District Not Recorded

The Department of Justice announced today that the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has fully implemented its settlement agreement with the United States to stop the unlawful placement of students with disabilities in PDE’s statewide system of alternative education programs, known as Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY), and to ensure equal educational opportunities for English learner students in AEDY.

“No student should be excluded from the chance to learn because of a disability or language barrier,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under this agreement, Pennsylvania has laid the groundwork for lasting change and advanced the crucial goal of educational equity for students with disabilities and English learner students. We commend state officials for working with the Department of Justice to ensure students with disabilities and English learners receive the legally required support they need to participate equally in schools.”

“Federal law does not allow schools to discipline students because of their disability, or to deprive them of an opportunity to learn English,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “I commend PDE for abiding by the agreement and ensuring that students with disabilities and English learners are not prevented from learning opportunities afforded to other students.”

“Pennsylvania has taken substantial steps to ensure that children are not placed in an alternative disciplinary program simply because they have a disability,” said U.S. Attorney John Gurganus for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “We congratulate the Commonwealth for implementing numerous changes to improve the education of children with disabilities and provide opportunities to English learners.”

“We recognize and appreciate that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has demonstrated a commitment to implement its settlement agreement by enacting reforms which ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn,” said U.S. Attorney Cindy Chung for the Western District of Pennsylvania. 

The settlement agreement resolved a Justice Department investigation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits state and local government entities, including public schools, from discriminating based on disability. The agreement also addressed noncompliance with the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, which prohibits a state from denying equal educational opportunity based on national origin by failing to take appropriate action to overcome language barriers faced by students.

The investigation was initiated following a complaint by the Education Law Center, and was conducted jointly by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and all three U.S.  Attorneys’ Offices in Pennsylvania.  

Under the settlement agreement, PDE implemented new monitoring systems to help ensure that students are not placed in AEDY in a manner that discriminates based on disability; that they are not denied equal educational opportunities; and that students with disabilities are transferred back to their home schools in a timely manner. Specifically, actions required by the settlement agreement included:

• Investigating, and in some cases closing, AEDY programs based on complaints and other information about the mistreatment of students in those programs;
• Providing technical assistance to AEDY programs to implement evidence-based approaches to improve school climate;
• Developing new trainings for school district and AEDY program staff to ensure that students are not placed in AEDY for disability-related behaviors;
• Implementing evidence-based interventions to keep students in general education settings;
• Developing new data collection tools and analyses to monitor AEDY programs and school districts for disproportionate placement of students in AEDY based on disability; and
• Creating corrective action plans when appropriate.

PDE coordinated with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network, which provided important assistance in effectively implementing the agreement and to supporting students across Pennsylvania. PDE also implemented measures to ensure English learner students receive appropriate language assistance services in AEDY. After monitoring PDE’s compliance with the agreement, the United States determined that PDE was in substantial compliance. As a result, monitoring ended on May 31, 2022.

Protecting the rights of students with disabilities and English learners to inclusion and equal educational opportunities is a top priority of the Justice Department. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.

Darrell Taylor, 32, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, for using unlawful force against a pretrial detainee while Taylor was an officer at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen for the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

Today’s indictment charges Taylor with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. The indictment alleges that Taylor used unreasonable force when he assaulted pretrial detainee B.R., resulting in bodily injury to B.R., including a broken jaw.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky, and Special Litigation Counsel Sam Trepel and Trial Attorney Andrew Manns of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

A former Congressional candidate pleaded guilty today for using COVID-19 relief funds for personal expenditures and for falsifying records to conceal thousands of dollars of in-kind contributions by employees in a report to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). 

According to court documents, in 2020, Nicholas Jones, 36, of Boise, Idaho, a small business owner, applied for and received COVID-19 relief funds, including through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), totaling $753,600. Despite certifying that these funds would only be used for business-related expenditures, Jones used a significant portion of the funds for personal expenses, including car payments, life insurance policies, and political advertisements. 

In 2020, Jones ran as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. Jones told employees of his small business that they could continue to be paid their normal wages if they worked on his congressional campaign. Employees reported to work on behalf of Jones’s congressional campaign and were paid thousands of dollars in wages through Jones’s small business including, in part, with funds Jones had received as part of a PPP loan. After losing the primary election, Jones caused his campaign committee to file a campaign finance report with the FEC, which omitted any in-kind contributions from any entity or individual other than Jones, including the thousands of dollars of in-kind contributions to his campaign in the form of employee time and work. 

Jones pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court of Idaho to wire fraud and falsification of records. Jones will be sentenced at a later date. Jones faces a maximum total penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., for the District of Idaho; and Special Agent in Charge Dennis Rice of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Rosaleen O’Gara and Nicole Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.

A Florida woman pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return with the IRS, whereby she obtained a refund she was not entitled to receive.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Rebecca Cyphers, 65, of Winter Springs, participated in and helped facilitate a nationwide tax fraud scheme. As part of the scheme, individuals prepared and assisted in the filing of tax returns for scheme participants, such as Cyphers, falsely claiming banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax from the participants that entitled them to a refund. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to or withheld any taxes from these individuals.

As part of her plea, Cyphers admitted she filed a false 2013 amended income tax return claiming a refund she was not entitled to receive. As a result, the IRS issued her a refund of approximately $240,000. Cyphers then obstructed the IRS’s efforts to recover this ill-gotten refund by transferring funds into a trust, making a large cash withdrawal from the refund deposit and sending frivolous correspondence to the IRS. Cyphers also admitted to helping others promote the tax fraud scheme and recruit additional participants, even though she knew the scheme was illegal.

In March, the main promoter of the fraud scheme, Iran Backstrom, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison, and Backstrom’s second-in-command, Mehef Bey, was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Another individual, Aaron Aqueron, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for recruiting clients to the scheme and providing information to another co-conspirator for use in the preparation of false tax returns.

Cyphers is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. She also faces a period of supervised release, monetary penalties and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Isaiah Boyd III of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted a Texas pharmacist on May 27 for unlawfully distributing controlled substances from a now-shuttered Houston pharmacy.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Hieu “Tom” Truong, 58, of Houston, was the pharmacist-in-charge of S&S Pharmacy in Houston. In just 18 months, Truong and his co-conspirators unlawfully distributed over 750,000 doses of controlled substances, including over 500,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills. Trial evidence showed that S&S Pharmacy unlawfully dispensed controlled substances in bulk for cash, based on forged or stolen prescriptions brought in by street-level drug dealers.

Truong was convicted of three counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances. He faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 3.

To date, seven other co-conspirators, including the owner and manager of the pharmacy, have pleaded guilty to unlawfully distributing controlled substances.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Houston Division made the announcement.

DEA Houston investigated the case, with assistance from the Conroe Police Department, Houston Police Department, and Harris County Constables Office.

Trial Attorneys Devon Helfmeyer, Courtney Chester, and Andrew Tamayo of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine Rollinson for the Southern District of Texas is handling forfeiture.

The United States filed a civil injunction suit to permanently bar Jason Elias Briley; Roxann Ladawn Johnson fka Roxann Ladawn Ellis; Alexander McKenzie; Courtney Jones; Derek Brooks; Deanna McKenzie; Erbia Lewis; Patrick McKenzie and JRC Elite Tax Solutions LLC dba Elite Tax Solutions from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The complaint also requests that the court require the defendants to disgorge the fees they obtained by preparing false and fraudulent tax returns.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, alleges that these tax return preparers prepared more than 1,300 returns in 2021 and over 3,100 returns in 2022. According to the complaint, Briley and the others prepared returns that falsely claimed over $53 million in credits and refunds intended to provide COVID-19 related relief for self-employed individuals.

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’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. (More information can also be found here.) The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2022.

In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $73,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.

In the past decade, the 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 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.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Sutherland Management Company d/b/a McDonald’s, a California-based franchisee operating four McDonald’s locations in the San Diego area. The settlement resolves claims that the company discriminated against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States. 

“Under federal law, employers may not discriminate by asking workers for more documents than necessary, or specific documents, to prove their permission to work because of their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “Employees have the right — U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens alike — to choose which valid, acceptable documentation they wish to present to prove their permission to work. The Civil Rights Division will continue to fight unlawful workplace discrimination on the basis of citizenship, immigration status and national origin. We look forward to working with Sutherland Management Company to secure compliance with this settlement and applicable federal law.”

The department’s investigation began after a non-U.S. citizen complained that Sutherland Management Company refused to accept his valid documentation proving his permission to work and demanded a different document from him. The department’s investigation revealed that the company routinely discriminated against non-U.S. citizens, primarily lawful permanent residents, by asking them to present specific, Department of Homeland Security-issued documents to prove their permission to work in the United States. The investigation also revealed that Sutherland Management Company refused to allow the worker who complained to begin working until he presented the unnecessary documentation. Under federal law, all employees have the right to choose which valid documentation they wish to present when demonstrating that they have permission to work in the United States.

The Immigration and Nationality Act’s (INA) anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for more documents than necessary — or specifying the type of documentation a worker should present — to prove their permission to work, because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin.

Under the settlement, Sutherland Management Company will pay $40,000 in civil penalties to the United States, pay backpay for lost wages to the worker who complained, review and revise their employment policies to comply with the anti-discrimination provision of the INA, and train its employees who are responsible for verifying workers’ permission to work in the United States. 

The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. 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. 

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 to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER. View the Spanish translation of this press release here.

An indictment was returned today by a federal grand jury in New Jersey, charging the former chief executive officer of a publicly-traded health care company (referred to in the indictment as Company-1) with two counts of securities fraud for his alleged participation in a scheme to mislead investors about Company-1’s procurement of COVID-19 rapid test kits in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to court documents, Marc Schessel, 62, of Greenwich, Connecticut, caused Company-1 to issue multiple public statements claiming that Company-1 was buying and reselling at least 48 million COVID-19 test kits, despite knowing that such statements were false and misleading. Specifically, in early April 2020, Schessel executed a supply agreement with an Australian company (the Supply Company) to obtain two million COVID-19 test kits per week for six months beginning on April 24, 2020. The agreement was based on the Supply Company’s representations that it had the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) permission to distribute COVID-19 tests in the United States and was already distributing COVID-19 tests. Contemporaneously, Schessel received a purchase order from a U.S.-based company that planned to purchase the weekly shipments of two million COVID-19 test kits from Company-1.

Despite learning new information on or about April 11, 2020, that called into question whether the Supply Company had COVID-19 tests to sell to Company-1 that could be distributed in the United States, Schessel caused Company-1 to issue a press release on April 13, 2020, in which it announced the purchase order for 48 million COVID-19 rapid test kits. Following this press release, Schessel received additional information that further called into question Company-1’s arrangements for the COVID-19 test kits. Despite learning facts that cast significant doubt on the status of the COVID-19 test kit deals, Schessel repeatedly confirmed the status and terms of those arrangements on numerous occasions between approximately April 13, 2020, and April 17, 2020. In the wake of these announcements, Company-1’s share price surged, rising by over 400%, from approximately $2.25 to an intraday high of $14.88. As a result of this scheme, investors lost at least $116 million.

“Schessel allegedly took advantage of the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to scam investors and manipulate the market,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s indictment reinforces our commitment to rooting out schemes that have exploited the pandemic and holding accountable those who have prioritized greed during an unprecedented public health emergency.”

“As alleged in the indictment, Marc Schessel exploited the scarcity of COVID-19 tests at the outset of the pandemic to defraud investors and artificially increase his company’s stock price,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “His alleged fraud cost investors millions of dollars in losses.” 

“It is unacceptable to fraudulently capitalize on a national health emergency,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI, in tandem with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate anyone who undermines public safety and will bring those who commit fraud to justice.”

Schessel is charged with two counts of securities fraud. If convicted, he faces a total maximum penalty of up to 45 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s Newark Division is investigating the case.

Acting Principal Assistant Chief Justin Weitz and Trial Attorneys Lucy Jennings and Spencer Ryan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Repole and Sean Sherman for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System (VNS) to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing [email protected]. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Sutherland Management Company, cuyo nombre comercial es McDonald’s, un franquiciado radicado en California que opera cuatro locales de McDonald’s por la zona de San Diego. El acuerdo resuelve unas acusaciones de que la compañía había discriminado a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. a la hora de comprobar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. 

 

«Según las leyes federales, los empleadores no pueden discriminar a los trabajadores y pedirles más documentos de los que sean necesarios o pedirles documentos específicos, para probar que tienen permiso para trabajar, debido a su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal Federal Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles. «Los empleados –tanto ciudadanos de los EE. UU. como no ciudadanos de los EE. UU– tienen el derecho a elegir los documentos válidos y aceptables que desean presentar para probar que tienen permiso para trabajar. «La División de Derechos Civiles seguirá luchando contra la discriminación ilícita por motivos de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. Aguardamos con interés la colaboración de Sutherland Management Company para asegurar el cumplimiento con este acuerdo y las leyes federales pertinentes».

 

La investigación del Departamento comenzó después de que un no ciudadano de los EE. UU. se quejó de que Sutherland Management Company se había negado a aceptar su documentación válida que demostraba su permiso para trabajar y exigía que les facilitara otro documento. La investigación del Departamento reveló que, de forma habitual, la compañía discriminaba a trabajadores no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., principalmente a residentes permanentes legales, al pedirles que presentasen documentos específicos expedidos por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional para demostrar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. Por otra parte, la investigación reveló que Sutherland Management Company se negó a permitir que el trabajador que se había quejado comenzara a trabajar hasta no presentar la documentación necesaria. Según las leyes federales, todo empleado tiene el derecho a elegir la documentación válida que desea presentar para demostrar que cuenta con permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos.

 

La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) prohíbe que los empleadores pidan más documentos de los que sean necesarios –o que especifiquen el tipo de documentación que un trabajador debe presentar– para demostrar su permiso para trabajar, debido a la ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen del trabajador.

 

Conforme el acuerdo, Sutherland Management Company pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos que asciende a $40,000, emitirá pagos retroactivos al trabajador que se había quejado por concepto de salario perdido, revisará sus políticas de empleo para garantizar el cumplimiento de las mismas con la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA y capacitará a sus empleados que sean responsables de verificar el permiso de los trabajadores para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. 

 

La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.   

 

Para aprender más sobre la labor de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda, vea este vídeo corto. Aprenda más 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 estatus migratorio, ciudadanía 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 o español. Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery.

The U.S. Department of Justice today released the following statement from spokesman Anthony Coley:

“At the request of Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin, the U.S. Department of Justice will conduct a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24. 

“The goal of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events. The review will be conducted with the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing.

“As with prior Justice Department after-action reviews of mass shootings and other critical incidents, this assessment will be fair, transparent, and independent. The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings at the conclusion of its review.”

Three federal correctional officers — two officers and a lieutenant — have been indicted by a federal grand jury in London, Kentucky, for their respective roles in assaults against two inmates and subsequent cover-ups, announced Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge William J. Hannah of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s Chicago Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of FBI Louisville. 

Officers Samuel Patrick, 41, and Clinton Pauley, 40, were indicted for assaulting one inmate and attempting to cover it up, and Lieutenant Kevin Pearce, 37, was also indicted for helping cover up that assault. Officer Pauley was also charged with assaulting a second inmate and attempting to cover up that assault.

The indictment alleges that, on April 29, 2021, defendants Patrick and Pauley, who were officers at the U.S. Penitentiary-Big Sandy, physically assaulted an inmate, identified in the indictment as C.T., violating that inmate’s constitutional rights. The indictment also alleges that the assault resulted in bodily injury, and that defendants Patrick and Pauley, as well as a supervisory officer, Lieutenant Pearce, attempted to cover up the assault by writing false reports. The indictment also charges defendants Patrick and Pearce with witness tampering based on their efforts to pressure a fellow correctional officer to write an untruthful report that omitted the assault.

The indictment further alleges that, on March 26, 2021, defendant Pauley physically assaulted a different inmate, identified in the indictment as N.D., who was being escorted away from the prison’s lieutenants’ office at Big Sandy, and that the assault resulted in bodily injury. The indictment also charges that defendant Pauley attempted to cover up the assault of N.D. by writing a false report.

The maximum penalties for the charged crimes are 10 years of imprisonment for the assault offenses, and 20 years of imprisonment for each of the witness tampering and false report offenses.

The Office of the Inspector General and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Dembo for the Eastern District of Kentucky is prosecuting the case in partnership with Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division. 

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The operators of a Key West, Florida, labor staffing company were sentenced to prison today for tax and immigration crimes related to their operation of the business.

Former City of Key West Police Officer Igor Kasyanenko was sentenced to 22 months in prison, and Roman Riabov was sentenced to 18 months in prison, for conspiring to defraud the IRS and conspiring to harbor aliens and induce them to remain in the United States.

Mikus Berzins was sentenced to 28 months in prison, and Andrejs Kozlovs was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. Both men knowingly hired 10 or more aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately 2014 to 2020, Berzins, Kasyanenko and Riabov owned and operated Phoenix ADB Services Inc. Kozlovs worked for the company from approximately 2016 to 2020. They each facilitated the employment of individuals in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and other locations, even though the employees were not authorized to work in the United States. In addition, all four men paid the workers without withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from their wages, and then did not report those wages to the IRS as required by law. Kasyanenko and Riabov also encouraged workers to enter the United States and remain in the country, in violation of immigration laws.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham ordered defendants Berzins and Kasyanenko to each serve three years of supervised release, and Riabov and Kozlovs to each serve two years of supervised release. Kasyanenko and Riabov were also ordered to pay approximately $3.4 million in restitution, and Kozlovs was ordered to pay approximately $3 million in restitution. Berzins was ordered to pay a fine of $250,000.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft and Nicholas J. Schilling, Jr. of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Clark for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

A New York man was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison for purchasing stolen or compromised credit cards and assisting other members of the Infraud Organization in monetizing their fraudulent activity. The Infraud Organization, a transnational cybercrime enterprise engaged in the mass acquisition and sale of fraud-related goods and services, including stolen identities, compromised credit card data, computer malware, and other contraband. According to court documents, the enterprise boasted over 10,000 members at its peak and operated for more than seven years under the slogan “In Fraud We Trust.” The Infraud Organization is responsible for the purchase and sale of over four million stolen credit and debit card numbers. This scheme cost victims more than $568 million dollars. 

John Telusma, 37, aka Peterelliot, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty in the District of Nevada to one count of racketeering conspiracy on Oct. 13, 2021. According to court documents, the defendant joined the Infraud Organization in August 2011, maintaining his membership for five and a half years. Telusma was among the most prolific and active members of the Infraud Organization, purchasing and fraudulently using compromised credit card numbers for his own personal gain.

Telusma is the 14th defendant to be held accountable for his role in the Infraud scheme. Telusma’s co-defendants who have been previously sentenced include:

• Infraud co-founder Sergey Medvedev, 34, aka Stells, of Russia, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison;
• Malware developer Valerian Chiochiu, 32, aka Onassis, of California, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison;
• VIP Member Arnaldo Sanchez Torteya, 35, aka Elroncoluna, of Mexico, who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
• VIP Member Edgar Rojas, 31 aka Guapo, of Venezuela, who was sentenced to eight years in prison;
• ATM skimmer Jose Gamboa, 35, aka Rafael101, of California, who was sentenced to eight years in prison; and
• VIP Member Pius Wilson, 35 aka FDIC, of New York, who was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement.

The HSI Las Vegas and the Henderson, Nevada, Police Department investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case. 

Deputy Chief Kelly Pearson and Trial Attorneys Chad McHenry and Alexander Gottfried of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.

A California man pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking multiple young women in California in a “sextortion” campaign he waged while he was an active-duty member of the U.S. Marine Corps.  

According to court documents, from 2019 through 2021, Johao Miguel Chavarri, aka Michael Frito, 25, of Torrance, stalked and sent anonymous threatening communications to numerous victims, including the three victims discussed in court documents. 

Chavarri, often using the name “Frito,” contacted victims on social media platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter, complimented their appearance and/or their publicly posted photos, and suggested a relationship in which he would pay the victim to send him photos or videos. Some of the victims initially agreed to Chavarri’s requests and sent him nude, sexually explicit, or compromising photos. When victims either refused Chavarri’s initial request for photos, refused to send him additional photos or videos, or otherwise refused to continue to communicate with him online, Chavarri began to harass, threaten, and extort the victims using numerous online accounts. In most cases, he threatened to publish sexual photos and videos of the victims online or on well-known pornography websites and/or to distribute the sexual photos or videos to the victims’ boyfriends, friends, families, or employers — people he often specifically identified by name. Chavarri threatened his victims and their friends and family that he would ruin their lives.

Chavarri pleaded guilty to three counts of cyberstalking. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15 and faces up to five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Supervisory Special Agent Adam Smith of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, Long Beach Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.   

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Restrepo for the Central District of California and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

Anyone who believes they are a victim in this case or is aware of a victim in this case is urged to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, which can be reached 24 hours a day at (310) 477-6565.

Kalvinn Garcia, 25, of Sedro Woolley, Washington, pleaded guilty to one count of committing a hate crime for the Feb. 24, 2020, arson at Queer/Bar, a nightclub and event space in Seattle, Washington. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington and Special Agent in Charge Donald M. Voiret for the FBI Seattle Field Office made the announcement.

According to documents filed in connection with the plea, Garcia set fire to the contents of a dumpster in the alley directly behind Queer/Bar on Feb. 24, 2020. Garcia was arrested only minutes after setting the fire. Garcia admitted to law enforcement that he set the fire and that he targeted Queer/Bar because it angered him to see a sign that said “queer.” He also told officers, “I think it’s wrong that we have a bunch of queers in our society.” A few weeks after the incident, Garcia told a stranger that his intent in setting the fire was to trap and hurt the people inside.

“The defendant targeted the patrons inside Queer/Bar, a known safe space for the LGBTQI+ community,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “Hate crimes have no place in our society today and we stand ready to use our federal civil rights laws to hold perpetrators accountable. All people deserve to feel safe and secure living in their communities, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

“Garcia endangered countless people who he did not know and who were simply trying to live their lives, solely because of his own hatred,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. “We must stand up to this hate at every opportunity, to demonstrate to our community that acting on hate will not be tolerated.”

“Garcia’s hateful act endangered and spread fear in the LGBTQ+ community and caused damage to this business establishment,” said Special Agent in Charge Voiret. “Fortunately, our partners at the Seattle Police Department were able to respond quickly to this arson. This case shows our commitment to investigating civil rights violations with our partners.”

Garcia faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by FBI and the Seattle Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Cohen and Trial Attorney Angie Cha of the Civil Rights Division.

The Department of Justice announced today that Grupo Verzatec S.A. de C.V. (Verzatec) has abandoned its proposed acquisition of Crane Composites (Crane), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crane Co. The proposed transaction would have eliminated intense competition between Verzatec and its biggest competitor, Crane, allowing Verzatec to dominate the industry and harm American businesses.

On March 17, the department filed suit to block the transaction in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint alleged that the proposed $360 million transaction would harm competition in production and sale of pebbled fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) wall panels, whose product and performance characteristics make it the wall covering of choice for many restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals and convenience stores across the United States. The trial was scheduled for Oct. 4. As a result of Verzatec and Crane’s decision to terminate their transaction agreement, the United States has filed a joint stipulation of dismissal.   

“Verzatec’s proposed acquisition of Crane was a brazen attempt to eliminate its main rival and establish a monopoly in this market. This case further demonstrates the Justice Department’s resolve to file and litigate suits to block unlawful and anticompetitive mergers under both the Clayton Act and as illegal monopolization under the Sherman Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “I would like to recognize the tremendous efforts of our staff who investigated and litigated the case so strongly and applaud them for this excellent result on behalf of American businesses.”

As a result of the abandonment, building supply distributors and home-improvement retailers across the nation will continue to benefit from the head-to-head competition between the companies, as will the many American businesses that use pebbled FRP in applications where low cost, durability and sanitary performance are paramount.

Verzatec is a privately held Mexican corporation with its headquarters in Monterrey, Mexico. Verzatec and its subsidiary Stabilit America Inc. produce and sell building materials and wall coverings, including pebbled FRP wall panels, in the United States under several business units, including Glasteel, Marlite and Nudo.

Crane Company is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Crane Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Crane Composites Inc. manufactures and sells pebbled FRP wall panels in the United States under several brand names, including Glasbord and Sequentia.

The Department of Justice, pursuant to a court-ordered default judgment and final order of forfeiture entered on May 24, has secured the forfeiture of a Potomac, Maryland, property acquired with approximately $3.5 million in alleged corruption proceeds by the former President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia, through a trust set up by his wife, Zineb Jammeh.

The judgment is the result of a civil forfeiture complaint filed by the United States in July 2020 seeking the forfeiture of the Maryland property. As alleged in the complaint, Yahya Jammeh corruptly obtained millions of dollars through the misappropriation of stolen public funds and the solicitation of bribes from businesses seeking to obtain monopoly rights over various sectors of the Gambian economy. Jammeh conspired with his family members and close associates to utilize a host of shell companies and overseas trusts to launder his alleged corrupt proceeds throughout the world, including through the purchase of a multimillion-dollar mansion in Potomac, Maryland. With this entry of final judgment, ownership of that Maryland property has now been forfeited to the United States along with all rental income generated by the property since the filing of the amended complaint in August 2020. The United States intends to sell the property, and recommend to the Attorney General that the net proceeds from the sale of the forfeited property be used to benefit the people of The Gambia harmed by former President Jammeh’s acts of corruption and abuse of office. 

“The Department of Justice is committed to using the rule of law to forfeit assets traceable to alleged foreign corruption,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates our ability to work with foreign partners to secure the forfeiture of assets allegedly derived from illicit bribes and stolen funds despite complex attempts to disguise the proceeds and their intended recipients.” 

“Corrupt foreign officials will not be allowed to hide illegal proceeds in Maryland or anywhere else in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “We will use all the tools at our disposal to track down and seek to repatriate those funds.”

“Maryland real estate is not a shelter for funds for corrupt rulers who have stolen from their countrymen,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore. “Working with our domestic and foreign partners, HSI Baltimore has been able to recover property purchased with ill-gotten gain. From here, we will focus our efforts into returning those funds to the people of The Gambia, from whom they were stolen.”    

The investigation was conducted by HSI’s Illicit Proceeds and Foreign Corruption Investigations Group in Miami, with the assistance of the HSI Office of the Special Agent in Charge for Baltimore, HSI Attaché Office in Dakar, Senegal and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) provided capacity building assistance and mentoring.

The case is being handled by Trial Attorneys Steven Parker and Kaycee Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Wine for the District of Maryland. Substantial assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The department also thanks the government of The Gambia for its assistance.

The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected].

The Department of Justice announced today that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia has approved a consent decree resolving the department’s Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging race discrimination in housing by the owners and manager of two rental properties in Cedartown, Georgia. The defendants are Crimson Management LLC; Benefield Housing Partnership (dba Cedartown Commons); and Cedartown Housing Associates (dba Cedarwood Village).

The lawsuit, filed in May 2020, alleged that the defendants steered Black housing applicants who are elderly or have a disability away from Cedarwood Village, a predominantly white housing complex, to Cedartown Commons, a housing complex that is inferior in appearance, location and amenities to Cedarwood Village. Most residents of Cedartown Commons are Black. The lawsuit further alleged that the defendants subjected Black residents who are elderly or have a disability to less favorable rental terms, conditions and privileges as compared to similarly situated white tenants. The defendants’ policies allegedly perpetuated segregation at the two properties.

“It is unacceptable that race discrimination in housing persists in our nation more than a half-century after President Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act into law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Justice Department is committed to vigorously enforcing our civil rights laws by holding housing providers responsible when they perpetuate racial segregation or otherwise engage in prohibited discrimination.”

“Access to housing opportunities remains unequal for Black housing applicants all too often,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “My office will continue to devote resources to eradicate this injustice and we will continue to hold housing providers accountable for racial discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act.”

This case was jointly litigated by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

Under the court-approved decree, the defendants are required to pay $83,000 in damages to three former tenants who were allegedly harmed as a result of the defendants’ racial steering; pay a civil penalty to the United States; implement nondiscriminatory policies and procedures; complete fair-housing training; and submit periodic reports to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.

Individuals may report sexual harassment or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mailing the Justice Department at [email protected], or submitting a report online at https://civilrights.justice.gov/. Individuals may also contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by file a complaint online at https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.

A Chicago-area man pleaded guilty yesterday to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft associated with his filing of false tax returns.

According to court documents, Wilmer Alexander Garcia Meza used the personal identifying information of others — including their names, dates of birth and identification documents such as foreign passports — to fraudulently obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) in their names from the IRS. An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by the IRS to individuals who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain, a Social Security number. From 2013 through 2017, Garcia used the ITINs to file tax returns in the names of these stolen identities, claiming thousands of dollars in fraudulent refunds. Garcia then used identification documents in those same names to cash these refund checks issued by the IRS. In total, Garcia caused a tax loss of approximately $222,000.

Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 17 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for mail fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Thomas Flynn and Jacob Green of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney Michael Landman also provided valuable assistance on the case.

Melvin Hilson, 49, a former deputy warden at the Mississippi State Penitentiary, which is also known as Parchman, pleaded guilty today to violating an inmate’s civil rights in 2016. In June 2021, Hilson was charged with violating the inmate’s civil rights by repeatedly striking him and knocking him to the ground, which resulted in the inmate suffering a ruptured eardrum, abrasions to his ear and neck and prolonged headaches. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

“This defendant is being held accountable for violating his duty as a corrections officer by unlawfully assaulting an inmate under his custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “This former Parchman deputy warden caused severe injury to the victim, and his actions violated the trust that we place in corrections officials to lawfully carry out their duties. The Civil Rights Division will continue to hold law enforcement officials accountable when they use force without basis and violate people’s civil rights inside our jails and prisons.” 

“When corrections officials use unlawful, unnecessary and unwarranted force against inmates, it casts a stain on the profession and all the upstanding officers who do their jobs each and every day within the confines of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Joyner. “Today’s guilty plea is an important step to ensuring that those who choose to violate the public’s trust are held accountable for their illegal actions.”

According to court documents and statements made during today’s hearing, Hilson was working as a member of Parchman’s K-9 Unit at the time of the assault. On or around Aug. 3, 2016, J.T. was in a caged area inside of the medical unit, where he waited to be seen by a medical provider. Hilson approached J.T. and struck him with a closed fist several times, knowing that there was no reason to use force and that J.T. did not pose any threat to himself or others. During the assault, Hilson knocked J.T. to the ground, picked him up, and then struck him and knocked him to the ground again. According to prosecutors, J.T. did not attempt to fight back or defend himself from Hilson’s assault.   

A federal grand jury indicted Hilson in June 2021 on three separate counts, including writing a false report to conceal the assault and lying to Mississippi Department of Corrections investigators about the assault. The obstruction charges will be dismissed at the conclusion of sentencing. The civil rights violation carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Hilson is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1, 2022.

This case was investigated by the Jackson Division of the FBI. Special Litigation Counsel Samantha Trepel and Trial Attorney Cameron A. Bell of the Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Hampton and Robert Mims of the Northern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case. 

The Justice Department announced today that after careful re-review of evidence gathered in the investigation of two former FBI special agents in connection with their involvement in the FBI’s investigation of Lawrence G. Nassar, it is adhering to its prior decision not to bring federal criminal charges.

This decision comes after multiple reviews and analyses of evidence gathered in the investigation of the former agents, and reflects the recommendation of experienced prosecutors. This does not in any way reflect a view that the investigation of Nassar was handled as it should have been, nor in any way reflect approval or disregard of the conduct of the former agents.

While the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General has outlined serious concerns about the former agents’ conduct during the Nassar investigation, and also described how evidence shows that during interviews in the years after the events in question both former agents appear to have provided inaccurate or incomplete information to investigators, the Principles of Federal Prosecution require more to bring a federal criminal case.

We will continue to learn from what occurred in this matter, and undertake efforts to keep victims at the center of our work and to ensure that they are heard, respected, and treated fairly throughout the process, as they deserve. To that end, the department has continued to assess gaps in the law to protect the most vulnerable among us from exploitation. Addressing those gaps could help prevent events like this from taking place in the future and hold perpetrators accountable. We stand ready to collaborate with Congress to do so.

The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced a settlement that, if approved by a federal court, will require Twitter Inc. to pay $150 million in civil penalties and implement robust compliance measures to protect users’ data privacy. The settlement will resolve allegations that Twitter violated the FTC Act and an administrative order issued by the FTC in March 2011 by misrepresenting how it would make use of users’ nonpublic contact information. 

In a complaint filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleges that Twitter violated the FTC Act and the 2011 order by deceiving users about the extent to which Twitter maintained and protected the security and privacy of users’ nonpublic contact information. Specifically, the complaint alleges that, from May 2013 to September 2019, Twitter told its users that it was collecting their telephone numbers and email addresses for account-security purposes, but failed to disclose that it also would use that information to help companies send targeted advertisements to consumers. The complaint further alleges that Twitter falsely claimed to comply with the European Union-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Frameworks, which prohibit companies from processing user information in ways that are not compatible with the purposes authorized by the users. 

“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the privacy of consumers’ sensitive data,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The $150 million penalty reflects the seriousness of the allegations against Twitter, and the substantial new compliance measures to be imposed as a result of today’s proposed settlement will help prevent further misleading tactics that threaten users’ privacy.” 

“As the complaint notes, Twitter obtained data from users on the pretext of harnessing it for security purposes but then ended up also using the data to target users with ads," said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “This practice affected more than 140 million Twitter users, while boosting Twitter’s primary source of revenue.”

“Consumers who share their private information have a right to know if that information is being used to help advertisers target customers,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California. “Social media companies that are not honest with consumers about how their personal information is being used will be held accountable.”

Twitter has agreed to settle the government’s allegations by paying a $150 million civil penalty and implementing significant new compliance measures intended to ensure that Twitter improves its data privacy practices. For instance, Twitter will be required to develop and maintain a comprehensive privacy and information-security program, conduct a privacy review with a written report prior to implementing any new product or service that collects users’ private information, and conduct regular testing of its data privacy safeguards. Twitter also will be required to obtain regular assessments of its data privacy program from an independent assessor, provide annual certifications of compliance from a senior officer, provide reports after any data privacy incidents affecting 250 or more users, and comply with numerous other reporting and record-keeping requirements. The settlement also will require Twitter to notify all U.S. customers who joined Twitter before Sept. 17, 2019, about the settlement and to provide users with options for protecting their privacy and security. Under the settlement terms, the Department of Justice and FTC will each have responsibility for monitoring and enforcing Twitter’s compliance.

This matter is being handled by attorneys in the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, including Director Gustav W. Eyler, Assistant Director Lisa K. Hsiao and Trial Attorneys Zachary Cowan and Deborah Sohn; Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California; James Kohm, Reenah Kim and Laura Koss from the FTC’s Division of Enforcement; and Andrea Arias of the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.

For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the FTC, visit its website at https://www.FTC.gov.

A federal judge in Wilmington, North Carolina, sentenced Jesse James Freeman, 48, of Franklinville, North Carolina, to 18 months in prison and three years of post-release supervision. Freeman will also have to pay a $25,000 fine to the Lacey Act Reward Fund. The judge prohibited Freeman from owning wild-caught wildlife and any wildlife without documentation of origin during the supervisory period. Freeman pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2020, to trafficking turtles in violation of the Lacey Act.

In pleading guilty, Freeman admitted that between January 2017 and September 2018, he supplied turtles to middlemen throughout the country so they could smuggle them to Asia. He collected the turtles himself and hired poachers to illegally obtain them throughout North Carolina. Freeman trafficked at least 722 eastern box turtles, 122 spotted turtles and three wood turtles. Freeman personally received at least $121,000 in payment for those turtles. The market value in Asia for those turtles exceeded $1.5 million.

Freeman possessed and sold the turtles in violation of North Carolina laws. The federal Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, transporting wildlife in interstate commerce if the wildlife were illegally taken under state laws.

The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is the North Carolina state reptile and endemic to forested regions of the East Coast and Midwest. The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) and wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) are semi-aquatic turtles native to the eastern United States and Great Lakes region. Poaching can have devastating impacts on all three turtle species given the low survival rate of hatchlings and the time it takes to reach sexual maturity. Collectors prize these species in the domestic and foreign pet trade market, where they are resold for thousands of dollars.

All three turtle species are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES provides a mechanism for regulating international trade in species whose survival is considered threatened by trade. The turtles are listed in Appendix II of CITES, which includes wildlife, fish and plant species that are not presently threatened with extinction but may become so if their trade is not regulated. The United States and approximately 183 other nations are signatories to the CITES treaty.

“The Department of Justice is committed to protecting our native species from international trafficking,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentence is the latest example that there are severe consequences to those who violate the Lacey Act by exploiting turtles.”

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, considers the illegal collection and commercialization of native reptiles to include eastern box turtles a high priority, and we will continue to work closely with our state partners and the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute these important cases,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement.

The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement in Raleigh conducted the investigation with assistance from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission. The operation was a part of ongoing efforts to combat the trafficking of turtles and tortoises native to the United States. The government is represented by Trial Attorneys Banu Rangarajan and Ryan Connors of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

An El Salvador man was sentenced today to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering. 

Juan Carlos Sandoval-Rodriguez, aka Picaro, aka El Pastor, aka Gasper, 24, of El Salvador, was sentenced to life in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit murder in aid or racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including three murders, connected to his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, a transnational criminal enterprise also known as MS-13.

On Oct. 31, 2019, after a nine-day trial, a federal jury convicted Sandoval-Rodriguez of murder in aid of racketeering, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in connection with a murder that occurred on March 11, 2016.

On Jan. 24, 2022, a federal jury convicted Sandoval-Rodriguez of racketeering charges, along with co-defendants Jose Joya-Parada, aka Calmado, 21; Oscar Armando Sorto-Romero, aka Lobo, 23; and Milton Portillo-Rodriguez, aka Little Gangster, aka Seco, 26, after a three-month trial. Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo-Rodriguez, and Sorto-Romero were also convicted of multiple counts of murder in aid of racketeering. 

Branches or “cliques” of MS-13, one of the largest street gangs in the United States, operate throughout Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo-Rodriguez, and Joya-Parada were members of the Fulton Locos Salvatruchas (FLS) clique. Co-defendant Sorto-Romero was part of the Parque Vista Locos Salvatruchas (PVLS) clique. 

Evidence at both trials established that between 2015 and 2017, Sandoval-Rodriguez and his co-defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering, drug trafficking, extortion, murder, and brutal acts of violence against suspected rivals of the gang in an effort to increase MS-13’s power in the Frederick County, Montgomery County, and Anne Arundel County areas of Maryland.

Evidence presented at the 2019 trial established that Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in the murder of a suspected rival gang member on March 11, 2016. During this murder, Sandoval-Rodriguez lured the victim to Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, Maryland, with the intention of killing him. Surveillance video from a nearby laundromat captured Sandoval-Rodriguez and the victim walking toward Quiet Waters Park on the evening of the murder. Once the victim arrived at the park, members of the gang struck him in the head with a branch or stick, and the assailants, including Sandoval-Rodriguez, repeatedly stabbed the victim with a knife, killing him. 

While Sandoval-Rodriguez and other members of the gang committed the murder, other MS-13 members and associates stood watch outside the park to ensure no one entered or left the park, and to watch for police, so that the gang could complete the murder. Sandoval-Rodriguez cut his finger on the knife that he used to stab the victim. After the victim was killed, MS-13 members and associates buried him in a shallow grave inside the park, but Sandoval-Rodriguez did not bury the body because of the cut on his finger and fear that he would leave evidence at the scene. The body was not recovered until Aug. 28, 2017, when it was exhumed by law enforcement. After his arrest, Sandoval-Rodriguez’s writings about the murder as well as additional MS-13 paraphernalia was recovered among his personal belongings in jail. Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in the murder to raise his status in the gang and to assert the authority of MS-13 in Annapolis.

Trial evidence related to Sandoval-Rodriguez at his second trial focused on his participation in several murders, including that of a 17-year-old victim, who was believed to be a rival gang member. Specifically, the evidence showed that on March 31, 2017, the gang lured a 17-year-old from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional Park, where they stabbed him over 100 times, dismembered him, removed his heart, and buried him in a clandestine grave. Evidence was presented that Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo-Rodriguez lured the victim and, with other MS-13 members and associates, brought him from Annapolis to Wheaton Regional. Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo-Rodriguez, and Joya-Parada participated in the murder by stabbing, cutting, and dismembering the victim and Joya-Parada also helped to dig the victim’s grave. 

Trial evidence also demonstrated that Sandoval-Rodriguez participated in a murder that occurred on June 24, 2017. In that murder, the gang used a female associate to lure a 21-year-old woman into a car and then took her to a wooded area in Crownsville, where she was killed, her body was dismembered, and she was buried in a clandestine grave. Co-defendant Portillo-Rodriguez aided in the planning of the murder and helped lure the victim into a car. Sandoval-Rodriguez traveled to the wooded area earlier in the day to dig a hole for the victim’s grave. MS-13 members caused the victim to lose consciousness, removed her clothing, and decapitated the victim with a machete. Sandoval-Rodriguez and Portillo-Rodriguez participated in the murder by stabbing and slashing the victim’s body with a machete, dismembering the body, and burying the body in a wooded area. As a result of their participation in the murder, Sandoval-Rodriguez, Portillo-Rodriguez, and other gang members were promoted within MS-13.

More than 30 MS-13 gang members and associates have been convicted in these cases.

Co-defendants from Sandoval-Rodriguez’s first case, Marlon Cruz-Flores, 25, Fermin Gomez-Jimenez, 23, Moises Alexis Reyes-Canales, and Manuel Martinez-Aguilar, aka El Lunatic, aka Zomb, 22, all of Annapolis, previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a firearms offense. Both Gomez-Jimenez and Cruz-Flores were sentenced to 38 years in prison, Reyes-Canales was sentenced to 35 years in prison, and Martinez-Aguilar was sentenced to 24 years in prison.

On April 20, 2022, Joya-Parada was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for a racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, and related violent crimes in aid of racketeering. Portillo-Rodriguez and Sorto-Romero were each sentenced to life in federal prison, for a racketeering conspiracy and for racketeering, as well as related violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including multiple murders. 

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Selwyn Smith of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Baltimore Office; and Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the FBI; HSI; ATF; Frederick Police Department; Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County Police Departments; and Anne Arundel, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s County State’s Attorneys, with valuable assistance provided by the Baltimore County Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig for the District of Maryland and Trial Attorney Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the first trial. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark, Zachary Stendig, and Anatoly Smolkin for the District of Maryland prosecuted the second trial.

Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. HSI and the FBI both have nationwide tip lines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

This case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.

As part of the 39th annual National Missing Children’s Day commemoration, the Department of Justice today honored 12 courageous individuals for their extraordinary efforts to recover missing children and bring sexual predators to justice.

“Every day, law enforcement professionals, advocates, and citizens alike step up to protect children from harm, reunite missing children with their families, and provide support in the aftermath of a traumatic event,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today, the Justice Department is proud to honor some of these heroes and recognize them for their tireless work to create a safer and better world.”

The Department’s Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) leads the nation in observing National Missing Children’s Day. The observance was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 in memory of six-year-old Etan Patz, who disappeared while walking to his bus stop in lower Manhattan on May 25, 1979. National Missing Children’s Day honors his memory and those children still missing. Etan’s killer was convicted in February 2017.

“We are at our best as a nation when we are working to secure a brighter future for our children,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “There is no better reflection of our values as a society than our concern for the welfare of our young people, and these committed professionals have given clear expression to our aspirations.”

In lieu of an in-person ceremony, OJJDP has launched a website today featuring information about the awardees and statements from OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Solomon, OJJDP Administrator Liz Ryan and President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Michelle DeLaune.                                                    

“We are deeply grateful to these 12 individuals for their exceptional deeds of bravery, vigilance and compassion on behalf of our nation’s children,” said OJJDP Administrator Ryan. “We could not be more proud to honor them on this special day.”

This year’s recipients are honored with the following awards:

Attorney General’s Special Commendation: This commendation recognizes the extraordinary efforts of an Internet Crimes Against Children  task force, an affiliate agency or an individual assigned to either for making a significant investigative or program contribution to the ICAC task force program.

Recipients: Special Agent Theodore Indermuehle, Special Agent Wade Beardsley, Victim Service Specialist Leeana Liska and Senior Digital Forensic Examiner Tyrel Olsen of the Wisconsin ICAC task force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman for the Western District of Wisconsin. They participated in an investigation that resulted in the arrest, prosecution and conviction of a high school teacher who was a sexual predator and who communicated directly with underage girls across many states to obtain sexually explicit videos.

Missing Children’s Law Enforcement Award: This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of law enforcement officers who have made a significant investigative or program contribution to the safety of children.

Recipients: Special Agents Maria Markley, Star'Shemah Sylvestre, Kelli Johnson, Lisa Carroll, and Brandy Nettles of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) headquarters and field offices. They led NCIS efforts related to two significant initiatives, Operation Stolen Innocence and a cyber operation targeting Navy offenders. These included building a complex computer program to collect and analyze data from multiple sources.

Missing Children’s Child Protection Award: This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of child protective service agency personnel, law enforcement officers, or other professionals who have made a significant investigative or program contribution to protecting children from abuse or victimization.

Recipients: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shelly Smitherman and Intelligence Analyst Emily Keifer of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Nashville. In coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, they spearheaded Operation Volunteer Strong, a bold effort to identify and locate missing children in the state, leading to the recovery of 150 children in Tennessee. In some cases, the recovered children were identified as victims of human trafficking, which resulted in further investigative efforts.

The Department also named Sue Lee, a 5th grader at St. James Episcopal School in Los Angeles, California, as the winner of the 2022 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest. The contest creates an opportunity for schools, law enforcement, and child advocates to discuss the issue of child safety with youth and their parents.

OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims, and strengthen the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

Empire Bulkers Limited and Joanna Maritime Limited, related companies based in Greece, pleaded guilty today to knowing violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and the Ports and Waterways Safety Act related to the Motor Vessel Joanna.  

The guilty pleas took place today in federal court in New Orleans, Louisiana, before U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon. If the proposed plea agreement is approved by the court, the companies will be fined $2 million ($1 million each), and serve four years of probation subject to the terms of an environmental compliance plan that includes independent ship audits and supervision by a court appointed monitor.

“Deliberate violation of environmental and safety laws pose a serious threat to U.S. ports and waters, as well as to those working on ships,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “These corporations knowingly engaged in dangerous and deceitful misconduct that warrants robust enforcement of the law.”

“This prosecution sends a clear and deterrent message that those who cut corners and break the law will be vigorously prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Duane Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “These companies will be under close supervision going forward.”

In pleading guilty, Empire Bulkers and Joanna Maritime admitted to knowingly falsifying the ship’s Oil Record Book, a required log, that concealed overboard discharges of oil contaminated waste made in violation of MARPOL, an international treaty to which the United States is a party. The criminal violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships was discovered by a U.S. Coast Guard inspector who noticed that a valve handle used to sample the oil content of overboard discharges was out of position during a March 2021 inspection in New Orleans, according to a joint factual statement filed in court. A metal piece found welded inside enabled overboard discharges to occur while the sample being evaluated by the Oil Content Monitor was being diluted with fresh water.

A Coast Guard advisory issued in 2008 as well as a notice from the manufacturer of the monitor warned about this exact method of tricking the oil content monitor. Overboard discharges are only permissible if they are processed through an oily water separator and measured by the oil content monitor to contain a concentration of oil less than 15 parts per million (ppm) without dilution. The entries made in the oil record book relating to overboard discharges and presented to the Coast Guard falsely indicated that discharges had occurred through 15 ppm equipment. The ship owner and operator also admitted that discharge entries in the oil record book had been co-signed by an engineer that did not have anything to do with the operations or have knowledge of their accuracy.

The Coast Guard discovered an unreported safety hazard during the same inspection. After Coast Guard was on the vessel, ship representatives sought permission to maneuver from the Bonnet Carre Anchorage to the CCI Buoys further upriver where cargo operations were scheduled to take place. Coast Guard inspectors travelling with the ship during the voyage noticed drops of oil in the engine room. They followed the trail of oil which led near the purifier room. When they looked inside, the purifier room, the Coast Guard discovered that the discharge line from the pressure relief valves had been disconnected and crimped closed thus disabling both pressure relief valves. The safety relief valves on the fuel oil heaters serve a critical safety function because they allow pressure to be released and oil diverted to a waste oil tank. In papers filed in court, the defendants admitted that the plugging of the relief valves and the large volume of oil leaking from the pressure relief valve presented hazardous conditions that had not been immediately reported to the Coast Guard in violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act. Had there been a fire or explosion in the purifier room, it could have been catastrophic and resulted in a loss of propulsion, loss of life, and pollution, according to the factual statement.

The Justice Department tonight released the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland:

“Today, another mass shooting has taken the lives of innocent victims, including elementary school children and their teacher. This act of unspeakable violence has devastated an entire community and shaken our country. 

“FBI and ATF agents have responded to the scene, and the Justice Department is committed to providing our full support to our law enforcement partners on the ground in Texas and to the Uvalde community. 

“We join our fellow Americans in mourning this terrible loss and in their resolve to end this senseless violence.”

The Justice Department announced that it has agreed to settle its complaint against the Illinois Department of Corrections, which alleged that the IDOC violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) by failing to properly reemploy Illinois Air National Guard Reservist Roderick Workman in his proper “escalator position” following his return from military service.

“Those who serve in our Armed Forces make incredible sacrifices on behalf of our country and the Justice Department remains committed to enforcing civil rights laws that protect them in their civilian careers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Reservists who leave their jobs to serve our country should not lose employment and advancement opportunities when they return from duty. The department will vigorously enforce USERRA to ensure reservists are placed in their rightful positions.” 

In its complaint, the United States alleged that the IDOC failed to properly reemploy Workman as a Correctional Transportation Officer I (CTO I) when he returned from military service in December 2019. USERRA requires employers to reemploy eligible employees returning from military service in their “escalator position,” which is the job it is reasonably certain the employee would have been in had he or she not been called to military service. The United States claimed the CTO I position, which became available during Workman’s military absence, was his escalator position because he was qualified for the position and tried to apply for the position before he left for military duty, and IDOC would have selected Workman had he been there to bid based on his seniority and qualifications.

Under the terms of the consent decree, subject to court approval, the IDOC will pay Workman $9,026.71 in backpay and interest, make changes to its policies, and conduct comprehensive training on USERRA for its employees.

Trial Attorneys Dena Robinson and Hillary Valderrama of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section handled this matter.

The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra and www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.

The Department of Justice announced today that it has opened an investigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into whether the Commonwealth of Kentucky subjects adults with serious mental illness living in the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro area to unnecessary institutionalization, and serious risk of institutionalization, in psychiatric hospitals. The investigation will examine whether Kentucky unnecessarily segregates people with serious mental illness in psychiatric hospitals and places them at risk of law enforcement encounters by failing to provide integrated community-based mental health services needed to avoid these results.

“When people do not receive the community-based mental health services they need, they often get caught in a cycle of psychiatric hospital stays,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This investigation also seeks to ensure that people with serious mental illness are not unnecessarily brought into contact with law enforcement. The Civil Rights Division is committed to enforcing the ADA so that people with disabilities are able to receive the services they need and qualify for, and that their civil rights are protected.” 

“A state must make reasonable accommodations and provide appropriate community-based services to people with disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “Our office will vigorously enforce the ADA. Our fellow citizens with mental health disabilities deserve nothing less.”

This investigation is separate from the Justice Department’s ongoing pattern or practice investigation into the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). That investigation is examining several issues, including Louisville Metro and LMPD’s systems for responding to people experiencing behavioral health crises. The Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, in Washington, D.C., and the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, in Louisville, are jointly conducting both investigations.

Prior to the announcement, the department informed the offices of Kentucky’s Governor and Attorney General of the investigation’s initiation. 

Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via email at [email protected] or through the Civil Rights Division’s Civil Rights Portal, available at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s ADA enforcement is available on its website at https://www.ada.gov/olmstead/.

BANGOR, Maine:  A Bangor man was sentenced in federal court today for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Blaine Footman, 35, to five years in prison and four years of supervised release. Footman pleaded guilty on June 22, 2021.

According to court records, in May 2021, members of the Bangor Police Department responded to a gas station to find Footman passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle. He possessed with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and an amount of fentanyl. Footman was also in possession of a Glock Model 19 9mm handgun.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the Bangor Police Department.

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Jose Viera, 49, a corrections officer with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Central District of California to one felony count of deprivation of rights under color of law for sexually assaulting a woman in custody in December 2020.

According to court documents, at the time of the assault, Viera was a BOP corrections officer assigned to work at Metropolitan Detention Center-Los Angeles (MDC-LA), a federal prison which holds male and female pre-trial detainees and persons serving custodial sentences. In his role as corrections officer, Viera was required to uphold the U.S. Constitution and ensure the safety and security of persons housed at MDC-LA. In March 2022, Viera was placed on administrative leave.

As part of his guilty plea, Viera admitted that in December 2020, he was assigned to supervise incarcerated women who were quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure and infection. During the morning of Dec. 20, Viera entered the cell of the victim, who was in COVID-19 isolation, as he had done on previous occasions to bring her breakfast. Viera admitted that on that morning, he laid down next to the victim in her bed, sandwiching her between his body and the wall. Then, he sexually assaulted the victim, causing her pain and putting her in fear of physical harm. Viera committed this assault despite knowing that the victim did not consent and that his actions violated her constitutional rights. When the FBI and the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) conducted a voluntary interview with Viera about the sexual assault allegations, Viera lied to federal agents about his misconduct.

“The defendant betrayed his oath to uphold the Constitution and targeted a vulnerable woman in custody,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that those who work in federal prisons and abuse their positions of authority by sexually assaulting people in their care are held accountable. We will continue to take action against perpetrators of these sexual assaults while seeking justice for the survivors of these heinous crimes.”

“Law enforcement officers have a duty to protect the civil rights of all Americans, and a failure to uphold this principal will be met with decisive action,” said U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California. “Mr. Viera has admitted inflicting sexual abuse on a woman while acting under the color of his law enforcement authority. His conduct undermined the integrity of our justice system and had a detrimental effect on the high-quality work typically performed by his fellow correctional officers.”

“Instead of delivering food to an inmate in COVID-19 isolation, Viera abused his power and sexually assaulted the inmate in her cell,” said Special Agent in Charge Zachary Shroyer for the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General, Los Angeles Field Office. “No inmate should experience abuse at the hands of correctional officers, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who engage in any form of abuse.”

“Mr. Viera used his position of authority to sexually assault a victim who was under his care and who should have felt secure in his presence,” said Assistant Director in Charge Kristi K. Johnson of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty plea is welcome in that Mr. Viera has taken responsibility for his actions, a move that will serve as a deterrent for such behavior by anyone in a position of power within prison walls.” 

Viera faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release.

A sentencing date has been set for March 13, 2023.

This case is being investigated by the FBI Los Angeles Field Division and the DOJ-OIG Los Angeles Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Rybarczyk of the Central District of California and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold and Trial Attorney Nikhil Ramnaney of the Criminal Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

A Columbia, Tennessee, man was charged today with obstructing an investigation into allegations that he sexually abused an inmate in his custody.

James Stewart Thomas, 31, a corrections officer with the Maury County Jail, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of falsification of records.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement.

According to the indictment, Thomas wrote an official report in which he falsely claimed that he had reported to two Maury County Jail supervisors that an inmate had made sexual advances toward him while the inmate was in his custody at a hospital; falsely claimed that those two Maury County Jail supervisors both advised him not to write a report about those alleged sexual advances by the inmate; and omitted that he had a sexual relationship with the inmate after the inmate’s release from the custody of the Maury County Jail.

If convicted, Thomas faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Klopf of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Justice Department today announced guidance to help law enforcement agencies (LEAs) recognize, mitigate and prevent gender bias and other biases from compromising the response to, and investigation of, sexual assault, domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence.

“At the Department of Justice, we know that investigating cases involving sexual assault and domestic violence is challenging – it demands thorough investigations and a careful effort to avoid unintentionally worsening the victimization for survivors of these crimes,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This guidance provides best practices that — when implemented into all levels of policy, training and supervision — help law enforcement provide services free from discrimination on the basis of gender, and therefore handle these cases more effectively.”

The department is committed to reducing violent crime, building strong communities, and ending gender-based violence. The 2022 guidance builds on the first principle of the department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime by building trust through meaningful law enforcement engagement with, and accountability to, the communities they serve, including survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

“When gender bias impacts policing — from ignoring reports of sexual assault, mishandling sexual misconduct investigations or the failure to discipline officers who commit domestic violence — law enforcement’s legitimacy erodes, and survivors’ trust in police is diminished,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our dedication to combatting gender bias in policing is about promoting accountability, and fostering greater trust in investigations of gender-based violence.”

“The guidance announced today reaffirms our commitment to expanding access to justice for all survivors, who deserve respect, compassion and self-determination,” said Office on Violence Against Women Acting Director Allison Randall. “Eliminating gender bias in policing is a key piece in ending gender-based violence, and can have a real, immediate impact on the safety of survivors, their loved ones and, indeed, their entire communities.”

The guidance reflects input from a wide array of stakeholders, including law enforcement leaders, victim advocates, and civil rights advocates, and builds on previous guidance the department issued in 2015. The original 2015 guidance served two key purposes. First, it examined how gender bias can undermine the response of LEAs to sexual assault and domestic violence. Second, it provided a set of eight basic principles that – if integrated into LEAs’ policies, trainings and practices – help ensure that gender bias, either intentionally or unintentionally, does not undermine efforts to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable. The 2022 revisions to the guidance maintain and build on this framework.

Based on input from stakeholders, the 2022 guidance more thoroughly addresses the need for trauma-informed law enforcement responses to sexual and domestic violence; provides additional examples of how LEAs can incorporate the guidance principles into their policies and practices; discusses the ways that gender bias can intersect with other forms of bias to disproportionately affect survivors from marginalized communities, including but not limited to communities of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) survivors, immigrant survivors and individuals with limited English proficiency; and expands the discussion of the need to address and prevent officer-committed domestic violence and sexual misconduct to hold offenders accountable and enhance community trust.

In conjunction with the revised guidance, the department’s OVW is launching a new webpage, which hosts a comprehensive, annotated list of resources designed to assist LEAs working to implement the guidance and its core principles. Most of these resources have been developed since 2015 and reflect the work of national law enforcement organizations and other DOJ-funded technical assistance providers.

Improving Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence by Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias

The Project Terminus team in Panama.

INTERPOL Washington—INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB)—recently partnered with the U.S. Department of State to increase The Republic of Panama’s capacity to screen the illicit international travel of transnational criminals and terrorists. Under the U.S. State Department-funded Project TERMINUS, the Panamanian Government implemented an automated system for uploading its stolen and lost travel documents into INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database. This database serves as a searchable repository containing more than 120 million records accessible to law enforcement and border security authorities in all 195 INTERPOL member countries.

The Domestic SLTD Database (DSD) solution enabled Panama to quickly and easily establish a robust and feature-rich authoritative national database of stolen and lost travel documents to be managed by Autoridad de Pasaportes de Panama and the National Central Bureau (NCB) in Panama City.  The SLTD Uploader software solution automates the submission and management of Panama's stolen and lost travel document records in the global INTERPOL SLTD searchable database. This data management and automation solution was made possible by computer hardware and custom software developed, provided, and installed by the USNCB’s Border Security Division. This accomplishment is the culmination of more than three months of active collaboration between the USNCB, the U.S State Department, INTERPOL, and The Republic of Panama.

“Project TERMINUS is providing significant improvements in border security screening capacity for INTERPOL member countries around the world, including in our own hemisphere. Our partnership with the Department of State pays dividends every day as we continue to provide the advanced border security tools necessary to detect and deter transnational criminals.  Border security is a collective responsibility among nations, and the USNCB is pleased to be a leader in those efforts,” said USNCB Director Michael A. Hughes.

The Panamanian project is the latest in a series of successful SLTD access improvement projects under the Project TERMINUS initiative, each building on prior lessons learned.  In addition to The Republic of Panama, Partner Nations currently receiving assistance under Project TERMINUS include The Maldives, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Established in 2015, Project TERMINUS is a partnership between the USNCB’s Border Security Division and the U.S Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. The mission of Project TERMINUS is to extend INTERPOL's I-24/7 secure, global police-to-police communications system in high-risk areas and select host nations globally.

INTERPOL’s SLTD database is a critical tool for combatting terrorism by preventing Foreign Terrorist Fighter (FTF) movements by identifying and interdicting FTFs and other transnational criminals using stolen, lost, or revoked documents such as passports, visas, and identity documents. By ensuring that law enforcement officers have access to INTERPOL’s I-24/7 system, front-line authorities can search and cross-check traveler data in a matter of seconds and share sensitive or urgent police information with their counterparts around the globe in real-time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), is the designated United States representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General. It serves as the national point of contact and coordination for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies.

 

 

Merida, Mexico -- AMBER Alert coordinators throughout various states of Mexico gathered in a three-day conference in Merida, Yucatan to discuss and provide updates on advances in implementation of the AMBER Alert system. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) through funding from the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), organized this conference in order to promote and enhance AMBER Alert utilization and coordination throughout Mexico and further the goals of the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework on Security. Subject matter experts from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children participated in this event.

The AMBER Alert system originated in the United States in 1996 to quickly disseminate information about missing and abducted children. In 2012, OPDAT and INL partnered with the government of Mexico to launch the same system in Mexico. Mexico is the first country in Latin America to adopt the AMBER Alert system. Since its initiation the alert is credited with recovering 966 children in the country.

This conference gave Mexico’s AMBER Alert Coordinators the opportunity to compare successes and challenges in their implementation of AMBER Alert programs, promote greater coordination amongst states and the federal program, and share best practices. A Mexican DNA expert detailed forensic DNA analysis can further missing person’s investigations. Likewise, technology experts from companies explained how technology social media platforms can be leveraged to quickly share information about missing children. Participants created an action plan to increase coordination and submitted recommendations for best practices to be implemented in their respective states, and possibly incorporated into formal protocols.

The conference included remarks from Ambassador Salazar and Dorothy Ngutter, the US Consul General based in Merida, Yucatan. “We have seen that the AMBER Alert network has been of great importance in reuniting families. In turn, it has fostered coordination between the two countries and allows us to advance our security goals, especially by contributing to the tranquility of our nations,” said Ambassador Salazar in his opening remarks. “The work you do through AMBER Alert is crucial to acting quickly and in a coordinated manner to locate missing children.”

The goal of this conference was to continue to institutionalize communication, cooperation, and coordination in cases involving missing children to further the protection of vulnerable populations and contribute to our shared security. OPDAT will continue to support AMBER Alert usage and offer capacity building opportunities in Mexico.

For more information visit: www.alertaamber.gob.mx

The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed consent decree that requires seven potentially responsible parties (PRPs) to clean up contamination at the Tremont City Barrel Fill Superfund site in German Township, Ohio, at an estimated cost of $27.7 million.

The complaint was filed simultaneously with the proposed consent decree in the District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The complaint alleges that the PRPs, Chemical Waste Management Inc., Franklin International Inc., International Paper Co., The Procter & Gamble Co., PPG Industries Inc., Strebor Inc. and Worthington Cylinder Corp. are liable for the cleanup because they are either former owners and operators of the barrel fill or sent wastes to the site for disposal. 

“Today’s settlement requires those responsible for the contamination to clean up the Tremont Barrel Fill site,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The cleanup provided by this agreement will benefit the public health and surrounding community.”

“Today’s agreement is a huge win for the community and sets the stage for this important cleanup to finally begin,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “This is a critical step toward the remediation of the site and will minimize risks to the community and the environment.”

The Tremont City Barrel Fill site is a closed industrial waste landfill that covers 8.5 acres. From 1976 until 1979, when operations ceased, about 51,500 drums and 300,000 gallons of industrial liquid waste were disposed in waste cells at the site.

The proposed consent decree requires the PRPs to excavate and characterize drums and uncontained waste in the barrel fill. All liquid waste and nearly 1,000 drums containing hazardous substances, known as still-bottom waste, will be disposed off-site. The remaining hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste will be disposed on-site in a newly constructed hazardous waste landfill.

The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval and will be available for public review on the DOJ website.

More information about the site is available on the Tremont City Barrel Fill website.

The Department of Justice today released the following statement from spokesman Anthony Coley:

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invoked its authority under Title 42 due to the unprecedented public-health dangers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC has now determined, in its expert opinion, that continued reliance on this authority is no longer warranted in light of the current public-health circumstances. That decision was a lawful exercise of CDC’s authority.

“The Department of Justice intends to appeal the court’s decision in Louisiana et al. v. CDC et al.”

The Justice Department today announced the release of a guide to the state voting rules that apply after criminal convictions. This document is designed to help citizens who meet the age and residency requirements to understand how the state-by-state rules about voting after a criminal conviction could apply to them. Who keeps the right to vote and who can regain that right — and how — differs from state to state, and it depends on state law. This guide walks readers through a series of questions to help them understand how each state’s laws work. And it gives information about how to reach officials in a particular state if someone wants to register to vote or if they have additional questions.

“The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy and it is critical for returning citizens to have reliable information concerning what voting rules apply after a criminal conviction,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The right to vote affirms returning citizens’ membership and belonging in the broader community. And it helps to ensure that the communities to which they belong have a meaningful opportunity to elect representatives of their choosing.”

The department originally gathered the information here in response to Section 9 of Executive Order 14019 on Promoting Access to Voting, which was issued by President Biden on March 7, 2021. Among other things, the executive order directed the Attorney General, as part of the reentry process for citizens in federal custody, to “provide educational materials related to voter registration.”

This information will be available through justice.gov/voting. 

Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through the internet reporting portal at https://civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.

The Department of Justice, together with the Chambers County Board of Education and private plaintiffs represented by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, filed a proposed consent order designed to provide equal educational opportunities for all students and allow the district to fulfill its obligations in a longstanding school desegregation case. The proposed consent order, which requires approval by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, would require the school district to build a new, consolidated high school; create a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) magnet school; appoint a Desegregation Advisory Committee; and take other corrective action.

“This proposed consent order reinforces the Civil Rights Division’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that all students receive the equal educational opportunities to which they are entitled regardless of their race or color,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This week marks 68 years since the Supreme Court declared in Brown v. Board of Education that ‘separate but equal has no place’ in our society, yet too many students find themselves in racially segregated schools. We will continue working to deliver on the unmet promises of Brown v. Board for the students of the Chambers County School District and for others across the country.” 

“Education is the cornerstone of American society,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “My office fully supports the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to ensure that equal educational opportunities are available to all students, and I am pleased that this case is close to a final resolution.”  

The proposed consent order is part of a desegregation case monitored and enforced by the United States. In reviewing the district’s compliance with the previous court orders in this case, the United States found that the district failed to meet earlier commitments to build a single, consolidated high school and maintained racially identifiable Black schools with fewer academic and extracurricular offerings than most of the other district schools. If approved, the order will require the district to, among other steps:

• Build and operate a single, consolidated high school on a neutral site to serve all district students in grades nine through twelve;
• Establish a STEAM Academy for all district kindergarteners through eighth graders and later renovate an existing facility to accommodate the magnet school;
• Make information about academic course offerings, extracurricular activities, and special programs, including gifted and talented programming, available on the district’s website and provide that information directly to parents;
• Ensure non-discrimination on the basis of race in its discipline practices by engaging technical assistance and revising the code of conduct;
• Improve its practices for recruiting and retaining diverse faculty and staff at each school; and
• Work with a newly-created and diverse Desegregation Advisory Committee to mitigate any desegregation-related issues that may arise.

The order would also require regular reporting to the court, the Justice Department and private plaintiffs. The court would retain jurisdiction over the consent order during its implementation, and the Justice Department would monitor the district’s compliance with the consent order.  

This week marked the 68th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. The Civil Rights Division continues to prioritize enforcement of desegregation orders in school districts formerly segregated by law, to ensure that all children can build a foundation of educational success. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.

Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.

On the one-year anniversary of enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the Department of Justice today announced a series of actions to deter and confront hate crimes and other bias-related incidents, including:

• Issuing new guidance with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Releasing grant solicitations for programs to create state-run hate crime reporting hotlines and to support community-based approaches to prevent and address hate crimes; and
• Hiring the Department’s inaugural Language Access Coordinator.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney Lisa O. Monaco, Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta announced these new initiatives at an event at the Justice Department commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Attorney General’s memorandum on improving the Department’s efforts to combat hate crimes and hate incidents and the enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes and Khalid Jabara-Heather Heyer NO HATE Acts. They were joined by family members of Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer, members of Congress; Black, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community-based organizations; civil rights organizations; and law enforcement leaders.

“Throughout our history, and to this day, hate crimes have a singular impact because of the terror and fear they inflict on entire communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No one in this country should have to fear the threat of hate fueled violence. The Justice Department will continue to use every resource at its disposal to confront unlawful acts of hate, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them.”

“We have seen a spike in hate crimes against many communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In many cases, individuals are still scared to leave their homes – not only because of worry that they may contract the virus, but out of fear for their physical safety. This is unacceptable,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who serves as Co-Chair of the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to combatting hate crimes against all Americans. Today’s announcements help deliver on the President’s pledge to ensure the safety of our communities.”

As set forth in the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the Justice Department and HHS announced the joint issuance of guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID–19 pandemic. This guidance provides an overview of the rise of hate crimes and hate incidents during the pandemic, including a surge of hate crimes and hate incidents against Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, and several steps that law enforcement, government officials, and others can take to raise awareness of increased hate crimes and incidents, and to use increased awareness as a tool for the prevention of and response to hate crimes.

The Justice Department also announced the release of $10 million in grant solicitations in newly created grant programs to address hate crimes and hate incidents. This includes solicitations for grants authorized under the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act programs. Through these programs, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) will provide up to $5 million in grant funds for the Bureau of Justice Statistics to support the transition of state and local law enforcement agencies to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and reporting of hate crimes through NIBRS, and for the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) to fund states to establish and run state-run reporting hotlines for victims of hate crimes. OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) also released $5 million in grant solicitations under the Community-Based Approaches to Prevent and Address Hate Crimes Program, which supports community-based organizations and civil rights groups with implementing comprehensive approaches to promote community awareness and preparedness, increase victim reporting, strengthen community resiliency, and improve responses to hate crimes. 

The Justice Department announced that Ana Paula Noguez Mercado will join the Office for Access to Justice, where she will serve as the Department’s first-ever Language Access Coordinator. Language access is a key barrier to the reporting of hate crimes, and the Language Access Coordinator will help improve knowledge, use, and expansion of the Department of Justice’s language resources.

Finally, the Justice Department announced that Saeed Mody will serve as the Department’s new Anti-Hate Crimes Resources Coordinator, after the first ever Coordinator was recently named Director of the newly restored Office of Access to Justice. 

Over the last year, the Justice Department has taken a number of other actions in response to a rise in hate crimes and hate incidents. Some of these actions include:

• Designating a Deputy Associate Attorney General as the Justice Department’s first-ever Anti-Hate Crimes Resources Coordinator;
• Designating the chief of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division to serve in role of facilitating the expedited review of hate crimes;
• Going above and beyond the directive under the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to expedite the review of certain hate crimes by including additional types of hate crimes;
• Designating at least one Assistant U.S. Attorney as a Civil Rights Coordinator in every U.S. Attorneys’ Office (USAO);
• Vigorously investigating and prosecuting hate crimes - since January 2021, the department has charged more than 40 defendants in over 30 cases and obtained more than 35 convictions of defendants charged with bias-motivated crimes;
• Elevating civil rights violations and hate crimes enforcement for prioritization among the FBI’s 56 field offices;
• Facilitating FBI-hosted regional conferences across the country with state and local law enforcement agencies regarding federal civil rights and hate crimes laws; to encourage reporting; strengthen relationships between law enforcement and local civil rights organizations; and build trust within the diverse communities they serve;
• Launching an FBI-led National Anti-Hate Crimes Campaign involving all 56 FBI field offices to encourage reporting. The campaign includes outdoor advertising, billboards, and radio streaming in addition to social media;
• Ensuring that all states have now become certified for participation in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting National Incident Based Reporting System;
• Revitalizing the Community Relations Service (CRS) by, among other things, seating newly-confirmed director, Paul Monteiro;
• Adding information to the Department of Justice’s website on reporting hate crimes in 24 languages, including 18 of the most frequently spoken AAPI languages in the United States;
• Creating an online toolkit that provides USAO Civil Rights Coordinators with customizable community outreach materials and ready access to other resources and training;
• Piloting a new outreach training called United Against Hate help improve the reporting of hate crimes by teaching community members how to identify, report, and help prevent hate crimes and to provide an opportunity for trust building between law enforcement and communities;
• Developing additional resources to help empower local officials, community leaders, and residents to address and devise community responses to hate crimes and incidents, including a toolkit to address hate crimes and incidents against Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, which has been translated into Arabic, Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional), Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Urdu, Tagalog, and Vietnamese;
• Releasing close to $21 million in grant funding through these programs to state and local partners to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and assist hate crime victims, including through the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution agencies in their efforts to investigate and prosecute hate crimes and in their outreach to and education of the public, victims, and others on hate crimes; and
• With the Department of Education, issuing facts sheets addressing harassment and discrimination in school, including harassment based on COVID-19 related issues, harassment of LGBTQI+ students, and discrimination based on national origin and immigration status.

Merida, Mexico -- Coordinadores de Alerta AMBER de varios estados de México se reunieron en una conferencia de tres días en Mérida, Yucatán, para discutir y proporcionar actualizaciones sobre los avances en la implementación del sistema de Alerta AMBER. La Oficina Internacional para el Desarrollo de Sistemas de Procuración de Justicia (OPDAT) del Departamento de Justicia de EEUU, a través de la financiación de la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales de Narcóticos y Aplicación de la Ley (INL),  organizaron esta conferencia para mejorar tanto la utilización como la coordinación de la Alerta AMBER en todo el país y promover los objetivos del Marco del Bicentenario de Seguridad entre Estados Unidos y México. Expertos en la materia del departamento de U.S. Marshals, la Oficina Federal de Investigaciones (FBI) y el Centro Internacional para Niños Desaparecidos y Explotados participaron en este evento. 

El sistema de Alerta AMBER se originó en los Estados Unidos en 1996 para difundir rápidamente información sobre menores desaparecidos y secuestrados. En 2012, OPDAT e INL se asociaron con el gobierno de México para lanzar el mismo sistema en México. México es el primer país de América Latina en adoptar el sistema de Alerta AMBER. Desde el inicio de la alerta se han recuperado 966 menores a nivel nacional.

Esta conferencia brindó a los coordinadores de Alerta AMBER la oportunidad de evaluar los éxitos y desafíos en su implementación del programa y promover mayor coordinación entre los estados y el gobierno federal. Un experto mexicano detalló cómo el análisis forense de ADN puede promover las investigaciones de personas desaparecidas.  Asimismo, expertos en tecnología de compañías explicaron cómo se pueden aprovechar las redes sociales para compartir rápidamente información sobre menores desaparecidos. Incluso, participantes crearon un plan de acción para aumentar la coordinación y presentaron las mejores prácticas que se implementarán en sus respectivos estados. 

La conferencia incluyó las palabras de apertura del Embajador Ken Salazar y Dorothy Ngutter, Cónsul General en Mérida. “Hemos visto que la red de Alerta AMBER ha sido de gran importancia para reunir a las familias. A su vez, ha fomentado la coordinación entre los dos países y nos permite avanzar en nuestros objetivos de seguridad, especialmente contribuyendo a la tranquilidad de nuestras naciones”, dijo el Embajador Salazar. ‘El trabajo que realizan a través de Alerta AMBER es crucial para actuar rápidamente y de manera coordinada para localizar a los menores desaparecidos’. 

El objetivo de esta conferencia fue continuar institucionalizando la comunicación, la cooperación y la coordinación en casos que involucran a niños desaparecidos para promover la protección de las poblaciones vulnerables y contribuir a nuestra seguridad compartida. OPDAT continuará apoyando el uso de la Alerta AMBER y ofrecerá oportunidades de desarrollo de capacidades en México.

Para más información visite (www.alertaamber.gob.mx)

During a two-day conference this week, the Tribal Nations Leadership Council (TNLC) met virtually with senior Justice Department officials, covering a range of issues, challenges and opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes. 

Yesterday, the TNLC met with Attorney General Merrick. B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. The Office of Tribal Justice and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) discussed with the TNLC the implementation of guidelines under Savanna’s Act and Tribal Community Response Plans developed in response to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. The TNLC also discussed the impact of the expansion of Tribal jurisdiction under the recently reauthorized Violence Against Women Act.

On Tuesday, May 17, the TNLC met with the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), about the department’s grant opportunities to enhance public safety in Tribal communities, and with the Office for Victims of Crime and EOUSA on efforts to assist crime victims and address violence. 

The TNLC is composed of Tribal leaders representing American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages from regions around the country. This meeting, the first in more than four years, was announced in January by the Attorney General in remarks to the National Congress of American Indians. The Council is comprised of elected Tribal officials, nominated by their peers to represent their region.

Established by charter in 2010, the TNLC is charged with providing perspective on emergent and ongoing issues across Indian country as well as providing feedback on Justice Department activities in support of Tribes in each region. In addition to establishing a mechanism for regular insight and accountability, the structure of the group honors the government-to-government relationship with Tribes. 

The Quintet of Attorneys General have issued the following statement of support for Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova of Ukraine and investigations and prosecutions for crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

“The Attorneys General of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand join in support of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, her Office, and the Ukrainian people in ensuring accountability for war crimes committed during the Russian invasion.

“We support the pursuit of justice by Ukraine and through other international investigations, including at the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and in our own jurisdictions, in order to the ensure prompt, fair and effective investigation and prosecution of such offences under Ukrainian, domestic or international law.

“We join in condemning the Russian Government for its actions, and call upon it to cease all violations of international law, to halt its illegal invasion and to cooperate in efforts to achieve accountability.

“We look forward to working together with the Prosecutor General and her Office to ensure every perpetrator faces justice.”

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

United Kingdom’s Attorney General Suella Braverman

Australia’s Attorney General Michaelia Cash

Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General David Lametti

New Zealand’s Attorney General David Parker

The Justice Department today announced the appointment of a Director of the Office for Access to Justice to lead its efforts to improve the federal government’s understanding of and capacity to address the most urgent legal needs of communities across America.

Deputy Associate Attorney General Rachel Rossi will serve as the Director of the Office for Access to Justice.

In October 2021, Attorney General Garland announced the restoration of a standalone Office for Access to Justice. Over the past six months, the Office has, among other things, led the Justice Department’s efforts to address the housing and eviction crisis; ensured equal access to justice for veterans and service members; and removed barriers to successful reentry for previously incarcerated individuals.

“There can be no equal justice without equal access to justice,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “For the past six months, our newly restored Office for Access to Justice has worked to fulfill that mission. Rachel Rossi’s leadership of that Office will further advance these efforts.”

“Disrupting the devastating connections between race, poverty and injustice is hard work that requires exactly the kind of dedication and vision we’ve seen in Ms. Rossi’s work at the department,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Ms. Rossi’s leadership will help us build on the department’s work to make justice more accessible to all.”

“I am humbled by this opportunity and ready to get to work building on the foundation of my predecessors and the great progress that’s been made under Attorney General Garland’s leadership,” said Ms. Rossi. “I have seen firsthand how access to justice can make the difference in keeping families together, people in their homes and victims safe from violence. I look forward to working closely alongside dedicated public servants across the department as we examine and reimagine the tools and systems, we rely on to make justice more accessible for all.”

The Office for Access to Justice was initially launched in 2010 and thrived as a standalone component through the end of 2017.

One year ago, Attorney General Garland launched a strategic review process led by the Justice Department’s three leadership offices to examine barriers and disparities in our criminal and civil justice systems and identify ways that the Justice Department can improve the federal government’s understanding of and capacity to address the most urgent legal needs of communities across America.  The review, which engaged a wide range of stakeholders across all levels of government, revealed that longstanding justice gaps have been exposed and exacerbated by COVID-19 and identified a clear and immediate need for the restoration of a standalone Office for Access to Justice within the Justice Department dedicated to the mission of closing those gaps.

A former Brockton, Massachusetts, resident was sentenced today to twelve years in prison for participating in a sex trafficking conspiracy. 

Matthew Engram, 35, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; two counts of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution; and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate travel in aid of a racketeering enterprise. According to court documents, from January 2009 until August 2015, Engram and a co-conspirator recruited and trafficked three victims from a residence in Brockton and elsewhere, and Engram took all or part of the proceeds. Engram advertised the victims on websites, exchanged text messages with his co-conspirator to share advertisements, organized prostitution dates, and reserved hotel rooms. When the victims did not comply with Engram’s demands to prostitute for his profit, he physically assaulted them or directed his co-conspirator to physically assault them. Engram also transported or caused the transport of the victims to other states, including Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Florida and Maine, to perform commercial sex acts.

“Sex trafficking is an atrocious crime that dehumanizes victims by depriving them of their freedom and dignity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “This sentence demonstrates that there are severe consequences for those who seek to exploit vulnerable young women for financial profit. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute human traffickers and secure justice for survivors of trafficking.”

“Mr. Engram took advantage of numerous young women through psychological manipulation, violence and fear,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts. “For over six years, he profited off of their pain and exploitation. Although we can never take away the trauma and violence endured by these survivors, today’s sentencing makes clear that the federal government is committed to eliminating human trafficking and holding traffickers accountable. My office and our law enforcement partners remain relentless in this pursuit.”

“Engram used violence and threats to control his victims, seeing them not as individuals, but as means for profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Millhollin for the Homeland Security Investigations’ New England Field Office. “His callous exploitation violated their basic human dignity as he trafficked them around the country to engage in commercial sex. We hope that today’s sentence offers a modicum of justice to those victimized by him who continue to live with the impacts of his actions.”

“Victims of human trafficking suffer physical abuse and immeasurable emotional abuse from their captors,” said Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez. “We are pleased to see justice served today and proud of the hard work and collaboration that led to today's sentencing.” 

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of U.S. Attorney Rollins’s Major Crimes Unit and Trial Attorneys Shan Patel and Vasantha Rao of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.

A federal jury convicted a Louisiana man today for his role in a scheme to defraud the United States.

According to documents and evidence presented at trial, Johnny C. Guillory Sr., 72, of Opelousas, Louisiana, conspired with Cajan Welding & Rentals, Ltd. to defraud the United States by corrupting and impairing the government procurement process, and by obtaining non-public pricing and cost information in order to obtain subcontract awards and payments from the Department of Energy in connection with its operation of the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. From 2002 until 2016, Cajan was awarded over 50 subcontracts and received payments in excess of $15 million from the Department of Energy, during which time Guillory received financial benefits from Cajan.

“The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is one of our nation’s vital programs, and collusion that destroys the integrity of the procurement process for government contracts will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s guilty verdict demonstrates that people who corrupt that process, defraud the United States, and lie about it will be held accountable. The Antitrust Division will continue to vigorously prosecute offenses that undermine competition and work with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars.” 

“This guilty verdict sends a clear message that our office, along with our federal partners will vigorously investigate and prosecute all violations of our nation’s laws,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Guillory was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Procurement Integrity Act as well as making false statements to federal agents. Guillory is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 8, and faces a maximum term of five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to a three-year term of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $200.00, as to each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Department of Energy’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Megan S. Lewis and Julia Maloney of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey N. Knight of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section at (202) 598-4000, or visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.

A Florida corporation pleaded guilty in federal court in the Middle District of Florida to a charge of willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule. The criminal charge related to an explosion at a coal-fired power plant in 2017 that caused the deaths of five workers.

Tampa Electric Company (TECO) operates several facilities in Florida, including Big Bend, a coal-fired power plant outside of Tampa. At the time, the facility consisted of four large coal-fired furnaces. Underneath the furnaces were water-filled tanks designed to catch and cool the molten “slag” by-product that drips down from the furnace. On June 29, 2017, hardened slag had accumulated at the top and the bottom of the slag tank and could not be removed. Rather than shutting down the furnace, TECO called in a contractor to perform high-pressure water blasting to try and clear the slag with the unit on-line. The work proceeded without observance of several safety-related procedures required by law. Five people were killed when one of the slag accumulations came loose, spraying the area with molten slag.

Federal law makes it a class B misdemeanor to willfully fail to follow an OSHA safety standard, where the failure causes the death of an employee. The class B misdemeanor is the only federal criminal charge covering such workplace safety violations.

“This incident demonstrates the importance of OSHA’s safety standards, and the harms that they are designed to prevent,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The deaths caused by the defendant’s conduct were tragic and they were preventable. The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute those who fail to follow these critical safety rules.”

“Had TECO complied with OSHA’s workplace safety standards, conducted a pre-job briefing and followed its own procedure, these senseless deaths could have been prevented,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Our hearts go out to the victims’ families as well as other TECO employees and contractors impacted by this catastrophic event “Our office is proud to have partnered with DOJ’s Environmental Crimes Section to shine a light on this willful violation of OSHA safety standards in order to deter such conduct and ensure that workers are protected in the future.”

“This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s unyielding commitment to the mission of protecting the American people and upholding the U.S. Constitution,” said Special Agent in Charge David Walker of the FBI Tampa Field Office.“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the victims’ families along with our promise to work with our federal partners in ensuring the safety of America’s workplaces.”

In a plea agreement with the government, TECO admitted to willfully failing to hold a pre-job briefing with the workers performing the work. Such briefing should have included the procedures for the water blasting work. Instead, the work proceeded even though the procedures could not be found. As a result, certain critical safety-related steps were not taken, including lowering the amount of coal entering the furnace, and shutting the unit down after a specified interval had lapsed.

The FBI and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

The Department of Justice today announced the

revision of its policy regarding charging violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). 

The policy for the first time directs that good-faith security research should not be charged. Good faith security research means accessing a computer solely for purposes of good-faith testing, investigation, and/or correction of a security flaw or vulnerability, where such activity is carried out in a manner designed to avoid any harm to individuals or the public, and where the information derived from the activity is used primarily to promote the security or safety of the class of devices, machines, or online services to which the accessed computer belongs, or those who use such devices, machines, or online services. 

“Computer security research is a key driver of improved cybersecurity,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The department has never been interested in prosecuting good-faith computer security research as a crime, and today’s announcement promotes cybersecurity by providing clarity for good-faith security researchers who root out vulnerabilities for the common good.”

The new policy states explicitly the longstanding practice that “the department’s goals for CFAA enforcement are to promote privacy and cybersecurity by upholding the legal right of individuals, network owners, operators, and other persons to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information stored in their information systems.” Accordingly, the policy clarifies that hypothetical CFAA violations that have concerned some courts and commentators are not to be charged. Embellishing an online dating profile contrary to the terms of service of the dating website; creating fictional accounts on hiring, housing, or rental websites; using a pseudonym on a social networking site that prohibits them; checking sports scores at work; paying bills at work; or violating an access restriction contained in a term of service are not themselves sufficient to warrant federal criminal charges. The policy focuses the department’s resources on cases where a defendant is either not authorized at all to access a computer or was authorized to access one part of a computer — such as one email account — and, despite knowing about that restriction, accessed a part of the computer to which his authorized access did not extend, such as other users’ emails.

However, the new policy acknowledges that claiming to be conducting security research is not a free pass for those acting in bad faith. For example, discovering vulnerabilities in devices in order to extort their owners, even if claimed as “research,” is not in good faith. The policy advises prosecutors to consult with the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) about specific applications of this factor. 

All federal prosecutors who wish to charge cases under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act are required to follow the new policy, and to consult with CCIPS before bringing any charges. Prosecutors must inform the Deputy Attorney General (DAG), and in some cases receive approval from the DAG, before charging a CFAA case if CCIPS recommends against it. 

The new policy replaces an earlier policy that was issued in 2014, and takes effect immediately.

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न्याय विभाग ने आज यह घोषणा की कि उन्होंने Amtex Systems Inc., न्यूयॉर्क में स्थित एक IT स्टाफिंग और रिक्रूटिंग कंपनी, के साथ समाधान समझौता किया है। यह समझौता इन दावों का समाधान करता है कि Amtex ने भर्ती प्रक्रिया के कई चरणों के दौरान अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों की नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के आधार पर उनके साथ भेदभाव किया था क्योंकि उनके क्लाइंट्स अस्थायी रोज़गार वीज़ा वाले कर्मचारियों को प्राथमिकता देते हैं।

“IT स्टाफिंग एजेंसियाँ अवैध रूप से आवेदकों को बाहर नहीं कर सकतीं या किसी की नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के कारण उस पर अतिरिक्त बोझ नहीं डाल सकतीं,” न्याय विभाग के नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के सहायक अटॉर्नी जनरल क्रिस्टन क्लार्क ने कहा। “नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कानून लागू करने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है कि, अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों सहित, नौकरी के आवेदक गैर-कानूनी भेदभाव से सुरक्षित हैं।”

एक अमेरिकी नागरिक द्वारा नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के अप्रवासी और कर्मचारी अधिकार अनुभाग (Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, IER) में Amtex के विरुद्ध भेदभाव की शिकायत दर्ज कराने के बाद विभाग की जाँच शुरू हुई थी। अपनी जाँच के आधार पर, विभाग इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुँचा कि Amtex ने विशेष नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थितियों वाले कर्मचारियों के लिए क्लाइंट्स की प्राथमिकता के आधार पर नौकरी के आवेदकों की पहचान करके उनकी जाँच करने के लिए भारत में काम करने वाली कंपनी की सेवाएं ली थीं। जाँच ने निर्धारित किया कि भर्ती करने वालों ने अपने क्लाइंट्स की नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थितियों की अवैध प्राथमिकता के साथ नौकरी के विज्ञापन भेजे, और आवेदकों पर विचार करते समय उन प्राथमिकताओं को लागू भी किया। भर्ती करने वालों की कार्य प्रणालियों ने अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों को आवेदन करने से रोककर, और आवेदन करने वालों पर विचार न करके उन्हें नुकसान पहुँचाया। उदाहरण के लिए, जाँच से पता चला कि कम से कम तीन अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों द्वारा एक जॉब पोस्टिंग के लिए आवेदन करने पर Amtex ने उनपर विचार नहीं किया जिसमें कहा गया था कि जिसमें अस्थायी रोज़गार वीज़ा वाले कर्मचारियों को प्राथमिकता देने की बात कही गई थी। विभाग आगे इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुँचा कि Amtex के लिए भर्ती करने वालों ने गैर-अमेरिकी नागरिक आवेदकों के लिए भर्ती प्रक्रिया में आगे बढ़ने के लिए नियमित रूप से एक आप्रवास दस्तावेज़ प्रदान करना ज़रूरी करके उनके साथ भेदभाव किया।

आप्रवासन और राष्ट्रीयता अधिनियम (The Immigration and Nationality Act, INA) अमेरिकी नागरिकों, गैर-अमेरिकी नागरिकों, रेफ्युजियों, शरणार्थियों, और हाल के वैध स्थायी निवासियों को नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के आधार पर कार्यस्थल पर भेदभाव से बचाता है। यदि भर्ती करने वाले क्लाइंट की गैर-कानूनी भेदभावपूर्ण प्राथमिकताओं को लागू करते हैं तो वे INA के उल्लंघन के लिए ज़िम्मेदार हैं। INA के तहत, कर्मचारी या भर्ती करने वाले केवल कानून, विनियम, कार्यकारी आदेश या सरकारी अनुबंध द्वारा आवश्यक होने पर ही नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के आधार पर नौकरियों को सीमित कर सकते हैं। इसके अलावा, क्योंकि संघीय कानून केवल नियोक्ताओं को किसी व्यक्ति को नियुक्त करने के बाद उसकी काम करने की अनुमति की जाँच करने की इजाज़त देता है, इसलिए नियोक्ताओं और भर्ती करने वालों को नौकरी के आवेदकों की काम करने की अनुमति को सत्यापित नहीं करना चाहिए।

समाधान समझौते की शर्तों के तहत, Amtex यूनाइटेड स्टेट्स को नागरिक दंड में $15,000 से अधिक का भुगतान करेगी, अपनी नीतियों और प्रक्रियाओं को संशोधित करेगी, संबंधित कर्मचारियों और एजेंटों को INA के भेदभाव-विरोधी प्रावधान पर प्रशिक्षित करेगी, और अनुपालन सुनिश्चित करने के लिए तीन साल की अवधि के लिए निगरानी के अधीन रहेगी।

INA के भेदभाव-विरोधी प्रावधान को लागू करने के लिए IER ज़िम्मेदार है। अन्य चीज़ों के अलावा, यह कानून नौकरी देने, नौकरी से निकालने, या शुल्क लेकर भर्ती करने या रेफरल में नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति, और राष्ट्रीय मूल; अनुचित दस्तावेज़ी कार्यप्रणालियों; प्रतिशोध; और डराने-धमकाने के आधार पर भेदभाव को प्रतिबंधित करता है। INA के तहत नागरिकता स्थिति संबंधी भेदभाव के बारे में अधिक जानकारी इस फ्लायर में उपलब्ध है। 

इस संक्षिप्त वीडियो के माध्यम से IER के कार्य और सहायता प्राप्त करने के तरीके के बारे में और जानें। वे आवेदक या कर्मचारी जो यह मानते हैं कि नौकरी देने, नौकरी से निकालने, भर्ती करने, या रोज़गार योग्यता सत्यापन प्रक्रिया (फ़ॉर्म I-9 और ई-वेरिफ़ाई) के दौरान उनकी नागरिकता, आप्रवासन स्थिति, या राष्ट्रीय मूल के आधार पर भेदभाव किया गया था; या बदला लिया गया था, वे आरोप दायर कर सकते हैं। आम लोग भी 1-800-255-7688 पर IER की कर्मचारी हॉटलाइन से संपर्क कर सकते हैं; 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, सुनने में परेशानी वालों के लिए TTY) पर IER की नियोक्ता हॉटलाइन पर फ़ोन कर सकते हैं;  [email protected] पर ईमेल कर सकते हैं; एक मुफ़्त वेबिनार के लिए साइन-अप कर सकते हैं; या IER की अंग्रेज़ी और स्पेनिश वेबसाइट्स देख सकते हैं। IER से अपडेट प्राप्त करने के लिए GovDelivery को सब्सक्राइब कर सकते हैं।

The Chief Engineer of a foreign flagged vessel pleaded guilty today to two felony counts for deliberately discharging approximately 10,000 gallons of oil-contaminated bilge water overboard in U.S. waters off the coast of New Orleans last year and then trying to obstruct the Coast Guard’s investigation of the spill. The illegal conduct was first reported to the Coast Guard by a crew member via social media.

Kirill Kompaniets, a Russian national and the Chief Engineer of the ship, a commercial bulk carrier registered in the Marshall Islands, was charged with the illegal discharge in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. According to papers filed in court, repair operations were underway to correct a problem with the discharge of clean ballast water when a valve burst and the engine room flooded. Late on the night of March 13-14, 2021 after the leak had been controlled, Kompaniets and a subordinate engineer deliberately dumped the oil contaminated water in the bilges overboard. The discharge into U.S. waters occurred while the ship was at an anchorage near the South West Passage off the Louisiana coast. The ship’s required pollution prevention equipment – an oily-water separator and oil content monitor – were not used, and the discharge was not recorded in the Oil Record Book, a required ship log.

Kompaniets was also charged with obstruction of justice based on various efforts to conceal the illegal discharge. In a joint factual statement filed in court with his guilty plea, Kompaniets admitted to the following acts of obstruction of justice: (1) making false statements to the Coast Guard that concealed the cause and nature of a hazardous condition, and concealing that the engine room of the vessel had flooded and that oil-contaminated bilge water had been discharged overboard; (2) destroying the computer alarm printouts for the period of the illegal discharge that were sought by the Coast Guard; (3) holding meetings with subordinate crew members and directing them to make false statements to the Coast Guard; (4) making a false Oil Record Book that failed to disclose the illegal discharge; (5) directing subordinate engine room employees to delete all evidence from their cell phones in anticipation of the Coast Guard inspection; and (6) preparing a retaliatory document accusing the whistleblower of poor performance as part of an effort to discredit him.

“The intentional pollution of U.S. waters and the deliberate effort to cover up the crime are extremely serious criminal offenses that will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Prosecutions such as this one should send a clear message to those that would violate the law and endanger our precious natural resources.”

“The defendant in this case deliberately disregarded procedures designed to protect the environment from contaminants and then attempted to hide his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Today’s announcement emphasizes that our office along with our federal partners are committed to holding accountable all parties whose criminality jeopardizes our environment and places the public and the ecosystem at risk.”

The criminal prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Crimes Section, with assistance provided by District 8 of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Criminal Investigations Division.

The investigation is continuing.

The case was assigned to U.S. District Court Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 1.