News from March 2023
Eight Men Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
News Release: NEWARK, N.J. - Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division Daniel J. Kafafian and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger announced eight men were charged today for their roles in a drug trafficking organization operating in and around Union County.
St. Paul Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
News Release: ST. PAUL, Minn. - A St. Paul man was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as an Armed Career Criminal, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to Louisiana
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
News Release: Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Louisiana as part of the division's civil rights tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.
Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Against Neurosurgeon and his Fiancée Alleging Receipt of Illegal Kickbacks
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
News Release: Dr. Sonjay Fonn and Ms. Deborah Seeger of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and their professional companies, Midwest Neurosurgeons, LLC and DS Medical, LLC, have agreed to pay $825,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that they violated the False Claims Act by soliciting and receiving kickbacks from spinal implant companies.
Justice Department discusses Karl Kauffman, M.D.; Decision and Order on March 22
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
The US Justice Department published a two page notice on March 22, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.
Rochester Woman Pleads Guilty to Making Internet Threats and Firearms Possession
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
News Release: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gabygayl Cruz, 21, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $250,000.
Pensacola Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Carjacking
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
News Release: MOBILE, AL - A Pensacola, Florida man was sentenced to 150 months in prison for a carjacking in Baldwin County.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Weapons Violations
By DOJ Newswire | Mar 23, 2023
News Release: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - On March 8, 2023, CHRISTIAN GUITY, age 26, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to three counts of a four-count indictment for federal drug and weapons violations, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Count 1 charged GUITY with possession with intent to distribute a controlled ...
Department of Justice Announces Review of Memphis Police Department’s Use of Force and De-escalation Policies, and a Separate Review of Specialized Units Across the Country
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced today it will be undertaking two important reviews: one related to the Memphis Police Department (MPD) and one that will examine the use of specialized units within law enforcement.
Justice Department Achieves Settlement with the Former Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo to Relocate Animals to Locations in the Continental United States
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
The Justice Department and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on behalf of the Puerto Rico Department of Justice and the Puerto Rico Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have reached an agreement to ensure the health and safety of the animals housed at the former Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo and the Centro de Detención en Cambalache (Cambalache).
Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today that the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) and the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government (Louisville Metro) engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law.
Detroit-area Mortgage Broker Charged with Conspiring to Defraud the IRS and Filing False Tax Returns
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
A federal grand jury in Detroit returned an indictment yesterday charging a Michigan man with conspiring to defraud the United States and filing false income tax returns.
United States Obtains Warrant for Seizure of Airplane Owned by Russian Oil Company Valued at More Than $25 Million
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
The United States today announced the unsealing of a warrant for the seizure of a Boeing 737-7JU aircraft owned by PJSC Rosneft Oil Company (Rosneft), a Russian integrated energy company headquartered in Moscow, Russia, headed by Igor Ivanovich Sechin.
Eleventh Defendant Sentenced in $15 Million Scheme to Defraud Thousands of Spanish-Speaking United States Immigrants
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
A California man was sentenced to 65 months in prison for his role in conspiring with Peruvian-based call centers that defrauded Spanish-speaking United States residents by falsely threatening them with arrest, deportation, and other legal consequences. He is the eleventh defendant to be sentenced to prison in the scheme.
Former U.S. Congressional Candidate Pleads Guilty in Conduit Campaign Contribution Case
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
A former primary candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives pleaded guilty today to violating the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) by accepting a conduit campaign contribution. According to court documents, Lynda Bennett, 65, of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, was a primary candidate for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District in 2020. In late December 2019, Bennett borrowed $25,000 from a family member, representing that she needed the money for personal expenses because she had to spend a large amount of her own money on her campaign. The day after depositing the loaned money into a personal account, Bennett then caused $80,000, including the $25,000 in loaned funds, to be transferred to the bank account of Lynda Bennett for Congress (LBC), her authorized federal campaign committee. Under the FECA, Bennett was required to report a loan from a third-party individual as a campaign contribution. Bennett knowingly and willfully violated the FECA by reporting through LBC that the full $80,000 was a loan to her campaign using her own personal funds, rather than disclosing that $25,000 of that amount was a loan from another individual. Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of accepting contributions in the name of another. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda R. Vaughn for the District of Columbia provided assistance.
Philadelphia Woman Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Operating Fraudulent Debt Relief Scheme
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
A Philadelphia woman was sentenced today to 100 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS and assisting others in filing false income tax returns.
Narcotrafficker Pleads Guilty to International Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
A narcotrafficker pleaded guilty today to international cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
CEO of Major Defense Contractor Charged with Bribery
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Company 1, a multi-national corporation headquartered in Malta and with operations in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and the United States was charged with bribery in an indictment returned on September 30, 2019.
Justice Department’s Ongoing Section 8 Enforcement Prevents More Potentially Illegal Interlocking Directorates
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
Antitrust Division Continues to Focus on Competitors Sharing Company Directors in Violation of Section 8 of the Clayton Act
Leader of International Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy
By DOJ Newswire Reports | Mar 23, 2023
The leader of an international drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty yesterday to international cocaine trafficking conspiracy.