U.S. Department of Justice
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Recent News About U.S. Department of Justice
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FOIA.gov updates tool for easier access to law enforcement records
FOIA.gov, the government’s central resource for information about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), now includes additional functionality to help users locate commonly requested law enforcement and related records. The FOIA.gov Search Tool was updated to add a “Law Enforcement records” pre-defined user journey that helps the public more quickly locate commonly requested information. This user journey supplements the existing journeys that help users identify agencies with some of the most common types of requested records, including Immigration/Travel records, Tax... -
Justice Department files lawsuit against Illinois landlord for alleged tenant harassment
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Michael J. DeWitte of Washington, Illinois, for allegedly sexually harassing female tenants and housing applicants in violation of the Fair Housing Act. DeWitte has managed residential rental properties in Peoria, Illinois, and other central Illinois counties since at least 2002. -
Justice Department sues Southwest Key over allegations of child abuse
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Key Programs Inc. (Southwest Key), a Texas-based nonprofit that provides housing to unaccompanied children encountered at the southern U.S. border. The lawsuit alleges that Southwest Key, through its employees, engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied children in violation of the Fair Housing Act. -
Alabama man pleads guilty to violating Iran sanctions
Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, 70, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of trade sanctions. -
Foreign nationals plead guilty for roles in global lockbit ransomware attacks
Two foreign nationals pleaded guilty today to participating in the LockBit ransomware group, which has been one of the most prolific ransomware variants globally. They admitted to deploying LockBit attacks against victims in the United States and worldwide. -
Transnational human trafficker indicted and sanctioned; arrested in Mexico
An indictment was unsealed yesterday containing criminal charges against the alleged leader of a human smuggling organization responsible for unlawfully bringing thousands of migrants into the United States. Along with the organization, the defendant, who was arrested in Mexico at the request of the United States, has also been designated for financial sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. These developments were made possible through extensive bilateral coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities. -
DaVita agrees to $34M settlement over alleged illegal kickbacks
DaVita Inc., headquartered in Denver, Colorado, has agreed to pay $34,487,390 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to induce referrals to DaVita Rx, a former subsidiary providing pharmacy services for dialysis patients. The company is also accused of paying kickbacks to nephrologists and vascular access physicians to induce patient referrals to its dialysis centers. -
Justice Department officials highlight US efforts at UN forum
Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer and Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice participated in the United Nations (UN) High Level Political Forum in New York this past week as part of the official U.S. delegation. The forum, a platform for reviewing progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focused on UN Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16), which aims to establish peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and build effective institutions. -
California man sentenced for selling counterfeit electronics to Defense Logistics Agency
A California man was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for defrauding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) by selling over $3.5 million worth of counterfeit or misrepresented fan assemblies. -
Russian national sentenced for illicit procurement network involving US-made military-grade electronics
Maxim Marchenko, 52, was sentenced today to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in procuring dual-use, military-grade OLED micro-displays for Russian end users. -
OVW hosts information session on 2024 STCJ Alaska Initiative
OVW conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction: Targeted Support for Alaska Native Tribes Special Initiative (STCJ AK) Program solicitation. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed this program’s requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period. -
Federal court issues permanent injunction against New York tax preparer
A federal court in the Eastern District of New York issued a permanent injunction yesterday against a Brooklyn, New York, tax return preparer. -
Justice Department announces new initiatives for improving access to immigration courts
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve access to the immigration court system, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is establishing a new leadership position within its Office of the Director. This role will focus on enhancing access to the immigration system and finding innovative ways to increase representation rates for noncitizens in immigration court. The new leader will serve as EOIR’s public-facing point of contact for government and public stakeholders. -
Justice Department reports success on updated student-loan bankruptcy discharge process
The Justice Department, in close coordination with the Department of Education, announced today the continued success of a process instituted in November 2022 for handling cases where individuals seek to discharge their federal student loans in bankruptcy. Data tracking the effectiveness of the process over the last year and a half show that it is achieving its goal of providing a more transparent, equitable, and streamlined mechanism for borrowers to request a discharge of their student loans in consumer bankruptcy cases. The process has resulted in increasing numbers of... -
Kristen Clarke highlights DOJ efforts at UnidosUS Annual Conference
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke addressed the UnidosUS Annual Conference, expressing gratitude for the organization's efforts to support Latino communities. Clarke highlighted the Department of Justice's (DOJ) initiatives aimed at combating racism, hate crimes, human trafficking, and ensuring constitutional policing. -
Former US official charged over unregistered work for South Korean government
Sue Mi Terry, 54, of New York, New York, was arrested yesterday and presented on criminal charges related to offenses under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). -
Former Las Vegas official charged with defrauding charity funds
A federal grand jury has indicted a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and current Nye County, Nevada, justice of the peace for allegedly defrauding donors to a charity intended to memorialize police officers who died in the line of duty. -
GPS manufacturer settles $2.6M over false claims act violations on PPP loan
Hemisphere GNSS (USA) Inc., a satellite global positioning system manufacturer based in Arizona and acquired by CNH Industrial in 2023, has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act. The company allegedly provided false information to secure forgiveness for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan it was not entitled to receive. -
Tennessee man sentenced for providing material support in form of translations for ISIS
Benjamin Carpenter, also known as Abu Hamza, 34, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in connection with providing translation services to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. -
Kristen Clarke emphasizes civil rights progress at NAACP convention
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke delivered remarks at the 115th NAACP National Convention, highlighting the theme “All In” and reflecting on the sacrifices made by civil rights leaders such as Thurgood Marshall, Dr. King, John Lewis, and Medgar Evers.