LEGAL NEWSLINE

A Richmond man, Walter Lavelle Allen, has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. The sentencing comes after Allen, a previously convicted felon, was found with a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his possession.According to court documents, Richmond Police observed Allen displaying the firearm in an Instagram story before finding him asleep in a parked vehicle with the weapon under his leg. Allen's previous conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine prohibited him from legally owning a firearm or...

The Departments of Justice and Commerce, in collaboration with Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), held the first high-level trilateral summit in Washington, D.C. to launch the Disruptive Technology Protection Network. The summit aimed to strengthen collaboration on technology protection measures and enhance connections between the enforcement agencies of the three countries.Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division emphasized the global importance of preventing sensitive technology from falling into the wrong...

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Holtec International says the State of New York has usurped the exclusive power of the federal government to regulate discharges at nuclear power plants.

Maryland Payroll Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes and EmbezzlementA Maryland woman, Michelle Leach-Bard, pleaded guilty to failing to pay employment taxes to the IRS and embezzling from an employee benefit plan. Leach-Bard, the owner and sole corporate officer of iProcess Online Inc., was responsible for withholding taxes from employees' wages but failed to pay them to the IRS as required. This resulted in a tax loss of $2,663,264.12.Additionally, Leach-Bard did not pay approximately $207,180.41 in wages withheld from employees' paychecks to the 401(k) Plan,...

BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - A Massachusetts couple allege the prescription drug Cipro has given the wife lifelong injuries.

The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have announced that Williams-Sonoma Inc. will be paying over $3 million in civil penalties for falsely marketing imported goods as "Made in the USA." The settlement also requires Williams-Sonoma to cease making misleading claims about the origins of its products.Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton stated, "The Justice Department will vigorously enforce laws to stop deceptive advertisers from making misleading and fraudulent claims to sell products." This comes in response to...

Attorney General Ashley Moody, leading a coalition of 17 state attorneys general, has taken legal action against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for its new rule mandating accommodations for abortion under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2022. Moody expressed concerns stating, "Unelected commissioners under the Biden administration are seeking to hijack protections for pregnant workers by twisting language into an illegal interpretation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2022. We are fighting back against the unprecedented, attempted mutation of these...

MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a response brief with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, arguing against the ban on drop boxes in Wisconsin elections. In a statement, Attorney General Kaul emphasized the importance of safe, secure, and accessible voting, stating, "Voting should be safe, secure and accessible — and drop boxes are. Unfortunately, the use of drop boxes has been swept into the broader and baseless attacks on our elections and our democracy."The Attorney General further explained the rationale behind the filing, saying, "Through our filing,...

Attorney General Josh Kaul of Wisconsin has provided an update on the progress of the Clergy and Faith Leader Abuse Initiative, as the state marks the three-year anniversary of its launch. The initiative aims to address and investigate cases of abuse by clergy and faith leaders in Wisconsin.In a statement, Attorney General Kaul emphasized the department's commitment to supporting survivors and conducting independent reviews of abuse cases. He urged individuals with information about clergy and faith leader abuse to come forward, stating, “If you have information about...

Three individuals, Michael Elliott Kohn, Catherine Elizabeth Chollet, and David Shane Simmons, have been convicted of conspiring to defraud the United States in a tax shelter scheme. The scheme involved the promotion and operation of a fraudulent tax shelter known as the Gain Elimination Plan.According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants designed the plan to hide clients' income from the IRS by inflating business expenses through fictitious royalties and management fees. These fees were paid to a limited partnership owned by a charity, but...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL) has taken legal action against the Department of Education for allegedly obstructing the release of government records related to pro-Hamas activities on American college campuses. The organization claims that the Biden Administration has chosen to protect pro-Hamas foreign extremists, as reported on April 25, 2024.In a statement, AFL emphasized the importance of upholding existing laws that prohibit support for Hamas and terrorism among individuals on F-1 student visas and naturalized citizens. They also pointed out the...

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco recently delivered remarks at the Disruptive Technology Protection Network Summit, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in combating national security threats. Monaco expressed gratitude to the delegations from Japan and the Republic of Korea for their participation, highlighting the collaborative efforts between the United States and its allies.Monaco underscored the necessity of partnerships in addressing evolving security challenges, stating, "To combat today’s national security threats, we cannot go it alone. We...

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The FTC is using unfair tactics to target MGM after a cyberattack that occurred while Chair Lina Khan was at one of its Las Vegas properties, the company says in a new lawsuit while it also faces more than a dozen private class actions.

A Florida man, Frederick Eugene Pierallini III, 27, has been sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for committing two federal hate crimes by attacking two Black women with a gun. Pierallini had previously pleaded guilty to these crimes on July 6, 2023.Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated, “The defendant is being held accountable for targeting two Black women with a gun on two separate days because of their race.”U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of...

Four individuals have been charged in connection with an alleged nationwide abusive-trust tax shelter scheme, as reported in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Denver. The indictment alleges that Marcia Predmore, Roderick Prescott, Suzanne Thompson, and Weldon Wulstein conspired with Larry Conner and Timothy McPhee to defraud the IRS by promoting, selling, and implementing the scheme.According to the indictment, the defendants were involved in a scheme that aimed to help business owners avoid paying federal income taxes on their business income....

Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon and Director Kristina Rose of the Office for Victims of Crime honored individuals and organizations for their dedication to helping victims of crime. Solomon expressed gratitude, stating, “We recognize the individuals and organizations represented here that go above and beyond to assist others in their time of crisis.” She emphasized the importance of supporting crime victims and survivors, ensuring they have the help they need.Director Rose highlighted the significance of the event’s theme, “How would you help? Options, services,...

Attorney General Miyares has partnered with the Henrico Sports & Entertainment Authority (HSEA) to enhance public awareness for the "One Pill Can Kill" campaign. The initiative aims to combat the dangers of fentanyl-laced drugs and reduce opioid-related deaths in Virginia. Attorney General Miyares emphasized the importance of education and prevention in the fight against counterfeit medications, stating, “Make no mistake – the rise of fentanyl poisoning is chemical warfare.”The collaboration between Attorney General Miyares and HSEA will utilize the Henrico Sports &...

An indictment was unsealed today charging two Chinese nationals, Han Li, also known as Anson Li, 44, and Lin Chen, 64, with crimes related to a conspiracy to illegally export U.S. technology, including a machine manufactured by a California-based company that is used to process silicon wafer microchips, to prohibited end users in China, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Chen was arrested in Chicago yesterday."As alleged, the defendants sought to evade export controls to obtain U.S....

The first high-level trilateral summit of the Disruptive Technology Protection Network was held by the Justice Department, bringing together delegations from Japan and the Republic of Korea. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco set the tone by delivering the opening remarks, emphasizing the importance of preventing critical technologies from falling into the wrong hands. Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen and other senior government officials also spoke at the summit, highlighting the joint efforts to safeguard such technologies from...

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have jointly submitted a public comment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) emphasizing the importance of considering competition concerns in common ownership situations. According to the agencies, "competition is a core component of FERC’s 'public interest' analysis." They further explained that "partial acquisitions, including acquisitions involving common ownership in which individual investors hold non-controlling interests in firms that have a competitive relationship that...