The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) has marked its 51st year, providing a moment to reflect on its impact and future direction. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a key advocate for equal housing opportunities, was instrumental in highlighting the...
An antitrust legal action brought by the United States Department of Justice and the attorneys general of now 40 states against Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiary Ticketmaster – charging that the companies have created an anticompetitive environment in the live entertainment marketplace – has an amended filing with updated charges, and seeks triple damages under federal anti-monopoly statutes.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice filed suit in Los Angeles federal court against the operators of TikTok, saying the massively popular video sharing platform has violated a federal law protecting children's online privacy, even after agreeing to stop in 2019
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim delivered remarks at the Department of Justice on April 29, 2024, marking the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Timber Interdiction Membership Board and Enforcement Resources Working Group.Kim expressed gratitude towards the members of the TIMBER Working Group, non-member interagency partners, NGOs, and his staff from the Environment and Natural Resources Division for their contributions and support. He highlighted the importance of combating timber trafficking and deforestation, emphasizing the significant impact these crimes...
The Justice Department's Antitrust Division has voiced its support for enhanced competition and reduced prices in incarcerated people's communications services (IPCS). Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter emphasized the importance of affordable communication, stating, "Telephone services are a lifeline between incarcerated people and the outside world." He commended the FCC for its efforts to make rates fairer and more just over the past decade and encouraged further improvements in this area.In a comment submitted to the FCC, the Justice Department highlighted the...
Two former executives of a Springfield, Missouri-based charity were sentenced for their roles in a multimillion-dollar public corruption scheme that involved embezzlement and bribes paid to multiple elected public officials in the State of Arkansas."Bontiea and Tom Goss were the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer, respectively, at Preferred Family Healthcare Inc.," the court documents stated.Bontiea Bernedette Goss, 65, was sentenced to three years in prison, and her husband, Tommy “Tom” Ray Goss, 68, was sentenced to six years in prison. They...
A Minnesota woman, Kymberly Starr, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for preparing false tax returns on behalf of her clients. Starr, who owned and operated The Tax Lady in Maryland, inflated her clients' tax refunds by submitting false tax returns to the IRS, resulting in approximately $400,000 of tax loss.Furthermore, Starr obtained over $83,000 in COVID-19-related Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through fabricated IRS forms and filed a false claim for unemployment insurance with the Maryland Department of Labor, receiving over $55,000.U.S. District...
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...
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,...
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...
Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon recently delivered remarks at the Elevating Our Profession Corrections Conference and Medal Of Honor Ceremony in Chicago. During her speech, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to honor the distinguished Medal of Honor recipients and acknowledged their exceptional contributions to the corrections field and the safety of communities. Solomon commended One Voice for recognizing heroes in the corrections field and for their leadership on behalf of America's corrections professionals.Reflecting on her extensive career...
A federal grand jury indictment has been unsealed charging Frank Guereca, 22, of Olathe, with stealing 41 firearms from a gun store in Raytown, Missouri. Guereca was arrested while crossing the border from Mexico back into the United States and made his initial court appearance in El Paso, Texas. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the importance of cooperation with Mexican law enforcement in stopping the flow of firearms into Mexico, where they can end up in the hands of violent cartels.Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and...
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...
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,...
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....
Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor for International Affairs, Bruce Swartz, recently delivered remarks at the Disruptive Technology Protection Network Trilateral Summit. In his address, Swartz emphasized the importance of cooperation and information sharing among key partners.Swartz began his speech by greeting his colleagues and acknowledging the strong foundation on which the cooperation between the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan is built. He highlighted the positive relations in terms of mutual legal assistance and extraditions, stating,...
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...
Director Kristina Rose delivered remarks at the 2024 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony held on the National Mall. She expressed gratitude to the National Park Service for their partnership in ensuring care for crime victims across national parks. Rose welcomed distinguished guests, including Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon, recognizing her leadership and support for victims of crime. She also acknowledged the U.S. Postal Inspection Services for their role in raising awareness about victims' rights.Rose referenced Justice Thurgood Marshall's 1978...
