News and reports from the Department of Justice.

The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with SP Plus Corporation (SP Plus), a transportation and parking management company headquartered in Chicago. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that SP Plus discriminated against a worker by rejecting a valid document that showed her permission to work and requesting that she provide unnecessary documentation, based on her national origin.

A jury today convicted Omali Yeshitela, 82, Penny Hess, 78, Jesse Nevel, 34, all of St. Louis, and Augustus C. Romain Jr., 38, of Atlanta, of conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government. The defendants were charged in a superseding indictment on April 13, 2023.

Colombian nationals Andres Fernando Medina Rodriguez, 40, and Ciro Alfonso Gutierrez Ballesteros, 31, were sentenced today to 35 and 30 years in prison, respectively, for conspiring and attempting to murder U.S. soldiers by detonating a car bomb outside a military base near the Colombia-Venezuela border.

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) has posted updates to its compilation of Exemption 3 resources, intended to assist agencies in their administration of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and to increase public understanding of the use of Exemption 3. These materials are located on the FOIA Resources page of OIP's site.

An Ohio man was sentenced to over seven years in prison today for tax evasion, money laundering, and operating illegal gambling businesses. The sentencing stems from his ownership and operation of multiple illegal gambling establishments and related misconduct.

An Austin, Texas man pleaded guilty today to filing a tax return that falsely underreported the capital gains he earned from selling $3.7 million in bitcoin.

The Justice Department announced today the allocation of over $690 million in grant funding administered by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). This funding aims to support services and justice responses for victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking across all U.S. states, territories, and many Tribal nations.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland addressed the Department of Justice (DOJ) workforce on September 12, 2024, emphasizing the importance of an independent justice system. Speaking at the closing session of the 85th annual U.S. Attorneys’ conference, Garland highlighted the dedication and sacrifices made by over 115,000 DOJ employees.

A Puerto Rico man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine for the destruction and filling of wetlands in violation of the Clean Water Act.

Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, was indicted yesterday for attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and murder-for-hire. The charges are part of a scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on American soil. Law enforcement foiled the plot before any attack could be carried out. Merchant, who was previously arrested and charged by complaint in July 2024, is currently detained in federal custody.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered remarks at the Justice Department’s September 11 Remembrance Ceremony on September 11, 2024.

On September 11, 2024, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke addressed the members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. during their Zeta Day on the Hill event. In her remarks, Clarke acknowledged the historical significance and contributions of the sorority, emphasizing its advocacy for social, health, and economic justice.

Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Commissioner Reiko Aoki of the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) met yesterday in Washington, D.C., to mark the 25th anniversary of an agreement between the United States and Japan concerning cooperation on anticompetitive issues.

Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, of Honolulu, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Cameron Monte Smith, a citizen of Canada, has pleaded guilty to one count of destruction of an energy facility charged in the District of North Dakota and another count in the District of South Dakota.