Legal Roundup
Chicago-Area Tax Preparer Indicted for False Tax Returns
An Illinois man, Byron Taylor, of Homewood, has made his initial appearance on an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago. The indictment charges Taylor with 21 counts of preparing false tax returns for others through his business, We Are Taxes Inc.The indictment alleges that Taylor prepared false tax returns for clients for tax years 2017 through 2020. The returns contained false information, leading clients to claim refunds they were not entitled to. The false information included fraudulent business losses, false deductions like medical expenses, gifts...
Justice Department Secures Agreement with City of Virginia Beach to Improve Access for Individuals with Disabilities
The Justice Department has reached a settlement agreement with the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, to enhance access for individuals with disabilities, including Veterans, to city buildings and civic programs. According to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, "The ADA mandates equal access to civic life for people with disabilities." U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia emphasized that "Ensuring that individuals who have disabilities are afforded equal access to local government...
Foreign National Extradited from Chile to the United States for Kidnapping and Assaulting U.S. Army Soldiers in Colombia
A Colombian national, Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, has been extradited from Chile to the United States to face charges related to the kidnapping and assaulting of two U.S. Army soldiers in Bogota, Colombia. Silva Ochoa, also known as Tata, is set to make his initial court appearance today in Miami, Florida.Court documents reveal that Silva Ochoa and his accomplices targeted and kidnapped the two soldiers in Bogota with the intention of robbing them. The victims were drugged at a pub in Bogota and then taken to a waiting car where they were robbed of their valuables including...
Florida Law Enforcement Welcomes New Officers and Honors Sarasota Police Department
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody welcomed new law enforcement officers to Florida and honored the Sarasota Police Department for their exceptional efforts in reducing crime. The ceremony, which took place at the Sarasota Police Department, saw the swearing-in of nine officers, with six of them hailing from out-of-state.In her address, Attorney General Moody expressed pride in Florida's pro-law enforcement stance, stating, “Only in Florida can you host a swearing-in ceremony where more than half of the new officers are from out-of-state. This is a testament...
Federal Agencies Launch Portal for Public Reporting of Anticompetitive Practices in Health Care Sector
The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have unveiled an online portal named HealthyCompetition.gov for the public to report potential anticompetitive practices in the health care sector. The initiative aims to address concerns regarding unfair competition and monopolistic practices that could impact healthcare affordability and quality in the United States.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter emphasized the importance of competition in healthcare, stating, "Competition in health care is crucial to...
Janene Jackson Named New Leader of Holland & Knight in Washington, D.C.
Holland & Knight has named Janene Jackson executive partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Jackson will oversee the day-to-day management of the 190-plus lawyer office, while continuing to manage her local government practice.
Attorney General Alan Wilson announces 16-year sentence for Lancaster Co. man who hid camera in bathroom
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that a Lancaster County man has pleaded guilty to hiding a camera in a bathroom and recording young girls showering.
Paul T. Rushton Spoke on Stone House Retirement Income Planners’ Blue Collar Wealth Podcast Episode “Exit Strategies Unleashed: Selling Your Business Like a Pro.”
On March 18th, Paul T. Rushton, our Managing Partner and a member of our Business & Finance Department, was a guest on a Stone House Retirement Income Planners’ Blue Collar Wealth podcast titled “Exit Strategies Unleashed: Selling Your Business Like a Pro.”
Federal Appellate Court Rejects Smith & Wesson’s “Unjustified” Attempt to Move Civil Lawsuits on Behalf of Victims of Highland Park Mass Shooting into Federal Court
Mere days after the oral arguments, the Seventh Circuit rejected Smith & Wesson’s attempt to remove from state court the civil lawsuits filed by survivors of the Highland Park, Ill. mass shooting.
Statement from Attorney General Raúl Torrez Regarding the Arizona Supreme Court Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban
The ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court, affirming the state’s antiquated abortion ban, is an alarming and deeply concerning decision that undermines the fundamental rights of those accessing reproductive healthcare in our neighboring state.
AG Ferguson announces DNA collection from more than 2,600 serious offenders
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that more than 2,600 serious criminal offenders provided their DNA to law enforcement after previously failing to do so as required by law. As a result of Ferguson’s lawfully owed DNA project, these samples are now in a national DNA database critical to identifying perpetrators of unsolved rapes, murders and other violent crimes.
AG Reyes Continues to Oppose Radical ESG Agendas
In a letter signed by 16 additional states to Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) members, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes reiterated legal concerns over association with the organization as it shifts to Phase 2.
Justice Department Launches Carjacking Task Forces in Targeted Areas Across the Country
The Justice Department has announced the establishment of 11 carjacking task forces in various U.S. Attorneys' Offices across the country to combat the rising public safety threat posed by carjackings. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe." She highlighted the success of existing task forces in cities like Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where carjacking rates have shown a significant decline.The newly formed task...
Leader of Multimillion-Dollar Clinic Scam Resentenced for Health Care and Tax Fraud Conspiracy
Aleksandr Pikus, the New York man at the center of a multimillion-dollar health care kickback and tax avoidance conspiracy, has been resentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $39 million in restitution. The scheme orchestrated by Pikus involved referring Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to health care providers in exchange for illegal kickbacks. As a result, the health care providers submitted millions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs."Pikus failed to report that cash income to the IRS, instead using sham...
Florida Man Charged with Sex Trafficking and Assaulting Minor in New York
An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn, New York, today charging a Florida man with sex trafficking multiple women and coercion and enticement of a minor."Joel David Forney, 41, of Kissimmee, was charged with sex trafficking; interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution; and coercion and enticement of a minor." Forney allegedly trafficked women to work in commercial sex in New York, including at an open-air sex trafficking market along a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn known as the Penn Track."According to the indictment, for years, Forney preyed...
A Global Perspective on Corporate Governance on April 19, 2024
Kathy Jaffari will speak on the panel “A Global Perspective on Corporate Governance” at the Global Capital Markets & the U.S. Securities Laws 2024 hosted by the Practising Law Institute.
Attorney General Drummond files first lawsuits stemming from soaring natural gas prices in 2021 winter storm
Alleging artificially inflated natural gas prices that preyed on Oklahomans in the wake of Winter Storm Uri, Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed litigation against Enable entities (ET Gathering & Processing successor by merger to Enable Midstream Partners, Enable Oklahoma Intrastate Transmission, Enable Gas Transmission and Enable Energy Resources) and Symmetry Energy Solutions LLC.
Providence man sentenced to serve 10 years in state prison for sexual assault
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that a Providence man has been sentenced in Washington County Superior Court to serve 10 years at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) for first-degree sexual assault against a female victim in 2020.
Polsinelli Ranked Highly in Patexia’s 2024 ITC Section 337, Patent Litigation and Patent Prosecution Reports
Am Law 100 firm Polsinelli is pleased to announce that it has once again been ranked highly by Patexia, a leading intellectual property platform, in three recent reports.
Attorney General Kaul Supports the EPA’s Listing of Nine PFAS Compounds as Hazardous Constituents
Attorney General Josh Kaul joined a multistate coalition of 12 states in submitting a comment letter strongly supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s proposed rule that would list nine PFAS compounds as hazardous constituents under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).