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Attorneys & Judges
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Reflects on the 29th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland took a moment to reflect on the 29th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing that occurred on April 19, 1995. Garland expressed his sentiments in a statement released by the Justice Department.Garland acknowledged the solemn occasion by stating, "Twenty-nine years after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, we continue to remember the 168 people, including 19 children, who were stolen from their loved ones, as well as the hundreds who were injured and forever changed."Recalling his personal experience during the...
Attorneys & Judges
Justice Department Launches Updated Voting Rights and Elections Website
The Justice Department has unveiled an updated voting and elections website, www.justice.gov/voting, aimed at providing essential information for voters and election officials at the state and local levels. The update includes the publication of new informational guides on voting rights and the revision of existing guides to ensure that all eligible voters can participate in the electoral process without facing discrimination or intimidation.Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the importance of voting, stating, "The right to vote is the cornerstone of our...
Attorneys & Judges
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Statement on Voter Intimidation
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, Civil Rights Division, explains how to report voter intimidation. In a brief statement released recently, Clarke highlighted the importance of addressing voter intimidation and provided guidance on the necessary steps to take when encountering such actions. The message serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to safeguard voting rights and ensure fair and accessible elections.For individuals who witness or experience voter intimidation, Clarke's instructions offer a clear pathway for reporting such incidents. By outlining the...
Attorneys & Judges
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...
Attorneys & Judges
Justice Department Seizes Four Web Domains Used to Create Over 40,000 Spoofed Websites and Store the Personal Information of More Than a Million Victims
The Justice Department has seized four web domains used in a cybercrime scheme that involved creating over 40,000 spoofed websites and storing the personal information of more than a million victims. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, “Together with our international partners, the Justice Department has disrupted another cybercrime scheme originating from Russia that enabled criminals to steal from over a million victims in the United States and around the world.”The domains were seized as part of an investigation into a spoofing service operated through the...
Attorneys & Judges
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...
Attorneys & Judges
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...
Attorneys & Judges
Appeal filed after lawyer loses civil rights lawsuit against Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A lawyer booted from a Los Angeles trial attorney group is appealing the loss of his civil rights lawsuit against it.
Attorneys & Judges
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...
Attorneys & Judges
Lawyers expect $730K for working no-money class action settlement
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Lawyers who negotiated a no-money class action settlement want more than $700,000 for their efforts.
Attorneys & Judges
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...
Attorneys & Judges
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...
Attorneys & Judges
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Addresses Senate Subcommittee on Justice Department's Funding Request
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland recently delivered an opening statement before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, discussing the Justice Department’s funding request for Fiscal Year 2025. Garland expressed gratitude for the opportunity to address the Subcommittee, stating, "Thank you, Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, for the opportunity to discuss the Justice Department’s funding request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025."Reflecting on the challenges faced during his...
Attorneys & Judges
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...
Attorneys & Judges
U.S. Army Financial Counselor Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Gold Star Families
A New Jersey financial counselor with the U.S. Army and a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, known as Caz Craffy, has pleaded guilty to defrauding Gold Star families and related crimes. Craffy, 41, of Colts Neck, admitted to the charges before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton, New Jersey.Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized that those who exploit and defraud the families of fallen American servicemembers will face the consequences of their actions. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey highlighted Craffy's abuse of his...
Attorneys & Judges
DOJ Publishes New Rule to Update Definition of “Engaged in the Business” as a Firearms Dealer
The Justice Department has taken a significant step towards clarifying the regulations around the sale of firearms. The department announced the submission of the “Engaged in the Business” Final Rule to the Federal Register. This new rule aims to define the circumstances under which an individual is considered to be 'engaged in the business' of dealing in firearms. The primary goal of this rule is to enhance compliance with the federal background check requirement for firearm sales by federal firearms licensees.In a statement, the Justice Department highlighted the...
Attorneys & Judges
Justice Department Updates Definition of “Engaged in the Business” as a Firearms Dealer
The Justice Department has unveiled a new rule aimed at updating the definition of “engaged in the business” as a firearms dealer in order to enhance compliance with federal background check requirements for firearm sales. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the significance of the regulation, stating, “Under this regulation, it will not matter if guns are sold on the internet, at a gun show, or at a brick-and-mortar store: if you sell guns predominantly to earn a profit, you must be licensed, and you must conduct background checks.”Deputy Attorney General Lisa...
Attorneys & Judges
Principal Drug and Weapons Supplier for MS-13 in Honduras Arrested and Extradited for Racketeering, Narcotics, and Firearms Offenses
An indictment was unsealed today charging David Campbell, also known as Viejo Dan and Don David, 57, of Honduras, one of the principal narcotics and weapons suppliers to MS-13 in Honduras, with racketeering, narcotics, and firearms offenses. Campbell was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court after being extradited yesterday from Honduras. In addition to Campbell, the superseding indictment unsealed today also charges Yulan Andony Archaga Carías, also known as Alexander Mendoza and Porky, 42, of Honduras, the top leader of...
Attorneys & Judges
Alabama Man Charged with Detonating an Explosive Device Outside of Alabama Attorney General’s Office
An Alabama man, Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, has been charged with detonating an explosive device outside of the Alabama Attorney General's Office in downtown Montgomery. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland expressed gratitude towards law enforcement, stating, "Thanks to the work of the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners, this defendant is being held accountable for allegedly detonating an explosive device outside of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office."FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized the collaborative effort in identifying and arresting...
Attorneys & Judges
Fact Sheet: COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force 2024 Report
In the latest update from the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force (CFETF), significant progress has been made in combating fraudulent activities related to the pandemic. According to the report released on Apr 9, 2024, more than 3,500 defendants have been charged with federal crimes.The enforcement efforts have also led to the recovery of over $1.4 billion in seized and forfeited funds from the CARES Act, along with more than 400 civil settlements and judgments. The CFETF members have been relentless in their pursuit of justice, building a comprehensive program to...