News and reports from the Department of Justice.

Chester Gallagher, the leader of a March 5, 2021 blockade of a Mount Juliet, Tennessee reproductive health clinic, was sentenced to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release. This follows his convictions for federal conspiracy against rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offenses.

An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging a Florida man with threatening to kill his primary opponent in the 2021 election for the 13th Congressional District of Florida and a private citizen who was an acquaintance of his opponent.

Two corporations that operated the motor tanker P/S Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The court also sentenced the P/S Dream’s Captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation.

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the State of Alabama and its Secretary of State. The suit challenges a state program aimed at removing voters from election rolls too close to the upcoming November 5 general election, which the department claims violates the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced it will conduct an Organizational Assessment of the Hackensack, New Jersey, Police Department through its Collaborative Reform Initiative. This voluntary program is available to law enforcement agencies seeking to ensure fair and effective policing.

The Justice Department announced that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested 3,421 violent fugitives during Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24). The arrests included 216 for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has announced the results of the fourth phase of Operation North Star, a five-month initiative by the U.S. Marshals Service and law enforcement partners targeting dangerous fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas across the country.

The Justice Department announced today that it, together with the City of New Orleans, has jointly moved for the city to enter into a two-year “sustainment period” according to the terms of a negotiated plan. This brings the consent decree concerning the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) closer to successful resolution.

The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced a settlement with Lima Refining Company (LRC), a subsidiary of Cenovus Energy, to address Clean Air Act violations at its refinery in Lima, Ohio.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has issued a permanent injunction against Dexter Bataille, a tax return preparer from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The court ordered Bataille to shut down his business, Capital Financial Group Holdings LLC, and barred him from preparing or assisting in preparing federal income tax returns or transferring his customer lists. Additionally, Bataille was ordered to pay $134,400 in ill-gotten gains from his return preparation business. Bataille agreed to both the injunction and the payment order.

Abouzar Rahmati, a former contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has been indicted for acting and conspiring to act as an agent of the Iranian government in the United States without prior notice to the Attorney General. Rahmati, 42, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Great Falls, Virginia, made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia.

Acadia Healthcare Company Inc., a Delaware corporation based in Franklin, Tennessee, has agreed to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and related state statutes. The company is accused of billing for medically unnecessary inpatient behavioral health services or services that did not meet federal and state regulations.

The Justice Department has announced several measures aimed at improving firearm background checks and reducing gun violence. The Department is releasing model legislation and information to help states share juvenile criminal history and mental health records with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for firearm background checks. Additionally, over $200 million in new grant funding for gun violence prevention has been unveiled, along with new resources for law enforcement, including training and funding guidance.

The Justice Department has announced coordinated actions with the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and other federal and international law enforcement partners to address Russian money laundering operations. These efforts include unsealing an indictment against a Russian national for his role in operating multiple money laundering services for cybercriminals and seizing websites linked to three illicit cryptocurrency exchanges.

On September 26, 2024, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Justice Department announced findings from an investigation into civil rights violations by the Lexington, Mississippi Police Department and the City of Lexington. Clarke was joined by Todd W. Gee, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.