District Not Recorded
The source did not name an office we could identify. These records remain unassigned rather than guessed.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with National Home Healthcare Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with Maxim Healthcare Services (Maxim), a home healthcare company based in Columbia, Maryland, with operations in 35 states. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Maxim violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) at its Gardena, California, office by discriminating against a non-U.S. citizen worker when it rejected her valid document showing her permission to work and requiring lawful permanent residents working for the company to prove their continued permission to work even though it was unnecessary.
“Employers cannot treat employees differently based on their citizenship status when verifying their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to ensuring that employers do not deny workers equal treatment in the workplace, whether in hiring, checking employees’ permission to work or otherwise.”
After opening an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Maxim improperly rejected the worker’s valid document based on her citizenship status. Specifically, the department determined that the company rejected the worker’s employment authorization document (EAD) because the last name on it was different from the last name on her driver’s license and Social Security card, even though the company accepted documents from U.S. citizens under similar circumstances and believed that the EAD reasonably appeared to be genuine and to relate to the worker, which is all that the Department of Homeland Security rules require.
The investigation also determined that Maxim routinely required lawful permanent residents to present unnecessary documentation when their Permanent Resident Cards expired, which is not required by law. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from rejecting valid documents or asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship or immigration status. If a lawful permanent resident provides an unexpired Permanent Resident Card to prove their permission to work, employers are not permitted to request new documentation if the Permanent Resident Card later expires.
Under the terms of the settlement, Maxim will pay a civil penalty to the United States and lost wages to the affected worker, train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies and processes and be subject to monitoring by the department.
IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information about how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website. More information on how employers may handle discrepancies in the names that appear on employees’ Form I-9 documents is available as well. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar; watch an on-demand presentation or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía nacional de atención médica domiciliaria que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigraciónRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia ha anunciado hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Maxim Healthcare Services (Maxim), una empresa de atención médica domiciliaria con sede en Columbia, Maryland, con operaciones en 35 estados. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Maxim infringió la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) en su oficina de Gardena, California al discriminar a una trabajadora no ciudadana de los EE. UU. cuando rechazó su documento válido que mostraba su permiso para trabajar y exigir que los residentes legales permanentes que trabajan para la empresa demostraran su permiso continuo para trabajar, aunque fuera innecesario.
«Los empleadores no pueden tratar a los empleados de una forma diferente en función de su estatus de ciudadanía a la hora de verificar su permiso para trabajar», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento se compromete a garantizar que los empleadores no nieguen a los trabajadores el trato igualitario en el lugar de trabajo, ya sea en la contratación, la comprobación del permiso de trabajo de los empleados o de otro modo».
Después de iniciar una investigación basada en la queja de una trabajadora, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés,) de la División de Derechos Civiles, concluyó que Maxim rechazó indebidamente el documento válido de la trabajadora en función de su estatus de ciudadanía. En concreto, el Departamento determinó que la compañía rechazó el Documento de Autorización para Trabajar (EAD, por sus siglas en inglés) de la trabajadora porque el apellido que figuraba en él era diferente del apellido que figura en su licencia de conducir y tarjeta de Seguro Social, a pesar de que la compañía aceptó documentos de ciudadanos de los EE. UU. en circunstancias similares y creían que el EAD parecía razonablemente ser genuino y estar relacionado con el trabajador, que es todo lo que las Normas del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional requieren.
La investigación también determinó que Maxim exigía, de forma rutinaria, que los residentes permanentes legales presentaran documentación innecesaria cuando sus tarjetas de residencia permanente vencieran, lo cual no es requerido por ley. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores rechacen documentos válidos o que pidan documentos innecesarios por motivos del estatus migratorio o ciudadanía de un trabajador. Si un residente permanente legal proporciona una tarjeta de residencia permanente en vigor para demostrar su permiso para trabajar, a los empleadores no se les permite solicitar documentación nueva si posteriormente, la tarjeta de residencia permanente se vence.
Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Maxim pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos y el salario perdido al trabajador afectado, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a la supervisión por parte del Departamento.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminar al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de la IER. Más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden manejar las discrepancias en los nombres que aparecen en los documentos del Formulario I-9 de los empleados está disponible también. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; visualizar una presentación a la carta o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.
Lincoln Man Sentenced in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Spenser Ware, 35, formerly of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 14, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Ware to 42 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ware’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In October of 2023, investigators received information that Ware was building firearms and selling them to individuals who could not legally purchase them. Ware owned his own security company at the time. Investigators executed a search warrant at Ware’s residence where they found five firearms, several of which were non-serialized “ghost guns” with short barrels. Investigators also found 12 receivers, high-capacity magazines, body armor, more than 1800 rounds of ammunition in different calibers, holsters, firearm assembly equipment, and magazines. Ware admitted that he ordered the gun parts and assembled the firearms himself. Investigators searched his phone and found multiple images of firearms dating back to 2021. An agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives examined the firearms and ammunition and found that they were manufactured outside the State of Nebraska.
Ware has felony convictions out of Florida preventing him from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Interpol Washington Project Terminus Boosts Border Security Capabilities in ColombiaRead the Press Release
Through INTERPOL Washington’s Project TERMINUS and U.S. Department of State Counter Terrorism funding, a team from INTERPOL Washington’s Border Security Division traveled to Bogotá, Colombia to further ongoing support efforts under Project TERMINUS. In addition to discussing available Project TERMINUS solutions to enhance screening of travelers against INTERPOL databases and enhance critical day-to-day operations of National Central Bureau Bogotá, the team delivered computer equipment and two custom software solutions developed by INTERPOL Washington, the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) Workbench and the Stolen Motor Vehicles (SMV) workbench. The two solutions empower INTERPOL member countries to quickly and easily share, manage, and extend vital information pertaining to SLTD and SMV in the INTERPOL databases.
“Colombia has achieved a significant milestone, becoming the first INTERPOL partner nation to implement the SLTD Workbench and SMV Workbench solutions,” announced INTERPOL Washington Border Security Division Deputy Assistant Director Keith Hood, emphasizing the country's pioneering role in enhancing global security. “This is thanks to NCB’s Bogota’s willingness to lean forward in the fight to make our international borders more secure.”
A team from INTERPOL Washington meets with Colombian police and security officials in Bogota during the Project TERMINUS support efforts.
Project TERMINUS seeks to establish or enhance INTERPOL screening and record submission by INTERPOL member countries through computer hardware and custom software solutions that ease service adoption and enhance the data's usability and effectiveness.
Beyond its primary capacity-building objective, Project TERMINUS assists the broader U.S. government law enforcement mission by connecting U.S. government law enforcement agencies to partner nation entities, benefiting the partner nation and the global law enforcement effort. In Bogota, Project TERMINUS introduced the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Attaché to NCB Bogotá, including him in meetings with NCB Bogotá and Columbia Immigration. The CBP Attaché participated in detailed discussions with NCB Bogota regarding Colombia’s current capabilities, some of its challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
Sports Equipment Sales Professional Pleads Guilty to Long-Running Bid Rigging Schemes and Conspiracy to Defraud Public SchoolsRead the Press Release
A former sales employee of a manufacturer and distributor of football helmets and other sports equipment pleaded guilty today for his role in three separate conspiracies — two conspiracies to rig bids in violation of the Sherman Act and one conspiracy to commit wire fraud — all related to sports equipment for schools located in Mississippi and elsewhere. At least 100 schools throughout Mississippi and elsewhere were victims of these conspiracies.
According to court documents, Charles Ferrell Trimm conspired with two unnamed sports equipment distributors and numerous individuals to rig bids from August 2020 through November 2022 and from May 2021 to February 2023, respectively. Trimm and his co-conspirators agreed to submit complementary bids to schools located in Mississippi and elsewhere in order to obtain procurements for school sports equipment and related services. Trimm also conspired with unnamed co-conspirators to commit wire fraud by submitting false bids to schools located in Mississippi and elsewhere from May 2016 to July 2023. As a part of this scheme, Trimm and others used an unidentified individual’s identity without authorization, including by forging the individual’s signature.
“The charged criminal schemes harmed public schools by subverting their procurement processes and providing the false appearance of competition for precious taxpayer dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its partners will continue to protect taxpayers and students across the country by stopping bid rigging and fraud that targets government procurements wherever we find it, including at the state and local levels.”
“The conspirators took advantage of schools in Mississippi by rigging bids to affect the prices schools paid for sports equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting these types of anti-competitive practices and ensuring that schools and other buyers can obtain goods and services from a fair and open marketplace.”
“Charles Trimm and his co-conspirators’ actions fraudulently deprived public schools of valuable resources to support students,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to hold individuals like Trimm accountable for their actions.”
Trimm faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for the Sherman Act violation. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime. Trimm faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a criminal fine and court-ordered restitution for the fraud charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and the FBI investigated this case as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the school sports equipment industry.
Trial Attorneys Jill Rogowski, Laura Butte, Marc Hedrich and Evan Binder of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division prosecuted the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Disabling Emissions Controls on Diesel TrucksRead the Press Release
A Hamilton County, Ohio, man was sentenced to prison today for violating the Clean Air Act through an aftermarket scheme to disable the emissions control systems of diesel trucks.
Davis Owens, 34, of Cleves, was sentenced to serve 30 days in prison, seven months of home confinement and one year of supervised release. He had previously pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the tampering of a monitoring device required under the Clean Air Act.
According to court documents, Owens was the co-owner of Holderdown Performance and owner of Cincy Diesel Performance. In 2020, Owens entered a Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding allegations that he and Holderdown had knowingly worked to bypass or “defeat” components that controlled emissions on heavy duty diesel truck engines. Research has shown that bypassing a vehicle’s emissions components can increase particulate matter 40 times, nitrogen oxides 310 times, carbon monoxide 120 times and non-methane hydrocarbons 1,100 times.
Owens paid a $7,500 civil penalty as part of the CAFO and agreed that neither he nor Cincy Diesel Performance would manufacture, sell or install defeat devices. Investigation revealed that Owens and Cincy Diesel Performance continued to sell and install defeat devices as well as emissions deleting computer software until February 2022.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Creating and Distributing Videos Depicting Monkey Torture and MutilationRead the Press Release
A plea agreement was unsealed today in which an Ohio man pleaded guilty to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute so-called “animal crush” videos. According to court documents, Bedra conspired with others to create and distribute the videos which depicted acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys, including having digits and limbs severed and being forcibly sodomized with a heated screwdriver.
The conspirators used encrypted chat apps to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. Bedra also mailed a thumb drive containing 64 videos of monkey torture to a co-conspirator in Wisconsin.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Moves to Intervene as Plaintiff-Intervenor in Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Lawsuit Against Tulsa Alleging the City Has Unlawfully Asserted Criminal Jurisdiction Against Tribal MembersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, on behalf of the Department of the Interior, filed a motion to intervene today in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s lawsuit against the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and its mayor, chief of police and city attorney in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. The Justice Department also filed a proposed complaint against Tulsa, alleging that it has unlawfully asserted criminal jurisdiction against tribal members within the Muscogee (Creek) Reservation.
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation filed its complaint against Tulsa on Nov. 11, 2023, after Tulsa continued to prosecute tribal members within the reservation for alleged violations of Tulsa’s traffic ordinances. The city has used those court prosecutions to argue it has criminal jurisdiction over Indians in Indian country.
The Justice Department’s motion to intervene and proposed complaint argue that Tulsa’s assertion of jurisdiction violates fundamental principles of federal Indian law that are rooted in the Constitution and were reaffirmed in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma. The filings say that these principles bar states and their political subdivisions from exercising criminal jurisdiction over Indians in Indian country unless Congress expressly authorizes it, which it has not done in this instance, leaving the United States and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation with exclusive criminal jurisdiction over Indians in Indian country.
The motion to intervene and proposed complaint outline the United States’ governmental interest, in this and similar cases, in supporting the inherent sovereign power of all federally recognized tribes to exercise criminal jurisdiction over Indians for conduct occurring on their reservations, and in defending Congress’ plenary and exclusive authority over Indian affairs. The filings also cite the 1832 Treaty with the Creeks that no “State or Territory [shall] ever have a right to pass laws for the government of such Indians, but they shall be allowed to govern themselves.”
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division made the announcement.
The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Indian Resources Section is handling the case.
U.S. Law Enforcement Takes Action Against More Than 3,000 Money Mules in Initiative to Disrupt Transnational Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and other federal law enforcement agencies announced today the completion of the Money Mule Initiative, an annual campaign to identify, disrupt, and criminally prosecute networks of individuals who transmit funds from fraud victims to international fraudsters. Fraudsters rely on money mules to facilitate a range of fraud schemes, including those that predominantly impact older Americans, such as lottery fraud, romance scams and grandparent scams as well as those that target businesses or government pandemic funds.
As part of this year’s initiative, law enforcement took action to stop over 3,000 money mules responsible for facilitating a range of fraud schemes. These thousands of actions ranged from criminal prosecutions designed to punish those intentionally assisting fraudsters to warning letters intended to advise those who may have been unknowingly recruited by fraudsters. Agencies are also conducting outreach to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money.
“The Justice Department is committed to using every tool at our disposal to protect Americans from fraud,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “By working with our federal partners to disrupt money mule networks, educate consumers about scams, and prosecute criminals, we can keep money out of the hands of international fraudsters and in the pockets of hard-working Americans.”
“The FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue individuals looking to illegally move funds for illicit purposes,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Our work of protecting the American people includes prosecuting individuals and networks who knowingly facilitate fraud schemes, while educating consumers and unwitting participants on the dangers of illicit money mule networks.”
“The dismantling of these criminal networks should send a strong message that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our partners, is committed to taking down these criminal networks designed to inflict financial harm, oftentimes to our most vulnerable population, older Americans,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of USPIS. “The Inspection Service will continue to participate in public education efforts, while remaining committed to enforcing the laws that bring money mules and their international puppeteers to justice.”
This year’s effort was coordinated by the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, FBI, and USPIS. Other participating agencies were the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Participating agencies served approximately 2,970 letters warning individuals that their actions were facilitating fraud schemes. Many money mules begin as victims of romance or lottery scams and are unknowingly lured by fraudsters into transmitting fraud proceeds based on lies. Other money mules are recruited into what they initially believe to be legitimate work-at-home jobs. In order to educate and deter these types of unknowing money mules, the letters served by law enforcement warned individuals that their activities are facilitating fraud and outlined the potential consequences of continuing to transmit illegally acquired funds.
Additionally, more than 20 individuals were criminally charged for knowingly receiving and forwarding victim funds or otherwise laundering fraud proceeds. These cases included:
- The Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey charged five defendants for allegedly acting as couriers who went to the homes of elderly victims of a grandparent scam to pick up cash, often using false names and providing victims with fake receipts. The couriers then brought the cash to other members of the conspiracy, who sent the victims’ money to the Dominican Republic.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina charged two men for allegedly laundering over $4.5 million in proceeds of business email compromise schemes and online romance scams targeting elderly victims. The defendants opened bank accounts to receive wires and other transfers of funds from fraud victims. The defendants then withdrew and transferred the fraud proceeds, including transfers into overseas accounts, and kept a portion of the proceeds for themselves.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri charged three men for their roles in allegedly collecting and transmitting funds from victims of a nationwide tech support fraud scam targeting the elderly. According to charges, one of the defendants recruited college students to act as couriers to collect payments from victims around the country and to fraudulently open bank accounts into which the proceeds of the scam would be deposited. The other two defendants allegedly provided the couriers with assignments, instructions, and payment. The defendants deposited about $7 million in cashier’s checks into one bank account between March 2020 and July 2023.
As in past years, participating agencies are also working to raise public awareness about how fraudsters recruit and use individuals to assist their fraud operations. IRS-CI implemented a public awareness campaign to warn taxpayers about the ways in which fraudsters recruit money mules. Additionally, the Justice Department and USPIS partnered with the American Banking Association Foundation to present a webinar to banks regarding money mules and the role banks can play in identifying and stopping them.
The agencies involved in this effort urge consumers to be on the lookout for signs someone is trying to recruit them to receive and transmit fraud proceeds. Do not agree to receive money or checks mailed to you or sent to your bank account for someone you have met over the phone or online. Do not open a bank or cryptocurrency account at someone else’s direction. Fraudsters will lie to persuade you to help them. They may falsely tell you that they are helping you get a lottery prize, initiate a purported romantic relationship and then tell you that they need money, or pretend to offer you a job, an opportunity to invest in a business venture, or the chance to help in a charitable effort.
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: 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. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ReportFraud.Ftc.gov to receive consumer complaints.
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. The Justice Department provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at www.ovc.gov.
Mexico Extradites Cartel’s Precursor Chemical Broker to United States to Face Trial for Controlled Substances Manufacturing and Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Mexican national who allegedly supplied the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel) with precursor chemicals used to manufacture controlled substances was extradited today from Mexico to Washington, D.C., to face trial.
Francisco Pulido Coracero, 66, will make his initial court appearance on May 13 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya in the District of Columbia.
In March 2021, a grand jury in Washington, D.C., charged Pulido Coracero and his co-conspirator, Carlos Algredo Vazquez, 58, with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for importation into the United States, and conspiracy to distribute listed chemicals—including methylamine, nitroethane, phenylacetic acid, toluene, and acetone—to be used to manufacture methamphetamine for importation into the United States. The indictment was unsealed in February 2023.
In July 2023, Carlos Algredo Vazquez’s brother, Javier Algredo Vazquez, 56, was convicted at trial for his role in the same drug conspiracy and sentenced on Feb. 23 to 18 years and eight months in prison.
“Precursor chemicals are the lifeblood of the Jalisco Cartel’s deadly drug trafficking operation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s extradition of one of the cartel’s alleged chemical suppliers, Francisco Pulido Coracero, demonstrates the long and relentless reach of the Justice Department. We are grateful to the government of Mexico for their partnership in this extradition. The Justice Department will stop at nothing to hold accountable those who devastate our communities with deadly drugs.”
“The defendant allegedly conspired to distribute methamphetamine and its precursor chemicals into the United States for at least 10 years,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His indictment and extradition demonstrate that the Criminal Division remains committed to disrupting and dismantling the supply chain that drug trafficking organizations use to manufacture deadly drugs and distribute them across the border. This effort reaffirms the importance of our enduring partnership with the Government of Mexico and we are thankful for the Mexican Attorney General’s Office’s help in facilitating the defendant’s extradition to the United States to face justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at Javier Algredo Vazquez’s trial, Pulido Coracero, Javier Algredo Vazquez, Carlos Algredo Vazquez, and other co-conspirators allegedly used seemingly legitimate companies in Mexico and the United States to acquire chemicals that are used to manufacture controlled substances from companies in China, India, and elsewhere. The chemicals were then distributed and used by the CJNG and other Mexican drug trafficking organizations to manufacture controlled substances, which were then imported into the United States.
“Pulido Coracero will now face justice for allegedly conspiring with the Jalisco Cartel, one of the two Mexican cartels responsible for the deadly methamphetamine in the United States,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “The Jalisco Cartel uses a variety of tactics to obtain precursor chemicals and conceal their crimes, including hiding behind the cover of legitimate businesses, which Pulido Coracero is alleged to have done. This investigation is another example of DEA’s commitment to save American lives by stopping the Jalisco and Sinaloa Cartels.”
Mexican authorities arrested both Pulido Coracero and Carlos Algredo Vazquez in October 2023. Carlos Algredo Vazquez’s extradition to the United States is still pending.
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Investigative Operations Division and Homeland Security Investigations Houston.
Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef and Jonathan Hornok, Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Nhan Nguyen, and Acting Deputy Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs contributed significantly to the investigation and in securing the arrest and extradition of Pulido Coracero. The Justice Department thanks Mexican authorities for their key role in securing the arrest and extradition of Pulido Coracero, including the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and INTERPOL Mexico for providing critical assistance in support of the prosecution.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Doctor Convicted of $6.3M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Michigan doctor today for causing the submission of over $6.3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces ordered through a telemarketing scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 55, of Bloomfield Hills, signed thousands of prescriptions for orthotic braces for over 2,500 Medicare patients during a six-month period. Toya was not the treating physician for any of these patients and, instead, was connected with some of the patients over the telephone through a telemarketing scheme and spoke to the patients briefly before signing orthotic brace prescriptions for them. For other patients, Toya signed prescriptions without having any contact with them. In one instance, Toya prescribed a lower back brace, right and left shoulder braces, a right wrist brace, right and left knee braces, and right and left ankle braces for a single Medicare patient. Toya also prescribed multiple braces for undercover agents posing as five different Medicare patients after speaking to each agent for less than a minute over the telephone. The evidence presented at trial showed that Toya could not possibly have diagnosed the patients or determined that the braces were medically necessary for them. Nonetheless, Toya signed medical records and prescriptions for braces that falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions.
The jury convicted Toya of one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 15 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for health care fraud and five years in prison on each of the false statements relating to health care matters counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case was charged as part of Operation Rubber Stamp, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation that targeted medical professionals who participated in fraudulent telemedicine schemes.
Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Christopher Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Lincoln Man Convicted for Possession of Ammunition by A FelonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Leonard G. Pfarr, 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 9, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession of ammunition by a felon. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Pfarr to 16 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Pfarr’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Pfarr was arrested by officers with the Lincoln Police Department on active state arrest warrants. A pat search was conducted incident to arrest, and an object identified as a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson round was found in Pfarr’s pocket. Pfarr has been convicted on three different occasions of crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. Markings on the recovered ammunition indicate it was manufactured outside of the United States and transported in interstate commerce to Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Climate Nonprofit to Resolve Claims of Employment DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with Second Nature, a non-profit organization based in Massachusetts. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Second Nature violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by posting discriminatory job advertisements that deterred non-U.S. citizens from applying for open positions.
“When employers advertise jobs only to U.S. citizens, they discourage and block other eligible workers like lawful permanent residents from applying, and deny them a fair chance to be considered,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will not tolerate national origin or citizenship status discrimination and is committed to knocking down these unlawful discriminatory barriers.”
After opening an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Second Nature posted a job advertisement inviting applications only from U.S. citizens. In doing so, the company deterred non-U.S. citizens with permission to work (such as people granted asylum or refugee status, and lawful permanent residents) from applying to the job advertisements and being fairly considered for the employment opportunities. The investigation further determined that the lawful permanent resident who filed the complaint was deterred from applying for the job because of the discriminatory language in the posting. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision generally prohibits employers from discriminating in recruiting or refusing to hire workers based on their citizenship status or national origin.
Under the settlement, Second Nature will pay a civil penalty to the United States and pay the affected worker lost wages. The agreement also requires the company to train those employees who recruit on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination in recruitment and hiring on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Find more information on how employers can avoid citizenship status discrimination on IER’s website. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a free webinar or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Iowa Regarding Unconstitutional State Immigration LawRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed suit against the State of Iowa to challenge Senate File 2340 (SF 2340) under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and Foreign Commerce Clause. The Constitution assigns the federal government to regulate immigration and manage our international borders. Pursuant to this authority, Congress has established a comprehensive immigration framework governing the entry of noncitizens into the U.S. and the removal of noncitizens from the country. Because SF 2340 is preempted by federal law and violates the United States Constitution, the Justice Department seeks a declaration that SF 2340 is invalid and an order preliminarily or permanently enjoining the state from enforcing the law.
“Iowa cannot disregard the U.S. Constitution and settled Supreme Court precedent,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “We have brought this action to ensure that Iowa adheres to the framework adopted by Congress and the Constitution for regulation of immigration.”
As outlined in the complaint, Iowa’s law would create a new state crime for unlawful reentry, with charges ranging from an aggravated misdemeanor to a felony. Additionally, SF 2340 would require state judges to order removal from the United States. The Supreme Court, in Arizona v. United States, has previously confirmed that decisions relating to removal of noncitizens from the United States touch “on foreign relations and must be made with one voice.” SF 2340 impedes the federal government’s ability to enforce entry and removal provisions of federal law and interferes with its conduct of foreign relations.
The suit was filed on behalf of the United States, including Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State.
ComplaintFormer Federal Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexual Acts with an InmateRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging a former correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tallahassee with sexual acts with an inmate in federal custody.
The indictment alleges that, between June 2023, and August 2023, Kerontrez Lamar Kenon, 22, of Midway, Florida, engaged in sexual acts with an inmate while employed as a correctional officer for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP).
“As alleged in the indictment, defendant Kenon exploited his authority as a correctional officer to sexually abuse an adult in custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As this charge reflects, the Justice Department will hold accountable officials who abuse their authority over those they are sworn to protect. ”
“The sexual abuse of inmates by federal correctional officers is intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “This office will vigorously investigate and prosecute any officer who engages in such acts of abuse to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today's indictment demonstrates the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General's ongoing commitment to aggressively investigate allegations of sexual abuse of inmates by Correctional Officers,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz of the Justice Department.
If convicted, Kenon faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Steer and James McCain for the Northern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
FBOP is committed to rooting out misconduct within its ranks and working with law enforcement partners to prosecute violations of federal law. The numerous FBOP employees working diligently to ensure justice for the victims of misconduct are critical to the Department's reform efforts.
El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una organización sin ánimo de lucro en el sector climático que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación en el empleoRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia ha anunciado hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Second Nature, una organización sin ánimo de lucro con sede en Massachusetts. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Second Nature infringió la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) al publicar anuncios de empleo discriminatorios que disuadieron a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. de solicitar puestos vacantes.
«Cuando los empleadores anuncian trabajos solo a solicitantes que son ciudadanos de los EE. UU., desalientan y previenen a otros trabajadores elegibles, tales como residentes permanentes legales, que presenten una solicitud y les niegan una oportunidad justa de ser considerados», comentó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles no tolerará la discriminación por motivos de nacionalidad de origen o estatus de ciudadanía y se compromete a derribar estas barreras discriminatorias ilegales».
Después de iniciar una investigación basada en la queja de un trabajador, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, concluyó que Second Nature publicó un anuncio de empleo que pedía solicitudes solamente de postulantes que son ciudadanos de los EE. UU. Al hacerlo, la empresa disuadió a los ciudadanos con permiso para trabajar (como personas con asilo o estatus de refugiado y residentes permanentes legales) de enviar una solicitud como respuesta al anuncio de empleo y de ser considerados de forma justa para las oportunidades de empleo. Más aún, la investigación determinó que al residente permanente legal que presentó la queja que llevó a la investigación del Departamento se le desalentó de solicitar el trabajo debido al lenguaje discriminatorio en la publicación. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA generalmente prohíbe que los empleadores discriminen a la hora de reclutar o negarse a contratar a trabajadores en función de su estatus de ciudadanía o nacionalidad de origen.
En virtud del acuerdo, Second Nature pagará sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos y pagará al trabajador afectado el salario perdido. El acuerdo también requiere que la compañía capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a los requisitos de supervisión y declaración departamentales.
La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.
Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en la contratación y el reclutamiento en el sitio web d e la IER. Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía en el sitio web de la IER. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a [email protected]; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.
Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter Announces Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and CollusionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced the formation of the Antitrust Division’s Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion (HCMC). The HCMC will guide the division’s enforcement strategy and policy approach in health care, including by facilitating policy advocacy, investigations and, where warranted, civil and criminal enforcement in health care markets.
“Every year, Americans spend trillions of dollars on health care, money that is increasingly being gobbled up by a small number of payers, providers and dominant intermediaries that have consolidated their way to power in communities across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Led by Katrina Rouse, the task force will identify and root out monopolies and collusive practices that increase costs, decrease quality and create single points of failure in the health care industry.”
The HCMC will consider widespread competition concerns shared by patients, health care professionals, businesses and entrepreneurs, including issues regarding payer-provider consolidation, serial acquisitions, labor and quality of care, medical billing, health care IT services, access to and misuse of health care data and more. The HCMC will bring together civil and criminal prosecutors, economists, health care industry experts, technologists, data scientists, investigators and policy advisors from across the division’s Civil, Criminal, Litigation and Policy Programs, and the Expert Analysis Group, to identify and address pressing antitrust problems in health care markets.
The HCMC will be directed by Katrina Rouse, a long-serving antitrust prosecutor who joined the Antitrust Division in 2011. She previously served as Chief of the division’s Defense, Industrials and Aerospace Section, Assistant Chief of the Division’s San Francisco Office, a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and a Trial Attorney in the division’s Healthcare and Consumer Products Section. She holds degrees from Columbia University and Stanford Law School, and clerked for federal judges on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Rouse will serve concurrently as the division’s Deputy Director of Civil Enforcement and Special Counsel for Health Care.
The Antitrust Division welcomes input and information from the public, including from practitioners, patients, researchers, business owners and others who have direct insight into competition concerns in the health care industry. Members of the public can share their experiences with the Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion by visiting HealthyCompetition.gov. Where appropriate, the division will refer matters to other federal and state law enforcers.
Former Navy Sailor Sentenced to 10 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Michael Yan Tajan, age 33, from San Jose, California, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for the crime of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. Tajan was ordered to register with the Sex Offender Registry anywhere he resides, is employed, or is in school.
On April 3, 2019, Michael Yan Tajan, then a Navy Gunner Mate 3rd Class Petty Officer, was convicted of Uniformed Code of Military Justice Article 120c offenses - Indecent Recording, in violation of 10 U.S.C. § 920(c), involving adult victims. At a Special Court Martial in Guam, Tajan pled guilty to disobeying a superior commissioned officer, indecent recording, and indecent viewing. A military judge sentenced Tajan to a reduction in rank, confinement for 90 days, and discharge from the U.S. Navy.
From June 2019 to October 2023, law enforcement confirmed that Tajan resided in Guam after his release, traveled off island, and returned to Guam. Tajan never registered with the Guam Sex Offender Registry, nor did he provide the registry with his intent to engage in international travel.
“The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) facilitates the monitoring and tracking of sex offenders following criminal conviction,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “It applies throughout all states, territories, and the District of Columbia. The Department of Justice aggressively enforces SORNA violations in an effort to keep our communities safe. Registration information can be found at nsopw.gov.”
“Mr. Tajan failed to register as a sex offender as required by law after he was convicted of multiple sex-related offenses, thereby posing a threat to those with whom he comes into regular contact near his home, at work, and in school,” said Special Agent in Charge Darren Hatalosky of the NCIS Southeast Asia Field Office. “NCIS and the Department of Justice are committed to ensuring convicted sex offenders are held to account for their crimes.”
The investigation was conducted by Naval Criminal Investigative Service and prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Monopolize, Rig Bids and Allocate Territories for Wildfire ServicesRead the Press Release
The former owner of contractor companies that provided fuel truck services to the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire fighters pleaded guilty today to conspiring to monopolize, rigging bids and allocating territories in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The plea follows a judicially authorized wiretap investigation that led to the indictment of two executives in December 2023.
According to a plea agreement and superseding information filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Ike Tomlinson, 60, conspired with co-defendant Kris Bird, 61, and others in at least two conspiracies. First, from at least as early as March 2015 until about March 2023, Tomlinson conspired to rig bids — and allocate territories — in the market for wildfire-fighting fuel truck services for certain dispatch centers of the U.S. Forest Service’s Great Basin wildfire dispatch region.
Then, from at least as early as February 2020 until about March 2023, Ike Tomlinson and Kris Bird also conspired to monopolize that same market. As summarized in his plea agreement, Tomlinson and his co-conspirators sought to exclude competing vendors from the market and to maintain his power to price higher than he would have otherwise. In March 2023, for example, Tomlinson coordinated his bids with Bird to “squeeze,” “drown,” “punch,” “low ball” and de-prioritize two competing vendors on the Forest Service’s dispatch priority lists.
“Congress criminalized conspiracies to monopolize in 1890 to protect the American promise of free enterprise,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s guilty plea shows that the Justice Department and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) partners will deploy every appropriate law enforcement tool — including court-authorized wiretaps — to prosecute blatant monopolistic conduct that harms the public.”
“Agencies like the U.S. Forest Service rely on a fair bidding process to secure the best deal at the best price for taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “When contractors collude rather than compete, they wrong the public and honest competitors who submitted bids fair and square.”
“The FBI will pursue and find those who would overcharge the federal government and submit false federal certifications,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Contractors who collude with their counterparts will be investigated and held accountable.”
“The defendant rigged prices of their fuel truck services, overcharging the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire fighters,” said Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s plea agreement shows that there will be serious consequences for executives for conspiring against the federal government. The FBI and our partners are committed to ensuring the American government, and its taxpayers, are not victimized by criminal monopoly schemes.”
A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals and a maximum penalty of a $100 million fine for corporations. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by victims if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors.
The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew Chou and Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Virginia Man Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison for Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
A Virginia businessman was sentenced to 78 months in prison for evading the payment of employment taxes, filing false tax returns and obstructing the IRS.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between approximately January 2008 through December 2009, James C. Jones Jr. owned and operated Lifeline Ambulance Service Inc. He was responsible for paying to the IRS approximately $200,000 in Social Security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from his employees’ wages. After Jones failed to do so, the IRS assessed the outstanding employment taxes against him personally.
When the IRS attempted to collect those taxes, Jones lied, claiming that he did not have the assets to pay the taxes. In fact, Jones owned several Caribbean beachfront condominiums, multiple foreign bank accounts and a classic “muscle” car collection. Jones later continued trying to thwart the IRS’s collection efforts by filing false 2013 through 2018 tax returns that did not report the rental income from his Caribbean properties and claimed false deductions.
After Jones received a subpoena for records of foreign bank accounts from the Justice Department, he falsely reported that he did not have any responsive records, when in fact, he possessed those records as the director and owner of a number of foreign holding companies.
Jones’s conduct caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $1.5 million.
In addition to the his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Michael F. Urbanski for the Western District of Virginia ordered Jones to serve three years supervised release and pay a fine of $250,000 and $394,508 in restitution to the United States. Jones was also ordered to pay the costs of prosecution.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division’s Washington D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Francesca Bartolomey, Todd Ellinwood and Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene Day for the Western District of Virginia prosecuted the case. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly McGann for the Western District of Virginia for his assistance.
Oil Tanker Engineers Plead Guilty to Charges of Concealing Vessel Pollution; Chief Engineer Also Pleads Guilty to Discharging Oily Waste Off Coast of New JerseyRead the Press Release
Two ship engineers on the oil tanker M/T Kriti Ruby pleaded guilty today to charges related to the concealment of pollution by falsifying records, with the chief engineer also pleading guilty to charges related to the discharge of oily waste into the sea from a commercial vessel near a petroleum terminal in Sewaren, New Jersey.
Chief Engineer Konstantinos Atsalis, 56, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Atsalis admitted that the vessel’s crew had knowingly bypassed required pollution prevention equipment by discharging oily waste from the vessel’s engine room through its sewage system into the sea, including near a petroleum offloading facility in Sewaren. Atsalis also admitted that he falsified the vessel’s oil record book (ORB) – a required log regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard – by failing to record this illegal activity. Atsalis further admitted that he directed crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers of oily waste from the engine room bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard boarded the vessel.
Second Engineer Sonny Bosito, 54, also pleaded guilty to violating APPS, admitting to concealing the discharge of oily waste into the sea through the vessel’s sewage system by causing a false ORB to be presented to the U.S. Coast Guard during its inspection of the vessel. Bosito further admitted to directing crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers from the bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard’s inspection.
The maximum penalty of each charge is six years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense.
The sentencing for both Atsalis and Bosito is scheduled for Oct. 22.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven M. Frith of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service made the announcement.
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth E. Nelson and Trial Attorney Lauren D. Steele of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen P. O’Leary for the District of New Jersey’s Office Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Ward for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Minnesota man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for wire fraud and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to 2018, Beau Wesley Gensmer, of Prior Lake, developed a scheme to file 63 false tax returns that claimed fraudulently inflated tax refunds on behalf of unwitting taxpayer clients. In furtherance of his scheme, Gensmer hired two tax returns preparers, including one based in Anchorage, Alaska, to whom he knowingly emailed false information, including fraudulent business losses and charitable contributions.
The return preparers relied on the information provided by Gensmer, and as a result, prepared and electronically filed false returns for each of his clients. Gensmer charged his clients a commission of approximately 30% for each fraudulent refund. In total, Gensmer caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $6.7 million.
As part of his scheme, Gensmer also provided “audit protection services” to clients who were audited by the IRS for the fraudulent tax returns he helped prepare. Gensmer submitted false documents to the IRS during these audits.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim for the District of Minnesota ordered Gensmer to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $4,716,732.35 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello and former Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services Highlight Progress by State of Alabama to Implement Environmental Justice Reforms in Lowndes CountyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today progress by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) in providing access to basic sanitation services, abating exposure to raw sewage from inadequate onsite wastewater systems and improving health outcomes for the predominantly Black communities of Lowndes County, Alabama.
Today’s announcement comes one year after the Justice Department and HHS secured an interim resolution agreement with ADPH following its investigation into whether ADPH violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557). Title VI prohibits recipients of federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin in their federally funded programs and activities. Section 1557 provides that an individual shall not be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of or subjected to discrimination under any health program or activity, any part of which is receiving federal financial assistance, based on the grounds prohibited under Title VI.
“Advancing environmental justice is a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, the Justice Department and HHS are working rigorously to ensure that residents of Lowndes County can access basic sanitation needs. We will continue working with the community and the state’s Department of Public Health to implement all of the reforms in our agreement. The Lowndes County community deserves nothing less.”
“For decades, Lowndes County residents have endured living without basic sanitation and wastewater disposal services. The disproportionate impact of this on Black, low-income, rural residents — who, for generations, have suffered through illness, infectious diseases and public health risks simply for living in their own neighborhoods — is unacceptable,” said Director Melanie Fontes Rainer of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. “The work by HHS and the Justice Department here is significant in working with the State of Alabama. Today’s update shows the progress made by the state to address these issues. Environmental justice is critical for people across the country and we will continue to fight to ensure that this community and others are is safe from environmental hazards.”
ADPH has taken the following actions to advance sustainable and equitable solutions for onsite wastewater management for Lowndes County residents:
- Selected the first set of residences whose wastewater systems will be installed or repaired for free via a local, not-for-profit entity that will manage ADPH’s Lowndes County Septic System Improvement Program;
- Suspended criminal enforcement of state sanitation laws in Lowndes County against residents without the means to purchase functioning, ADPH-permitted septic systems;
- Conducted a public health information campaign, including the development and dissemination of flyers concerning the health risks associated with exposure to raw sewage, how to mitigate exposure to raw sewage and proper septic system maintenance;
- Launched its Environmental Health Assessment (Assessment) to identify and prioritize residences for septic system installations or repairs based on data analysis of which homes face the most serious environmental and health risks from exposure to raw sewage;
- Created and filled a Lowndes County Community Liaison position and an outreach/grant manager position for Lowndes County and Black Belt communities to oversee implementation of ADPH’s Public Health and Infrastructure Improvement Plan (PHIIP); and
- Submitted the PHIIP, which sets forth plans to avert future public health risks and implement sanitation solutions for the community.
ADPH encourages Lowndes County residents who are required to use onsite septic systems for wastewater management to complete the Assessment. Residents can access the Assessment at epiweb.adph.state.al.us/redcap/surveys/?s=xamaxkhdrxxxldle. More information on ADPH’s septic system installation program is available at www.alabamapublichealth.gov/onsite/sewage.html or by contacting ADPH at (334) 206-5371 or at www.alabamapublichealth.gov/environmental/septic-system-program.html. ADPH will not use the information collected by the Assessment for any other purposes, including issuing citations for alleged violation of sanitation laws.
The Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section and the HHS Office for Civil Rights conducted this investigation jointly with the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
Individuals who believe their civil rights have been violated can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Additional information about the HHS Office for Civil Rights is available on its website at www.hhs.gov/ocr. If you believe that you or someone else has been discriminated against in programs or activities that HHS directly operates or to which HHS provides federal financial assistance, you may file a complaint at ocrportal.hhs.gov/.
五大联邦部门携手司法部重申，维护民权法律并推进环境正义Read the Press Release
司法部民权司、卫生与公众服务部 (HHS) 民权办公室、交通部 (DOT) 部级民权办公室、环境保护局 (EPA) 外部民权合规办公室、国土安全部 (DHS) 民权和公民自由办公室以及住房与城市发展部 (HUD) 公平住房和平等机会办公室的官员今日共同重申，将共同维护民权法律，推进美国各社区的环境正义。
司法部民权司首席检察官助理 Kristen Clarke 表示，“司法部致力于全面落实联邦民权法，解决美国环境种族歧视和对有色人种社区投资不足的遗留问题。自 2021 年以来，我们已加大力度协调联邦政府各部门的关键执法工作，并将在受援方使用数十亿美元的新基础设施拨款时继续协调。我们将努力让政府各部门参与其中，继续推进美国的环境正义。”
环境保护局环境正义和外部民权办公室负责项目实施的副助理署长 Marianne Engelman-Lado 表示，“环境保护局继续以公正、公平和民权融合为使命，为未能从其数十年来的各种环境保护措施、政策中受益的社区提供支持，并将落实民权法，解决环境不公的问题。环境保护局将继续支持民权执行计划，将民权融入战略计划和日常运营，增加这一关键工作的资金和人员配备。”
卫生与公众服务部民权办公室主任 Melanie Fontes Rainer 表示，“环境正义是公共卫生问题，我们的民权法律应确保所有社区（无论种族和所在地区）都受到公平对待，不受环境危害的影响。遗憾的是，有色人种社区在历史上一直遭受环境不公的对待，联邦政府应通过执行相应法律来给予充分关注，使其免受歧视。”
交通部部级民权办公室主任 Irene Marion 表示，“除了运送人员和货物外，交通还对个人和环境健康起着关键作用。尽管美国的交通基础设施是共享资产，但从历史上看，并非所有社区都能完全从中受益。交通部致力于利用其权力和物力来改善这一情况，确保所有人都能够使用安全、高效、便捷的交通系统。”
国土安全部民权和公民自由办公室官员 Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia 表示，“通过教育、技术援助以及严格执行长久存在的民权法律，可以推进环境正义。我们致力于与受援方和社区合作，实现环境正义。”
住房与城市发展部 (HUD) 公平住房和平等机会办公室首席副助理部长 Demetria McCain 表示，“住房与城市发展部致力于执行公平住房和民权法律，推进环境正义，使所有社区成为健康、安全、有活力的地方，让居民能够成长。受保护阶层已经承受了太长时间环境危害带来的过重负担，必须改变这种现状。”
这些机构在声明中重申，将积极落实所有适用的民权法律（包括《1964 年民权法》第六章），推进环境正义，并积极与州、地区和地方政府以及所有享受联邦基金的其他实体合作，确保遵守这些重要法律。联合声明还提醒受援方，民权义务与受援方的其他义务（包括遵守联邦、州、地区和地方环境法律的义务）是分开的。有关民权司民权维护工作的更多信息，请访问 justice.gov/crt。如发现歧视行为，可登录民权司互联网报告门户网站 civilrights.justice.gov 进行投诉 。
五個聯邦部門加入司法部，重申支持民權法律和促進環境正義的共同承諾Read the Press Release
司法部民權司和衛生與公眾服務部 (HHS) 民權辦公室、交通部 (DOT) 民權部門辦公室、環境保護局 (EPA) 外部民權合規辦公室、國土安全部 (DHS) 民權和公民自由辦公室，以及住房和城市發展部 (HUD) 公平住房和平等機會辦公室的官員今天共同重申，他們將一起致力於支持民權法律和促進美國各社區的環境正義。
「司法部致力於全面執行聯邦民權法律，以解決我國長期存在的環境種族主義和對有色人種社區投資不足的問題。」司法部民權司助理檢察長 Kristen Clarke 說道。「自 2021 年以來，我們已加緊努力，在整個聯邦政府中協調這些重要的措施，我們已撥款數十億美元進行新的基礎建設，讓許多人受惠，並且會持續這樣做。我們將努力讓各政府部同心協力，持續為國內的環境正義永不止息地奮鬥。」
「環境保護局將繼續推行我們的核心任務，為全國各地的社區爭取正義、公平和民權，讓環境保護局數十年來的進步可以整合到各社區中，使大家都能充分受益。我們致力於實施民權，以解決環境不公的問題。」環保局環境正義和外部民權辦公室負責計畫實施的副助理首長 Marianne Engelman-Lado 說道。「環保局將繼續加強我們的民權實施計畫，例如：將民權納入我們的策略計畫和日常運作，以及為這項重要工作增加資金和人員。」
「環境正義是一個公共衛生問題，無論種族或住處，我們的民權法律應確保所有社區都安全無虞，不受環境危害。」 HHS 民權辦公室主任 Melanie Fontes Rainer 說道。「遺憾的是，有色人種社區在過去以來一直受到環境不公的對待，聯邦政府應該透過實施法律給予充分關注，避免他們遭受歧視。」
「除了人員和貨物的運輸，在個人部分和環境衛生方面，交通也扮演了重要的角色。」 交通部民權辦公室主任 Irene Marion 說道。「儘管我們國家的交通基礎建設是一項共享資產，但從歷史上來看，並非所有社區都能充分享受它的優點和好處。交通部承諾透過利用其職權和資源來糾正這個偏差，以確保交通系統的安全、效率和便利。」
「透過教育、技術的協助和加強實施存在已久的民權法律，可以促進環境正義。」國土安全部民權與公民自由辦公室官員 Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia 表示。「我們致力於與受援者和社區合作，以實現環境正義。」
「住房和城市發展部致力於執行促進環境正義的公平住房和民權法律，好讓所有街區和社區成為健康、安全和適應力強的地方，讓居民能夠茁壯成長。」住房和城市發展部公平住房和平等機會辦公室副助理秘書長 Demetria McCain 說道。「因為環境危害帶來的過重負擔，那些受保護的階層已經承受了太久的時間，這種情況必須改變。」
在聲明中，這些機構重申了他們的承諾，亦即積極利用所有適用的民權法律（包括 1964 年的《民權法案》第六章）來促進環境正義，並主動與各州、地區和地方政府以及所有其他接受聯邦資助的實體合作，以確保遵守這些重要法律。聯合聲明中也提醒受援者，民權義務與受援者的其他義務（包括遵守聯邦、州、地區和地方環境法律的義務）是分開、不相同的。有關民權司支持和保護公民權利的業務的更多資訊，請前往 justice.gov/crt 網站。若要投訴歧視行為，可透過民權司的網路檢舉入口網站 civilrights.justice.gov 進行檢舉。
Sumali ang Limang Kagawaran ng Pederal sa Kagawaran ng Katarungan sa Muling Pagtitibay ng Ibinahaging Pangako para Itaguyod ang Mga Batas sa Mga Karapatang Sibil at Isulong ang Hustisyang PangkapaligiranRead the Press Release
Ang Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan at mga opisyal mula sa Opisina ng Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Health and Human Services (HHS); Opisina ng Kagawaran sa Mga Karapatang Sibil ng Department of Transportation (DOT); Opisina ng Pagsunod sa Mga Eksternal na Karapatang Sibil ng Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Opisina ng Department of Homeland Security (DHS) para sa Mga Karapatang Sibil at Kalayaang Sibil; at Opisina ng Patas na Pabahay at Pantay na Oportunidad ng Kagawaran ng Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ay magkasamang muling pinagtibay ngayong araw ang kanilang ibinahaging pangako na itaguyod ang mga batas sa karapatang sibil at isulong ang hustisyang pangkapaligiran sa mga komunidad sa buong Estados Unidos.
“Nakatuon ang Kagawaran ng Katarungan na ganap na ipatupad ang mga pederal na batas sa karapatang sibil para tugunan ang legasiya ng ating bansa sa rasismo sa kapaligiran at kakulangan sa pamumuhunan sa mga komunidad ng kulay,” sabi ni Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke ng Dibisyon ng Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan. “Mula 2021, pinaigting pa namin ang aming mga pagsisikap na i-coordinate ang mga kritikal na pagsisikap sa pagpapatupad na ito sa buong pederal na pamahalaan at patuloy itong gagawin habang gumagamit ng bilyun-bilyong dolyar ang mga recipient sa mga bagong gawad sa imprastraktura. Patuloy naming itutulak ang isang buong-pwersa ng-gobyerno na diskarte sa patuloy na pakikibaka para sa hustisyang pangkapaligiran sa ating bansa.”
“Patuloy na isinisentro ng Environmental Protection Agency ang aming misyon sa pag-integrate ng hustisya, pagkakapantay-pantay at mga karapatang sibil para sa mga komunidad sa buong bansa na hindi pa nakatanggap ng buong benepisyo mula sa mga dekada ng pag-usad ng EPA. Nakatuon kami sa pagpapatupad ng mga karapatang sibil para tugunan ang kawalan ng hustisya sa kapaligiran,” sabi ng Deputy Assistant Administrator para sa Pagpapatupad ng Programa na si Marianne Engelman-Lado ng Opisina ng Hustisyang Pangkapaligiran at Mga Eksternal na Karapatang Sibil ng EPA. “Mula sa pag-integrate ng mga karapatang sibil sa aming Estratehikong Plano at pang-araw-araw na operasyon, hanggang sa pagtaas ng pondo at kawani para sa kritikal na trabahong ito, patuloy na papalakasin ng EPA ang aming programa sa pagpapatupad ng mga karapatang sibil.”
“Ang hustisyang pangkapaligiran ay isang isyu sa kalusugan ng publiko, at dapat tiyakin ng ating mga batas sa karapatang sibil na ang lahat ng komunidad—anuman ang iyong lahi o zip code—ay ligtas at malaya mula sa mga panganib sa kapaligiran,” sabi ni Direktor Melanie Fontes Rainer ng Opisina para sa Mga Karapatang Sibil ng HHS. “Sa kasamaang-palad, ang mga komunidad ng kulay ay dating napapailalim sa kawalan ng hustisya sa kapaligiran at karapat-dapat sa buong atensyon ng pederal na pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatupad ng ating mga batas para maging malaya sa diskriminasyon.”
“Higit pa sa paggalaw ng mga tao at kalakal, may mahalagang papel ang transportasyon sa ating personal at pangkapaligiran na kalusugan,” sabi ni Direktor Irene Marion ng Opisina ng Kagawaran ng Mga Karapatang Sibil ng DOT. “Bagaman isang shared asset ang imprastraktura ng transportasyon ng ating bansa, hindi na-enjoy ng lahat ng komunidad ang buong pakinabang at benepisyo nito ayon sa kasaysayan. Nakatuon ang DOT sa pagwawasto sa kursong ito sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng awtoridad at resources nito para matiyak na ang mga sistema ng transportasyon ay ligtas, episyente at naa-access ng lahat."
“Pwedeng mangyari ang pagsusulong ng hustisyang pangkapaligiran sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon, teknikal na tulong at mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng mga matagal nang batas sa karapatang sibil,” sabi ni Officer Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia ng Opisina para sa Mga Karapatang Sibil at Kalayaang Sibil ng DHS. “Nakatuon kami sa pakikipagtulungan sa mga recipient at komunidad tungo sa pagkamit ng hustisyang pangkapaligiran.”
“Nakatuon ang Kagawaran ng Housing and Urban Development sa pagpapatupad ng patas na pabahay at mga batas sa karapatang sibil na nagsusulong ng hustisyang pangkapaligiran para ang lahat ng kapitbahayan at komunidad ay malusog, ligtas at matatag na mga lugar kung saan pwedeng lumagaw ang mga residente," sabi ng Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary na si Demetria McCain ng Opisina ng Patas na Pabahay at Pantay na Oportunidad ng HUD.. “Hindi dapat pasanin ng mga pinoprotektahang klase ang hindi magkatimbang na pasanin sa mga panganib sa kapaligiran, kahit na napakatagal na nilang mayroon nito.”
Sa pahayag, muling pinagtibay ng mga ahensya ang kanilang pangako na mahigpit na gagamitin ang lahat ng naaangkop na batas sa karapatang sibil, kabilang ang Title VI ng Civil Rights Act of 1964, para isulong ang hustisyang pangkapaligiran at aktibong makipagtulungan sa estado, teritoryo at lokal na pamahalaan at lahat ng iba pang entidad na tumatanggap ng pederal na pagpopondo para matiyak ang pagsunod sa mahahalagang batas na ito. Nagpapaalala rin sa mga recipient ang pinagsamang pahayag na ang mga obligasyon sa karapatang sibil ay hiwalay at naiiba sa iba pang obligasyon ng mga recipient, kabilang ang mga obligasyon na sumunod sa mga batas pangkapaligiran ng pederal, estado, teritoryo at lokal. Ang karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa trabaho ng Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil para itaguyod at protektahan ang mga karapatang sibil ay available online sa justice.gov/crt. Maaaring iulat ang mga reklamo tungkol sa mga gawaing may diskriminasyon sa Dibisyon ng Mga Karapatang Sibil sa pamamagitan ng internet reporting portal nito sa civilrights.justice.gov.
Năm Bộ Liên Bang Cùng Bộ Tư Pháp Tái Khẳng Định Cam Kết Chung để Duy Trì Luật Dân Quyền và Thúc Đẩy Công Lý Môi TrườngRead the Press Release
Phòng Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp và các viên chức từ Văn Phòng Dân Quyền của Bộ Y Tế và Dịch Vụ Nhân Sinh (Department of Health and Human Services, HHS); Văn Phòng Dân Quyền của Bộ Giao Thông Vận Tải (Department of Transportation, DOT); Văn Phòng Tuân Thủ Dân Quyền Bên Ngoài của Cơ Quan Bảo Vệ Môi Trường (Environmental Protection Agency, EPA); Văn Phòng Dân Quyền và Tự Do Dân Sự của Bộ An Ninh Nội Địa (Department of Homeland Security, DHS); và Văn Phòng Nhà Ở Công Bằng và Cơ Hội Bình Đẳng của Bộ Gia Cư và Phát Triển Đô Thị (Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD) ngày hôm nay đã cùng nhau tái khẳng định cam kết chung để duy trì luật dân quyền và thúc đẩy công lý môi trường tại các cộng đồng trên khắp Hoa Kỳ.
“Bộ Tư Pháp cam kết thực thi đầy đủ luật dân quyền liên bang để giải quyết vấn nạn quốc gia về phân biệt chủng tộc trong môi trường và thiếu đầu tư vào cộng đồng da màu,” Trợ Lý Bộ Trưởng Tư Pháp thuộc Phòng Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp, bà Kristen Clarke cho biết. ”Kể từ năm 2021, chúng tôi đã tăng cường nỗ lực điều phối các nỗ lực thực thi chủ chốt này trong toàn chính quyền liên bang và sẽ tiếp tục nỗ lực khi bên nhận sử dụng hàng tỷ đô la vào khoản tài trợ cơ sở hạ tầng mới. Chúng tôi sẽ tiếp tục thúc đẩy giải pháp trên toàn chính phủ trong cuộc đấu tranh đang diễn ra vì công lý môi trường trong cả nước.”
“Cơ Quan Bảo Vệ Môi Trường tiếp tục đặt trọng tâm sứ mệnh của chúng tôi vào việc mở rộng thực thi công lý, bình đẳng và dân quyền cho các cộng đồng trên khắp đất nước, những cộng đồng chưa được hưởng đầy đủ lợi ích từ những tiến bộ trong nhiều thập kỷ của EPA. Chúng tôi cam kết thực thi dân quyền để giải quyết tình trạng bất công về môi trường," bà Marianne Engelman-Lado, Phó Trợ lý Giám Đốc Triển Khai Chương Trình thuộc Văn Phòng Công Lý Môi Trường và Dân Quyền Bên Ngoài của EPA cho biết. “Từ việc mở rộng thực thi dân quyền trong cơ cấu Kế Hoạch Chiến Lược và các hoạt động hàng ngày của chúng tôi, đến việc gia tăng ngân quỹ và nhân sự cho công việc chính yếu này, EPA sẽ tiếp tục thúc đẩy chương trình thực thi dân quyền.”
“Công lý môi trường là một vấn đề sức khỏe công cộng và luật dân quyền của chúng ta phải đảm bảo rằng tất cả các cộng đồng – không phân biệt chủng tộc hay mã bưu chính của quý vị – đều được an toàn và không gặp phải các mối nguy hiểm về môi trường," bà Melanie Fontes Rainer, Giám đốc Văn phòng Dân Quyền của HHS chia sẻ. “Điều đáng tiếc là các cộng đồng da màu trong quá khứ đã phải chịu sự bất công về môi trường và đáng được chính phủ liên bang quan tâm đầy đủ thông qua việc thực thi pháp luật để không bị phân biệt đối xử.”
“Ngoài việc vận chuyển người và hàng hóa, vận tải còn đóng một vai trò quan trọng đối với sức khỏe của con người và môi trường”, bà Irene Marion, Giám đốc Văn phòng Dân Quyền của DOT cho biết. “Mặc dù cơ sở hạ tầng giao thông vận tải của quốc gia là tài sản chung, nhưng trong lịch sử, không phải mọi cộng đồng đều được hưởng đầy đủ lợi thế và lợi ích từ đó. DOT cam kết điều chỉnh hướng đi này bằng cách tận dụng thẩm quyền và nguồn lực của bộ để đảm bảo cung cấp hệ thống giao thông an toàn, hiệu quả và dễ tiếp cận cho tất cả người dân.”
Bà Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, Cán Bộ Văn Phòng Dân Quyền và Tự Do Dân Sự của DHS cho biết: “Việc thúc đẩy công lý môi trường có thể diễn ra thông qua giáo dục, hỗ trợ kỹ thuật và thực thi mạnh mẽ các luật dân quyền đã có từ lâu. “Chúng tôi cam kết làm việc với bên nhận và các cộng đồng để đạt được công lý môi trường.”
Bà Demetria McCain, Phó Trợ Lý Bộ Trưởng thuộc Văn phòng Nhà Ở Công Bằng và Cơ Hội Bình Đẳng của HUD chia sẻ: “Bộ Gia Cư và Phát Triển Đô Thị cam kết thực thi luật dân quyền và nhà ở công bằng nhằm thúc đẩy công lý môi trường để tất cả các khu dân cư và cộng đồng đều là nơi lành mạnh, an toàn và có khả năng phục hồi, nơi người dân có thể phát triển. "Các tầng lớp được bảo vệ không phải chịu gánh nặng quá mức trước các mối nguy hiểm về môi trường, mặc dù họ đã phải chịu trong thời gian dài.”
Trong tuyên bố, các cơ quan tái khẳng định cam kết của họ trong việc áp dụng mạnh mẽ tất cả các luật dân quyền hiện hành, bao gồm Tiêu Đề VI của Đạo Luật Dân Quyền (Civil Rights Act) năm 1964, để thúc đẩy công lý môi trường và tích cực làm việc với chính quyền tiểu bang, khu vực và địa phương cũng như tất cả các tổ chức khác được nhận tài trợ của liên bang để đảm bảo tuân thủ các luật quan trọng này. Tuyên bố chung cũng nhắc nhở bên nhận rằng nghĩa vụ về dân quyền là riêng biệt và khác biệt với các nghĩa vụ khác của bên nhận, bao gồm nghĩa vụ tuân thủ luật môi trường của liên bang, tiểu bang, khu vực và địa phương. Thông tin bổ sung về công tác duy trì và bảo vệ dân quyền của Phòng Dân Quyền được đăng tải trực tuyến trên justice.gov/crt. Quý vị có thể báo cáo các khiếu nại về hành vi phân biệt đối xử với Phòng Dân Quyền thông qua cổng thông tin báo cáo trên Internet tại địa chỉ civilrights.justice.gov.
Justice Department Celebrates Two-Year Anniversary of Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy and Office of Environmental JusticeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today marked the second anniversary of its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy (CEJES) and Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ). The Justice Department will be incorporating those efforts into developing an Environmental Justice Strategic Plan, as directed by the President’s Executive Order “Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.” The new strategic plan will further address environmental justice and help develop and capture the Justice Department's vision, goals, priority actions and metrics to address and advance environmental justice. The Justice Department is organizing virtual and in-person listening sessions to obtain public input on draft goals and actions.
“The Justice Department is committed to securing relief for environmental justice communities,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “We commemorate OEJ’s two-year anniversary and appreciate OEJ’s efforts to create a new strategic plan that ensures compliance with all applicable federal laws, particularly in areas where pollution and degradation have historically been most pronounced.”
“We’re proud of how, for two years, the Justice Department’s Office of Environmental Justice and comprehensive enforcement strategy have benefited overburdened and underserved communities throughout our nation,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Now, we’re taking another step to refine our efforts and create a new strategic plan.”
“It is an honor to lead this effort to develop an Environmental Justice Strategic Plan that builds upon the important work we have already done to implement the Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy,” said OEJ Director Cynthia Ferguson. “Our upcoming listening sessions give the public an opportunity to provide input to help shape the development and implementation of the new strategic plan.”
The draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan includes goals to prioritize cases, meaningfully engage with impacted communities, increase education and collaboration and assess and evaluate environmental justice in the Justice Department’s climate adaptation efforts. The strategic plan will be discussed at virtual and in-person listening sessions. The two virtual listening sessions will be held on:
- May 29 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET and
- May 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.
To attend one of the virtual sessions, please visit OEJ’s website and register by May 23 to receive a link. To find out if there will be an in-person listening session near your area, visit OEJ’s website where the dates and locations will be posted once they are confirmed. Listening sessions will start with an overview of the draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan goals and objectives followed by an opportunity for the public to provide feedback. Each virtual and in-person listening session will cover the same material. The public may also provide written comments on the draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan by emailing [email protected], completing the online survey on OEJ’s website or mailing the Office of Environmental Justice, U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, D.C. 20044-7611.
The Justice Department launched OEJ on May 5, 2022, along with the CEJES. Last year marked the first anniversary of OEJ and the first-ever CEJES annual report. Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in conjunction with five other federal agencies, released an interagency statement reaffirming their commitment to upholding civil rights laws including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and furthering environmental justice initiatives.
Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan One-Pager (English Version).pdf Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan One-Pager (Spanish Version).pdf Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Virtual Listening Sessions Flyer (English Version).pdf Draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan Virtual Listening Sessions Flyer (Spanish Version).pdfFormer Korean Air Lines Guam Office Manager Sentenced to 41 Months Imprisonment for Bank Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Sung Peel Hwang a.k.a. Don Sung Peel Hwang, age 39, from the Republic of Korea and naturalized citizen of the United States, was sentenced to serve 41 months imprisonment. He was charged with Bank Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344(1) and Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. The Court also ordered 5 years of supervised release, restitution of $615, 271.51 and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee.
Beginning in September 2015 and continuing until December of 2018, Defendant Hwang engaged in a scheme to defraud his employer and to embezzle over $600,000.00. Hwang was an administrator in the Korean Air Lines (KAL) Guam office at the Guam International Airport. KAL operated commercial passenger flights between Guam and South Korea. All airlines operating out of GIAA are required to report the number of passengers on their flights and to pay a corresponding Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) to GIAA. As an administrator at the Guam KAL office, Hwang’s duties included reporting the number of passengers and paying the corresponding PFC, procuring, and paying for other office supplies and services, and acting as one of two co-signatories on KAL Guam’s business checking account at the Bank of Guam. As one part of his scheme, Defendant Hwang underreported the PFC owed to GIAA and kept the difference between the actual PFC owed and the PFC paid for himself. Over the course of the three-year scheme Defendant Hwang deposited over $3.5 million in KAL funds into his personal bank account and diverted over $600,000.00 in KAL funds to his own personal use.
“Hwang cheated his employer and GIAA out of a substantial sum of money,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Fortunately, GIAA’s auditing procedures eventually revealed this scheme. The sentence imposed by the Court is a strong message of accountability and deterrence. I applaud our federal law enforcement partners for their hard work in bringing Hwang to justice.”
“The FBI is focused on addressing financial crimes that have an impact on our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “This sentence should give pause to others who consider engaging in similar criminal conduct.”
“Mr. Hwang’s greed may have netted him a temporary windfall, but at great cost to those he stole from and to the detriment of his community,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes. “Today’s sentencing shows that CI is committed to fighting financial crime, and making sure that fraudsters pay the just cost for those crimes.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Guam Resident Agency and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. This case was prosecuted by Benjamin K. Petersburg, Assistant United States Attorney, District of Guam.
Florida Hospital System Agrees to Pay $1.5 Million to Resolve Liability Relating to Self-Disclosure of Improper DiscountsRead the Press Release
Baptist Health System Inc. (Baptist Health), located in Florida, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing its subsidiaries to offer discounts to patients to induce them to purchase or refer Baptist Health services reimbursed by federal health care programs. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Baptist Health took significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government’s investigation.
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits parties who participate in federal healthcare programs from knowingly and willfully paying or receiving any remuneration in return for referring an individual to, or arranging for the furnishing of, any item or services for which payment is made by the federal healthcare programs. The United States alleged that Baptist Health subsidiaries provided discounts of up to 50% or more on patient cost sharing obligation balances for certain categories of Medicare beneficiaries, chosen by Baptist Health, without regard to any financial need consideration, during the period from Jan. 1, 2016, through Aug. 15, 2022. The United States contends that Baptist Health subsidiaries provided these discounts in exchange for the beneficiaries’ purchase or referral of services by certain categories of Medicare beneficiaries from Baptist Health subsidiaries.
Baptist Health voluntarily self-disclosed this conduct to the United States. In addition, Baptist Health cooperated with the government’s investigation and took remedial measures, including discontinuing its discount policy, conducting an internal compliance review and providing the United States with a detailed disclosure statement and other supplemental information to assist the United States in its investigation.
“The department will continue to rely on the False Claims Act to address the use of prohibited remuneration to induce federal healthcare business,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We encourage providers to mitigate the consequences of prior improper conduct by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with our investigations and adopting enhanced compliance procedures.”
“This settlement is a great example of our office’s commitment to protecting and preserving taxpayer-funded healthcare programs,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Self-disclosures like this not only help crucial federal healthcare programs to recoup funds, but are also in the best interests of healthcare providers themselves.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
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 the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Michael Hoffman of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
SettlementFive Federal Departments Join Justice Department in Reaffirming Shared Commitment to Uphold Civil Rights Laws and Advance Environmental JusticeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and officials from the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights; Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Departmental Office of Civil Rights; Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of External Civil Rights Compliance; Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties; and Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity jointly reaffirmed today their shared commitment to uphold civil rights laws and advance environmental justice in communities across the United States.
“The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing federal civil rights laws to address our nation’s legacy of environmental racism and underinvestment in communities of color,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Since 2021, we have stepped up our efforts to coordinate these critical enforcement efforts across the federal government and will continue to do so as recipients utilize billions of dollars in new infrastructure grants. We will continue to drive a whole-of-government approach in the ongoing struggle for environmental justice in our country.”
“The Environmental Protection Agency continues to center our mission on the integration of justice, equity and civil rights for communities across the country that have not received the full benefits from EPA’s decades of progress. We are committed to the enforcement of civil rights to address environmental injustice,” said Deputy Assistant Administrator for Program Implementation Marianne Engelman-Lado of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. “From integrating civil rights into the fabric of our Strategic Plan and daily operations, to increased funding and staffing for this critical work, EPA will continue to strengthen our civil rights enforcement program.”
“Environmental justice is a public health issue, and our civil rights laws should ensure that all communities—no matter your race or zip code—are safe and free from environmental hazards,” said Director Melanie Fontes Rainer of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. “Unfortunately, communities of color have historically been subject to environmental injustice and deserve the full attention of the federal government through the enforcement of our laws to be free from discrimination.”
“Beyond moving people and goods, transportation plays a key role in our personal and environmental health,” said Director Irene Marion of the DOT Departmental Office of Civil Rights. “Although our nation’s transportation infrastructure is a shared asset, historically not all communities have enjoyed its full advantages and benefits. DOT is committed to correcting this course by leveraging its authority and resources to ensure transportation systems that are safe, efficient and accessible for all.”
“Advancing environmental justice can occur through education, technical assistance and robust enforcement of long-standing civil rights laws,” said Officer Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia of the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. “We are committed to working with recipients and communities toward achieving environmental justice.”
“The Department of Housing and Urban Development is committed to enforcing fair housing and civil rights laws that advance environmental justice so all neighborhoods and communities are healthy, safe and resilient places where residents can thrive,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria McCain of HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Protected classes must not bear the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards, though they have for too long.”
In the statement, the agencies reaffirmed their commitment to vigorously using all applicable civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to advance environmental justice and to actively work with state, territorial and local governments and all other entities that receive federal funding to ensure compliance with these important laws. The joint statement also reminds recipients that civil rights obligations are separate and distinct from recipients’ other obligations, including obligations to comply with federal, state, territorial and local environmental laws. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work to uphold and protect civil rights is available online at justice.gov/crt. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through its internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov.
Court Permanently Bars Missouri CPA from Promoting Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
On May 3, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri permanently barred Aric Elliot Schreiner and his company, Columbia CPA Group LLC, from organizing, promoting, selling or marketing tax schemes involving the use of charitable remainder annuity trusts (CRATs). In addition, the court ordered Schreiner to disgorge ill-gotten gains from the scheme totaling $400,000. Schreiner and Columbia CPA Group agreed to the court orders.
In February 2022, the United States sued Schreiner, Columbia CPA Group and five other defendants to stop them from promoting the CRAT scheme. The court previously entered permanent injunctions against the other five defendants by their consent.
According to the United States’ amended complaint, Schreiner and Columbia CPA Group allegedly promoted the CRAT scheme in concert with other defendants. The government alleges that Schreiner falsely claimed to customers following the CRAT scheme that they could avoid reporting to the IRS and paying federal income tax on the sale of property by: (1) transferring it to a CRAT; (2) unlawfully inflating (stepping-up) the cost basis in the property on tax documents; (3) selling the property and using the sale proceeds to purchase an annuity; and (4) receiving payments from the annuity, but failing to report the annuity payments as income on tax forms. According to the amended complaint, Schreiner also prepared tax forms to implement the CRAT scheme.
Charitable remainder trusts are irrevocable trusts that let you donate assets to charity and draw annual income for life or a specific period. When all applicable laws, regulations and rules are followed, charitable remainder trusts can offer many benefits, but they must not be misused to evade taxes or illegally benefit their beneficiaries. The Justice Department is committed to supporting the IRS as appropriate in its efforts examine charitable remainder trusts to ensure they correctly report trust income and distributions to beneficiaries, file all required tax documents and follow all applicable tax laws and rules.
In addition to being enjoined from promoting their CRAT scheme, Schreiner and Columbia CPA Group agreed to be barred from organizing, promoting, marking or selling other tax schemes including conservation easements and monetized installment sales.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Abusive arrangements using CRATs and monetized installment sales, as well as syndicated conservation easements, remain a concern of the IRS, which recently warned taxpayers about them as part of the IRS’s 2024 Dirty Dozen series. The IRS has more information on charitable remainder trusts available on its website.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of tax return preparer and tax fraud promoters. 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.
Injunction Order and Judgment - Schreiner.pdfCinco departamentos federales se unen al Departamento de Justicia para reafirmar el compromiso compartido de defender las leyes de derechos civiles y promover la justicia medioambientalRead the Press Release
La División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia y funcionarios de la Oficina de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS, por sus siglas en inglés); la Oficina Departamental de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Transporte (DOT, por sus siglas en inglés); la Oficina de Cumplimiento de Derechos Civiles Externos de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés); la Oficina de Derechos Civiles y Libertades Civiles del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Oficina de Vivienda Justa e Igualdad de Oportunidades del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD, por sus siglas en inglés) reafirmaron conjuntamente hoy su compromiso compartido de defender las leyes de derechos civiles y promover la justicia medioambiental en comunidades por todo Estados Unidos.
«El Departamento de Justicia se compromete a hacer cumplir plenamente las leyes federales de derechos civiles para abordar el legado de racismo ambiental de nuestra nación y la infrainversión en comunidades de color», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Desde el año 2021, hemos intensificado nuestros esfuerzos para coordinar estos esfuerzos críticos de aplicación de la ley en todo el gobierno federal y continuaremos haciéndolo a medida que los destinatarios utilicen miles de millones de dólares en subvenciones para nuevas infraestructuras. Seguiremos impulsando un enfoque que involucre al gobierno entero en la lucha continua por la justicia medioambiental en nuestro país».
«La Agencia de Protección Ambiental continúa centrando nuestra misión en la integración de la justicia, la equidad y los derechos civiles para comunidades por todo el país que no se han beneficiado plenamente de las décadas de progreso de la EPA. Estamos comprometidos con la aplicación de los derechos civiles para abordar la injusticia medioambiental», afirmó la Administradora Auxiliar Adjunta de Implementación de Programas, Marianne Engelman-Lado, de la Oficina de Justicia Medioambiental y Derechos Civiles Externos de la EPA. «Desde la integración de los derechos civiles en la estructura de nuestro plan estratégico y las operaciones diarias hasta el aumento de la financiación y la dotación de personal para este trabajo tan crítico, la EPA continuará fortaleciendo nuestro programa de cumplimiento de derechos civiles».
«La justicia medioambiental es un asunto de salud pública, y nuestras leyes de derechos civiles deben garantizar que todas las comunidades, independientemente de su raza o código postal, estén seguras y libres de peligros medioambientales», dijo Melanie Fontes Rainer, la Directora de la Oficina de Derechos Civiles del HHS. «Desafortunadamente, a nivel histórico, las comunidades de color han sometido a injusticia medioambiental y merecen la atención completa del gobierno federal a través de la aplicación de nuestras leyes para estar libres de discriminación».
«Más allá de trasladar a personas y bienes, el transporte desempeña un papel clave en nuestra salud personal y medioambiental», comentó Irene Marion, la Directora de la Oficina Departamental de Derechos Civiles del DOT. «Aunque la infraestructura de transporte de nuestra nación es un bien compartido, históricamente, no todas las comunidades han disfrutado de todos sus beneficios y ventajas. El DOT se compromete a corregir este curso aprovechando su autoridad y recursos para garantizar sistemas de transporte seguros, eficientes y accesibles para todos».
«El fomento de la justicia medioambiental puede producirse a través de la educación, la asistencia técnica o la aplicación firme de las leyes de derechos civiles de larga duración», declaró la Oficial Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, de la Oficina para Derechos Civiles y Libertades Civiles, que pertenece al DHS. «Estamos comprometidos a trabajar con beneficiarios y comunidades para lograr la justicia medioambiental».
«El Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano se compromete a hacer cumplir leyes de vivienda justa y derechos civiles que promuevan la justicia medioambiental para que todos los barrios y comunidades sean lugares saludables, seguros y resilientes donde los residentes puedan prosperar», dijo Demetria McCain, la Secretaria Auxiliar Adjunta Principal de la Oficina de Vivienda Justa e Igualdad de Oportunidades del HUD. «Las clases protegidas no deben soportar la carga desproporcionada de los peligros ambientales, aunque lo han hecho durante demasiado tiempo».
En su declaración, las agencias reafirmaron su compromiso de utilizar decididamente todas las leyes de derechos civiles aplicables, incluido el Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, para promover la justicia medioambiental y trabajar activamente con los gobiernos estatales, territoriales y locales y todas las demás entidades que reciben fondos federales para garantizar el cumplimiento de estas importantes leyes. La declaración conjunta también recuerda a los destinatarios que las obligaciones de derechos civiles son independientes y distintas de las demás obligaciones de los destinatarios, incluidas las obligaciones de cumplir con las leyes medioambientales federales, estatales, territoriales y locales. Puede encontrar información adicional sobre el trabajo de la División de Derechos Civiles para defender y proteger los derechos civiles en línea en justice.gov/crt. Las quejas sobre prácticas discriminatorias pueden notificarse a la División de Derechos Civiles a través de su portal de notificación en Internet en civilrights.justice.gov.
5개 연방 부처가 법무부에 합류하여 시민권법 수호 및 환경 정의 증진을 위한 공동의 약속을 재확인합니다Read the Press Release
법무부 시민권 부서와 보건복지부(HHS) 민권국, 교통부(DOT) 민권국, 환경보호청(EPA) 대외시민권준수국, 국토안보부(DHS) 시민권 및 시민자유국, 주택도시개발부(HUD) 공정주택 및 기회균등국은 오늘 미국 전역 공동체에서 시민권법을 준수하고 환경 정의를 증진하기 위한 공동의 의지를 재확인했습니다.
법무부 시민권국의 크리스틴 클라크(Kristen Clarke) 법무부 차관보가 전하는 말입니다. "법무부는 미국의 환경 인종차별과 유색인종 공동체에 대한 투자 부족 같은 과거의 행동을 해결하고자 연방 시민권법의 온전한 집행에 최선을 다하고 있습니다." "2021년부터 우리는 연방 정부 전반에 걸쳐 이러한 중요한 집행 노력을 조정하기 위해 더욱 노력해 왔으며, 수혜자들이 수십억 달러의 새로운 인프라 보조금을 활용할 수 있게 된 것과 같이 앞으로도 계속 노력을 기울일 것입니다. 우리는 우리나라의 환경 정의를 위한 지속적인 투쟁에서 범정부적인 접근 방식을 계속 추진할 것입니다."
"환경 보호국은 수십 년 동안 EPA의 발전으로 인한 혜택을 충분히 받지 못한 전국의 공동체를 위해 정의, 형평성, 시민권을 통합하는 데 사명을 집중하고 있습니다. EPA의 환경 정의 및 외부 시민권 사무소의 프로그램 이행 담당 부차관보 마리안 엥겔만-라도(Marianne Engelman-Lado)가 전하는 말입니다. "우리는 환경 불의를 해결하기 위해 시민권을 집행하는 데 전념하고 있습니다." "시민권을 전략 계획과 일상 업무의 구조에 통합하는 것부터, 이 중요한 업무를 위한 자금과 인력을 늘리는 것까지, EPA는 계속해서 시민권 집행 프로그램을 강화할 것입니다."
HHS 민권국의 멜라니 폰테스 레이너(Melanie Fontes Rainer) 국장이 전하는 말입니다. "환경 정의는 공중 보건 문제이며, 우리의 민권법은 인종이나 사는 곳과 관계없이 모든 공동체의 환경 위험으로부터의 안전 및 자유를 보장해야 합니다." "안타깝게도 유색인종 커뮤니티는 역사적으로 환경적 불의의 대상이 되어 왔으며, 차별이 없도록 법을 집행하는 연방 정부의 전폭적인 관심을 받을 자격이 있습니다."
교통부 민권국의 아이린 매리언(Irene Marion) 국장이 전하는 말입니다. "교통은 사람과 물품을 이동하는 것 외에도 개인 및 환경 보건에 중요한 역할을 합니다." "우리나라의 교통 인프라는 공유 자산이지만, 역사적으로 모든 공동체가 그 장점과 혜택을 충분히 누리지 못했습니다. 교통부는 안전하고 효율적이며 모두가 이용할 수 있는 교통 시스템을 보장하기 위해 권한과 자원을 활용하여 이 과정을 바로잡기 위해 최선을 다하고 있습니다."
DHS 민권 및 시민 자유 사무소의 쇼바 시바프라사드 와디아(Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia) 담당관이 전하는 말입니다. "환경 정의의 진전은 교육, 기술 지원, 오랜 민권법의 강력한 집행을 통해 이루어질 수 있습니다." "우리는 환경 정의를 실현하기 위해 수혜자 및 공동체와 협력하기 위해 최선을 다하고 있습니다."
HUD의 공정 주택 및 기회 균등 사무국의 수석 차관보 데메트리아 맥케인(Demetria McCain)이 전하는 말입니다. "주택도시개발부는 환경 정의를 증진하는 공정 주택 및 민권법을 시행하여 모든 이웃과 공동체가 건강하고 안전하며 주민들이 번영할 수 있는 회복력이 좋은 곳이 되도록 최선을 다하고 있습니다." "보호받는 계층이 불균형적으로 환경적 위험 부담을 너무 오랫동안 짊어져서는 안 됩니다."
이 성명서에서 기관들은 1964년 시민권법 제6조를 포함한 모든 관련 시민권법을 적극적으로 활용하여 환경 정의를 증진하고 주, 영토, 지방 정부 및 연방 기금을 받는 기타 모든 기관과 적극적으로 협력하여 이러한 중요한 법률을 준수하겠다는 약속을 재확인했습니다. 또한 공동 성명서는 시민권 의무가 연방, 주, 자치지역 및 지역 환경법 준수 의무를 포함하여 수혜자의 다른 의무와는 별도이며 분명하게 구분되는 의무라는 점을 상기시킵니다. 시민권을 유지하고 보호하기 위한 시민권 부서의 업무에 대한 자세한 정보는 다음 링크에서 확인할 수 있습니다: justice.gov/crt. 차별적 관행에 대한 불만은 다음 인터넷 신고 포털을 통해 시민권 부서에 신고할 수 있습니다: civilrights.justice.gov.
West Virginia Ambulance Services Business Owner Convicted of Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Beckley, West Virginia, convicted a man yesterday for failing to pay the taxes withheld from employees’ wages at an ambulance service he operated and for obstructing the IRS.
According to evidence presented at trial, from 2012 through part of 2017, Christopher Jason Smyth operated Stat EMS LLC, an ambulance service located in Pineville, West Virginia. Smyth created Stat EMS after a previous ambulance business Smyth operated accrued millions of dollars of employment tax liabilities and filed for bankruptcy. Smyth caused Stat EMS to be founded in the name of a nominee owner but continued operating the business in the same manner as before.
At Stat EMS, Smyth was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying them to the IRS. For two quarters in 2016, Smyth, however, did not fully pay the taxes to the IRS. Instead, he paid various personal expenses and transferred funds to businesses held by his friends and family. The IRS determined that Stat EMS accrued approximately $3.3 million in unpaid taxes.
Eventually, the IRS assessed the unpaid taxes against Smyth personally and attempted to collect those from him. When interviewed by an IRS revenue officer attempting to collect Smyth’s unpaid tax debts, Smyth stated that he had no personal bank accounts and denied that he used anyone else’s. In reality, however, he regularly deposited his paychecks into an account in a relative’s name. He also attempted to mislead the revenue officer by representing that he had nothing to do with several other businesses, even though he had signature authority over their bank accounts.
The jury found Smyth guilty of two counts of failing to pay over taxes for two quarters in 2016 and one count of obstructing the IRS related to its efforts to collect the unpaid taxes from Smyth. It found Smyth not guilty on the failure to pay over taxes counts related to two quarters in 2017. Smyth is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4 and faces up to up to five years in prison for each failure to pay taxes count and three years in prison for obstructing the IRS. 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 William S. Thompson for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant Chief David Zisserson, Trial Attorneys Kavitha Bondada and Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Goes for the Southern District of West Virginia, prosecuted the case.
U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar Charged with Bribery and Acting as a Foreign AgentRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas charging U.S. Congressman Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar, 68, and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, both of Laredo, Texas, with participating in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering. Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar made their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston.
According to court documents, beginning in at least December 2014 and continuing through at least November 2021, Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar allegedly accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an oil and gas company wholly owned and controlled by the Government of Azerbaijan, and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts. In exchange for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan. In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank.
Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar are each charged with the following offenses, and if convicted, face maximum penalties as indicated: two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), five years imprisonment on each count; two counts of bribery of a federal official, 15 years imprisonment on each count; two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, 20 years imprisonment on each count; two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal required to register under FARA, two years imprisonment on each count; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 20 years imprisonment; and five counts of money laundering, 20 years imprisonment on each count.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Deputy Assistant Inspector General Jason Loeffler and Special Agent in Charge Chris Hileman of the Department of State Office of Inspector General (DOS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and DOS-OIG investigated the case.
Acting Deputy Chief Marco A. Palmieri, Acting Deputy Chief Rosaleen O’Gara, and Trial Attorney Celia Choy of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section 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.
Readout of Annual Principals Meeting of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement GroupRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland attended the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) Annual Principals Meeting this week, where international and national partners met to discuss technology, innovation and encryption, and the emergent impacts on global safety.
FELEG is a collaborative intelligence-sharing law enforcement community. The annual meeting was attended by FELEG partners FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Australian Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), U.K. National Crime Agency (UK NCA), U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing (UK CTP), and New Zealand Police. Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Patrick J. “P.J.” Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the current chair for FELEG.
Discussions included End-to-end Encryption (E2EE) and law enforcement legal issues on global public safety.
“The FELEG partnerships enhance law enforcement investigations on the national and international level, particularly related to cyber-enabled crime, where complex tactics and cyber techniques empower transnational criminal organizations and threaten global security,” said ICE Acting Director Lechleitner. “FELEG has increased sharing and cooperation between partner nations, and HSI is proud to be a part of it.”
“The FBI understands that we are all better positioned to execute our mission when the international law enforcement community is bonded together through close collaboration and coordination,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “We will continue to foster these strategic partnerships by sharing knowledge, experience, and capabilities in the pursuit of creating a safer world bound by the rule of law.”
“At a time in history when the global drug landscape is more complex, more violent, and more deadly than ever before, it is critical that we work together to protect the safety and health of all communities,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Two Mexican cartels, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, are not only causing devastating harm to Americans, but they are operating worldwide on almost every continent. They are exploiting technology to enable their operations, trafficking deadly drugs quickly and widely through social media and encrypted applications. At DEA, we are committed to working with our partners across the globe to most effectively attack the criminal networks threatening the security of all our countries.”
“The importance of trusted partnerships, like FELEG, that allow us to combine capabilities, knowledge and experience to combat these threats cannot be understated,” said ACIC CEO Heather Cook. “Serious and organized criminal enterprises are globalized, collaborative and adaptable — coming together to share information and respond collectively helps us stay ahead of our adversaries.”
“We must develop innovative new technological counter-measures in an ethical, transparent and accountable manner,’’ said AFP Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale. “We cannot do this alone and call upon the technology industry to support the detection of illegal and harmful activities on their platforms. “The online world should be like the real world and criminals should not be protected because of a technological overlay. Through collaboration we can make a difference and create a safe online world for all in our community.”
“The relationships developed through FELEG are fundamental to identifying international criminal trends and responding to threats of mutual concern. The RCMP and its partners have proven, and continue to prove, the success of our partnerships when combatting transnational organized crime, cybercrime and taking actions to protect national security,” said RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme.
“Collaborations like FELEG are fundamental in our collective approach to keeping the public safe and reducing the global impact of serious organized crime,” said NCA Director General Graeme Biggar. “But industry have a part to play too. As technology evolves and end-to-end encryption begins to be rolled out, solutions must be found to deliver both privacy and public safety measures. We all have a responsibility to ensure that those who seek to abuse these platforms are identified and caught, and that platforms become more safe, not less.”
“The FELEG partnership provides a strong basis for tackling the problems that are faced by the global law enforcement community,” said Commissioner Andrew Coster of New Zealand Police. “We have a common goal of keeping vulnerable people safe and holding offenders to account,” said Commissioner Andrew Coster of New Zealand Police.
Opioid Manufacturer Endo Health Solutions Inc. Ordered to Pay $1.536B in Criminal Fines and Forfeiture for Distributing Misbranded Opioid MedicationRead the Press Release
Endo Health Solutions Inc. (EHSI) was ordered today to pay $1.086 billion in criminal fines and an additional $450 million in criminal forfeiture — the second-largest set of criminal financial penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical company —for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to the distribution of the opioid medication Opana ER with INTAC (Opana ER).
EHSI pleaded guilty on April 18 to one misdemeanor count of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. In pleading guilty, EHSI admitted that from April 2012 through May 2013, certain EHSI sales representatives marketed Opana ER to prescribers by touting the drug’s purported abuse deterrence, tamper resistance and/or crush resistance, despite a lack of clinical data supporting those claims.
EHSI’s corporate affiliates emerged from bankruptcy on April 23. EHSI will cease to operate in its current form and will not emerge from bankruptcy. Payment of the criminal fine imposed at sentencing is addressed as a component of the broader resolution resolving all monetary claims held by the United States against the corporate entities. In addition, as part of the confirmed bankruptcy plan, the new company has funded voluntary trusts in settlement of opioid-relating claims, including public trusts that will pay over $450 million to state, municipal and Tribal entities to help fund programs to abate the opioid crisis. The department is crediting up to $450 million of such payments against the agreed forfeiture amount. The EHSI affiliates that have emerged from bankruptcy are subject to an injunction restraining future opioid sales and marketing and requiring the publication of millions of documents relating to its role in the opioid crisis.
“The opioid epidemic has caused substantial harm to the American people, and the companies whose unlawful tactics contributed to it must be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “EHSI’s criminal guilty plea, and the sentence imposed upon it, further emphasizes the department’s commitment to prosecuting companies whose illegal conduct contributed to the opioid crisis.”
“The opioid crisis we continue to face today originated, in part, from companies like EHSI building their business on false claims and deceptive business practices,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “By intentionally misrepresenting opioid medications, EHSI prioritized profits over the health and well-being of the American people. Today’s settlement reflects DEA’s commitment to keep Americans safe and holding companies like EHSI accountable.”
“The sentencing in this case demonstrates the level of commitment FDA shares with our Department of Justice colleagues to address the opioid overdose crisis in the United States,” said Associate Commissioner Michael Rogers of FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. “ENDO Health Solutions did not provide accurate information about the safety and abuse potential of their product, putting patients at additional risk of abuse and addiction. Such conduct undermines the agency’s public health mission and will not be tolerated. We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who knowingly endanger the nation’s public health.”
“The opioid epidemic is a plague on our country,” said Inspector General Robert P. Storch for the Department of Defense (DoD). “Our warfighters and their families sacrifice greatly for us, and we owe them a quality healthcare system free from corrupt corporate practices such as the ones perpetrated by this company. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice and the investigative team from the DoD OIG’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their tenacious pursuit of justice in this case. This settlement sends a clear message to companies who place profits above the health and welfare of our warfighters, their families, and our retirees.”
“Today’s sentencing holds the defendants accountable for their role in the long-term deceptive practice of making false statements related to the safety of the opioids they were marketing,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “The VA Office of Inspector General thanks the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this joint investigation.”
“The successful resolution of this case is a testament to the professionalism and teamwork displayed by our agents, our fellow investigative agencies, and the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Inspector General Kevin H. Winters for Amtrak. “We remain committed to protecting Amtrak employees, retirees, and their families by investigating any acts that could put them at risk, such as the misbranding of potentially dangerous drugs.”
“Through extensive false advertising efforts to conceal oxymorphone’s deleterious effects, Endo Health Solutions Inc. EHSI demonstrated a callous disregard for the safety and well-being of the people who were prescribed this highly addictive drug,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “But thanks to the hard work of our partners including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Veteran’s Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, we are holding EHSI responsible for their significant contribution to the opioid epidemic.”
“Putting people first is at the core of our mission and our agency will continue to be relentless in investigating companies that endanger people in order to boost profits through aggressive, unlawful marketing and misbranding of products,” said Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our partners across several agencies, HHS-OIG remains committed to protecting federal health care programs and the health and safety of people served by those programs.”
In pleading guilty, EHSI admitted that certain sales managers were aware that the sales representatives were making claims of purported abuse deterrence, tamper resistance and/or crush resistance when marketing Opana ER to prescribers, and that certain sales representatives were striking non-medicated sample pills with hammers and conducting other demonstrations to convey the message that Opana ER was, in fact, crush proof and tamper resistant. The approved labeling for Opana ER did not provide adequate information for healthcare providers to safely prescribe Opana ER for use as an opioid that is abuse deterrent. According to the plea agreement, EHSI was responsible for the misbranding of Opana ER by marketing the drug with a label that failed to include adequate directions for its claimed abuse deterrence use, in violation of the FDCA.
EHSI withdrew Opana ER from the market in 2017.
The FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, FDA-OCI, VA-OIG, OPM-OIG, DCIS and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General conducted the criminal investigation.
Assistant Director Gabriel H. Scannapieco and Trial Attorneys Ben Cornfeld, Brant Cook, Tara M. Shinnick and Colin Trundle of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
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).
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Remote video URL
The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities.
“There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.”
“The FBI remains unwavering in our pledge to work with our law enforcement partners to address the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities and families,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to prioritize our support of victims and will steadfastly pursue investigations into the crime impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”
“DEA’s top priority is protecting all communities from deadly drugs, like fentanyl, and drug related violent crime,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases
Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions are the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
U.S. Attorneys and MMIP personnel engaged in events with Tribal and law enforcement partners, communities, and stakeholders today across the United States, and will continue to do so in the days to come.
The MMIP Regional Outreach Program dedicates five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to U.S. Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement, and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues.
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
Not Invisible Act Commission Response
The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-Department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC)’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crises. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States.
The Department is in the process of implementing its response now, addressing several areas in the near term, including:
- Improving coordination, funding, and operations of efforts to combat MMIP and human trafficking;
- Enhancing research to better trace the underlying causes of MMIP and human trafficking, to reduce barriers to accessing resources, and to identify data sharing opportunities with healthcare systems;
- Improving access to funding aligned with Tribes’ needs;
- Developing guidance on the effective use of the media and social media to engage the public when someone is reported missing;
- Improving communications with families of victims or missing people; and
- Working with a multi-jurisdictional working group to address factors that lead people, particularly young people, to voluntarily go missing.
Addressing Violent Crime and the Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country
As noted in the joint response to the NIAC, research suggests that certain public safety challenges faced by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities — including disproportionate violence against women, families, and children; substance use; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking — can influence the rates of missing American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Further, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian county, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceeds the national rate.
Therefore, federal law enforcement components are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with federal and Tribal law enforcement partners to address violent crime and the fentanyl crisis, which exposes already vulnerable communities to greater harm. For instance:
- In January, the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska announced that 53 people were charged following an investigation by a multi-jurisdictional task force into a transnational organized crime ring that targeted Alaska, allegedly trafficking kilograms of deadly drugs including fentanyl to rural Alaska Native communities and villages like Goodnews Bay and Tyonek, two communities with populations of under 200 people.
- Last year, the Justice Department increased funding to the FBI Safe Trails Task Forces to build on the success they have had in bringing together agencies, including Tribal police departments, to combat public safety threats, violent crime, and drug trafficking. The FBI has increased its investigative resources in some of the Indian Country field offices that were in most need of personnel.
- Last year, the FBI undertook Operation Not Forgotten, which surged more than 40 personnel, including agents, intelligence analysts, tactical specialists, and victim specialists, to 10 field offices, where they were able to supplement more than 200 pending investigations related to violence against indigenous women and children, with a focus on homicide, serious bodily injury, and physical and sexual child abuse. To date, there have been seven successful indictments. Special Agents identified four previously unidentified child victims and recovered one child victim. Numerous other cases were referred for federal or Tribal prosecutions based on these efforts.
- This year, the DEA has established liaisons with each of the FBI-led Safe Trails Task Forces. In addition, DEA is expanding Operation Overdrive to include partnering with Tribal law enforcement and community outreach specialists to reduce the harm caused by drugs and drug-related violence. Operation Overdrive utilizes a data-driven approach to identify hot spots of drug-related violence and drug-poisoning deaths across the country, in order to concentrate resources where criminal drug networks are causing the most harm. DEA’s Operation Engage has facilitated programs for Tribal youth, focusing on increasing drug prevention and awareness.
- This coming August, the DEA will be holding their 7th annual training in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on drug enforcement in Tribal communities. This upcoming training will include a specific focus on fentanyl and certifying meeting participants in administering Narcan.
- The U.S. Marshals Service has developed a legislative proposal to formalize its role in enforcing Tribal violent felony arrest warrants that would expand a pilot launched last year where the Marshals served Tribal warrants at the request of, and in close coordination with, Tribal law enforcement and the Department’s Office of Tribal Justice. This effort has successfully targeted extremely dangerous offenders.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently assigned a Special Agent/Certified Fire Investigator to the MMIP Initiative to conduct case reviews for each of the five regions. ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Identification Network (NIBIN) and Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGIC) are used as an investigative resource for MMIP cases involving the criminal use of a firearm.
- In addition to coordinating our enforcement efforts, the Justice Department is also focused on supporting education and awareness efforts, as well as prevention, treatment, and recovery. The Bureau of Justice Assistance has provided training sessions for Tribal law enforcement, judges, and public safety personnel on our shared work to address fentanyl poisoning, including on the use of Narcan for fentanyl overdoses.
Accessing Justice Department Resources
Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.
For additional information about the Justice Department’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the MMIP section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Miami-Dade County, Florida, Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today to permanently bar Dieuseul Jean-Louis, both individually and doing business as DJL Multiservices, from preparing federal tax returns for others. The United States also seeks an order requiring Jean-Louis disgorge to the United States his ill-gotten preparation fees.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that Jean-Louis prepared over 2,000 federal income tax returns from 2019 through 2023 that intentionally understated customers’ tax liabilities and overstated the refunds to which they were entitled. According to the complaint, Jean-Louis used a variety of schemes claim false deductions and credits, including falsifying itemized deductions, knowingly reporting fake or inflated business expenses and fraudulently claiming various credits like the Fuel Tax Credit and American Opportunity Credit, all without customers’ knowledge. The complaint alleges that Jean-Louis falsified customers’ income and filing statuses to increase the amount of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
The complaint also asserts that Jean-Louis furnished to customers copies of returns that are different from those filed with the IRS, where the returns filed with the IRS claim a higher refund. Jean-Louis allegedly retained the additional refunds for himself without the customers’ knowledge.
According to the complaint, the United States has been harmed by Jean-Louis’s conduct, resulting in the significant loss in tax revenue of more than $2.3 million for the 2021 and 2022 tax years alone.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against dishonest 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 guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer.
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.
Jean-Louis Complaint.pdfInterpol Washington Hosts International Law Enforcement SymposiumRead the Press Release
Yesterday, INTERPOL Washington hosted an international law enforcement breakfast symposium, featuring representatives from more than 30 different countries and dozens of agencies, to discuss enhancing global police partnerships against transnational threats and terrorism. The event, held at INTERPOL Washington headquarters in DC and cohosted with the International Law Enforcement Association (ILEA) and Liaison Officers Association (LOA), brought together law enforcement leaders for critical operational updates and briefings on their collaborative successes with police partners across the world.
“Our communities, both in the United States and across the globe, face unprecedented transnational threats each and every day,” said INTERPOL Washington Director Michael A. Hughes in his remarks. “The only way to defeat these threats is through transnational partnerships. Those partnerships are what we continue to build and strengthen here today, because we know that working together, we can make a difference.”
“As we gather to celebrate and reflect upon our collective successes in international law enforcement, it is imperative to recognize the critical role that everyone in this room plays in safeguarding our communities here in America and all over the world every day,” said INTERPOL Washington Deputy Director Jeffrey Grimming in his remarks. “Your continued cooperation and collaboration helps catch the world’s most dangerous fugitives, helps reunite families, helps bring closure to cold cases, and disrupts the most heinous organizations and plots.”
Patrick Stevens, Chair of ILEA, and John S. Warren, Vice Chair of LOA, also addressed the audience, providing examples of tangible successes thanks to international police partnerships. They underscored the significance of both bilateral and multilateral police cooperation and highlighted their equal importance and symbiotic relationship in fostering success stories worldwide.
INTERPOL Washington hosts these types of symposiums and events to underscore the importance of international police cooperation in combating global crime and ensuring the safety and security of citizens worldwide. Through shared intelligence, resources, and expertise, law enforcement agencies from different nations are able to effectively address transnational threats and uphold the rule of law on a global scale. Events like this symposium serve as vital platforms for fostering relationships, exchanging best practices, and strengthening partnerships among law enforcement agencies worldwide. Together, united in purpose and determination, the international law enforcement community remains committed to confronting evolving threats and protecting the well-being of people everywhere.
Sixth Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to International Fraud Scheme that Defrauded Elderly U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
A sixth Nigerian national pleaded guilty to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States.
According to court documents, Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Ezemma and his co-conspirators told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Ezemma and his co-conspirators collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Ezemma admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
“The Justice Department's Consumer Protection Branch will pursue, prosecute and secure the convictions of transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank our law enforcement partners at the Postal Inspection Service, at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and abroad for their tireless efforts to find and arrest those responsible for these crimes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and U.S. law enforcement will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners across the globe to bring to justice criminals who attempt to defraud U.S. victims.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “This guilty plea is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, HSI, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, to protect our citizens from these scams.”
“Fraudsters like this individual proved to be unethical by ruthlessly targeting the elderly in the name of greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of HSI Arizona. “This case like many others, demonstrates the power of agencies working together to protect senior citizens from thieves like this defendant.
On May 2, Ezemma pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Ezemma is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams on July 22. Ezemma faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. With Ezemma’s guilty plea today, all six defendants charged in the indictment have now been convicted for participating in this scheme.
Five other defendants have already been convicted and sentenced by Judge Williams in connection with this scheme. On Nov. 1, 2023, the court sentenced Ezennia Peter Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, to 128 months in prison. On Oct. 20, 2023, Kennedy Ikponmwosa was sentenced to 97 months in prison. Three other defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. Emmanuel Samuel, Jerry Chucks Ozor and Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham were sentenced to 82 months, 87 months and 90 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme.
USPIS, HSI and the Consumer Protection Branch are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and authorities from the UK, Spain and Portugal all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is 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, is staffed by experienced professionals who 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 its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC 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.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Operating an Illegal Gambling Business and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to tax evasion, operating an illegal gambling business and two counts of money laundering associated with his ownership and operation of illegal gambling businesses in Northeast Ohio.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2009 through 2022, Steven Saris owned and operated multiple illegal gambling businesses in Northeast Ohio including Café 62, Lucky’s, Winner’s World and Spin City. He also owned and operated such businesses in Springfield, Ohio, and throughout Florida. Saris concealed his involvement in these businesses by arranging for others to serve as nominee owners.
For tax year 2015, Saris filed a false tax return that did not report more than $1.4 million in income he received from his gambling businesses. For tax years 2016 through 2021, Saris did not file tax returns or pay all the tax that he owed despite earning more than $8.5 million in income from his gambling businesses. During that time, Saris made only two nominal payments in 2018 when he filed an application for an extension of time to file his 2017 return. Saris used his proceeds from the illegal gambling businesses to gamble millions at legal casinos and to acquire and renovate at least two residential properties located in Canton, Ohio.
Saris’ conduct caused a tax loss to the IRS of $2,823,391.
In July 2018, law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple illegal gambling businesses and associated locations in Northeast Ohio. Following those search warrants, Saris made false statements to law enforcement. At the same time he was making false statements to law enforcement, Saris continued operating the illegal gambling businesses in Ohio and did not disclose these operations to law enforcement. In August 2022, law enforcement executed a court authorized search warrant at Saris’ residence and for his cell phone. Upon being told of the search warrant for his phone, Saris told law enforcement that he did not know the location of his cell phone. Law enforcement recovered Saris’ cell phone from the water tank of a bathroom toilet in Saris’ residence.
Sentencing for Saris is scheduled for Aug. 8. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the counts of money laundering and five years in prison for both tax evasion and for operating an illegal gambling business. Saris also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. 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 Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, Ohio Casino Control Commission and Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission-Major Crimes Task Force investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Sam Bean and Hayter Whitman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
United States Files Forfeiture Action Against $1.55 Million Aircraft Landing GearRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today filed a forfeiture complaint against a set of aircraft landing gear for a Boeing 737-800 that was detained in September 2023 at Miami International Airport by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The gear was purchased for the benefit of a Kyrgyz Republic-based transhipper of dual-use items servicing the Russian Federation, in violation of U.S. economic sanctions.
According to court documents, the landing gear had been sold in June 2023 by a Florida-based aircraft parts overhauler and reseller for $1.55 million to an intermediary in Istanbul, GQ Solution Elektronik Ekipman Limited Sirketi.
Concurrent with today’s action, the State Department announced new sanctions against entities engaged in Russia’s technology sector, including GQ Solution Elektronik Ekipman Limited Sirketi in connection with the company’s supplying of electronic components to Russia-based companies.
In July 2023, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated LLC RM Design and Development (RMDD) as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for operating in the electronics sector of the Russian Federation economy. According to OFAC, RMDD was established in March 2022, less than one month following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. OFAC has described RMDD as a “prolific shipper of dual-use goods to Russia, including to firms that have supplied electronics to Russia-based defense companies.” As a result of RMDD’s designation as an SDN, all property and interests in property of RMDD that are in the United States are blocked.
On July 25, 2023, five days after being designated as an SDN by OFAC, RMDD sent an email asking HML Aviation to “switch [the purchase] fully to our partners GQ Solution.” After the email, all mentions of RMDD were scrubbed from invoices for the landing gear.
On Aug. 29, 2023, GQ Solution completed HML Aviation’s End Use/End User Certification form. Among the items included in the form are statements that GQ Solution “will not export or re-export U.S. products, technology or software… to any restricted country unless otherwise authorized by the United States Government.”
On Sept. 1, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) alerted the shipper that it had detained the landing gear shipment at the airport in Miami.
This forfeiture action is a product of the U.S. government’s coordinated effort to enforce U.S. sanctions and export controls against the Russian Federation following the invasion of Ukraine. The forfeiture complaint detailed here is merely an allegation.
HSI Colorado Springs and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security are leading the larger investigation into Russian Federation attempts to avoid U.S. sanctions and export controls.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor Mulroe and Rick Blaylock Jr. for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating 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.
The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
Readout of Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Meeting with Jewish Community StakeholdersRead the Press Release
Marking the first day of Jewish American Heritage Month, the Justice Department convened an interagency meeting with Jewish community stakeholders. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland spoke with those at the meeting and underscored the Department’s commitment to addressing antisemitic hate crimes. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division outlined the enforcement efforts across the Department and highlighted actions to prevent and combat hate crimes.
Department leadership, including representatives from the Civil Rights Division, FBI, Community Relations Service, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties, and Community Oriented Policing Service heard from attending organizations on antisemitic hate crimes and reporting, safety on campuses and in schools, the intersection of antisemitism and democracy and discrimination in employment. Representatives from other federal government agencies were also in attendance, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Homeland Security.
This convening occurred alongside a precipitous increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish communities across the country, and many Jewish communities expressing fear for their peace and safety.
Combating hate crimes and incidents is among the Department’s top priorities. Today’s meeting represents the Department’s latest efforts to engage with organizations and stakeholders on issues affecting the Jewish community. In March, the Department hosted a community safety briefing for Jewish community stakeholders, during which the Department released resource documents designed to help the public better understand federal civil rights laws, including laws that prohibit violence and discrimination on the basis of religion and national origin, and protections afforded by Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLIUPA) local land use decisions.
The Department has also continued to prosecute antisemitic hate crimes, including recent cases involving a former Cornell University student who issued threats to kill or injure Jewish students on campus; a California man who firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic in Southern California and had planned home invasions of Jewish homes in Los Angeles; a California rideshare driver charged with a federal hate crime for an assault on a passenger who he perceived to be Jewish or Israeli; and an Oregon man charged with hate crimes for defacing a synagogue in Eugene.
If you believe that you or someone else experienced religious or national origin discrimination, report a civil rights violation online at civilrights.justice.gov. If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov. Learn more about the Department’s work on hate crimes here.
Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Health and Human Services Extend Comment Period on Public Inquiry into Impact of Corporate Ownership Trend in Health CareRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Health and Human Services are extending the comment period for the Request for Information on Consolidation in Health Care Markets (RFI) by 30 days. The new deadline is June 5.
In March, the agencies issued the RFI to understand how health care mergers, acquisitions and other transactions may decrease the number of firms competing to provide health care products or services. Increased firm consolidation may threaten patients’ health, workers’ safety, quality of care and affordability.
The RFI requests public comment on transactions by health systems, private payers, private equity funds and other alternative asset managers. The agencies want to know more about these types of transactions in the health care industry, which involve direct or indirect providers, services or products. The RFI also seeks information about health care transactions with dollar amounts that are not large enough to require submission to the Justice Department or FTC for review.
The public can submit comments at Regulations.gov. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov. The comment period was originally set to end on May 6.
U.S. Trustee Program Obtains Sanctions Against Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys Involved in Real Estate SchemesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently brought enforcement actions against two consumer bankruptcy attorneys who hid their involvement in schemes to acquire their clients’ homes.
On Feb. 20, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California entered a stipulated judgment permanently barring attorney David Speckman from representing clients in bankruptcy cases in the district. Speckman also agreed to pay a fine of $3,500 in the stipulated judgment, which resolved an adversary complaint by the U.S. Trustee’s San Diego office.
And the Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia entered an order on April 5 prohibiting Stanley Kakol and his law firm from filing any new bankruptcy cases in the district for one year. The court’s order, which granted a motion for sanctions by the U.S. Trustee’s Atlanta office, also permanently barred Kakol from filing any bankruptcy case where he would be paid by a party other than the debtor.
“Consumers who have fallen on hard times rely on their attorneys to help navigate the way to a fresh start,” said Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “Attorneys who abuse this trust for their own gain have no place in bankruptcy court.”
In the California case, Speckman failed to disclose property transfers and other transactions involving his clients and Prado Investments LLC, a company owned by Speckman’s wife. Among other things, Speckman drafted agreements for two debtor clients to sell their homes to Prado during their chapter 13 bankruptcies without seeking court authorization and filed several false and misleading documents with the court that failed to disclose the transfers. In another chapter 13 case, Speckman failed to list his client’s debt to Prado and failed to identify Prado as the junior lienholder on the debtor’s home. In the stipulation, Speckman agreed that his conduct violated the Bankruptcy Code, federal and local rules of bankruptcy procedure and California attorney ethical rules.
Kakol, the attorney in Georgia, filed two skeletal chapter 13 petitions for an 80-year-old widower at the behest of CMNC Homes LLC, which paid Kakol’s fees. The petitions were intended to delay a foreclosure on the debtor’s home and allow CMNC to complete a purchase of the home for well below market value. The property went into foreclosure after the debtor’s wife died, triggering a default on a reverse mortgage on which the wife was the sole borrower. After the second bankruptcy case was dismissed, the debtor’s family contacted a legal aid attorney who helped the debtor remain in the home through a federal program for non-borrowing spouses of deceased borrowers. In its order imposing filing restrictions, the bankruptcy court noted Kakol’s history of disciplinary action for similar misconduct in other cases including failure to properly disclose his compensation, failure to verify debtors’ signatures on bankruptcy paperwork and inadequate representation. The bankruptcy court has opened a separate proceeding to address at least 17 similar cases in which Kakol took payment from CMNC.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An Ohio man was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2016 through 2022, Christopher Karasarides conspired with his father, Christos Karasarides Jr., to defraud the United States by helping his father conceal assets from the IRS. Christos Karasarides, who was convicted by a jury in January for related tax crimes, owed the IRS millions of dollars that it was trying to collect. To thwart those efforts, Christopher helped his father hide assets from the IRS by storing $239,000 of his father’s cash in a safety deposit box in Christopher’s name. Christopher also served as a nominee owner for his father’s businesses, signed and delivered false promissory notes and filed false tax returns.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent for the Northern District of Ohio ordered Christopher Karasarides to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1.5 million in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, Ohio Casino Control Commission and Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission-Major Crimes Task Force investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Sam Bean and Hayter Whitman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CARLOS GUILLEN (“GUILLEN”), age 38, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B) and 841(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, on or about August 16, 2023, in New Orleans, GUILLEN sold Fentanyl to undercover special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced GUILLEN to serve 30 months in prison, to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release. Chief Judge Brown also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives on this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Maryland Assisted Living Facility to Resolve Claims of Employment DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc. (Sunrise Senior Living), which operates the Sunrise at Fox Hill location in Bethesda, Maryland. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Sunrise Senior Living violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a worker granted asylum when checking whether she had ongoing permission to work.
“The Justice Department will continue to hold employers accountable for unlawfully discriminating against workers because of citizenship, immigration status or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers that discriminate against workers by rejecting their valid documents or requiring that they show unnecessary documents to prove they can continue to work violate federal law.”
After opening an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Sunrise Senior Living discriminated against a worker granted asylum by rejecting the valid document she provided and unnecessarily demanding a different immigration document to prove she could continue to work in the United States. When she failed to provide that, Sunrise Senior Living placed her on indefinite unpaid administrative leave, according to IER. Federal law allows workers to choose which legally acceptable documentation to provide that verifies their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Employers cannotdemand more documents than are necessary or specify documentation they prefer to see as part of this process.
Under the agreement, Sunrise Senior Living will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its human resources staff on the INA’s requirements and be subject to department monitoring. Sunrise Senior Living previously removed the worker from indefinite unpaid leave and paid her lost wages, after the worker called IER’s worker hotline and requested assistance in addressing the situation. Each year, IER assists hundreds of workers whose employers are preventing them from working due to unnecessary document demands or rejections of valid work documentation.
IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.