News and reports from the Department of Justice.

A federal jury convicted a Texas doctor today for causing the submission of over $70 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests ordered through a telemarketing scheme.

Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer visited Window Rock, Arizona, and the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico on May 21 and 22 to engage in government-to-government meetings with Tribal leaders from the Navajo Nation and the Pueblo of Acoma. The visit included discussions on Tribal justice administration, public safety, and victims' services.

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Healing and Response Teams Special Initiative solicitation on May 24, 2024. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed the initiative's requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks at the Stephen J. Pollak Memorial Event on May 24, 2024, honoring the late Steve Pollak's contributions to civil rights and his impact on the legal community.

Daniel Hurt, a Florida businessman who owned and operated several healthcare companies, has agreed to pay over $27 million to resolve allegations of Medicare fraud. The Department of Justice announced that Hurt and his companies conspired to submit false claims for cancer genomic (CGx) tests that were not medically necessary and procured through illegal kickbacks.

The Justice Department, in conjunction with 30 state and district attorneys general, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster LLC (collectively known as Live Nation-Ticketmaster). The suit alleges monopolization and other unlawful practices that hinder competition in the live entertainment industry. The legal action seeks structural relief to restore market competition, provide better choices at lower prices for fans, and create opportunities for musicians and performance artists.

A Missouri man pleaded guilty today to racketeering conspiracy in connection with his involvement in serious financial misconduct at an international labor organization.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights have released a webinar aimed at improving accessibility in school facilities for students and teachers with disabilities. The webinar, titled “Accessible Public Schools,” was developed in response to a 2020 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which highlighted significant accessibility barriers in K-12 public school buildings.

On May 23, 2024, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter delivered remarks on a significant antitrust lawsuit filed against Live Nation-Ticketmaster. The United States, along with 30 state and district Attorneys General, initiated the lawsuit to address what they allege is monopolistic behavior by Live Nation-Ticketmaster in the live concert industry.

A federal jury convicted a Nevada doctor yesterday for his role in defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of nearly $2 million.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco addressed the media on May 23, 2024, regarding a lawsuit filed against Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster for alleged monopolistic practices in the live concert industry.

A former officer in the Venezuelan National Guard was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for participating in a money laundering scheme involving bribes to foreign officials and defrauding foreign financial institutions.

A former Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) Corrections Officer, Robert D. Smith, 39, was sentenced today in federal court to 24 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sexually abusing an inmate while he was a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Aliceville, Alabama (FCI-Aliceville). Smith had previously pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a ward on January 11.

On May 23, 2024, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks concerning a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster. The suit alleges violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement valued at over $310 million with Norfolk Southern Railway Company to address the damage caused by the February 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Pending approval by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern will be required to improve rail safety, fund health monitoring and mental health services for surrounding communities, support long-term environmental monitoring, pay a $15 million civil penalty, and take additional actions to protect...