News and reports from the Department of Justice.

A Florida man pleaded guilty yesterday to evading taxes on income he earned from commercial fishing in Massachusetts.

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with eTeam Inc. (eTeam), an online staffing agency that provides services to companies throughout the United States and around the world. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that eTeam discriminated against non-U.S. citizens with permission to work in the United States by excluding them from job opportunities based on their citizenship or immigration status, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

A federal jury in Las Vegas convicted five men this week for their roles in running one of the largest unauthorized streaming services in the United States, which generated millions of dollars in subscription revenue while causing substantial harm to television program copyright owners.

The Justice Department filed a civil federal lawsuit today in the Middle District of Florida against five individuals for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits using force, threats of force, or physical obstruction against any person seeking or providing reproductive health services.

The Justice Department announced today that Joseph Pedaline and YLP LLC, who owned and managed residential rental properties in Youngstown, Ohio, have agreed to pay $199,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging violations of the Fair Housing Act. The department’s lawsuit alleged that Joseph Pedaline sexually harassed female tenants from at least 2009 to at least 2020, and that YLP LLC was liable for Pedaline’s conduct during the period it owned and managed the properties.

A former Kentucky sheriff’s deputy was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for violating the constitutional rights of multiple people he arrested during his tenure as a law enforcement officer.

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement with the Florida State Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial Circuit (SAO) to resolve allegations of violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Donavon Parish, 29, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to one count of cyberstalking and five counts of abuse and harassment using a telecommunications device. Parish also admitted to a special finding that he targeted his victims based on their actual and perceived religion.

A federal court on June 11 enjoined a Colorado company and its owner from manufacturing, distributing, or selling unauthorized vaping products.

A federal judge in the Middle District of Alabama unsealed an eight-count indictment today, charging five individuals with sex trafficking and related offenses.

The Justice Department announced today its findings that the State of Missouri violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by unnecessarily institutionalizing adults with mental health disabilities in nursing facilities. The investigation also examined the role of guardianships in such institutionalization.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke announced today that Anderson Lee Aldrich has been sentenced to 55 life sentences running concurrently plus 190 years, without the possibility of parole. This sentencing follows Aldrich's involvement in a mass shooting at Club Q on November 19, 2022, which resulted in five deaths and numerous injuries. The attack was described as one of the most violent hate crimes targeting the LGBTQIA+ community in U.S. history.

Aaron T. Simmons, 26, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced today to 365 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after he pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.

The Justice Department announced today its findings that Utah is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by unnecessarily segregating youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) during the day, instead of helping them find work and spend their days in their communities.

The Justice Department announced today its findings that Alaska violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to provide an accessible ballot for in-person voting, selecting inaccessible polling places for federal, state, and local elections, and maintaining an inaccessible elections website. The ADA mandates that states' voting services, programs, and activities be accessible to individuals with disabilities.