District Not Recorded

The Justice Department’s Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta made the following statement following a federal judge’s ruling on a motion for preliminary injunction by the Justice Department in the case U.S. v. Abbott et al.

“Today, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction requiring Texas to remove its floating barrier from the middle of the Rio Grande and prohibiting Texas from constructing new barriers in the river.  We are pleased that the court ruled that the barrier was unlawful and irreparably harms diplomatic relations, public safety, navigation, and the operations of federal agency officials in and around the Rio Grande.”

A Maryland security guard was sentenced to 24 months in prison today for tax evasion.

In December 2022, Gaston Gilberto Reyes of Germantown was convicted of six counts of tax evasion following a jury trial. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Reyes did not file income tax returns for the years 2011 through 2020 and thus did not report more than $1.6 million in income from his employment as an armed security guard at federal buildings in Maryland. In addition to not filing tax returns, Reyes provided his employers with false Forms W-4 claiming he was exempt from federal income tax withholding, causing little or no federal income taxes to be withheld from his wages. In total, Reyes caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $330,000.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel ordered Reyes to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution in the amount of $219,167 to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and George Meggali of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Baltimore County, Maryland, for significant relief and compensation for victims of sexual harassment. The settlement resolves the department’s complaint alleging that the county, through the Baltimore County Fire Department (BCFD), violated Title VII by subjecting several female employees to a hostile work environment on the basis of their sex. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion and prohibits retaliation against employees for opposing discriminatory employment practices. 

“Women deserve protection from sexual harassment and sex discrimination in the workplace, and this lawsuit and consent decree demonstrate the department’s commitment to that principle,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Like any other employer, fire departments must take prompt and appropriate actions to correct an ongoing hostile work environment. Addressing sexual harassment in the firefighting industry is critical to efforts to bring more women into a profession where they have faced historic rates of exclusion, marginalization and discrimination.”

According to the department’s complaint, filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, several female employees were subjected to a hostile work environment when a male coworker distributed nude and other inappropriate photographs of female BCFD employees to other coworkers, solicited such photographs from coworkers and posted the photos on a social media site. The complaint further alleges that BCFD failed to take prompt and appropriate actions to correct the ongoing hostile work environment. As alleged, BCFD failed to promptly and thoroughly investigate the harassment and failed to adequately communicate with the victims as the harassment came to light, perpetuating the hostile work environment that the female employees faced. 

Under the terms of the consent decree, if approved by the court, BCFD will overhaul its process for investigating complaints of sexual harassment, provide periodic sexual harassment training to its employees and conduct a workplace climate survey to gather information to aid in efforts to keep the workplace free of harassment. The county will also pay $275,000 to compensate female employees that were harmed by the harassment.    

“Every workplace should foster respect and dignity for all employees, period,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Our mission to protect civil rights extends to sexual harassment and employers should be on notice that we will vigorously enforce the laws. We are pleased that Baltimore County has agreed to take comprehensive steps to ensure that their employees feel safe, respected and valued at their workplace.”

This case stems from a charge of discrimination by a commissioner for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and investigated by the EEOC’s Baltimore office. The EEOC investigated the charge and found reasonable cause to believe that BCFD violated Title VII.  After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charge to the Justice Department.

“Sexual harassment in the workplace too often goes uncorrected,” said Director  Rosemarie Rhodes of the EEOC Baltimore Office. “Allowing such behavior to go unchecked when it affects one victim of sexual harassment is too much, let alone when it affects at least eleven victims. It’s critical to remind victims that sexual harassment is against the law, they do not have to tolerate it at work, and they are protected when they complain.”

Employees with complaints of sexual harassment can report them to their local EEOC office or their respective state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office.

The case is being handled by Trial Attorneys Shan Shah and Sharion Scott of the of Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt for the District of Maryland.

The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.

Verizon Business Network Services LLC, of Ashburn, Virginia, has agreed to pay $4,091,317 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it failed to completely satisfy certain cybersecurity controls in connection with an information technology service provided to federal agencies. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Verizon took a number of significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government. 

“When government contractors fail to follow required cybersecurity standards, they may jeopardize the security of sensitive government information and information systems,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch. “We will continue to pursue knowing cybersecurity related violations under the Department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative and to provide credit in settlements to government contractors that disclose misconduct, cooperate with pending investigations and take remedial measures, all of which are critically important to protecting the nation against cyber threats.”

This settlement relates to Verizon’s Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Service (MTIPS), which is designed to provide federal agencies with secure connections to the public internet and other external networks. The settlement resolves allegations that Verizon’s MTIPS solution did not completely satisfy three required cybersecurity controls for Trusted Internet Connections with respect to General Services Administration (GSA) contracts from 2017 to 2021. After learning of the issues, Verizon provided the government with a written self-disclosure, initiated an independent investigation and compliance review of the issues and provided the government with multiple detailed supplemental written disclosures. Verizon cooperated with the government’s investigation of the issues and took prompt and substantial remedial measures.

“The United States should get the cybersecurity controls that it contracts and pays for to safeguard against cyber threats that could compromise critical information and systems,” said Acting Inspector General Robert C. Erickson of the GSA. “I appreciate the efforts of the investigative team that worked on this case.”

On Oct. 6, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the GSA’s Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Fraud Section Senior Trial Counsel Christopher Terranova.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

An Oregon man pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to pay more than $24 million in payroll taxes owed to the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Robert Kohnle of Lake Oswego, was the president, secretary, and chief executive officer of Real Benefits Group Inc., dba Aliat. As a professional employer organization, Aliat provided payroll and payroll-related services for its clients. Aliat was responsible, pursuant to service agreements with its clients, for receiving the payroll taxes withheld from the wages of clients’ employees, including federal income and Social Security and Medicare taxes, and paying those payroll taxes to the IRS.

Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016 through the fourth quarter of 2022, Kohnle received payroll withholdings from Aliat’s clients but did not pay it over to the IRS as required by the client service agreements. Kohnle instead used the money to pay Aliat’s other expenses and creditors, including himself. In total, Kohnle caused a tax loss to the IRS of $24,816,602.

Kohnle is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Natalie K. Wight for the District of Oregon made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Patrick Burns and Regina Jeon of the Justice Department's Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

A Kansas woman pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the IRS.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Sheryl Clanton of Bucyrus, Kansas, owned and operated McCorkendale Construction Inc., a business specializing in the construction and maintenance of underground infrastructure. Clanton was President of McCorkendale from 2006 through 2011 and was responsible for filing quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying federal income and Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from employees’ wages to the IRS. For the first quarter of 2010 through the last quarter of 2011, however, Clanton did not pay approximately $980,536 in employment taxes owed to the IRS.

In 2011, Clanton abandoned McCorkendale due to its outstanding tax obligations and a bank mortgage foreclosure, and started McClan Construction LLC. From the second quarter of 2012 through the fourth quarter of 2017, Clanton did not pay approximately $1.1 million in employment taxes or file quarterly payroll tax returns as required by law.

Clanton also operated a third underground construction business, NJ Trenching LLC, organized in late 2011. Between 2012 and 2015, Clanton did not report or pay nearly $100,000 of employment taxes owed to the IRS on behalf of NJ Trenching.

In total, Clanton caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $2.2 million.

Clanton is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and Dominick Giovanniello of the Justice Department's Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

A federal court in the Southern District of Texas has permanently enjoined a Galveston-area tax return preparer from preparing federal tax returns for others and, among other things, from owning, operating or franchising any tax return preparation business in the future.

The amended complaint alleged that Johnathan Perry, individually and dba X-Pert Taxes and JOHNATHAN PERRY, prepared over 4,000 federal income tax returns during the 2017-2022 filing seasons. According to the amended complaint, in a substantial number of these tax returns, the defendants significantly overstated the customers’ tax refunds by claiming fictitious employee business expenses, fabricating household help income, fabricating or inflating business losses and/or claiming education credits or fuel excise tax credits to which customers were not entitled.

The terms of the injunction order require that Perry disgorge $324,432 to the United States in tax preparation fees. The order further requires that Perry send notice of the injunction to each person for whom Mr. Perry, X-Pert Taxes or JOHNATHAN PERRY prepared federal tax returns. The order also requires Mr. Perry to post the injunction in all locations where he conducts business and on all social media accounts and websites used to advertise the tax preparation services.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers as return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams. The IRS offers tips on how to accurately file returns and how to choose a tax return preparer, as well as steps taxpayers can take to get a jumpstart on filing. The IRS has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers, whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. 

In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $73,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronical federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free.

In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here.

참고: 본 언론 보도는 다양한 언어로 번역되었습니다. 아래 번역을 참고하십시오.

워싱튼 -법무부가 오늘 민권 수사를 해결하고 영어 능력 제한(Limited English Proficiency, LEP)이 있는 모든 사람들을 위한 향상된 주 법원 접근성을 개선하기 위해 오클라호마 대법원 행정처(Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) 와의 양해 각서(Memorandum of Understanding, MOU) 를 발표했습니다.

법무부는 Mayes 카운티 지방 법원이 가정 법원 사건 당사자 중 LEP가 있는 이에게
유의미한 접근성을 제공하지 않았다는 주장의 민원을 받았습니다. 법무부는 연방 재정
보조 수혜자의 인종, 피부색, 출신 국가에 의한 차별을 금지하는 1964년도 민권법의(Civil
Rights Act of 1964) 표제 VI 하 수사를 개시하였습니다. LEP가 있는 모든 법원
사용자들에게 유의미한 접근성을 제공하도록 AOC가 취한 긍정적 단계에 대응하여
법무부는 추후 표제 VI 수사를 중단하였습니다. 이러한 조치 중, AOC 는 소장에서 확인된
LEP가 있는 사람에게 무상으로 통역 서비스를 제공하였으며, 언어 접근 조정관을
채용하고 주정부 법이 된 법안을 제안하였습니다. 해당 법은 LEP 당사자에게 통역인
비용이 부과되지 않도록 합니다. 또한 법원 언어 통역과 번역 서비스를 지원하도록 전주
자금을 승인하였습니다.

“사람들은 제한된 영어 능력으로 인해 불이익을 당해서는 안 되며 절차 및 운영에 공정하게 참여하는 데 필요한 언어 지원 서비스를 받는 데 어려움을 겪어서는 안 됩니다”라고 법무부 민권부의 Kristen Clarke 법무차관보가 말했습니다. “본 합의서는 영어 능력과 무관하게 모든 사람이 법원에 접근할 수 있도록 보장하는 모범 사례이며 오클라호마에서 제한된 영어 능력을 가진 법원 사용자의 장벽을 허무는 데 필요한 조치를 설명합니다.”

“새로운 주법과 MOU를 통해 오클라호마는 우리 주의 사법 접근성을 개선하겠다는
의지를 보여주었습니다”라고 오클라호마 북부 지역(Northern District of Oklahoma) 의
Clinton J. Johnson 검사가 말했습니다. “우리는 표제 VI 및 관련 민권법 준수를 위해 주
법원과의 협력에 최선을 다할 것입니다.”

양해각서에 따라 AOC는 모든 민사 및 형사 소송 절차와 법원 운영에서 LEP가 있는 개인에게 구두 및 서면 언어 지원 서비스를 무료로 제공하고, 주 전체 언어 접근성 계획을 세우고 중요 문서의 번역을 추가할 예정입니다. AOC 는 또한 사례 관리 체계를 개선하여 언어 요구 사항 추적을 향상시키고, 언어 접근 민원 처리 절차 개발, 법원에 게시될 번역된 통역 서비스 통지 작성 및 배포, 법원 직원들을 위한 영상 원격 통역 안내를 작성 및 발행할 예정입니다.

이 사안은 미국 민권부의 검사들과 미국 오클라호마 북부 지방 검사실이 공동으로 진행했습니다. 민권부에 대한 추가 정보는 웹사이트 www.justice.gov/crt 에서 볼 수 있으며 제한된 영어 능력과 표제 VI에 대한 정보는 www.lep.gov 에서 볼 수 있습니다. www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 또는 미국 오클라호마 북부 지방 검사실에 www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us로 신고할 수 있습니다.

注：本新聞稿已翻譯成多種語言。請參見下方譯文。

華盛頓——司法部今天宣佈與奧克拉荷馬州最高法院、法院行政辦公室(Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) 簽署諒解備忘錄 (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU)，針對一項民權調查作出決議並改善英語能力受限 (Limited English Proficiency, LEP)人士在奧克拉荷馬州法院訴諸法律的機會。

司法部收到一起投訴，指控梅耶斯縣地區法院 (Mayes County District Court)在一起家事法庭案件中未能為一名LEP人士提供有意義的訴諸法律的機會。司法部根據 1964 年《民權法案》(Civil Rights Act of 1964)第六章的條款展開調查，該章禁止聯邦財政援助的接受者基於種族、膚色和民族血統進行歧視。司法部隨後暫停了這項第六章調查，以回應AOC採取的積極措施，為所有LEP法院使用者提供有意義的訴諸法律的機會。除了採取其他行動外，AOC還向投訴中確定的LEP人士免費提供了口譯服務，聘請了一名語言服務獲取協調員，並推出了立法提案，該提案現已成為州法律。該法律取消了向LEP當事人收取的口譯費用。該法律還授權設立一項全州基金，用於支援法庭語言口譯和筆譯服務。

「人們不應因英語能力受限而受到懲罰，也不應在獲得公平參與法院訴訟和運作所需的語言協助服務方面遇到困難，」司法部民權司助理司法部長克裡斯汀·克拉克(Kristen Clarke)指出。「本協議是確保所有人無論其英語能力如何都能訴諸法律的典範，並概述了為奧克拉荷馬州英語能力受限的法院使用者消除障礙所需採取的行動。」

「透過這部新的州法律和MOU，奧克拉荷馬州表明了改善本州司法服務獲取的決心，」奧克拉荷馬州北區(Northern District of Oklahoma)美國聯邦檢察官克林頓J. 詹森(Clinton
J. Johnson)表示。「我們致力於與本州的法院合作，確保遵守第六章及相關民權法律。」
根據這份MOU，AOC將在所有民事和刑事訴訟程式以及法院運作中免費為LEP人士提供口頭和書面語言協助服務，將制定一套全州語言服務獲取計畫，並針對重要文檔提供更多翻譯。AOC還將改進其案件管理系統，以更好地跟蹤語言需求，制定一套語言服務獲取投訴程式，為法院製作和分發翻譯好的口譯服務通知，並為法院工作人員製作和發佈視訊遠端口譯指南。

此事由民權司和奧克拉荷馬州北區美國聯邦檢察官辦公室的律師聯合開展。有關民權司的其他資訊可造訪其網站www.justice.gov/crt查閱，有關英語能力受限和第六章的資訊可造訪www.lep.gov網站查閱。公眾可透過www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/或奧克拉荷馬州北區美國聯邦檢察官辦公室www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us舉報可能存在的侵犯民權的行為。

注：本新闻稿已翻译成多种语言。请参见下方译文。

华盛顿——司法部今天宣布与俄克拉荷马州最高法院、法院行政办公室(Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) 签署谅解备忘录 (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU)，针对一项民权调查作出决议并改善英语能力受限 (Limited English Proficiency, LEP)人士在俄克拉荷马州法院诉诸法律的机会。

司法部收到一起投诉，指控梅耶斯县地区法院 (Mayes County District Court)在一起家事法庭案件中未能为一名LEP人士提供有意义的诉诸法律的机会。司法部根据 1964 年《民权法案》(Civil Rights Act of 1964)第六章的条款展开调查，该章禁止联邦财政援助的接受者基于种族、肤色和民族血统进行歧视。司法部随后暂停了这项第六章调查，以回应AOC采取的积极措施，为所有LEP法院使用者提供有意义的诉诸法律的机会。除了采取其他行动外，AOC还向投诉中确定的LEP人士免费提供了口译服务，聘请了一名语言服务获取协调员，并推出了立法提案，该提案现已成为州法律。该法律取消了向LEP当事人收取的口译费用。该法律还授权设立一项全州基金，用于支持法庭语言口译和笔译服务。
“人们不应因英语能力受限而受到惩罚，也不应在获得公平参与法院诉讼和运作所需的语言协助服务方面遇到困难，”司法部民权司助理司法部长克里斯汀·克拉克(Kristen Clarke)指出。“本协议是确保所有人无论其英语能力如何都能诉诸法律的典范，并概述了为俄克拉荷马州英语能力受限的法院使用者消除障碍所需采取的行动。”

“通过这部新的州法律和MOU，俄克拉荷马州表明了改善本州司法服务获取的决心，”俄克拉荷马州北区 (Northern District of Oklahoma)美国联邦检察官克林顿 J. 约翰逊(Clinton J. Johnson)表示。“我们致力于与本州的法院合作，确保遵守第六章及相关民权法律。”

根据这份MOU，AOC将在所有民事和刑事诉讼程序以及法院运作中免费为LEP人士提供口头和书面语言协助服务，将制定一套全州语言服务获取计划，并针对重要文件提供更
多翻译。AOC还将改进其案件管理系统，以更好地跟踪语言需求，制定一套语言服务获取投诉程序，为法院制作和分发翻译好的口译服务通知，并为法院工作人员制作和发布视频远程口译指南。

此事由民权司和俄克拉荷马州北区美国联邦检察官办公室的律师联合开展。有关民权司的其他信息可访问其网站www.justice.gov/crt查阅，有关英语能力受限和第六章的信息可访问www.lep.gov网站查阅。公众可通过www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/或俄克拉荷马州北区美国联邦检察官办公室www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us举报可能存在的侵犯民权的行为。

Watermark Retirement Communities LLC, a senior living community operator based in Tucson, Arizona, that manages 79 retirement homes across the country, agreed to pay $4.25 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by soliciting and receiving a kickback from a nationwide home health agency (HHA) operator in order to facilitate referrals from Watermark retirement homes.

The United States alleged that the HHA operator purchased two of Watermark’s HHAs in Arizona to induce referrals of Medicare beneficiaries living in Watermark residential communities. The scheme was designed around eight Watermark retirement homes in five states (Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida and Pennsylvania) where the two companies had overlapping operations.  The United States alleged that from Jan. 1, 2014 through Oct. 31, 2020, Watermark caused the HHA operator to submit false claims for payments to Medicare for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries referred as a result of the kickback transaction. The Antikickback Statute prohibits parties who participate in federal health care programs from knowingly and willfully soliciting or receiving any remuneration in return for referring an individual to, or arranging for the furnishing of any item or services for which payment is made by, a federal health care program.

“It is imperative that decisions about the care provided to federal health care beneficiaries are not undermined by the payment of kickbacks,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s resolution demonstrates that the Department is committed to holding accountable not only those who offer kickbacks but also those who receive them.”

“Whether you pay them or receive them, kickbacks undermine the integrity of our health care system,” said U.S. Philip R. Attorney Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “Patients need to know the health care referrals they receive are in their best interest, not in the best interest of someone else’s bottom line. Our office will always be on guard to prevent unscrupulous operators from trying to take financial advantage of our health care system.”

The settlement announced today includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by David Freedman, who was the former director of strategic growth for the HHA operator between 2009 and 2016. The qui tam provisions permit a private party to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of today’s resolution with Watermark, Freedman will receive approximately $765,000.  In September 2021, the HHA operator entered into a settlement with the United States to resolve the claims against it arising out of the same transaction. See www.justice.gov/opa/pr/home-health-agency-operator-bayada-pay-17-million-resolve-false-claims-act-allegations-paying.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.  

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Samson Asiyanbi and Daniel Meyler of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordann Conaboy for the District of New Jersey.

The case is docketed as United States ex rel. Freedman v. Bayada Home Health Care, Inc., Civ. No. 17-6267 (D.N.J.).

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Anmerkung: Diese Pressemitteilung wurde in verschiedene Sprachen übersetzt. Übersetzungen finden Sie unten.

Das US-Justizministerium kündigte heute eine Absichtserklärung (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU) zusammen mit dem Verwaltungsamt der Gerichte (Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) am Obersten Gerichtshof von Oklahoma an, um eine Untersuchung möglicher Bürgerrechtsverletzungen zu beenden und den Zugang zu den Gerichten des Staates Oklahoma für Menschen mit begrenzten Englischkenntnissen (Limited English Proficiency, LEP) zu verbessern.

Dem Ministerium wurde eine Beschwerde übermittelt, in der behauptet wird, dass das Bezirksgericht (District Court) des Landkreises (County) Mayes es versäumt hat, einer Person mit LEP in einem Familiengerichtsprozess sinnvollen Rechtsschutz zu gewähren. Das Justizministerium leitete eine Untersuchung gemäß Titel VI des Bürgerrechtsgesetzes von 1964 (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) ein, der die Diskriminierung auf Grundlage von Ethnie, Hautfarbe und nationaler Herkunft durch Empfänger von Bundesfinanzhilfen verbietet. Das Justizministerium stellte schließlich die Titel-VI-Untersuchung als Reaktion auf die positiven Schritte des AOC ein, allen Personen mit LEP, die die Dienstleistungen des Gerichts in Anspruch nehmen, sinnvollen Rechtsschutz zu ermöglichen. Neben anderen Maßnahmen stellte das AOC der in der Beschwerde genannten Person mit LEP kostenlos einen Dolmetscher zur Verfügung, stellte einen Koordinator für den sprachbezogenen Zugang ein und schlug einen Rechtsakt vor, der auf bundesstaatlicher Ebene umgesetzt wurde. Dieses Gesetz beseitigt die Gebühren für Dolmetscher, die Parteien mit LEP in Rechnung gestellt werden. Außerdem wurdeein landesweiter Fonds zur Unterstützung von Dolmetsch- und Übersetzungsdiensten bei Gericht eingerichtet.

„Menschen sollten nicht für ihre begrenzten Englischkenntnisse bestraft werden und sollten keine Schwierigkeiten haben, die Sprachassistenzdienste zu erhalten, die sie benötigen, um fair an Gerichtsverfahren und -vorgängen teilzunehmen“, erklärte die stellvertretende Generalstaatsanwältin Kristen Clarke von der Abteilung für Bürgerrechte (Civil Rights Division) des US-Justizministeriums. „Diese Vereinbarung ist ein Modell dafür, wie der Zugang zu den Gerichten für alle Menschen unabhängig von ihren Englischkenntnissen gewährleistet werden kann. Sie beschreibt die Maßnahmen, die erforderlich sind, um die Hindernisse für Gerichtsnutzer mit begrenzten Englischkenntnissen in Oklahoma zu beseitigen.“

„Mit dem neuen Gesetz und dem MOU hat Oklahoma sein Engagement für einen besseren Zugang zur Justiz in unserem Bundesstaat unter Beweis gestellt“, erklärte der US-Staatsanwalt für den nördlichen Bezirk von Oklahoma (Northern District of Oklahoma), Clinton J. Johnson. „Wir sind entschlossen, mit unseren Gerichten auf bundesstaatlicher Ebene zusammenzuarbeiten, um die Einhaltung des Titels VI und der damit verbundenen Bürgerrechtsgesetze sicherzustellen.“

Im Rahmen des MOU wird das AOC in allen Zivil-und Strafverfahren und im Gerichtsbetrieb Sprachassistenzdienste in Wort und Schrift für Personen LEP kostenlos anbieten, einen landesweiten Plan für den Zugang zu Sprachen entwickeln und Übersetzungen wichtiger Dokumente hinzufügen. Das AOC wird außerdem sein Aktenverwaltungssystem verbessern, um den Sprachbedarf besser verfolgen zu können, ein Beschwerdeverfahren für den Zugang in sprachlicher Hinsicht entwickeln, einen Aushang mit übersetzten Dolmetscherdiensten für die Gerichtsgebäude erstellen und bereitstellen sowie eine Videoanleitung für Gerichtsdiener erstellen und herausgeben.

Dieser Sachverhalt wurde gemeinsam von Staatsanwälten der Abteilung für Bürgerrechte und der US-Staatsanwaltschaft für den nördlichen Bezirk von Oklahoma bearbeitet. Weitere Informationen über die Abteilung für Bürgerrechte finden Sie auf der Website der Abteilung unter www.justice.gov/crt. Informationen über begrenzte Englischkenntnisse und Titel VI finden Sie unter www.lep.gov. Angehörige der Öffentlichkeit können mögliche Bürgerrechtsverletzungen unter www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ oder bei der US-Staatsanwaltschaft für den nördlichen Bezirk von Oklahoma unter www.justice.gov/usaondok/contact-us melden.

The Justice Department today announced that Japan-based Tadano Ltd. and its subsidiaries – collectively known as the Tadano Group – will pay a $40 million civil penalty to resolve allegations that it violated Title II of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The Justice Department worked with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to broker the settlement, which resolves allegations in a complaint filed with the settlement that Tadano Group imported and sold heavy, nonroad cranes with diesel engines not certified to applicable CAA emission standards, and that Tadano Group violated related CAA and regulatory requirements. 

As part of the proposed consent decree, Tadano Group will also contribute $3.2 million towards a project to mitigate harm caused by excess nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from its noncompliant crane engines. The project will retire a 1975 tugboat and christen a new, cleaner tugboat to service ships in the Port of Port Arthur, Texas. The old tugboat has outdated diesel engines while the new tugboat will have up-to-date, Tier 4 engines, preventing the release of an estimated 2,075 tons of NOx emissions and more than 22 tons of PM emissions over 20 years. The Port of Port Arthur is near low-income communities with environmental justice concerns and near the Tadano America Corp. facility in Houston.

“Tadano Group imported and sold giant cranes with engines that didn’t carry valid EPA certificates of conformity, flouting federal law that protects the public from harmful emissions,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement holds Tadano accountable for its violations and requires completion of a project that will improve the quality of life for those living in the Port Arthur, Texas, area.”

“Diesel exhaust is one of the dirtiest forms of pollution,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Exposure to diesel exhaust is linked to serious health conditions, including asthma and respiratory illness, and those health risks are increased by engines that fail to meet emission standards. This settlement should send a clear message that EPA will continue to vigorously enforce against companies that sell illegal diesel engines, including nonroad engines.”

The complaint against Tadano Group alleges that between 2011 and 2017, it sold nonroad cranes with at least 269 diesel engines that violated the CAA because the engines were not covered by current EPA-issued certificates of conformity nor did the engines qualify for a limited exemption under EPA’s Transition Program for Equipment Manufacturers. The Tadano Group also did not comply with CAA reporting, bonding and fuel inlet labelling requirements. The Tadano Group includes Germany-based Tadano Faun GmbH, Tennessee-based Tadano Mantis Corp. and Texas-based Tadano America Corp.

The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section filed the complaint and lodged the proposed consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The settlement is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

The Justice Department secured a settlement agreement today with Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), a public, non-profit university within the University System of Georgia.

The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Georgia Tech violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by operating a job recruiting platform on which third-party employers paid to post advertisements linked to its career fairs that unlawfully excluded certain non-U.S. citizens and limited recruitment opportunities for certain non-U.S. citizen students based on their citizenship status.

“Our nation’s higher education institutions must ensure that their job recruiting platforms don’t promote, facilitate or enable unlawful citizenship discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act’s nondiscrimination mandate to ensure that college students are treated fairly and have an equal opportunity to compete for internships and jobs.”

The department’s investigation began after a student at Georgia Tech, who was a lawful permanent resident, filed a discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Division. The student alleged that a bank advertised a U.S. citizen-only internship on Georgia Tech’s career services website. Upon investigating the student’s complaint, the department uncovered additional unlawful discriminatory advertisements on Georgia Tech’s job recruiting platform that discouraged or restricted certain non-U.S. citizen students from applying. The department’s investigation also revealed that Georgia Tech routinely permitted employers to block non-U.S. citizen students from applying to such jobs through its platform. 

Under the settlement agreement, Georgia Tech will pay a civil penalty of $500,000 to the United States, change its recruiting practices and revise its policies to promote compliance with the INA. In addition, for three years, Georgia Tech must ensure that certain career services personnel in its undergraduate and graduate programs are trained on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision.

Over the last 14 months, the department has secured over $1.6 million in total civil penalties from 30 employers who used Georgia Tech’s recruiting platform to post job advertisements that unlawfully excluded certain non-U.S. citizen students who stand on equal footing with U.S. citizens in their ability to work, such as lawful permanent residents, refugees and those granted asylum by the federal government.

On June 16, 2022, the department settled with 16 employers; on Sept. 21, 2022, the department settled with four employers; and on May 23, 2023, the department settled with another 10 employers.

This agreement is another example of the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to address the impact that automated platforms, specifically ones that provide users with tools and filters that enable unlawful restrictions, have on civil rights. On April 25, 2023, the Civil Rights Division released a joint statement with other federal agencies highlighting their commitment to protect individuals with respect to artificial intelligence and automated systems (AI) that can impact individuals’ civil rights and equal opportunity.  

The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; and retaliation and intimidation. 

Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring and recruiting on IER’s website. Learn more about how IER protects workers’ rights in this video. For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.

The Justice Department today announced it has submitted to the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking that would clarify the circumstances in which a person is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms and thus required to obtain a license and run background checks. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), enacted June 25, 2022, expanded the definition of engaging in the business of firearms dealing to cover all persons who devote time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business to predominately earn a profit through the repetitive purchase and sale of firearms. On March 14, President Biden issued Executive Order 14092, which, among other things, directs the Attorney General to develop and implement a plan to clarify the definition of who is engaged in the business of dealing in firearms and thus required to obtain a federal firearms license. Today’s proposed rule would amend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulations by, among other things, conforming ATF’s regulations to the new BSCA definition and further clarifying the conduct that presumptively requires a license under that revised definition.

 “The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was passed by Congress to reduce gun violence, including by expanding the background checks that keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This proposed rule implements Congress’s mandate to expand the definition of who must obtain a license and conduct a background check before selling firearms.”

“An increasing number of individuals engaged in the business of selling firearms for profit have chosen not to register as federal firearms licensees, as required by law,” said ATF Director Steven Dettelbach. “Instead, they have sought to make money through the off-book, illicit sale of firearms. These activities undermine the law, endanger public safety, create significant burdens on law enforcement, and are unfair to the many licensed dealers who make considerable efforts to follow the law. The Gun Control Act’s exceptions to the license requirement exist to allow all law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights – not to facilitate the intentional evasion of the background-check system. This new proposed rule would clarify the circumstances in which a person is ‘engaged in the business’ of dealing in firearms, and thus required to obtain a license and follow the laws Congress has established for firearms dealers.”

Federally licensed firearms dealers are critical partners to federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement in our shared goal of promoting public safety. They help keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons by running background checks on potential purchasers; ensure that crime guns can be traced back to their first retail purchaser by keeping records of transactions; and facilitate safe storage of firearms by providing child-safety locks with every transferred handgun and offering customers other secure gun storage options. Unlicensed dealing, however, undermines these public-safety features – which is why Congress has long prohibited engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without the required license. 

To increase compliance with the statutes Congress has enacted, the proposed rule identifies examples of conduct that would, in certain circumstances, be presumed to qualify as engaging in the business of dealing in firearms and thus to require a federal firearms license. And, in addition to implementing the revised statutory definition discussed above, the proposed rule would help to clarify the circumstances in which a license is (or is not) required by, among other things, adding a definition of “personal firearms collection” to ensure that genuine hobbyists and collectors may enhance and liquidate their collections without fear of violating the law. The proposed rule would also provide valuable guidance to the community of federal firearms licensees by addressing the lawful ways in which former licensees may liquidate business inventory upon termination of their license and clarifying how a licensee can lawfully transfer a firearm to another licensee.

Once the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, the public will have 90 days to submit comments. The notice of proposed rulemaking submitted by the Department can be viewed here.

Learn more about the rulemaking process here.

The Justice Department announced today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to resolve a civil rights investigation and improve access to Oklahoma state courts for people with limited English proficiency (LEP).

The department received a complaint alleging the Mayes County District Court failed to provide meaningful access for a person with LEP in a family court case. The Justice Department initiated an investigation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance. The Justice Department subsequently paused the Title VI investigation in response to the AOC’s affirmative steps to provide meaningful access for all court users with LEP. Among other actions, the AOC provided interpreter services at no cost to the person with LEP identified in the complaint, hired a language access coordinator, and proposed legislation, which became state law. That law eliminates interpreter fees charged to LEP parties. It also authorized a statewide fund to support court language interpretation and translation services.

“People should not be penalized for their limited English proficiency and should not encounter difficulty in obtaining the language assistance services they need to fairly participate in court proceedings and operations,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement stands as a model for ensuring access to the courts for all people regardless of English proficiency and outlines the actions needed to eliminate barriers for court users with limited English proficiency in Oklahoma.”  

“With the new state law and the MOU, Oklahoma has demonstrated a commitment to improving access to justice in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “We are committed to working with our state courts to ensure compliance with Title VI and related civil rights laws.”

Under the MOU, the AOC will provide oral and written language assistance services in all civil and criminal proceedings and operations court operations at no cost to individuals with LEP, will develop a statewide language access plan, and will add translations of vital documents. The AOC will also improve its case management system to better track language needs, develop a language access complaint process, create and distribute a translated interpreter services notice for courthouses, and create and issue a video remote interpreter guidance for court staff.

This matter was conducted jointly by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ or with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma at www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us.

A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to seeking to obstruct the IRS in its efforts to collect employment taxes and related penalties.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2003, Douglas K. Mittleider of Adairsville, Georgia, operated long-term care facilities throughout the United States and was responsible for paying to the IRS the federal income and Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from employees’ wages. In June 2004, the IRS assessed against him personally the employment taxes Mittleider had not paid – also known as the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty. Beginning in at least November 2011, Mittleider took multiple steps to conceal business funds and impede the IRS’s ability to collect his outstanding tax liability. Among other things, Mittleider directed the commingling of funds among businesses he controlled and used funds for purposes other than to pay the IRS. Mittleider also caused the creation of new operating companies and bank accounts to make it more difficult for the IRS to locate assets and levy accounts. In total, Mittleider’s conduct caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $9.5 million.

Mittleider is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, a term of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Ashley Stein and Andres Chinchilla of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

A former Memphis Police Department (MPD) officer was sentenced today to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release for violating an arrestee’s civil rights by using excessive force against him.

According to court documents, Armando Bustamante admitted that, in January 2021, while he was on duty as an MPD officer, he used his service weapon and hands to strike an arrestee in the head without legal justification. The assault caused bodily injury to the man.

“This former Memphis police officer is being held accountable for violently assaulting a man in his custody without any justification,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those law enforcement officers who abuse their authority and violate federal civil rights laws.”

“Public trust in law enforcement is essential to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “When an officer violates that trust, it makes policing less effective and far more dangerous for both officers and average citizens. We will continue to work with our partners in local and state law enforcement to root out those who violate public trust and endanger those they’ve sworn to protect.”

“Today’s sentencing highlights that law enforcement officers who abuse their authority and deny an individual their civil rights will be held accountable,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue working together to uncover any violation of civil rights and pursue justice for victims in these cases.”

The FBI Memphis Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee and former Trial Attorney Nikhil Ramnaney of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

El Departamento de Justicia ha llegado a un acuerdo hoy con Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), una universidad pública sin ánimo de lucro que forma parte del sistema universitario de Georgia.

El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Georgia Tech vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) al operar una plataforma de reclutamiento de empleo donde empleadores de terceras partes pagaron por publicar anuncios asociados con sus ferias de carreras que excluyeron, de manera ilícita, a ciertos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. y limitó las oportunidades de reclutamiento para ciertos estudiantes no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. con base en su estatus de ciudadanía.

«Las instituciones de educación superior de nuestra nación deben garantizar que sus plataformas de reclutamiento no promuevan, faciliten o permiten la discriminación ilícita por motivos de ciudadanía», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia hará cumplir con firmeza el mandato no discriminatorio de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad con el fin de garantizar que se trate de manera justa a los estudiantes universitarios y que tengan la igualdad de oportunidades para competer para prácticas y trabajos».

La investigación del Departamento comenzó después de que un estudiante en Georgia Tech, que era residente permanente legal, presentó una queja de discriminación ante la División de Derechos Civiles. El estudiante alegó que un banco anunció unas prácticas solamente para ciudadanos de los EE. UU. en el sitio web de los servicios de carreras profesionales de Georgia Tech. Tras investigar la queja del estudiante, el Departamento encontró anuncios discriminatorios ilegales adicionales en la plataforma de reclutamiento de empleo que desalentaron a ciertos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. de solicitar un puesto o restringieron su acceso por completo.  La investigación del Departamento también reveló que Georgia Tech, de forma rutinaria, permitió a los empleadores prevenir que no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. solicitaran tales puestos mediante su plataforma.

Conforme el acuerdo conciliatorio, Georgia Tech pagará una sanción civil de $500,000 a los Estados Unidos, cambiará sus prácticas de reclutamiento y revisará sus políticas con el fin de promover el cumplimiento con la INA. Por otra parte, Georgia Tech deberá asegurar que cierto personal de servicios de carreras profesionales en sus programas de grado y posgrado sea capacitado en cuanto a la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA.

A lo largo de los últimos 14 meses, el Departamento ha logrado obtener más de $1.6 millones en total por concepto de sanciones civiles de 30 empleadores que usaron la plataforma de reclutamiento de Georgia Tech para publicar anuncios de trabajo que, de manera ilícita, excluyeron a ciertos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. que se encuentran en condiciones de igualdad con ciudadanos estadounidenses en lo que se refiere a su permiso para trabajar, tales como residentes permanentes legales, refugiados y aquellos a los que el gobierno federal ha concedido el asilo.

El 16 de junio del 2022, el Departamento llegó a un acuerdo con 16 empleadores; el 21 de septiembre del 2022, el Departamento llegó a un acuerdo con cuatro empleadores; y el 23 de mayo del 2023, el Departamento llegó a un acuerdo con otros diez empleadores adicionales.

Este acuerdo es otro ejemplo de los esfuerzos de la División de Derechos Civiles por abordar el impacto en los derechos civiles que tienen las plataformas automatizadas, en concreto aquellas que proveen a los usuarios con herramientas y filtros que permiten restricciones ilegales.  El 25 de abril del 2023, la División de Derechos Civiles publicó una declaración conjunta con otras agencias federales que resaltó su compromiso de proteger a los individuos en lo que se refiere a la inteligencia artificial y sistemas automatizados (AI) que pueden afectar los derechos civiles de las personas, así como la igualdad de oportunidades. 

La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación.  

Hay más información disponible en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en los procesos de contratación y reclutamiento. Aprenda más sobre cómo la IER protege los derechos de los trabajadores en este video. Para más información sobre protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo en virtud de las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase a un seminario en línea en vivo o vea una presentación a la carta; envíe un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov; o visite los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.

Nota: Este comunicado de prensa ha sido traducido a varios idiomas. Vea las traducciones a continuación.

El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un Memorando de Entendimiento (MOU, por sus siglas en inglés) con la Oficina Administrativa de los Tribunales (AOC, por sus siglas en inglés) del Tribunal Supremo de Oklahoma para resolver una investigación de derechos civiles y mejorar el acceso a los tribunales estatales de Oklahoma para las personas con dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés).

El departamento recibió una queja alegando que el Tribunal de Distrito del Condado de Mayes no le proporcionó un acceso significativo a una persona con LEP en un caso de tribunal de familia. El Departamento de Justicia emprendió una investigación en virtud del Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (Título VI), que prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de raza, color de piel y nacionalidad de origen por parte de los beneficiarios de asistencia financiera federal. Posteriormente, el Departamento de Justicia puso en pausa la investigación en virtud del Título VI en respuesta a las medidas positivas adoptadas por la AOC para proporcionar un acceso significativo a todos los usuarios de los tribunales con LEP. Entre otras medidas, la AOC proporcionó servicios de interpretación gratuitos a la persona con LEP identificada en la queja, contrató a un coordinador de acceso lingüístico y propuso legislación, que se convirtió en ley estatal. Dicha ley elimina los honorarios de intérprete cobrados a las partes con LEP. También autorizó la creación de un fondo estatal para financiar los servicios de traducción e interpretación de los tribunales.

«Las personas no deben ser penalizadas por su limitado dominio del inglés y no deben encontrar dificultades para obtener los servicios de asistencia lingüística que necesitan para participar equitativamente en los procedimientos y operaciones judiciales», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Este acuerdo se erige como un modelo para garantizarles acceso a los tribunales a todas las personas, independientemente de su dominio del inglés, y esboza las acciones necesarias para eliminar las barreras para los usuarios de los tribunales con un dominio limitado del inglés en Oklahoma».

«Con la nueva ley estatal y el Memorando de Entendimiento, Oklahoma ha demostrado su compromiso con mejorar el acceso a la justicia en nuestro estado», afirmó Clinton J. Johnson, el Fiscal Federal del Distrito Norte de Oklahoma. «Estamos comprometidos a trabajar con nuestros tribunales estatales para garantizar el cumplimiento del Título VI y las leyes de derechos civiles afines».

En virtud del Memorando de Entendimiento, la AOC prestará servicios de asistencia lingüística oral y escrita en todos los procedimientos civiles y penales, y en las operaciones de los tribunales sin costo alguno para las personas con LEP, elaborará un plan de acceso lingüístico a escala estatal y añadirá traducciones de documentos vitales. La AOC también mejorará su sistema de gestión de casos para hacer un mejor seguimiento de las necesidades lingüísticas, desarrollará un proceso de quejas sobre acceso lingüístico, creará y distribuirá un aviso de servicios de interpretación traducido para los juzgados, y creará y publicará un vídeo de orientación sobre interpretación a distancia para el personal de los tribunales.

Este asunto fue llevado a cabo conjuntamente por abogados de la División de Derechos Civiles y de la Oficina de la Fiscalía del Distrito Norte de Oklahoma. Hay información adicional disponible sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt, y hay información disponible sobre el dominio limitado del inglés y el Título VI en www.lep.gov. El público en general puede denunciar posibles violaciones de los derechos civiles en www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ o ante la Oficina de la Fiscalía del Distrito Norte de Oklahoma en www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us.

Hôm nay, Bộ Tư Pháp đã công bố Biên Bản Ghi Nhớ (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU) với Tòa Án Tối Cao Oklahoma, Văn Phòng Quản Lý Hành Chính Phụ Trách Các Tòa Án (Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) để giải quyết một cuộc điều tra về quyền dân sự và cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận các Tòa án Tiểu bang Oklahoma dành cho những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế (Limited English Proficiency, LEP).

Bộ đã nhận được đơn khiếu nại cáo buộc Tòa án Quận Mayes đã không cung cấp quyền tiếp cận có giá trị dành cho cá nhân LEP trong một vụ kiện tại tòa án gia đình. Bộ Tư pháp đã khởi xướng một cuộc điều tra theo Tiêu đề VI của Đạo luật Dân quyền năm 1964 (Civil Rights Act of 1964) sau đây gọi tắt là “Tiêu đề VI”, cấm phân biệt đối xử dựa trên chủng tộc, màu da và nguồn gốc quốc gia bởi những người nhận hỗ trợ tài chính liên bang. Bộ Tư pháp sau đó đã tạm dừng cuộc điều tra Tiêu đề VI để đáp lại các bước khẳng định của AOC nhằm cung cấp quyền truy cập có ý nghĩa cho tất cả những cá nhân tham gia tòa án có LEP. Trong số các hành động khác, AOC đã cung cấp dịch vụ thông dịch miễn phí cho người có LEP được xác định trong đơn khiếu nại, sử dụng một điều phối viên tiếp cận ngôn ngữ và luật đề xuất, sau đó đã trở thành luật của tiểu bang. Luật này loại bỏ chi phí thông dịch viên được tính cho các bên LEP. Luật này cũng ủy quyền cho một quỹ toàn tiểu bang hỗ trợ các dịch vụ phiên dịch và dịch thuật ngôn ngữ của tòa án.

Trợ lý Bộ trưởng Tư pháp Kristen Clarke thuộc Phòng Dân quyền của Bộ Tư pháp cho biết: “Mọi người không nên bị phạt vì trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và không nên gặp khó khăn trong việc nhận được các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ mà họ cần để tham gia một cách công bằng vào các thủ tục tố tụng và hoạt động của tòa án. Thỏa thuận này là một mô hình đảm bảo khả năng tiếp cận tòa án cho tất cả mọi người bất kể trình độ tiếng Anh như thế nào và vạch ra các hành động cần thiết để loại bỏ rào cản đối với những người tham gia tố tụng có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế ở bang Oklahoma.”

Luật sư Hoa Kỳ Clinton J. Johnson của Quận Bắc Oklahoma (Northern District of Oklahoma) cho biết: “Với luật mới của tiểu bang và MOU này, Oklahoma đã thể hiện cam kết cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận công lý ở tiểu bang của chúng ta. Chúng tôi cam kết làm việc với các tòa án tiểu bang của mình để đảm bảo tuân thủ Tiêu đề VI và các luật dân quyền liên quan.”
Theo MOU, AOC sẽ cung cấp miễn phí các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ bằng lời nói cũng như bằng văn bản trong tất cả các thủ tục tố tụng dân sự và hình sự cũng như hoạt động của tòa án cho những cá nhân có LEP, sẽ xây dựng kế hoạch tiếp cận ngôn ngữ trên toàn tiểu bang và sẽ bổ sung bản dịch các tài liệu quan trọng. AOC cũng sẽ cải thiện hệ thống quản lý hồ sơ của mình để theo dõi nhu cầu ngôn ngữ tốt hơn, phát triển quy trình khiếu nại tiếp cận ngôn ngữ, tạo và phân phối thông báo dịch vụ thông dịch viên đã được dịch cho các tòa án, đồng thời tạo và phát hành video hướng dẫn thông dịch viên từ xa cho nhân viên tòa án.
Vấn đề này được các luật sư của Phòng Dân quyền và Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ tại Quận Bắc Oklahoma cùng tiến hành. Thông tin bổ sung về Phòng Dân Quyền có sẵn trên trang web của họ tại www.justice.gov/crt, và thông tin về trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và Tiêu đề VI có tại www.lep.gov. Các thành viên công chúng có thể báo cáo những vi phạm quyền công dân có thể xảy ra tại trang mạng www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ hoặc với Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ tại Quận Bắc Oklahoma tại trang mạng www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us.

Jíídą́ą́ Beehaz’áanii Bee Nahwiidiit’aají bits’ą́ą́dóó ha’oozíí’Naaltsoos Bee Ahidiníłnáo Ak’i’diit’įįhígíí (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU) éí Halgai Hahozojí Aadahwiinít’ı̨́, Aadahwiinít’ı̨́įgi Naanish Bik’ił Adéestįį’jí (Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) bit’a’gi niiltsooz éí beego Dine’ Bilagáana bizaad t’áá bánantł’ahgo (Limited English Proficiency, LEP) dóó t’áábí bibeehaz’áanii bąąh siláhígíí hazhó’ó nidoolkah dóó Halgai Hahozojí aadahwiinít’ı̨́ bee bá’ahóót’i’ dooleeł.

Áánahwiit’aahjí da’íínísh éí bee niiltsooz díí Mayes Ałtsíísígo Hahoozo Aadahwinít’ı̨́ doo hééshı̨́ı̨́ Bilagáana bizaad t’áá bánintł’ahígíí doo t’áá’áníít’éejį bił na’azhnish da. Beehaz’áanii Bee Nahwiidiit’aajį’ hayiłwod Beehaz’áanii Hastąąh góne’ Beehaz’áanii T’ááhó Hąąh Siláhígíí 1964 (Civil Rights of 1964) (Title VI) éí ání doo éí beehaz’áada diné yits’ą́ą́dóó yigháłígíí, bikági ánoolin, dóó aláago áká’aná’awo’ choyoł’ı̨́įgo doo bik’ijį’ ni’t’oonish da. Áánahwiit’aahjí da’íínísh dę́ę́’ átsé díí Beehaz’áanii Hastąąh góne’ (Title VI) na’alkaah ne’ kóyiilaah AOC éiyá hayitáo lá bohónéezą́ogo Diné Bilagáana bizaad t’áá bánanitł’ahiígíí (LEP) adahwiinít’ı̨́ı̨́ góne’ bił na’anish dooleełgi yik’eh áyiilaahjį’. AOC hast’eyiilaaígíí éí at’a’halne’é Diné Bilagáana bizaad t’áá bánanitł’ah (LEP) bá hólǫ́ǫgo áyiilaah, saad bee yá’át’i’gi yik’idées’ı̨́ı̨́’ígíí ła’ naanish baadeet’ą́, dóó beehaz’áanii ályaah. Díí beehaz’áanii éí at’a’halne’é bich’į siláhígíí éí Diné Bilagáana bizaad t’áá bánanitł’aaígíí éí doo yik’éh needoolééłgóó áyiilaah. Áádóó ałdó’ nitsaahohozojí béeso ła’ básinilgo at’a’halne’é dóó saad neezo dooígíí bich’į silá biniyé. 

“Diné t’áá Bilagáana bizaad binanitł’ahgo doo éí haiyit’áo doo bik’ijį’ doozo da dóó bá at’a’halne’dooígíí t’áádoo bantł’aaí adazosiní áko aadahwinít’ı̨́ góne’ at’ah binaanish íidooliił” ní Agha’diit’aahii At’isgo Dasidáhígíí bikéédóó danánásdáhígíí General Kristen Clarke díí Aadahwiinit’ı̨́ Da’íníísh T’ááho Beehaz’áanii Hąąh Siláhígíí Bee Há’ahóót’i’gi Bik’i’adéest’ı̨́ı̨́jí. “Díí bee ałha’deet’ánígíí éí binajį’ t’áá ałtsoh bila’ashdla’ii adahwinít’ı̨́ góne’ bá adahast’i’ dooleeł azhą́ Bilagáana bizaad bił nanitł’ah ndi dóó Halgai Hahozojí adahwiinít’ı̨́ choyooł’ı̨́įdoo.”

“Díí Nitsaahahozojí beehaz’áanii ályaaígíí dóó Naaltsoos Bee Ahidiníłnáo Ak’idiit’įįhígíí, Halgai Hahozojí éí aadahwiinít’ı̨́ t’áá’ałtsoh bá’ahót’i’go yideeshnish,” ní U.S. ji’ Agha’diit’aahii 

Tsoh Clinton J. Johnson kojí bá Halgai Hahozo Náhokosjí bił Hahozo Da'ínííshjí (Northern District of Oklahoma). “Nihí éí nitsaago hahozojí bił nideelnishgo t’áá’ałtsoh bee Haz’áanii Hastą́ą́ dóó bíla’ashdła’ii ’óhóólnííh bąąh siláhígíí adahwiinít’ı̨́ yik’ehósin dooleeł biniyé.”

Naaltsoos Bee Ahidiníłnáo Ak’idiit’įįhígíí biyaadóó, AOC éí ha’oozíí’ dóó bee ak’e’ashchı̨́įgo áyiilaago saad bee háká at’oowoł díí adadahozistą́ǫ hahwiinít’ǫ́o dóó aadahwiint’ı̨́ góne’ báá’ílínígíí doo Diné Bilagáana bizaad bił nanitł’ahígíí doo yik’é ni t’oolééł da, nitsaahgo hahozojí saad bee háká at’oowołígíí bik’eh áhoolyaah, dóó naaltsoos bee ’éédahóziníí saad bik’it’iitįįhgo ádoolnííł. AOC éí bahwiinít’ínígíí binaaltsoos nidandeehígíí hazhó’ó bikéé’ adéest’ı̨́ı̨́go bá at’a’hane’ hólǫ́ǫgo íidoolííł, at’a’hane’ wókaad biniyé naaltsoos nehe’nííłígíí, adahwiinít’ı̨́įgi at’a’hane’ holǫ́ níigo hane’ íł’ı̨́į dooleeł, dóó naalkidí biyi’jı̨́’ adahwiinít’ı̨́įgi nidaalnishígíí hayit’áo ách’iił’įį. 

Díí bahwiinít’ínígíí éí T’ááhó Beehaz’áanii Hą́ą́h Silá bił da’ííníshjí be’agha’diit’aahii danilínígíí dóó Halgai Hahozo Náhokosjí bił Hahozo Da’ínííshjí ahił nidaashnish. Náásgóó díí hane’ biniyé T’ááhó Beehaz’áanii Hą́ą́h Silá bił da’ííníshjí béésh nitsíkees biyi’jį www.justice.gov/crt dídíí’įįł, dóó Bilagáana bizaad bee hach’į’ anáhóót’i’go dóó Beehaz’áanii Hast’ą́ą́ si’áníí éí www.lep.gov gi daaszo. T’áá hééshı̨́ı̨́ óhólnííh hąąsiláhígíí bił asziigo éí www.civilrights.justice.gov/report biyi’jį’ baahoshdoolne’ doodai’ U.S. Agha’diit’aahii Tsoh Halgai Hahozo Náhokosjí bił Hahozo Da’ínííshjí jį’ www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us. 

ھذا اﻟﺑﯾﺎن اﻟﺻﺣﻔﻲ إﻟﻰ ﻟﻐﺎت ﻣﺧﺗﻠﻔﺔ. وإﻟﯾﻛم اﻟﺗرﺟﻣﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ. ﻣﻠﺣوظﺔ: ﺗُرﺟم

واﺷﻨﻄﻦ - أﻋﻠﻨﺖ وزارة اﻟﻌﺪل اﻟﯿﻮم ﻋﻦ إﺑﺮام ﻣﺬﻛﺮة ﺗﻔﺎھﻢ MOU) Understanding, of (Memorandum ﻣﻊ اﻟﻤﻜﺘﺐ اﻹداري AOC) Courts, the of Office (Administrative ﻟﻠﻤﺤﻜﻤﺔ اﻟﻌﻠﯿﺎ ﻓﻲ أوﻛﻼھﻮﻣﺎ ﻟﺘﺴﻮﯾﺔ أﺣﺪ اﻟﺘﺤﻘﯿﻘﺎت اﻟﻤﺘﻌﻠﻘﺔ

ﺑﺎﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ وﺗﺤﺴﯿﻦ ﺗﻮﻓﯿﺮ اﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ ﻟﻤﺤﺪودي إﺟﺎدة اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﯾﺔ

LEP) Proficiency, English (Limited ﻓﻲ ﻣﺤﺎﻛﻢ وﻻﯾﺔ أوﻛﻼھﻮﻣﺎ.

ﺗﻠﻘﺖ اﻟﻮزارة ﺷﻜﻮى ﺗﺰﻋﻢ ﻓﺸﻞ ﻣﺤﻜﻤﺔ ﻣﻘﺎطﻌﺔ ﻣﺎﯾﺰ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻮﻓﯿﺮ ﺧﺪﻣﺎت ﻟﻐﻮﯾﺔ ﻣﺠﺪﯾﺔ ﻟﺸﺨﺺ ﯾﻨﺘﻤﻲ إﻟﻰ LEP ﻓﻲ ﻗﻀﯿﺘﮫ اﻟﺨﺎﺻﺔ ﺑﻤﺤﻜﻤﺔ اﻷﺳﺮة. ﺑﺪأت وزارة اﻟﻌﺪل ﻓﻲ إﺟﺮاء ﺗﺤﻘﯿﻖ ﺑﻤﻮﺟﺐ اﻟﺒﺎب اﻟﺴﺎدس ﻣﻦ ﻗﺎﻧﻮن اﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ ﻟﻌﺎم 1964 1964) of Act Rights (Civil )اﻟﺒﺎب اﻟﺴﺎدس( اﻟﺬي ﯾﺤﻈﺮ اﻟﺘﻤﯿﯿﺰ ﺑﯿﻦ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻔﯿﺪﯾﻦ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﺴﺎﻋﺪات اﻟﻤﺎﻟﯿﺔ اﻟﻔﯿﺪراﻟﯿﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ أﺳﺎس اﻟﻌﺮق أو اﻟﻠﻮن أو اﻷﺻﻞ اﻟﻘﻮﻣﻲ. أوﻗﻔﺖ وزارة اﻟﻌﺪل اﻟﺘﺤﻘﯿﻖ ﻣﺆﻗﺘًﺎ ﺑﻌﺪ ذﻟﻚ ﻧﺘﯿﺠﺔ ﻟﻠﺨﻄﻮات اﻹﯾﺠﺎﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ اﺗﺨﺬھﺎ ﻣﻜﺘﺐ AOC ﻣﻦ أﺟﻞ ﺗﻮﻓﯿﺮ ﺧﺪﻣﺎت ﻟﻐﻮﯾﺔ ﻣﺠﺪﯾﺔ ﻟﺠﻤﯿﻊ ﻋﻤﻼء اﻟﻤﺤﻜﻤﺔ ﻣﻤﻦ ﯾﻨﺘﻤﻮن إﻟﻰ .LEP اﺗﺨﺬ ﻣﻜﺘﺐ AOC إﺟﺮاءات أﺧﺮى ﻣﻦ ﺑﯿﻨﮭﺎ ﺗﻘﺪﯾﻢ ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ ﻣﺠﺎﻧًﺎ إﻟﻰ ﺷﺨﺺ ﯾﻨﺘﻤﻲ إﻟﻰ LEP وﻣﺬﻛﻮر اﺳﻤﮫ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻜﻮى، وﺗﻌﯿﯿﻦ ﻣﻨﺴﻖ ﻟﺘﻮﻓﯿﺮ اﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ، وإﺻﺪار ﺗﺸﺮﯾﻊ أﺻﺒﺢ ﺑﻌﺪ ذﻟﻚ أﺣﺪ ﻗﻮاﻧﯿﻦ اﻟﻮﻻﯾﺔ. وﺑﻤﻮﺟﺐ ھﺬا اﻟﻘﺎﻧﻮن، ﯾُﻌﻔﻰ LEP ﻣﻦ رﺳﻮم اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ. ﻛﻤﺎ أﺟﺎز اﻟﻘﺎﻧﻮن إﻧﺸﺎء ﺻﻨﺪوق ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺴﺘﻮى اﻟﻮﻻﯾﺔ ﻟﺪﻋﻢ ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﺘﺤﺮﯾﺮﯾﺔ واﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ ﻟﻠﻐﺎت

اﻟﻤﺤﻜﻤﺔ.

ﺻ ﱠﺮﺣﺖ ﻛﺮﯾﺴﺘﯿﻦ ﻛﻼرك، ﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻨﺎﺋﺐ اﻟﻌﺎم ﻟﺪاﺋﺮة اﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ ﻓﻲ وزارة اﻟﻌﺪل ﻗﺎﺋﻠﺔً: "ﯾﻨﺒﻐﻲ ﻋﺪم ﻣﻌﺎﻗﺒﺔ اﻷﺷﺨﺎص ﻋﻠﻰ إﺟﺎدﺗﮭﻢ اﻟﻤﺤﺪودة ﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﯾﺔ، وﯾﺠﺐ أﻻ ﯾﻮاﺟﮭﻮا ﺻﻌﻮﺑﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺤﺼﻮل ﻋﻠﻰ ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻤﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ اﻟﺘﻲ ﯾﺤﺘﺎﺟﻮن

إﻟﯿﮭﺎ ﻟﻠﻤﺸﺎرﻛﺔ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻋﺎدل ﻓﻲ ﺟﻠﺴﺎت اﻟﻤﺤﻜﻤﺔ وإﺟﺮاءاﺗﮭﺎ." وأﺿﺎﻓﺖ أﯾ  ًﻀﺎ "ﺗﻤﺜﻞ ھﺬه اﻻﺗﻔﺎﻗﯿﺔ ﻧﻤﻮذﺟﺎ ﯾﺠﺐ اﻻﺣﺘﺬاء ﺑﮫ

ﻟﻀﻤﺎن ﺗﻮﻓﯿﺮ اﻟﻤﺤﺎﻛﻢ ﻟﻠﺨﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ ﻟﺠﻤﯿﻊ اﻷﺷﺨﺎص ﺑﻐﺾ اﻟﻨﻈﺮ ﻋﻦ ﻣﺴﺘﻮى إﺟﺎدﺗﮭﻢ اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﯾﺔ، ﻛﻤﺎ ﺗﺤﺪد

اﻹﺟﺮاءات اﻟﻼزﻣﺔ ﻹزاﻟﺔ اﻟﺤﻮاﺟﺰ أﻣﺎم ﻋﻤﻼء اﻟﻤﺤﺎﻛﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺤﺪودي إﺟﺎدة اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﯾﺔ ﻓﻲ أوﻛﻼھﻮﻣﺎ."

ﻗﺎل ﻛﻠﯿﻨﺘﻮن ﺟﯿﮫ ﺟﻮﻧﺴﻮن، اﻟﻨﺎﺋﺐ اﻟﻌﺎم ﻟﻠﻮﻻﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة ﻟﻠﻤﻨﻄﻘﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﺎﻟﯿﺔ ﻣﻦ أوﻛﻼھﻮﻣﺎ Oklahoma) of District :(Northern "أظﮭﺮت أوﻛﻼھﻮﻣﺎ اﻟﺘﺰاﻣﮭﺎ ﺑﺘﺤﺴﯿﻦ ﺗﺤﻘﯿﻖ اﻟﻌﺪاﻟﺔ ﻓﻲ وﻻﯾﺘﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل ﺗﺸﺮﯾﻊ ﻗﺎﻧﻮن اﻟﻮﻻﯾﺔ اﻟﺠﺪﯾﺪ وإﺑﺮام ﻣﺬﻛﺮة MOU ھﺬه." وأﺿﺎف ﻗﺎﺋﻼً: "ﻧﻠﺘﺰم ﺑﺎﻟﻌﻤﻞ ﻣﻊ ﻣﺤﺎﻛﻢ وﻻﯾﺘﻨﺎ ﻟﻀﻤﺎن اﻻﻣﺘﺜﺎل ﻟﻤﺘﻄﻠﺒﺎت

اﻟﺒﺎب اﻟﺴﺎدس وﻗﻮاﻧﯿﻦ اﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ ذات اﻟﺼﻠﺔ."

ﺳﯿﻮﻓﺮ ﻣﻜﺘﺐ AOC، ﺑﻤﻮﺟﺐ ﻣﺬﻛﺮة MOU ھﺬه، ﺧﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻤﺴﺎﻋﺪة اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ اﻟﺸﻔﮭﯿﺔ واﻟﺘﺤﺮﯾﺮﯾﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺟﻤﯿﻊ ﺟﻠﺴﺎت اﻟﻤﺤﻜﻤﺔ وإﺟﺮاءاﺗﮭﺎ اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ واﻟﺠﻨﺎﺋﯿﺔ ﻣﺠﺎﻧًﺎ ﻟـ LEP، وﺳﯿﻀﻊ ﺧﻄﺔ ﻟﺘﻮﻓﯿﺮ اﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺴﺘﻮى اﻟﻮﻻﯾﺔ، وﺳﯿﻀﯿﻒ ﺗﺮﺟﻤﺎت ﻟﻠﻮﺛﺎﺋﻖ ﺑﺎﻟﻐﺔ اﻷھﻤﯿﺔ. ﺳﯿﺤﺴﻦ ﻣﻜﺘﺐ AOC أﯾ  ًﻀﺎ ﻧﻈﺎم إدارة اﻟﻘﻀﺎﯾﺎ اﻟﺨﺎص ﺑﮫ ﻟﺘﺘﺒﻊ اﻻﺣﺘﯿﺎﺟﺎت اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ أﻓﻀﻞ، وإﻋﺪاد

إﺟﺮاءات ﺗﻘﺪﯾﻢ اﻟﺸﻜﺎوى ﺑﺸﺄن ﺗﻮﻓﯿﺮ اﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻠﻐﻮﯾﺔ، وﺻﯿﺎﻏﺔ إﺷﻌﺎر ﻣﺘﺮﺟﻢ ﻟﺨﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﺤﺎﻛﻢ وﺗﻮزﯾﻌﮫ،

وإﻧﺸﺎء دﻟﯿﻞ وإﺻﺪاره ﻟﻤﻮظﻔﻲ اﻟﻤﺤﻜﻤﺔ ﯾﺨﺺ اﻟﺘﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻟﻔﻮرﯾﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﯿﺪﯾﻮ ﻋﻦ ﺑُﻌﺪ.

ﺗﻌﺎون ﻧ ﱠﻮاب ﻣﻦ داﺋﺮة اﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ وﻣﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻨﺎﺋﺐ اﻟﻌﺎم ﻟﻠﻮﻻﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة ﻟﻠﻤﻨﻄﻘﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﺎﻟﯿﺔ ﻣﻦ أوﻛﻼھﻮﻣﺎ ﻟﺒﺤﺚ ھﺬه اﻟﻤﺴﺄﻟﺔ. ﺗﺘﻮﻓﺮ ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت إﺿﺎﻓﯿﺔ ﻋﻦ "داﺋﺮة اﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ" ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻮﻗﻌﮭﺎ اﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ ﻋﻠﻰ ھﺬا اﻟﺮاﺑﻂ www.justice.gov/crt، ﻛﻤﺎ ﺗﺘﻮﻓﺮ ﻣﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت ﻋﻦ ﻣﺤﺪودي إﺟﺎدة اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻹﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﯾﺔ واﻟﺒﺎب اﻟﺴﺎدس ﻣﻦ اﻟﻘﺎﻧﻮن ﻋﻠﻰ .www.lep.gov ﯾﻤﻜﻦ ﻟﻠﻌﺎﻣﺔ اﻹﺑﻼغ ﻋﻦ أي اﻧﺘﮭﺎﻛﺎت ﻣﺤﺘﻤﻠﺔ ﻟﻠﺤﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺪﻧﯿﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻤﻮﻗﻊ: www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ أو ﻋﻦ طﺮﯾﻖ اﻟﺘﻮاﺻﻞ ﻣﻊ

ﻣﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻨﺎﺋﺐ اﻟﻌﺎم ﻟﻠﻮﻻﯾﺎت اﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪة ﻟﻠﻤﻨﻄﻘﺔ اﻟﺸﻤﺎﻟﯿﺔ ﻣﻦ أوﻛﻼھﻮﻣﺎ ﻋﻠﻰ .www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us

The United States today filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas seeking to permanently bar a Houston-area tax return preparer and her business from preparing federal income tax returns for others, among other related prohibitions.

The complaint alleges that Crystal Ojeda prepared over 10,000 federal income tax returns between 2018 and 2023 from her business “Money Market Tax Company LLC” as well as through two separate sole proprietorships: “Money Market Financial Services” and “Money Market Financial.” The complaint also alleges that in a substantial number of these tax returns, Ojeda significantly overstated her customers’ tax refund amounts by fabricating or inflating business losses, medical and dental expenses, and charitable contributions. In addition, the complaint alleges that for some customers’ returns, Ojeda falsely claimed residential energy credits to which her customers were not entitled, reducing their taxable income and leading to inflated refunds.

By repeatedly understating her customers’ tax liabilities, the complaint alleges, Ojeda has caused the United States harm of an estimated $4.8 million in tax revenue just from the years 2020 to 2022, and millions more from earlier years.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.

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

The Justice Department announced that LJLD LLC and Westminster Properties LLC, the developers of residential apartments in St. Louis, have agreed to settle a federal lawsuit alleging that they violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to design and construct Bridgewater Residences Apartments in St. Louis to be accessible to people with disabilities.

Under the consent order, which must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, the defendants will pay $18,500 into a settlement fund to compensate individuals harmed by the inaccessible housing and will modify features of the apartment complex to be accessible. The updates will, among other things, eliminate inaccessibly steep slopes on the walkways around the outside of the apartment complex; make accessible the exterior facilities, such as the dumpster and the dog park, by constructing the appropriate sidewalks and ramps; and make the bathrooms in the apartments more accessible and usable.  

“This settlement makes clear that the Justice Department is committed to zealously enforcing the federal civil rights laws that guarantee people with disabilities equal access to housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Real estate developers across the country should take note that they cannot ignore federally-mandated accessibility requirements.”

“Under this agreement, tenants with disabilities will be compensated for the difficulties they suffered in the past at these apartments,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “But more importantly, the agreed-upon updates will make it safer and easier for both current and future tenants to easily access all the facilities of the complex, including dumpsters, dog parks and their own apartment bathrooms.”

“Failing to properly design and construct apartments to be accessible to people with disabilities amounts to violation of the Fair Housing Act and the ADA,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria L. McCain of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “That is why Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) free Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST initiative was created as a way to assist the public with planning for compliance with the accessibility requirements first – before engineering, before design and before construction.”

In addition to updating the apartments and compensating persons who have who have been harmed as a result of the inaccessible conditions at the properties (located at 19, 21 and 23 Kassebaum Lane), the consent order also requires that the defendants’ employees undergo training on the design and construction requirements of the FHA and the ADA.

The lawsuit arose from a complaint by Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council (EHOC) filed with HUD. After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination. EHOC chose to have the matter decided in federal court, and HUD referred to the matter to the Justice Department. Upon receiving the referral, the Justice Department investigated further and filed a lawsuit in September 2022.

Individuals who believe they or someone they know may have had difficulties because of the inaccessible conditions at these properties should send an e-mail to the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or call 1-833-591-0291 and select option 1 for English, option 4 for housing accessibility for persons with disabilities or the design and construction of accessible housing cases, and option 7 for Bridgewater to leave a message.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the FHA, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, sex and familial status. This law requires that 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.justice.gov/crt. Individuals may report disability discrimination or other forms of housing discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, e-mailing the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submitting a report online. Individuals may also report such discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.  

HUD’s Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST is an initiative designed to promote compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements. The program offers comprehensive and detailed instruction programs, useful online web resources, and a toll-free information line for technical guidance and support. Those interested in technical assistance from HUD’s FIRST program may read more at www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/accessibility_first_home.

The Justice Department announced today that the United States filed a complaint to enjoin a Gilbert, Arizona, company from manufacturing and distributing products the government alleges to be adulterated and unapproved new animal drugs, the Justice Department announced today.

In a civil complaint for permanent injunction filed Aug. 29, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, the United States alleges that AniCell Biotech LLC and its owner, Brandon T. Ames, violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). According to the complaint, the defendants manufacture products under the brand names EquusCell and CanisCell consisting of injectable and intravenous liquids, eye drops and grafts derived from the amniotic tissue of horses. The complaint alleges that the defendants claim on their website and in promotional pamphlets that their products are intended for use in horses, dogs and cats to treat various diseases, such as osteoarthritis and renal failure, and to promote tissue regeneration and healing.

According to the complaint, the defendants’ products are not generally recognized by qualified experts as safe and effective for the purposes claimed by the defendants and lack approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The complaint further alleges that new animal drugs sold in interstate commerce without FDA approval are considered adulterated. The complaint states that FDA repeatedly told the defendants, including through a 2018 warning letter, that their products constituted new animal drugs under the law and could not be sold without FDA approval.

“The FDCA is critical to ensuring the safety of animal drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to work with FDA to take action against animal drug manufacturers that do not comply with the law.”

“New animal drugs must undergo FDA review to ensure that, among other things, they are safe and effective for their intended uses,” said Director Tracey Forfa J.D. of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “When companies distribute unapproved new animal drugs like these by ignoring or attempting to bypass the public health safeguards of FDA pre-market review and post-market monitoring, they not only violate the law, but they also violate the trust of their people who rely on their products to be safe and effective to treat animals in need.”

Trial Attorney Coleen Schoch of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch is handling the case with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel for Enforcement Jaclyn E. Martínez Resly of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.

Saipan, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), announced that the United States District Court for the NMI imposed 90 days of imprisonment for Jiang Feng Li, age 31, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), for Conspiracy to Unlawfully Produce an Identification Document, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028(a)(1).  The Court also ordered Li to serve two years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment fee.  He was further ordered to report for deportation proceedings.

Li became a target of a federal investigation in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) during the spring of 2021.  Investigators in Saipan learned Li was a street broker of driver’s licenses unlawfully produced for foreign citizens who did not have valid immigration status – a requirement for obtaining a license in that jurisdiction.  Foreign citizens paid Li $1,400 to $1,600 to have conspirators fraudulently produce licenses by the CNMI Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  Li’s federal charge alleged his unlawful assistance to three foreign citizens between May and June 2021.

Li initially came to the CNMI as a tourist, which limited his ability to travel to other parts of the United States.  In July of 2022, Li traveled via boat from Saipan to Guam.  He was eventually located and arrested there in January 2023. 

“The public deserves to have confidence in the integrity of our licensing systems,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “Testing drivers for their knowledge and proficiency helps keep our roadways safe.  The defendant’s conduct not only induced the unlawful production of licenses for foreign nationals, but potentially contributed to hazards for other drivers.  This matter, and related cases, demonstrate our ongoing efforts to promote public safety throughout the CNMI and Guam.”

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Albert Flores Jr., Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that James Graves, 51, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on today in federal court in Omaha for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Graves to imprisonment for 151 months. Upon release from prison, Graves will be required to complete a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

On September 27, 2022, investigators executed a warrant to search a residence on South 45th Street in Omaha, where Graves and Joshua Finken resided. Graves was present at the time of the search and admitted to investigators that he purchased distribution quantities of methamphetamine from Finken over the preceding six months.

Investigators found a safe in Graves’s upstairs bedroom containing a quantity of methamphetamine. Finken resided in the basement, where investigators found several packages of methamphetamine and more than $17,000 in drug proceeds collocated in another safe. Laboratory testing confirmed at least 295 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from the basement.

Finken was arrested nearly a month later on October 23, 2022, when Omaha Police Department officers responded to a motorcycle accident at South 45th and Leavenworth Streets in Omaha. When officers arrived, Finken was running away from the scene on foot, apparently injured. He left a backpack behind where the motorcycle crashed, which was searched by officers and was found to contain at least 159 grams of methamphetamine.

Joshua Finken’s jury trial is scheduled to begin on October 30, 2023.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Transnational Organized Crime (TOC-West) Task Force and the Bellevue Police Department.

A dual U.K.-Nigerian national who was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With today’s sentencing, all three defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom in connection with this matter have been sentenced. 

According to court documents, Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 44, was part of a group of fraudsters that 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 multi-million-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. Abraham and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then forward the fraud proceeds to others. 

The other two defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. On June 21, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel to 82 months in prison, and on July 25, Judge Williams sentenced Jerry Chucks Ozor to 87 months in prison for their roles in the scheme. Two other co-defendants, who were extradited to the United States from Spain, have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in October and November.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We thank our colleagues at the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service for assisting with the successful investigation and extradition of these defendants and the United Kingdom’s National Trading Standards Scams Team for its help in identifying this and other transnational fraud schemes.”

“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 of the USPIS Miami Division. “This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department's Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the USPIS, to protect our citizens from these scams.”

“International criminal organizations using schemes that target and steal from the elderly will be held responsible for their despicable actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI Arizona. “This case demonstrates HSI’s commitment, with our partner law enforcement agencies domestically and abroad, to prove wrong those who believe they are beyond the reach of the law. I thank all the law enforcement agencies that dedicated countless hours in making this investigation a significant success.”

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 its website at 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.

Saipan, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Yuzhu Zhang, age 50, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 64 months imprisonment for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1).  The Court also ordered three years of supervised release, forfeiture of $4,239 in currency, 100 hours of community service, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.  The defendant was also ordered to report to a U.S. Immigration Officer for deportation proceedings as a condition of supervised release.

In March 2022, Customs officers for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) discovered more than two kilograms of methamphetamine inside a parcel at the United States Post Office in Saipan.  The package had been mailed from California.  After removing the drugs, officers performed a controlled delivery of the package to a private mail carrier.  Zhang claimed the item from the carrier and was arrested after placing it inside the trunk of his vehicle.  Officers also located 19 baggies of methamphetamine, weighing a total of 20.16 grams, and $4,239 in currency inside the vehicle.  The drugs had a street value of more than one million dollars.  Zhang previously entered the CNMI as a tourist but overstayed the visitation period allowed by federal law.

“Drug interdictions by CNMI and federal authorities continue to result in substantial seizures of methamphetamine from our mail system,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “Traffickers will face substantial penalties, including the forfeiture of any drug proceeds.  Foreign nationals will also risk removal from the United States and denial of reentry.”

This investigation was led by the CNMI Division of Customs and Quarantine, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, Guam Resident Office, Saipan Post of Duty.

This case was prosecuted by Albert S. Flores Jr. and Ashley L. Kost, Assistant United States Attorneys in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.

A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to evading taxes on income he earned as a commercial fisherman.

According to court documents and statements made in court, John Doe of New Bedford, Massachusetts, worked as a commercial fisherman operating primarily out of the Port of New Bedford. Despite receiving approximately $1.9 million in income between 2012 and 2021, Doe did not file tax returns with the IRS and did not pay taxes on the income he earned. To conceal his earnings from the IRS, Doe cashed his paychecks from fishing companies at check-cashing businesses and then used the cash to fund his personal lifestyle. He also used stolen identities to cash the checks. In total, Doe caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $520,415.

Doe is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1 and faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro and Assistant Chief John Kane of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

A Michigan company and its president pleaded guilty today for their roles in two separate conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.

According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Detroit, Clarkston-based F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied) and its president, Andrew Foster, conspired with two asphalt paving companies and their employees to rig bids in each other’s favor. Allied and Foster participated in the two conspiracies from June 2013 through June 2019, and from July 2017 through May 2021, respectively. 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.

“These guilty pleas demonstrate our commitment to protecting Americans from schemes that undermine competition in the transportation infrastructure sector,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the division will continue to seek justice when corporations and their leaders deprive customers of fair and open competition.”

“The additional judicial actions taken to thwart this bid rigging scheme demonstrate our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to investigate anticompetitive practices in the transportation industry,” said Special Agent in Charge Andrea M. Kropf of the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Midwestern Region. “These plea agreements should send a clear message that dishonest and deceitful behavior will not be allowed.”

“Activities related to bid-rigging and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition which harms the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The guilty pleas in this case represent a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served."

Allied and Foster each pleaded guilty to two counts of violating Section One of the Sherman Act. The maximum penalty for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine.  The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Allied is the first company and Foster the second 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, DOT-OIG and USPS-OIG.

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.

The Justice Department entered a consent decree in federal court with Zachery Keeler, dba Even Keel Exotics LLC, to resolve allegations in a complaint that Keeler violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Animal Welfare Act (AWA). As part of the agreement, Keeler will surrender close to 150 animals including ring-tailed lemurs, kinkajous, wallabies, porcupines, foxes, prairie dogs and ground squirrels. He has also agreed to never buy, sell or otherwise engage in commerce related to animals regulated under AWA, and to not apply for AWA licensing or registration.

The complaint alleges that Keeler violated the ESA by unlawfully and prematurely separating a baby ring-tailed lemur, an endangered species, from its mother to interact with the public, then tried to sell the baby lemur for $3500. Keeler also allegedly violated the AWA by not providing potable water as needed, safe and sanitary conditions and facilities for his animals, or access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspectors so that they could ensure the health and wellbeing of his animals.

“The Animal Welfare Act and the Endangered Species Act are important tools in protecting our most vulnerable species,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Even Keel Exotics violated requirements for minimum care of the animals in its possession, failed to provide required access to inspectors and illegally harmed a baby lemur, a protected endangered species.”

“APHIS is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for animals protected under the Animal Welfare Act,” said Deputy Administrator Dr. Roxanne Mullaney for APHIS’ Animal Care Program. “This includes undertaking aggressive enforcement action against repeat, egregious violators of the law and working closely with APHIS partners to ensure AWA compliance.”

USDA-APHIS investigated the case as well as inspected and removed animals from the Even Keel Exotics facility. The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife & Marine Resources Section filed the complaint and lodged the consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The case is United States v. Keeler, no. 2:23-cv-11748.

The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will jointly host three public workshops to facilitate public dialogue on the 2023 Draft Merger Guidelines. These workshops will allow for a dynamic discussion about the Draft Guidelines to complement the written public comments now being submitted to the agencies.

The first workshop will take place on Sept. 5 from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET. The half-day virtual workshop will feature two panel discussions with former enforcers, academics, economists, and practitioners regarding questions and issues on which public comment will be most useful. The agenda, list of speakers, and instructions to access the livestream will be available on the event page.  

Additional information about the forthcoming workshops, including the agendas and panelists, will be available on the event page as it becomes available.

The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the FTC continue to encourage comments from the public on the Draft Guidelines, which may be submitted online now through Sept. 18, at www.regulations.gov/docket/FTC-2023-0043. The agencies will use the public comments to evaluate and update the draft before finalizing the Draft Guidelines.

The agencies protect competition through enforcement of the antitrust laws and other federal competition statutes. The Draft Guidelines describe how the agencies review mergers and acquisitions under the federal antitrust laws. Since 1968, the agencies have issued and revised Merger Guidelines to enhance transparency and promote awareness of how the agencies enforce the law with respect to mergers and acquisitions.

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. If you need such an accommodation, please contact the Antitrust Division at Merger.Guidelines.2023@usdoj.gov. Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodations needed and a way to contact you if we need more information.

The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with Highland Community College (HCC) in Kansas to resolve the department’s investigation into allegations that Black students, primarily student-athletes, living on HCC’s main campus experienced discriminatory treatment in many aspects of campus life, including discipline, housing and interactions with campus security officers. The complaints alleged that Black students were targeted for searches and surveillance and disciplined more severely than their white peers, resulting in their unfair removal from campus housing or even expulsion.

Under the settlement, the college will improve the fairness and transparency of disciplinary proceedings to prevent such discrimination. The agreement will also strengthen policies, procedures and training on campus security to promote consistent, non-discriminatory interactions between security personnel and students. In addition, the agreement requires HCC to strengthen policies, procedures and training to ensure an effective response to students’ complaints of racial discrimination.

“No college student should have their educational experience marred or disrupted by discrimination based on their race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Community colleges are an important pathway to four-year institutions and the workforce, and federal law requires that their campuses, programs and activities be equally available to all without regard to race. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the civil rights of college students across the country to pursue a higher education in a safe, welcoming and discrimination-free environment.”

“The U.S. Department of Justice is tasked to serve as a defender of the U.S. Constitution, and the Fourteenth Amendment entitles all persons to equal protection under the law,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “When educational institutions are making decisions about student discipline, race and ethnicity are never relevant factors. Colleges and universities play a powerful role in shaping the development of young people, so it’s imperative that they help set the standard for creating environments where all students are treated with the same level of respect and fairness.”

The department opened its investigation in January 2022 under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The college cooperated fully throughout the investigation and expressed a desire before the investigation was concluded to make positive changes for its students by revising its policies and practices, training employees and expanding student engagement to improve campus climate. Under the agreement, Highland Community College will:

• Reform policies on discipline, campus security, housing and racial harassment;

• Revise policies and procedures for responding to students’ complaints of racial discrimination and ensure that complaints are handled by trained employees who understand their responsibilities;

• Ensure that the disciplinary process is fair and equitable, including by analyzing discipline data to ensure nondiscrimination;

• Train campus security and other staff on effective de-escalation techniques and non-coercive methods of gathering information;

• Survey and improve the climate and culture of HCC’s main campus and cultivate safe and welcoming spaces for Black students; and

• Ensure students’ equitable access to HCC’s educational programs and activities regardless of race.

Protecting students from harassment and other discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.

Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/. 

View a copy of the settlement agreement here.

The Justice Department announced a settlement agreement today to resolve allegations that American Bank of Oklahoma engaged in a pattern or practice of lending discrimination by redlining in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The affected area includes the historically Black neighborhoods that were the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. This resolution is part of the department’s nationwide Combating Redlining Initiative launched by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in October 2021.

Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in communities of color because of the race, color or national origin of the residents in those communities. 

“Providing equal access to credit is essential in every community, but the painful history of Tulsa makes this agreement particularly poignant because the redlined areas include historically Black neighborhoods that have endured the legacy of racial violence and the continuing effects of segregation and discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement will help expand investment in Black communities and communities of color in Tulsa and increase opportunities for homeownership and financial stability. Remedial provisions in the agreement will open up opportunities for building generational wealth while focusing on neighborhoods that bear the scars of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The Justice Department will continue to combat redlining and ensure equal access to credit for all Americans.”

“American Bank of Oklahoma engaged in the illegal practice of redlining and failed to serve the diverse members of our Tulsa community as they attempted to purchase homes,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “These practices are often hard to identify and prosecute and I want to thank the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division for taking measures to correct these abhorrent business practices.”

The complaint filed in federal court today alleges that, from 2017 through at least 2021, American Bank of Oklahoma failed to provide mortgage lending services to majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Tulsa metropolitan area. Specifically, the department alleges that all of American Bank of Oklahoma’s branches and loan production offices were located in majority-white neighborhoods, that the bank designated a service area that excluded all majority-Black and Hispanic-census tracts in the metropolitan area and that the bank failed to appropriately monitor and address fair lending risk.

As a result, the bank’s loan officers did not serve the credit needs of Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in and around Tulsa, and the bank’s actions reinforced and perpetuated segregated housing patterns because of race, color, or national origin. The complaint also alleges that bank employees, including executives and loan officers, sent and received emails on their work email accounts containing racial slurs and racist content.

Under the proposed consent order, which is subject to court approval, American Bank of Oklahoma has agreed to invest over $1.15 million to increase credit opportunities in neighborhoods of color in the Tulsa metropolitan area. The bank will invest at least $950,000 in a loan subsidy fund for residents of majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Tulsa area; $100,000 for advertising, outreach and consumer education; and $100,000 for development of community partnerships to provide services that increase access to residential mortgage credit. The bank will also open a new community-oriented loan production office in the historically Black area of Tulsa; ensure at least two mortgage loan officers are dedicated to serving majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in and around Tulsa; host at least six consumer financial education seminars per year, with translation and interpretation services in Spanish; and will employ a full-time director of community lending, who will oversee the continued development of lending in neighborhoods of color in the Tulsa area.

The department opened its investigation into American Bank of Oklahoma’s lending practices after receiving a referral from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The bank cooperated with the department’s investigation and worked with the department to resolve these allegations.

In October 2021, the department launched its Combating Redlining Initiative as a coordinated enforcement effort to address this persistent form of discrimination against communities of color. Since the initiative was launched, the department has announced eight redlining cases and settlements and secured $89 million in relief for communities of color that have been victims of lending discrimination across the country.

More information about the department’s fair lending enforcement can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/fair-lending-program. Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online.

Complaint

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Javier Salazar Jr., Javier Salazar Sr. and Ricardo Covarrubias, a maintenance worker, the manager and the owner, respectively, of rental properties in Bakersfield, California, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, alleges that Javier Salazar, Jr., a maintenance worker, sexually harassed a female tenant from December 2018 through March 2019 by repeatedly asking the tenant to engage in sexual acts with him, asking her to be in a relationship with him, describing the sexual acts he wished to engage in with her and persistently commenting on her appearance. According to the complaint, on two occasions, Javier Salazar Jr. touched the tenant’s body without her consent, and surreptitiously took digital photographs of framed print pictures in her home of her and her daughter. The tenant reported Salazar Jr.’s conduct to Salazar Sr., who was both the property manager and Salazar Jr.’s father. After she reported the harassment and threatened to contact a lawyer or the police if it continued, the Salazars refused to fix a leaking gas line in her dwelling, causing her to go without heat for one month and consequently forcing her to move out. The complaint also alleges that Covarrubias, the property owner, is vicariously liable for the Salazars’ conduct because they were his agents when they engaged in sexual harassment and retaliation.

“Sexual harassment in rental housing preys on tenants who are especially vulnerable, including those who rely on their housing provider for critical maintenance services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to holding accountable any person in the housing sector who sexually harasses, assaults or retaliates against tenants, from the housing owner to the maintenance worker. A home should be a place of refuge and sanctity, not sexual assault and exploitation, and we will continue to use the Fair Housing Act to hold violators accountable.”

“For four months this tenant refused the repeated sexual advances by the maintenance worker at her rental home, and when she reported the sexual harassment, she faced retaliation,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “The actions of Salazar Jr. and the failure or refusal of Salazar Sr. and Covarrubias to act on the tenant’s behalf caused her harm and distress. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold accountable any landlord who enables or engages in sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act.”

“Preying on renters who have few housing options is abhorrent and illegal,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria McCain of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue to work with DOJ to enforce the law and protect tenants.”

Today’s lawsuit arose from a complaint that the former tenant filed with HUD. After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination, and the matter was referred to the Justice Department. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victim and a court order barring future discrimination.

The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The goal of the initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the Initiative in October 2017, the Justice Department has filed 34 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment by Javier Salazar Jr., or at rental dwellings owned or managed by Ricardo Covarrubias or Javier Salazar Sr., or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, should call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submit a report online. 

Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a HUD complaint online.

The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following yesterday’s shooting in Jacksonville, Florida: 

“Yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida, three people were killed in a horrific act of hate. In the wake of the mass shooting, FBI and ATF agents responded to the scene and are continuing to work closely with local law enforcement on the ground. The Justice Department is investigating this attack as a hate crime and an act of racially-motivated violent extremism. The entire Justice Department extends its deepest condolences to the loved ones of the victims and to the Jacksonville community as they mourn an unimaginable loss.

No person in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence and no family should have to grieve the loss of a loved one to bigotry and hate. One of the Justice Department’s first priorities upon its founding in 1870 was to bring to justice white supremacists who used violence to terrorize Black Americans. That remains our urgent charge today. The Justice Department will never stop working to protect everyone in our country from unlawful acts of hate.”

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O.  Monaco, and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division met with civil rights organizations today at the Justice Department.

Leaders from over a dozen organizations discussed an array of critical topics including voting rights, constitutional policing, and the Department’s redlining initiative.  

“When I became Attorney General, I laid out three co-equal priorities for this Justice Department: to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland told the civil rights leaders. “I have also made clear that protecting civil rights is not only the responsibility of one storied Division in our Department – it is the responsibility of every Justice Department employee, every single day. It is central to the mission of every component, every team, every agent, and every prosecutor in this Department.”

Attorney General Garland highlighted recent significant civil rights work including the Department’s work to secure a ruling that portions of Texas Senate Bill 1 violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the opening of a civil pattern or practice investigation of the Memphis Police Department and the City of Memphis; and the Department’s efforts to combat unlawful discriminatory practices in the housing market, including by securing the largest redlining settlement in the Department’s history earlier this year.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco spoke about some of the Department’s other work to promote civil rights, including the Department’s implementation of Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety and the establishment, in this regard, of the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database. She also discussed the Department’s ongoing efforts to reform the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including by holding employees who commit sexual abuse against adults in custody accountable for their crimes and improving access to counsel.

Assistant Attorney General Clarke discussed additional issues that the Civil Rights Division is aggressively working to address, including hate crimes prosecutions across the country, Department efforts to intervene in lawsuits challenging gender-affirming care, and a new proposed rule to improve web and mobile application accessibility for people with disabilities. She also discussed the Department’s joint resource document issued with the Department of Education to help colleges and universities understand the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of North Carolina et al. (collectively SFFA).

The meeting comes in advance of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. Department leadership recognized that this year’s theme, “Not A Commemoration, A Continuation,” is a reminder that more work remains to be done.  That theme aligns with the Attorney General’s commitment to fulfill the Department’s founding purpose and historic responsibility to protect civil rights.  When the Department was founded in 1870, in the wake of the Civil War and in the midst of Reconstruction, its first principal task was to protect the civil rights guaranteed by the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. This meant confronting white supremacists who used violence and threats of violence to prevent Black Americans from exercising their voting rights. Despite important progress since then, protecting civil rights remains a cornerstone of the Department’s work.

Department leadership thanked the civil rights leaders for their hard work and partnership towards protecting civil rights.

John Everson, of Liberty Center, Ohio, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for evading taxes by using a sham trust to conceal income he earned from his electrical engineering business. A federal jury convicted Everson in October 2022 of three counts of tax evasion.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from approximately 2009 through 2016, Everson earned more than $2.3 million in income from the business. He attempted to conceal much of this income and evade the IRS by instructing clients to make payments to a trust that he controlled. Everson used the trust money to pay personal expenses and make large cash withdrawals. He also funneled some of the trust funds to other bank accounts held in the names of non-profit organizations that he and several family members controlled, even listing his home and airplane in the name of a non-profit organization. In total, Everson’s conduct caused a loss to the IRS of $658,487.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick for the Northern District of Ohio ordered Everson to serve two years of supervised release and pay restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Sarah Ranney of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

A former deputy sheriff with the Dallas County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office was sentenced today in the Southern District of Alabama to 12 and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman while he was on duty.

According to the superseding information and plea documents, on Jan. 30, 2020, Joshua Davidson, 33, while on duty as a Dallas County deputy sheriff, placed the victim in custody and drove her down a dark road to a desolate location where the victim performed oral sex on him against her will. The victim, who reported the assault immediately, was in fear that Davidson would shoot her if she did not cooperate.

“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that officers who abuse their positions of power to sexually assault women in their custody will face significant prison time for their unlawful actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not tolerate sexual misconduct committed by law enforcement officers who were sworn to serve and protect their communities.”

“The citizens of Dallas County rightfully rely on their law enforcement officers to serve and protect them, not assault and abuse them,” said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama. “Some criminals wear a badge, and we will continue to hold accountable those who violate the law and erode the trust of our community.”

“All law enforcement officers must adhere to the highest standard of professional conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown for the FBI Mobile Field Office. “Whenever someone chooses to violate the civil rights of the people they are sworn to protect, they will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Arrington for the Southern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Maura White and MarLa Duncan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) for discriminating against asylees and refugees in hiring. The lawsuit alleges that, from at least September 2018 to May 2022, SpaceX routinely discouraged asylees and refugees from applying and refused to hire or consider them, because of their citizenship status, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

In job postings and public statements over several years, SpaceX wrongly claimed that under federal regulations known as “export control laws,” SpaceX could hire only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, sometimes referred to as “green card holders.” Export control laws impose no such hiring restrictions. Moreover, asylees’ and refugees’ permission to live and work in the United States does not expire, and they stand on equal footing with U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents under export control laws. Under these laws, companies like SpaceX can hire asylees and refugees for the same positions they would hire U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. And once hired, asylees and refugees can access export-controlled information and materials without additional government approval, just like U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

“Our investigation found that SpaceX failed to fairly consider or hire asylees and refugees because of their citizenship status and imposed what amounted to a ban on their hire regardless of their qualification, in violation of federal law,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation also found that SpaceX recruiters and high-level officials took actions that actively discouraged asylees and refugees from seeking work opportunities at the company. Asylees and refugees have overcome many obstacles in their lives, and unlawful employment discrimination based on their citizenship status should not be one of them. Through this lawsuit we will hold SpaceX accountable for its illegal employment practices and seek relief that allows asylees and refugees to fairly compete for job opportunities and contribute their talents to SpaceX’s workforce.”

The department’s lawsuit alleges that SpaceX discriminated against asylees and refugees based on citizenship status at multiple stages of the hiring process. For example:

• SpaceX discouraged asylees and refugees from applying for open positions, through public announcements, job applications and other online recruiting communications that excluded asylees and refugees.
• SpaceX failed to fairly consider applications submitted by asylees and refugees.
• SpaceX refused to hire qualified asylee and refugee applicants and repeatedly rejected asylee and refugee applicants because of their citizenship status.
• SpaceX hired only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, from September 2018 to September 2020.

SpaceX recruits and hires for a variety of positions, including welders, cooks, crane operators, baristas and dishwashers, as well as information technology specialists, software engineers, business analysts, rocket engineers and marketing professionals. The jobs at issue in the lawsuit are not limited to those that require advanced degrees. 

Asylees and refugees are migrants to the United States who have fled persecution. To obtain their status, they undergo thorough vetting by the United States government. Under the INA, employers cannot discriminate against them in hiring, unless a law, regulation, executive order or government contract requires the employer to do so. In this instance, no law, regulation, executive order or government contract required or permitted SpaceX to engage in the widespread discrimination against asylees or refugees that the department’s investigation found, as explained in the complaint.

Because SpaceX works with certain goods, software, technology and technical data (referred to here as export-controlled items), SpaceX must comply with export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations. Under these regulations, asylees, refugees, lawful permanent residents, U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals working at U.S. companies can access export-controlled items without authorization from the U.S. government. Therefore, these laws do not require SpaceX to treat asylees and refugees differently than U.S. citizens or green card holders. Find more information here on how employers can avoid discrimination when complying with export control requirements.

The United States seeks fair consideration and back pay for asylees and refugees who were deterred or denied employment at SpaceX due to the alleged discrimination. The United States also seeks civil penalties in an amount to be determined by the court and policy changes to ensure it complies with the INA’s nondiscrimination mandate going forward.

Please contact the department’s Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) at IERSpaceXcase@usdoj.gov or 1-888-473-3845 if you are or were an asylee or refugee who experienced any one of the following at any point in time:

(1) You applied to a job at SpaceX and were rejected.

(2) You were discouraged from applying to SpaceX because you were not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

(3) A recruiter or other SpaceX employee told you that SpaceX could only hire U.S. citizens and/or lawful permanent residents.

IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute generally prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation. 

Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); e-mail IER@usdoj.gov; sign up for a free webinar; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for e-mail updates from IER.

A former federal correctional officer was sentenced to three months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release – the first three months of supervised release will be on home detention – for sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody. He will also pay a $1,000 fine, a $5,000 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act assessment, a $100 special monetary assessment, and be required to register as a sex offender and be subject to all sex offender conditions.

According to court documents, between October 2021, and August 2022, Lenton Jerome Hatten, 54, of Tallahassee, Florida, engaged in repeated sexual acts with an inmate while employed as a sports specialist for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee (FCI Tallahassee). Immediately after being reported, a forensic examination was conducted of the victim by a sexual assault nurse examiner. DNA evidence confirmed a likely link between Hatten and the victim.

At the time of the report, Hatten was on vacation leave and when made aware, he resigned his position. As such, Hatten had no further contact with inmates.

“As this prosecution demonstrates, the Department of Justice remains dedicated to rooting out sexual misconduct at the Bureau of Prisons,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Any BOP employee who abuses their position of authority and mistreats those in their custody will be held accountable.”

“No inmate should ever experience sexual abuse or abuse of any kind at the hands of a Bureau of Prisons employee. My office will continue to aggressively pursue justice for victims of such heinous acts,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz.

“Without exception, all people, including those serving sentences in correctional facilities, are entitled to protection of their physical safety and civil rights” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “This defendant repeatedly sexually abused an inmate in his care and thanks to the victim’s bravery in coming forward, future abuse has been prevented. Today’s case shows that the FBI will investigate anyone who violates federal law, regardless of their position, and hold those responsible for enforcing it to the highest standard.”

“The abuse of any inmate by correctional officers is intolerable,” said U.S. Attorney Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “Sentences of confinement are imposed to account for the inmate’s criminal conduct and afford educational and vocational skills to aid in rehabilitation. The inmate’s dignity and safety are not surrendered at the prison door. This office will vigorously investigate and prosecute any officer who violates their oath through abuse of inmates entrusted to their care and custody.”

The DOJ-OIG and FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. McCain for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

El Departamento de Justicia entabló pleito hoy contra Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) por discriminar a asilados y refugiados en la contratación. El pleito alega que, desde al menos septiembre del 2018 hasta mayo del 2022, SpaceX, de forma rutinaria, desalentaba a asilados y refugiados de solicitar un empleo y se negó a contratar o considerarlos debido a su estatus de ciudadanía, en contra de la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés).

A lo largo de varios años, en los anuncios de trabajo y declaraciones públicas, SpaceX mantenía erróneamente que, según unos reglamentos federales conocidos como «leyes de control de la exportación», SpaceX solamente podía contratar a ciudadanos y residentes permanentes legales de los EE. UU., a veces denominados «titulares de una tarjeta verde». Las leyes de control de la exportación no imponen tales restricciones a la contratación. Más aún, el permiso de los asilados y refugiados de vivir y trabajar en los Estados Unidos no vence, y en virtud de las leyes de control de la exportación, están en condiciones de igualdad con ciudadanos y residentes permanente legales de los EE. UU. De acuerdo con estas leyes, compañías como SpaceX pueden contratar a asilados y refugiados para los mismos puestos para los que contratarían a ciudadanos y residentes permanentes legales de los EE. UU. Y una vez contratados, los asilados y refugiados pueden acceder a información y materiales controlados por la exportación sin la necesidad de contar con una aprobación gubernamental adicional, al igual que ciudadanos y residentes permanentes legales de los EE. UU.

«Nuestra investigación halló que SpaceX no consideró de manera justa ni tampoco contrató a los asilados y refugiados debido a su estatus de ciudadanía, e impuso lo que equivalía a una prohibición de su contratación independientemente de su cualificación, en violación de la ley federal», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Nuestra investigación también halló que reclutadores y funcionarios de alto rango de SpaceX tomaron medidas para disuadir activamente a los asilados y refugiados de buscar oportunidades de trabajo en la compañía. Los asilados y refugiados han superado muchos desafíos en sus vidas, y la discriminación ilícita en el empleo, con base en su estatus de ciudadanía, no debería ser uno de ellos. Por medio de este pleito haremos que SpaceX rinda cuentas por sus prácticas ilícitas y buscaremos un remedio que permita a los asilados y refugiados competir de manera justa por las oportunidades de trabajo y contribuir sus talentos a la mano de obra de SpaceX».

El pleito del Departamento alega que SpaceX discriminó a asilados y refugiados por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía en múltiples fases del proceso de contratación. Por ejemplo:

• SpaceX desalentó a asilados y refugiados de solicitar puestos disponibles, mediante anuncios públicos, solicitudes de trabajo y otras comunicaciones virtuales de reclutamiento que excluyeron a asilados y refugiados.

• SpaceX no consideró de manera justa las solicitudes entregadas por asilados y refugiados.

• SpaceX se negó a contratar a postulantes cualificados que eran asilados o refugiados y se rechazó en repetidas ocasiones las solicitudes de asilados y refugiados debido a su estatus de ciudadanía.

• SpaceX contrató únicamente a ciudadanos y residentes permanente legales de los EE. UU. entre septiembre de 2018 y septiembre de 2020.

SpaceX recluta y contrata para una variedad de puestos, incluyendo soldadores, cocineros, operadores de grúa, baristas y lavaplatos, así como especialistas en la tecnología informática, ingenieros de software, analistas de negocios, ingenieros de cohetes y profesionales de la comercialización. Los puestos en cuestión en el pleito no se limitan a trabajos que requieren títulos avanzados.

Los asilados y refugiados son migrantes a los Estados Unidos que han fugado de la persecución. Para poder obtener su estatus, necesitan someterse a un proceso riguroso de investigación por parte del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos. Conforme a la INA, los empleadores no pueden discriminarlos en la contratación a menos que una ley, un reglamento, una orden ejecutiva o un contrato gubernamental así lo requiera al empleador. En este caso, no hubo ninguna ley, reglamento, orden ejecutiva o contrato gubernamental que hubiese requerido o permitido que SpaceX practicara la discriminación, de manera generalizada, a asilados y refugiados, que la investigación del Departamento halló, tal y como se explica en la demanda.

Puesto que SpaceX trabaja con ciertos bienes, software, tecnología y datos técnicos (a los que se refiere aquí como artículos de exportación controlada) SpaceX debe cumplir con los reglamentos y leyes de control de la exportación, lo que incluye los Reglamentos sobre el Tráfico Internacional de Armas y los Reglamentos de Administración de Exportaciones. Conforme a estos reglamentos, los asilados, refugiados, residentes permanentes legales, ciudadanos estadounidenses y nacionales de los EE. UU. que trabajan para compañías estadounidenses pueden acceder a artículos de exportación controlada sin la autorización del Gobierno de los EE. UU. Por lo tanto, estas leyes no requieren que SpaceX trate a asilados y refugiados de una manera diferente que a ciudadanos de los EE. UU. o titulares de tarjetas verdes. Puede encontrar más información aquí sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación a la hora de cumplir con los requisitos para el control de exportaciones.

Estados Unidos pide la consideración justa y pagos retroactivos para aquellos asilados y refugiados a los que se les desalentó o denegó un empleo en SpaceX como resultado de la alegada discriminación. Por otra parte, Estados Unidos pide que se aplique una sanción civil por el monto que determinará el tribunal y exige que cambie sus políticas para garantizar su cumplimiento con el mandato antidiscriminatorio de la INA de aquí en adelante.

Le rogamos que se comunique con la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles del departamento a IERSpaceXcase@usdoj.gov o 1-888-473-3845 si usted es o era asilado o refugiado que experimentó alguna de las siguientes situaciones en un momento dado:

(1) Solicitó un trabajo en SpaceX y fue rechazado.

(2) Se le desalentó de solicitar un empleo en SpaceX porque no era ciudadano o residente permanente legal de los EE. UU.

(3) Un reclutador u otro empleado de SpaceX le dijo que SpaceX únicamente podía contratar a ciudadanos o residentes permanentes legales de los EE. UU.

La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas; represalias; e intimidación.

Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia. El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español. Inscríbase para recibir noticias por correo electrónico de la IER.

A medical oncologist and former president and managing partner of Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute LLC (FCS) pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to allocate oncology treatments for cancer patients in Southwest Florida.

According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Ft. Myers, Florida, Dr. William Harwin participated in a conspiracy from 1999 to September 2016 to suppress competition by agreeing to allocate chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients to FCS and radiation treatments to another oncology company in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte Counties.

Harwin pleaded guilty to one count of violating Section One of the Sherman Act. Sentencing will take place at a future date as set by the court. A federal district court judge will impose sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“This long-running criminal conspiracy denied cancer patients access to a competitive marketplace for lifesaving oncology treatments,” said Acting Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will not hesitate to prosecute health care providers who choose profits over patients.”

“The FBI will not stand by and allow those trusted with saving lives to manipulate the health care system for their own benefit,” said Special Agent in Charge David Walker of the FBI Tampa Field Office. “This investigation demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and its partners to protect patient care and the healthcare marketplace.”

In April 2020, FCS was charged for its role in the same criminal conspiracy and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement resolving the charge against the company, under which it admitted to conspiring to allocate chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer patients. Under the agreement, FCS agreed to pay a $100 million criminal penalty and to cooperate fully with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation. 

The FBI Tampa Field Office – Fort Myers RA investigated the case.

Assistant Chief Mark Grundvig, Senior Trial Counsel Eun-Ha Kim and Trial Attorneys Patrick Hallagan and Aidan McCarthy of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

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

Two military contractors were sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Texarkana Division, for their roles in a bid-rigging scheme involving the maintenance and repair of military tactical vehicles in Texas. The multi-year scheme secured more than $17 million in taxpayer dollars.

Aaron Stephens, of Queen City, Texas, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay a criminal fine of $50,000. According to a plea agreement filed on Jan. 12, Stephens and his co-conspirators rigged bids on certain government contracts from May 2013 to January 2018 to give the false impression of competition and secure government payments. The conspirators submitted coordinated, higher-priced and non-competitive bids to ensure a designated company won each contract. Stephens and his co-conspirators rigged six different contracts for work performed for the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas. The projects included heavy military equipment work like refurbishing armor kits for military trucks and turrets for Humvees.

John “Mark” Leveritt, of Heath, Texas, was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay a criminal fine of $300,000. According to a plea agreement filed on July 13, 2022, Leveritt engaged in the same conspiracy from May 2013 to April 2018 involving seven bids.

“Today’s sentences demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the military contracting process,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We will hold accountable those who enrich themselves at the expense of our armed forces and ultimately the public.”

“Servicing heavy military vehicles and equipment are critical to the functioning of the U.S. military and its mission, so anticompetitive practices such as those used by the defendants in this case harm the military, taxpayers, and legitimate businesses alike,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas. “The Eastern District of Texas will vigorously prosecute those who compromise the integrity of the procurement process for greed and personal gain.”     

“This sentencing should stand as a deterrent to those who would engage in fraud and corruption for personal gain and is a testament to the thorough and professional effort of our investigative partnerships with the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Curran of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office. “We will diligently continue our efforts to pursue those engaged in criminal activity that impacts the integrity of the U.S. Government and the U.S. Army.”

“Today’s sentences are the result of the tireless work and dedication of multiple agencies to hold these individuals accountable for conspiring to defraud the United States government,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Dallas Field Office. “The public can rest assured that we remain committed to aggressively pursuing anyone that uses government programs for their own personal gain.”

The division’s Washington Criminal II section, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Dallas Fraud Resident Agency, and the FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case

Trial Attorneys Jillian Rogowski, Daniel Loveland, and Aidan McCarthy of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Office prosecuted the case.

In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant, and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To contact the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to construction or infrastructure, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

The Justice Department announced today the awarding of $69,632,900 through 212 awards in the Department’s Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside (TVSSA) program, which provides support to American Indian and Alaska Native  communities across the country to enhance services for victims of crime, consistent with the requirements of the Victims of Crime Act.

These awards will fund a wide range of services for crime victims, from counseling and civil legal assistance to emergency housing and Tribal wellness ceremonies. Of these TVSSA awards, almost $22 million will go to 67 Tribal communities in Alaska.

“The Justice Department recognizes that Alaska Native families and communities have endured persistently high levels of violence and that women and girls have borne the brunt of that violence,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We are here today to reaffirm the Justice Department’s commitment to working across the federal government and with Alaska Native communities to meet these urgent challenges.” 

Additionally, earlier today, the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) granted $774,790 in Sexual Assault Services Formula Grant Program (SASP) awards for Alaska Native communities.

Attorney General Garland traveled to Anchorage and Galena, Alaska, where he met with Alaska Native community leaders from several villages. The Attorney General was joined by Sen. Lisa Murkowski in visiting with village leaders in Galena, and additionally joined by Rep. Mary Peltola at a roundtable in Anchorage with representatives of Native Tribal organizations to discuss public safety issues in Alaskan Native Villages.

The Department grants are especially meant to help Alaska Native communities and remotely located tribes meet the victim service challenges that they face. OVC recently piloted a new approach to make it easier to access grants recognizing some challenges posed by limited human and technological resources. This pilot was implemented in direct response to requests from Alaska Native villages who needed in-person support with grant applications. Grant managers from OVC’s Tribal Division were deployed to Alaska and spent 32 days on the ground meeting with more than two dozen Alaska village grant applicants and helped with such tasks as creating program designs and project budgeting.

The Department has granted hundreds of awards since the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside program was launched five years ago, and they have helped provide services to thousands of crime victims. More than 88,000 victims have received direct services since 2020. These funds are being used to serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, arson, burglary, elder abuse, fraud, theft, kidnapping, as well as sex and labor trafficking. The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)’s Tribal Division has worked closely with Tribal leaders and Tribal advocates to make sure this program is as responsive as possible to the needs of Tribes.

These awards and the Attorney General’s trip exhibit the continued efforts of the Justice Department to uplift Tribal communities and ensure they have the resources they need to maintain public safety and security.

Five individuals and four companies have been sentenced for participating in a conspiracy to fix the prices of DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs sold on the Amazon marketplace. This investigation has resulted in a total of six individual guilty pleas and four corporate guilty pleas.

Victor Btesh, of New York, was sentenced to 18 months in prison incarceration followed by two years of supervised release and a fine of $38,000. Btesh’s three companies – Michelle’s DVD Funhouse, MJR Prime and Prime Brooklyn – were  sentenced to $156,520, $125,688 and $61,844 in criminal fines, respectively, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Additionally, Emmanuel Hourizadeh, Raymond Nouvahian, Morris Sutton, Bruce Fish and Fish’s company, BDF Enterprises Inc., were all sentenced on July 21, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Hourizadeh and Nouvahian, both of New York, were each sentenced to one month in prison, seven months of home confinement, a criminal fine of $55,000 each and two years of supervised release. Sutton, of New Jersey, was sentenced to one month in prison, five months of home confinement, a $20,000 criminal fine and two years of supervised release. Fish, of Minnesota, was sentenced to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, a $48,750 criminal fine and two years of supervised released. BDF Enterprises was sentenced to a $234,000 criminal fine.

“Americans are becoming increasingly reliant on online marketplaces, making it more important as ever to protect them from being cheated on the internet,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “These sentences reflect the division’s commitment to seeking punishment for criminal antitrust violations wherever they may occur.”

“Conspiring to fix prices in online marketplaces is a federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “These convictions and sentences demonstrate our office’s commitment to prosecuting price-fixing conspiracies and to protecting consumers in the Eastern District of Tennessee from paying inflated prices in online marketplaces.”

“Activities related to price fixing and collusion do not promote an environment conducive to open competition, ultimately harming the consumer,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “The sentencings in this case represent a win for all law enforcement agencies who investigate those who engage in this type of harmful conduct to ensure that justice is served.”

According to court documents, the defendants agreed with co-conspirators to raise and maintain the prices of DVDs and Blu-Rays sold through Amazon marketplace storefronts, resulting in those products being sold at collusive and noncompetitive prices. Hourizadeh, Nouvahian and Sutton pleaded guilty to price fixing on Jan. 7, 2022. Btesh and all three corporate entities pleaded guilty to price fixing on Feb. 9, after having been indicted on March 16, 2022. Lastly, Fish and BDF Enterprises pleaded guilty to price fixing on Feb. 10, after having been indicted on March 16, 2022. 

Amazon Marketplace is an e-commerce platform that enables third-party vendors to sell new or used products alongside Amazon’s own offerings. Amazon Marketplace is owned and operated by Amazon.com Inc.

The FBI New York Field Office and the USPS-OIG Contract Fraud Investigations Division investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Robert M. Jacobs, Kevin C. Culum, Elizabeth K. Noonan-Pomada and Nickolas R. Foran of the Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Roach Jr. for the Eastern District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

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.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today an agreement with Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio, to resolve a federal investigation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into the university’s response to complaints of student-on-student and employee-on-student sexual harassment. Under the agreement, CWRU will undertake campus-wide reforms so that students can attend school and participate in Greek life programming free from sex discrimination, including sexual assault, sex-based stalking and retaliation for filing complaints of sex discrimination.

“All students should be able to participate in college life without being subjected to sex discrimination. Far too often, students on our nation’s college and university campuses face stalking, harassment or sexual assault,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When sex discrimination rears its head, universities must respond appropriately to stop the misconduct and provide support so that the student can safely participate in school activities and complete their educational pursuits. This agreement would not have been possible without the many current and former student survivors who came forward and courageously shared their stories. We hope this agreement sends a message to the higher education community about the actions that must be taken to ensure that campuses are safe for all students.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes sex discrimination allegations such as these very seriously. The agreement provides not only for increased training but also for revised policies and procedures along with increased efforts at campus engagement and internal monitoring to address such matters proactively,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This settlement sends a strong message that sexual harassment on college campuses will not be tolerated, and the measures in the agreement will help protect current and future students. We acknowledge and commend the students from CWRU whose efforts shined a light on this issue, and we look forward to working with CWRU to implement this important agreement.”

The department’s investigation, which was conducted jointly by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, focused on CWRU’s response to student complaints and hundreds of social media reports alleging sexual harassment on campus and a hostile environment in Greek life. One quarter of CWRU’s undergraduate population participates in the university’s 10 sororities and 16 fraternities. The department’s investigation concluded that, among other things, CWRU did not respond appropriately to a well-known climate of sexual harassment in its Greek life program. Further, CWRU employees did not report sexual harassment complaints to the office tasked with responding to such allegations and providing students with support and resources.

CWRU fully cooperated during this investigation. The agreement requires CWRU to undertake extensive reforms, including:

• Publicizing Title IX policies and protocols and developing user-friendly materials so the CWRU community knows how to report concerns regarding sex discrimination and access resources to address it;
• Delivering comprehensive annual training for all students and employees;
• Implementing new policies, protocols and well-designed trainings to reform the university’s Greek Life programming;
• Providing students who experience sex discrimination with resources to prevent disruptions to their education;
• Funding the women’s center, Office of Greek Life and University Health and Counseling Services, as needed, to support students affected by sex discrimination; and
• Conducting outreach and analyzing trends to strengthen prevention and response to sex discrimination on campus.

A summary of the agreement can be found here.

Individuals with information related to CWRU’s compliance with Title IX are encouraged to contact the Justice Department at 1-866-432-0339 or Outreach.CWRU@usdoj.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

Protecting students from harassment and other discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.

Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio is available on its website at www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh.

The Justice Department announced today an agreement with Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio, to resolve a federal investigation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into the university’s response to complaints of student-on-student and employee-on-student sexual harassment. Under the agreement, CWRU will undertake campus-wide reforms so that students can attend school and participate in Greek life programming free from sex discrimination, including sexual assault, sex-based stalking and retaliation for filing complaints of sex discrimination.

“All students should be able to participate in college life without being subjected to sex discrimination. Far too often, students on our nation’s college and university campuses face stalking, harassment or sexual assault,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When sex discrimination rears its head, universities must respond appropriately to stop the misconduct and provide support so that the student can safely participate in school activities and complete their educational pursuits. This agreement would not have been possible without the many current and former student survivors who came forward and courageously shared their stories. We hope this agreement sends a message to the higher education community about the actions that must be taken to ensure that campuses are safe for all students.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes sex discrimination allegations such as these very seriously. The agreement provides not only for increased training but also for revised policies and procedures along with increased efforts at campus engagement and internal monitoring to address such matters proactively,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This settlement sends a strong message that sexual harassment on college campuses will not be tolerated, and the measures in the agreement will help protect current and future students. We acknowledge and commend the students from CWRU whose efforts shined a light on this issue, and we look forward to working with CWRU to implement this important agreement.”

The department’s investigation, which was conducted jointly by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, focused on CWRU’s response to student complaints and hundreds of social media reports alleging sexual harassment on campus and a hostile environment in Greek life. One quarter of CWRU’s undergraduate population participates in the university’s 10 sororities and 16 fraternities. The department’s investigation concluded that, among other things, CWRU did not respond appropriately to a well-known climate of sexual harassment in its Greek life program. Further, CWRU employees did not report sexual harassment complaints to the office tasked with responding to such allegations and providing students with support and resources. 

CWRU fully cooperated during this investigation. The agreement requires CWRU to undertake extensive reforms, including:

• Publicizing Title IX policies and protocols and developing user-friendly materials so the CWRU community knows how to report concerns regarding sex discrimination and access resources to address it;
• Delivering comprehensive annual training for all students and employees;
• Implementing new policies, protocols and well-designed trainings to reform the university’s Greek Life programming;
• Providing students who experience sex discrimination with resources to prevent disruptions to their education;
• Funding the women’s center, Office of Greek Life and University Health and Counseling Services, as needed, to support students affected by sex discrimination; and
• Conducting outreach and analyzing trends to strengthen prevention and response to sex discrimination on campus.

A summary of the agreement can be found here. 

Individuals with information related to CWRU’s compliance with Title IX are encouraged to contact the  Justice Department at 1-866-432-0339 or Outreach.CWRU@usdoj.gov. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.

Protecting students from harassment and other discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.

Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Ohio is available on its website at www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh.