U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | Federal Agencies
Recent News About U.S. Department of Justice
-
Justice Department reaches agreement with Anoka over "crime-free" housing policy
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a complaint and proposed consent decree to resolve allegations that the city of Anoka, Minnesota, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act by denying tenants with mental health disabilities an equal opportunity to receive emergency assistance. -
Georgia man sentenced to prison for laundering over $4.5M
A Georgia man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for laundering more than $4.5 million derived from business email compromise (BEC) schemes, including a scheme that defrauded a health care benefit program, and romance fraud schemes. -
Justice Department partners with Stanford for AI competition workshop
The Justice Department and Stanford University will hold a public workshop on May 30 to discuss the state of competition across the Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology industry from the chip to the app. -
Texas petrochemical firm fined over $30M after pleading guilty to Clean Air Act violation
The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the filing of a felony criminal charge and related civil complaint and consent decree under the Clean Air Act (CAA) against TPC Group LLC, a Texas petrochemical company. TPC Group entered a plea of guilty to a one-count information charging the company with a violation of the Clean Air Act before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn for the Eastern District of Texas. -
Justice Department leaders honor fallen officers during National Police Week
Last week, in recognition of National Police Week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer joined law enforcement partners to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to the nation. -
Arizona man pleads guilty to fraudulent tax shelter scheme
An Arizona resident, Kent Ellsworth, admitted guilt on Friday to two charges of aiding in the creation of false tax returns for individuals who employed an abusive-trust tax shelter to understate their income and tax liabilities. -
Director Rosie Hidalgo addresses Conference on Crimes Against Women
Director Rosie Hidalgo, head of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) at the Justice Department, recently delivered a keynote speech at the Conference on Crimes Against Women. In her address, she expressed gratitude to attendees for their dedication and service in combatting gender-based violence. -
Justice Department sues organizations and individuals for obstructing reproductive health services
The Justice Department has initiated a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Ohio against two organizations and seven individuals, alleging violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The defendants are Citizens for a Pro Life Society and Red Rose Rescue, along with Laura Gies, Lauren Handy, Clara McDonald, Monica Miller, Christopher Moscinski, Jay Smith and Audrey Whipple. -
Justice Department introduces framework to enhance national response to sexual assault and domestic violence
The Justice Department has unveiled a new resource aimed at bolstering the national response to sexual assault and domestic violence. The Framework for Prosecutors to Strengthen Our National Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Involving Adult Victims, crafted by prosecutors, outlines five principles that promise improved outcomes for victims, safer communities, and increased accountability for perpetrators. -
Massachusetts sober home owner found liable for sexual harassment
Peter McCarthy, 49, the owner of Steps to Solutions Inc., a group of residential sober homes in Lynn, Massachusetts, was found liable following a five-day jury trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit in August 2021 alleging that McCarthy sexually harassed female tenants, thereby violating the Fair Housing Act. -
Taiwanese national arrested for operating a major dark web narcotics marketplace
Rui-Siang Lin, a 23-year-old Taiwanese national known by various aliases including Pharoah and faro, was arrested in connection with his operation of "Incognito Market." This online narcotics marketplace on the dark web allowed users to anonymously buy and sell illegal drugs worldwide. Lin was apprehended at John F. Kennedy Airport on May 18 and is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willis in Manhattan federal court. -
Former sheriff's deputy charged with civil rights violation over fatal shooting
A former San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy, Aaron Russell, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in San Diego on two counts. The charges stem from the fatal shooting of Nicholas Bils on May 1, 2020. Russell is accused of depriving Bils of his right to be free from officers using excessive force and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. -
Puerto Rico legislator sentenced for theft, bribery, and kickback scheme
María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, and her husband, Orlando Montes-Rivera, were sentenced today for their involvement in a multi-year theft, bribery, and kickback conspiracy scheme. The couple was found guilty of fraudulently inflating the salary of a legislative assistant in exchange for a portion of the inflated salary. -
Massachusetts home builder pleads guilty to tax conspiracy
A former Massachusetts home builder, Kent Pecoy, pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and creating false documents to aid a client in obtaining a mortgage. Pecoy was the owner and operator of Kent Pecoy & Sons, Construction Inc., a commercial and luxury home construction company based in West Springfield. -
Two Chinese nationals charged for $73M cryptocurrency scam
An indictment was unsealed in the Central District of California, charging two Chinese nationals with leading roles in a scheme to launder proceeds from cryptocurrency investment scams. The individuals involved are Daren Li, 41, a dual citizen of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, and Yicheng Zhang, 38, a Chinese national residing in Temple City, California. -
New York man sentenced in $1.9M baby formula fraud scheme
A man from New York has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme involving specialty baby formula. Vladislav Kotlyar, 45, of Staten Island, was also ordered to pay approximately $738,000 in restitution and forfeit around $1 million. -
San Francisco man faces charges for alleged murder linked to drug trafficking
A San Francisco man, Filimone Tavake, appeared in the District of Hawaii today to face charges related to his alleged involvement in a murder connected with drug trafficking. According to court documents, Tavake is accused of killing a Hawaii resident at the victim's home on March 27, 2021, as part of a drug distribution conspiracy. He was arrested five days prior in California. -
Cape Cod Hospital settles false claims act allegations for $24.3 million
Cape Cod Hospital, located in Hyannis, Massachusetts, has agreed to a $24.3 million settlement to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act. The hospital was accused of knowingly submitting claims to Medicare for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures that did not comply with Medicare's specific rules for patient evaluation. -
Justice Department unseals charges in North Korean IT worker fraud scheme
The Justice Department has unsealed charges, seizures, and other court-authorized actions aimed at disrupting the illicit revenue generation efforts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). The charges include prosecutions of an Arizona woman, a Ukrainian man, and three unidentified foreign nationals who allegedly participated in schemes to place overseas information technology (IT) workers—posing as U.S. citizens and residents—in remote positions at U.S. companies. -
Justice Department takes action against DPRK's illicit revenue generation efforts
The Justice Department has announced a series of coordinated and court-authorized actions to disrupt the illicit revenue generation efforts of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) information technology (IT) workers. This is part of a wider initiative, the DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative, which aims to prioritize high-impact, strategic, and unified enforcement and disruption operations across the U.S. Government targeting U.S.-based enablers of unlawful DPRK IT workers overseas.