U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | Federal Agencies
Recent News About U.S. Department of Justice
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A civil forfeiture complaint has been filed for $3.4 million in proceeds from the sale of a music studio in Burbank, California.
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A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has indicted Gabriel Guerrero, a commercial real estate agent based in Los Angeles, on charges of tax evasion and obstructing the IRS. According to the indictment, Guerrero failed to file timely tax returns for several years and later filed over a decade's worth of returns in 2014 without paying the self-reported amounts owed.
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A federal court in the Western District of Wisconsin has issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Town of Thornapple to provide an accessible voting system at its polling places for the upcoming November 5 federal general election. This decision follows a complaint filed by the United States on September 20, alleging that Thornapple had not complied with Section 301 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) during previous elections.
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The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission recently took part in the G7 Competition Authorities and Policymakers Summit held in Rome. The summit aimed to address how competition can be maintained within AI-related technologies, products, and applications.
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A Michigan attorney has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges related to filing false tax returns and willfully failing to file tax returns. The indictment accuses Shawn Smith, known as "Shawn the Law," of not reporting substantial income from his law practice on his individual income tax returns for the years 2017 through 2020. Additionally, it is alleged that Smith did not file tax returns for 2021 and 2022.
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Haitham Al-Dulaimi, Haider Lazem, Hasan Wasak, and Abdullah Alsajee have been arrested in Louisville, Kentucky. The arrests followed an unsealed indictment charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, smuggling goods from the United States, engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, making false statements in firearm purchases, and defrauding the U.S. government. Additionally, Alsajee, Lazem, and Wasak face charges for making false statements when purchasing firearms.
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A former Las Vegas city councilwoman has been convicted by a federal jury in Nevada on charges related to a charity fraud scheme. Michele Fiore, 54, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud. The charges stem from her actions while serving as a city councilwoman, during which she misled donors into believing their contributions would fund memorials for police officers killed in the line of duty.
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The Justice Department has allocated 152 grants to 90 American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, totaling over $84 million. These funds are distributed through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) program.
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The Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) recently co-hosted a symposium focused on artificial intelligence at the Department of Justice. The event took place in Washington, D.C., at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on October 2.
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The Justice Department has revealed the unsealing of a warrant authorizing the seizure of 41 internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies for computer fraud and abuse in the United States. This action is part of a broader effort outlined in the National Cybersecurity Strategy, aiming to disrupt malicious cyber activities through public-private collaboration. The department's move was made alongside Microsoft's civil action to restrain 66 internet domains used by similar actors.
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Two individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme that defrauded Apple Inc. of millions of dollars worth of iPhones. Haotian Sun, 34, and Pengfei Xue, 34, both Chinese citizens residing in Maryland, received prison sentences and financial penalties as part of their sentencing.
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Following a nearly four-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis, Tennessee, has convicted three former Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers of federal felonies connected to the death of Tyre Nichols on January 7, 2023.
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The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has issued a permanent injunction against Miami tax return preparers, George and Luis Brito, along with their businesses. This legal action prohibits George Brito from preparing federal income tax returns, participating in any tax preparation business, assisting others in preparing tax returns, or transferring customer lists to others. Similarly, Luis Brito is barred from preparing income tax returns for individuals. The brothers have consented to the entry of this injunction.
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The Department of Justice has announced charges against ten individuals linked to pharmaceutical distributors. These individuals are accused of channeling approximately 70 million opioid pills and 30 million doses of other prescription drugs, primarily to "pill-mill" pharmacies in the Houston, Texas area. The estimated street value of these drugs exceeds $1.3 billion.
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Charges have been filed against ten pharmaceutical distributor executives, sales representatives, and brokers in connection with the illegal distribution of nearly 70 million opioid pills. The charges were unsealed in several districts including the Southern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri, and Eastern District of North Carolina. This enforcement action also involved three Houston-area pharmacy operators.
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The Justice Department has initiated legal proceedings against the owners and managers of Suburban Heights Apartments in Kinloch, Missouri, alleging discriminatory practices against Black tenants. The lawsuit claims that Suburban Heights LLC, Crestline Property LLC, Triline Properties LLC, and Jingle Properties LLC violated the Fair Housing Act by enforcing a ban on tenants with felony convictions and certain other criminal histories.
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A dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom was sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme. The individual, Oludayo Kolawole John Adeagbo, 45, conspired with others to steal more than $3 million from various entities in Texas and over $1.9 million from a university in North Carolina.
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Former hospital CEO Jeffrey Madison has agreed to pay $5,343,630 to settle allegations under the False Claims Act. The claims involve illegal payments to physicians for laboratory referrals, violating the Anti-Kickback Statute. Madison will also cooperate with ongoing Justice Department investigations related to these allegations.
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Federal and local law enforcement officials have arrested 42 individuals connected to the SFV Peckerwoods, a white supremacist street gang based in San Fernando Valley, California. The arrests stem from a 76-count federal grand jury indictment that accuses them of engaging in a range of illegal activities, including drug trafficking, firearms possession, and fraud related to COVID-19 benefits.
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Feliks Medvedev, a 43-year-old resident of Buford, Georgia, has been sentenced to three years and ten months in prison. Following his release, he will undergo three years of supervised release and is required to pay a $10,000 fine. This sentencing comes after Medvedev was found guilty of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that facilitated the transfer of over $150 million in Russian funds.