District Not Recorded

Three men from the southwest Kansas area were convicted today on charges of conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants lived, announced Attorney General Jeff Sessions; Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division John Gore; Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division John Demers; U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister; and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kansas City Division Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones.

After a four-week trial, a federal jury convicted Patrick Eugene Stein, 49, of Wright, Kansas, Curtis Allen, 50, of Liberal, Kansas, and Gavin Wright, 49, of Beaver County, Oklahoma, on one count of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and one count of conspiracy to violate the housing rights of their intended victims. Both conspiracies stemmed from the defendants’ plot to blow up the apartment complex in an effort to kill the Somali Muslim immigrants who lived there.  The jury also convicted defendant Wright of lying to the FBI.

Evidence presented at trial revealed that the defendants plotted, over the course of several months, to attack an apartment complex that contained a mosque at 312 W. Mary Street in Garden City, Kansas, where Muslim immigrants from Somalia lived and worshipped. Evidence during trial established that the defendants held numerous meetings to plan the attack and took significant steps – including making and testing explosives – toward implementing their plan.  During an eight-month-long FBI investigation, a confidential source, whom the government credited for thwarting the attack and saving the lives of innocent victims, recorded numerous conversations during which the defendants discussed and refined their plan. As the plan solidified, the defendants discussed obtaining four vehicles, filling them with explosives and parking them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create an explosion that would be sure to level the building and kill its occupants.

During the course of the investigation, defendant Stein also met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a black market arms dealer, in an effort to obtain a bomb. During one of the meetings, Stein took the agent to see the apartment building that the defendants were planning to destroy.

At their sentencing hearing on June 27, the defendants will face up to life in federal prison.

“The Department of Justice is resolute every day in fighting terrorist threats to the United States, both foreign and domestic," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "The defendants in this case acted with clear premeditation in an attempt to kill people on the basis of their religion and national origin. That's not just illegal—it's immoral and unacceptable, and we’re not going to stand for it. Today's verdict is a significant victory against domestic terrorism and hate crimes, and I want to thank everyone who helped bring the defendants to justice—the dedicated professionals with our National Security and Civil Rights Divisions, our United States Attorney's office in Kansas, the FBI, and our state and local partners. Law enforcement saved lives in this case."

“We are fortunate that law enforcement agents thwarted the defendants’ plan to bomb and shoot innocent, peaceful Muslim immigrants,” said U.S. Attorney McAllister. “The jury’s verdicts are a vindication of outstanding investigative work and prosecution. Terrorists, whether they be foreign or domestic, must be stopped and punished according to the law. Today’s verdicts are a victory for the rule of law, civil rights, and national security.”

“As law enforcement, we are charged with and have an obligation to take action and protect the public whenever an individual expresses a desire to commit violence,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Darrin E. Jones of the Kansas City Division.  “Allowing an individual intent on killing people to proceed without a government response is not an option and will never be an option.  Law enforcement, working with our partners, must continue to detect, disrupt and deter attacks to our nation, against our citizens and our freedom.   The dedication and efforts of the FBI Agents and law enforcement officers who worked tirelessly to investigate and build this case was apparent throughout the trial. Today's verdict emphasizes their commitment to keeping all of our communities safe and from harm.”

Gore, Demers, McAllister, and Jones commended the following law enforcement agencies and prosecutors for their exceptional and exemplary efforts investigating and prosecuting this important case: the FBI, the Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Garden City Police Department, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and National Security Division. The case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and Trial Attorneys Risa Berkower and Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division and supported by Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Appellate Attorney Danielle Tarin of the Office of Law and Policy.

Today Attorney General Jeff Sessions released the following statement on the passing of former first lady Barbara Bush: “Barbara Bush was a symbol around the country—and across the world—of dignity, humanity and strength,” Attorney General Sessions said. “She spoke her mind and used her position and her popularity to advocate for causes that benefit all of us, like literacy and civil rights. In many ways, Barbara formed the core of the Bush family, projecting without affectation her own dignity and grace whatever the events around her. It was an honor for me to continue to serve as United States Attorney under President Bush. I join the rest of the country in offering my condolences to the Bush family and in lifting them up in prayer at this difficult time.”

Charles E. Peeler, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Arthur D. Peralta will hold a press conference on Thursday, April 19, 2018 to announce the results of a significant law enforcement operation carried out pursuant to the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.

The press conference will be held at 2:00 pm on the steps of the United States District Courthouse located at 475 Mulberry Street in Macon.

Questions concerning the press conference should be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603.

On Wednesday, April 11th, interns from INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau—visited the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. NCMEC has centers in Florida, New York, Texas, and California. INTERPOL Washington has been in partnership with NCMEC for approximately 20 years. NCMEC provides leads and information about child sexual exploitation and abuse to law enforcement officials via INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure messaging system. The I-24/7 system quickly disseminates information and leads shared from NCMEC’s CyberTipline to domestic and international investigative law enforcement agencies for potential action.

During the visit, the Spring intern class of 2018 heard from speakers who discussed the units within NCMEC and the support services NCMEC provides to families when a child goes missing whether domestically or internationally. The interns also learned about the various partner organizations that assist in disseminating photos of missing children across the United States.

Internships at INTERPOL Washington offer in-depth insight about the criminal justice system at the domestic and global levels, transnational crime, and law enforcement. Interns are placed within critical mission areas and also receive opportunities to take field trips to nearby law enforcement facilities and training sites. To learn more about internships at INTERPOL Washington, please visit our website.

Jerry Lynn Gragg Jr., 41, a former police officer with the Savanna Police Department in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, was sentenced today in federal court in Muskogee, Oklahoma, to 100 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release. Gragg previously pleaded guilty to one count of violating the civil rights of a female whom he sexually assaulted during a routine traffic stop. As part of his sentence, Gragg must forfeit his law enforcement certification and comply with federal and state sex offender registration requirements. 

According to court documents, on Jan. 21, 2017, Gragg, while on-duty, stopped a vehicle during the early hours of the morning while it was still dark outside.  After approaching the vehicle, Gragg brought the female driver back to his marked patrol unit and directed her to sit in the front passenger seat.  Given the coercive power of Gragg’s position as a law enforcement offer, and the physical disparity in size between Gragg and the victim, she could not escape from the patrol car. Thereafter, Gragg caused the victim to perform a sexual act on him against her will.  Gragg admitted that he knew what he was doing was wrong and against the law, yet he did so anyway.  Gragg further admitted that his acts included aggravated sexual abuse, which under federal law, requires force or putting the victim in fear of serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or death.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the actions of law enforcement officers who exploit their authority and sexually abuse individuals in their custody,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Gragg’s sentencing today reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to holding officers who violate an individual’s civil rights accountable for their egregious actions. The Civil Rights Division will continue to vigorously prosecute these cases.”

"I commend the victim for her strength and courage to come forward and provide law enforcement with the information necessary to hold the Defendant accountable for committing this heinous act and for violating his oath to protect and serve his community." said U.S. Attorney Brian Kuester. "While the majority of law enforcement officers follow the laws they are sworn to uphold, this Office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who choose otherwise."

“This deliberate abuse of authority is a disgrace and embarrassment to all members of the law enforcement community,” said FBI’s Oklahoma City Division Special Agent in Charge Kathryn Peterson.  “There is an added sense of betrayal when a fellow law enforcement official preys on the citizens he has sworn to protect.”

This case was investigated by the Oklahoma City Division of the FBI and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the Pittsburg County District Attorney’s Office and the Savanna Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Henson of the Eastern District of Oklahoma and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Two former police officers of the Flint Police Department (FPD) pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan to conspiring to commit theft from an organization receiving federal funds, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to documents filed with the court, Richard Besson, 53, of Davison, Michigan, served as an FPD officer from 1989 to 2011 and Jason Groulx, 44, of Flint, Michigan, served as an FPD officer from 1998 to 2018.  From June 2011 to June 2013, Besson and Groulx conspired together and with others to steal traffic crash reports from the FPD in exchange for cash payments.  Many of the stolen reports were marked “unapproved” and were not publicly available.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 31.  Besson and Groulx face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and William Guappone, who are prosecuting the case, and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their assistance.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has appointed Ilene J. Lashinsky as the U.S. Trustee for Kansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma (Region 20) for an interim period, and Paul A. Randolph as the Acting U.S. Trustee for Kentucky and Tennessee (Region 8), the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees (EOUST) announced today.  These appointments will be effective April 29, upon the retirement of Samuel K. Crocker, the current U.S. Trustee for these two Regions.  

Ms. Lashinsky is the U.S. Trustee for the District of Arizona (Region 14), and Mr. Randolph is the Assistant U.S. Trustee in the U.S. Trustee Program’s St. Louis office.  Under 28 U.S.C. § 585, the Attorney General may fill U.S. Trustee vacancies by appointing another individual to serve as an Acting U.S. Trustee or by designating an incumbent U. S. Trustee to serve in a second region.  Both Ms. Lashinksy and Mr. Randolph bring a wealth of experience to these positions, having served in the U.S. Trustee Program for 16 and 28 years, respectively.

“On behalf of the U.S. Trustee Program, I congratulate and thank Mr. Crocker for his many years of invaluable service to the bankruptcy system, both as the U.S. Trustee and formerly as a private trustee,” said USTP Director Cliff White.  “I also am grateful to our colleagues Ms. Lashinsky and Mr. Randolph for their commitment to the mission of the Program and their willingness to assume these additional roles.”

The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws.  The USTP has 21 regions and 92 field office locations.  Region 8 is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee with additional offices in Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee, and Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky.  Region 20 is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, with additional offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

On April 11, the Department of Justice secured the denaturalization of two individuals – one convicted of engaging in sexual contact with a minor, and the other who fictitiously created a family to secure a Diversity Immigrant Visa.  Judge Joe Fish of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas entered an order to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Emmanuel Olugbenga Omopariola, and Judge Susan Richard Nelson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota entered an order to revoke the U.S. citizenship of Fosia Abdi Adan.

The court found that prior to naturalizing, Omopariola, 61, engaged in sexual contact with a seven-year-old minor, which he admitted and for which he was later convicted. This prior conduct rendered Omopariola ineligible for applying for U.S. citizenship because he did not show the moral conduct necessary for naturalization. Additionally, throughout his naturalization proceedings Omopariola misrepresented and hid his unlawful activity.  

During litigation, Adan, 51, conceded that she had procured her U.S. citizenship by willful misrepresentation and concealment of material facts, including the fraudulent nature of her relationship to individuals she claimed to be her children.  In light of that admission, the court found that Adan had unlawfully procured her U.S. citizenship.

The denaturalization of Adan marks the culmination of the government’s case against four individuals—a purported husband, wife, and two sons—who unlawfully, knowingly, and fraudulently represented to immigration officials that they were a family in order to gain admission to the United States through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which they later used to obtain U.S. citizenship.  Judge Nelson entered orders revoking the naturalized U.S. citizenship of Adan’s purported husband, Ahmed Mohamed Warsame aka Jama Solob Kayre, 53, on February 27, 2018, and her purported sons, Mustaf Abdi Adan aka Mohamed Jama Solob, 33, and Faysal Jama Mire aka Mobarak Jama Solob, 31, on March 19, 2018. All four individuals consented to the entry of orders of denaturalization.

“The current immigration system is too often abused by fraudsters and nefarious actors. These cases are prime examples of the unfortunate fraud that is all too common within our immigration system,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “The Department will continue to investigate and prosecute others who conceal their heinous crimes, and those who seek to rely on fraudulent relationships to become naturalized United States citizens.”

The Omopariola matter was referred to the Department of Justice by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The other four cases, United States v. Fosia Abdi Adan; United States v. Ahmed Mohamed Warsame; United States v. Mustaf Abdi Adan; and United States v. Faysal Jama Mire, were referred to the Department of Justice by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and ICE, with investigative support from HSI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.

"The integrity of our consular processes is a core element of U.S. national security,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch. “The Department of State works closely with the Justice Department efforts to detect, deter, and combat fraud related to U.S. travel documents. These denaturalizations demonstrate the value of this important interagency collaboration; a partnership that allows us to facilitate travel by qualified individuals in the context of ensuring a strong and secure U.S. border.”

The Texas case was investigated by HSI and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS). The case was handled by OIL-DCS’s National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, with support from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor.

These Minnesota cases were investigated by DSS, ICE, USCIS, and the OIL-DCS. The cases were prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Anthony D. Bianco and Trial Attorney Kathryne M. Gray of OIL-DCS, with support from Senior Attorney Lucia A. Fiorentino and former Attorney Sarah Mazzie of ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and DSS.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reached a prescription drug information-sharing agreement with 48 Attorneys General.

“Better information means better decisions,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “Today’s agreement with 48 Attorneys General will give DEA and the states alike more information they can use to prosecute the criminals who are contributing to our national drug emergency.  That means more prosecutions and ultimately fewer drugs on our streets.  Would-be criminals should be warned: we are now better equipped than ever to find the fraudsters who are fueling our nation’s addiction crisis.”

“This partnership provides an unprecedented opportunity to use DEA and state resources and information to jointly combat pill diversion and trafficking,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson.  “We are losing far too many Americans to opioid abuse and addiction. I salute these states for their proactive efforts and know they will make a significant difference as we attack this epidemic across the country.” 

DEA has reached an agreement with Attorneys General from 46 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to share prescription drug information with one another in order to aid investigations. DEA’s Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System (ARCOS) system collects some 80 million transaction reports every year from manufacturers and distributors of prescription drugs. DEA will provide the Attorneys General with that data, and the states will provide their own information, often from prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) to DEA. Under the agreement, both state and federal law enforcement will have more information at their disposal to find the tell-tale signs of crime.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions today announced that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would affect its limits on annual opioid production.

"Better information means better decisions,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “Under the proposed rule, DEA’s opioid production limits would be more responsive to the risk of drug abuse by explicitly taking diversion into account.  It’s a common sense idea: the more a drug is diverted, the more its production should be limited.  Today’s proposed rule will give DEA more information to help the agency protect law-abiding Americans from the threat of drugs—and that makes all of us safer.”

Under the NPRM, DEA will take into consideration the extent that a drug is diverted for abuse when it sets its annual opioid production limits. If DEA believes that a particular opioid or a particular company’s opioids are being diverted for misuse, then DEA would be able to reduce the amount that can produced in a given year. These smarter limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potentially addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for genuine medical, scientific, research and industrial needs.

Further, the rule would allow DEA to set its annual limits using information not only from its own Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders (ARCOS) system, but also from the Department of Health and Human Services, the FDA, the CDC, Medicare and Medicaid, and the states.

On April 16, a federal court in Orlando, Florida, ordered that Patrick Clarke disgorge $500,000, and Ruby Rodriguez disgorge $100,000, of the proceeds they received for the preparation of tax returns, the Justice Department announced today.  Clarke and Rodriguez agreed to the orders.  On Nov. 13, 2017, the Court permanently barred Clarke, Rodriguez, Tax MD Inc., and V.I.P Tax Services Inc. from preparing federal tax returns for others.  The civil injunction order, to which the defendants also agreed, was signed by Judge Carlos E. Mendoza of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.  

In April 2016, the United States filed its civil complaint against Clarke and Rodriguez seeking an injunction prohibiting them from acting as federal tax return preparers and seeking disgorgement of their gross receipts for the preparation of federal tax returns that reported false or fraudulent claims.  According to the complaint, Clarke owned Tax MD Inc. and through it owned and operated tax return preparation franchises in Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach, and Hallandale, Florida.  Also according to the complaint, Rodriguez managed one of Clarke’s stores in Orlando and owned V.I.P Tax Services Inc.  As alleged, Clarke’s tax return preparers, including Rodriguez, fabricated business income and expenses to make fraudulent claims for the earned income tax credit and fabricated itemized deductions to generate larger refunds. The injunction entered in November stopped Clarke and Rodriguez from preparing tax returns for others, and today’s disgorgement order allows the government to collect proceeds they received from their tax preparation.

Return preparer fraud was one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2018 and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some information on their website about selecting a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.

In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

The Department of Justice yesterday sent the attached letters to the City of Seattle, Washington, and the State of Vermont, demanding the production of documents that could show whether each jurisdiction is unlawfully restricting information sharing by its law enforcement officers with federal immigration authorities.

The Department of Justice previously contacted these jurisdictions and raised concerns about laws, policies, or practices that may violate 8 U.S.C. § 1373, a federal statute that promotes information sharing related to immigration enforcement and with which compliance is a condition of FY2016 and FY2017 Byrne JAG awards.

The letters also state that failure to respond, respond completely, or respond in a timely manner will be subject to a Department of Justice subpoena.

The Justice Department also sent a letter to Mayor Libby Schaaf of the City of Oakland, regarding Oakland’s laws, policies, or practices, which the Department believes may violate 8 U.S.C. 1373.

“When cities and states enact policies that thwart the federal government’s ability to enforce federal immigration law, they choose to place the protection of criminal aliens over the safety of their communities,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  “The Justice Department will not tolerate this intentional effort to undermine public safety and the rule of law, and I continue to remind all jurisdictions to reconsider policies that put their residents in harm’s way.”

Failure to comply with 8 U.S.C. 1373 could result in the Justice Department seeking the return of FY2016 grants, requiring additional conditions for receipt of any FY2017 Byrne JAG funding, and/or jurisdictions being deemed ineligible to receive FY2017 Byrne JAG funding.

The Department of Justice periodically reviews the laws, policies, or practices of jurisdictions that previously certified compliance with section 1373 as a condition of their FY2016 Byrne JAG awards.  

In addition to these actions, the Justice Department also notified the District of Columbia and the Louisville-Jefferson (KY) County Metro Government that there is no evidence that either jurisdiction is currently out of compliance with section 1373.

The Justice Department announced today that it has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit against the owners, builder, and designer of the Ashlynn Estates, a three-building dormitory-style property near Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. Keith and Tamra Riexinger own the property, and Riexinger Enterprises Inc. (also known as Crossroads Construction) designed and built it. The settlement resolves allegations that the defendants failed to design and construct the buildings to make them accessible to persons with disabilities in compliance with the Fair Housing Act’s (FHA) accessibility requirements. 

“The Department is committed to ensuring that new multifamily housing—including housing designed for students—is accessible to persons with disabilities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit and its resolution are just the latest steps in the Department of Justice’s efforts to ensure equal accessibility for persons with disabilities.”   

“The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on any statutorily-protected basis, including disability,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Harrington for the Eastern District of Washington. “The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, HUD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to vigorously pursuing enforcement of the rights guaranteed by the Act. This settlement is an example of that commitment in the Eastern District of Washington and serves to promote equal access to multi-family housing for persons with disabilities.”

“Housing units that don’t meet the needs of persons of disabilities make it impossible for them to enjoy their homes,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “Providers that built housing after March 1991 have an obligation to construct units that are accessible to persons with disabilities, and HUD will continue to work with the Justice Department to ensure that they meet that obligation.”

The FHA’s accessible design and construction provisions require new multifamily housing constructed after March 1991—including dormitory-style housing—to have basic features accessible to persons with disabilities.  According to the allegations in the complaint, the defendants designed and constructed Ashlynn Estates with various barriers inhibiting access to the 12 ground-floor units and the associated public and common-use areas at the property.  Those barriers include: inaccessible building entrances; inaccessible routes to the buildings; inaccessible parking, bathrooms, closets and electrical outlets; and door knobs throughout the buildings that make entrances inaccessible to many people with disabilities.   

The lawsuit arises from a complaint filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by the Northwest Fair Housing Alliance (NWFHA), a private, nonprofit corporation whose mission is to provide education regarding fair housing laws and to ensure compliance with those laws in Washington.  NWFHA inspected the Ashlynn Estates and observed accessibility barriers.  After conducting an investigation, HUD issued a charge of discrimination and referred the case to the Justice Department.

Under the settlement, defendants will retrofit the properties to make the 12 ground floor units and common areas accessible, pay $10,000 to the NWFHA, train new employees on the FHA, and adopt a nondiscrimination policy. 

The Justice Department, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the FHA, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status.  Among other things, the FHA requires all multifamily housing constructed after March 12, 1991, to have basic accessibility features, including accessible routes without steps to all ground-floor units.  More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt.  Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized the Travis County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services Unit Volunteer Program with the Volunteer for Victims Award. This honor is awarded to individuals or programs that provide extraordinary service to crime victims without compensation. The program was honored during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“The women and men of the Victim Services Unit cater to the specific needs of area victims, including through on-scene services, continuing education, and expanded access to legal assistance,” Attorney General Sessions said. “Their innovative model – which relies on both professional and volunteer support – is an inspiration, and I applaud them for their critical work on behalf of crime survivors in and around Travis County.”

The Travis County Sherriff’s Office Victim Services Unit was established in 1984, prior to state mandates requiring crime victim liaisons within law enforcement agencies. The unit is composed of a Victim Services Director, a Social Services Program Coordinator, and six Victim Service Specialists.

These trained volunteers provide an immediate response and support to victims of various criminal and crisis circumstances. Volunteers help victims establish their personal safety, secure access to community services, and apply for victim compensation.

“Without compensation, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office Victim Services Unit volunteers provide assistance and services to victims 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor them for their remarkable contributions and for their commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Tina L. Fox, State Director of Victim Services for the Tennessee Board of Parole, with the National Crime Victim Service Award during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Through her newsletter, her toll-free hotline, and in so many other ways, Tina Fox has helped countless crime survivors throughout Tennessee,” Attorney General Sessions said. “I want to add my voice to theirs in thanking Ms. Fox for her extraordinary service.”

Fox has served as State Director of Victim Services for the Tennessee Board of Parole since January 2012. During this time, she has implemented statewide training for all victim coordinators, probation officers, parole officers, and board members; established a 1-800 number for victim services; coordinated National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and Tennessee Season to Remember commemorations; developed and distributed a monthly Victim Services Newsletter; and supported victims in the passage of legislation; and formed a statewide Victim’s Support Committee.

 “Ms. Fox’s work is making Tennessee a better place for those who tragically become victims of crime,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor her remarkable contributions and her commitment to justice for all victims of crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Oklahoma City Chief of Police Captain William Citty with the Allied Professional Award. The honor is awarded to individuals outside the victim assistance profession for their service to victims and contributions to the field of victim services. He was honored during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Chief Citty has served and protected the people of Oklahoma City for more than 40 years, and has been a champion for victims of crime,” Attorney General Sessions said.  “He has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty in serving them, including by helping to open Palomar, Oklahoma City’s Family Justice Center.  I applaud his dedication to victims and I am grateful for his tireless service on their behalf.”

Citty became Oklahoma City’s 48th Chief of Police in 2003. Citty championed the creation of Family Justice Center, which has changed the framework of Oklahoma City’s response to crime victims by providing wraparound services to victims of domestic violence and other crime. Previously, Oklahoma City victims were sent from location to location for services, often hindering their ability to heal from traumatic experiences.

“Mr. Citty’s compassion and leadership has significantly improved the way victims of crime are treated in Oklahoma City,” said Director Darlene Hutchinson of the Office for Victims of Crime. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor him for his remarkable contributions to his community and for his commitment to justice for all victims of crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Dawne Lomangino-DiMauro, co-chair of the Anti-Trafficking Taskforce of All Counties (New Jersey), with the Crimes Victims’ Rights Award. This honor is awarded to individuals whose efforts to advance or enforce victims’ rights have benefitted victims at the state, tribal, or national levels. She was honored during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Human trafficking is a violent and abhorrent crime, and its victims deserve our highest levels of our support,” said Attorney General Sessions.  “Throughout her career, Dawne Lomangino-DiMauro has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty to support trafficking survivors.  Her advocacy has led to clear improvements in New Jersey’s response to the criminal sex trade as well as greater awareness of its victims.  I am grateful for her courageous service.”

Lomangino-DiMauro has been an active member of the anti-trafficking movement in New Jersey for 12 years. She is the co-chair of the Anti-Trafficking Taskforce of All Counties; she has promoted passage of legislation to help victims, including the New Jersey Prevention, Protection, and Treatment Act; and she implemented DreamCatcher, New Jersey’s first state-funded victim service program devoted solely to raising awareness and networking services for identified victims.

Lomangino-DiMauro successfully advocated for new arrest policies in New Jersey, and was instrumental in developing a partnership with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families supporting mandatory human trafficking training for all staff.

“Through her tireless efforts to enhance victims’ rights, Ms. Lomangino-DiMauro has changed the way trafficking victims are treated in the state of New Jersey,” said Director Darlene Hutchinson of the Office for Victims of Crime. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor her for her remarkable contributions and for her commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Shawn Partridge, Director of the Family Violence Prevention Program (FVPP) for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, with the National Crime Victim Service Award. This honor is awarded to individuals or programs for exceptional service to victims of crime. She was honored during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Survivors in American Indian and Alaska Native communities have unique needs, and Shawn Partridge has dedicated her career to serving them,” Attorney General Sessions said. “Her innovative approach to supportive services has expanded access to specialized populations, including teens and children impacted by dating and sexual violence.  I am grateful for her passion and applaud her courage.”

FVPP provides support services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking and other violent crimes in the Muscogee (Creek) community. Under Partridge’s leadership, the FVPP has expanded services, including the creation of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s first Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program.

Partridge’s work also includes the development of Warriors Honor Women, a movement led by Muscogee men to end violence against women and children. Her efforts promoting the reauthorization of the 2013 Violence Against Women Act helped to restore tribes’ authority to hold accountable non-American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals who commit domestic violence on tribal lands.

 “Through her dedication and compassion for victims, Ms. Partridge has made groundbreaking improvements to the assistance victims receive in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation,” said Director Darlene Hutchinson of the Office for Victims of Crime. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor her for her remarkable contributions and for her commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Michelle L. Kuiper, who is a sexual assault survivor and activist, with the Special Courage Award for her work on behalf of victims of sexual assault. This honor is awarded to victims or survivors who exhibit exceptional perseverance and determination in dealing with his or her own victimization, or who acted bravely to prevent a victimization. She was honored during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"In my nearly 40 years in and around law enforcement, I have found that some of the strongest and most inspiring people I have met are survivors of crime.  Michelle Brooks Kuiper is no exception,” said Attorney General Sessions. “She has turned the grief from her own personal tragedy into a motivation to help others, resulting in legal reforms that better serve victims of sexual assault. Her perseverance has improved the lives of survivors in Kentucky and Indiana, and her story will inspire countless others throughout our country.”

Kuiper was a freshman in college when she was taken off her front porch by a stranger and sexually assaulted under a neighbor’s deck. It took 17 years for her rapist to be tried and convicted of this crime, in addition to three other assaults, resulting from a DNA match.

Kuiper became an activist shortly after her assault. She strives to support others who have been sexually assaulted by advocating for legislative change. Her efforts led to the passage of six new laws in three years. One of these laws required Kentucky to test its backlog of approximately 3,000 rape kits, and another is changing the way Kentucky handles rape kits in the future by tracking all kits. In 2017, Kuiper helped Indiana pass a law mandating the collection of DNA for all felony arrests and requiring the state to test its backlog of rape kits.

“We are grateful for Ms. Kuiper’s dedication to empowering sexual assault victims,” said Director Darlene Hutchinson of the Office for Victims of Crime. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor her for her remarkable contributions and for her commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice honored 12 individuals and programs for their exceptional service to victims of crime during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C.

"In law enforcement, we are sworn to serve and protect," Attorney General Sessions said. "We carry out this oath every day by protecting the rights of law abiding people from criminals and by achieving justice for crime victims. Today, we remember the millions of Americans who are either the brave survivors or the loved ones that have been left behind after criminal attacks. We also thank those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their service to those victims. As we do so, we recommit ourselves to fulfilling our oath and to reducing crime in America."

The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, leads communities in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year and hosts an awards ceremony to honor outstanding work on behalf of crime victims. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, 2018 with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

“The extraordinary contributions that these individuals and teams have made, and the exceptional service that they perform each and every day on behalf of victims, is remarkable,” said Alan Hanson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “The Department of Justice is proud to recognize their achievements and to share in their day of honor.”

The following are award recipients who were selected by the Office for Victims of Crime from public nominations in 10 categories. Individual press releases are available using the included links: Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals from a specific discipline outside the victim assistance field for their service to victims and/or contributions to the victim assistance field.
Recipient: William (Bill) Citty of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services recognizes a program, organization, or individual who has helped to expand the reach of victims’ rights and services.
Recipient: The late Joye E. Frost of Washington, D.C.

Crime Victims Financial Restoration Award honors individuals, programs, or teams that developed innovative ways of funding services for crime victims, or instituted innovative approaches for securing financial restoration for crime victims.
Recipient: Program Management and Training Unit in the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice of Washington D.C.

Crime Victims’ Rights Award honors the dedicated champions throughout our nation whose efforts to advance or enforce crime victims’ rights have benefited victims of crime at the local, state, tribal, or national level.
Recipient: Dawne Lomangino-DiMauro of Galloway, New Jersey 

Federal Service Award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of federal agency personnel who lead initiatives or reforms and make extraordinary contributions that impact victims of federal, tribal, and military crimes, or more broadly promote victims’ rights and services for underserved victims nationally and internationally.
Recipient: Kevin Rivers and Sherry Rice of Sacaton, Arizona

National Crime Victim Service Award honors extraordinary individuals and programs that provide services to victims of crime.
Recipients: Shawn Partridge of Tulsa, Oklahoma
                   Tina L. Fox of Nashville, Tennessee
                   Debra McCall Reed of Dover, Delaware

Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award honors those whose leadership, vision, and innovation have led to significant changes in public policy and practice that benefit crime victims.
Recipient: Casey Gwinn of San Diego, California

Special Courage Award recognizes a victim or survivor who has exhibited exceptional perseverance or determination in dealing with his or her own victimization.
Recipient: Michelle L. Kuiper of Louisville, Kentucky

Tomorrow’s Leaders Award seeks to honor and highlight youth up to age 24 who have dedicated their efforts to supporting victims of crime.
Recipient: Shelby Kay Looper of Muncie, Indiana

Volunteer for Victim Award honors individuals for their extraordinary and selfless efforts resulting in positive and lasting changes in the lives of crime victims.
Recipient: Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Victim Services Unit Volunteer Program of Austin, Texas

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Shelby Kay Looper with the Tomorrow’s Leaders Award during the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. This honor is awarded to youth up to age 24 who have dedicated their efforts to supporting victims of crime.

“Victims of crime deserve assistance and support – no matter their zip code,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Shelby Looper has already distinguished herself by fighting hard to provide adequate services to victims of crime in rural Indiana.  Her dedication and commitment has paid dividends for Hoosier families, and I have no doubt that her impact will be felt for many years to come.”

While majoring in criminal justice and criminology at Ball State University, Looper interned at the Muncie Police Victim Advocates Program. During her internship, she realized that some rural and small-town police departments were not offering victims the same services available to those in larger cities. On her own initiative, Looper visited these police departments to educate officers about the victim services resources available to them through the Muncie Police Victim Advocates Program.

 After her graduation, Looper was hired by the Muncie Police Department as a victim advocate. She established the Domestic Violence On-Call Program which places victim advocates on the scene when police respond to domestic violence calls. This allows the victim advocate to establish a relationship with victims, design a plan to meet their needs, and build stronger relationships between the police department and the community. In July 2017, Looper was named Director of the Muncie Police Victim Advocates Office.

“Ms. Looper’s dedication to ensuring victims have access to necessary resources is not only extremely admirable but it is also proof that even at a young age, you can have a very significant and positive impact in your community,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor her for her remarkable contributions and for her commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Casey Gwinn, President of Alliance for HOPE International, with the Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. This honor is awarded to individuals whose leadership, vision, and innovation have led to significant changes in public policy and practice that benefit crime victims.

“Throughout his career, Casey Gwinn has worked tirelessly to make resources available to children and their families in the aftermath of crime, as well as to prosecute the heinous individuals responsible to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Sessions said. “Casey’s efforts helped reduce crime in San Diego and his Camp HOPE initiative continues to minister to the unique needs of children exposed to domestic violence.  I am grateful for his extraordinary service.”

Gwinn currently serves as the president of Alliance for HOPE International. He was elected and served as the San Diego City Attorney from 1996 to 2004. Prior to elected office, he founded the City Attorney’s Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Unit. He led this unit from 1986 to 1996, prosecuting both misdemeanor and felony cases. In 1993, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges recognized his unit as the model prosecution unit in the nation.

Gwinn founded the San Diego Family Justice Center (FJC) which brought 25 local agencies under one roof to better serve victims of crime. San Diego’s model inspired a national movement, and today there are FJCs in 40 states.

“Mr. Gwinn is an incredible example of how one person can have a tremendous impact in his community and around the country,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor him for his remarkable contributions and commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized the late Joye E. Frost with the Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services for her lifelong dedication to improving victims’ services during the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Frost passed away on March 12 after a long battle with cancer.

“Joye Frost dedicated her career to advocating on behalf of victims of crime, and she was highly effective,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Her work to expand and improve the impact of victim assistance after trauma such as sexual assault, terrorism, or mass violence, made sure that many people received the help they needed.  The Department of Justice—and the United States—is better because of Joye and her invaluable efforts, and so today we honor her memory.”

During her almost 20-year tenure with the Office for Victims of Crime, Frost launched the Vision 21: Transforming Victim Services Initiative to expand the reach and impact of the victims’ assistance field. She fostered a groundbreaking partnership between OVC and the U.S. Department of Defense to strengthen support to military sexual assault victims. Frost was also instrumental in developing OVC’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and Sexual Assault Response Team training and technical assistance initiatives.

“Ms. Frost’s untimely death is not only a devastating loss for us in the Office for Victims of Crime, but also for the victim services community which she helped to transform by spending most of her professional life advocating on behalf of victims,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is extremely proud to honor Joye for her contributions. Her passion, integrity, and dedication will not be forgotten.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

The Department of Justice today recognized Debra McCall Reed with the National Crime Victim Service Award during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Our criminal justice system should be responsive to the needs of every victim of crime,” said Attorney General Sessions. “This week, we celebrate and thank those who ensure that it is, including victim advocates like Debra Reed.  For more than 30 years, she has helped victims in the aftermath of traumatic experiences like sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.  Victims throughout Delaware have benefited from her energy and expertise, and I want to thank her for tireless service on their behalf.”

 Reed began working with victims of crime 30 years ago as a child abuse investigator for Delaware’s Division of Family Services. In 1990, she was selected by the Delaware State Police to develop the Delaware Victim Center. Five years later, she was promoted to Director, a position that she still holds.

Reed has been instrumental in developing the Delaware Victim Center’s services related to sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, and sudden death. As victims’ needs have changed through the years, she has responded with new and unique programs, including an emergency financial assistance program to assist crime victims with immediate needs such as housing, medical costs, and counseling.

"Ms. Reed’s dedication to the Delaware State Police’s Delaware Victim Center is making Delaware a better place for those who tragically become victims of crime,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor her for her remarkable contributions and for her commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized the Criminal Division’s Program Management and Training Unit within the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section with the Crime Victims’ Financial Restoration Award. The award goes to teams that have instituted innovative approaches for securing financial restoration for crime victims. The organization was honored during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

“Civil asset forfeiture is a key tool that helps us defund organized crime, weaken criminals and cartels, and provide relief to victims,” said Attorney General Sessions. “The women and men of the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section play a central role in finding and restoring forfeited funds to crime victims.  Just this week, they helped distribute an additional $500 million to victims of the Bernie Madoff financial scam, bringing the total to more than $1.2 billion.  I applaud their efforts and appreciate all that they do for victims of crime.”

The Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Program has returned over $5.1 billion in civilly and criminally forfeited funds to crime victims since 2002 through the Department’s Victim Compensation Program.

Over the past three years, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section has returned over $1.3 billion in forfeited funds to crime victims. Most recently, the Unit oversaw a $772 million distribution to 24,000 victims of Bernard Madoff, the first in a series of payments that will eventually return over $4 billion to victims of the Madoff fraud. In 2016 the Unit began oversight and administration of the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, established to compensate victims of international acts of terrorism. To date, the Fund has issued more than $1 billion to over 2,000 victims. These victims include the Iran hostages held from 1979 to 1981 and their spouses and children; victims of the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania; and victims of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole.

“We cannot undo the damage that criminals like Bernie Madoff do to victims of crime, but distributions like yesterday’s provide significant relief to many of the victims of fraud,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor this team for their remarkable contributions and for their commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

Today, the Department of Justice recognized Detective Kevin Rivers of the Gila River Police Department and Special Agent Sherry C. Rice of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the Federal Service Award during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. This honor is awarded to federal agency personnel whose work affects victims of federal, tribal, or military crimes or promotes victims’ rights and services nationally and internationally.

“Those of us in law enforcement are sworn to serve and protect,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Special Agent Sherry Rice and Detective Kevin Rivers have done just that.  Through their hard work and dedication, they have brought closure and relief to girls in the Gila River Indian Community who have suffered at the hands of a suspected predator.  I want to thank them for their courage and outstanding service in investigating this case and ensuring that justice was served.”

Rivers and Rice led the investigation into a child sex offender who was suspected of crimes in the Gila River Indian Community over the course of 30 years. Rivers’ and Rice’s leadership led to charges against the suspect for crimes related to sexual assault involving seven different victims.

“Detective Rivers and Special Agent Rice’s tireless leadership brought a dark and painful chapter in the Gila River Indian Community to an end,” said Director of the Office for Victims of Crime Darlene Hutchinson. “The Department of Justice is proud to honor them for their remarkable contributions and for their commitment to justice for all individuals victimized by crime.”

During today’s ceremony, the Justice Department recognized a dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding efforts on behalf of victims of crime. Awardees were selected from public nominations in ten categories.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime. This year’s observance takes place April 8-14, with the theme Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

The Department of Justice today announced that Phil Keith will serve as the Director of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS Office is the division of the Justice Department responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation's state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.

Mr. Keith has more than 47 years of experience in the fields of criminal justice, public safety, and business administration. Thirty-four of those years were spent in active law enforcement service, including 17 years as Chief of Police of the Knoxville, Tennessee, Police Department.

In addition to his service as a law enforcement officer, Mr. Keith has significant policy and administrative experience, including working directly with the COPS Office. His experience in these areas include, but are not limited to service as:

• Commissioner, Tennessee Peace Officers Standard and Training Commission;
• Principal Project Director, Major Cities Chiefs Association;
• Member, Department of Justice COPS Office Law Enforcement Ethics Task Force; and
• Member, Department of Justice COPS Office National Community Policing Resource Board.

In these and other professional capacities, Mr. Keith has performed more than 150 organizational assessments and has authored more than 100 articles and technical reports.

Mr. Keith has been widely recognized and awarded for his commitment to public safety. Mr. Keith has been awarded two Director’s Choice Awards from the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police; honored by the American Society for Public Administration for Excellence in Public Service for Municipal Services; received the Law Enforcement Leadership Award given by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; and recognized by the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation in 2013 as the first recipient of the Human Rights Award for his leadership in fighting commercial sex trafficking.

“The Justice Department is committed to backing our state and local law enforcement partners—the men and women that serve on the front lines of the fight against violent crime, the opioid crisis, and criminal organizations,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “For that reason, it is imperative that we have a leader in the COPS Office that understands this commitment and how the Office can work to fulfill it. Phil Keith’s experience is second-to-none, and I am confident he will be an effective leader for the COPS Office.”

Mr. Keith will be responsible for overseeing grant awards, innovative policing strategies, and training and technical assistance.

Mr. Keith is a graduate of East Tennessee State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Business Administration, and from the University of Tennessee, where he earned a Master’s of Science. Chief Keith also served in the United States Army Reserves from 1968 to 1974.

DALLAS — Today, as the Department of Justice recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the nationwide rollout of an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of sexual harassment in housing. The announcement includes an interagency task force between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Justice Department to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit, and a public awareness campaign. This three-pronged approach will strengthen the Department’s efforts to combat sexual harassment in housing.

“Sexual harassment in housing is illegal, immoral, and unacceptable," said Attorney General Sessions. “It is all too common today, as too many landlords, managers, and their employees attempt to prey on vulnerable women. We will not hesitate to pursue these predators and enforce the law. In October, I ordered a new initiative to bring more of these cases, and we have already won relief for 15 victims. Today we announce three new steps to make the initiative more effective and to win more cases. I want to thank the dedicated and committed professionals in our Civil Rights Division and our partners in the Department of Housing and Urban Development for their hard work in this effort. We will continue to aggressively pursue harassers, because everyone has a right to be safe in their home.”

“All discrimination stains the very fabric of our nation, but HUD is especially focused on protecting the right of everyone to feel safe and secure in their homes, free from unwanted sexual harassment,” said Secretary Ben Carson. “No person should have to tolerate unwanted sexual advances in order to keep a roof over his or her head. Part of our mission at HUD is to provide safe housing and we will remain diligent in this mission to protect those we serve. I look forward to working with Attorney General Sessions and the Department of Justice as part of this task force to bring an end to this type of discrimination.”

The Department is rolling out three major components to the Initiative.

First, the new HUD-DOJ Task Force to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing will drive a shared strategy between the Department and HUD for combatting sexual harassment in housing across the country. It will focus on five key areas: continued data sharing and analysis, joint development of training, evaluation of public housing complaint mechanisms, coordination of public outreach and press strategy, and review of federal policies.

Second, the outreach toolkit is designed to leverage the Justice Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The toolkit provides templates, guidance, and checklists based on pilot program feedback. It ultimately will amplify available enforcement resources and help victims of sexual harassment connect with the Department.

Third, the public awareness campaign has three major components: a partnership package with relevant stakeholders, launch of a social media campaign, and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) run by individual U.S. Attorney’s offices. The campaign is specifically designed to raise awareness, and make it easier for victims all over the country to find resources and report harassment.

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment in housing should call the Department at 1-844-380-6178, send an e-mail to fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.  If you have information or questions about any other housing discrimination, you can contact the Department at 1-800-896-7743.

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Jose Rivera, 59, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.  According to the indictment, Rivera illegally applied fumigants containing methyl bromide in multiple residential locations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, including the condominium resort complex in St. John, where a family of four fell seriously ill in March 2015, announced Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands.  

The indictment alleges that Rivera knowingly applied restricted-use fumigants at the Sirenusa resort in St. John for the purpose of exterminating household pests on or about Oct. 20, 2014, and on or about March 18, 2015.  The defendant was also charged with applying the restricted-use pesticide in eight residential units in St. Croix and one additional unit in St. Thomas between April 2013 and February 2015.  

In 1984, EPA banned the indoor use of methyl bromide products. The few remaining uses are severely restricted.  Pesticides containing methyl bromide in the U.S. are restricted-use due to their acute toxicity, meaning that they must only be applied by a certified applicator.  Health effects of acute exposure to methyl bromide are serious and include central nervous system and respiratory system damage. Pesticides can be very toxic and it is critically important that they be used only as approved by EPA.

Earlier this year, TERMINIX LP and TERMINIX, USVI were sentenced to pay a total of $9.2 million in criminal fines and restitution. The companies were also ordered to perform community service following an investigation and guilty pleas to their use and application of illegal fumigants in multiple residential locations in the Virgin Islands.

The case was investigated by EPA Criminal Investigation Division, working cooperatively with the Virgins Islands government and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Senior Litigation Counsel Howard P. Stewart of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim L. Chisholm for the District of the Virgin Islands are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Patricia Hick, EPA Region II Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel.

An indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

For more information about EPA’s pesticide program and its requirements, visit www.epa.gov/pesticides/.

For more information on methyl bromide, visit www.epa.gov/region2/methyl-bromide.pdf.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith for the Northern District of New York, Regional Administrator Pete Lopez for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today that the Town of Ticonderoga, New York has entered into a consent decree to bring the town into compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and Part 5 of the New York State Sanitary Code. Under the terms of the agreement, Ticonderoga will switch the source of about half of the drinking water it provides to a groundwater source. 

“Clean drinking water is a priority for all Americans. This agreement is carefully crafted to ensure that the Town of Ticonderoga is able to make required upgrades to its drinking water systems in a timely, cost-effective, and appropriate manner, while also ensuring that local residents are notified immediately if drinking water contamination is found,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wood for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.”

“With this agreement, and with support and technical assistance from the state and federal government, Ticonderoga has a path forward to ensure that the people of Ticonderoga receive clean drinking water,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. 

“It is fitting that a town named for its location as the junction of two majestic waterways has committed to provide clean and protected water to its residents,” said United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith. “We will continue to work with the Environment and Natural Resources Division, the EPA, and state and local authorities to ensure compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and to protect public health in Ticonderoga and throughout the Northern District of New York.”

“Every New Yorker should have access to safe, clean drinking water, and this agreement ensures that for Ticonderoga residents,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “My office is proud of this collaborative victory and remains committed to improving environmental safety and public health across our state.”

The Town of Ticonderoga owns and operates an unfiltered drinking water system with an uncovered finished water reservoir that provides drinking water to approximately 5,000 customers. The water system does not meet state and federal regulatory requirements. The town has been out of compliance with a federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulation called the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2). Specifically, the system does not have proper treatment for Cryptosporidium. The LT2 rule specifically targets public water systems with surface water as their source, which have higher potential risks of Cryptosporidium contamination. These systems are required to treat unfiltered surface water for Cryptosporidium, which can lead to serious and potentially fatal gastrointestinal illness. The illness poses greater risks to people with weakened immune systems, such as young children, pregnant women, and the elderly. The rule also requires that reservoirs that hold finished drinking water (water that is ready to drink) be covered to protect them from contamination.

Under the terms of the consent decree filed yesterday, the Town of Ticonderoga will install wells to draw drinking water from the groundwater and install a storage tank to ensure a clean and protected water supply—projects that will cost approximately $13 million. The town will also complete improvements to the Baldwin Road filter plant by June 2020. While the work to accomplish these capital improvements is being completed, the consent decree requires the town notify the public immediately if sampling indicates any elevated risk of Cryptosporidium contamination.

In addition to the work required to ensure its system meets federal and state requirements, Ticonderoga has agreed to two additional actions under EPA’s Supplemental Environmental Projects policy. First, the town has agreed to establish a program to notify residents of water system outages or concerns, including boil-water notices. This notification program will also enable notification of other emergencies, including sewer or gas line breakages, flooding, police activity, and severe weather, by phone call, email, or text message. Second, the town will establish a pharmaceutical disposal program to anonymously accept any unwanted pharmaceutical products. The program will reduce the quantity of pharmaceuticals released to the environment that might otherwise make their way into the community’s drinking water. The town will also pay a $50,000 penalty to be divided evenly between the United States and New York State.

The consent decree has been lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York and is subject to public comment for a period of at least 30 days. Notice of the lodging of the consent decree will appear in the Federal Register allowing for a 30-day public comment period before the consent decree can be entered by the court as final judgment. The consent decree will available for viewing at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. 

For more information on the Safe Drinking Water Act, please visit: www.epa.gov/sdwa

David D. Delay, 52, of Lynnwood, Washington, was sentenced today in a U.S. District Court in Seattle to 33 years in prison for his predatory and exploitive scheme to recruit young women and teens to prostitution for his own enrichment, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington, and Special Agent in Charge Jay S. Tabb, Jr. of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. Delay was also ordered to pay $76,700 in restitution to his victims, plus additional costs for counseling and medical care. Following prison Delay must register as a sex offender and will be on supervised release for the rest of his life.  Because Delay has continued to harass his victims on social media, the judge requested the prison system and U.S. Probation limit his access to social media and computers. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik said “He deserves a long sentence and a sentence that sends a message to the community that these crimes will not be tolerated.”

At the conclusion of a ten-day trial, the jury convicted the defendant on Nov. 6, 2017, of 17 federal felonies, including one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; three counts of sex trafficking; three counts of attempted sex trafficking; one count of conspiracy to transport individuals for purposes of prostitution; six counts of transporting individuals for purposes of prostitution; two counts of production of child pornography; and one count of obstruction of justice.

According to evidence presented in court, including the testimony of seven victims, the defendant targeted vulnerable teenagers and young women in their early 20s by claiming to be a famous film producer with a multi-million dollar contract from HBO to produce a documentary on prostitution. Delay enticed his victims, several of whom he convinced to travel across the country to be with him, into working for him as prostitutes by falsely claiming that they would make up to $20 million by participating in his documentary. In order to convince the victims that his assertions were true, Delay sent them falsified bank account screenshots supposedly depicting the profits of his other films, a photograph of himself outside of an HBO office, and seemingly official, binding contracts that he asked them to sign that obligated them to pay him over a thousand dollars per week in prostitution proceeds. Delay falsely promised some of his victims that he was negotiating for them to star in a reality television show produced by Ryan Seacrest.  Representatives from HBO and Ryan Seacrest Productions testified that the companies did not have any business dealings with Delay.

Once the victims arrived in Seattle, the defendant coerced them into prostituting themselves for his profit. He manipulated them emotionally, psychologically, and sexually; isolated them; made them completely dependent on him; and in some instances threatened legal action against them, falsely claiming that the victims had violated their contracts and were subject to civil penalties. In furtherance of his sex trafficking scheme, the defendant also enticed two minor victims to produce graphic pornographic photographs and videos for him, and in two instances threatened to release sexually explicit video images of his victims unless they complied with his demands. 

“Delay used fraud and fear against vulnerable young women and girls to coerce them into commercial sex, turning them into sexual commodities for his own profit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously pursue sex traffickers and today’s sentence is an example of our ongoing efforts to hold traffickers accountable for their horrific crimes and vindicate the rights of their victims.”

“The long prison sentence imposed in this case is just punishment for the devastating impact this defendant had on his victims,” said U.S. Attorney Hayes.  “As they bravely testified in court, the defendant’s conduct left his victims with deep and lasting emotional scars. There simply is no place in civilized society for the kind of sexual exploitation that this defendant engaged in without so much as a second thought.”

“The FBI remains committed to working with federal, state and local partners to combat such egregious criminal activities " said Special Agent in Charge Jay Tabb, of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. “In this case, the FBI worked closely with the Redmond Police Department and the US Attorney’s Office to get survivors the help they need, and traffickers the justice they deserve. Given the complexity of Mr. Delay’s criminal schemes, our team included multiple experts all working as part of the Child Exploitation Task Force, a unit which continues to identify other victims and predators so we can disrupt cycles of abuse. ”

“We are proud of the excellent work done by the Redmond Police in partnership with the FBI,” said Redmond Police Chief K. Wilson. “Our close working relationship with our law enforcement partners through the FBI taskforce, allowed us to bring the needed resources to bear to ensure the defendant was arrested and convicted of his crimes.”

Co-defendant Marysa Comer, 23, of Matthews, North Carolina, previously pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2015, to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking for her role in Delay’s scheme. She was sentenced to 36 months in prison on Dec. 1, 2017.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Seattle Field Office and the Redmond Police Department, along with assistance from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the Beaverton, Oregon Police Department, and the Bureau of Prisons. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham and Trial Attorney Matthew Grady of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Thank you for inviting me here this evening. I am delighted to be part of the celebration of the talented nominees and winning authors that have contributed to our understanding of antitrust law. It’s also wonderful to look out and see so many friends and familiar faces. This is a great way to kick off the week of the Spring meeting. 

I am going to start with an apology of sorts: I’m not going to announce any new Antitrust Division policies or enforcement actions. And I’m not going to dive into the hot antitrust topics of the day, such as “so-called” big data or standards-essential patents. I hope that’s not a disappointment, but I think you’ll hear more than enough of that over the next several days. Instead, I would like to say a few words about good writing and its role in antitrust law.

Many have observed that words are the raw material and tools of the legal profession. Indeed, all that we do as lawyers is work with words: The words of ordinary people—the things they say and emails they write—that can become evidence; the words in contracts and disclosures; the words of witnesses in depositions and at trial; the words in lawyers’ memos, briefs and oral arguments; the words in law review articles by learned academics; the words of the judges in their decisions and orders (including some of the best words, such as “affirmed” or “reversed,” depending on your case or client); and, not least, the words enacted by Congress. 

From the perspective of the legal advocate, words are only the beginning. The words must be strung together in sentences and paragraphs in order to persuade. That brings us to the importance of good writing, which is what we are here to celebrate this evening.

Lawyers worth their salt must be able to write clearly and effectively, but I’d suggest that strong writing is especially important in the domain of antitrust law. I think there are two reasons for that. 

First, antitrust law is a common-law field. That presents opportunities for persuasive lawyers and judges to make their case for the proper interpretation or application of a short statutory phrase like “restraint of trade” or “substantially to lessen competition” in light of experience and logic. 

Second, modern antitrust law relies heavily on economics. The ability to explain complex and technical economics concepts with clarity and precision has become one of the most important skills in our corner of the legal profession. In that regard I should note that, as the legal profession becomes more and more specialized, effective legal advocacy requires writers to resist an over-reliance on jargon. Indeed, antitrust lawyers can be among the worst offenders in this regard. Too often, we fall back on shorthand terms or phrases to convey meaning: Section 1, Section 2, Section 7, Section 8, HHIs, SSNIP tests, horizontal and vertical, rule of reason and per se, quick look, elimination of double marginalization . . . the list goes on. 

It is unsurprising that clear and lively writing has been especially influential in antitrust jurisprudence. Antitrust opinions that have been cited time and again are those that instruct and persuade by enlivening abstract or technical concepts with clever prose. Great antitrust opinions often convey complex ideas in memorable ways. 

Judge Boudin, who happens to be a former Antitrust Division Deputy, wrote an article explaining how metaphors can be very effective in antitrust writing. He wrote that “[m]etaphors meet the same felt need for graspable ideas in a different way by making the abstractions of antitrust more concrete and often more dramatic.” 

One memorable example is from Socony-Vacuum Oil, where Justice Douglas described competitive pricing as the “central nervous system of the economy.” Or who can forget a phrase like “the Magna Carta of free enterprise”? These insightful metaphors capture the essence of antitrust law, and they have left a lasting impression on antitrust jurisprudence. 

The sparse text and common-law nature of Section 1 of the Sherman Act provide an especially good opening for the influence of judges that are gifted writers to leave their mark on the development of the law. In the seminal Chicago Board of Trade decision 100 years ago, Justice Brandeis described the rule of reason—which the Court had introduced just under seven years before—as follows: “The true test of legality is whether the restraint imposed is such as merely regulates and perhaps thereby promotes competition or whether it is such as may suppress or even destroy competition.” That elegant formulation is the essence of the test we still apply to the vast majority of challenged conduct, weighing procompetitive benefits against anticompetitive effects. 

Insightful writing has continued to refine Section 1’s categories over the years. For example, we learned from Justice White in the BMI decision that “easy labels do not always supply ready answers.” That was his succinct way of telling us that antitrust analysis must be sufficiently nuanced to take into account the characteristics of the conduct that is under scrutiny. 

The BMI decision also announced what may be the most often-quoted test for application of the per se rule, asking whether the practice at issue “facially appears to be one that would always or almost always tend to restrict competition and decrease output . . . or instead one designed to ‘increase economic efficiency and render markets more, rather than less, competitive.’”

Another one of my personal favorites comes from the Supreme Court’s 1984 Copperweld decision, which used imaginative language to explain why a parent company and its wholly owned subsidiary no longer could be held liable for a conspiracy under Section 1. Chief Justice Burger wrote: “A parent and its wholly owned subsidiary have a complete unity of interest. Their objectives are common, not disparate; their general corporate actions are guided or determined not by two separate corporate consciousnesses, but one. They are not unlike a multiple team of horses drawing a vehicle under the control of a single driver.” (I confess that I’m afraid that clever imagery may not withstand the test of time in the coming age of driverless cars.) 

As for Section 2, enduring prose that immediately comes to mind is in Judge Learned Hand’s Alcoa opinion, written in 1945. Although Judge Hand found that Alcoa illegally monopolized the aluminum market, he distinguished illegal monopolization from lawful monopoly with striking clarity when he wrote that “[a] single producer may be the survivor out of a group of active competitors, merely by virtue of his superior skill, foresight and industry. . . . The successful competitor, having been urged to compete, must not be turned upon when he wins.” 

That’s an important lesson that—once learned—you can never quite forget. It continues to teach us not to punish a firm due to its size or natural commercial success, and that phrase is still quoted in antitrust writing today. Indeed, the Supreme Court adopted suspiciously similar language years later in Grinnell when it distinguished “the willful acquisition or maintenance of [monopoly] power” from “growth or development as a consequence of a superior product, business acumen, or historic accident.” 

While we are on the subject of memorable antitrust jurisprudence, I should take a moment to acknowledge one of the best legal writers in American jurisprudence more generally, the late Justice Scalia. Justice Scalia contributed significantly to U.S. antitrust jurisprudence and, perhaps more importantly, to the art of persuasive writing itself. 

Former Solicitor General (and Scalia Clerk) Paul Clement said recently that “[t]he best lines in a Scalia opinion were no mere rhetorical flourishes. They were images — usually far removed from the technical legal questions at hand — that perfectly captured the point the Justice was trying to make.” 

Scalia’s last major antitrust opinion, Trinko, is often quoted for, among other things, his explanation of why forcing monopolists to share their goods or services with competitors is a bad idea. “Enforced sharing,” he wrote, “requires antitrust courts to act as central planners, identifying the proper price, quantity, and other terms of dealing—a role for which they are ill suited. Moreover, compelling negotiation between competitors may facilitate the supreme evil of antitrust: collusion.”  

I should also note that in Trinko Justice Scalia also described the Aspen Skiing decision—the “leading case” for imposing liability for refusing to deal under Section 2—as “at or near the outer boundary of § 2 liability.” I think there’s a clever skiing metaphor buried in there somewhere.

In conclusion, I note that our nation appears to be in the midst of what some have called an “antitrust moment.” Antitrust law makes national and global headlines on a weekly—if not daily—basis. Last Friday morning, I saw a puzzled anchor on CNBC ask a guest whether “monopsony” is a real word. 

In this environment, good antitrust writing takes on an increased significance. The wide range of topics covered in the works being honored this evening will contribute to this important conversation.

A federal grand jury sitting in Flint, Michigan, has returned an indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, charging a Michigan business owner with filing a false tax return and failing to file tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

According to the indictment, Sarah Vidican, owned and operated a marketing and consulting company in Michigan and Florida under the name Magnalty LLC (Magnalty).  Magnalty allegedly provided marketing and consulting services to physicians and chiropractors. 

The indictment charges that Vidican filed a false 2012 partnership tax return for Magnalty that underreported the business’s income.  The indictment further alleges that Vidican failed to file a personal tax return for 2013 and failed to file a 2014 partnership tax return for Magnalty, despite having an obligation to do so.

If convicted, Vidican faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison for filing a false tax return and one year in prison for each failure to file count.  Vidican also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.  An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and William Guappone, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

A federal grand jury sitting in Flint, Michigan, has returned an indictment, which was unsealed yesterday, charging two managers of a healthcare management services company with failing to pay over payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a third employee of the company with attempting to obstruct the internal revenue laws, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. 

According to the indictment, Edward Cespedes and Joseph DeSanto managed and exercised control over the finances of a healthcare management services company, Integrated HCS Practice Management, operating in Southfield, Michigan.  Gerri Avery was allegedly employed by the company as an executive assistant and was responsible for paying expenses.

The indictment charges that Cespedes and DeSanto from October 2013 to February 2014 failed to pay over to the IRS the full amount of payroll taxes withheld from employee paychecks, despite having an obligation to do so.  Cespedes and DeSanto are alleged to have used the misappropriated money to pay the operating expenses of the company and to pay their own personal expenses.

The indictment further alleges that from July 2014 to July 2017, Gerri Avery obstructed the IRS’ attempts to collect the past due payroll taxes by providing materially false information to IRS collection officials.

If convicted, Cespedes and DeSanto face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison on each count of failure to pay over payroll taxes and Avery faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison on the obstruction count.  The defendants also face a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.  An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg commended special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Tax Division Trial Attorneys Mark McDonald and William Guappone, who are prosecuting the case.

Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.

Today, as the Department of Justice recognizes the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the nationwide rollout of an initiative aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of sexual harassment in housing. The announcement includes an interagency task force between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Justice Department to combat sexual harassment in housing, an outreach toolkit, and a public awareness campaign. This three-pronged approach will strengthen the Department’s efforts to combat sexual harassment in housing.

“Sexual harassment in housing is illegal, immoral, and unacceptable," said Attorney General Sessions. “It is all too common today, as too many landlords, managers, and their employees attempt to prey on vulnerable women. We will not hesitate to pursue these predators and enforce the law. In October, I ordered a new initiative to bring more of these cases, and we have already won relief for 15 victims. Today we announce three new steps to make the initiative more effective and to win more cases. I want to thank the dedicated and committed professionals in our Civil Rights Division and our partners in the Department of Housing and Urban Development for their hard work in this effort. We will continue to aggressively pursue harassers, because everyone has a right to be safe in their home.”

“All discrimination stains the very fabric of our nation, but HUD is especially focused on protecting the right of everyone to feel safe and secure in their homes, free from unwanted sexual harassment,” said Secretary Ben Carson. “No person should have to tolerate unwanted sexual advances in order to keep a roof over his or her head. Part of our mission at HUD is to provide safe housing and we will remain diligent in this mission to protect those we serve. I look forward to working with Attorney General Sessions and the Department of Justice as part of this task force to bring an end to this type of discrimination.”

In October 2017, the Justice Department announced an initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing and launched pilot programs in D.C. and the Western District of Virginia. The initiative sought to increase the Department’s efforts to protect women from harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, security guards, and other employees and representatives of rental property owners. During the pilots, the Department developed and tested ways to better connect both with victims of sexual harassment in housing and with those organizations that victims may turn to first for help – including law enforcement, legal services providers, public housing authorities, sexual assault services providers, and shelters.  The Department also tested certain aspects of the initiative in other jurisdictions, including New Jersey, the Central District of California, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Michigan.

The two pilot programs generated an upswing in harassment reporting to the Department from both Washington, D.C. and the Western District of Virginia. In D.C., the Department generated six leads since the October 2017 launch. In Virginia, the Department generated three leads. While the Justice Department recognizes that leads and investigations do not always lead to enforcement actions, the pilot program’s results—when extrapolated across all the U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country—could lead to hundreds of new reports of sexual harassment in housing across the country.

Because of these promising results, the Department is rolling out three major components to the Initiative.

First, the new HUD-DOJ Task Force to Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing will drive a shared strategy between the Department and HUD for combatting sexual harassment in housing across the country. It will focus on five key areas: continued data sharing and analysis, joint development of training, evaluation of public housing complaint mechanisms, coordination of public outreach and press strategy, and review of federal policies.

Second, the outreach toolkit is designed to leverage the Justice Department’s nationwide network of U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The toolkit provides templates, guidance, and checklists based on pilot program feedback. It ultimately will amplify available enforcement resources and help victims of sexual harassment connect with the Department.

Third, the public awareness campaign has three major components: a partnership package with relevant stakeholders, launch of a social media campaign, and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) run by individual U.S. Attorney’s offices. The campaign is specifically designed to raise awareness, and make it easier for victims all over the country to find resources and report harassment.

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment in housing should call the Department at 1-844-380-6178, send an e-mail to fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.  If you have information or questions about any other housing discrimination, you can contact the Department at 1-800-896-7743.

Today, a fugitive wanted for the kidnapping and murder of a federal agent was added to the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” List. Fugitive Rafael Caro-Quintero is also the subject of a U.S.-issued INTERPOL Red Notice processed by INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau.  The announcement was made during a news conference held by Federal Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director David L. Bowdich, Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson, U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary James Walsh, and U.S. Marshals Service Acting Associate Director Derrick Driscoll. The Drug Enforcement Administration news release is available here.

The Department of State’s Narcotics Rewards Program is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Rafael Caro-Quintero. Anyone with information concerning Caro-Quintero should take no action themselves, but should immediately contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Caro-Quintero is considered armed and extremely dangerous.

One of the primary missions of INTERPOL and INTERPOL Washington is to seek the location, and ultimately the arrest, of fugitives wanted in the United States and in other countries. INTERPOL Washington assists federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in the United States seeking the location of fugitives who have fled the United States, and assists foreign police in locating their fugitives believed to be in the United States. INTERPOL Washington is also responsible for seeking the publication of all INTERPOL Notices, including Red or wanted fugitives Notices, on behalf of U.S. authorities, and alerting U.S. authorities to the existence of INTERPOL Notices published on behalf of other countries.

A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.

Former Puerto Rico Senator Hector Martinez Maldonado and Juan Bravo Fernandez, the former president of Ranger American, one of the largest private security companies in Puerto Rico, were each sentenced today to 48 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a bribery scheme involving the passage of legislation beneficial to Bravo Fernandez’s business, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. 

Martinez Maldonado, 49, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Bravo Fernandez, 63, of San Juan, were each sentenced by Judge Francisco A. Besosa.  Judge Besosa also ordered Bravo Fernandez to pay a $150,000 fine and Martinez Maldonado to pay a $15,000 fine.  Maldonado and Fernandez were convicted on May 26, 2017, of federal program bribery.

According to evidence presented at trial, Martinez Maldonado was elected to the Puerto Rico Senate in 2004 and began serving a four-year term in January 2005. He was reelected in 2008.  Beginning in 2005, Martinez Maldonado served as Chairman of the Puerto Rico Public Safety Committee, exercising significant control over legislation related to security and community safety.  Bravo Fernandez was the president and chief executive officer of Ranger American, one of the largest private security firms in Puerto Rico.

The jury convicted the defendants for their role in a bribery scheme in which Bravo Fernandez provided Martinez Maldonado and Jorge de Castro Font, another former Puerto Rico senator, with a trip to Las Vegas to watch a championship boxing match between Winky Wright and Felix “Tito” Trinidad, a legendary Puerto Rican boxer, in exchange for the senators’ help with legislation favorable to Bravo Fernandez’s business interests. 

Documents and evidence presented at trial showed that the trip to Las Vegas included first-class airfare; meals and drinks; hotel rooms at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino; $1,000 tickets to the Trinidad vs. Wright boxing match; and hotel rooms in Miami for the return trip.  On March 2, 2005, the day that Bravo Fernandez paid for the boxing tickets, Martinez Maldonado submitted one of the bills favorable to Bravo Fernandez for consideration by the Puerto Rico Senate.  The evidence at trial also showed that the hotel reservation was made the day after Martinez Maldonado presided over a Public Safety Committee hearing for one of the bills at which Bravo Fernandez testified, and that, the day after the three men returned from their trip to Las Vegas, Martinez Maldonado and de Castro Font both cast their votes in support of one of Bravo Fernandez’s bills in the Senate.

De Castro Font, 54, served in the Puerto Rico House of Representatives from 1989 to 2004, and served in the Puerto Rico Senate from 2005 to 2008.  De Castro Font pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2009, to 20 counts of honest services wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.  He was sentenced on May 17, 2011, to 60 months in prison. 

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Peter Koski and Trial Attorneys Monique Abrishami and Gwendolyn Stamper of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ayer, el día en que el Departamento de Justicia reconoce el 50º aniversario de la ley de Vivienda Justa, el Fiscal General Jeff Sessions anunció el lanzamiento nacional de una iniciativa cuyo objetivo es aumentar el nivel de concientización y denuncia de acoso sexual en la vivienda. Este anuncio incluye un grupo de trabajo interinstitucional entre el Departamento de la Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Departamento de Justicia para combatir el acoso sexual en la vivienda, herramientas de promoción comunitaria y una campaña de concientización pública. Este enfoque triple apoyará los esfuerzos del Departamento por combatir el acoso sexual en la vivienda.

«El acoso sexual en la vivienda es ilegal, inmoral e inaceptable», afirmó el Fiscal General Sessions. «Hoy día, estamos viendo con demasiada frecuencia cómo los arrendatarios y administradores de propiedades, así como sus empleados, intentan aprovecharse de mujeres vulnerables. No dudaremos en perseguir a esos depredadores y hacer cumplir la ley. En octubre, mandé formarse una nueva iniciativa para identificar más casos de este estilo y ya hemos conseguido remedios para 15 víctimas. Hoy anunciamos tres pasos nuevos para dar más efectividad a la iniciativa y ganar más casos. Quisiera agradecer a los profesionales dedicados y comprometidos de nuestra División de Derechos Civiles, así como nuestros socios en el Departamento de la Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano por su excelente trabajo en este empeño. Continuaremos a perseguir de modo agresivo a los acosadores porque todos tienen derecho a sentirse seguros en sus casas».

«Todo tipo de discriminación representa un estigma en el tejido de nuestra nación, pero el HUD está especialmente enfocado en la protección del derecho de todos a sentirse seguros en sus casas y libres de acoso sexual indeseado», declaró el Secretario Ben Carson. «Nadie debe verse obligado a tolerar avances sexuales indeseados para mantener un techo. Como parte de nuestra misión en el HUD, proporcionamos viviendas seguras, y seguiremos adelante con esta misión, siempre diligentes, para proteger a quienes servimos. Anticipo con ganas nuestra colaboración con el Fiscal General Sessions y el Departamento de Justicia como parte de este grupo de trabajo para acabar con este tipo de discriminación».

En octubre del 2017, el Departamento de Justicia anunció una iniciativa para combatir el acoso sexual en la vivienda y lanzó programas piloto en Washington, D.C. y el Distrito Occidental de Virginia. Esta iniciativa buscó fortalecer los esfuerzos del Departamento por proteger a mujeres del acoso a manos de arrendatarios, gestores de propiedad, trabajadores de mantenimiento, guardias de seguridad y otros empleados y representantes de dueños de propiedades de alquiler. Durante los programas piloto, el Departamento desarrolló y probó formas de conectarse mejor tanto con víctimas del acoso sexual en la vivienda como con aquellas organizaciones a las que víctimas suelen dirigirse primero para pedir ayuda, entre ellas la policía, proveedores de servicio legales, autoridades de la vivienda pública, proveedores de servicios para víctimas del asalto sexual y refugios. Asimismo, el Departamento probó ciertos aspectos de la iniciativa en otras jurisdicciones, incluyendo Nueva Jersey, el Distrito Central de California, Massachusetts, Vermont y Michigan.

Los dos programas pilotos llevaron a un incremento en la denuncia ante el Departamento del acoso, tanto de Washington, D.C. como del Distrito Occidental de Virginia. En Washington, el Departamento ha generado seis pistas desde el lanzamiento en octubre del 2017, mientras que en Virginia el Departamento ha generado tres. El Departamento de Justicia reconoce que las pistas e investigaciones no siempre conducen a medidas de aplicación de la ley; no obstante, los resultados del programa piloto, al extrapolarse por todas las oficinas de fiscales federales por todo el país, pueden traducirse en cientos de nuevas denuncias de acoso sexual en la vivienda por todo Estados Unidos.

Debido a estos resultados prometedores, el Departamento está implementando tres componentes fundamentales de la Iniciativa.

En primer lugar, el nuevo Grupo de Trabajo Conjunto del HUD y DOJ para Combatir el Acoso Sexual en la Vivienda implementará una estrategia conjunta entre el Departamento y el HUD para combatir el acoso sexual en la vivienda por todo el país. Se enfocará en cinco áreas clave: el intercambio y análisis de datos continuo; el desarrollo conjunto de mecanismos de capacitación, evaluación de denuncias relacionadas con la vivienda pública; la coordinación de promoción pública y estrategia de prensa; y una revisión de las políticas federales.

En segundo lugar, las herramientas de promoción comunitaria están diseñadas para apalancar la red nacional de Oficinas de Fiscales Federales del Departamento de Justicia. Las herramientas incluyen plantillas, orientación y listas de control basadas en los comentarios recibidos acerca del programa piloto. Al final, multiplicará los recursos de aplicación de la ley disponibles y ayudará a las víctimas del acoso sexual a ponerse en contacto con el Departamento.

Por último, la campaña de concientización pública tiene tres componentes fundamentales: un paquete de colaboración con las partes relevantes, el lanzamiento de una campaña en los medios sociales y anuncios de servicio público (PSA, por sus siglas en inglés), todo dirigido por las Oficinas de los Fiscales Federales. La campaña está específicamente diseñada para concientizar el público y simplificar el proceso para víctimas por todo el país para buscar recursos y denunciar el acoso.

Para más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles y las leyes de derechos civiles que hace cumplir, vaya a www.usdoj.gov/crt o a www.justice.gov/crt-espanol. Aquellas personas que creen haber sido víctimas del acoso sexual en la vivienda deben llamar al Departamento al 1-844-380-6178, mandar un correo electrónico a fairhousing@usdoj.gov o comunicarse con el HUD al 1-800-669-9777. Si tiene información o preguntas acerca de cualquier otro tipo de discriminación en la vivienda, puede comunicarse con el Departamento al 1-800-896-7743.

A Bulgarian national has been arrested pursuant to a U.S.-issued Red Notice processed by INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau.  Zhelyaz Andreev, 29, was indicted and charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Government and substantive violations of the Syria Trade Embargo. Read the full news release here.

One of the primary missions of INTERPOL and INTERPOL Washington is to seek the location, and ultimately the arrest, of fugitives wanted in the United States and in other countries. INTERPOL Washington assists federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in the United States seeking the location of fugitives who have fled the United States, and assists foreign police in locating their fugitives believed to be in the United States. INTERPOL Washington is also responsible for seeking the publication of all INTERPOL Notices, including Red or wanted fugitives Notices, on behalf of U.S. authorities, and alerting U.S. authorities to the existence of INTERPOL Notices published on behalf of other countries.

A component of the U.S. Department of Justice, INTERPOL Washington is co-managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As the designated representative to INTERPOL on behalf of the Attorney General, INTERPOL Washington serves as the national point of contact for all INTERPOL matters, coordinating international investigative efforts among member countries and the more than 18,000 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement agencies in the United States.

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that Douglas S. Waterbury, a residential property owner and landlord in the Oswego, New York, area subjected female tenants and potential tenants to egregious sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act.  Along with Douglas Waterbury, the Department’s complaint names his wife and business partner, Carol A. Waterbury, and two residential property companies, Ontario Realty Inc. and E&A Management Co., as defendants. 

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, alleges that since at least 1990, Douglas Waterbury has sexually harassed numerous women who have lived in or inquired about the defendants’ residential rental properties.  The suit alleges that Waterbury’s conduct has included demanding or pressuring female tenants and potential tenants to engage in sex acts with him in order to obtain or keep rental housing; subjecting female tenants and potential tenants to unwelcome sexual contact and groping; offering to grant tangible housing benefits, such as reduced rent or deposit payments, in exchange for sex acts; refusing needed maintenance services or otherwise taking adverse housing actions against female tenants who refused his harassment; and making unwelcome sexual comments and advances.  The conduct alleged in this complaint is egregious, ranging from demands to exchange sex for rent, to unwanted sexual encounters.

“Subjecting tenants and those looking for housing to harassment and demands for sex is unacceptable,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “Combatting sexual harassment in housing is among the Department’s top priorities.  As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act this month, the Civil Rights Division stresses its commitment to tackling this scourge, which strikes at the heart of access to fair housing, free from harassment and other forms of illegal discrimination.”

“The complaint alleges severe, pervasive sexual harassment, including pressure to engage in sexual activity to obtain or keep rental housing and unwelcome sexual contact with actual and prospective female tenants,” said Grant C. Jaquith, United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York. “We are committed to the full and fair application of the Fair Housing Act to give meaning to its protection of renters from unlawful discrimination.  Housing cannot be conditioned on submission to sexual harassment.”

In October, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative specifically seeks to increase the Department’s efforts to protect individuals from harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, security guards, and other employees and representatives of rental property owners.

The Justice Department has filed or settled nine sexual harassment cases and has recovered over $1.6 million for victims of sexual harassment in housing since Jan. 20, 2017.

Today’s lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victims, civil penalties, and a court order barring future discrimination.  The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct.  The allegations must be proven in federal court.

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status.  More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt.  Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or operated by Douglas Waterbury, Carol Waterbury, Ontario Realty Inc., or E&A Management Co., or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line, by calling 1-800-896-7743, pressing 1 to continue in English, and selecting mailbox 92 to leave a message.

Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by calling the phone number above and leaving a message in the general mailbox, or by e-mailing the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – United States Attorney Russell M. Coleman announced the settlement agreement with Hardin County Emergency Medical Services (HCEMS), on March 28, 2018, to resolve a complaint, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), regarding the provision of emergency medical services to qualified individuals with disabilities, including individuals using service animals.

The complaint alleged that emergency medical technicians and/or paramedics of Hardin County EMS failed to modify its policies and procedures to permit use of a service animal inside an ambulance providing emergency medical transportation services, in March of 2014 and again in November of 2016. Specifically, the service animal was a dog, trained to do work and perform tasks for the benefit of the individual with the disability.

Under the agreement, within 60 days HCEMS will adopt and publish grievance procedures for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints against HCEMS; will not discriminate against a person with a disability in violation of Title II of the ADA; will propose and implement a two-hour training program for all employees who have contact with the public on the requirements of the ADA, including reasonable modifications for people with disabilities who use a service animal.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica R.C. Malloy represented the United States. HCEMS conducted an independent investigation of the allegations contained in the complaint and cooperated fully in the United States’ investigation and received assistance from the Hardin County Attorney in resolving this matter.

The United States Attorney’s Office in coordination with the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice vigorously enforces federal civil rights laws throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky. These laws prohibit discrimination, protect the constitutional rights of residents, and affirm equal opportunity for all. The United States Attorney’s Office enforces civil rights through civil litigation and criminal prosecutions, and, in all cases, represents the interest of the United States.

For information about the civil rights laws enforced by the United States Attorney’s Office, please click on the following links:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws that prohibit disability discrimination.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA)

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)

The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) and other laws that prohibit discrimination in schools.

Title II of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin in places of public accommodation.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin by programs that receive federal financial assistance.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion by state and local government employers.

The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which prohibits employment discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin.

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA)

The Service Members Civil Relief Act (SCRA)

The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA)

The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA)

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and other laws that prohibit law enforcement misconduct.

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division today issued the 2018 edition of its annual Spring Newsletter on its website. The Newsletter highlights the Antitrust Division’s recent activities and successes on civil and criminal enforcement, international cooperation, and competition advocacy. The Newsletter includes a message from Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim, articles recounting the Antitrust Division’s enforcement actions in the criminal, merger, and civil non-merger areas over the past year, as well as an update on the Division’s international and competition advocacy programs.

“This spring, I have had the opportunity to reflect on my six-month anniversary as Assistant Attorney General of the Antitrust Division, looking back on the important achievements of our career staff and the exciting new developments and announcements still on the horizon,” said Assistant Attorney General Delrahim in his ‘Message from Makan.’ “My goal as Assistant Attorney General is to ensure that the Antitrust Division exercises its power so that the American consumer can reap the rewards of free market competition and innovation.”

The Newsletter highlights these milestones and accomplishments, and features profiles of Division leadership and staff. It can be found at https://www.justice.gov/atr/division-operations/division-update-spring-2018. 

Two associates of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra (LCN) crime family were sentenced today in federal court in Worcester, Massachusetts on extortion-related charges.

Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling for the District of Massachusetts, Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw of the FBI Boston Field Division, Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement. 

Ralph Santaniello, 50, and Giovanni Calabrese, 54, both of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to serve 60 months in prison and 36 months in prison, respectively. Following their prison sentences, they were both ordered to serve two years of supervised release. In November 2017, Santaniello and Calabrese each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence; one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence – aiding and abetting; one count of conspiracy to use extortionate means to collect extensions of credit; and one count of using extortionate means to collect extensions of credit – aiding and abetting. Santaniello and Calabrese were arrested and charged in August 2016 along with three other associates, Gerald Daniele, 52, of Longmeadow; Francesco Depergola, 62, of Springfield, Massachusetts; and Richard Valentini, 51, of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

According to plea documents and evidence presented in court, Santaniello, Calabrese, and their co-defendants, were associates of the New York-based Genovese LCN crime family and engaged in various criminal activities in Springfield, Massachusetts, including loansharking and extortion from legitimate and illegitimate businesses, such as illegal gambling businesses and the collection of unlawful debts. The defendants used violence, exploited their relationship with LCN, and implied threats of murder and physical violence to instill fear in their victims.

In 2013, Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini attempted to extort money from a Springfield businessman. Santaniello assaulted the businessman, and Santaniello and Calabrese threatened to cut off the man’s head and bury his body if he did not comply. Over a period of two months, the businessman paid $20,000 to Santaniello, Calabrese, Depergola and Valentini to protect himself and his business.

In addition, during a six-month period in 2015, Daniele extended two extortionate and usurious loans to an individual, and then, along with Santaniello and Calabrese, threatened the individual if he did not make payments on the loans.

In March 2018, Daniele was sentenced to two years in prison. In December 2017, Depergola pleaded guilty and Valentini was convicted by a federal jury; they are both scheduled to be sentenced on May 11.

Trial Attorney Marianne Shelvey of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan, Chief of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katharine Wagner of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the cases.

Three New York residents were indicted today in two separate indictments for providing cash bribes to an employee of the U.S. Department of the Navy to make unauthorized liquor purchases at a Navy Exchange (NEX), announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. 

Adam Agaev, 43, and David Manasherov, 37, both of Brooklyn, New York, were charged together in a nine-count indictment, and Edwin D. Fragoso, 44, of Freeport, New York, was charged in a six-count indictment, all in the Eastern District of New York.  Agaev and Manasherov allegedly purchased liquor worth over $5 million, and Fragoso purchased over $1.3 million of liquor, over the course of the scheme.  In addition to bribery, the defendants were also charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, and honest services fraud.  Manasherov was charged with tampering with an official proceeding and destruction of evidence subject to a federal search warrant.  Fragoso was charged with making false statements to law enforcement agents.       

Eric J. Jex, 29, of Uniondale, New York, an employee of the U.S. Department of the Navy who received the bribes, previously pleaded guilty to one count of bribery before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert of the Eastern District of New York and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11.       

According to admissions made in connection with Jex’s guilty plea, as a supervisory sales associate at the NEX at Mitchel Field in Garden City, New York, Jex was responsible for preparing and processing retail transactions, and he had direct authority to make decisions concerning large liquor orders and shipments from the NEX’s warehouse in Suffolk, Virginia.  He was also subject to policies limiting access to the NEX’s goods to authorized personnel, such as Navy service members, and requiring NEX employees to check purchasers’ IDs. 

According to the allegations in the indictments filed today, from approximately Nov. 13, 2015, through Dec. 13, 2016, Jex agreed with Agaev, Manasherov and Fragoso to arrange repeated large purchases of liquor from the NEX.  Jex allowed these three unauthorized purchasers to buy NEX liquor at significant discounts.  According to his plea agreement, Jex admitted that, in exchange, he accepted more than $250,000 in cash bribes, typically $5 to $20 per case of liquor.

In doing so, the indictments allege that Agaev, Manasherov and Fragoso caused interstate wires to be sent from New York to Virginia, deprived New York State of excise taxes and resold the liquor purchased from the NEX for profit.   

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case.  Trial Attorneys Luke Cass and Andrew Laing of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

It’s that time of year again: tax season. The Justice Department would like to remind the public during this time of year that evading your tax obligations could end badly, with substantial fines and penalties, and even long prison sentences.  Taxpayers are also reminded to be on the lookout for unscrupulous tax return preparers, who seek to inflate refunds by falsifying deductions, among other means. Even if a tax return preparer makes an error on an individual’s tax return, it is still the taxpayer’s responsibility to pay the correct taxes, and that individual may still be responsible for any unpaid taxes, interest, and fines resulting from these crimes.

“Tax returns are signed under the penalties of perjury, and every taxpayer is ultimately responsible for the contents of his or her own return,” cautioned Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “While the vast majority of Americans truthfully report and pay their taxes, unfortunately there are those who seek to cheat the system and take a free ride on the backs of the hard working men and women of this country. The Justice Department is committed to bringing tax evaders and those who falsely prepare tax returns to justice.”

Over the past year, federal prosecutors for the Tax Division and U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country have worked tirelessly with special agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and other law enforcements agencies to investigate and prosecute those who illegally evade their taxes.  These enforcement efforts continue year round.

Recent Tax Evasion Prosecutions of Individuals

• In July 2017, a Watertown, New York, restaurateur was sentenced to 150 months in prison for tax evasion and investment fraud.  He engaged in a scheme to evade more than $4 million in taxes and obstruct the IRS.
• In October 2017, a Grand Junction, Colorado, business owner was sentenced to 88 months in prison for tax evasion and failing to file corporate and individual tax returns.  He had not filed a personal tax return since 1992 and had not paid individual income taxes since 1993.
• In January 2017, a St. Louis, Missouri, tax return preparation business owner was sentenced to 27 months in prison for tax evasion.  He underreported his businesses’ gross receipts by over $1.5 million and evaded over $580,000 in tax.
• In August 2017, a south Florida salesman was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for tax evasion.  From 2002 to 2015, he earned over $1.5 million in income selling hurricane resistant windows and evaded paying over $350,000 in taxes.  Except for the 2007 tax year, he had not filed an income tax return since 2002.

Recent Employment Tax Prosecutions

• In March 2018, the owners of a Memphis, Tennessee, staffing company, who were husband and wife, were sent to jail for failing to pay over payroll taxes and filing false tax documents.  The husband was sentenced to 75 months in prison and his wife was sentenced to one year in prison.   They failed to pay over $2.8 million in withholdings and other employment taxes to the IRS and filed false employment tax returns.
• In October 2017, the owner of a Las Vegas, Nevada, strip club was sentenced to 24 months for evading employment taxes.  The former owner of The Crazy Horse Too evaded paying more than $1.7 million in employment taxes.
• In July 2017, a Potomac, Maryland, doctor and entrepreneur was sentenced to 119 months and 29 days in prison for defrauding his former company’s shareholders and for failing to pay more than $7.5 million in employment taxes.

Recent Prosecutions Involving Offshore Bank Accounts

• In October 2017, two Tampa, Florida, business executives were sentenced to prison for 54 months and 72 months respectively for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the United States using an offshore tax shelter scheme.   They conspired to create and promote a sham offshore tax shelter strategy marketed to clients.
• In July 2017, a Fort Myers, Florida, businessman was sentenced to 57 months in prison for conspiring with investment advisors to hide money in offshore bank accounts.  He used secret numbered bank accounts and foreign shell companies to hide millions of dollars in order to evade more than $728,000 in U.S. taxes.
• In October 2017, a Greenwich, Connecticut, resident pleaded guilty to failing to report to the Department of Treasury funds he maintained in foreign bank accounts.  He opened accounts at several banks, including Credit Suisse, UBS, Bank Leu, Clariden Leu, and Bank Hofmann. In 2004, the value of his foreign accounts exceeded $28 million.  For over a decade, he filed false tax returns, on which he failed to report income from his foreign accounts.

Recent Prosecutions of Attempts to Obstruct the IRS

• In July 2017, a Loveland, Colorado, businessman and delicatessen owner was sentenced to 24 months in prison for conspiring to file fraudulent claims for tax refunds.  He conspired with his return preparer to file three tax returns that claimed more than $1 million in bogus refunds, of which the IRS paid $350,765.  He spent the funds on precious metals and coins, a truck, jewelry, luxury travel, and sporting equipment.
• In November 2017, a Greensboro, North Carolina, resident was sentenced to 37 months in prison for corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the IRS.  He filed several fraudulent tax returns with the IRS that included fake income and withholdings, which claimed over $750,000 in fraudulent refunds. He also filed documents with the Guilford County Register of Deeds purporting to renounce his United States citizenship and proclaiming to be a sovereign citizen.
• In October 2017, a Boynton Beach, Florida, resident was sentenced to 30 months in prison for obstructing the IRS.  He filed fraudulent personal tax returns with the IRS that sought more than $5.6 million in fraudulent refunds, of which the IRS paid more than $485,000.  He used the funds to purchase a house and multiple vehicles, including a Jaguar and Mercedes Benz.

More information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts in these and other areas can be found on the division’s website.  The IRS website also has information about how you can blow the whistle on people who fail to pay the tax that they owe.

A federal court in San Diego has permanently barred Melissa Lang (formerly known as Melissa Ann Vega) from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.  In its complaint, the government alleged that Melissa Lang operated tax return preparation businesses called “L&T Works” and “Lang Works, LLC” and fraudulently reduced her customers’ tax liabilities by improperly claiming a variety of deductions and education tax credits. Specifically, the government’s complaint alleged that Lang, of San Diego, California, caused to be filed returns that claimed fraudulent refunds of more than $9,000,000, which included approximately $7,020,020 in false education credits.  The complaint alleges that Lang filed, or caused to be filed though her associates and employees, approximately 4,194 false returns.

Lang agreed to the civil injunction order entered against her, which requires her to turn over to the United States a list of all principals, managers, employees, and independent contractors for Ms. Lang’s tax preparation businesses.  Lang has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to file false, fictitious, and fraudulent claims, tax evasion, and aggravated identity theft.   

The IRS has a list of steps on their website that you can take now in anticipation of filing your 2017 federal income tax return and ten tips for choosing a tax preparer. Return preparer fraud was one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2018 and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has some information on their website about selecting a return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.

In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.

The United States Attorney and Law Enforcement Officials will host a press conference on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. CDT, regarding an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation.

WHO:           United States Attorney Trent Shores

Tulsa Police Department Chief Chuck Jordan

Drug Enforcement Agency Resident Agent in Charge Dave King

Internal Revenue Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge Keven Caramucci

WHAT:         Press Conference regarding a significant marijuana seizure and resulting charges stemming from a United States Attorney’s Office led investigation involving the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. US Attorney Shores and attending law enforcement officials will be available for individual interviews, as needed, following main press conference.

WHEN:         2:00 p.m. CDT, April 3, 2018.

WHERE:       United States Attorney’s Office

David E. O’Meilia Conference Room

110 West Seventh Street, Suite 300

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119

NOTE:         Government issued photo I.D. necessary for admission to U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Real estate investors Kevin Moore, Chad Nichols, and Terry Tolar pleaded guilty today for their roles in a conspiracy to rig bids at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Mississippi, the Department of Justice announced. 

Including Moore, Nichols, and Tolar, five real estate investors have pleaded guilty in this conspiracy. Separate felony charges against Moore, Nichols, and Tolar were filed on April 3, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. 

“Today’s guilty pleas send a strong signal that the Division will prosecute and hold accountable those who conspire to corrupt the competitive process and harm the American consumer,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “We extend our thanks to our law enforcement partners, with whom we will continue to investigate bid-rigging crimes in Mississippi—and throughout the United States.”    

“Individuals who harm homeowners and defraud companies by cheating our foreclosure system to enrich themselves will face swift and certain criminal prosecution in Mississippi,” said United States Attorney D. Michael Hurst, Jr. for the Southern District of Mississippi. “I applaud the FBI and the Antitrust Division for their tenacity and perseverance in pursuing these criminal actions and shutting this illegal scheme down.”

“Violations of the Sherman Act not only impact America’s financial institutions and distressed homeowners but also damage our free market society as a whole,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI in Mississippi. “We hope that others participating in this type of corruption understand that the FBI and Department of Justice will continue to protect Americans from price fixing and bid rigging that harm our economy.”

According to court documents, from at least as early as January 12, 2012, through at least as late as April 19, 2017, Moore conspired with others to rig bids, designating a winning bidder to obtain selected properties at public real estate foreclosure auctions in the Southern District of Mississippi. Nichols participated in the conspiracy from as early as April 14, 2010, through as late as February 25, 2015, and Tolar’s participation began as early as January 12, 2012, through as late as March 31, 2017. Co-conspirators made and received payoffs in exchange for their agreement not to bid. 

The Department said that the primary purpose of the conspiracy was to suppress and restrain competition in order to obtain selected real estate offered at public foreclosure auctions at non-competitive prices. When real estate properties are sold at these auctions, the proceeds are used to pay off the mortgage and other debt attached to the property, with any remaining proceeds paid to the homeowner. According to court documents, these conspirators paid and received money in connection with their agreement to suppress competition, which artificially lowered the price paid at auction for such homes.

A violation of the Sherman Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine for individuals. The maximum fine for a Sherman Act charge may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section and the FBI’s Gulfport Resident Agency, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi. Anyone with information concerning bid rigging or fraud related to public real estate foreclosure auctions should contact Antitrust Division prosecutors in the Washington Criminal II Section at 202-598-4000, or visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. 

Remarks as prepared for delivery

It is a privilege to speak with you representing the U.S. Department of Justice.  As the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, I oversee approximately 700 attorneys spread across 17 sections and offices, mostly in Washington D.C., but also many stationed in offices around the world.  Among other things, prosecutors in the Criminal Division investigate and prosecute transnational organized crime, large-scale international narcotics trafficking, international money laundering, and cyber-related crimes including the use of the dark web to engage in illegal activity.  The Criminal Division also houses our Office of International Affairs, which handles all of our foreign legal assistance matters.

I am honored today to have the opportunity to speak with this assembly of proud, brave, and accomplished law enforcement officers.  This is a critical conference, taking place at this critical time.  Today more than ever, we must take stock of not only the successes we have achieved, but more importantly of the hard work that lies ahead of us, as we join together in the ongoing fight against international drug trafficking. 

Our fight against drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations is the very definition of a fight that transcends borders.  It is a shared fight.  It is a fight against ever-evolving and innovating threats and methods.  And it is a fight in which we as law enforcement collectively can, and must, do better. 

The costs have never been higher.  Today, in the United States, we are facing the deadliest drug crisis in our history.  Approximately 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016.  That was the highest drug death toll – and the fastest increase in that death toll – in American history.  One American dies of a drug overdose every nine minutes.  Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. 

These numbers are staggering, but their sheer scale can almost numb us to the reality of profound human loss that the drug crisis is causing.  Each one of those deaths is a tragedy that reverberates through families and communities, multiplying its corrosive, debilitating effects.  Effects that are borne by the dead, for sure, but also effects that are borne, perhaps more painfully, by the living whom they leave behind.  These insidious effects are what make the scourge of opioids, including prescription drugs, heroin, and synthetic drugs like fentanyl, so dangerous and terrifying. 

The traffickers who manufacture and distribute the destructive drugs that are ravaging our communities know precisely what they are doing, and they also are only too aware of our efforts to thwart them.  That is why drug traffickers are forging underground marketplaces, exploiting the Internet and cryptocurrencies, and simultaneously challenging the stability and security of our financial institutions.  Drug traffickers are moving money to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars in ill-gotten profits.  The task for those of us in law enforcement is to not only stanch the flow of drugs, but also the flow of illicit money.  

Today, I want to talk about that specific problem: the flow of illicit money.  Money is the lifeblood of any criminal organization, be it a pill mill, a transnational drug cartel, or a terrorist organization.  Money is the very reason that criminal enterprises exist and persist.  If we can map out, and stamp out, the financial networks through which the money is moving, we will go a long way in paralyzing these criminal organizations well before we have to endure, first-hand, the destructive effects of their poisons in our communities. 

How do we stem the tide of illicit money? 

First, we need to follow not just the money, but also the marketplaces.  We need to stay one step ahead when it comes to identifying, regulating, tracking, and seizing the marketplaces that criminals are using for their illegal activities.  In this day and age, sophisticated criminals are constantly forging and finding new platforms on which they can buy and sell, recruit, and launder.  And naturally, markets that operate in the shadows, hidden from law enforcement, are those most appealing to criminals.  We need to bring those shadowy markets into the light.

The so-called “dark web” is illustrative of this challenge.  It is, by its nature, transnational.  It relies on anonymity software that masks the true identities of visitors and their locations.  It conceals IP addresses.  And because of its hidden nature, the dark web is both a haven and a hub for some of the most prolific drug suppliers and criminal actors across the globe.    

Dark web markets have been used to traffic in deadly drugs, illegal weapons, toxic chemicals, stolen identities, stolen credit cards, child pornography, and even people’s credentials for online accounts.  With the click of a mouse, you can have synthetic opioids delivered right to your doorstep.  And dark web markets have been used to launder hundreds of millions of dollars derived from illegal transactions.  Illicit money flows are finding their way into new corners of the Internet each day.

The transnational economy of the dark web demands a transnational response.  And we are delivering. 

Working closely together with our international partners, we have shut down some of the worst offenders on the dark web.  Last July, the U.S. Department of Justice executed the largest takedown of a dark web market in history when we seized AlphaBay.  The AlphaBay site was the largest criminal marketplace on the Internet, at its peak hosting upwards of 40,000 vendors, 200,000 users, and 220,000 drug sale listings.  We have tied purchases made on AlphaBay to multiple overdose deaths across the United States, including the tragic death of a 13-year-old boy whose classmate purchased a synthetic opioid on AlphaBay. 

With the cooperation of Europol and our host country, the Netherlands, as well as our partners in Thailand, Lithuania, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, we seized AlphaBay’s servers and infrastructure.  We froze millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrencies that represented AlphaBay’s illicit proceeds.  We arrested the site administrator in Thailand.  And we are pursuing his and his wife’s assets throughout the world, from Thailand, Cyprus, and Lichtenstein to Antigua and Barbuda. 

Shortly after the AlphaBay seizure, Dutch authorities, with support from Europol, took down the Hansa marketplace.  Hansa was the third largest criminal marketplace on the dark web, also trading high volumes of illegal drugs and goods.  The Hansa takedown also was a highly coordinated international operation – and it was an operation carefully designed to maximize impact by seizing and covertly taking over control of Hansa for about a month.  This allowed law enforcement to monitor activities on the platform and collect valuable information on significant law enforcement targets who were using the market for criminal purposes.

In January of this year, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions created the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement team, known as J-CODE.  J-CODE reflects the United States’ recognition that a major driver of the increase in opioid overdose deaths is the growing black market trade of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues on the Internet.  J-CODE effectively doubles our investment in the fight against online drug trafficking on the dark web, dedicating dozens more FBI agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff to this long-term effort.  And J-CODE puts an emphasis on the need for international coordination and working with our overseas Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI offices to shut down the dark web markets peddling deadly drugs.

Just a few months into its creation, we already have seen successes from the work being done by the J-CODE team.  Last week, the Attorney General announced initial results of Operation Disarray, which is the J-CODE’s first coordinated law enforcement operation targeting opioid trafficking on the dark web.  During the week of March 27, U.S. law enforcement made eight arrests, conducted more than 160 interviews of people who had bought or sold opioids and other drugs online, identified 19 overdose deaths, and executed numerous search warrants, resulting in the seizure of weapons, drugs, and counterfeit currency.

Transnational criminals who wish to take advantage of the perceived secrecy of the dark web should beware:  law enforcement is smart to your techniques, and we will labor tirelessly across borders, with the full support of our governments, to dismantle your operations. 

Together, we are inflicting significant blows on dark web markets.  And, if we continue to work collectively, we will do more.  If we are to keep pace with illegal markets as they shift and grow and change platforms, we too will need to be nimble and adaptive. 

We need to work together to follow the virtual money flows, while being vigilant as we monitor the ever-fluid landscape and features of cryptocurrencies.  We need to ensure that we seize not just end products, but the markets themselves.  We must target not just the market creator, but the creator’s assets, enablers, and financial network.  The very features of markets on the dark web that make them so attractive to bad actors pose a challenge – but also an opportunity – for law enforcement to be smarter, probe deeper, and move faster. 

How else can we stem the tide of illicit money? 

We also need to aggressively combat money laundering, using all tools in our law enforcement toolbox – marrying traditional criminal prosecution with civil forfeiture, financial sanctions, and rigorous enforcement of compliance obligations on financial institutions.

As we all know, drug cartels are adept at filtering “dirty” money through various transactions until the funds appear to be “clean” proceeds from legitimate activities, rendering them available for use.  This enables criminals to readily mask, move, and access their ill-gotten gains without jeopardizing their illegal activities.  They do this through traditional money laundering methods, such as black market peso exchanges, cash couriers, and trade-based money laundering.  But they also employ increasingly complex schemes – utilizing shell companies, or transfers through reputable financial institutions, lawyers, and other professionals that enshroud their illegal proceeds in a veneer of legitimacy. 

At the U.S. Department of Justice, we seek to leverage the full panoply of tools at our disposal to combat the means and methods of money launderers.  That, of course, includes criminal prosecutions of those who violate our money laundering laws. 

One of our recent investigations, for example, targeted an alleged drug trafficking and money laundering organization largely based in Sinaloa, Mexico.  Since at least 2012, the organization allegedly transported massive amounts of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine into the United States.  But that was not all; the organization also allegedly smuggled their drug trafficking proceeds from the United States back into Mexico, laundering more than an estimated $100 million dollars.  Some money allegedly was laundered through Mexican money exchange houses, while other money allegedly was deposited with U.S. banks and wire-transferred to Mexican accounts controlled by the organization.

Our prosecutors brought criminal charges against 15 defendants, including individuals responsible for the movement of the illicit proceeds.  To date, eight of those defendants, including the owner of a currency exchange house in Sinaloa and a peso broker operating out of Sinaloa, have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to significant jail time. 

But the law enforcement tools at our disposal are not limited to bringing criminal charges.  Take, for example, the case of Jorge Cifuentes-Villa, who is facing criminal prosecution in the United States.  Cifuentes-Villa led a drug trafficking and money laundering organization closely tied to the Sinaloa Cartel and he has been designated by the United States as a Consolidated Priority Organization Target, a designation reserved for the most dangerous and prolific narcotics traffickers. 

In addition to the criminal charges against Cifuentes-Villa, our prosecutors also brought two multi-million dollar civil forfeiture actions against assets tied to Cifuentes-Villa’s drug trafficking activities.  Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Treasury levied financial sanctions against Cifuentes-Villa, identifying him as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker, to effectively cut him off from transactions with any U.S. persons or businesses. 

The path to civil forfeiture of Cifuentes-Villa’s assets began with a vehicle stop in 2009.  A single money courier was found in possession of approximately $780,000 in drug proceeds.  With that lead, investigators traced money through various companies’ bank accounts that were used to launder on the cartel’s behalf.  They traced the money all the way back to transactions eight years before the vehicle stop.  Investigators learned that in 2001, a shell company in the British Virgin Islands had received approximately $11 million in funds.  And that $11 million subsequently was moved through eight brokerage accounts, before it finally landed in two accounts at Wells Fargo Advisors. 

The tracing showed that the shell company had received the funds from yet another entity in the British Virgin Islands, an entity that was owned by a man who went by the name, Sergio Osuna-Villareal.  We identified Sergio Osuna-Villareal as an alias of Jorge Cifuentes-Villa.  The investigation revealed that Cifuentes-Villa had transferred more than $10 million in drug proceeds to the shell company as liquidation of the assets of his murdered drug partner.  And in 2012, we sought forfeiture – successfully – of both the approximately $11 million from the Wells Fargo Advisors’ accounts and a $1.2 million condominium in Miami, Florida that we also traced to Cifuentes-Villa. 

Those examples underscore the array of tools that we stand ready to deploy against money launderers for drug cartels.  With the close cooperation of our international partners, we not only can bring wrongdoers to justice in our courts, but we also can trace where their money traveled and how and when.  We can then reclaim their ill-gotten gains, block their assets, and prevent U.S. persons from dealing with them. 

We also must be forward-leaning in holding accountable the enablers that move or legitimize the funds of drug traffickers.  Just as cartels zero in on any weak link in the chain – by exploiting financial institutions with ineffective anti-money-laundering protocols – we too will continue to aggressively target financial institutions that turn a blind eye to the mass transit of illicit proceeds through their accounts.

To be sure, the examples I have mentioned over the past few minutes barely scratch the surface of the money flows that fuel and refuel the global drug trade.  But as with the dark web, the very money laundering tactics that the criminals hope will throw us off should embolden us, focus us, and bring us together. 

And it is by working together that we are able to most effectively target those illicit proceeds.  Money laundering mechanisms are transnational by design.  The painstaking work by our agents and prosecutors of mapping out those networks necessitates foreign wiretaps, foreign cooperating sources, and foreign law enforcement surveillance.  It calls for timely sharing of international financial intelligence and prompt responses to mutual legal assistance requests.  It requires foreign agents to authenticate photographs, wiretaps, and seizure evidence, and provide eyewitness testimony.  On all these fronts and more, we can and must better synchronize our efforts. 

Drug cartels count on our inability to connect the dots across borders and financial institutions.  But with concerted international efforts to target illicit proceeds from every legal angle, we can more effectively connect those very dots and unravel the illicit networks driving the drug crisis. 

Thank you, and I look forward to working with you all.

 An accused computer hacker sought by the United States was recently returned to the United States to stand trial. On March 30, 2018, Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich Nikulin, 30, of Moscow, Russia, made his initial appearance in federal court, following his extradition from the Czech Republic. He was charged by the United States in 2016 with illegally accessing computers belonging to LinkedIn, Dropbox, and Formspring. Nikulin was arrested in October 2016, pursuant to a U.S.-issued INTERPOL Red Notice processed by INTERPOL Washington—the U.S. National Central Bureau. He had been in the custody of the Czech Republic since then. The United States submitted an official request to the Czech government for his extradition in November 2016. On March 29, 2018, the Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic ordered Nikulin extradited to the United States. Read more about the Federal case against Nikulin here:

The INTERPOL Red Notice

• Each INTERPOL member country maintains a National Central Bureau (NCB) staffed by its own highly trained law enforcement officials.
• An INTERPOL Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition. It is issued by the INTERPOL General Secretariat at the request of a member country’s NCB or an international tribunal based on a valid national arrest warrant. It is not an international arrest warrant.
• INTERPOL cannot compel any member country to arrest an individual who is the subject of a Red Notice. Each member country decides for itself what legal value to give a Red Notice within their borders.
• When INTERPOL publishes a Red Notice this is simply to inform all member countries that the person is wanted based on an arrest warrant or equivalent judicial decision issued by a country or an international tribunal. INTERPOL does not issue arrest warrants.