Latest News
President Biden Grants Clemency to 16 Individuals
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has announced the grant of clemency to 16 individuals, including 11 pardons and five commutations. Among those receiving pardons are individuals like Jason Hernandez from McKinney, Texas, Beverly Denise Holcy from Palatka, Florida, and Jeffrey Alan Lewis from Douglasville, Georgia.Hernandez, who was serving a 240-month sentence, had his sentence commuted on December 19, 2013. Holcy, convicted of distributing crack cocaine, was sentenced to 60 months in prison back in June 1994. Lewis, charged with using a communication facility to facilitate...
OVW Hosts Information Session for Abby Honold Program in FY 2024
OVW conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Demonstration Program and Trauma-Informed, Victim Centered Training for Law Enforcement on Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking (Abby Honold) Program solicitation. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed this program’s requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period.
Former Operator of Two Municipal Golf Courses Sentenced for Tax Conspiracy and Filing False Tax Returns
Former Massachusetts golf course manager, Kevin Kennedy, has been sentenced to 13 months in prison for tax conspiracy and filing false tax returns. As reported by court documents, Kennedy conspired with a luxury home builder in western Massachusetts to evade taxes owed on money received from managing two municipal golf courses owned by the City of Springfield. The scheme involved the construction of custom homes for Kennedy, with payments made in cash from the golf course proceeds.Kennedy's fraudulent activities extended to filing false individual income tax returns for...
AFL Lawsuit Exposes Federal Health Agencies Funding Radical Healthcare Transformation Based on Gender Ideology
America First Legal’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has brought to light documents revealing a radical plan to transform healthcare based on the principle that gender is "multidimensional," not biological. The plan, led by Assistant Secretary of Health "Rachel" Levine, aims to change governmental data and statistics on sex in the name of "gender identity."In an email dated April 27, 2022, Assistant Secretary Levine expressed full support for recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on...
Former Comptroller General of Ecuador Convicted for $10M International Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme
A federal jury in Miami has convicted the former Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, for his involvement in a $10 million international bribery and money laundering scheme. According to court documents, Polit solicited and received bribes from Odebrecht S.A. and an Ecuadorian businessman in exchange for various favors.Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, stated, “As Comptroller General of Ecuador, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni was entrusted to protect the people of...
Labaton, Robbins Geller decide to work together on Boeing class action
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Legal Newsline) - Securities class action lawyers have reached an agreement on who will lead litigation against Boeing over financial problems caused by recent failures of its 737 Max planes.
$600K verdict affirmed for cancer-sufferer fired while on leave
TRENTON, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - A man fired while stricken with cancer should keep his six-figure jury verdict, a New Jersey appeals court has ruled.
Wrongful death lawsuit blames boat pilots after one capsizes, another strikes woman hoping for rescue
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - The family of a woman sent into Boston Harbor in early morning hours when a speedboat crashed is suing the boat's pilot and another one who allegedly struck her while she swam to be rescued has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.
Lawsuit claims Lunchables contain heavy metals
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Class action lawyers are citing a recent Consumer Reports study that found heavy metals in Lunchables in a new lawsuit.
Ricola says expert asked pointless questions to justify class action
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Legal Newsline) - Ricola hopes to strike an expert who will testify that consumers were deceived by its claim its cough drops are different from others because they contain Alpine Swiss herbs.
Bradley Adds Corporate Finance Partner Kimberly E. Zirkle to Charlotte Office
Bradley is pleased to announce that Kimberly E. Zirkle has joined the firm’s Banking & Financial Services Practice Group as a partner in the Charlotte office.
AG Nessel’s FORCE Team Partners with Postal Inspection Service to Combat Organized Retail Crimes
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a partnership between the FORCE Team and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to tackle organized retail crimes that leverage the postal system to conduct their illegal enterprises.
Attorney General Griffin Leads 23-state Amicus in Support of West Virginia’s Abortion Law
After filing an amicus brief on behalf of himself and 22 other state attorneys general in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit supporting West Virginia’s abortion prohibition, Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement:
Attorney General Bird Sues Biden EPA to Block Electric Vehicle Mandate
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird joined a 25-state lawsuit to block Biden’s latest electric vehicle mandate and stand up for Americans who drive gas and diesel-powered cars and trucks.
2024AG Fitch Leads Bipartisan Coalition Asking SupremeCourt to Reconsider Section 230 Immunity
Attorney General Lynn Fitch led a bipartisan coalition of 23 State Attorneys General in an amicus brief supporting a petition for certiorari by a young man seeking to hold Snapchat accountable for its rolein the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his teacher.
UPDATE: Attorney General’s Office Releases Identities of the Decedent and State Trooper Involved in Fatal Crash in Southampton, N.J., on April 9, 2024
The Attorney General’s Office identified the motorcyclist who died after being involved in a collision with a New Jersey State Police (NJSP) vehicle on April 9, 2024, in Southampton Township, New Jersey.
Chicago-Area Tax Preparer Sentenced for False Return Scheme
An Illinois woman, Vervia Watts, has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison for her involvement in preparing and filing false income tax returns for clients. Watts, operating a tax preparation business, filed over 900 fraudulent income tax returns for clients between January 2017 and June 2023. These returns included false education expenses and business income to inflate IRS refunds, totaling approximately $1.3 million.In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins for the Northern District of Illinois has ordered Watts to serve one...
Justice Department Dedicates “Faces of Gun Violence” Exhibit at ATF’s Inaugural Gun Violence Survivors’ Summit
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach dedicated the new “Faces of Gun Violence” exhibit during ATF’s Inaugural Gun Violence Survivors’ Summit. Garland expressed, “As we remember those we have lost to gun violence, the Justice Department promises that we will strive every single day to honor their lives in our work,” emphasizing the commitment to ensuring safety from gun violence for all. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco commended the survivors of gun violence for sharing their stories and engaging in discussions to prevent further...
U.S. Trustee Program Cracks Down on Bankruptcy Petition Preparers Exploiting Vulnerable Consumers
Two bankruptcy petition preparers have been prohibited from providing bankruptcy-related services after being found guilty of targeting vulnerable consumers facing foreclosure, thanks to the enforcement efforts of the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP).In one case, Kafil Hamim Quaiyum Tunsill was permanently barred from acting as a bankruptcy petition preparer in the Middle District of Florida. Tunsill was also fined $12,500 and instructed to refund $1,900 to a debtor. Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees emphasized, "Unscrupulous...
Attorney General Garland & ATF Director Dettelbach Dedicate “The Faces of Gun Violence” Exhibit at ATF’s Inaugural Gun Violence Survivors’ Summit
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Director Steven M. Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) dedicated a new “Faces of Gun Violence” exhibit today at a ceremony hosted during ATF’s Inaugural Gun Violence Survivors’ Summit. The exhibit honors and memorializes those whose lives have been tragically lost to gun violence."As we remember those we have lost to gun violence, the Justice Department promises that we will strive every single day to honor their lives in our work," expressed Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "We promise...