primary constituent of smog. Ground-level ozone exposure is linked to a variety of short- and long-term health problems, including difficulty breathing, aggravated asthma, reduced lung capacity and increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis.
This settlement is part of EPA’s and the Justice Department’s ongoing focus to assist communities that have been historically marginalized and disproportionately exposed to pollution.
For more information about the settlement, please visit www.epa.gov/enforcement/2024-lima-refining-clean-air-act-benzene-waste-neshap-and-volatile-organic-compounds.
The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comment and access to the settlement agreement is available at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
The EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
*Editor's note: this quote has been updated for accuracy to remove "fence line," “the oil and gas sector” and “healthier water.”
Justice Department Sues Alabama for Violating Federal Law’s Prohibition on Systematic Efforts to Remove Voters Within 90 Days of an ElectionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Alabama and the Alabama Secretary of State to challenge a systematic State program aimed at removing voters from its election rolls too close to the Nov. 5 general election, in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).
“The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights in our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As Election Day approaches, it is critical that Alabama redress voter confusion resulting from its list maintenance mailings sent in violation of federal law. Officials across the country should take heed of the National Voter Registration Act’s clear and unequivocal restrictions on systematic list maintenance efforts that fall within 90 days of an election. The Quiet Period Provision of federal law exists to prevent eligible voters from being removed from the rolls as a result of last-minute, error-prone efforts. The Justice Department will continue to use all the tools it has available to ensure that the voting rights of every eligible voter are protected.”
Section 8(c)(2) of the NVRA, also known as the Quiet Period Provision, requires states to complete systematic programs aimed at removing the names of ineligible voters from voter registration lists by no later than 90 days before federal elections. The Quiet Period Provision applies to certain systematic programs carried out by states that are aimed at striking names from voter registration lists based on a perceived failure to meet initial eligibility requirements — including citizenship — at the time of registration. The Quiet Period is an important protection for voters, because systematic removal programs may be error-ridden, cause voter confusion and remove eligible voters days or weeks before Election Day who may be unable to correct the state’s errors in time to vote or may be dissuaded from voting at all. States may remove names from official lists of voters in various ways and for various reasons, but they may not carry-on this kind of systematic removal program so close to a federal election.
On Aug. 13, the Secretary of State announced the launch of a “process to remove noncitizens registered to vote in Alabama.” This was 84 days before the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department’s review found that both native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens have received letters stating that their voter record has been made inactive and that they have been placed on a path for removal from Alabama’s statewide voter registration list. The letter directs recipients who are in fact U.S. citizens and eligible to vote to complete and submit an attached State of Alabama Voter Registration Form. In turn, that form instructs that people may not register to vote in the 14 days before an election. This systematic voter removal program, which the State is conducting within 90 days of the upcoming federal election, violates the Quiet Period Provision.
The Justice Department seeks injunctive relief that would restore the ability of impacted eligible voters to vote unimpeded on Election Day and would prohibit future Quiet Period violations. The department also seeks remedial mailings to educate eligible voters concerning the restoration of their rights and adequate training of local officials and poll workers to address confusion and distrust among eligible voters accused of being noncitizens.
More information about voting and elections is available at www.justice.gov/voting. More information about the NVRA and other federal voting laws is available at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. The department recently announced a new guidance document addressing limits on when and how jurisdictions may remove voters from their voter lists. Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section through the internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Justice Department Announces an Organizational Assessment of the Hackensack, New Jersey, Police Department under the COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform InitiativeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced that it will provide an Organizational Assessment of the Hackensack, New Jersey, Police Department through its Collaborative Reform Initiative. This is a voluntary program that is offered at the request of law enforcement agencies that are seeking to ensure fair, impartial, and effective policing for the communities they serve. Over the next year, the Hackensack Police Department will work in partnership with the COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative team to focus on:
- Data-Driven Policing;
- Employee Wellness, Training, and Professional Development;
- Community Engagement and Problem-Solving Strategies;
- Internal and External Communications;
- Leadership and Organizational Structure; and
- Accountability and Oversight Systems.
“The in-depth assessments undertaken as part of the Collaborative Reform Initiative benefit both the Hackensack Police Department and the community,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “By taking an honest look at what might need to be strengthened or reformed, agencies can continue to improve public safety and trust.”
“By examining an agency’s historical practices, their current practices, and their goals for the future, a solid plan for moving forward can be put in place,” said Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the COPS Office. “It is this kind of strategic thinking and planning that is critical in helping agencies meet the standards that the community has set for them.”
Regular updates on the Collaborative Reform Initiative team’s work with the Hackensack Police Department will be provided at www.cops.usdoj.gov/active-oa-site-hackensack-nj-police-department as part of the transparency and public accountability of this new Organizational Assessment effort.
The Collaborative Reform Initiative encompasses three programs offering expert services to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies: the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, Critical Response, and Organizational Assessment programs (complete details of these programs can be found at www.cops.usdoj.gov/collaborativereform). Managed out of the COPS Office, this continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve; improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness; enhance officer safety and wellness; build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning and self-improvement; and promote community policing practices nationwide.
The Organizational Assessment program provides the most intensive form of technical assistance on the continuum, involving in-depth assessments and long-term assistance to improve the fairness, effectiveness, and efficacy of agency operations that build trust with communities. A continual assessment and implementation process ensures that time and resources are used to focus on identifying areas for improvement, reinforcing agency strengths, and assisting with the implementation of improvements expeditiously. At the same time, the process provides transparency and accountability with routine public reporting and community input. Each engagement will be supported by a multidisciplinary assessment team composed of subject matter experts with diverse experience and perspectives, including in law enforcement, community engagement, research and evaluation, program management, and organizational reform.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 138,000 officers.
Florida Tax Return Preparer Agrees to Shut Down Tax Prep Business and to Pay $134,400Read the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction today against Fort Lauderdale, Florida, tax return preparer Dexter Bataille, individually and doing business as Capital Financial Group Holdings LLC. The court ordered the closure of Bataille’s business, Capital Financial Holdings LLC, and barred him from preparing or assisting in preparing federal income tax returns or transferring his customer lists. The court also ordered Bataille to pay $134,400 in ill-gotten gains he received from his return preparation business. Bataille agreed to both the injunction and the order to pay $134,400.
The complaint alleged that Bataille prepared customers’ returns that fraudulently claimed various false or inflated deductions and credits, including fabricated, false and exaggerated profits and expenses to generate inflated business losses; misreported filing statuses and dependent claims; and false reports of household help income.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS warns taxpayers to avoid "ghost preparers" and lists other improper acts that tax preparers engage in to take advantage of their unsuspecting customers.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
USA v. Bataille Consent Injunction and Disgorgement Order.pdfFlorida Financial Advisor Charged with Promoting Illegal Tax Shelter, Stealing Clients’ Funds and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Gulfport, Mississippi, returned an indictment, unsealed yesterday, charging a Florida financial advisor with a years-long scheme to promote and operate an illegal tax shelter, stealing some of his clients’ funds and money laundering.
According to the indictment, Stephen T. Mellinger III, of Florida, was a securities broker, financial advisor and insurance salesman. Beginning in late 2013, Mellinger allegedly conspired with several others to defraud the IRS by promoting an illegal tax shelter.
Mellinger allegedly instructed clients participating in the shelter, including clients in Mississippi, to transfer money to a company controlled by Mellinger or his co-conspirators in the amount they wished to claim as a deduction on their tax returns. The conspirators then allegedly returned the money to a bank account that clients controlled less a percentage fee that they charged for their services. Even though tax shelter clients received their money back, Mellinger allegedly directed them to claim the transfer to the company as a deduction on their tax returns, and to label the deduction as a “royalty” payment. Mellinger allegedly earned more than $3 million in fees from the shelter.
Also, in January 2016, the federal government allegedly seized funds from some of Mellinger’s clients, who were engaged in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, the U.S. Department of Defense’s health care benefit program. Mellinger conspired with a close relative to take advantage of the seizure to steal some of the money that those clients had transferred through the tax shelter. Mellinger then allegedly laundered the stolen funds, which he knew were proceeds of healthcare fraud. Ultimately, he allegedly used some of the funds he stole from his clients to buy a home in Delray Beach, Florida.
Mellinger was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. If convicted, Mellinger faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each substantive count of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each substantive count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys William Montague, Richard J. Hagerman and Matthew Hicks of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mellinger Indictment.pdfJustice Department Announces New Resources to Improve Firearm Background Checks and Reduce Gun ViolenceRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced several actions to improve firearm background checks and reduce gun violence. The Department is releasing model legislation and information that would help states permit the sharing of juvenile criminal history and mental health records with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), solely for the purpose of conducting firearm background checks. In addition, the Department is announcing significant new grant funding for gun violence prevention, totaling over $200 million. Finally, the Department is unveiling new resources for law enforcement across the country, including training and funding guidance.
“The Department of Justice is committed to doing everything in its power to combat gun violence and save lives,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s actions are a continuation of our efforts to fully implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to provide critical funding to community violence intervention programs, and to assist our state and local partners as they work day in and day out to drive down gun crime.”
Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 (BSCA), NICS is required to contact state and local law enforcement entities to determine if a purchaser under 21 years of age is prohibited from purchasing a firearm. However, as part of established juvenile justice and mental health systems, some states and territories have important laws in place which restrict the sharing of juvenile mental health and/or criminal history records, so that youthful mistakes do not follow young people into adulthood.
At the same time, these protections may prevent jurisdictions from providing the FBI with potentially disqualifying juvenile records when an enhanced background check is conducted. The model legislation released today, following in the example of several states that have appropriately and narrowly amended their record-sharing laws, provides a template for states that wish to permit greater information-sharing with NICS for the sole purpose of responding to a federal enhanced background check, thereby advancing public safety. In addition, the Justice Department is also releasing today information on state laws around the country, including whether they permit information-sharing with regard to juvenile records for enhanced background checks.
Additionally, the Justice Department is also announcing two major rounds of grant funding designed to reduce and prevent gun violence. First, the Department is announcing an additional $85 million in funding through the Office of Justice Programs Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI). This funding will help 30 agencies and organizations develop and expand their community violence intervention work, including hospital-based violence intervention, street outreach, and cognitive behavioral therapy, and will support training and technical assistance plus rigorous research to help grow the evidence base for violence intervention models. Second, the Department is announcing over $135 million in formula awards to 48 states under the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP), which provides funding for the implementation of extreme risk protection order programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related programs/initiatives.
Moreover, the Justice Department is committed to supporting implementation of the recommendations from the Critical Incident Report (CIR) on the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. These implementation efforts include a suite of resources to not only support the local community of Uvalde, but also to serve as a resource across the country, particularly for local, rural, and regional agencies serving their communities. Today, the Department’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office is releasing a Tenets of Training Checklist to assist law enforcement executives and training personnel in enhancing relevant training and a Resource Webpage tailored to the needs of Small and Rural agencies. This fall, DOJ will release a Self-Assessment Tool to help communities assess how well they are implementing the recommendations in the CIR and an Implementation and Resource Guide to identify resources and generally accepted practices and standards in the CIR. Additional resources will be released on a continual basis to continue to support law enforcement agencies and their communities.
The COPS Office Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) is also launching a renewed focus on assisting small and rural law enforcement agencies. Small and rural agencies will continue to have access to the no-cost training and technical assistance that CRI-TAC is known for, but now CRI-TAC will provide training and technical assistance opportunities geared for the unique challenges confronting small and rural policing agencies. Through the Small and Rural Agency Initiative, agencies will be able to participate in training programs addressing areas such as active assailant response, multi-jurisdictional coordination, community partnerships, resource allocation, addressing hate crimes, report writing, duty to intervene, and crash re-construction.
Model Legislation to Remove Barriers to Completing Enhanced Background Checks (PDF)
States’ Legal Ability to Provide Juvenile Information
Acadia Healthcare Company Inc. to Pay $19.85M to Settle Allegations Relating to Medically Unnecessary Inpatient Behavioral Health ServicesRead the Press Release
Acadia Healthcare Company Inc., a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Franklin, Tennessee, has agreed to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and related state statutes by knowingly billing for medically unnecessary inpatient behavioral health services or for services that did not meet federal and state regulations. Acadia Healthcare Company owns and operates inpatient behavioral health facilities throughout the United States, including The Pavilion at HealthPark LLC, doing business as Park Royal Hospital in Ft. Myers, Florida; Riverwoods Behavioral Health LLC, doing business as Lakeview Behavioral Health in Norcross, Georgia, and as Riverwoods Behavioral Health System in Riverdale, Georgia; Ten Broeck Tampa LLC, doing business as North Tampa Behavioral Health in Wesley Chapel, Florida; PHC of Michigan LLC, doing business as Harbor Oaks Hospital in New Baltimore, Michigan; and Seven Hills Hospital LLC, doing business as Seven Hills Hospital in Henderson, Nevada (collectively, Acadia).
The United States contended that, between 2014 and 2017, Acadia knowingly submitted false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE for inpatient behavioral health services that were not reasonable or medically necessary. In particular, the United States contended that Acadia admitted beneficiaries who were not eligible for inpatient treatment and failed to properly discharge beneficiaries when they no longer needed inpatient treatment and had improper and excessive lengths of stay. The United States further alleged that Acadia knowingly failed to provide adequate staffing, training and/or supervision of staff, which resulted in assaults, elopements, suicides and other harm resulting from these staffing failures. In addition, Acadia allegedly failed to provide inpatient acute care in accord with federal and state regulations, including, but not limited to, by failing to provide active treatment, to develop and/or update individualized assessments and treatment plans, to provide adequate discharge planning and to provide required individual and group therapy.
Under the settlement agreement, Acadia will pay $16,663,918 to the United States to resolve its liability under the False Claims Act for its allegedly false Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE billings. The Medicaid program is jointly funded by the states and the federal government, and pursuant to separate settlement agreements, Acadia will pay an additional $3,186,082 to Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada to resolve their state law claims against Acadia.
“This settlement demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that federal healthcare programs pay only for services that are needed and properly provided,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “It is particularly important that health care providers satisfy these requirements when providing services to a vulnerable patient population, such as residents of an inpatient behavioral health facility.”
“Federal health care programs rely upon the honesty and credibility of participating providers,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who seek to exploit these programs for personal gain, jeopardizing the health of patients.”
“Medical providers who participate in federally funded health care programs must follow the law when billing Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement illustrates HHS-OIG’s commitment to protecting the integrity of these taxpayer-funded programs and the well-being of enrollees seeking treatment. Working closely with the United States Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement partners, we will continue to thoroughly investigate such fraudulent billing schemes.”
“Billing TRICARE for medically unnecessary inpatient behavioral health services or for services that did not meet federal and state regulations impacts our ability to reimburse providers in a timely manner for care that is needed to keep our military ready to defend the nation,” said Rear Admiral Matthew Case of the U.S. Navy and Acting Assistant Director for Health Care Administration for the Defense Health Agency. “We thank our state and federal partners for their work on this case, and the whistleblowers who came forward for their bravery. As a result, we are able to continue delivering one of the most comprehensive and affordable health benefits available to any American.”
The settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Franka Tirado, Brian Snyder and Jamie Thompson, all former employees of Acadia. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned U.S. ex rel. Tirado, et al. v. Park Royal Hospital et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-201-FtM-99 (MDFL), and U.S. ex rel. Thompson v. Acadia Healthcare Company Inc., et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-543-FtM-38CM (MDFL). The whistleblower share of the federal portion of the settlement will be $3,166,144.42.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, as well as the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and former Senior Litigation Counsel Lindsay Griffin for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Settlement
司法部與加州阿拉米達縣警長辦公室 達成語言使用協議Read the Press Release
司法部今天宣布已與加州阿拉米達縣警長辦公室 (下稱「ACSO」) 達成解決協議，解決了對 ACSO 是否遵守 1964 年《民權法案》第六章規定的非歧視義務的調查。
根據該協議的條款，ACSO 已同意採取多項行動，以改善其管轄區內英語能力有限 (LEP) 的個人可使用的語言服務。《民權法案》第六章禁止接受聯邦財務援助的實體因個人的種族、膚色和國籍而作出歧視。任何基於所說語言而作出的差別待遇，包括排除或拒絕 LEP 人士享有計劃和服務的福利，均可能構成違反第六章下的民族血統歧視。
司法部民權司助理檢察長 Kristen Clarke 表示：「司法部民權司致力確保我們國家的執法機構能夠服務和保護社區中的每一個人，無論他們的英語能力是否有限。阿拉米達縣警長辦公室透過此項協議，展示了他們對改善社區服務而作出的承諾，並已採取重大行動來履行承諾。」
早前，司法部收到有關資訊，指 LEP 人士在與 ACSO 人員溝通時可能無法獲得足夠的語言服務。該部門其後開始針對 ACSO 進行調查。
在此協議下，ACSO 將制定正式的全辦公室語言服務指示，並指定一名員工擔任 ACSO 的 LEP 協調員。此外，他們為員工提供語言協助訓練，同時改善品質監控，以要求提供準確且經過品質評估的語言協助服務，並接受一段時間的部門監督。
此協議是司法部《執法機構語言通達倡議》(下稱「LELAI」) 的一部分。該倡議在全國範圍內協助執法機構克服語言障礙，以更好地服務和保護社區，並確保執法人員的安全。該計劃由民權司帶領進行，提供技術援助資源和工具，以協助州和地方執法機關為 LEP 人士提供有意義的語言使用服務；積極吸引希望審查、更新和/或加強其語言使用政策、計劃和訓練的執法機關參與；並加強執法機關、社區利益相關者和 LEP 人士之間的聯繫。
有關民權司的其他資訊，請瀏覽 www.justice.gov/crt，而有關英語能力有限和《民權法案》第六章的資訊，請瀏覽 www.lep.gov。更多有關 LELAI 的資訊，請瀏覽 www.lep.gov/law-enforcement。公眾可透過 civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 網站報告可能違反公民權利的行為。
司法部与加利福尼亚州阿拉米达县警长办公室 达成语言使用协议Read the Press Release
司法部今天宣布已与加州阿拉米达县警长办公室 (下称“ ACSO”) 达成解决协议，解决了对 ACSO 是否遵守 1964 年《民权法案》第六章规定的非歧视义务的调查。
根据协议条款，ACSO 同意采取一系列措施，改善其管辖范围内英语水平有限 (LEP) 的个人可使用语言服务。《民权法案》第六章禁止接受联邦财政援助的实体基于种族、肤色和民族血统做出歧视行为。基于所讲语言而做出的区别对待，包括排斥或拒绝向LEP 人士提供计划和服务的福利，可能构成违反《第六章》中的民族血统歧视。
司法部民权司助理司法部长克里斯汀-克拉克（Kristen Clarke）表示：“司法部民权司致力于确保我们国家的执法机构能够为社区中的每个人提供服务和保护，无论他们的英语水平是否有限。通过这项协议，阿拉米达县警长办公室表明了他们致力于改善社区服务的承诺，并为履行这一承诺采取了重要措施。“
早前，司法部收到有关信息，指出 LEP 人士在与 ACSO 人员沟通时可能无法获得足够的语言服务。随后，司法部开始对 ACSO 进行调查。
在此协议下，ACSO 将制定正式的全办公室语言服务指示，并指定一名员工担任 ACSO 的 LEP 协调员。此外，他们为员工提供语言协助训练，同时改善品质监控，以要求提供准确且经过品质评估的语言协助服务，并接受一段时间的部门监督。
该协议是司法部《执法机构语言通达倡议》(下称“LELAI”)的一部分。该倡议在全国范围内协助执法机构克服语言障碍，以更好地服务和保护社区，并确保执法人员的安全。在民权司的领导下，该倡议提供技术援助资源和工具，帮助州和地方执法部门为有语言障碍的个人提供有意义的语言使用服務；积极动员希望审查、更新和/或加强其语言使用政策、计划和培训的执法机构参与进来；并加强执法机构、社区利益相关者和有语言障碍的人群之间的联系。
有关民权司的更多信息，请访问 www.justice.gov/crt。有关英语能力有限和《民权法案》第六章的信息，请访问 www.lep.gov。有关 LELAI 的更多信息，请访问 www.lep.gov/law-enforcement。公众可通过 civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 网站举报可能侵犯公民权利的行为。
ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਨੇ ਕੈਲੀਫੋਰਨੀਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਲਮੇਡਾ ਕਾਉਂਟੀ ਸ਼ੈਰਿਫ ਦੇ ਦਫਤਰ ਨਾਲ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਸਮਝੌਤਾ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਕੀਤਾRead the Press Release
ਅੱਜ ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ (Justice Department) ਨੇ ਐਲਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਕਿ ਉਸਨੇ ਕੈਲੀਫੋਰਨੀਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਲਮੇਡਾ ਕਾਉਂਟੀ ਸ਼ੈਰਿਫ ਦੇ ਦਫਤਰ (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office) (ACSO) ਨਾਲ ਇੱਕ ਪ੍ਰਸਤਾਵ ਸਮਝੌਤਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਇੱਕ ਜਾਂਚ ਦਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਲੇਸ਼ਣ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕੀ ACSO 1964 ਦੇ ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਐਕਟ (Civil Rights Act of 1964) (Title VI) ਦੇ ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਹੇਠ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਗੈਰ-ਵਿਤਕਰੇ ਭਰੀਆਂ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਪਾਲਣਾ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਜਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ।
ਸਮਝੌਤੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਸ਼ਰਤਾਂ ਹੇਠ, ACSO ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਖੇਤਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੀਮਤ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ (LEP) ਵਾਲੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਲਈ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦੀ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਧਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਕਈ ਕਦਮ ਚੁੱਕਣ ਲਈ ਸਹਿਮਤੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ। ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਉਹਨਾਂ ਸੰਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵਰਜਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਜਾਤੀ, ਰੰਗ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮੂਲ ਦੇ ਅਧਾਰ ਤੇ ਵਿਤਕਰਾ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂਸੰਘੀ ਵਿੱਤੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਦੀਆਂਹਨ। ਬੋਲੀ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਦੇ ਅਧਾਰ ਤੇ ਵਿਤਕਰੇ ਵਾਲਾ ਵਿਵਹਾਰ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੈ, LEP ਵਾਲੇ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰੋਗਰਾਮਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਲਾਭਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬੇਦਖਲੀ ਜਾਂ ਇਨਕਾਰ ਕਰਨਾ, ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਦੀ ਉਲੰਘਣਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮੂਲ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਵਿਤਕਰੇ ਦਾ ਰੂਪ ਧਾਰਨ ਕਰ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ।
ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੇ ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ (Civil Rights Division) ਦੇ ਸਹਾਇਕ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਜਨਰਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਟਨ ਕਲਾਰਕ (Kristen Clarke) ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ, "ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦਾ ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਇਹ ਯਕੀਨੀ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਵਚਨਬੱਧ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸਾਡੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਦੀਆਂ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਿਆਂਵਿੱਚ ਹਰ ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਸੇਵਾ ਦੇ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ, ਭਾਵੇਂ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਦੀ ਸੀਮਤ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ ਹੋਵੇ।" । ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਕਿਹਾ, "ਇਸ ਸਮਝੌਤੇ ਰਾਹੀਂ, ਅਲਾਮੇਡਾ ਕਾਉਂਟੀ ਸ਼ੈਰਿਫ ਦੇ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ ਨੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ, ਜਿਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਸੇਵਾ ਦਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ, ਆਪਣੀ ਵਚਨਬੱਧਤਾ ਦਰਸਾਈ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਲਈ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਬਿਹਤਰ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਵੱਡੇ ਕਦਮ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਨ।"
ACSO ਬਾਰੇ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਉਸਦੇ ਬਾਅਦ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ ਹੋਈ, ਜਦੋਂ ਚਿੰਤਾਵਾਂ ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਮਿਲੀ ਕਿ LEP ਵਾਲੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ACSO ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀਆਂਨਾਲ ਮੀਟਿੰਗਾਂ ਦੇ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਢੁੱਕਵੀਆਂ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲ ਸਕਦੀਆਂ।
ਇਸ ਸਮਝੌਤੇ ਰਾਹੀਂ, ACSO ਇੱਕ ਰਸਮੀ, ਦਫ਼ਤਰ-ਵਿਆਪੀ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਤੈਅ ਕਰੇਗਾ, ACSO ਲਈ LEP ਕੋਆਰਡੀਨੇਟਰ ਵਜੋਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀਆਂਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਨਿਯੁਕਤ ਕਰੇਗਾ, ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਬਾਰੇ ਸਟਾਫ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਖਲਾਈ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰੇਗਾ, ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਸਬੰਧੀਸਹੀ ਅਤੇ ਕੁਆਲਿਟੀ ਦਾ ਮੁਆਇਨਾ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਲਈ ਕੁਆਲਿਟੀ ਨਿਯੰਤਰਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਧਾਰ ਕਰੇਗਾ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਭਾਗੀ ਨਿਗਰਾਨੀ ਦੀ ਮਿਆਦ ਤੋਂ ਗੁਜ਼ਰੇਗਾ।
ਇਹ ਸਮਝੌਤਾ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੀ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਲੈਂਗੂਏਜ ਐਕਸੈਸ ਇਨੀਸ਼ੀਏਟਿਵ (Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative) (LELAI) ਦਾ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਕਿ ਭਾਈਚਾਰਿਆਂਨੂੰ ਬਿਹਤਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਦੇਣਅਤੇ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਰੱਖਣ ਅਤੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂਨੂੰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਰੱਖਣ ਲਈ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਰੁਕਾਵਟਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੂਰ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿਆਪੀ ਯਤਨ ਹੈ। ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਹੇਠ, ਇਹ ਪਹਿਲਕਦਮੀ ਤਕਨੀਕੀ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਸਰੋਤ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਧਨ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ, ਜੋ LEP ਵਾਲੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਅਰਥਪੂਰਨ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਾਜ ਅਤੇ ਸਥਾਨਕ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਦੀ ਮਦਦ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ; ਸਕਾਰਾਤਮਕ ਰੂਪ ਨਾਲ ਅਜਿਹੀਆਂ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਪਹੁੰਚ ਨੀਤੀਆਂ, ਯੋਜਨਾਵਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਸਿਖਲਾਈ ਦੀ ਸਮੀਖਿਆ, ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਪਡੇਟ ਕਰਨਾ ਅਤੇ/ਜਾਂ ਮਜ਼ਬੂਤ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ; ਅਤੇ ਲਾੱ ਐਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਏਜੰਸੀਆਂ, ਭਾਈਚਾਰਕ ਸਟੇਕਹੋਲਡਰਾਂ ਅਤੇ LEP ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਆਬਾਦੀਆਂ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਸਬੰਧ ਨੂੰ ਮਜ਼ਬੂਤ ਕਰਦੀਹੈ।
ਸਿਵਲ ਰਾਈਟਸ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਬਾਰੇ ਵਾਧੂ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ www.justice.gov/crt 'ਤੇ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸੀਮਤ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ ਮੁਹਾਰਤ ਅਤੇ ਟਾਈਟਲ VI ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ www.lep.gov 'ਤੇ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹੈ। LELAI ਬਾਰੇ ਵਧੇਰੇਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ www.lep.gov/law-enforcement 'ਤੇ ਉਪਲਬਧ ਹੈ। ਲੋਕ ਸੰਭਾਵੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਹੱਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਉਲੰਘਣਾ ਦੀ ਰਿਪੋਰਟ,
civilrights.justice.gov/report/ ਤੇ ਕਰ ਸਕਦੇ ਹਨ।
जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट ने कैलिफोर्निया में एलामीडा काउंटी शेरिफ के ऑफिस के साथ लैंग्वेज एक्सेस एग्रीमेंट कियाRead the Press Release
जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट ने आज घोषणा की है कि विभाग ने कैलिफोर्निया में एलामीडा काउंटी शेरिफ के ऑफिस (ACSO) के साथ एक रिजोल्यूशन एग्रीमेंट किया है, इससे यह इन्क्वॉयरी रिजॉल्व हो गई है कि क्या ACSO सिविल राइट्स एक्ट, 1964 के टाइटल VI के अंतर्गत नॉनडिस्क्रिमेशन ऑब्लिगेशन्स का अनुपालन कर रहा है या नहीं।
इस एग्रीमेंट की शर्तों के अंतर्गत, ACSO अपने ज्यूरिसडिक्शन में लिमिटेड इंग्लिश प्रोफिशिएंसी (LEP) वाले लोगों के लिए भाषा के बेहतर एक्सेस के लिए विभिन्न कदम उठाने हेतु सहमत हो गया है। टाइटल VI में ऐसा नियम है कि जो एंटिटीज फेडेरल फाइनेंशियल असिस्टेंस प्राप्त करती हैं, वे किसी व्यक्ति की नस्ल, रंग तथा राष्ट्रीय मूल के आधार पर उसके साथ भेदभाव नहीं कर सकती हैं, ऐसा करना निषेधित है। बोली जाने वाली भाषा के आधार पर भेदभावपूर्ण (डिफरेंशियल) व्यवहार करने समेत अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों को लाभों या सेवाओं का लाभ से वंचित करने या मना करने को टाइटल VI के उल्लंघन में नेशनल ओरिजिन डिस्क्रिमिनेशन माना जा सकता है।
“जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट का सिविल राइट्स डिवीजन यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है कि हमारे राष्ट्र की लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज अपने समुदायों के सभी लोगों को सर्व एवं प्रोटेक्ट कर सकें, भले ही उनके पास अंग्रेजी भाषा की सीमित समझ ही क्यों न हो,” यह बात जस्टिस डिपार्टमेंट के सिविल राइट्स डिजीवन के असिस्टेंट अटॉर्नी जनरल क्रिस्टेन क्लार्क ने कही। “इस एग्रीमेंट के माध्यम से एलामीडा काउंटी शेरिफ के ऑफिस ने यह दर्शाया है कि वे जिन समुदायों को सर्व करते हैं, वे उनके प्रति प्रतिबद्ध हैं तथा उनके लिए सेवाएं बेहतर बनाने के प्रति महत्वपूर्ण कदम उठाए हैं।”
ACSO के विरुद्ध डिपार्टमेंट की इन्क्वॉयरी उस समय शुरू की गई थी, जब ऐसा चिंताजनक जानकारी प्राप्त हुई कि अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों को ACSO कर्मियों के साथ संपर्क के दौरान शायद पर्याप्त भाषा सेवाएं नहीं प्राप्त हो पाती।
इस एग्रीमेंट के माध्यम से, ACSO एक औपचारिक, कार्यालय-व्यापी भाषा एक्सेस डायेक्टिव एस्टैबलिश करेगा, अपने कार्मिकों में से किसी एक सदस्य को ACSO के लिए LEP कॉर्डिनेटर नामित करेगा, स्टाफ को भाषा सहायता संबंधी प्रशिक्षण प्रदान करेगा, क्वालिटी कंट्रोल में सुधार करेगा ताकि एक्यूरेट तथा क्वालिटी एसेस्ड लैंग्वेज असिस्टेंस सर्विसेज दी जा सकें, तथा कुछ समय तक डिपार्टमेंटल मॉनिटरिंग करेगा।
यह एग्रीमेंट डिपार्टमेंट के लॉ एनफोर्समेंट लैंग्वेज एक्सेस इनीशिएटिव (LELAI) का हिस्सा है, जो कि समुदायों को बेहतर तरीके से सर्व एवं प्रोटेक्ट करने हेतु भाषा बाधाएं दूर करने में लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज की सहायता करने के लिए एक राष्ट्रव्यापी प्रयास है। सिविल राइट्स डिवीजन के नेृतत्वाधीन यह पहल तकनीकी सहायता संसाधन तथा टूल्स प्रदान करते हैं, जो अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों को अर्थपूर्ण भाषा पहुंच प्रदान करने में स्टेट और लोकल लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसी की मदद कर सकते हैं; लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज के साथ सकारात्मक रूप से जुड़ते हैं जो कि अपनी भाषा पहुंच नीतियों, योजनाओं, तथा प्रशिक्षण को रिव्यू, अपडेट, तथा/अथवा सुदृढ़ बनाना चाहती हैं; तथा लॉ एनफोर्समेंट एजेंसीज, कम्युनिटी स्टेकहोल्डर्स तथा अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ अर्थात LEP वाले व्यक्तियों के बीच में कनेक्शन को सुदृढ़ बनाते हैं।
सिविल राइट्स डिवीजन के बारे में अधिक जानकारी www.justice.gov/crt पर उपलब्ध है, तथा अंग्रेजी भाषा की कम समझ तथा टाइटल VI संबंधित जानकारी www.lep.gov पर उपलब्ध है। LELAI के बारे में अधिक जानकारी www.lep.gov/law-enforcement पर उपलब्ध है। आम जनता, सिविल राइट्स के संभावित उल्लंघनों की रिपोर्ट civilrights.justice.gov/report/ पर कर सकती है।
وزارة العدل تتوصل إلى اتفاق توفير الخدمات اللغوية مع مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا في كاليفورنياRead the Press Release
أعلنت وزارة العدل اليوم أنها توصلت إلى اتفاق مع مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا في كاليفورنيا نتيجة للتحقيق حول ما إذا كان مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا ملتزمًا بعدم التمييز بموجب الباب السادس من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964 (الباب السادس).
بموجب شروط الاتفاق، وافق مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا على اتخاذ عدد من الخطوات لتحسين الخدمات اللغوية المتاحة للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية (LEP) في ولايته القضائية، حيث يحظر الباب السادس على الجهات التي تتلقى مساعدة مالية فيدرالية التمييز على أساس العرق أو اللون أو الأصل القومي، وقد تشكل المعاملة التفضيلية القائمة على اللغة المستخدمة - بما في ذلك استبعاد الأشخاص ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية من مزايا البرامج والخدمات أو حرمانهم منها - تمييزًا على أساس الأصل القومي مما يشكل انتهاكًا للباب السادس.
صرحت مساعدة المدعي العام كريستين كلارك في قسم الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل: "إن قسم الحقوق المدنية بوزارة العدل ملتزم بضمان تمكن وكالات إنفاذ القانون في بلادنا من خدمة وحماية الجميع في مجتمعاتهم، بغض النظر عما إذا كانت كفاءتهم محدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية، ومن خلال هذه الاتفاقية، يظهر مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا التزامه واتخاذه خطوات هامة نحو تحسين الخدمات المقدمة للمجتمعات التي يخدمها".
بدأ تحقيق الوزارة بشأن مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا بعد تلقي معلومات تثير القلق إزاء احتمال عدم تلقي الأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية خدمات لغوية كافية أثناء لقاءاتهم بموظفي مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا.
من خلال هذا الاتفاق، سيضع مكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا توجيهًا رسميًا لتوفير الخدمات اللغوية على مستوى المكتب، ويعين أحد أفراد موظفيه كمنسق للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية (LEP) لمكتب قائد شرطة مقاطعة ألاميدا ويوفر تدريبات للموظفين على المساعدة اللغوية، ويحسن ضوابط الجودة للمطالبة بخدمات المساعدة اللغوية الدقيقة ذات جودة تم تقييمها ويخضع لفترة مراقبة إدارية.
يعد هذا الاتفاق جزءًا من مبادرة إتاحة الخدمات اللغوية لجهات إنفاذ القانون (LELAI) التابعة للوزارة، وهي جهد وطني لمساعدة وكالات إنفاذ القانون في التغلب على الحواجز اللغوية لخدمة المجتمعات وحمايتها بشكل أفضل والحفاظ على سلامة الضباط. بقيادة قسم الحقوق المدنية، توفر المبادرة الموارد التقنية المساعدة والأدوات التي يمكن أن تساعد وكالات إنفاذ القانون على مستوى الولاية والمستوى المحلي في توفير الخدمات اللغوية للأفراد ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية؛ وتعمل بشكل إيجابي على إشراك وكالات إنفاذ القانون التي تريد مراجعة وتحديث و/أو تعزيز سياسات وخطط وتدريبات توفير الخدمات اللغوية؛ وتعزز العلاقة بين وكالات إنفاذ القانون والجهات المعنية في المجتمع والمجموعات ذوي الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية.
تتوفر معلومات إضافية حول قسم الحقوق المدنية على www.justice.gov/crt ومعلومات حول الكفاءة المحدودة في اللغة الإنجليزية والباب السادس متوفرة على www.lep.gov. تتوفر مزيد من المعلومات حول LELAI على www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. يمكن للأفراد من العامة الإبلاغ عن انتهاكات الحقوق المدنية المحتملة من خلال civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentencing of Final Defendant in 2018 Espanola Kidnapping and Murder CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Espanola man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison his part in the kidnapping, torture and murder a woman over an alleged $400 debit card theft.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Jane Doe used Crystal Ramos's debit card to withdraw $400 without permission. Ramos, who is now deceased, enlisted Jorge Dominguez, Luis Mariscal-Lopez and another individual to assist in a plot against the victim.
On January 14, 2018, the conspirators lured Jane Doe to a house in Espanola under the pretense of socializing and using drugs. Upon arrival, the victim was violently assaulted and tortured her using various objects, including firearms and power tools until Jane Doe succumbed to her injuries.
Following the murder, the conspirators attempted to conceal their crimes with the help of Johnny Black by cleaning the crime scene, transporting the body to a remote location, burning the remains and evidence in fire pits, and eventually buried the victim’s remains in a shallow grave.
The victim's remains were eventually located. Forensic evidence collected at the burn site implicated the defendants in attempts to destroy evidence.
Johnny Black pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses and being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison.
Mariscal-Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Crystal Ramos died in a shootout with police in Colorado on June 14, 2018.
Upon his release from prison, Dominguez will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Espanola Police Department, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Bureaus of Indian Affairs, and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas J. Marshall and Caitlin L. Dillon are prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing of Albuquerque Man for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 60 months in prison following an investigation that revealed he was sharing child pornography on a Peer-to-Peer network.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, in 2017, the New Mexico Department of Justice initiated an investigation into an IP address registered to the residence of William Day, 59, which was suspected of sharing child pornography on a Peer-to-Peer network. Subsequently, it was confirmed that a device at Day's residence was used to share images of child pornography on March 31, 2017.
On May 31, 2017, officers from the Albuquerque Police Department executed a search warrant at Day’s residence. During the execution of the warrant, Day was interviewed and admitted to downloading files containing images of nude underage girls on the same day.
Officers seized several devices, including a Lenovo laptop and an HP laptop, both of which were found to contain images and videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including prepubescent minors. In a plea agreement, Day admitted to possessing these devices.
Upon his release from prison, Day will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Elena Stiteler and Jesse Pecoraro are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women Announces $86.16M in Grants to Support American Indian and Native Alaskan Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Stalking, and Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced yesterday more than $86.16 million in grants administered by the Tribal Affairs Division within the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to American Indian and Alaska Native communities to support survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.
The grants provided through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will fund services for victims of these crimes while providing support for Tribal governments, including law enforcement, prosecutors, and Tribal courts, to enhance safety and support Tribal sovereignty. The Tribal Affairs Division within OVW is responsible for the administration of Tribal specific grant programs and initiatives, management of Tribal specific training and technical assistance, and coordination with other federal departments and Justice Department offices on Tribal issues. Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall of OVW made the announcement at the annual Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Institute, a convening of Tribal officials, victim advocates, and other Tribal leaders, as well as OVW-funded training and technical assistance advisors, who work to support Tribes in developing and improving programs to support survivors of sexual assault.
“Tribal communities, and particularly American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls, have experienced disproportionately high levels of violence for too long,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This $86 million dollar investment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to working in partnership with Tribal nations to address and prevent gender-based violence and provide safety and justice for survivors.”
Included in these awards is more than $7.58 million that OVW is awarding under its new Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Program. The program is for Tribal governments that have not previously or recently participated in OVW’s Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program and focuses on capacity building early in the project period. Awardees will receive additional training, technical assistance, and support to implement their programs. Additionally, OVW awarded $45.17 million under the established Tribal Governments Program to support Tribal governments in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sex trafficking, and stalking in Tribal communities.
OVW also launched a new grant program this year through its Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative, which was created in response to recommendations made by the Not Invisible Act Commission. OVW awarded $2 million under this initiative to support the creation, training, and sustainability of Healing and Response Teams using a Tribal-based model of care to respond to Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) cases related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking.
OVW is awarding grants totaling more than $3.57 million to Tribes under its Special Tribal Criminal Grant (STCJ) Program and $1.5 million under its Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative. The programs support Tribes that are preparing to exercise or are already exercising STCJ to ensure that victims find safety and justice and that non-Indians who commit covered crimes within their communities, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking, are held accountable.
OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.75 million under its Violence Against Women Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative to support the collaboration between Tribes and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in their investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, sex trafficking, and stalking cases in Indian country.
OVW is also awarding grants totaling more than $11.11 million under its Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program to support Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Tribal nonprofit organizations in operating sexual assault services programs in Indian country and Alaska Native villages. Additionally, OVW awarded funding totaling more than $8.28 million under its Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program to support the development and operation of nonprofit, nongovernmental Tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions.
“We are committed to addressing the disproportionately high rates of violent crime faced by American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls and ensuring everyone can access both safety and justice,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This funding supports Tribal governments and Tribal organizations’ efforts to provide legal services, housing assistance, medical care, and counseling to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence.”
OVW is also awarding grants totaling $3.2 million for Tribal training and technical assistance (TA) programs. The TA programs support grantees through in-person and online educational opportunities, peer-to-peer networks, on-site technical assistance, and tailored support to help grantees further develop expertise and targeted strategies to implement their programs successfully.
“The strength of VAWA is enhancing a coordinated community response,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “These grant programs provide critical support for Tribes to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and providing pathways for them to access justice, safety, and healing.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW has awarded more than $11 billion in funding to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW supports policy development and undertakes special initiatives in response to community-identified needs. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
View the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program Award.
View the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Initiative Awards.
View the Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Invitation to Apply Awards.
View the Indian Tribal Governments: Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) Awards.
View the Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative Awards.
View the Indian Tribal Governments Program Awards.
View the Tribal Sexual Assault Services Program Awards.
Justice Department Secures Language Access Agreement with Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in CaliforniaRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a resolution agreement with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in California resolving an inquiry into whether ACSO is in compliance with its nondiscrimination obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI).
Under the terms of the agreement, ACSO has agreed to take a number of steps to improve language access for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in its jurisdiction. Title VI prohibits entities that receive federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin. Differential treatment based on language spoken, including exclusion from or denial of the benefits of programs and services to people with LEP, may constitute national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI.
“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that our nation’s law enforcement agencies can serve and protect everyone in their communities, regardless of whether they may have limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office has demonstrated its commitment to and has taken major steps toward improving services to the communities it serves.”
The department’s inquiry into ACSO began after receiving information raising concerns that individuals with LEP may not receive adequate language services during encounters with ACSO personnel.
Through this agreement, ACSO will establish a formal, office-wide language access directive, designate a member of its personnel as the LEP Coordinator for ACSO, provide staff trainings on language assistance, improve quality controls to require accurate and quality-assessed language assistance services and undergo a period of departmental monitoring.
This agreement is part of the department’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), a nationwide effort to assist law enforcement agencies in overcoming language barriers to better serve and protect communities and keep officers safe. Led by the Civil Rights Division, the initiative provides technical assistance resources and tools that can help state and local law enforcement provide meaningful language access to individuals with LEP; affirmatively engages law enforcement agencies that want to review, update and/or strengthen their language access polices, plans and training; and strengthens the connection between law enforcement agencies, community stakeholders and populations with LEP.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. More information on LELAI is available at www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
Justice Department Awards Nearly $30M to Combat the Rise of Hate and Bias CrimesRead the Press Release
Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer announced today nearly $30 million in grant funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will be awarded to law enforcement agencies, states, community-based organizations, national civil rights organizations, and other stakeholders to fight the rise in hate and bias crimes and incidents. These awards will help communities improve the investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes, solve hate crime cold cases, serve victims of these offenses, and support related research.
“These grants are vital in helping to ensure law enforcement and community members get the support they need as they continue to strive to keep all communities safe,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Everyone in this country deserves not only to feel safe but to be safe in their communities, and we’re excited about the new grant funding investments made.”
The funding was announced at the inaugural hate crimes grantee conference organized by OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The grants are part of the Justice Department’s wide-ranging efforts to improve community safety, serve victims of crime, support America’s youth, advance science, and promote equal justice. OJP is the largest grantmaking component of the Department and houses its criminal and juvenile justice-related science and statistical units.
“Freedom from intolerance and from the fear of violence is foundational to community safety and fundamental to the concept of equal justice,” said OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen. “I’m very pleased that OJP is making these important resources available to our community partners and proud of the work we’re engaged in, together, to end hate and bias crimes and incidents in our country.”
The funding announced today includes:
- $12 million in grants under BJA’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program to help local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices investigate and prosecute hate and bias crimes, as well as collaborate with community partners on outreach and education to targeted communities.
- More than $7.6 million in awards from BJA to 11 different community-based organizations and civil rights organizations for projects around the country dedicated to developing and implementing comprehensive hate crimes prevention and response strategies.
- $1 million for the Orleans Parish, Louisiana, District Attorney’s Office under BJA’s Emmett Till Cold Case Investigation and Prosecution Program to provide resources in cold case homicide cases involving civil rights violations that occurred before 1980.
- $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center.
- $1.125 million for the Washington State Attorney General’s Office through the Office for Victims of Crime’s Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act State-Run Hate Crime Reporting Hotlines program.
- $2.5 million through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act funding for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ research and analysis project on National Incident-Based Reporting System data and hate crime reporting patterns.
- $2.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Justice for three research projects on responding to hate crimes with specialized law enforcement units, including LGTBQI+ liaison units to respond to hate crimes against transgender individuals, and addressing the needs of survivors of hate crimes and their communities.
In addition to these new grant awards, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer announced OJP’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum to provide resources to address hate crimes, bias incidents and identity-based bullying among youth. The curriculum is designed for middle and high school-aged youth and the teachers, counselors and others who work with them. He also announced the Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office) is launching a new training on investigating hate crimes, which builds on the training the COPS Office released in 2022 on recognizing and reporting hate crimes.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alameda, en California, sobre el acceso lingüísticoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo de resolución con la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alameda (ACSO, por sus siglas en inglés) en California para resolver una investigación sobre si la ACSO está cumpliendo con sus obligaciones antidiscriminatorias en virtud del Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI).
Según los términos del acuerdo, KCSO ha acordado tomar una serie de medidas para mejorar el acceso lingüístico para las personas con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP) en su jurisdicción. El Título VI prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y origen nacional por parte de entidades que reciben apoyo financiero federal. El tratamiento diferencial basado en el idioma que uno habla, incluida la exclusión o denegación a personas LEP de los beneficios de programas y servicios, puede constituir discriminación por motivos de origen nacional, lo que contraviene el Título VI.
«La División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia se compromete a garantizar que las agencias de aplicación de la ley de nuestra nación puedan servir y proteger a todos en sus comunidades, independientemente de su dominio del inglés», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «A través de este acuerdo, la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Alameda ha demostrado su compromiso con las comunidades a las que presta servicios y ha dado pasos importantes para mejorar dichos servicios».
La indagación del departamento en cuanto a la ACSO comenzó después de recibir información que planteaba inquietudes sobre la posibilidad de que las personas LEP no están recibiendo servicios lingüísticos adecuados durante encuentros con el personal de la ACSO.
A través de este acuerdo, la ACSO establecerá una directiva formal de acceso lingüístico en toda la oficina, designará a un miembro de su personal como coordinador LEP para la ACSO, proporcionará formación al personal sobre el apoyo lingüístico, mejorará los controles de calidad para requerir servicios de apoyo lingüístico precisos y evaluados por la calidad y someterse a un periodo de supervisión departamental.
Este acuerdo forma parte de la Iniciativa de Acceso Lingüístico en las Fuerzas del Orden Público (LELAI), un esfuerzo nacional para ayudar a las agencias de aplicación de la ley a superar las barreras lingüísticas para servir y proteger mejor a las comunidades y mantener a los oficiales seguros. Dirigida por la División de Derechos Civiles en asociación con las Fiscalías Federales, la iniciativa proporciona herramientas y recursos de asistencia técnica que pueden ayudar a las fuerzas del orden público estatales y locales a proporcionar un acceso lingüístico significativo a las personas LEP, trabaja afirmativamente con las agencias de aplicación de la ley que desean revisar, actualizar o fortalecer sus políticas, planes y capacitación de acceso lingüístico y fortalece la conexión entre las agencias de aplicación de la ley y las partes interesadas de la comunidad LEP y las poblaciones LEP.
Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en www.justice.gov/crt e información sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI está disponible en www.lep.gov. Encontrará más información sobre LELAI en www.lep.gov/law-enforcement. Los miembros del público pueden denunciar posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
DC Accountant Charged with Mortgage Fraud and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., returned an indictment yesterday, which was unsealed today, charging a CPA with not filing income tax returns, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Timothy Trifilo, of Washington, D.C., was a partner or managing director at several large accounting and finance firms and worked in tax compliance. Nevertheless, Trifilo allegedly did not file federal income tax returns for himself for nearly a decade despite earning more than $7.7 million during that time.
In February 2023, Trifilo allegedly sought to obtain a $1.36 million bank-financed loan to purchase a home in D.C. and was working with a mortgage company to do so. After the mortgage company allegedly told Trifilo that the bank would not approve the loan without copies of Trifilo’s filed tax returns, Trifilo allegedly provided the mortgage company with fabricated documents to make it appear as if he had filed tax returns and provided copies of tax returns for 2020 and 2021 that Trifilo never filed with the IRS. On these returns and other documents that he submitted to the mortgage company, Trifilo allegedly listed a former colleague as the individual who prepared the returns and uploaded them for filing with the IRS. This individual allegedly did not prepare the returns, has never prepared tax returns for Trifilo and did not authorize Trifilo to use his name on the returns and other documents that Trifilo submitted to the mortgage company. Based on Trifilo’s false representation, the bank allegedly approved the loan and Trifilo purchased the home.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison on the identity theft charge, a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on the bank fraud charge, and a maximum sentence of one year in prison on each count of failure to file tax returns. Trifilo also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Alexandra K. Fleszar of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.