News published on Legal Newsline in April 2024

Attorney General Ashley Moody stressed the importance of participating in the upcoming Drug Take Back Day, urging Floridians to safely dispose of expired or unwanted medications. She emphasized, "Florida is losing thousands of people to drug overdose deaths every year." The event is a way for individuals to help prevent misuse of prescription medications, which can often lead to fatal addictions.During the previous National Drug Take Back Day, law enforcement officers collected nearly 600,000 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs across the country, with over 22,000...

A federal jury in Camden, New Jersey, has convicted Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50, and Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, both of Burlington County, New Jersey, of forced labor and other crimes related to their coercive scheme. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stated, “The defendants confiscated the victims’ passports, threatened them, degraded them, physically abused them and kept them under constant surveillance, all to coerce the victims’ labor and ruthlessly exploit them for the defendants’ own profit.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger added, “Forced labor and human trafficking are...

Truth Initiative has partnered with Pennsylvania's Office of Attorney General to offer a digital course aimed at educating students in grades 8-12 about the safe use of prescription drugs. The initiative, powered by EVERFI from Blackbaud, is part of a broader effort to address the ongoing fentanyl overdose crisis affecting communities nationwide, including Pennsylvania.

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...

Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced that the State Grand Jury in Arizona has returned indictments related to an investigation into a fake elector scheme.

A federal grand jury in Seattle has indicted a Washington man for tax evasion and filing false tax returns in connection with his commercial property business. The man in question, Steven Loo, is alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to conceal income earned from his real estate ventures.According to the indictment, Loo controlled and operated several companies that owned commercial real estate properties. The indictment states that Loo diverted income by directing property management companies to issue checks to entities under his control, ultimately totaling over $4.8...

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...

Director Rosie Hidalgo recently delivered remarks at the 24th Annual International Family Justice Center Conference, where she expressed gratitude to The Alliance for HOPE International for hosting the event. Hidalgo, serving as the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, highlighted the importance of collective action in shaping policies to combat gender-based violence.Hidalgo acknowledged the progress made in changing societal perceptions of gender-based violence but emphasized the ongoing challenges faced by survivors in accessing necessary resources and...

On April 24, 2024, Attorney General Josh Kaul, alongside a coalition of 21 attorneys general, called on Congress to pass the Access to Family Building Act to protect the right to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) nationwide. The move comes in the wake of a recent Alabama Supreme Court decision that placed essential reproductive health services at risk by classifying frozen embryos used during IVF as people.Attorney General Kaul expressed concern over the necessity of such legislation, stating, "It’s stunning that legislation like this has become necessary." He...

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...

McGuireWoods continues expanding its highly ranked securities and capital markets team with the arrival of partner Carly E. Ginley, an accomplished corporate lawyer who advises on capital markets transactions, securities law compliance and corporate governance matters.

Attorney General Jason Miyares hosted the 7th annual Unsung Heroes Award Ceremony, recognizing Virginians who provide exemplary service and support to victims of crime in Virginia. The Office of the Attorney General established these awards to acknowledge Virginians who dedicate their work to support crime victims with trauma-informed responses in their recovery and healing journey."Unsung Heroes wake up each morning, not knowing what horrors or pain the work day could bring, but recognizing that there are crime victims in need of their support, advocacy, and care. The...

Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that a Lehigh County man, Paul Kerr, has been sentenced to 7 to 14 years in prison for a shooting incident at Pagan’s Place bar in Allentown. The event occurred in January 2023.

An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida charging three men for their alleged roles in an approximately $36 million health care fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering scheme that involved submitting false and fraudulent claims for COVID-19 testing to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program.Enrique Perez-Paris, 47, of Aventura, Florida, and Diego Sanudo Sanchez Chocron, 47, of Venice, California, made their initial appearances today in the U.S....

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.

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.

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.

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Class action lawyers are citing a recent Consumer Reports study that found heavy metals in Lunchables in a new lawsuit.

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 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.