District Not Recorded

Two Nigerian nationals who were extradited to the United States from Spain were sentenced to 128 and 87 months in prison for their roles in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With today’s sentencing, five defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom and Spain in connection with this matter have been sentenced.

According to court documents, Ezennia Peter Neboh, 48, who was sentenced today to 128 months of incarceration, was the lead defendant of a group of fraudsters who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Portugal. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and were instructed to make other payments. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. The defendant and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then instructed those former victims to forward the fraud proceeds to others.

On Oct. 23, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced another defendant who was also extradited from Spain, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, to 87 months of imprisonment. Three other co-defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. On June 21, Judge Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel to 82 months in prison; on July 25, Judge Williams sentenced Jerry Chucks Ozor to 87 months in prison; and on August 29, Judge Williams sentenced Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham to 90 months in prison, for their roles in the scheme.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We thank our colleagues at the Spanish National Police and the Ministry of Justice for assisting with the successful investigation and extradition of these defendants. This prosecution is a testament to the critical role of transnational collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas for the USPIS Miami Division. “This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the USPIS to protect our citizens from these scams.”

“HSI has a long history of aggressively pursuing criminals to ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown for HSI Arizona. “When criminals indiscriminately target the elderly or otherwise vulnerable, the impact and harm is particularly long-lasting. These sentences send a message to those around the world who think they can escape our laws - anyone who engages in or facilitates deceptive practices like these will not go undetected. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to hold those criminals accountable and bring justice to victims.” 

The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS and HSI are investigating the case.

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol and authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal all provided critical assistance.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

The Justice Department lodged two proposed consent decrees yesterday in federal court among Tribal, state and federal natural resource trustees and over 20 potentially responsible parties (PRPs) at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site in Oregon. The agreements, with an estimated restoration value of approximately $33.2 million, require the PRPs to pay cash damages or purchase credits in projects to restore salmon and other natural resources that were lost due to contamination released from the responsible parties’ facilities into the Willamette River. This settlement includes more than $600,000 in damages for the public’s lost recreational use of the river, and restoration and monitoring of culturally significant plants and animals.

The settlement also includes additional funds to pay costs incurred by the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council for assessing the harm to the injured natural resources. The Trustee Council is comprised of representatives from the Five Tribes, which includes the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe, along with representatives of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and State of Oregon.

“This settlement represents years of hard work by the Portland Harbor natural resource trustees and responsible parties who cooperated to restore the harm caused by those parties’ contamination,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The resulting restoration projects funded by these agreements will provide permanent ecological benefits to help restore the biodiversity of the Willamette River system.”

“The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe wholly support this settlement,” said the Five Tribes. “Contamination has uniquely affected tribal members because of their cultural use of and relationship with affected natural resources in and around the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. The Five Tribes believe the collaborative process of this settlement represents the best path forward for restoring Portland Harbor natural resources for the benefit of both current and future generations.”

“The trustees are very pleased that the responsible parties in this settlement have advanced restoration over litigation. The large-scale restoration projects facilitated by this settlement will help address the most important habitat needs of fish and wildlife injured by contamination in Portland Harbor,” said Director Curt Melcher of Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. “We will continue our settlement discussions with the remaining responsible parties who are participating in the early settlement initiative so we can achieve additional permanent restoration of natural resources. Partnering with restoration project developers has already produced on-the-ground restoration even prior to today’s settlement.”

The use of restoration credits in four natural resource projects that were developed in partnership with private developers is a novel and critical feature of the settlement. Restoration credits are like ecological “shares” in a restoration project, and the natural resource trustees decide how many “shares” each project is worth. Defendants in the settlement can purchase restoration credits from the restoration project developers instead of paying cash to resolve the ecological injury portion of their liability. Using this approach at Portland Harbor has produced on-the-ground restoration much sooner and at less cost than traditional cash-only settlements. Collectively, the restoration value in these projects is the largest natural resource credit bank at any Superfund Site in the country.

The four restoration projects selling restoration credits – Alder Creek, Harborton, Linnton Mill and Rinearson Natural Area – provide habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act and of tremendous cultural significance to the Five Tribes. The projects will also restore habitat for other fish and wildlife injured by contamination in Portland Harbor – like bald eagle, mink and lamprey – as well as Tribally significant native plants – like camas, wapato and sweetgrass. Construction is complete and habitat development is underway at all four projects, which are expected to provide ecological benefits in perpetuity, will be permanently protected from development and will receive long-term stewardship.         

The agreements result from an early settlement collaboration between the natural resource trustees at the Portland Harbor Superfund Site and a group of PRPs who participated in that effort. Negotiations are continuing with other PRPs that also are participating in the trustees’ early settlement initiative. If the trustees reach agreements in those ongoing negotiations, it could include additional cash settlements or restoration credit purchases in the four restoration projects.

On behalf of the trustees on the Trustee Council, the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section filed the complaint and lodged the proposed consent decrees in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

The proposed decrees resolve the natural resource damages allegations of the United States, Oregon and the Five Tribes for releases of contamination from the PRPs’ identified facilities. Alleged violations are in connection with Section 107 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; the Oil Pollution Act and the Clean Water Act.

The settlement is subject to a 45-day public comment period and final court approval. It is available for viewing at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. Please refer to the upcoming Federal Register notice for instructions on submitting any public comments on the settlement. Additional information is available on the Portland Harbor Natural Resource Trustee Council website at www.fws.gov/portlandharbor/news/two-consent-decrees-lodged.

The Justice Department announced today several new commitments as part of its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. Instituted by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021, the strategy focuses on harnessing federal resources, intelligence, and expertise as a force-multiplier with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta highlighted the more than $334 million in critical grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders awarded today by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The COPS grants announced today include funding to help law enforcement agencies hire over 1,730 new law enforcement officers across the country while also providing critical funding to support school safety and continue to advance community policing nationwide.

They also named the five new cities to join the more than 50 jurisdictions currently part of the Office of Justice Program (OJP)’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) National Public Safety Partnership (PSP), which has a proven track record of helping partner sites reduce crime, improve homicide clearance rates, and enhance the quality of life for community members. The 2024 PSP sites are: Knoxville, Tennessee; Minneapolis; Raleigh, North Carolina; San Antonio; and Vallejo, California.

Lastly, the Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General announced that this Dec. 11-13, in Indianapolis, the Justice Department will bring together up to 1,500 local and federal partners from across the country, including representatives from the more than 50 PSP jurisdictions and from Project Safe Neighborhoods for a Violent Crime Reduction Summit hosted by OJP BJA.

“Law enforcement officers across the country are showing up every day to protect their communities in the face of unprecedented challenges,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These grants, which support the hiring of more than 1700 new officers and make critical investments in school safety and crisis intervention efforts, will help provide local law enforcement agencies with the resources they need to keep their communities safe, support officers, and build public trust.”

“The latest data indicates progress on declining crime rates, but the Justice Department recognizes there is far more work to do so that all Americans can be free from violence,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Local communities know best what works, which is why the Justice Department has recently invested over $5.6 billion in community-driven safety initiatives. The grants and partnerships announced today build on past investments and further our pledge to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement and community partners to harness our resources, intelligence, and expertise to reduce violent crime.”

“I can’t emphasize enough how critical these grants are to urban, suburban, and rural communities across the country to address urgent public safety needs and increase police-community trust and collaboration,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “These grants provide vital investments for communities to hire highly qualified and diverse police officers, improve school safety, and strengthen police and community partnerships.” 

Since its creation in 1994, the COPS Office has advanced community policing nationwide and provided grants to over 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 138,000 officers. Funding highlights from the grants announced today include:

• Nearly $217 million to 394 agencies through the COPS Hiring Program (CHP) for the hiring of 1,730 entry-level career law enforcement officers in an effort to create and preserve jobs and increase community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
• More than $73.6 million to 206 school districts, state, and local governments, and other public agencies through the COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) to improve security at schools and on school grounds.
• Approximately $43.6 million to support crisis intervention teams, de-escalation training, accreditation efforts, and innovative community policing strategies through the COPS Community Policing Development (CPD) program.

Complete lists of all program award recipients, including funding amounts, can be found here.

“For almost 30 years, the COPS Office has worked to reduce crime and increase trust between law enforcement and the community through the many different grant programs that we offer,” said Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the COPS Office. “The funding we are announcing today will go a long way toward advancing this very important work.”

These grant awards build on the $4.4 billion that the Justice Department’s OJP has already awarded in fiscal year 2023 to support state, local and tribal public safety and community justice activities. More than $1 billion of those funds are specifically designed to reduce crime and violence, and support law enforcement. An additional $109 million supports school violence prevention and research.

“Success in reducing violent crime comes from our ability to work together, partnering with law enforcement and communities, building broad coalitions that recognize and address how to promote public safety,” said Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to offer robust support to jurisdictions to address violent crime in critical ways.”  

OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law.

Commemorating the 2nd anniversary of the reestablishment of the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ), the office today published Access to Justice Spotlight: Fines & Fees, a report that highlights the most common and innovative approaches taking place across the country to reduce reliance on criminal and civil fines and fees. When fines and fees are assessed without consideration of ability to pay, they can have a devastating impact on a person’s life. Individuals who are unable to pay court-assessed fines and fees can face snowballing financial penalties, extended justice-system involvement, suspended driver’s licenses and unnecessary incarceration.  

Associate Attorney General Gupta tasked ATJ with preparing the spotlight report to expand upon the principles set forth in the department’s Dear Colleague Letter issued in April that cautioned against practices to assess fines and fees that may be unlawful, unfairly penalize individuals who are unable to pay or otherwise have a discriminatory effect.

The report is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers looking to decrease systemic reliance on fines and fees as a source of revenue and to redress the harms fines and fees can cause. It reviews 12 categories of promising practices jurisdictions are employing across the country, from eliminating certain categories of fees altogether, to implementing meaningful ability to pay determinations, regulating debt collection and discharging existing debt. The report also includes a section addressing specific approaches jurisdictions can take to reduce the unintended harms of juvenile fines and fees.

“In just two years, the Office for Access to Justice has demonstrated the importance of establishing a stand-alone office dedicated to the mission of access for all,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The office has launched initiatives to expand access to legal assistance; promote access to justice for veterans, those in rural communities, individuals with disabilities, low-income communities, and those who have limited English proficiency; and to promote data, innovation and the integrity of legal systems.”

“Over the last two years, our office has worked expeditiously and strategically to onboard a talented professional team and to develop initiatives that promote access to justice for all,” said Director Rachel Rossi of ATJ. “This report demonstrates how collaboration with partners across the country and world can drive this mission forward, to ensure justice belongs to everyone, not only those with wealth or status.”

In crafting the report, ATJ conducted listening sessions and solicited feedback from dozens of organizations, policymakers, advocates, academics, law enforcement leaders and court leaders who are pursuing a more just approach to fines and fees. Access to Justice Spotlight: Fines and Fees is part of ATJ’s ongoing efforts to promote economic justice in civil and criminal legal systems. The mission of ATJ is to ensure access to the promises and protections of our civil and criminal legal systems for all communities, regardless of wealth or status. Since it was reestablished in October 2021, the office has launched a number of initiatives, including:

• Expanding language access by hiring the first department-wide Language Access Coordinator, reconvening the Justice Department’s Language Access Working Group, leading efforts to update the Justice Department’s Language Access Plan for the first time in over a decade, and launching a pilot Translation Initiative, that has supported more than two dozen DOJ offices and 14 United States Attorneys’ Offices by providing technical assistance in translating printed and digital content into over 30 languages;
• Supporting public defense by co-leading a review of access to counsel in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) pretrial facilities at the direction of Deputy Attorney General Monaco that culminated in publication of the July 2023 Report and Recommendations Concerning Access to Counsel at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Pretrial Facilities, partnering with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to sponsor a report, Gideon at 60: a Snapshot of State Public Defense Systems and Paths to System Reform on public defense system models in state, local, and Tribal jurisdictions, and leading a nation-wide tour to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, joined by Justice Department senior officials, to meet with public defense leaders and impacted communities across the country;
• Promoting successful reentry by leading six other federal agencies in the drafting and publication of the Reentry Coordination Council (RCC)’s Report, which sets forth recommendations to Congress to reduce barriers to successful reentry, and working with justice system impacted individuals to host a Reentry Simulation that allowed high level federal officials better understand the many complex barriers people face after being released from incarceration;
• Directing and staffing the work of the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR), including by publishing Access to Justice in the Age of COVID-19 (2021), and Access to Justice through Simplification, a Roadmap for People-Centered Simplification of Federal Government Forms, Processes, and Language (2022), and by hosting annual principal convenings of LAIR’s 28 federal agency leaders;
• Modernizing the DOJ Pro Bono Program by staffing over 25 different Pro Bono clinics across the country, mobilizing federal attorney volunteers from over 50 participating federal agencies to take on representation in over 200 pro bono matters, and by modernizing and streamlining the Pro Bono Program through the launch of the DOJ Pro Bono Portal;
• Pursuing access to justice for rural and Tribal communities, Veterans and individuals with disabilities, including through partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to host listening sessions with legal aid providers who are assisting Veterans in the VA administrative process, launching a partnership with the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative (SVI) and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) to promote and share resources and host roundtables on federal Veterans Treatment Courts (VTC) and Veterans reentry programs with U.S. Attorneys, publishing Advancing Equal Access to Justice for Americans with Disabilities: Moving Towards Closing the Justice Gap on the 33rd Anniversary of the ADA; and engaging in a series of law school visits across the country to promote legal help in rural and Tribal communities;
• Assisting the U.S. with implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goal 16, including by participating in the 31st Session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and providing technical assistance during negotiations of the first-ever resolution on access to justice which was adopted by the Commission;
• Prioritizing people-centered justice and engagement by meeting with and learning from innovative leaders and community members in 24 states where access to justice solutions are being developed, hosting quarterly convenings with the nation-wide state Access to Justice Commissions, and hosting quarterly convenings with the public defense community.

One of five former Memphis Police Department officers facing federal charges in the tragic killing of Tyre Nichols pled guilty in federal court today.

Desmond Mills Jr., 33, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris today and pled guilty to civil rights and conspiracy charges arising out of the Jan. 7 incident.

On Sept. 12, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Mills and co-defendants Emmitt Martin III, 31; Tadarrius Bean, 24; Demetrius Haley, 30; and Justin Smith, 28. The charges included using excessive force resulting in the death of Nichols; aiding and abetting each other in using that excessive force; failing to intervene to stop the excessive force; failing to render medical aid; and conspiring or taking action to cover up their misconduct.

The remaining four defendants still face a federal trial scheduled for May 6, 2024.

In today’s court appearance, Mills pled guilty to counts one and three of the indictment. Count one charged Mills with using excessive force and failing to intervene in the unlawful assault. Count three charged Mills with conspiring to cover up his use of unlawful force by omitting material information and by providing false and misleading information to his supervisor and to others. 

Mills admitted to additional facts that were presented in court in connection with his plea agreement:

• Mills admitted to repeatedly and unjustifiably striking Nichols with a baton and to failing to intervene in other officers’ use of force against Nichols. Mills said he watched another officer repeatedly punch Nichols in the head while two other officers restrained Nichols.

• Mills admitted that he did not provide any medical aid to Nichols after the beating, though he knew that Nichols had a serious medical need. He did not alert MPD or Memphis Fire Department EMTs that Nichols had been struck in the head and body.

• In addition, Mills participated in conversations with other officers in which they discussed, using force against Nichols, hitting Nichols to make him fall, and believing they were on the verge of killing Nichols when they saw that Nichols did not fall from the blows.

• Mills admitted to making false statements in connection with the arrest of Nichols, including telling his supervisor that they had done “everything by the book” and providing false information in his statements to an MPD detective tasked with writing the incident report.

• Finally, Mills submitted an MPD report that provided a false account of the force used on Nichols, including a claim that Mills saw Nichols “aggressively resisting” officers. Instead of admitting that he had seen an officer repeatedly punch Nichols in the head while Nichols was restrained by two other officers, Mills reported only that “Nichols was eventually put into custody.” 

Pursuant to the terms of Mills’s plea agreement, the government will recommend a sentence of no more than 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

The four remaining defendants face federal charges as set forth in the indictment, which is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.

The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Pritchard and Elizabeth Rogers for the Western District of Tennessee and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Deputy Chief Forrest Christian of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on today’s jury conviction in the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried:

“Sam Bankman-Fried thought that he was above the law. Today’s verdict proves he was wrong. This case should send a clear message to anyone who tries to hide their crimes behind a shiny new thing they claim no one else is smart enough to understand: the Justice Department will hold you accountable. I am grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their outstanding work in bringing Mr. Bankman-Fried to justice.”

Yesterday, the White House hosted representatives from nearly 50 countries for the first day of the third annual International Counter Ransomware Initiative Summit at the Justice Department. The Summit is the largest international partnership dedicated to disrupting the broader ecosystem that fuels ransomware attacks.

In his opening remarks kicking off the Summit, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland underscored the strength and successes of international partnerships in disrupting ransomware threats as well as mitigating broader cybersecurity risks. The Attorney General discussed the efforts of the Justice Department and its international partners to dismantle and disrupt an international ransomware network known as the “Hive,” responsible for extorting and attempting to extort hundreds of millions of dollars from victims in the United States and around the world. The Attorney General also noted that in the wake of the Oct. 7th attacks in Israel, he directed the Justice Department to offer assistance to Israeli investigators and law enforcement partners to help “identify, investigate, and disrupt financial flows and other material support to Hamas – including in the form of cryptocurrency.” The delegation from Israel was able to join the Summit virtually.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco discussed the Department’s support for its Israeli partners and all of the international partnerships showcased at the Summit, stressing that these cross-border relationships are some of the most powerful tools the Justice Department has to disrupt the ransomware ecosystem and prevent attacks before they happen. She highlighted how these partnerships have led to synchronized and coordinated international operations that have imposed serious costs and consequences for malicious ransomware actors.  In the past year, these operations have included the takedown of two of the largest online criminal marketplaces – BreachForums and Genesis Market – within two weeks of each other as well as the dismantlement of several cryptocurrency mixers and exchanges responsible for the laundering of millions of dollars in ransomware proceeds.

The Summit continues through today, with members discussing areas for further coordination against increasingly sophisticated ransomware attacks.

The Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC), a cross-jurisdictional advisory committee composed of law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors, today transmitted its congressionally mandated recommendations to the Justice Department, Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Congress. Federal responses to the Commission’s recommendations are due within 90 days.

The Commission was created by the Not Invisible Act, sponsored by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland during her time in Congress. Its mandate was to develop recommendations on actions the federal government can take on six focused topics to help combat violent crime against Indigenous people and within Indian lands, and to address the epidemic of missing persons and the murder and trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, as specified under the law.

“These recommendations will play an important role in our shared work to address the violence Tribal communities face,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I am grateful to the Commissioners for approaching this critical and difficult work with the urgency and thoughtfulness it deserves. The Justice Department is committed to working with the Department of Interior, Congress, and our state, local, and Tribal partners to address the Commission’s recommendations and respond to the public safety challenges facing American Indians and Alaska Natives.”

“I am so grateful to the members of the Not Invisible Act Commission for the time and effort they have given to this work and this report over the past two years. Indian Country will be safer, and lives will be saved, because of this Commission’s work,” said Secretary Haaland. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. Crimes against Indigenous peoples have long been underfunded and ignored, rooted in the deep history of intergenerational trauma that has affected our communities since colonization. I look forward to reviewing the recommendations, which will help us continue to galvanize attention and resources toward these tragic epidemics.”

The recommendations received today will help further the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to advance and invest in public safety in Indian Country.

At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, which directed the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. Last year, the President signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations, included new provisions to address the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) across the country, and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities.

At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that the BIA Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations, share information and investigative reports, and establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI, and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.

Secretary Haaland has traveled throughout the nation and internationally to highlight the need for coordination and collaboration on issues related to violence against Indigenous peoples. Within the first 100 days of the Biden-Harris Administration, Secretary Haaland created a new Missing and Murdered Unit within the BIA-OJS, which is providing leadership and direction for cross-departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered Indigenous peoples. The NIAC’s recommendations will inform the Department’s efforts to evolve the MMU to address gaps within the BIA’s law enforcement program and across the federal government.

Last week, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta met with the Tribal Nations Leadership Council, including a Council member who serves as a Commissioner on the NIAC, and discussed a range of pressing issues impacting American Indian and Alaska Native people.

Attorney General Garland traveled to Alaska in August and visited Anchorage and the Village of Galena. Attorney General Garland met with Tribal leaders and representatives of Native Tribal organizations to discuss the public safety challenges that Alaska Native individuals and communities face and address the Justice Department’s continued efforts to work in partnership with Tribal communities to combat the MMIP crisis. 

Secretary Haaland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco  gave remarks at the first in-person plenary session of the Not Invisible Act Commission in February at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. 

In the past year, Associate Attorney General Gupta has held meetings with Tribal and Native leaders in Minnesota and Alaska. This month in Alaska, the Associate Attorney General spoke at the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention and announced the launch of the Alaska Pilot Program, which empowers designated Tribes to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians present in their Villages for certain crimes.

Since the establishment of the NIAC in 2020, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. Earlier this summer, the Department launched a MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

Over the next 90 days, the Justice Department and the Department of the Interior will carefully consider the NIAC’s recommendations

Justice Department officials joined leaders and community partners from the state of Maryland on Monday to announce new federal investments aimed at combatting hate crimes across the country, as well as to highlight current national and local efforts addressing the devastating impact of hate crimes past and present. Maryland was chosen as a host site because the state has become a national model in addressing hate crimes. Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta joined Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Acting Director Justin Lock of the Community Relations Service (CRS) in delivering opening remarks for the event.

Associate Attorney General Gupta announced $38 million in fiscal year 2023 DOJ funding will go to law enforcement and community programs and partners nationwide to help communities heal from hate crimes of the past, investigate and prosecute current cases and prevent future hate crimes.   

“This is more than we have awarded in the last two years combined, which shows — in real dollars — our continued and increased commitment to this work,” said Associate Attorney General Gupta.

Assistant Attorney General Solomon echoed the Associate Attorney General’s emphasis of current national investments in hate crime prevention, and lauded the innovative work being done in Maryland, referencing the state’s “groundbreaking work … to root out hate and reconcile past wrongs that have left a legacy of pain in local communities.”

Acting Director Lock highlighted a growing partnership between hate crime grantees and the CRS, while Maryland Attorney General Brown spoke to the importance of federal funding in shaping the state’s approach to hate crime. Office of Justice Program (OJP) grants helped establish the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the first body of its kind in the United States.

Opening speakers and the announcement of grant awards were followed by an expert panel discussion dedicated to addressing hate crimes. The panel was moderated by Director Karhlton F. Moore of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Panel participants included Chief Zenita Wickham Hurley of the Office of Equity, Policy and Engagement, Maryland Office of the Attorney General; Director Dr. Nancy La Vigne of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ); Executive Director Renee Battle-Brooks of the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights; Chair Dr. David Fakunle of the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission Representing the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum; and Deputy Director Sarah Mersky Miicke of the Baltimore Jewish Council.

Deputy Associate Attorney General Saeed Mody provided closing remarks for the event, noting the rise in hate crimes in recent years, including the record number reported in 2022. He reinforced the department’s unwavering commitment to combating hate through federal law enforcement efforts and federal resources that support state and local community-based organizations and law enforcement agency partners.

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta delivers remarks at Reconciling the Past, Building the Future: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships Against Hate Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon delivers remarks at Reconciling the Past, Building the Future: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships Against Hate BJA Director Moore (left) and NIJ Director La Vigne (second from right) sit on a panel at Reconciling the Past, Building the Future: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships Against Hate Acting CRS Director Justin Lock delivers remarks at Reconciling the Past, Building the Future: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships Against Hate

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted a virtual forum to highlight the successful launch of the United Against Hate (UAH) initiative in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) and discuss efforts to combat unlawful acts of hate. Today’s event coincides with the 25th anniversary of the tragic murders of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard and commemorates the 14th anniversary of the Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

In September 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that every USAO within the next year would convene local forums that connect community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to build trust and increase the reporting of hate crimes. The USAOs have met that commitment by hosting more than 200 UAH programs for thousands of participants nationwide over this past year. 

“As I see in my daily threat briefings, there has been a significant increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I recognize the fear, frustration, and isolation that many of you have felt over the past few weeks, and that you continue to feel as you join us here today. I want to reiterate a core principle of this Justice Department: no person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. You are not alone. And the Justice Department is committed to building on our partnerships with all of you to combat illegal acts of hate.”

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke moderated a fireside chat with Houston Police Department Officer Jamie Byrd-Grant, who is the daughter of James Byrd Jr. During the conversation, Byrd-Grant discussed her decision to become a police officer after her father’s brutal murder, when she was just 16, as well as her current role in administering a Shepard-Byrd grant in Houston. Dennis and Judy Shepard, the parents of Matthew Shepard, provided recorded remarks about their foundation’s efforts to amplify Matthew’s story to inspire individuals, organizations, and families to embrace the dignity and equality of all people, and the importance of community members connecting with law enforcement to build relationships before a hate crime occurs. 

“Make no mistake, hate-fueled violence is a stain on our nation’s history and has no place in our society today,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “Through United Against Hate, we are building community resilience, strengthening relationships between community and law enforcement, and empowering communities with the tools necessary to eliminate hate root and branch. This moment demands vigilance and use of every tool at our disposal, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, to ensure that our communities, schools, workplaces, houses of worship, stores, and streets are safe spaces, free from threats and bias-driven violence.”

The forum also included a panel discussion featuring U.S. Attorneys Dena King for the Western District of North Carolina; Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho; and Philip Sellinger for the District of New Jersey, who all highlighted their successful UAH programs that have strengthened connections between their communities and law enforcement.

Deputy Associate Attorney General Saeed Mody, who is the Department’s hate crime coordinator, gave remarks on the Department’s efforts to address the rise in hate, including awarding over $38 million to support the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, increase hate crimes reporting, expand victim services, and improve community awareness.

Multiple advocates and survivors of hate crimes joined the forum to discuss the value of centering survivor stories in sparking dialogue and building relationships. This panel included U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Rabbi Hazzan Jeffery Myers of the Tree of Life Congregation; Co-Director Pardeep Kaleka of Not In Our Town; Executive Director Anisha Singh of the Sikh Coalition; and Senior Program Director Nadia Aziz of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

The forum concluded with reflections from civil rights organizations, including Maya Berry of the Arab American Institute; Damon Hewitt of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; and Sheila Katz of the National Council of Jewish Women. During this conversation, these civil rights leaders discussed the impact of recent increases in hate crimes and hate incidents on their community stakeholders, the response of their organizations, often working together, and how to improve partnerships and address the needs of survivors and their communities.

In conjunction with today’s event, the Civil Rights Division released a document highlighting the reach of the UAH program in its first year and examples of the impact the program has already had in several districts throughout the country. These include participants’s reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents to USAOs; coordination on responding to threats to religious institutions; and sparking the creation of new community initiatives at local colleges.

Learn more about the Department’s work on hate crimes here. 

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Stanislav Bril, 40, a/k/a “Stan Bril,” a/k/a “Slava Bril,” a resident of Jamison, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to three counts of mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud, and five counts of money laundering, all arising from Bril’s operation of two different Ponzi schemes, his false applications for bank loans, his defrauding of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, and related conduct.

From October 2011 to August 2014, Bril operated a “Ponzi” scheme through his company, Mortgage Consultant Group (“MCG”), obtaining over $1 million from investors and using much of these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril approached investors and persuaded them to make capital loan investments in MCG. In his marketing materials and his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that these investments would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. Bril falsely promised that investors would obtain regular returns, or “interest,” on their capital loan investments in MCG. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the vast majority of the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including his gambling losses at casinos – and to perpetuate his scheme by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.

From October 2018 to June 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained a $750,000 line of credit from a bank headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania for another company he created, The Bril Group, Inc. (“TBG”). In order to secure the line of credit, Bril made false statements about TBG’s business, the number of TBG employees he was hiring, and the intended use of the line of credit. Once he obtained the line of credit, Bril caused those funds to be spent on unauthorized purchases and laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts.

From April 2020 to March 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained over $6.7 million from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) and Paycheck Protection Programs (“PPP”) by making false statements about the number of employees of, the wages and payroll taxes paid by, and the intended use of the loan proceeds by several companies that Bril created. Bril falsely claimed that these companies – TBG, MCG LOAN, and SAB Services LLC (“SAB”) –  had several hundred employees when in fact none of these companies had more than one employee. In his PPP and EIDL applications, Bril submitted allegedly historical tax forms with inflated payroll information for nonexistent employees that had never actually been filed. In addition, Bril falsely denied that there were criminal charges pending against him at the time of his applications. In fact, federal charges were already pending against Bril for his perpetration of the Ponzi scheme detailed above. Once he fraudulently obtained these funds, Bril wired them to other individuals, cryptocurrency platforms, and a title company towards a purchase of a Los Angeles condominium. Bril also laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts and transactions.

From July 2019 to at least August 2021, Bril revived MCG and used it to perpetrate yet another “Ponzi” scheme, obtaining millions of dollars in loans from several investors and using these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril initially took short-term loans from investors and repaid investors with high interest rates to lull them into a false sense of security and to obtain larger loans from them. In his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that their loans would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects and/or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. However, Bril provided investors with few details of these purported projects and declined to identify his purported borrowers. Bril often encouraged investors to “rollover” their loans into new deals rather than take their payouts per their agreements with Bril. When investors asked Bril whether he had any claims, lawsuits, or legal proceedings filed against him, Bril falsely answered in the negative despite his knowledge that federal charges were already pending against him for his perpetration of the earlier Ponzi scheme. When Bril began missing the agreed repayments to investors, Bril provided bogus explanations for his theft of their loans, including that he was waiting for a wire to clear, that he waiting for a check to be mailed from his bank, that he was looking for a new bank, that his new bank was giving him a “hard time,” and that he was suffering from a variety of health emergencies and personal tragedies that were somehow preventing him from making timely paying to the investors. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including trading in digital currencies – and to perpetuate his schemes by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Matthew T. Newcomer.  

As we commemorate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Justice Department announced today that it has issued guidance to explain how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)'s “integration mandate” applies to public employment and day services. The integration mandate requires state and local governments to provide services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate.

Integrated employment services can help people with disabilities work in typical jobs where they can interact with non-disabled coworkers, customers and peers. Integrated day services allow people with disabilities to engage in community activities of their choosing — like social, educational, recreational or cultural activities — when they are not working. As the guidance describes, the ADA requires state and local governments to make their employment and day services available in the most integrated setting appropriate to each person’s needs.

Nationally, however, many people with disabilities spend most of their time receiving public services in segregated settings like sheltered workshops and facility-based day programs. Sheltered workshops are segregated facilities that primarily or exclusively employ people with disabilities. In facility-based day programs, people with disabilities participate in non-work activities with other people with disabilities. These settings separate individuals from the community and provide little or no opportunity to spend time with people without disabilities, other than paid staff. 

“Simply put, people with disabilities are entitled to work alongside their friends, peers and neighbors without disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employment is fundamental to contributing to and being fully included in society, This guidance makes clear that the ADA requires that people with disabilities have access to the integrated services they need to contribute, grow and advance in typical workplaces throughout the country.”

The Civil Rights Division has published this guidance to help state and local governments understand their nondiscrimination obligations and people with disabilities understand their rights under the federal law in this area. The guidance provides an overview of the ADA, the integration mandate and the types of employment and day services that are often offered to people with disabilities. It then answers nine questions about how the ADA applies to those service systems. For example, the guidance explains:

• The ADA’s integration mandate applies to public employment and day services.

• The most integrated employment setting under the ADA is the one that lets people with disabilities spend time with non-disabled people as much as possible.

• People with disabilities who receive services in segregated employment or day services settings should receive accurate information about integrated employment options.

The guidance may be found at www.ada.gov/resources/olmstead-employment-qa/. A Federal Register notice discussing the guidance will be forthcoming. To learn more about the ADA, call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-833-610-1264 (TDD), or access the Justice Department’s ADA website at ada.gov. 

The former president of a Michigan-area asphalt paving company pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.

According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, Daniel Israel, along with other individuals working for the company where Israel was formerly the president, conspired with another asphalt paving company and its employees to rig bids in each other’s favor. The conspiracy began at least as early as March 2013 and continued until at least as late as November 2018. Under the terms of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts.

Israel pleaded guilty to one count of violating Section One of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals who violate Section One of the Sherman Act is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Israel is the third individual to plead guilty as a result of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the Offices of Inspectors General for the Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service. Over a two week span in August, a company and two of its executives also pleaded guilty in this investigation.

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.

To further the Bicentennial Framework between the United States and Mexico, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Assistance (INL), organized consecutive workshops with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) prosecutors to improve binational coordination, investigations and prosecutions of fentanyl cases.

“We must do everything we can to stop violent cartels from manufacturing and trafficking fentanyl,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These workshops with our FGR partners strengthen our abilities to target and hold accountable those who threaten the lives of our citizens through the deadly effects of fentanyl.”

During the week of October 23, in Tijuana, Mexico, OPDAT and INL, with the support of presenters from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, FGR, and the Mexican Federal Judiciary, strengthened the capabilities and skills of more than 100 Mexican federal prosecutors to investigate and prosecute fentanyl cases through two 2-day workshops.

Fentanyl Workshop Presenters and Representatives from DEA, FBI, CBP, HSI, DOJ, U.S. Embassy, Mexican Attorney General's Office, and Mexican Federal Judiciary. 

The workshops highlighted and promoted good practices to investigate fentanyl trafficking networks, provided an understanding of global trafficking trends and the fentanyl criminal market worldwide, and explained how precursors from China arrive to the Americas and are eventually used to make fentanyl that is trafficked throughout the United States.

At the workshop, OPDAT Senior Resident Legal Advisor in Mexico René Valle, Justice Department Counselor for Narcotics and Transnational Organized Crime Arthur Wyatt, the Deputy Consul General of the U.S. Embassy in Tijuana William Swaney, and the FGR Delegate in Tijuana Victorino Porcayo Domínguez, provided opening remarks in which they emphasized the importance of binational coordination and collaboration to jointly combat fentanyl trafficking.

Justice Department representative provides opening remarks to FGR prosecutors.

This bilateral effort was coordinated to address fentanyl trafficking at the border of both countries and strengthen the justice system, all with the goal to ensure safe and prosperous communities. 

The Justice Department hosted a two-day conference of the Tribal Nations Leadership Council (TNLC), where council members met with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and officials from across the Department to discuss a range of pressing issues impacting American Indian and Alaska Native people.

On Wednesday, Oct. 25, the TNLC participated in a roundtable discussion with Attorney General Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. Discussion topics included the Department’s prioritized efforts to address the disproportionately high rates of violence experienced by American Indians and Alaska Natives, as well as the high rates of indigenous persons reported missing. Those efforts include the Department’s June 2023 creation of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which provides for placement of an MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and an MMIP Coordinator in five designated regions with Indian Country across the United States. Other topics raised included the need for additional law enforcement and other resources to address crime, substance abuse, and the needs of Native youth. Department officials also reflected on experiences and feedback gained during visits and consultations with Tribal leaders and communities this year, including in Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Alaska, where the Department announced its implementation plan for the Alaska Pilot Program. This program was enacted as part of the 2022 Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization and authorizes the Attorney General to designate Alaska Tribes to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians within their Villages for certain crimes.

The TNLC also raised the need for increasing data sharing and cross-jurisdictional cooperation, with the potential for building on the success of the Tribal Access Program, and leveraging new MMIP resources. Earlier in the day, the TNLC met with officials from the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and the FBI’s Violent Crime Section and Indian Country Violent Crime Unit, among others, to discuss pressing public safety issues. 

In addition, on Wednesday, the TNLC discussed civil litigation updates on issues of significant concern, such as Tribal water and natural resource rights and the Indian Child Welfare Act, with Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Civil Division. The TNLC discussed civil rights updates with Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division, and issues surrounding the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act with the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Rosie Hidalgo.

On Thursday, Oct. 26, the TNLC had a breakfast with U.S. Attorneys, and a conversation with Alison Ramsdell, the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota and Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Subcommittee on Native American Issues. The TNLC also met with top officials from the Department’s grantmaking components: the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and OVW. The TNLC concluded with a meeting with Associate Attorney General Gupta focused on concrete steps related to the department’s Tribal grantmaking and civil litigation work.

Established by the Justice Department by charter in 2010, the TNLC is a group of Tribal leaders from around the country selected by Tribal governments from each region. The Council is charged with providing perspective on emergent and ongoing issues across Indian Country as well as providing feedback on Justice  Department activities in support of Tribes in each region. In addition to establishing a mechanism for regular insight and accountability, the structure of the group honors the United States’ government-to-government relationship with Tribes.

The Department is grateful to the TNLC members who were able to attend this week’s meeting:

• Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
• Frank Star Comes Out, President, Oglala Lakota Nation
• Buu Nygren, President, Navajo Nation
• Gloria Burns, Vice President, Ketchikan Indian Community
• W. Ron Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
• Juana Majel Dixon, Councilwoman, Pauma-Yuima Band of Mission Indians

This week, Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) traveled to Anchorage and Bethel, Alaska, to engage access to justice stakeholders in the state and deliver keynote remarks at the launch event for Alaska Legal Services Corporation’s (ALSC) Community Justice Worker Resource Center.

Director Rossi and ATJ met with executives and staff from ALSC and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) in Anchorage. Director Rossi was briefed on ALSC’s Community Justice Worker Program, an innovative program designed to utilize trained, authorized community members to provide basic legal assistance in Alaska. At ANTHC, she met with leaders of the Distance Learning Initiative, which builds the curriculum used to remotely train community justice workers, and she toured the ANTHC campus to learn more about health and justice efforts faced by Alaska Natives and the role of health centers and medical-legal partnerships in increasing access to legal assistance.

Director Rossi also traveled to Bethel, the regional hub for the Yukon-Kuskokwim region. She visited Kuskokwim Consortium Library to hold a discussion with the library director to discuss the role of libraries in assisting and referring people to appropriate legal services. 

Director Rossi visited the Bethel courthouse and met with the recently appointed Chief Public Defender for the state of Alaska, as well as staff from the Bethel Holistic Defense Project, to discuss the need for rural public defenders and civil legal aid attorneys, and recent ATJ events at law schools to encourage law students to build careers in rural communities.

To conclude her visit to Bethel, Director Rossi met with leaders and staff from the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), a consortium of 56 Tribes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region that provides social services, community development and advocacy. Director Rossi learned about the social service needs of ACVP communities and specific efforts by community justice workers at ACVP to provide legal services to individuals in need. 

Concluding the trip in Anchorage, Director Rossi participated in a panel discussion on current issues in access to justice. In her remarks, Director Rossi highlighted recent office initiatives related to criminal justice, rural access to justice, innovative access to justice solutions and language access, among other topics.

Director Rossi also met with Alaska Supreme Court Justices to discuss Alaska Supreme Court’s efforts to support access to justice programs in Alaska, including the Community Justice Worker Program. She then met with the Alaska Federal Defender and met with community justice workers to hear about their efforts. Director Rossi also met with the President of the Alaska Federation of Natives to discuss current access to justice needs in Alaska Native communities. 

On Wednesday evening, at the invitation of the Alaska Supreme Court, Director Rossi delivered keynote remarks at the launch event for the Community Justice Worker Resource Center at Alaska Pacific University. In her remarks, she highlighted the need for bold, creative solutions to the nation’s civil justice gap, like the Community Justice Worker Program. Read her full remarks here.

Director Rossi delivers keynote remarks during the launch of the Community Justice Worker Program at Alaska Pacific University. Director Rossi delivers keynote remarks during the launch of the Community Justice Worker Program at Alaska Pacific University. Alaska Legal Services Corporation Executive Director Nikole Nelson briefs Director Rossi and group on ALSC’s Community Justice Worker Program. Director Rossi and ATJ team meet with Alaska Supreme Court Justices. Pictured left to right, National Legal Aid & Defender Association Vice President of Civil Programs Radhika Singh, Alaska State Court Administrator Stacey Marz, Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Henderson, Supreme Court Justice Dario Borghesan, Office for Access to Justice Senior Counsel Charlie Gillig, Supreme Court Justice Susan Carney, Manilaaq Health Center Medical Director Bob Onders, Director Rachel Rossi, Alaska Director Rossi and the group meet with Kuskokwim Consortium Library Director, Theresa Quiner at the Yup’ik Museum, Library and Multipurpose Center in Bethel, AK. Pictured left to right, Alaska Legal Services Corporation Justice for All Coordinator Sarah Carver, Kuskokwim Consortium Library Director, Theresa Quiner, National Legal Aid & Defender Association Vice President of Civil Programs Radhika Singh, Office for Access to Justice Senior Counsel Charlie Gillig Director, Community Justice Worker Disaster Relief Grant Project Manager Izzy Williamson, American Bar Foundation Senior Program Officer Matthew Burnett, Alaska Legal Services Corporation Executive Director Nikole Nelson, Director Rachel Rossi and Alaska Legal Services Corporation Advocacy Director Leigh Dickey. Director Rossi and ATJ team meets with staff from the Association of Village Council Presidents. Director Rossi is joined by National Legal Aid & Defender Association Vice President of Civil Programs Radhika Singh, American Bar Foundation Senior Program Officer Matthew Burnett, Manilaaq Health Center Medical Director Bob Onders, and Alaska Court System Administrative Director Stacey Marz on a panel moderated by Alaska Legal Services Corporation Executive Director Nikole Nelson.

The Justice Department and the city of Albuquerque filed a joint motion today seeking court approval to terminate certain portions of the consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).

The joint motion is based on APD’s consistent progress towards achieving the goals of the consent decree. The independent monitor’s most recent report, from May 2023, concluded that APD had reached full compliance with 92% of the consent decree’s terms. In addition, APD is now monitoring its own compliance with some provisions, consistent with an agreement between the department and APD, which the parties previously filed with the court.

In light of APD’s continued improvement, as well as its demonstrated record of sustaining compliance with some requirements, the parties ask the court to terminate certain provisions of the consent decree with which APD has been in full compliance for at least two years and that APD has been self-assessing. The provisions cover: a multi-agency task force; specialized tactical units; specialized investigative units; the Field Training Evaluation Program; public information on civilian complaints; recruiting, selection and promotion; and officer assistance and support. 

“Our filing with the court demonstrates that the Justice Department’s consent decree has been critical to driving real reform and moving the Albuquerque Police Department toward the goal of ensuring effective and constitutional policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our filing makes clear the real progress that has been made in transforming aspects of the department’s policing over the last eight years. The Albuquerque Police Department has demonstrated its ability to independently sustain compliance with important requirements of the consent decree. The Justice Department will continue to support police and city leaders as they forge ahead with full compliance with the consent decree, and we will continue to stand with residents of the city. The residents of Albuquerque deserve fair and constitutional policing, and nothing less.”

“This move to partial termination is yet more evidence of the City of Albuquerque’s dogged pursuit of progress,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “Work remains to be done, and the challenges facing us as a community are ever evolving. While we continue to work together to confront those challenges, we applaud the steady and unrelenting drive towards the type of policing that the people of Albuquerque deserve.”

APD has made substantial change in reaching compliance with provisions of the consent decree, including:

• APD has a clear and reliable process for conducting criminal investigations of critical incidents through the multi-agency task force;

• APD significantly professionalized its SWAT team and brought its operations in line with national standards;

• APD’s investigative units operate with clarity about their scope and mission;

• Through APD’s Field Training Evaluation Program, new officers receive reinforcement about APD’s values and expectations, helping to ensure that officers provide constitutional and effective policing from their first days on patrol;

• APD and Albuquerque’s civilian oversight agency widely distributes information about filing complaints about police officers, ensuring that people across the city can easily access and submit complaint forms, and that APD and civilian oversight are aware of the issues that people are having with police officers;

• The independent monitor has found that APD has set new standards in police recruiting, increasing interest in joining APD at a time when police departments across the country face challenges in recruiting; and

• APD’s Behavioral Sciences Section provides industry-standard behavioral health and wellness services to APD personnel and their families, often exceeding the requirements of the consent decree.

The District Court for the District of New Mexico entered the consent decree in June 2015. The decree, as well as information about the Civil Rights Division, are available on the Special Litigation Section Cases and Matters website. Additional information about implementation of the consent decree is also available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website.

View the joint motion here.

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the suspect in the Lewiston, Maine, mass shooting:

“This evening, law enforcement recovered the body of Robert Card, the suspect in the horrific mass shooting in Lewiston on Wednesday evening. I want to thank our state and local law enforcement partners, along with the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, and other federal agencies who have been working day and night to locate the shooter and keep the affected communities safe.

Although we are grateful that the suspect in this case no longer poses a threat, we know that nothing can bring back the lives he stole or undo the terror he inflicted.

The FBI will continue to provide victim support resources to those who have been devastated by this attack, and the entire Justice Department will provide ongoing support to our state and local law enforcement partners.

As I said yesterday, no community should have to endure these mass shootings which have become routine in our country.”

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Brian James Kunsman, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 77 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, for possession of an unregistered destructive device.

In October of 2021, the defendant possessed a ‘pipe bomb’ inside the emergency room at St. Luke’s University Hospital in the Fountain Hill section of the City of Bethlehem. An attending nurse discovered that Kunsman had brought the homemade destructive device in his backpack while he was a patient at the emergency room. Following the discovery, the emergency department of the hospital was evacuated for a four-hour period and all incoming trauma patients had to be diverted to other local hospitals.

"Homemade explosive devices are a dangerous threat in any circumstance; prompting an evacuation in an emergency department where patients are receiving acute medical care is unconscionable," said U.S. Attorney Romero.   We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for working quickly and efficiently to ensure the safety of everyone impacted by Kunsman's actions."

“The defendant engaged in incredibly reckless behavior, endangering the lives of the hospital staff, patients, and first responders,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric DeGree.  “We appreciate the support of the United States Attorney’s office and our state and local law enforcement partners throughout this investigation,”

The case was investigated by the Allentown Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Borough of Fountain Hill Police Department, the Allentown Bomb Squad, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Lewis Fallenstein.

A federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted a medical marketer today for his role in a $55 million fraud conspiracy involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families, and several other federal health care programs.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Quintan Cockerell, 42, of Palos Verdes Estates, California, worked with others to create and market expensive compounded medications, which are medications intended to be custom-tailored to individual patient needs. However, instead of custom-tailoring these medications, a local pharmacy designed formulations to maximize TRICARE and other federal health care program reimbursements regardless of patient need or medical efficacy. Pharmacy owners and others paid illegal kickbacks to individuals like Cockerell, who recruited area doctors to write prescriptions for these expensive compounded medications, including by creating so-called investment opportunities so that doctors who wrote prescriptions to the pharmacy could profit from the pharmacy operations. Cockerell then spent the proceeds of the scheme on expensive vacations, trips on private jets, and a yacht charter.  

The jury convicted Cockerell of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of receiving unlawful kickbacks, and one count of money laundering. A sentencing date has not yet been set. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, five years in prison on the kickback count, and 10 years in prison on the money laundering count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Casey J. Howard of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Central Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office made the announcement.

The DCIS, HHS-OIG, FBI, DOL-OIG, and VA-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian and Assistant Chief Kate Payerle of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Assistant Chief Brynn Schiess and Trial Attorney Lee Hirsch.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

The Justice Department joins survivors, victim service providers, advocates, and communities nationwide in recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). It is a time to center the experiences and leadership of survivors; honor those who have lost their lives to domestic violence; express gratitude to the countless individuals dedicated to preventing and addressing domestic violence and supporting survivors; and raise awareness on the issues of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Data from the most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey indicate that about 41% of women and 26% of men experience contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and report an intimate partner violence-related impact during their lifetime. Domestic violence rates are even higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black individuals, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQI+ individuals.

Between Sept. 19th and 28th, and through authorization under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded an additional 496 grants totaling $251,107,460 to bolster coordinated community responses aimed at bringing an end to domestic violence, as well as sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The grants will reach communities across the United States, including Tribal nations, historically marginalized communities, underserved communities, college and university campuses, rural towns, and more. The funding prioritizes increasing access to justice, bolstering survivor safety, holding perpetrators accountable, and offering training and technical support to professionals addressing these crimes.

“Domestic violence is a pervasive and devastating crime that demands urgency and coordinated action at all levels of law enforcement,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As we recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Justice Department renews its commitment to building the capacity of our state, Tribal, and local partners to investigate and prosecute these crimes, pursue justice on behalf of survivors, and provide them with the support they need.”

“One of the central tenets of the Justice Department’s comprehensive strategy to reduce violent crime is that local communities know best what works in their neighborhoods,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “That is why we are dedicated to supporting communities by providing the tools they need to investigate and prosecute all forms of violence, including domestic violence. These grants will help survivors seek justice and hold offenders accountable.”

“The most effective response to domestic violence is one led by survivors and their advocates,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today will help survivors access the resources and support they need, including from organizations familiar with their culture, language, and background, and will further the Justice Department’s goal of a national response to domestic violence that prioritizes survivors.”

“Every day, a vast network of dedicated individuals helps domestic violence survivors access multiple pathways to safety, justice, and healing,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “OVW understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing domestic violence. These funds will enable communities to increase capacity and strengthen a coordinated community approach to prevent and address violence in more comprehensive ways tailored to their communities. Together, with our grantees, we are building a future where individuals and families can live and thrive without the threat of intimate partner violence.”

Awards include:

• State and Territory Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions Program: 84 grants totaling $18,052,754 will enhance the coordination between courts, child protective services agencies, advocates, law enforcement, and community programs to encourage trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to domestic violence and sexual assault.
• Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Grant Program: 37 grants totaling $21,538,000 will promote coordinated community responses among law enforcement agencies, courts, victim service providers, and other system partners.
• Grants to Enhance Culturally Specific Services for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Culturally Specific Program): 53 awards totaling $25,024,327 will help community-based organizations develop culturally relevant programs specific to American Indian and Alaska Native populations, Black, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Tribal communities to support survivors.
• Sexual Assault Services Culturally Specific Program (SAS Culturally Specific Program): 18 awards totaling $6,915,000 will support communities in establishing or expanding culturally appropriate services that address the needs of sexual assault survivors from culturally specific communities.
• Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Assistance Program (Rural Program): 51 awards totaling $36,363,957 will support programs by local government, community-based organizations, and medical providers in rural areas to improve the safety of survivors.
• Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking Program (Transitional Housing Program): 81 awards totaling $43,104,359 will support programs that provide six to 24 months of transitional housing or housing assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
• Grants to Prevent and Respond to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Sex Trafficking Against Children and Youth Program (Consolidated Youth Program): 20 grants totaling $9,561,203 will support community-based efforts to develop or expand prevention, intervention, treatment, and response programs for children and youth impacted by these crimes.
• Grants to Engage Men and Boys as Allies in the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls Program (Engaging Men and Boys Program): 10 grants totaling $3,395,000 will support educational programming and community-based organizations that encourage men and boys to work with allies with women and girls to prevent crimes.
• Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program (Campus Program): 40 grants totaling $15,634,184 will support colleges and universities to develop and strengthen effective security and investigation strategies for such crimes and to develop prevention education and awareness programs. In addition, OVW awarded 12 grants totaling $5,994,296 under the new Strengthening Culturally Specific Campus’ Approaches to Address Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Initiative for grants supporting new programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
• Training and Technical Assistance Initiative: 58 grants totaling $40,605,000 will support training and technical assistance programs to enhance the efforts of grant recipients to implement projects supported by OVW funds successfully. In addition, OVW awarded 25 grants totaling $21,778,800 under the Emerging Issues and Training and Technical Assistance Initiative to organizations exploring new issues in technical assistance projects that address the needs of OVW grantees.
• Research and Evaluation Initiative: Seven grants totaling $3,140,580 will support researcher-practitioner partnerships and a broad range of research and evaluation methods to generate more knowledge about effective strategies to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and hold offenders accountable.

Organizations interested in applying for these and other grants are encouraged to visit the OVW website for more details and application guidelines.

Update: On June 13, 2025, defendant Kenia Valle Boza was found not guilty by a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida.

The Justice Department today announced charges against a former executive at HealthSun Health Plans Inc. (HealthSun), a Medicare Advantage organization that operates Medicare Advantage plans in South Florida, for her role in a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud scheme. 

In addition, the Justice Department announced that it has declined prosecution of HealthSun after considering the factors set forth in the department’s Principles of Federal Prosecution of Business Organizations and the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy, including HealthSun’s prompt voluntary self-disclosure, cooperation, and remediation, as well as HealthSun’s agreement to repay the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approximately $53 million in overpayments. 

According to court documents, Kenia Valle Boza, 39, of Miami, formerly the Director of Medicare Risk Adjustment Analytics at HealthSun, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to submit false and fraudulent information to CMS to increase the amount that HealthSun received for certain Medicare Advantage enrollees. CMS pays Medicare Advantage plans like those HealthSun operates based, in part, on the health condition of their enrollees. To increase the company’s profits and their own compensation, Valle and her co-conspirators are alleged to have knowingly submitted and caused the submission to CMS of false and fraudulent information about chronic ailments that Medicare beneficiaries in HealthSun’s plans did not actually have, and that non-health care providers, such as coders, added to patient health records.

For example, Valle and her co-conspirators allegedly entered and caused others to enter diagnoses into the medical records of beneficiaries enrolled in HealthSun’s plans based on diagnostic tests that were not a proper basis for diagnosing those conditions. In addition, Valle and her co-conspirators allegedly obtained the login credentials assigned to certain physicians to wrongfully access electronic medical records (EMR) as the physicians, and falsely and fraudulently entered chronic conditions directly into the medical records of beneficiaries. These diagnoses appeared to have been made and documented by the physicians when, in truth and fact, coders entered the conditions into beneficiaries’ medical records, often days or weeks after the physician saw the beneficiary. As a result of the scheme, Valle and her co-conspirators allegedly caused HealthSun to submit to CMS tens of thousands of false and fraudulent diagnosis codes, which resulted in CMS overpaying HealthSun millions of dollars.

Valle is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and three counts of major fraud against the United States. If convicted, Valle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy count and on each wire fraud count, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of major fraud against the United States.

Acting Senior Counselor Brent Wible of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

HHS-OIG and the FBI Miami Field Office are investigating the case.

Assistant Chief John “Fritz” Scanlon and Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Indictment

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine: 

“I am heartbroken for those who have lost loved ones, for those who have been injured, and for the entire Lewiston community.

The FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals are on the ground to provide investigative support and victims assistance services to our law enforcement partners in Maine.

We stand ready to provide any support that our state and local partners need.

No community should have to endure the horrific mass shootings that have become routine in our country.”

A Houston pharmacist and clinic owner were sentenced today for their roles in a pill mill scheme.

Sokari “Momma” Bobmanuel, 63, was sentenced to 14 years in prison following her conviction at trial for conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances. Alantha Stewart, 42, was sentenced to 10 years in prison following her guilty plea to conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances.

According to court documents, from May 2018 to August 2019, Bobmanuel was the owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Cornerstone Rx Pharmacy (Cornerstone), which illegally distributed nearly 160,000 opioid pills, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, often based on prescriptions issued by co-conspirator Jonathan Rosenfield, M.D., and others from Sunnyside Medical, which consisted of two Houston-area pill-mill clinics. Bobmanuel, through Cornerstone, distributed controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice, and without a legitimate medical purpose, to individuals who brought prescriptions in the names of other people. These individuals then sold the pills they bought from Cornerstone on the illegal market. Bobmanuel charged exorbitant prices for the pills – often $1,200 for a single oxycodone prescription – generating over $1 million from the scheme.

Stewart, who co-owned and co-operated the Sunnyside Medical pill-mill clinics, doing business as Sunnyside #1 and Sunnyside #2, and her co-conspirators issued prescriptions for opioids, including approximately 752,000 pills of oxycodone and 419,000 pills of hydrocodone, under co-owner and co-conspirator Rosenfield’s name, outside the usual course of professional practice, and not for a legitimate medical purpose. The prescriptions often were issued to individuals paid by drug dealers to pose as patients, and the pills ultimately were diverted to the illegal market. From May 2018 to August 2019, the Sunnyside Medical clinics made approximately $5.4 million from the sale of the prescriptions of these drugs.

Co-defendants Rosenfield and Elmer Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 15.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement.

The DEA Houston Division and FBI Houston Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper, Ariel Glasner, and Courtney Chester of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Emily Petro, formerly of the Fraud Section and currently an Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Middle District of Tennessee, prosecuted the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24.7 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

A Georgia man was arrested for making racially-motivated threats and shooting at his neighbor, a Black man, in violation of the criminal provision of the Fair Housing Act, and for brandishing and using a firearm.

According to court documents, Mark Wheeler, 73, shot a .22 caliber revolver in the direction of the victim and the victim’s dwelling while yelling racial slurs.

If convicted, Wheeler faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for both the civil rights and firearm charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Peter Leary for the Middle District of Georgia and Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Peach and Sonja Profit for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

View the indictment here. 

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Halifax County man last week on a charge of distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Taj’ma De’yong Ussery, also known as “Pop Off,” age 25, distributed 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance on December 21, 2022. The sale was a hand-to-hand transaction with a confidential informant.

The offense was the result of a drug investigation conducted by the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics unit which utilized a confidential informant to make a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Ussery. Ussery was identified as a regular dealer of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the community who worked within a network of others to distribute these dangerous drugs throughout Halifax County. This indictment resulted as part of a larger effort to combat dangerous drugs and gang-related violence in Halifax County North Carolina and was the result of coordination between the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office.

“Drug traffickers are pushing high-purity meth and fentanyl, driving addiction and overdoses in some of North Carolina’s most vulnerable communities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley.  “We are partnering with law enforcement in all corners of Eastern North Carolina to dismantle dangerous drug organizations.  The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office should be commended for their work and their commitment to keeping their community safe.”

“I want to thank our dedicated drug agents along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their great job,” said Halifax County Sheriff Tyree Davis. “The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office will not tolerate people terrorizing our county or taking actions that cause citizens to live in fear. We will continue to work together with local, state, and federal partners to keep our community safe.”

Ussery faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison when sentenced in January 2024.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the verdict. Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Foxx and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-00034-BO-RJ-1.

A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday to 15 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy to import, transport and sell drug paraphernalia. Sean Weston, of Windsor Mill, was also ordered to make restitution to the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2015 through at least July 2019, Weston operated the Northwest Variety Store in Baltimore, where he sold empty gel capsules, colored plastic tops, dust masks, metal strainers, electric weighing scales, razor blades and mannite and quinine, which are used as cutting agents in illicit drugs. Weston admitted that he purchased from China hundreds of kilograms of quinine, a prescription medication for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. Importing quinine for any other use is illegal. Weston concealed his purchases by requesting his foreign supplier label the quinine something else, such as “beta glucan.”

For tax years 2016 through 2018, Weston did not file federal income tax returns with the IRS. In addition to owning the Northwest Variety Store – which had significant profits during that time – Weston was on the payroll of a water treatment facility. To conceal his income from the IRS, Weston dealt substantially in cash. For example, from 2016 through 2018, Weston paid $29,835 in cash for the monthly rent of the Northwest Variety Store and deposited $352,026 in cash into two personal bank accounts.

In 2016, Weston made a $25,000 cash down payment for the purchase of a 2013 Bentley Continental GT – worth approximately $117,000 – and signed a credit application stating that his annual income was $180,000. In May 2017, Weston made a $15,000 cash down payment on the lease of a 2014 Bentley Flying Spur, worth more than $139,000. To obtain the lease, Weston had an individual prepare his tax return for 2016 that reflected a purported gross income of $358,984. Weston submitted the return to the car dealership but did not file it with the IRS.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), with the assistance from the Baltimore Police Department.

Senior Litigation Counsel John Sullivan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth S. Clark for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.

From Tuesday, Oct. 17 through Friday, Oct. 20, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta traveled to Alaska to speak at the Alaska Federation of Natives’ annual convention, meet with Alaska Native and local partners, and reaffirm the Justice Department’s commitment to promoting Tribal sovereignty and to keeping all Alaskans safe. The Associate Attorney General was joined on the trip by Director Tracy Toulou of the Office of Tribal Justice and Director Rosemarie Hidalgo of the Office on Violence Against Women, as well as by U.S. Attorney Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. The Associate Attorney General’s travel to Alaska continues a series of meetings with Tribal governments and follows recent remarks at the Justice Department’s 18th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation. It also follows an August visit to Alaska by the Attorney General and is part of the Justice Department’s continued efforts to engage with American Indian and Alaska Native leaders.

Outlining Justice Department Commitments to Support Tribal Jurisdiction and Safety: Alaska Federation of Natives 2023 Annual Convention

In remarks to the 2023 Annual Convention of the Alaska Federation of Natives, the Associate Attorney General announced the launch of the Justice Department’s Alaska Pilot Program, along with other Justice Department initiatives, litigation, and grants to support Tribal sovereignty and keep all Alaskans safe.

The 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA 2022) provides a path for Alaska Tribes to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians who commit certain crimes, including crimes of sexual or domestic violence, in Native Villages. Through the Alaska Pilot Program, the Justice Department will provide Tribes with guidance and resources to consider exercising this jurisdiction. The Associate Attorney General also announced that the Justice Department’s Office of Tribal Justice is releasing a memorandum confirming Tribes’ inherent civil and criminal jurisdiction over Natives present in their Villages.

The Associate Attorney General also unveiled nearly $97 million in new Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) grant funding for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. These grant awards will help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses, improve the handling of child abuse cases, combat domestic and sexual violence, support Tribal youth programs, and fund an array of services for American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims. The awards are part of the Justice Department’s commitment to providing funding to advance public safety in rural Alaska, as well as to ensuring that the Department’s grant resources are as accessible as possible to Tribes and Native organizations. The Associate Attorney General also outlined ongoing efforts by the Justice Department’s grantmaking offices to engage directly with Alaska Native communities and make grant and technical assistance resources more accessible.

In addition to these announcements, the Associate Attorney General reaffirmed the Justice Department’s commitment to supporting Tribal sovereignty and Tribal issues through litigation, including in the Department’s successful defense of the Indian Child Welfare Act at the Supreme Court, and in ongoing litigation against the State of Alaska to protect subsistence resources from depletion.

Meetings with Tribal and Community Leaders, Public Safety Officials, and Advocates in Nome, Alaska

The Associate Attorney General began her trip by traveling to Nome to meet with leaders from local Tribal nonprofit Kawerak, Inc., which represents the 20 Tribes in the Bering Strait Region; the City of Nome; and surrounding Tribal Villages.

The Associate Attorney General met with Kawerak’s leadership, discussed the organization’s work to enhance Tribal justice systems, heard about the region’s subsistence-use needs, and learned about Kawerak and other organizations’ work to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse. The Associate Attorney General also toured Kawerak’s child advocacy center, which provides resources for minors who are victims of physical or sexual abuse. Kawerak receives grant funding from the Justice Department for its work to prevent and respond to domestic and sexual violence in Alaska Native communities throughout the Bering Strait Region.

The Associate Attorney General also met with officials from the Nome region’s Tribal governments and Tribal associations. She heard from a representative of the Village of Solomon about the importance of addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP). And she spoke with a Village Public Safety Officer from the Village of Shishmaref about the unique challenges of ensuring public safety in rural Alaska. Finally, the Associate Attorney General visited Norton Sound Regional Hospital and met with the supervisor of the hospital’s sexual assault medical forensic examination program. Norton Sound receives Justice Department funding to partner with other members of the Bering Strait Sexual Assault Response Team to increase access to forensic exams for sexual assault survivors in the region’s remote Villages.

In addition, the Associate Attorney General met with leadership in the City of Nome, including the police chief and city manager, as well as the superintendent of the Anvil Mountain Correctional Center, a local facility. The Associate Attorney General engaged with these officials about the importance of recruiting and retaining police officers and other public-safety officials, as well as the need to ensure reentry services for the correctional facility’s incarcerated population.

Meetings with Justice Department Officials, Native Leaders, and Local Legal Community in Anchorage, Alaska

On Thursday, Oct. 19, the Associate Attorney General spent time in Anchorage visiting with the U.S. Attorney’s Office leadership, attorneys, and staff. During her visit, the Associate Attorney General was briefed on civil and criminal issues arising in Alaska. She also participated in a fireside chat with U.S. Attorney Tucker at an event hosted by the Federal Bar Association’s Alaska chapter.

In addition, Associate Attorney General Gupta met with leaders of the Alaska Court System’s Eviction Diversion Program, which is employing strategies to avoid contested landlord-tenant litigation. The program was established with a grant through the National Center for State Courts, which followed a letter that the Associate Attorney General sent to state court administrators in June 2021 encouraging them to consider novel solutions “that can help families avoid the disruption and damage that evictions cause.”

Associate Attorney General Gupta also attended the second meeting of the Alaska Tribal Public Safety Advisory Committee. Created by VAWA 2022, the Advisory Committee includes representatives from Alaska Tribes, federal, Tribal, State, and local law enforcement, and Tribal nonprofit organizations. The Associate Attorney General delivered remarks recognizing the region’s public-safety challenges and expressing the Justice Department’s commitment to partnering with Tribes and Native groups.

On Friday, Oct. 20, the Associate Attorney General held additional meetings with Native leaders, including with representatives from the Association of Village Council Presidents, a nonprofit Tribal consortium supporting the 56 Tribes of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and the Alaska Native Justice Center, which recently received a Justice Department grant to provide technical assistance to Tribes seeking to exercise the special Tribal criminal jurisdiction authorized in VAWA 2022. The Associate Attorney General also met with family members of Alaska Natives who were victims of the MMIP crisis and who died in state custody.

Associate Attorney General Gupta addresses the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention. Justice Department officials meet with the supervisor of the Norton Sound Regional Hospital’s sexual assault medical forensic examination program. Associate Attorney General Gupta meets with attorneys and staff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska. The Associate Attorney General is briefed by U.S. Attorney Lane Tucker (left) and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Vogel (right) on issues affecting Alaska Native communities. Associate Attorney General (right) and U.S. Attorney Tucker speak at the Alaska Tribal Public Safety Advisory Committee. Associate Attorney General Gupta, U.S. Attorney Tucker, and OTJ Director Toulou (far right) meet with leaders and advocates from the Association of Village Council Presidents and the Alaska Native Justice Center.

To kick off Federal Government Pro Bono Week 2023, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco joined Justice Department employees at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center Advice & Referral Clinic at Bread for the City on Saturday, Oct. 21. At the clinic, she announced the launch of the DOJ Pro Bono Portal, a new initiative to expand the DOJ Pro Bono Program, led by the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ). Deputy Attorney General Monaco announced the access to an online platform that will deliver screened pro bono opportunities directly to every Justice Department attorney. Deputy Attorney General Monaco and ATJ Director Rachel Rossi thanked the Department attorneys and other volunteers who donated their time and experience to provide pro bono service to the Washington, D.C., community.  

“In 1996, Attorney General Janet Reno established the DOJ’s pro bono policy and in so doing strengthened our communities by expanding access to justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “All attorneys bear a unique responsibility to use their expertise, skills, and training in service for those most in need. As we modernize and expand access to the DOJ’s Pro Bono Program, the Department strengthens its commitment to what Attorney General Reno started. Engaging in pro bono work and serving the communities around us are in the best tradition of this Department.”

ATJ houses the DOJ Pro Bono Program, which connects Justice Department employees with pro bono opportunities, and leads the Federal Government Pro Bono Program, which facilitates pro bono engagement by all federal attorneys government-wide. The DOJ Pro Bono Portal is an innovative approach to encouraging pro bono engagement that will make it easier for Department attorneys to participate in volunteer legal services in their individual capacities, by providing quick and simple access to pro bono opportunities. The platform will include opportunities which do not pose conflicts of interest for Justice Department attorneys and will include guidance about the rules governing their involvement.

“Our laws are only as meaningful as the ability of communities to access their promises, and too many people cannot do so because they don’t have legal help,” said ATJ Director Rossi. “This new resource will allow us to more broadly mobilize the federal government attorney workforce to engage in pro bono assistance and stand in the justice gap.”

“For over two decades, the Federal Government Pro Bono Program has connected federal government lawyers to pro bono opportunities,” said Chair Laura Klein of the Federal Government Pro Bono Program. “For the first time, through the DOJ Pro Bono Portal, DOJ attorneys will be able to easily access these opportunities through the click of a mouse, modernizing the Program, promoting greater volunteerism, and expanding help for those with critical legal needs.”

The Deputy Attorney General’s announcement of the DOJ Pro Bono Portal coincides with the 20th anniversary of Federal Government Pro Bono Week, an annual celebration and promotion of pro bono work by federal government attorneys and legal staff. Over 50 federal agencies participate in the Federal Government Pro Bono Program, working together to bring the talent and skills of their attorneys to Americans who cannot afford to pay for legal assistance. The theme of this year’s Government Pro Bono Week is Expanding Access to Pro Bono and features a keynote address by Legal Services Corporation President Ronald Flagg, opportunities to volunteer in legal clinics around the country, and panel presentations highlighting pro bono opportunities for federal legal staff and ways that attorneys can provide legal assistance to victims of disasters.

Officially started in 1996, the Federal Government Pro Bono Program currently has branches in eight cities: Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Federal government volunteers provide legal assistance on issues such as housing, family law, domestic violence, estate planning, and employment law. 

The Deputy Attorney General addresses volunteers. Photo credited to the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. The Deputy Attorney General talks with DOJ employees volunteering their time. Photo credited to the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. The Deputy Attorney General and Director Rossi talk with DOJ employees volunteering their time.

The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Office of Environmental Justice and Office of Tribal Justice convened a Federal/Tribal Regional Summit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week. The event was hosted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Summit participants also included representatives from the FBI, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as Tribal nations representatives from California, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Todd Kim of ENRD addressed attendees on Tuesday over videoconference. He highlighted the U.S. government’s commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, further environmental justice and combat the climate crisis.

“Tribes face substantial challenges, exacerbated by the ever-increasing impacts of climate change, in establishing and preserving sustainable homelands,” he said. “I feel very confident that the federal and Tribal summit participants can make real progress in identifying ways to improve our cooperation – and the outcomes we achieve – on these incredibly complex, and incredibly important, matters.”

AAG Kim highlighted efforts by ENRD to adjudicate and litigate on behalf of Tribes, whose communities suffer disproportionately from pollution and other environmental justice concerns. He pointed to the Justice Department’s creation of the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ), housed within ENRD, and publication of a Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which provides guiding principles to ensure the Justice Department’s enforcement efforts are focused and coordinated to address environmental justice concerns. Last week, OEJ issued its first annual report on implementation of the Strategy. 

In addition to addresses by AAG Kim and others, the summit featured breakout sessions focused on environmental justice and Tribal homelands, securing Tribal water rights, Tribal communities and the climate crisis, trespass claims and jurisdictional challenges. The third day of the summit focused on criminal enforcement, including addressing the alarming number of murdered and missing indigenous persons – a terrible phenomenon which can sometimes coincide with an uptick in illegal and legal resource extraction on or near a reservation.

The summit was the final of three Regional Summits planned for 2023, and followed national conversations with Tribes held in Washington, D.C., in November 2022 and Columbia, South Carolina, earlier this year. The summits are intended to deliver on the promise in the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy to work with Tribal governments and other federal agencies to “address and incorporate Tribal concerns into the Department’s enforcement work.”

The Justice Department today, through its Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), announced that it has awarded 182 grants to 111 American Indian and Alaska Native communities, totaling more than $96.7 million.

“This grant program was created in recognition of the fact that Tribes are in the best position to determine how to meet the most urgent public safety challenges facing their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These resources will go directly to supporting Tribes’ efforts to bolster their law enforcement capabilities, combat gender-based and domestic violence, and provide support to victims. The Justice Department will continue to serve as partners to Tribes as they work to ensure the safety of their communities.” 

“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that our resources support Tribal sovereignty and address acute public safety challenges in Indian Country and in rural Alaska,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who announced the awards today in remarks to the Alaska Federation of Natives in Anchorage. “We are committed to working with our Tribal partners to make our resources more accessible to Tribal communities.”

The tribal grant awards are designed to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses, improve the handling of child abuse cases, combat domestic and sexual violence, support tribal youth programs, and fund an array of services for American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims. The awards are administered through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

In addition to the CTAS awards, several other Justice Department components announced grant awards to Tribes. For example, OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime has awarded almost $70 million through the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside to provide services for crime victims in tribal communities and to increase the quantity and quality of victim-centered services available to assist tribal victims of human trafficking in urban areas.

The Justice Department also awarded more than $8.5 million through OJP's Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking to 24 tribes to assist in their compliance with federal law on sex offender registration and notification.

“Through partnership and collaboration with tribal leaders, we are identifying the specific assistance that tribal communities need to ensure safety and justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of OJP. “These awards support innovative programs that address challenges faced by law enforcement, improve crime prevention and intervention, strengthen victim services, and protect American Indian and Alaska Native people from violence.”

Of the more than $96.7 million in grants awarded under CTAS, a streamlined application that helps Tribes apply for tribal-specific grant programs, OJP made more than $66 million in awards, and the COPS Office made nearly $30 million.

The COPS Office used these funds to assist 49 Tribes in hiring personnel, equipment, and training grants to expand the implementation of community policing. Specifically, this funding can be used to hire or re-hire full-time career law enforcement officers, Village Public Safety Officers and school resource officers and to procure essential equipment, technology, and training to assist in initiating or enhancing tribal policing efforts.

“The COPS Office is honored to be able to continue our support to our Tribal partners and provide funding for vital resources to help agencies enhance their law enforcement responses to the communities they serve,” said Director Hugh T. Clements of the COPS Office. “We know that this support is integral to enhancing public safety and continuing to build trust and sustain relationships.”

About the Office of Justice Programs

OJP provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice, assist victims, and uphold the rule of law.

More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

About the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime-fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. Since 1994, the COPS Office has appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to over 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division led the delegation at the International Competition Network’s (ICN) 22nd annual conference, hosted by the Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission in Barcelona, Spain, on Oct. 18-20. The division received an ICN Advocacy Working Group – World Bank Competition Advocacy Contest award for its work in effectuating the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy.    

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kumar spoke on the Cartel Working Group plenary on “Transforming Cartel Enforcement in ICN’s Third Decade: Current Trends and the Challenges Ahead,” where he discussed the use of international cooperation to generate cases, the department’s recent resolutions in the generic drugs industry and lessons learned from recent trials. 

“Now in its third decade, ICN has cemented itself as a key forum for international collaboration,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kumar. “The United States and competition authorities around the world share the important mission to find antitrust crimes and bring perpetrators to justice, and we benefit when we share perspectives and expertise.”

In awarding the World Bank Competition Advocacy Contest Award to the division, the ICN recognized the division's work in effectuating the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. The award recognizes the division’s work developing relationships with agencies across the U.S. government through memoranda of understanding, case coordination and cooperation, training and education exchanges, case referrals, technical assistance and formal comments to advocate for competition. This initiative was a remarkable leap forward for a whole-of-government approach to competition enforcement and policy and it has already yielded tangible results, including more effective merger enforcement, investigation and case referrals and competition-focused rulemaking. 

Delegates from the ICN’s member jurisdictions included agency leadership and staff, competition experts from international organizations and the legal, business, academic and consumer communities. Nearly 100 jurisdictions participated in the conference, which showcased the achievements of the ICN’s Advocacy, Agency Effectiveness, Cartel, Merger and Unilateral Conduct Working Groups and examined a range of competition enforcement and policy issues.

The division currently co-chairs the Cartel Working Group with Italy and Chile. The Cartel Working Group’s breakout sessions focused on topics such as labor market enforcement, detecting cases beyond leniency and the tools needed for cartel investigations in the digital area.

The Merger Working Group’s plenary focused on digital mergers. Merger Working Group breakout sessions focused on topics such as non-horizontal mergers and investigative techniques in merger control.

The Agency Effectiveness Working Group’s plenary focused on how competition agencies set priorities. Agency Effectiveness Working Group breakout sessions focused on topics such as technologies and techniques for collecting and processing information in antitrust cases and effectively using innovative detection tools. 

The Unilateral Conduct Working Group’s plenary focused on challenges in unilateral conduct cases. Unilateral Conduct Working Group breakout sessions focused on topics such as effective remedies in unilateral conduct cases and the interaction between antitrust and regulation in digital markets.

The ICN was created in October 2001 to increase understanding of competition policy and promote convergence toward sound antitrust enforcement around the world. It was founded by 15 agencies, including the division, and now boasts a diverse membership of competition agencies from over 140 jurisdictions, supported by a wide network of non-governmental advisors from around the world.

The Justice Department announced today the launch of a pilot program under the 2022 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that will allow Alaska Native Tribes to seek to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction (STCJ) over non-Indian offenders for certain crimes, including crimes of sexual and domestic violence. The Department’s implementation plan for the Alaska Pilot Program provides opportunities for Alaska Native communities to access technical assistance and other resources to help build the capacity of their criminal justice systems and strengthen public safety.

“The launch of this pilot program marks an important step forward in the Justice Department’s public safety partnership with Alaska Native communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The program was developed in close consultation with Alaska Native Tribes and Tribal organizations and represents our continued commitment to helping Tribal communities meet the most urgent public safety challenges they are facing. I discussed the implementation plan with Tribal representatives when I visited Alaska in August, and I look forward to continuing to work with Tribal partners to help the Alaska Pilot Program succeed.”

“Last year, at the first Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation in Alaska, the Department of Justice heard from Alaska Native leaders about how to best make their communities safer,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “We listened. The launch of this pilot program honors the Department’s commitment to working with Alaska Native communities to extend the benefits and promise of VAWA throughout the entire state of Alaska.”

“This week, I met with advocates, law enforcement, and care providers in Anchorage and Nome to discuss the acute crisis of sexual and domestic violence in rural Alaskan communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who announced the Pilot Program’s launch in remarks to the Alaska Federation of Natives today in Anchorage. “VAWA 2022 is an important step forward in ensuring Tribes can keep their communities safe from those offenses. As I said today at the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention, we hope that all Tribes will consider participating in this important program.”

The Violence Against Women reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) included a historic provision – originally proposed by the Justice Department – that recognized the inherent authority of Tribes to exercise criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders who commit domestic-violence-related crimes in Indian country. Tribes in Alaska, however, were generally unable to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction because there is so little Indian country in Alaska.

In the VAWA 2022 Reauthorization, Congress expanded this criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders to extend to crimes of sexual violence, sex trafficking, stalking, child violence, obstruction of justice, and assault of Tribal justice personnel in Indian country.

VAWA 2022 also includes provisions specific to Tribes in Alaska. The first recognizes the inherent authority of Tribes in Alaska Native villages to exercise criminal and civil jurisdiction over all Indians present in the Village. And the second establishes a pilot program to enable Alaska Tribes designated by the Attorney General as “participating Tribes” to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders who commit covered crimes in their Villages. The statute gives preference to Tribes occupying villages with predominantly Indian populations and that do not have a permanent state law enforcement physical presence. 

VAWA 2022 mandated that the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and affected Tribes, establish a process to designate Tribes to participate in the pilot program. The process must include a determination by the Attorney General that the criminal justice system of the requesting Tribe has adequate safeguards in place to protect defendants’ rights. 

In June 2022, the Justice Department convened an intradepartmental Alaska Pilot Program Working Group. Tribal consultations, which included representatives from the Department of Interior, began in July 2022. Based on feedback received during those consultations, the working group formulated a three-track process for the Pilot Program that meets the requirements set forth in VAWA 2022 and provides Tribes with requested support.

Under Track One, all Alaska Tribes are invited to join an Alaska-specific Inter-Tribal Technical Assistance Working Group (ITWG) on special Tribal criminal jurisdiction to receive technical assistance and peer-to-peer support. This Alaska-specific ITWG will be supported by an Office on Violence Against Women technical assistance award to the Alaska Native Justice Center and its partners.

Under Track Two, any Alaska Tribe may opt to become a Preliminary Pilot Program Tribe by completing a questionnaire to assess their readiness to exercise special Tribal criminal jurisdiction and identify any gaps in meeting the statutory requirements for exercising special Tribal criminal jurisdiction. Each Tribe that completes a questionnaire will be assigned a federal liaison, who will work alongside the Alaska Technical Assistance Provider to assist the Tribe in addressing unmet requirements and further building their criminal justice system capacity.

Under Track Three, an Alaska Tribe may seek Attorney General designation as a Participating Pilot Program Tribe by completing the same questionnaire used for Track Two. Department staff who review the questionnaire will either recommend Attorney General designation or invite the Tribe to participate (or continue to participate) in readiness activities under Track Two.

This framework will permit any Tribe in Alaska to take part in the Pilot Program, without requiring any commitment to ultimately seek Attorney General designation. Importantly, it provides a mechanism for Alaska Tribes to receive federal guidance and technical assistance to develop their criminal justice capacity.

Alaska Tribes interested in participating in the pilot program may contact the Department by email at VAWAAlaskaPilot@usdoj.gov.

More information about the Justice Department’s work in American Indian and Alaska Native communities is available at www.justice.gov/tribal.

Federal and local law-enforcement officials announced today that 41 individuals were charged in connection with firearms-trafficking, drug-distribution, conspiracy, and other offenses following a three-month violent crime reduction initiative in New Orleans this summer.

“The dozens of charges and arrests announced today represent what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we work hand-in-hand to take violent criminals and trigger-pullers off our streets,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “When we harness the Justice Department’s resources and technology — especially crime-gun intelligence from ATF’s NIBIN network — we are able to identify and arrest the culprits of gun violence and safeguard our communities. Across the country, our towns and cities are safer because of the dedication and bravery of federal agents and their state and local partners, and the 21st-century crime-solving tools DOJ is able to provide.”

“For months, incredibly brave ATF agents and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners have been investigating violent criminals who have terrorized New Orleans,” said Director Steve Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The results are now clear: dozens of arrests; scores of seized firearms, including guns previously used in crimes; recoveries of stolen guns and guns with obliterated serial numbers; and the seizure of deadly machine gun conversion devices. All done better than ever using crime gun intelligence to catch the worst of the worst. ATF commits to continue using and sharing its intelligence with our courageous partners around the country to further drive down violent crime."

“Many thanks to all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their invaluable efforts, unrelenting vigilance, and selfless contributions to the Operation Big Easy Initiative,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “When we work together and share information, good results occur. To our community, rest assured that we will continue to combat violent crime throughout the Eastern District of Louisiana. Every resource and every force multiplier we possess, will be used to accomplish that goal.”

Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the ATF New Orleans Division, Special Agent in Charge Bradley L. Byerly of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Division, and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams provided additional details relating to the initiative, as well as other narcotics and violence-prevention efforts.

Indictments and complaints were recently unsealed in federal court. The charges stemmed from the extensive, targeted, and sustained effort this past summer, led by ATF and assisted by other federal, state, and local law-enforcement partners, to clamp down on illegal firearms trafficking, use, and possession, as well as the associated distribution of drugs, in New Orleans.

Overall, this operation resulted in approximately 71 crime-related firearms being permanently removed from New Orleans’ streets. The seized weapons included a significant number of stolen firearms and others with obliterated serial numbers. NIBIN data connected a number of the firearms to violent criminal activity, including homicides and felonious assaults, that took place in the New Orleans area and Gulf Coast region in 2022 and 2023. And six of the weapons are machinegun-conversion devices or “switches,” which enable a firearm to fire in fully automatic mode.

Some of these individuals also sold controlled substances to law enforcement. Many of these sales took place in public parking lots of business establishments during business hours or in recreational areas while nearby citizens engaged in their day-to-day errands or recreational activities. During this investigation, law enforcement purchased or seized over two kilograms of fentanyl/heroin mix, over one-half kilogram of cocaine and cocaine base, and over one-half kilogram of methamphetamine.

The following is a breakdown of the charges in United States District Court, according to court documents:

• Michael Lott, 49, Dianta Tropez, 29, Vernell Woodard, 40, Quindele Addison, 47, Sheena Rudolph, 40, and Coris Addison, 23, were charged on Sept. 22 in a superseding indictment.
  • Quindele Addison, Woodard, Rudolph and Tropez were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
  • Tropez, Woodard and Quindele Addison were further charged with distribution of methamphetamine. 
  • Lott, Tropez and Woodard were charged with conspiracy and robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States. 
  • Lott, Tropez and Woodard with brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon.
  • Lott, Tropez and Quindele Addison were charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions.  
  • Quindele Addison was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
  • Quindele Addison and Woodard are charged, jointly, with maintaining a drug involved premises.
• Rashad Montague, 32, was charged Oct. 10 via complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Dawud Barnes, 22, was indicted Oct. 6 for possession and transfer of a machinegun.
• Vin Davis, 43, and William Grace, 45, were indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl.
• Anthony Doyl, 40, and Carlos Guillen, 43, were indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of fentanyl.
• Devin Hilliard, 47, and Stering Pipkins, 39, were indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of cocaine, and Hilliard was additionally charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
• Joshua Hogan, 35, was indicted Sept. 29 for distribution of fentanyl.
• Dayshawn Brown, 39, was indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Michael Lewis, 36, was indicted Oct. 6 for distribution of fentanyl/heroin/cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
• Troy Locke, 34, was indicted Sept. 8 for unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
• Junior Alexander Moncada-Vargas, 34, was indicted Sept. 29 for possession and transfer a machinegun and unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as an unauthorized alien.
• Luis Morales, 33, Tyrone Whittington, 38, and Daniel Beck, 43, were indicted Oct. 5. Morales, Whittington, and Beck were charged with distribution of methamphetamine. Morales was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction. Whittington was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
• Tommy Nash, 50 and Loreall Gorden, 38, were indicted Sept. 22 for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of fentanyl.
• Rodney Offray, 49, was indicted Sept. 22 for distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
• Jamar Holmes, 34, was indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and sale of a stolen firearm.
• Kennan Alexis, age 47, was indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Dameron Carmon, 45, were charged Oct. 20 via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• Daniel Smith, 55, were charged Oct. 20 via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

The following is a breakdown of the charges in Orleans Criminal District Court, according to court documents: 

• Johnny Milton, 42, drug trafficking. 
• Brandon Adiar, 49, drug trafficking. 
• Kenneth Tyler, 46, drug trafficking. 
• Brandon Jackson, 33, drug trafficking. 
• Calvin Smith, 44, drug trafficking. 
• Cordero Johnson, 35, drug trafficking. 
• Ernest Cloud, 29, drug trafficking. 
• LC Nixon, 33, drug trafficking.
• Cierra Craig, 34, drug trafficking.
• Ormond King, 31, drug trafficking.
• Zed Jones, age 32, illegal possession of a firearm

ATF investigated the cases, with assistance from the DEA, New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, City of New Orleans Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, and the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, with additional thanks to the New Orleans Emergency Management Service and Crime Stoppers, GNO. This operation was also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office are prosecuting the cases.

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a modification to a 2015 consent decree between the United States and state of Michigan and the Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation (formerly AK Steel) to resolve Clean Air Act violations at the company’s Dearborn, Michigan, steel manufacturing plant.

The decree required the Dearborn plant to implement certain measures to address visible air emissions from the plant. Because these measures failed to bring the plant into full Clean Air Act compliance, the modification requires Cleveland-Cliffs to undertake additional extensive measures at a cost of over $100 million, which are expected to reduce visible emissions from the plant, as well as curtail emissions of manganese and lead. Inhalation of lead and manganese can cause various, negative health effects, including impacts to the central nervous system. In addition, inhalation of lead has been linked to impacts to kidney function, and to the immune, cardiovascular, reproductive and developmental systems in humans. In anticipation of the agreement, Cleveland-Cliffs has already performed much of the required work.

“The agreement will ensure that Cleveland-Cliffs’ steel manufacturing plant in Dearborn operates in compliance with federal and state air pollution requirements,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This modification will result in better air quality for Dearborn residents around the plant, who have been disproportionately burdened by pollution.”

“Today’s announcement shows that EPA and the Department of Justice are committed to achieving cleaner air for communities across the country,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The changes that Cleveland Cliffs will make at its Dearborn facility will reduce harmful air pollution and improve air quality for local residents.”

The modification lodged today requires replacement of the plant’s electrostatic precipitator (ESP) that removes particulate matter from exhaust gases that stem from the plant’s operations and thereby controls visible emissions. It also requires routine testing of the new ESP to assure compliance with applicable emission limits, certain operational parameters and regular monitoring for visible emissions.

The company will also pay a civil penalty of $81,380 to the state of Michigan for violating the state permit’s opacity, lead and manganese limits. Additionally, Cleveland-Cliffs will implement a state-law supplemental environmental project in which nearby residents will receive home air purifiers, at an estimated cost of $244,000. The facility is located in an area with environmental justice concerns according to data from EPA’s EJSCREEN tool. For more information on the original settlement, click here. 

Attorneys from ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section filed the modification.

There will be a 30-day public comment period on the proposed modification. The modification and instructions on how to submit a public comment is available on the on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.   

A Florida husband and wife, Noel and Kelsy Hernandez Quintana, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to import plywood contrary to the Lacey Act and customs laws, and to selling plywood products that were illegally imported and sold. Noel Quintana also pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling and one count of violation the Lacey Act. Kelsy Quintana also pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Lacey Act. The total loss of duties owed on the illegally imported wood products was approximately $42 million. The plywood’s market value was between $25 million and $65 million.

According to court filings, the Quintanas incorporated seven companies in the United States – naming relatives or friends as corporate officers and agents – and these shell companies imported hundreds of shipments of plywood products into the United States between February 2016 and December 2020. The Quintanas also incorporated a financial shell company through which they accepted payments from purchasers for the plywood they imported in violation of laws, including the Lacey Act and customs laws.

Before April 2017, the Quintana’s importing shell companies imported containers of plywood into the United States and almost exclusively declared them to be hardwood plywood imported from China. But after April 2017, the companies evaded applicable duties by falsely declaring their hardwood plywood imports from China to be either the product of another country or to be made with a species of wood not subject to duties.

“Today we hold defendants accountable for their intentional circumvention of customs laws: to avoid paying duties, defendants repeatedly violated the law, refining their schemes each time one was exposed,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This is not simply a financial crime – accurate import declarations protect U.S. markets from dumping by foreign countries and deter illegal harvesting of plants.”

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is committed to pursuing individuals or entities that attempt to defraud the government of millions of dollars, violate U.S. customs laws and keep a fair marketplace for businesses,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the HSI Miami Field Office. “These types of criminal activities only serve to negatively impact the U.S. economy and we will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners to combat this illicit activity.”

When importing plant products, the Lacey Act requires filing a declaration which contains, among other things, the plant’s scientific name and its country of origin. Under the Lacey Act, it is unlawful to transport or sell a plant product knowing it or the plant it was made from was transported in violation of any plant-related law. Customs laws prohibit false statements in any import declaration without reasonable cause to believe the truth of such statement. It is also illegal to import merchandise contrary to law, including the Lacey Act.

According to the plea agreement, softwood plywood – regardless of country of export – carried a general duty of 8%, with a few duty-free exceptions, such as if the outer ply was made from Parana pine. Antidumping and countervailing duties of more than 200% applied to hardwood plywood manufactured in China after approximately April 2017.

To avoid paying duties, the Quintana’s shell companies falsified import declarations for hardwood and softwood plywood. For example, a declaration from July 2018 said plywood in three containers was manufactured in Russia. But the containers were manufactured and loaded in Qingdao, China, and transported to Port Everglades, Florida, through the Panama Canal, without ever stopping in Russia. After federal authorities stopped such a shipment through Panama, the Quintanas used a different tactic to evade duties by shipping Chinese-produced hardwood plywood to Malaysia, then transferring the wood to new containers to be shipped onward to the United States. This change of containers was intended to better conceal that the plywood originated from China.

The Quintanas also falsely declared some shipments of softwood plywood to be duty-free Parana pine, which allowed them to evade the 8% general duty on these imports.

Additional court filings reflect that, after being alerted to the possibility of prosecution for their illegal acts, the Quintanas fled the United States initially to Panama and then to Montenegro, where they were the subject of extradition proceedings.

The couple pleaded guilty to conspiring to import plywood in violation of the Lacey Act and customs laws and conspiring to sell the illegally imported plywood. Noel Quintana also pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling and one count of importing plant products without filing a declaration including the scientific name and name of the country from which the plants were taken. Kelsy Quintana also pleaded guilty to two counts of importing plant products without filing a declaration including the scientific name and name of the country where the plant was harvested.

Noel Quintana faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for count three as well as five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of counts one and six. Kelsy Quintana faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of counts one, five and six. Both face forfeitures up to $42 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2024.

HSI investigated the case, with support from Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Animal and Plant Health Investigation Service.

Attorneys from the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case. 

The Departments of Justice, Commerce, State and Treasury today issued an advisory to alert the international community, private sector and public to the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missile procurement activities.

The advisory informs private industry of deceptive practices used by Iranian ballistic missile procurement networks, Iran’s ballistic missile-related activities, key goods sought by Iran’s missile program and relevant U.S. sanctions and export control authorities. In addition, the advisory provides and overview on minimizing sanctions and export control risk, including discussion of enforcement efforts by the Justice Department and other agencies. 

Today’s announcement complements ongoing work by the Justice Department, including its the Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Justice Department and Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in February created the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency effort focused on investigating and prosecuting the illicit transfer of sensitive technologies to foreign state adversaries, including Iran.

The announcement further complements recent work by the National Security Division regarding corporate compliance. To encourage corporate disclosures of potential criminal violations of national security laws, including sanctions and export laws, the National Security Division updated its voluntary self-disclosure policy this past March. The Justice Department has also announced the hiring of 25 new prosecutors in the National Security Division to investigate and prosecute sanctions evasion, export control violations and similar economic crimes.

Companies should be aware that Iran relies on foreign input to crease the lethality and accuracy of its ballistic missile systems. Private industry is on the front lines of detecting and denying Iran’s procurement efforts, and it is critical that companies be familiar with the techniques, entities, goods and technologies involved in Iran’s ballistic missile procurement efforts. 

The advisory is available here.

Earlier today, the Justice Department issued its fifth annual report to Congress on its efforts to combat elder fraud and abuse. The report summarizes the Department’s extensive efforts during the reporting period from July 1, 2022 through June 30.

“The Justice Department is intensifying our efforts to fight the despicable crimes of elder fraud and abuse,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As reflected in this year’s report, the Department is aggressively pursuing perpetrators of elder fraud and abuse, supporting victims, and raising public awareness to prevent elder fraud and abuse before they occur.”

“During the past year, the Department has pursued hundreds of criminal and civil cases to bring perpetrators who prey on older adults to justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Working with our law enforcement partners, our agents and prosecutors have employed disruption strategies and obtained restitution and forfeiture orders to deter potential offenders, minimize losses, make victims financially whole, and prevent wrongdoers from profiting from their crimes.”

“Every year, millions of older Americans experience some form of elder abuse. And sadly, the majority of elder abuse cases go unreported,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Department is taking an active and multifaceted approach to addressing elder abuse, and our efforts reflect the hard work of so many, including our prosecutors, crime victim specialists, agents and investigators, program analysts, and subject matter experts.”

This year’s report reflects the four pillars of the Department’s elder justice work. 

First, holding perpetrators of elder abuse and fraud accountable is the cornerstone of the Department’s elder justice work. During the reporting period, the Department brought nearly 300 criminal and civil actions against more than 650 defendants who collectively stole more than $1.5 billion from over 2.4 million victims. Some of these defendants engaged in transnational and domestic fraud schemes, including lottery, romance, and tech support scams. The Department also pursued nursing home operators that provided grossly substandard care to their residents.

Second, the Department supports in various ways older Americans who have experienced abuse or financial exploitation. Over the past year, the Department returned hundreds of millions of dollars to victims of elder fraud schemes, while helping to freeze millions of dollars for other older victims before their funds were transferred to fraudsters. The Department also supported over 5,000 victim assistance organizations that provided services (including individual advocacy, crisis intervention, civil legal assistance, transportation, and emergency shelter) to over 240,000 victims aged 60 and older. The Department continued to support the National Elder Fraud Hotline, which helped tens of thousands of older adults report suspected fraud or connected them to available social services.

Third, as state, local, and Tribal elder justice professionals are often on the front line in responding to elder abuse and fraud cases, the Department worked to support the capacity and ability of state, local, and Tribal communities to identify, address, and combat elder abuse in its many forms. For example, the Department awarded grants to six Enhanced Multidisciplinary teams to work with older victims of financial exploitation and abuse. These grantees join the 23 local multidisciplinary teams also funded by the Department to better identify and respond to cases of elder abuse and more comprehensively serve and support victims of financial exploitation. The Department also funded the first National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions to support statewide coordination and collaboration among elder justice organizations, and developed and shared new resources, training, and tools for state and local law enforcement to more effectively identify and investigate elder abuse and fraud.

Lastly, the Department is committed to raising public awareness of fraud schemes and empowering older Americans and their families with the knowledge and information to protect themselves from elder fraud and abuse. For that reason, Department employees conducted or participated in over 700 elder justice outreach and training events across the country to raise public awareness of elder fraud and abuse and reached over 28 million Americans.

To report elder financial fraud, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). For more information on the Department’s elder justice activities, visit www.elderjustice.gov.

This week, Justice Department officials attended the annual meeting of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in San Diego.

IACP brings together more than 16,000 public safety professionals across the country to provide a space for them to deepen their knowledge and understanding of some of the toughest issues facing our country. By convening federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, officials are able to maintain their continued partnership in order to ensure the public safety and security of the American people.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for Civil Rights, Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Director Christopher Wray of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Director Ronald L. Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Director Hugh T. Clements of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), and Community Relations Service (CRS) Head Justin Lock were all in attendance at IACP.

During a fireside chat moderated by IACP Deputy Executive Director Terry Cunningham, Attorney General Garland discussed the Department’s request for an increase in appropriations for the COPS Office Hiring Program, recently announced funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders across the country, the challenges of recruitment and retention in policing, threats to law enforcement personnel, the Department’s anti-violence crime strategy, and the Department’s attack on every element of the fentanyl epidemic – from the precursor suppliers in China, to the laboratories in Mexico, to the leaders of the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels, to their distribution networks in the United States.

In her remarks to the IACP State Associations of Chiefs of Police, Deputy Attorney General Monaco addressed the Justice Department’s priorities of combating violent crime, taking illegal firearms off the streets, and battling the flow of synthetic opioids like fentanyl into our communities. She recognized the strong partnerships necessary to combat violent crime and the particular burden that it places on law enforcement officials with limited resources and personnel.

Associate Attorney General Gupta provided opening remarks before a panel, “Leadership Reflections: Navigating Through Crisis,” during the plenary General Assembly session on Monday. In her remarks, the Associate Attorney General acknowledged the challenges in responding to mass violence incidents, hate crimes, critical incidents involving police officers, and the epidemic of gun violence in this country. She underscored the Justice Department’s commitment to supporting law enforcement leaders and their communities in times of crisis. She discussed the Department’s efforts to support victims, including providing $9 million dollars of grants to the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center in Charleston, South Carolina, and the important work of the FBI’s Victim Services Division and OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime. And she highlighted the Department support and resources for officer mental health and wellness, the COPS Office’s Collaborative reform program, and the forthcoming after-action report on the horrific mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Assistant Attorney General Clarke spoke to the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, the Human and Civil Rights Committee, and the Indian Country Law Enforcement Section. At these meetings, she underscored the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to secure equal employment opportunities for women in the law enforcement sector and highlighted the division’s efforts to partner with law enforcement to promote constitutional, effective, and non-discriminatory policing.

The Associate Attorney General also provided opening remarks before a panel on the Department’s cross-cutting work to support police departments and the policing profession more broadly. Assistant Attorney General Solomon and COPS Director Clements spoke as leaders from the Justice Department’s grantmaking components about their commitment to providing law enforcement agencies across the country with the resources and support they need to promote safe and thriving communities. They highlighted an increase in dedicated funding for the COPS Hiring Program from $139 million in 2022 to $224 million in 2023, to requested appropriations of $2.7 billion for FY 2024. Additionally, the Department announced last week nearly $75 million in critical grant funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders across the country. This funding will help combat drug trafficking and provide additional mental health and wellness resources for law enforcement officers.

The law enforcement component heads all focused on the importance of law enforcement cooperation and partnership in order to accomplish their goals. The heads of all of the Justice Department law enforcement components were at IACP and emphasized the critical work their components are doing to protect the American people. FBI Director Wray highlighted the value of partnerships with state and local agencies and underscored the importance of leveraging collective resources and strengths to better protect our communities. Director Wray emphasized that law enforcement is more effective when everyone is working together and thanked our partners for their unwavering resolve in the face of challenging situations. DEA Administrator Milgram focused on the work she leads to defeat drug cartels responsible for large numbers of deaths due to fentanyl and other opioid trafficking. ATF Director Dettelbach talked about the partnerships ATF has with law enforcement officers across the country to get ghost guns off the streets. USMS Director Davis spoke about the recent success of the USMS-led high-impact fugitive apprehension initiative called Operation North Star III, where more than 4,400 violent fugitives were apprehended. He also emphasized the need for increased collaboration to address violent crime in not only major cities but also smaller jurisdiction and rural areas.

CRS  Head Lock presented on CRS’ services and programs to assist communities responding to and preventing civil rights-based community tensions, bias incidents, and hate crimes.

The Justice Department will continue to support our partnerships with state, local, Tribal, and international law enforcement and to protect the American people.

A Florida man pleaded guilty today in the Southern District of Ohio to using his hedge fund management company as part of a years-long Ponzi scheme.

According to court documents, Michael Wayne Williams, 48, of Miami, was the chief executive officer and investment manager of Highguard Capital and its affiliated entities, Guardian Opportunity Fund and Guardian Opportunity Management. Williams convinced victims to invest over $3 million in Guardian Opportunity Management and used their money for undisclosed and unauthorized purposes, including to settle civil lawsuits accusing him of fraud and to repay investors from discontinued funds that he previously managed.

In early February and March 2021, Williams convinced a Mississippi woman to invest $1,005,000 into Guardian Opportunity Management. Williams did not inform her that Guardian Opportunity Management’s principal investment vehicle, Guardian Opportunity Fund, had recently lost 90% of its assets under management and that Williams intended to use her money to repay other investors in Guardian Opportunity Management, who were threatening legal action against him. 

Williams pleaded guilty to wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.

Trial Attorney David A. Peters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Trial Attorney Elise Kent Bernanke, formerly of the Criminal Division, are prosecuting the case.

If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov.

On Friday, Oct. 13, a federal jury in Madison, Wisconsin, convicted current and former Didion Milling Inc. officials of workplace safety, environmental, fraud and obstruction of justice charges following a deadly explosion in 2017 at a corn mill that Didion Milling operated in Cambria, Wisconsin. The explosion killed five workers and seriously injured others.

Didion Milling Vice President of Operations, Derrick Clark, was convicted of conspiring to falsify documents, making false Clean Air Act compliance certifications as Didion’s “responsible official” and obstructing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) investigation of the explosion at the corn mill by making false and misleading statements during a deposition. 

Former Didion Milling Food Safety Superintendent, Shawn Mesner, was convicted of participating in a fraud conspiracy against Didion Milling’s customers and conspiring to obstruct and mislead OSHA for his role in falsifying sanitation records used at Didion to track the completion of cleanings designed to remove accumulations of corn dust at the mill.

“The trial and convictions in this case show that compliance matters, and attempting to hide non-compliance, is not just a ‘technical’ violation,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Managers and officers who enable corporate cultures that tolerate, encourage or cover up violations, and who participate in falsifying documents and obstructing agency investigations, will and must be held accountable in addition to the corporations.”

“The tragic loss of life in this case shows the terrible consequences that can result when companies fail to implement required health, safety and environmental measures,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The convictions of Didion Milling senior managers sends a clear message that EPA and our law enforcement partners will investigate and prosecute companies that put profits above the health and safety of their workers.”

“Derrick Clark and Shawn Messner chose to intentionally mislead OSHA investigators and made false statements about their knowledge of working conditions at the plant to protect themselves and cover their mistakes,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. “Their blatant actions demonstrated a callous disregard for the loss of life, injuries and property damage that occurred under their leadership at the Didion Mill. Both Clark and Messner ignored their legal and moral obligation to protect workers before and after the explosion. OSHA is committed to taking all necessary action to hold employers responsible for protecting workers on the job.”

Grain dust can be explosive, and OSHA safety standards require grain milling facilities like the Didion Milling corn mill to develop and implement housekeeping programs, including regular cleanings, to reduce grain dust accumulation. Didion Milling maintained its master sanitation schedule to record the performance of required cleanings. Clark and Mesner were convicted of participating in a conspiracy to falsify that cleaning log, including directing others to backfill entries for uncompleted cleanings.

Federal law gives OSHA six months to gather facts and issue appropriate citations after a safety violation occurrence. In matters involving worker deaths, evidence that corporate managers knew about violations can result in issuance of a “willful” citation and a criminal referral.  OSHA subpoenaed Clark’s testimony in September 2017, during the corn mill explosion fatality investigation. Clark gave false and misleading testimony about his knowledge of problems with the dust collection system at Didion’s corn mill, his knowledge of explosion hazards and his knowledge of prior fires at the facility.

Additionally, a permit issued under the Clean Air Act required compliance by Didion Milling at its corn mill including the operation of baghouses equipment, which are designed to limit the release of particulate matter like corn dust into the environment. The permit also required a “responsible official,” a senior manager with authority, to periodically certify the mill’s compliance with air pollution control permit conditions and disclose known permit violations. Clark falsely certified Didion’s compliance without disclosing that baghouse logs – documentation on maintenance of baghouse equipment – had been systematically falsified to conceal permit violations.

Didion Milling sold its milled corn products to food and beverage manufacturers. Sanitation at food manufacturing facilities is necessary for food safety, and excessive accumulations of grain dust can cause food safety problems. Through deceptive means, including repeatedly presenting a falsified cleaning log to food safety auditors, Mesner conspired to deceive Didion’s customers about its sanitation practices. As food safety superintendent, Mesner directed operations personnel to falsify the log to make it appear as if the cleaning schedule was being followed. 

The jury on Friday also acquitted former Didion Milling environmental manager James Lenz of charges relating to falsifying environmental records and conspiring to make false statements and obstruct agency proceedings. 

Didion Milling previously pleaded guilty to falsifying the cleaning logs and baghouse logs at the mill and agreed to pay a criminal fine of $1 million and restitution of $10.25 million to the victims of the 2017 explosion. Didion Milling shift superintendents Nicholas Booker, Michael Bright and Joel Niemeyer previously pleaded guilty to false statement charges for participating in the falsification of the cleaning logs and baghouse logs. Didion Milling shift superintendent Anthony Hess pleaded guilty to obstructing OSHA by making false and misleading statements about the accuracy of the cleaning log during a sworn statement taken as part of OSHA’s investigation into the mill explosion. Former Didion Milling environmental manager Joseph Winch previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conceal environmental violations from regulators by falsifying compliance certifications and providing falsified logs to regulators.

Sentencing hearings for each of the defendants before U.S. District Court Judge James D. Peterson for the Western District of Wisconsin will be scheduled at a later date.

The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Samuel Charles Lord and Joel LaBissonniere and Senior Trial Attorney Richard J. Powers of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case, with logistical and victim services support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

The Justice Department today announced the release of a new publication, Recruitment and Retention for the Modern Law Enforcement Agency. The publication is the result of a convening of law enforcement and community leaders across the country, facilitated by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), at the request of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The report presents recommendations to address the challenges in recruitment and retention law enforcement agencies are facing nationwide.

“Law enforcement officers across the country are facing unprecedented challenges at a time when they are already being stretched thin,” said Attorney General Garland.  “The Justice Department has produced this report because we recognize the urgency and significance of the recruitment and retention crisis that agencies are encountering. Policing is a noble profession, and we are committed to doing everything we can to support local police departments as they work to serve their communities, build public trust, and keep people safe.”

“Our law enforcement officers are the nation’s most valuable assets for preserving public safety in our communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The Justice Department is committed to helping state and local law enforcement retain their critically important workforce – while recruiting the next generation of brave public servants. The more than 50 recommendations in this report will help police departments across the country to meaningfully enhance their recruitment and retention.”

“The recruitment and retention crisis is the number one issue I hear about from our state, Tribal, and local law enforcement partners across the country,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department knows that hiring and holding onto a highly qualified, committed, and diverse cadre of policing professionals is critical to public safety and police-community trust, and we are committed to working with our partners to address this crisis.”

The report offers a number of recommendations to help meet the current recruitment and retention crisis, including reconsidering officer eligibility requirements to better reflect modern police work; modernizing and accelerating the hiring process; investing in officer health, safety, and wellbeing; and working with community leaders to target recruitment efforts toward diverse candidates and potential recruits who might otherwise not consider law enforcement as a career.

“The challenge of hiring the right officers and keeping them on the force is one of the most difficult issues facing law enforcement agencies across the country,” said Director Hugh T. Clements of the COPS Office. “I know this publication is a resource that law enforcement executives have expressed a need for, and I believe this publication is an important step in meeting the recruitment and retention challenge.”

“As we come up with new and effective strategies to advance community policing and reduce crime, we must address this recruitment and retention crisis with the same vigor and energy,” said Director Karhlton Moore of BJA. “We are dedicated to supporting the infrastructure to hire and retain high quality recruits and officers to keep our communities safe, and this publication will be pivotal in helping us achieve that goal.”

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. Since 1994, the COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to over 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 136,000 officers.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice, assist victims, and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, 46, a U.S. citizen and former resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, was sentenced to life in prison for providing material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, that resulted in death. Asainov was also sentenced to concurrent terms of 20 years in prison on related convictions of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and obstruction of justice, and 10 years in prison for receipt of military-type training from ISIS. Asainov was convicted by a federal jury after a three-week trial in February.

“Mr. Asainov abandoned his family and country to fight for ISIS and train others to carry out its reign of terror, a cause to which he remains devoted to this day,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “Now, he is being held accountable for his crimes with a sentence of life in prison. The Department of Justice is committed to bringing to justice those who would aid such murderous terrorist organizations.”

“Today’s life sentence was rightly holds Asainov responsible for the carnage he inflicted as a sworn member of ISIS and protects the world community from this avowed killer,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The defendant committed his life to that terrorist organization and became a lethal sniper for ISIS in Syria, training many other ISIS members to shoot to kill as ISIS waged its brutal, barbaric campaign. To this day, the defendant maintains his unrepentant allegiance to that evil cause. Like this defendant now knows, anyone who takes up arms in service of ISIS and causes death and destruction will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by this office.”

“The U.S. government worked tirelessly with our international partners to locate and return this U.S. citizen to face accountability for his crimes,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “He's a convicted terrorist who fought for ISIS and taught others how to kill on behalf of their violent extremist ideology. Justice was served with today's life sentence.”

Between December 2013 and March 2019, Asainov provided and conspired to provide material support and resources in the form of personnel, including himself, training and expert advice and assistance, to a foreign terrorist organization, namely ISIS, knowing that ISIS was a designated foreign terrorist organization that had engaged in terrorist activity and terrorism. Asainov also received military-type training from ISIS, in violation of federal law.

On Dec. 24, 2013, Asainov abandoned his wife and daughter in Brooklyn, and boarded a flight at JFK International Airport, bound for Istanbul, Turkey. Along with a co-conspirator, Mirsad Kandic, by early January 2014, Asainov traveled to northern Syria in the area of Aleppo and joined ISIS as a fighter. Kandic was arrested in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS resulting in death by a federal jury in Brooklyn in May 2022, and sentenced to life in prison in July.

Over the course of approximately five years fighting on behalf of ISIS, Asainov fought in numerous battles against ISIS enemies, including engagements at Kobani, Tabqa, Raqqa, Dayr Az Zawr, and ISIS’s last stand in Syria at Baghouz, in March 2019. Asainov received training in how to use automatic rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. In Tabqa, in mid-2014, he volunteered to train as a sniper. Over time, Asainov became a sniper trainer or “emir” on behalf of ISIS, estimating that he taught nearly 100 students. A former U.S. Navy SEAL scout sniper testified at Asainov’s trial that the defendant’s sniper training course was consistent with what the former SEAL would expect to be taught in a sniper training program.

From Syria, the defendant attempted to recruit another individual to travel from the United States to Syria to fight for ISIS and sought to obtain funds to purchase a scope for his rifle from the same person. The defendant also told his estranged wife that he was fighting on behalf of ISIS, described by him in a recorded January 2015 voicemail as “the most atrocious terrorist organization in the world that ever existed.” Asainov’s estranged wife testified at his trial that he sent her a photograph of three dead fighters, one of whom was wearing a patch reading, “Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham,” i.e., ISIS, in Arabic script.

Asainov was captured in Syria after ISIS’s last stand at Baghouz, near the Syria-Iraq border. Just before his capture, Asainov discarded his rifle and destroyed his cell phone.

Asainov admitted to agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force that he had fought in numerous battles on behalf of ISIS as a warrior and sniper, serving in several different katibas or ISIS fighting brigades. In recorded phone calls to his mother from facilities operated by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the defendant told her that he was carrying out Allah’s orders when he waged jihad and killed for ISIS, that he intended to return to waging jihad if released, and that he would fight until he “meet[s] Allah,” i.e., until his death. In September 2020, staff at a BOP facility confiscated a makeshift ISIS flag affixed to Asainov’s cell wall. The defendant had filled in an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper with black ink and Arabic writing in the design of the ISIS flag. During his trial, the defendant reiterated his allegiance to ISIS to court personnel, stating that ISIS would rise again.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas M. Pravda, J. Matthew Haggans, Nicholas J. Moscow and Nina C. Gupta for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Mary Clare McMahon.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attachés abroad, and foreign authorities in multiple countries on multiple continents provided critical assistance in this case. The Bosnian and Herzegovinian authorities, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Sarajevo provided extraordinary assistance in the investigation and prosecution. The Ministry of Justice for the Republic of Finland, the Stuttgart Police Department and Federal Office of Justice in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Department of Justice & Constitutional Development in the Republic of South Africa, and the Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine, and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in or responsible for those countries provided valuable assistance in the investigation.

On Oct. 16, the United States reached a settlement in Ms. L., et al. v. ICE, et al., a class action litigation filed in 2018 seeking injunctive relief relating to the separation of parents and children at the southwest border. The proposed settlement agreement is subject to final approval by the district court after notice to the class and an opportunity to object.

“The practice of separating families at the southwest border was shameful,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This agreement will facilitate the reunification of separated families and provide them with critical services to aid in their recovery. I am grateful to Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and the Department’s Civil Division for their work on this matter.” 

Under the proposed settlement, new standards will be established to limit family separations in the future. The settlement provides for continued family reunifications, immigration relief, and certain support services for separated families, including behavioral health services, targeted legal support related to immigration claims, limited housing assistance, and certain medical coverage. The settlement does not involve the payment of monetary damages. Those who believe they are class members may submit claims of class membership to the Family Reunification Task Force through the Together.gov website.

“The separation of families at our southern border was a betrayal of our nation’s values,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “By providing services to these families and implementing polices to prevent future separations, today’s agreement addresses the impacts of those separations and helps ensure that nothing like this happens again.”

On Feb. 26, 2018, a plaintiff identified as “Ms. L” filed a complaint in the Southern District of California alleging she had been unlawfully separated from her child. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) later filed an amended complaint to add class action claims contending that the separation of putative class member parents from their children violated procedural and substantive due process, as well as the asylum statute. On June 26, 2018, the district court certified a class of separated parents and issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting future separations except in certain specified circumstances. The court also required the reunification of families previously separated.

Since that time, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have worked with plaintiffs to identify class members and their children, developed plans for reunification, and reunified class members with their children. On Jan. 26, 2021, the Justice Department rescinded the Department’s 2018 zero-tolerance policy for offenses under 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a). In Feb. 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order establishing the Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families, comprised of representatives from various federal agencies, including the Justice Department, DHS, and HHS. The parties have worked extensively to reunify families in accordance with the Executive Order and subsequent orders from the district court. The task force has searched through thousands of government records to identify separated families and has thus far reunited more than 750 children with their families and has identified 85 additional children who are currently in the process of being reunited with their families. The task force has also identified more than 290 U.S. citizen children who were separated from their parents during the relevant time frame, is working to confirm that they have been reunified with their families, and will offer them services to support their reunification.

Director William C. Peachey, Assistant Director William C. Silvis, Senior Litigation Counsel Sarah B. Fabian, and Trial Attorney Fizza Batool, all of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, are handling the case.

Fact Sheet Motion for Settlement Settlement

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland attended the annual meeting of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in San Diego where he participated in a fireside chat moderated by IACP Deputy Executive Director Terry Cunningham. The Attorney General discussed a number of issues, including, the Justice Department’s emphasis on the importance of partnering with state and local law enforcement agencies, the Department’s request for an increase in appropriations for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Hiring Program, recently announced funding to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders across the country, the challenges of recruitment and retention in policing, threats to law enforcement personnel, the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy, and the Department’s attack on every element of the fentanyl epidemic – from the precursor suppliers in China, to the laboratories in Mexico, to the leaders of the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels, to their distribution networks in the United States. Attorney General Garland also met with members of the IACP Executive Board for additional discussions.

He also highlighted an increase in dedicated funding for the COPS Hiring Program from $139 million in 2022 to $224 million in 2023, to requested appropriations of $2.7 billion for FY 2024. He also discussed the nearly $75 million in critical grant funding announced on Friday to law enforcement agencies and stakeholders across the country. In addition to supporting efforts to combat drug trafficking and other public safety programs, that funding will help provide assistance to agencies looking to expand their law enforcement mental health and wellness services.

In addition, the Attorney General recognized the continued recruitment, hiring, and retention challenges in policing. Earlier this year, Attorney General Garland tasked the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance and the COPS Office with bringing together law enforcement and community leaders to come up with solutions. As part of this effort, in the coming week, the Department will release a recruitment and retention report that makes a range of recommendations. Those include: 1) Investing in officer well-being, including through mental and physical health benefits and improving flexibility in schedules to better reflect the desires of the modern workforce; 2) Developing pipeline programs in high schools and colleges and engaging with community leaders around the role that police serve in their communities; 3) Modernizing the process so that onboarding new hires is done faster.

The Attorney General also addressed the increase in threats of violence to law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, judges and all those who work every day in pursuit of justice and in service to the American people. Making clear that these threats are unacceptable and must not become normalized, the Attorney General said:

“People in a democracy are entitled to argue with each other, to criticize in the most vociferous way, but we won’t have a democracy if people decide that violence and threats of violence are the way to influence outcomes.”

The Attorney General also discussed what the Justice Department is doing in response to the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl. Attorney General Garland shared how he often hears from families who have been impacted by fentanyl. He discussed the Department’s approach of going after every link in the cartel-driven fentanyl trafficking networks that span countries and continents.  This includes going after the cartels’ leaders, their drug traffickers, their money launderers, their clandestine lab operators, their security forces, their weapons suppliers, and their chemical suppliers. In April, the Department charged 23 Sinaloa cartel members, leaders and associates, and just last month, the Department extradited Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, and one of “El Chapo’s” sons. Agents and prosecutors across the Justice Department are working every day to combat the threat posed by fentanyl. Those efforts have resulted in the seizure of over 62 million fentanyl pills and over 9,700 pounds of fentanyl powder just this year alone.

While in California, the Attorney General also had the opportunity to meet with local police chiefs from across the country and leaders of some of the nation’s major law enforcement associations to thank them for their continued partnership. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Director Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Director Ronald Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Director Hugh T. Clements of the COPS Office, Assistant Attorney General Amy Solomon of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) were also in attendance at IACP.

IACP Attorney General Garland with IACP Deputy Executive Director Terry Cunningham IACP Attorney General Garland with the IACP Executive Board

The Justice Department announced today that Maryland-based developer Humphrey-Stavrou Associates Inc. (Humphrey-Stavrou) and related entities have agreed to pay $475,000 to settle claims that they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The claims alleged that the defendants failed to build required accessible features for people with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs, at six multi-family housing complexes across Maryland. As part of the settlement, the defendants also agreed to make extensive retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the three properties Humphrey-Stavrou still owns and the three properties Humphrey-Stavrou sold to third parties.

“When the retrofits required by these settlements are completed, people with disabilities will have equal access to 1,300 more residential units in Maryland,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to ensuring that apartment complexes are accessible to people with disabilities.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is dedicated to ensuring that developers who fail to abide by the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “These settlements will help ensure Marylanders with disabilities have fair and equal access to their homes by making these housing complexes more accessible.”

Humphrey-Stavrou will deposit a sum of $410,000 in an account to be used to retrofit the three properties it has sold since construction, which are now owned by other entities. 

The agreement with Humphrey-Stavrou, which must still be approved by the court, also requires the defendants to pay $60,000 into a settlement fund to compensate individuals who were harmed by the inaccessible conditions and $5,000 to the government in civil penalties to vindicate the public interest.

Under the agreement, the defendants will, among other things, replace steeply sloped walkways, widen doorways and modify bathrooms so they are accessible for individuals who use wheelchairs. The agreement also requires the defendants to receive training about the FHA and the ADA, to ensure that their future multi-family housing construction complies with these laws and to provide periodic reports to the Justice Department. The six complexes are:

1. Pin Oak Village, Bowie, Maryland;
2. Woodland Creek Apartments (formerly Henson Creek Manor I and II Apartments), Fort Washington, Maryland;
3. Woodside Village Apartments, Fort Washington, Maryland;
4. Acclaim at Lake Largo (formerly Largo Center Apartments), Largo, Maryland;
5. Randolph Village Senior Apartments, Silver Spring, Maryland; and
6. Vistas at Lake Largo, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

The Justice Department previously resolved part of its lawsuit, which was filed in September 2022, with Stavrou Associates Inc. and related entities, which agreed to pay $185,000 to settle claims that they failed to build the required accessibility features in 11 other multi-family housing complexes in Maryland. Stavrou Associates Inc. also agreed to make extensive retrofits to remove accessibility barriers at the complexes. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland entered the parties’ settlement, in the form of a consent order, on Nov. 22, 2022.

The 11 complexes built by Stavrou Associates Inc. that are the subject of the previously entered consent decree are:

1. Villages at Belle Hill, Elkton, Maryland;
2. Burgess Mill Station I, Ellicott City, Maryland;
3. Burgess Mill Station II, Ellicott City, Maryland;
4. River Point Apartments, Essex, Maryland;
5. Hammarlee House Apartments, Glen Burnie, Maryland;
6. Overland Gardens, Landover, Maryland;
7. Rainier Manor Phase II Apartments, Mount Rainier, Maryland;
8. Chapel Springs Senior Apartments, Perry Hall, Maryland;
9. Hampshire Village, Silver Spring, Maryland;
10. Windsor Crossing Family Apartments, Suitland, Maryland; and
11. Windsor Crossing Senior Apartments, Suitland, Maryland.

The combined 17 properties at issue in the case were built with financial assistance from the federal government’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and some of the properties are specifically marketed as housing for seniors.

Individuals who believe they or someone they know may have had difficulties because of the inaccessible conditions at any of these properties should send an e-mail to the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or leave a message at 1-833-591-0291, selecting option 1 for English, selecting option 4 for housing accessibility for persons with disabilities and selecting option 4. 

The FHA prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. This law requires that most multifamily housing buildings with four or more units constructed after March 13, 1991, have basic accessible features. Enacted in 1990, the ADA requires that places of public accommodation, such as rental offices at multifamily housing complexes constructed after Jan. 26, 1993, be accessible to persons with disabilities. 

More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals may report disability discrimination or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov. Individuals also may report discrimination by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.

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Peter Griffin, 79, a retired San Diego police officer and former vice detective, attorney and private investigator, was sentenced on Friday to 33 months in prison and one year of supervised release for committing various crimes in connection with his operation of five California and Arizona-based illicit massage businesses that profited for years by selling commercial sex under the guise of offering therapeutic massage services.

Griffin’s three female co-defendants, Kyung Sook Hernandez, 59, Yu Hong Tan, 57, and Yoo Jin Ott, 46, who managed the different illicit massage businesses in Griffin’s network, were each sentenced to six months in prison and one year of supervised release.

According to court documents, Griffin, Hernandez, Tan and Ott owned and operated “Genie Oriental Spa,” “Felicita Spa,” “Blue Green Spa,” “Maple Spa” and “Massage W Spa,” located in the greater San Diego area and in Tempe, Arizona, between 2013 and August 2022. The criminal scheme included incorporating their businesses with state agencies, managing the businesses’ illicit proceeds, advertising commercial sexual services online, recruiting and employing women to perform commercial sex services and benefiting financially from the illegal enterprises. 

“Defendant Griffin – a former vice detective who once took an oath to uphold our laws – is being held accountable for abusing his position of authority and, with his co-defendants, operating illicit massage businesses and profiting by exploiting women for commercial sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This case is an example of how strong partnerships among law enforcement agencies can combat the illicit massage industry. The Justice Department will continue to prosecute those who callously prey on the most vulnerable members of our society.”

“Peter Griffin used the skills he developed as a vice detective — and his status as a former law enforcement officer — to operate a network of illicit massage businesses and evade law enforcement,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to this multiagency investigation, Griffin has been held accountable for his nearly decade-long criminal scheme. This case underscores the department’s commitment to prosecuting the purveyors of these illicit businesses, who profit from pressuring their employees to engage in commercial sex.”

“Illicit massage businesses hide in plain sight in many communities in America, including our district,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath for the Southern District of California.  “Operators of these businesses often profit through exploitation. For years, Peter Griffin used his connections as a former police officer for his own criminal profiteering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting these kinds of offenses, protecting our communities and ensuring that legitimate local businesses are not tarnished by criminal activity.”

“Peter Griffin abused and exploited vulnerable women by pressuring them into commercial sex for profit while taking advantage of his status in the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego Field Office. “This sentence sends a clear message to those who mistakenly believe they can get away with such repugnant crimes. HSI, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to work vigorously and bring to justice those who exploit and victimize vulnerable members of our community.”

“Law enforcement professionals swear an oath to protect and defend our communities, and the spirit of that oath should live on even when we stop carrying a badge,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Los Angeles Field Office. “Griffin preyed on people who should have felt safer because of his presence. He and his co-conspirators failed in their attempts to conceal their illicit activities because of our special agents’ unique ability to follow the money and a strong cross-agency effort to find the evidence to bring these predators to justice.”

Through this scheme, the defendants exploited the employees, mostly vulnerable women from Korea and China; pressured the employees to perform commercial sex services; and made substantial financial profits from the illegal commercial sexual activity. When one employee initially refused to perform commercial sexual services, one of the defendants instructed her to “leave [her] morals in China” in order to “make the customers happy.” 

Griffin, who left the department in 2002, previously worked as a detective with the Vice Operations Unit of the San Diego Police Department, a unit tasked with dismantling the very businesses he operated and promoted for personal profit. Throughout the nine-year criminal scheme, Griffin used the experience and skills he acquired through his work as a vice detective – skills honed by his education as an attorney and work as a private investigator – and his reputation as a former police officer to help the businesses evade law enforcement; conceal evidence; pressure employees to engage in commercial sex; maintain a façade of legitimacy; and thwart regulatory inspections, investigations and any official action against the businesses. 

Griffin repeatedly used his status as a former law enforcement officer to falsely assure local authorities that his businesses would be operated legitimately. On one occasion, Griffin flashed his badge to a local officer responding to a citizen complaint regarding one of his illicit businesses. Additionally, Griffin told an employee that he was a former police officer and instructed her not to “open [her] mouth” about working at the illicit massage business. Griffin’s co-defendants similarly informed employees of Griffin’s law enforcement background and his resulting “connections” and promised he would protect the illegal businesses from law enforcement detection. Griffin also abused resources he had access to by virtue of his private investigator license to obtain information on customers and employees on behalf of the illicit massage businesses.

HSI, IRS-CI and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, a regional, multi-agency effort led by the California Justice Department dedicated to supporting survivors and holding traffickers accountable, led the investigation. The FBI San Diego Field Office, the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Sherriff’s Office, the Escondido Police Department, the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and the Tempe, Arizona Police Department also supported the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Streja for the Southern District of California, Trial Attorney Caylee Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case, with assistance from Senior Financial Investigators Sheila Olander and Kathryn Montemorra of the Money Laundering Section’s Special Financial Investigations Unit.

Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org.

Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa O. Monaco traveled to California this week to advance the Justice Department’s strong partnerships with state and local law enforcement, and collaboration with the private sector, to promote the public safety and security of the American people.  

Deputy AG Monaco spoke at the Wing 2023 conference in northern California, which brings together senior executives across major industries to address emerging technology and cybersecurity issues for the business community and society. She stressed the indispensable role of public-private collaboration to identify and disrupt a range of threats to the homeland – from ransomware attacks to ongoing efforts by foreign adversaries to steal our data and critical technologies such as  quantum computing and artificial intelligence. The Deputy AG emphasized the key role that victim reporting has played in the success of the Justice Department’s cyber-strategy pivot to prioritize near-term disruptions and victim protection.  And the Deputy AG discussed the 21st century tools and techniques the Department is using to target illicit actors, harden supply chains, and protect innovation, including the Disruptive Technology Strike Force launched earlier this year.

While in California, the Deputy AG addressed the annual meetings of both the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in San Diego. In her closing keynote speech at MCCA and her remarks to the IACP State Associations of Chiefs of Police, the Deputy AG discussed the Justice Department’s priorities of combatting  violent crime, taking illegal firearms off the streets, and battling the flow of synthetic opioids like fentanyl into our communities. In all her engagements, she emphasized the vital role that the Department’s partnerships with federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement plays in tackling the most serious threats.

She underscored that, all too often, the heaviest burden in the fight against violent crime and illegal drug and firearms trafficking rests on the shoulders of the Department’s state, local, and tribal partners, who are taking on these challenges with diminishing resources and personnel, and often at great personal risk.  

The Deputy AG also called attention to the recruitment and retention issues impacting law enforcement agencies nationwide. In keeping with the Attorney General’s direction for the Justice Department to identify strategies to address these challenges, she previewed that soon the Department will release more than 50 recommendations to help police departments address recruitment and retention issues. These include ways to modernize hiring standards to align with the realities of policing in the 21st century, accelerate the hiring process, and prioritize diversity and inclusion.

As part of the Justice Department’s commitment to supporting local law enforcement, the Deputy AG highlighted the $75 million in grant funding recently awarded to state and local law enforcement agencies across the country – funding that will help law enforcement combat the distribution and trafficking of illegal drugs, increase officer access to mental health and wellness services, and ensure agencies have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.

While in California, the Deputy AG also visited the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Southern Districts of California, where she met with U.S. Attorneys Martin Estrada and Tara McGrath, their leadership teams, and the dedicated prosecutors and professional staff of both offices. She thanked them for their dedication to the Department’s mission, especially the work each office is doing to tackle violent crime.

In both districts, the Deputy AG met with the leaders of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to reinforce the Department’s commitment to partnerships with their agencies and to discuss best practices and effective law enforcement initiatives. In the Southern District of California, the Deputy AG was joined by ATF Director Steve Dettelbach and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram for a series of briefings at the San Diego Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Offices on how law enforcement from federal, state, and local agencies are working together to combat the deadly fentanyl epidemic and the trafficking of firearms – including ghost guns.

Deputy AG Monaco and U.S. Attorney McGrath with the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Deputy AG Monaco, ATF Director Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney McGrath, and law enforcement leaders at the San Diego Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Office. Deputy AG Monaco taking questions at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

 

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume and the severe wounding of his mother, Hanaan Shahin:

“I am heartbroken by the abhorrent killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a six year old child who died after being stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife. On behalf of the entire Justice Department, I want to express my deepest condolences to his family and his community as they grieve his loss.

The Justice Department has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the events leading to the tragic death of Wadea Al-Fayoume and the serious injuries suffered by his mother, Hanaan Shahin. The Department is limited in what more it can say because this is an ongoing criminal investigation.

This incident cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence. The Department of Justice is focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in this country. We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate. No one in the United States of America should have to live in fear of violence because of how they worship or where they or their family come from.”

The Justice Department’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) released its first-ever Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy Annual Report today, highlighting the department’s recent accomplishments in cases with environmental justice concerns and outlining the department’s strategy for engaging with and delivering results to communities long overburdened by pollution.

Last year, the department created OEJ within the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) with a mandate to engage all Justice Department bureaus, components and offices in the collective pursuit of environmental justice. The department also created a Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy to guide its work in this area. Today’s OEJ report includes highlights of important environmental justice cases from the last year as well as key collaboration efforts with federal, Tribal, state and local stakeholders.

“Advancing environmental justice is a key part of the Justice Department’s mission,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Justice Department. “OEJ’s report highlights our recent successes in protecting and restoring healthy environments and communities, including efforts concerning clean air and water, worker safety and quality of life. We will continue to work to defend and bring relief to overburdened and underserved communities.”

“Communities of color, indigenous communities and low-income communities too often feel the greatest effects of pollution and climate change,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of ENRD. “We recognize that, and we’re committed to addressing the outsized impacts felt by such communities throughout the United States.”

“It is imperative that we use all the legal authorities available to address longstanding inequities that deny people healthy and safe communities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to coordinate with our federal partners in using our civil rights laws to advance environmental justice for historically underserved, overburdened and marginalized communities.”

“I’m honored to serve the American people at OEJ and engage with communities throughout the country and coordinate with Justice Department and other federal entities to find solutions to environmental and health hazards,” said Director Cynthia M. Ferguson of OEJ. “Whether it’s securing the abatement of lead-based paint in lower income properties in Chicago, working to restore functioning water and wastewater systems in Jackson, Mississippi, or providing civil rights and trauma-based interview training – our efforts benefit all Americans by promoting a more equitable society.”

An example of the department’s work under its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy includes the Civil Rights Division’s first ever Title VI environmental justice resolution agreement in Lowndes County, Alabama. The division’s investigation evaluated actions by the state’s health department in operating a wastewater disposal program and whether those actions discriminated against Black residents. Ultimately, the Justice Department reached an agreement with the Alabama Department of Public Health to put it on a path to developing safe wastewater disposal and management systems.

ENRD also reached agreements in a different water management case in Jackson, Mississippi, where it negotiated interim orders with city and state officials to name a court-appointed manager and begin to stabilize Jackson’s drinking water and wastewater systems. OEJ has worked with a coalition of federal, state and local government entities to build an outreach strategy for Jackson in support of the enforcement action and to ensure that residents and workers have an opportunity to engage in the enforcement process.

The Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy includes provisions for the Justice Department to partner with other federal enforcement agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General. The Justice Department is also working to strengthen coordination with Tribes and identify and prioritize affirmative litigation involving Tribal environmental justice issues.

Pursuant to the Strategy, ENRD and the Civil Rights Division have held listening sessions, and ENRD has and is scheduled to host regional Tribal summits, to increase community engagement and coordination in pursuing actionable solutions. And OEJ’s report highlights new performance measures to promote transparency regarding environmental justice enforcement efforts.

The report is available on OEJ’s website, and you can read by clicking here.