Fetch U.S. DOJ Press Releases
doj_press_releases.RdFor accessing U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) open data press releases.
Arguments
- n_results
The number of results to return. By default, 50 results are returned.
- search_direction
Set to ASC or DESC to fetch data starting from the most or least recent entries. By default, data is sorted in descending order (the most recent entries).
- keyword
Only return results containing a keyword. Keyword can be a single word, a list or words, or a regex separated by the pipe delimiter
- clean
Set to FALSE to return data without additional cleaning. By default HTML tags, white space, line breaks, and other messy characters are removed. Epoch time is converted to year-month-day format.
Examples
# Return a dataframe with 50 of the latest records. Data is cleaned.
latest_records <- doj_press_releases()
#> Warning: There were 2 warnings in `mutate()`.
#> The first warning was:
#> ℹ In argument: `created = anydate(as.numeric(created))`.
#> Caused by warning in `anydate()`:
#> ! NAs introduced by coercion
#> ℹ Run `dplyr::last_dplyr_warnings()` to see the 1 remaining warning.
head(latest_records)
#> body
#> 1 SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Anthony Owen Pawley, 66, of Murray, Utah, was sentenced today to 96 months’ imprisonment after law enforcement arrested him and seized over 40 pounds of methamphetamine,15,000 fentanyl pills, and a firearm with associated ammunition in 2024.The sentence, imposed by Judge David Sam, comes after Pawley pleaded guilty in February 2025 to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In addition to Pawley’s sentence, the court ordered him to five years’ supervised release.According to court documents and statements made at Pawley’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on May 9, 2024, Pawley was stopped for a traffic violation by detectives assigned to the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team. During a search of the vehicle, detectives found methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, and $35,665. During a subsequent search of Pawley’s residence and storage unit, detectives found additional methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, a GForce Arms, model GFY-1, 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun, associated ammunition, and $278.“Protecting our citizens and stopping poisonous drugs from being distributed into our communities is a top priority of the Department of Justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “I am grateful for our law enforcement partnerships and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute and hold offenders accountable.”“This case shows what can happen when law enforcement comes together to address public safety,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd. “Our officers, detectives, and federal partners moved quickly to coordinate this complex investigation with one goal: protecting our neighborhoods. Their work is directly responsible for removing dangerous drugs from our streets and holding drug traffickers accountable. The Salt Lake City Police Department remains fully committed to tackling the drug crisis head-on. Because of this investigation and the resulting prosecution, Salt Lake City and Utah are safer.”The case was investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.The Salt Lake City Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) is a specialized unit within the department tasked with combating violent crime by identifying and apprehending violent criminals and fugitives. Operating under the SLCPD’s Special Operations Division, VCAT collaborates closely with the Investigations Division, patrol divisions, and Data and Research divisions to pinpoint and enforce targeted measures in hot spot areas and regions experiencing a surge in violent crime. Established to address emerging violent crime trends and the activities of repeat violent offenders in Salt Lake City, VCAT coordinates efforts with detectives, the Salt Lake Information Center (SLIC), and the SLCPD’s Crime Intelligence and Analysis Unit (CIAU) to identify and apprehend violent offenders.
#> 2 CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County man admitted to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and to conspiring with others to negotiate checks that had been stolen from the mail, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.Donovan Bunch, 23, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to a two-count information charging him with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and one count of conspiring to commit bank fraud.According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:Donovan Bunch, Tracy Felder-Carter, Dante Ford, and Quamell Keyes-Griffin conspired to commit bank fraud by first obtaining checks that had been stolen from the U.S. mail. Bunch and other members of the conspiracy then would create counterfeit checks or alter the stolen checks by increasing the value of the check and changing the name of the payee to either a member of the conspiracy or somebody else recruited by the conspiracy. Bunch admitted that he and others would negotiate each counterfeit or altered check and then attempt to the withdraw the funds before the bank learned that the checks were illegitimate. The conspiracy involved the negotiation of checks at banks across southern New Jersey and elsewhere, with each check written for amounts upwards of several thousand dollars.As part of the investigation, in July 2023, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Bunch’s residence and in his car. Officers recovered from Bunch’s car a stolen Glock pistol with a 31-round magazine that was loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. At the time he possessed the stolen firearm and ammunition found in his car, Bunch was on probation as a result of a prior New Jersey felony conviction.The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentencing is scheduled for August 18, 2025.Felder-Carter, Ford, and Keyes-Griffin each previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the same bank fraud conspiracy to which Bunch pleaded guilty. Their sentencings are upcoming before Judge Kiel. U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation leading to this plea. She also thanked the Pennsylvania State Police – Media Station, Pennsauken Police Department, and the Springfield Township (Pennsylvania) Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. ###Defense counsel:Bunch: Martin Isenberg, Esq. (Gibbsboro, New Jersey)Felder-Carter: Michael Kahn, Esq. (Haddonfield, New Jersey)Ford: Margaret M. Grasso, Esq. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)Keyes-Griffin: John B. Brennan, Esq. (Marlton, New Jersey) bunch.information.pdf
#> 3 KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally reentering the United States.Jose Raul Falcon-Reyes, 36, plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of unlawfully returning to the United States. Falcon-Reyes was previously convicted of improper entry by an alien in 2015 and was subsequently deported to Mexico that same year.On February 15, 2025, he was arrested in Pettis County, Mo., for having been convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance.Falcon-Reyes faces up to two years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes will impose sentencing on August 28, 2025.He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement & Removal Operations.Operation Take Back AmericaThis case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
#> 4 NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.Joseph Schwartz, 65, of Suffern, New York, previously pled guilty to two counts of an indictment charging him with willfully failing to pay over employment taxes withheld from employees of his company, and willfully failing to file an annual financial report (Form 5500) with the Department of Labor for the employee 401K Benefit Plan Schwartz sponsored, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court.According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:Schwartz, an insurance broker and operator of Skyline Management Group LLC (“Skyline”), with headquarters in New Jersey, willfully failed to pay employment taxes relating to numerous health care and rehabilitation facilities that Skyline operated in 11 states.According to the indictment, Schwartz was required to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) trust fund taxes withheld from the pay of employees of Skyline and related companies. From October 2017 through May 2018, Schwartz caused taxes to be withheld from employees’ pay but failed to then pay over more than $38 million in employment taxes to the IRS. As an administrator of the Skyline 401K plan, Schwartz further had an obligation to file an annual Form 5500 financial report with the Secretary of Labor for calendar year 2018, but knowingly and willfully failed to file the report.U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; Investigators with the Department of Labor-Employee Benefits Security Administration, under the direction of Regional Director Mark Seidel in the New York Regional Office; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz in the New York Regional Office, with the investigation that led to the sentencing in this case.The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel H. Rosenblum and Kendall R. Randolph of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Shawn Noud of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. ###Defense counsel: Kevin H. Marino, Esq.
#> 5 SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Xiu Ping Li, 48, residing in Skillman, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years in prison and four years of supervised release for three counts of manufacturing marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.According to court documents, Li operated multiple residential marijuana grows in Sacramento and Placer Counties that yielded more than 8,000 marijuana plants and 21.4 pounds of processed marijuana found during the execution of search warrants in 2016 and 2017. Li also acknowledged using proceeds from a marijuana grow to buy another property to continue growing marijuana.This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Elk Grove Police Department, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
#> 6 CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has charged Behrouz Parsarad, an Iranian national, for his role as the creator and operator of Nemesis Market, a dark web marketplace designed to enable users to buy and sell illegal drugs and other illicit goods and criminal cyber-services, such as obtaining stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, counterfeit currencies, and computer malware.According to the indictment, Parsarad, 36, of Tehran, Iran, launched Nemesis Market in or around March 2021. Nemesis Market operated on the dark web, a network that uses The Onion Router (TOR) to encrypt traffic and hide users’ Internet Protocol (IP) address. At its peak, Nemesis Market had over 150,000 users and more than 1,100 vendor accounts registered worldwide. Between 2021 and 2024, Nemesis Market processed more than 400,000 orders, including more than 60,000 orders in 2022 and more than 250,000 orders in 2023. Of these, more than 55,000 orders were categorized as stimulants, which included sub-categories for methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), and other controlled substances. More than 17,000 orders were categorized as opioids, which included sub-categories for fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. All of the substances covertly purchased by the government and marketed on Nemesis as “isotonitazene,” “M30s” (purporting to be oxycodone), and “Percs” (purporting to be Percocet) were confirmed by laboratory reports to be mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance and/or acetylfentanyl, heroin, and/or protonitazene, each a Schedule I controlled substance.“The allegations in this indictment span over four hundred thousand transactions involving fentanyl, other dangerous drugs, and a wide range of contraband made accessible on the darknet for more than three years,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through cooperation with German and Lithuanian partners, the alleged administrator of this marketplace has been charged, servers and other infrastructure have been seized, and dangerous drugs and other contraband have been stopped from entering the United States. This case demonstrates the Department’s tireless commitment to protecting U.S. communities from the harms caused by fentanyl and darknet marketplaces and pursuing accountability for those who would endanger our communities no matter where they are located.”“Anyone who tries to profit from the sale of illegal drugs - whether it’s on the streets or online – will face consequences. Whether you sell or help others sell these dangerous drugs, you will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “I want to acknowledge the excellent investigative work of our federal agency partners here in Ohio who helped us to bring the charges in this case. Together, we remain committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe and our streets free from illegal narcotics.”“This indictment, made possible by the assistance of our German and Lithuanian allies, underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Nemesis Market, through the darknet, was a borderless powerhouse of criminal activity that not only fueled the drug epidemic, but also a multitude of illegal acts with the capacity to harm our citizens and destroy our communities. The FBI stands firm in its commitment to identify and investigate unlawful individuals and dismantle their networks operating with criminal intent.”Parsarad is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances in the Northern District of Ohio and elsewhere. In addition, Parsarad is also charged with money laundering conspiracy for both using proceeds to promote illegal drug dealing and for offering money laundering services through Nemesis Market by mixing cryptocurrencies used to pay for goods and services to obscure their origins. Nemesis users were not allowed to conduct transactions in official, government-backed currencies.On March 20, 2024, U.S. law enforcement, in cooperation with German and Lithuanian authorities, seized Nemesis Market and stemmed the flow of these drugs into the United States and elsewhere. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Parsarad for his role as the administrator of Nemesis Market. According to OFAC, Nemesis Market facilitated the sale of nearly $30 million worth of drugs between 2021 and 2024.If convicted, Parsarad faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life.The FBI Cleveland Division is investigating the case with assistance from the DEA and IRS-CI. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust provided significant assistance.Assistant U.S. Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Northern District of Illinois and District of Massachusetts.This case was investigated as part of an FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (J-CODE) operation. J-CODE brings together experts from the DEA, the Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Department of Defense and the Customs and Border Protection, along with the FBI. The Justice Department appreciates the cooperation and significant assistance provided by law enforcement partners in the British Virgin Islands, Germany, Lithuania, and Türkiye.An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
#> changed created date number
#> 1 <NA> <NA> 2025-04-17 25-53
#> 2 <NA> <NA> 2025-04-17 25-109
#> 3 <NA> <NA> 2025-04-17 <NA>
#> 4 <NA> <NA> 2025-04-17 25-114
#> 5 <NA> <NA> 2025-04-17 <NA>
#> 6 <NA> <NA> 2025-04-17 <NA>
#> teaser
#> 1 SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Anthony Owen Pawley, 66, of Murray, Utah, was sentenced today to 96 months’ imprisonment after law enforcement arrested him and seized over 40 pounds of methamphetamine,15,000 fentanyl pills, and a firearm with associated ammunition in 2024.
#> 2 A Camden County man admitted to illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and to conspiring with others to negotiate checks that had been stolen from the mail.
#> 3 A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally reentering the United States.
#> 4 A New York man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country.
#> 5 Xiu Ping Li, 48, residing in Skillman, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years in prison and four years of supervised release for three counts of manufacturing marijuana.
#> 6 A federal grand jury has charged an Iranian national for his role as the creator and operator of Nemesis Market, a dark web marketplace designed to enable users to buy and sell illegal drugs and other illicit goods and criminal cyber-services.
#> title
#> 1 Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Gun Crimes
#> 2 Camden County Felon Admits to Illegally Possessing a Stolen Gun and Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud
#> 3 Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Returning to United States
#> 4 Former Owner of Collapsed Nursing Home Empire Sentenced to 36 Months’ Imprisonment For $38 Million Tax Fraud Scheme
#> 5 New Jersey Woman Sentenced to 5 years in Prison for Residential Marijuana Grows in Sacramento and Placer Counties
#> 6 Iranian National Indicted for Operating Online Marketplace Offering Fentanyl, Other Drugs, and Money Laundering Services
#> url
#> 1 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/convicted-felon-sentenced-prison-drug-and-gun-crimes
#> 2 https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/camden-county-felon-admits-illegally-possessing-stolen-gun-and-conspiring-commit-bank
#> 3 https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/mexican-national-pleads-guilty-unlawfully-returning-united-states
#> 4 https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/former-owner-collapsed-nursing-home-empire-sentenced-36-months-imprisonment-38-million
#> 5 https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/new-jersey-woman-sentenced-5-years-prison-residential-marijuana-grows-sacramento-and
#> 6 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndoh/pr/iranian-national-indicted-operating-online-marketplace-offering-fentanyl-other-drugs
#> uuid
#> 1 95636e30-0581-48d6-9f06-6ae222123f96
#> 2 3c006c50-1ee3-46ef-ac0c-cad502583005
#> 3 f5026aa5-3eda-4a78-8d13-0beba84c83d3
#> 4 51b8b8e4-92dd-4575-93dd-899b536b31e1
#> 5 8a156ff4-8c53-4d32-9e80-2c2aae6f739c
#> 6 13c7365a-d490-4673-a53a-afe221bd9523
#> name
#> 1 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), USAO - Utah
#> 2 USAO - New Jersey
#> 3 USAO - Missouri, Western
#> 4 USAO - New Jersey
#> 5 USAO - California, Eastern
#> 6 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), USAO - Ohio, Northern
# Return a dataframe with 15 of the earliest records. Data is not cleaned.
earliest_records <- doj_press_releases(n_results = 15, search_direction = "ASC")
#> Warning: There were 2 warnings in `mutate()`.
#> The first warning was:
#> ℹ In argument: `created = anydate(as.numeric(created))`.
#> Caused by warning in `anydate()`:
#> ! NAs introduced by coercion
#> ℹ Run `dplyr::last_dplyr_warnings()` to see the 1 remaining warning.
head(earliest_records)
#> body
#> 1 WASHINGTON - The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the State of Georgia regarding the conditions at Georgia’s seven psychiatric hospitals. The Department opened its investigation of Georgia’s psychiatric hospitals in 2007 and issued findings regarding Georgia Regional Hospital at Atlanta on May 30, 2008. The Department subsequently entered into negotiations regarding remedies the State was required to implement to correct unconstitutional conditions at all the hospitals. The other state facilities involved in today’s settlement include: Georgia Regional Hospital at Savannah, Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Southwestern State Hospital, East Central State Hospital, West Central State Hospital, and Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital at Rome. "When a state undertakes to care for persons with mental illness and developmental disabilities, it accepts responsibility to protect them from harm," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Department commends Governor Sonny Perdue, State Attorney General Thurbert Baker, and the Georgia Department of Human Resources for their willingness to work aggressively to address the conditions at these seven psychiatric hospitals. The leadership of the State in amicably resolving this matter has been paramount to today's exceptional result on behalf of the people of the State of Georgia. We are pleased that we have cooperatively achieved a settlement agreement that will benefit the lives of persons with mental health problems and developmental disabilities in Georgia’s psychiatric hospitals." Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the State will work to ensure that patients at the seven hospitals are safe and receive the care and services necessary to meet their individualized needs. Specifically, the State has agreed to undertake a variety of measures, including improving medical and mental health care and ensuring that patients are free from undue bodily restraint. The State will also improve discharge planning and ensure that each patient is served in the most integrated setting appropriate. Today's settlement with the State of Georgia is the result of a cooperative effort by State entities and the Justice Department to reach a settlement that will make meaningful changes to improve the care and treatment of patients at Georgia’s seven psychiatric hospitals. This Administration is firmly committed to the vigorous protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. The Civil Rights Division is authorized to conduct investigations of public psychiatric hospitals under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). This statute allows the federal government to identify and root out systemic abuses such as those discovered in Georgia. The Civil Rights Division has successfully resolved similar investigations in other in-patient mental health facilities in the District of Columbia, Vermont, and California, among other states. The Civil Rights Division has open investigations of mental health facilities in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Oregon. CRIPA authorizes the Attorney General to investigate conditions in certain institutions owned or operated by, or on behalf of, state or local governments. These institutions include nursing homes, residential facilities serving people with mental or other developmental disabilities, mental health facilities, jails, prisons, and juvenile justice facilities. Copies of the settlement documents were filed today in federal court and will be available on the Justice Department Web site upon approval by a federal judge. More information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, and the laws it enforces, is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/index.html.
#> 2 WASHINGTON – SouthernCare Inc. and its shareholders have agreed to pay the United States a total of $24.7 million to settle allegations that the Birmingham, Ala.-based company submitted false claims to the government for patients treated at its hospice facilities, the Justice Department announced today. SouthernCare operates approximately 99 locations that provide hospice services in 15 states. Hospices provide palliative care – any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of a disease’s symptoms – to patients who decide to forego curative care of their illness. Medicare beneficiaries are entitled to hospice care if they have a terminal prognosis of six months or less to live. The government alleged that SouthernCare was submitting false claims for hospice care for patients who were not eligible for such care. "The Medicare hospice benefit is intended to provide compassionate end of life care to terminally ill patients," said Gregory G. Katsas, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division. "This settlement sends a clear message that the Department of Justice will not allow health care providers to take advantage of beneficiaries in their attempts to game the reimbursement system." Today’s settlement results from two qui tam suits filed by two former SouthernCare employees, Tanya Rice and Nancy Romeo, on behalf of the United States. The False Claims Act authorizes private parties to file suit against those who defraud the United States and to receive a share of any recovery. The United States will pay $4.9 million to the individuals who filed the actions against SouthernCare. "Our investigation showed a pattern and practice to falsely admit patients to hospice care who did not qualify and to bill Medicare for that care. This resulted in taxpayers bearing inappropriate costs. Today’s settlement evidences the Department of Justice’s efforts to both protect the public monies and safeguard Medicare beneficiaries," said Alice H. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. "This significant settlement demonstrates our commitment to protect the Medicare trust fund from fraud and abuse and to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries receive quality care," said David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia,. "Every provider that submits claims to the Medicare program must ensure that its services are billed appropriately. Falsely admitting people to hospice care who did not qualify for the benefit exposed these patients to potential harm and contributes to the soaring costs of health care for everyone." As part of the settlement, SouthernCare will enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General (OIG), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to address the allegations raised in the qui tam complaints. "Today’s Corporate Integrity Agreement contains rigorous provisions specifically designed to ensure SouthernCare’s future compliance with Medicare and Medicaid hospice eligibility requirements," said Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General for HHS. "This agreement demonstrates OIG’s commitment to protect the integrity of federal health care programs." The investigation was jointly handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northen District of Georgia, the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI.
#> 3 WASHINGTON — Executives from LG Display Co. Ltd. and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. have agreed to plead guilty and serve jail time in the United States for participating in a global conspiracy to fix prices in the sale of Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) panels, the U.S. Department of Justice announced today. According to a one-count felony charge filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Chang Suk "C.S." Chung, a Korean LG executive, conspired with unnamed employees from other panel makers to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing the prices of TFT-LCD panels from on or about Sept. 21, 2001, to on or about June 1, 2006. According to a separate one-count felony charge, also filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, Chieng-Hon "Frank" Lin, a Taiwanese former executive from Chunghwa, and Chih-Chun "C.C." Liu and Hsueh-Lung "Brian" Lee, Taiwanese current employees of Chungwha, are charged with participating in the same conspiracy at various times during the period from Sept. 14, 2001, to on or about Dec. 1, 2006. Under the plea agreements, which must be approved by the court, all four executives have agreed to serve a term of imprisonment, pay a criminal fine and assist the government in its ongoing TFT-LCD investigation. TFT-LCD panels are used in computer monitors and notebooks, televisions, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. In 2006, the worldwide market for TFT-LCD panels was approximately $70 billion. "These cases involve the first Taiwanese nationals to face imprisonment in the United States for an antitrust offense," said Deborah A. Garza, Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division. "The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable all conspirators who harm American consumers, no matter where they live or where they commit the crime." During the conspiracy, Chang Suk Chung, a Korean citizen, worked as LG’s Vice President of Monitor Sales. Under the plea agreement, Chung has agreed to serve a seven-month prison sentence in the United States and pay a $25,000 criminal fine. During the charged conspiracy period, Chieng-Hon Lin, a Taiwanese and U.S. citizen, was Chunghwa’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Under the plea agreement, Lin has agreed to serve a nine-month prison sentence in the United States and pay a $50,000 criminal fine. Chih-Chun Liu, a Taiwanese citizen, was Chunghwa’s Vice President of LCD Sales during the charged conspiracy period. Under the plea agreement, Liu has agreed to serve a seven-month prison sentence in the United States and pay a $30,000 criminal fine. Hsueh-Lung Lee, a Taiwanese citizen, held various sales positions at Chunghwa during the charged conspiracy period, including Vice President of LCD Sales. Under the plea agreement, Lee has agreed to serve a six-month prison sentence in the United States and pay a $20,000 criminal fine. These four foreign-based executives were charged with participating with co-conspirators in a conspiracy that was accomplished by: Participating in meetings, conversations and communications in Taiwan, South Korea and the United States to discuss the prices of TFT-LCD panels; Agreeing during these meetings, conversations and communications to charge prices of TFT-LCD panels at certain predetermined levels; Issuing price quotations in accordance with the agreements reached; Exchanging information on sales of TFT-LCD panels for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing adherence to the agreed-upon prices; and Authorizing, ordering and consenting to the participation of subordinate employees in the conspiracy. "These are the first individuals to plead guilty to a charge of fixing prices in this active investigation into antitrust violations in the TFT-LCD industry," said Scott D. Hammond, the Antitrust Division’s Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Enforcement. "We will continue in our efforts to bring to justice other domestic and foreign-based executives who were involved with fixing TFT-LCD prices." On Dec. 15, 2008, LG pleaded guilty to participating in this conspiracy and was sentenced to pay a $400 million criminal fine – the second largest fine in Antitrust Division history. On Jan. 14, 2009, Chunghwa pleaded guilty to participating in the same conspiracy and was sentenced to pay a $65 million criminal fine. On Dec. 16, 2008, Sharp Corp. pleaded guilty to three separate conspiracies to fix the prices of TFT-LCD panels sold to Dell Inc., Apple Computer Inc. and Motorola Inc., and was sentenced to pay a $120 million criminal fine. The four executives are charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum fine of $1 million and up to 10 years in prison for an individual. The maximum fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. These pleas are the result of a joint investigation by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in San Francisco. Anyone with information concerning illegal conduct in the TFT-LCD industry is urged to call the San Francisco Field Office of the Antitrust Division at 415-436-6660.
#> 4 American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company today agreed to plead guilty and pay $1.415 billion for promoting its drug Zyprexa for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Department of Justice announced today. This resolution includes a criminal fine of $515 million, the largest ever in a health care case, and the largest criminal fine for an individual corporation ever imposed in a United States criminal prosecution of any kind. Eli Lilly will also pay up to $800 million in a civil settlement with the federal government and the states.Eli Lilly agreed to enter a global resolution with the United States to resolve criminal and civil allegations that it promoted its antipsychotic drug Zyprexa for uses not approved by the FDA, the Department said. Such unapproved uses are also known as "off-label" uses because they are not included in the drug’s FDA approved product label.Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Gregory G. Katsas and acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Laurie Magid today announced the filing of a criminal information against Eli Lilly for promoting Zyprexa for uses not approved by the FDA. Eli Lilly, headquartered in Indianapolis, is charged in the information with promoting Zyprexa for such off-label or unapproved uses as treatment for dementia, including Alzheimer’s dementia, in elderly people.The company has signed a plea agreement admitting its guilt to a misdemeanor criminal charge. Eli Lilly also signed a civil settlement to resolve civil claims that by marketing Zyprexa for unapproved uses, it caused false claims for payment to be submitted to federal insurance programs such as Medicaid, TRICARE and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, none of which provided coverage for such off-label uses.The plea agreement provides that Eli Lilly will pay a criminal fine of $515 million and forfeit assets of $100 million. The civil settlement agreement provides that Eli Lilly will pay up to an additional $800 million to the federal government and the states to resolve civil allegations originally brought in four separate lawsuits under the qui tam provisions of the federal False Claims Act. The federal share of the civil settlement amount is $438 million. Under the terms of the civil settlement, Eli Lilly will pay up to $361 million to those states that opt to participate in the agreement.Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), a company must specify the intended uses of a product in its new drug application to the FDA. Before approving a drug, the FDA must determine that the drug is safe and effective for the use proposed by the company. Once approved, the drug may not be marketed or promoted for off-label uses.The FDA originally approved Zyprexa, also known by the chemical name olanzapine, in Sept. 1996 for the treatment of manifestations of psychotic disorders. In March 2000, FDA approved Zyprexa for the short-term treatment of acute manic episodes associated with Bipolar I Disorder. In Nov. 2000, FDA approved Zyprexa for the short term treatment of schizophrenia in place of the management of the manifestations of psychotic disorders. Also in Nov. 2000, FDA approved Zyprexa for maintaining treatment response in schizophrenic patients who had been stable for approximately eight weeks and were then followed for a period of up to eight months. Zyprexa has never been approved for the treatment of dementia or Alzheimer’s dementia.The criminal information, filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, alleges that from Sept. 1999 through at least Nov. 2003, Eli Lilly promoted Zyprexa for the treatment of agitation, aggression, hostility, dementia, Alzheimer’s dementia, depression and generalized sleep disorder. The information alleges that Eli Lilly’s management created marketing materials promoting Zyprexa for off-label uses, trained its sales force to disregard the law and directed its sales personnel to promote Zyprexa for off-label uses.The information alleges that beginning in 1999, Eli Lilly expended significant resources to promote Zyprexa in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, primarily through its long-term care sales force. Eli Lilly sought to convince doctors to prescribe Zyprexa to treat patients with disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer’s dementia, depression, anxiety, and sleep problems, and behavioral symptoms such as agitation, aggression, and hostility.The information further alleges that the FDA never approved Zyprexa for the treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's dementia, psychosis associated with Alzheimer's disease, or the cognitive deficits associated with dementia.The information also alleges that building on its unlawful promotion and success in the long-term care market, Eli Lilly executives decided to market Zyprexa to primary-care physicians. In Oct. 2000, Eli Lilly began this off-label marketing campaign targeting primary care physicians, even though the company knew that there was virtually no approved use for Zyprexa in the primary-care market. Eli Lilly trained its primary-care physician sales representatives to promote Zyprexa by focusing on symptoms, rather than Zyprexa’s FDA approved indications.The qui tam lawsuits alleged that between Sept. 1999 and the end of 2005, Eli Lilly promoted Zyprexa for use in patients of all ages and for the treatment of anxiety, irritability, depression, nausea, Alzheimer’s and other mood disorders. The qui tam lawsuits also alleged that the company funded continuing medical education programs, through millions of dollars in grants, to promote off-label uses of its drugs, in violation of the FDA’s requirements."Off-label promotion of pharmaceutical drugs is a serious crime because it undermines the FDA’s role in protecting the American public by determining that a drug is safe and effective for a particular use before it is marketed," said Gregory G. Katsas, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. "This settlement demonstrates the Department’s ongoing diligence in prosecuting cases involving violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and recovering taxpayer dollars used to pay for drugs sold as a result of off-label marketing campaigns.""When pharmaceutical companies ignore the government’s process for protecting the public, they undermine the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship and place innocent people in harm’s way," said acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Laurie Magid. "Off-label marketing created unnecessary risks for patients. People have an absolute right to their doctor’s medical expertise, and to know that their health care provider’s judgment has not be clouded by misinformation from a company trying to build its bottom line."The global resolution includes the following agreements:\tA plea agreement signed by Eli Lilly admitting guilt to the criminal charge of misbranding. Specifically, Eli Lilly admits that between Sept. 1999 and March 31, 2001, the company promoted Zyprexa in elderly populations as treatment for dementia, including Alzheimer’s dementia. Eli Lilly has agreed to pay a $515 million criminal fine and to forfeit an additional $100 million in assets.\tA civil settlement between Eli Lilly, the United States and various States, in which Eli Lilly will pay up to $800 million to the federal government and the states to resolve False Claims Act claims and related state claims by Medicaid and other federal programs and agencies including TRICARE, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, Bureau of Prisons and the Public Health Service Entities. The federal government will receive $438,171,544 from the civil settlement. The state Medicaid programs and the District of Columbia will share up to $361,828,456 of the civil settlement, depending on the number of states that participate in the settlement.\tThe qui tam relators will receive $78,870,877 from the federal share of the settlement amount.\tA Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) between Eli Lilly and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. The five-year CIA requires, among other things, that a Board of Directors committee annually review the company’s compliance program and certify its effectiveness; that certain managers annually certify that their departments or functional areas are compliant; that Eli Lilly send doctors a letter notifying them about the global settlement; and that the company post on its website information about payments to doctors, such as honoraria, travel or lodging. Eli Lilly is subject to exclusion from Federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for a material breach of the CIA and subject to monetary penalties for less significant breaches."OIG’s Corporate Integrity Agreement will increase the transparency of Eli Lilly’s interactions with physicians and strengthen Eli Lilly’s accountability for its compliance with the law," said Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson. "This historic resolution demonstrates the Government’s commitment to improvethe integrity of drug promotion activities."In addition to the $1.415 billion criminal and civil settlement announced today, Eli Lilly previously agreed to pay $62 million to settle consumer protection lawsuits brought by 33 states. The state consumer protection settlements were announced on Oct. 7, 2008."Today's announcement of the filing of a criminal charge and the unprecedented terms of this settlement demonstrates the government's increasing efforts aimed at pharmaceutical companies that choose to put profits ahead of the public's health," said Special Agent-in-Charge Kim Rice of FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations. "The FDA will continue to devote resources to criminal investigations targeting pharmaceutical companies that disregard the safeguards of the drug approval process and recklessly promote drugs for uses for which they have not been proven to be safe and effective.""The illegal scheme used by Eli Lilly significantly impacted the integrity of TRICARE, the Department of Defense's healthcare system," said Ed Bradley, Special Agent-in-Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. "This illegal activity increases patients’ costs, threatens their safety and negatively affects the delivery of healthcare services to the over nine million military members, retirees and their families who rely on this system. Today’s charges and settlement demonstrate the ongoing commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its partners in law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those that abuse the government's healthcare programs at the expense of the taxpayers and patients.""This case should serve as still another warning to all those who break the law in order to improve their profits," said Patrick Doyle, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services in Philadelphia. "OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will pursue and bring to justice those who would steal from vulnerable beneficiaries and the taxpayers."The civil settlement resolves four qui tam actions filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania: United States ex rel. Rudolf, et al., v. Eli Lilly and Company, Civil Action No. 03-943 (E.D. Pa.); United States ex rel. Faltaous v. Eli Lilly and Company, Civil Action No. 06-2909 (E.D. Pa.); United States ex rel. Woodward v. Dr. George B. Jerusalem, et al., Civil Action No. 06-5526 (E.D. Pa.); and United States ex rel. Vicente v. Eli Lilly and Company, Civil Action No. 07-1791 (E.D. Pa.). All of those cases were filed by former Eli Lilly sales representatives.The criminal case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Office of Consumer Litigation of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. The civil settlement was reached by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.This matter was investigated by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.Assistance was provided by representatives of FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units.The Corporate Integrity Agreement was negotiated by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.Eli Lilly's guilty plea and sentence is not final until accepted by the U.S. District Court.
#> 5 WASHINGTON—In the largest settlement yet in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing cement kiln enforcement initiative, the U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of EPA, today lodged a consent decree with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California resolving Clean Air Act claims against CEMEX California Cement LLC with respect to the company’s Victorville, Calif., Portland cement plant.The settlement will resolve claims asserted in a 2007 complaint that CEMEX is releasing pollutants to the air, including nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, without required permits setting emission limits under the Clean Air Act. Under the terms of the settlement, CEMEX must meet new limits for these pollutants at the Victorville plant, one of the largest cement plants in the United States, including stringent new limits for nitrogen oxide that will reduce emissions by 1,890 tons per year, a nearly 40 percent reduction. The cement manufacturer must also pay a $2 million civil penalty. EPA estimates that achieving and maintaining compliance with the new emission limits, depending on the control technology used, could cost CEMEX millions of dollars.“Today’s settlement shows the federal government’s continued commitment to enforcing the federal environmental laws and protecting the nation’s air quality,” said Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.“This settlement will result in cleaner air for California,” said Deborah Jordan, director of the EPA’s Air Division in the Pacific Southwest region. “This facility is the largest source of nitrogen oxide—an air pollutant that causes smog—in California, so the state-of-the-art air pollution controls that CEMEX is installing will have a significant impact on air quality.”The settlement resolves the EPA’s claims that on two separate occasions, in 1997 and 2000, CEMEX violated the Clean Air Act by undertaking major plant modifications resulting in significant increases in the Victorville plant’s capacity to pollute without first undergoing required regulatory review or obtaining required permits under the Clean Air Act’s Prevention of Significant Deterioration, or PSD, program and without installing state-of-the-art emission controls that would reduce contaminants such as nitrogen oxide. Nitrogen oxide is a harmful air pollutant that causes smog and leads to respiratory problems in children and the elderly. The Victorville area fails to meet federal air quality standards for both ozone and particulate matter.The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. For more information on the settlement and the Clean Air Act, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region09/air/index.html.
#> 6 "The Department of Justice is pleased with this important ruling by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, which upholds the constitutionality of foreign intelligence surveillance conducted under the Protect America Act of 2007. "The case involved a challenge by a private party to directives that were issued under the Protect America Act and that required the party to assist the Government in conducting foreign intelligence surveillance against targets reasonably believed to be located outside the United States. The Court of Review upheld the lawfulness of the directives, concluding that the surveillance at issue fell within the foreign intelligence exception to the warrant requirement and was otherwise reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. "The Court issued a classified version of its opinion in August 2008 and subsequently requested publication of an unclassified version. Today, after a careful classification review process, the Court published the unclassified version of its opinion. The Court of Review's decision marks the second ruling published by the Court since it was established more than 30 years ago."
#> changed created date number
#> 1 <NA> <NA> 2009-01-15 09-048
#> 2 <NA> <NA> 2009-01-15 09-043
#> 3 <NA> <NA> 2009-01-15 09-046
#> 4 <NA> <NA> 2009-01-15 09-038
#> 5 <NA> <NA> 2009-01-15 09-044
#> 6 <NA> <NA> 2009-01-15 09-040
#> teaser
#> 1 The Department has reached a settlement with the State of Georgia regarding the conditions at Georgia\u0092s seven psychiatric hospitals. The Department opened its investigation of Georgia\u0092s psychiatric hospitals in 2007 and issued findings regarding Georgia Regional Hospital at Atlanta on May 30, 2008.
#> 2 SouthernCare Inc. and its shareholders have agreed to pay the United States a total of $24.7 million to settle allegations that the Birmingham, Ala.-based company submitted false claims to the government for patients treated at its hospice facilities. SouthernCare operates approximately 99 locations that provide hospice services in 15 states. \n
#> 3 Executives from LG Display Co. Ltd. and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. have agreed to plead guilty and serve jail time in the United States for participating in a global conspiracy to fix prices in the sale of Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) panels. \n
#> 4 American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company today agreed to plead guilty and pay $1.415 billion for promoting its drug Zyprexa for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This resolution includes a criminal fine of $515 million, the largest ever in a health care case, and the largest criminal fine for an individual corporation ever imposed in a United States criminal prosecution of any kind. Eli Lilly will also pay up to $800 million in a civil settlement with the federal government and the states.\n
#> 5 In the largest settlement yet in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing cement kiln enforcement initiative, the Department, on behalf of EPA, today lodged a consent decree with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California resolving Clean Air Act claims against CEMEX California Cement LLC with respect to the company’s Victorville, Calif., Portland cement plant.\n
#> 6 The Department is pleased with this important ruling by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, which upholds the constitutionality of foreign intelligence surveillance conducted under the Protect America Act of 2007.\n
#> title
#> 1 Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Georgia<br />\r\nRegarding State\u0092s Seven Psychiatric Hospitals
#> 2 Alabama-Based Hospice Company Pays U.S. $24.7 Million<br />\r\nto Settle Health Care Fraud Claims
#> 3 Four Executives Agree to Plead Guilty in<br />\r\nGlobal LCD Price-Fixing Conspiracy
#> 4 Eli Lilly and Company Agrees to Pay $1.415 Billion to Resolve Allegationsof Off-label Promotion of Zyprexa
#> 5 CEMEX California Cement Agrees to Reduce Emissions and Pay $2 Million Fine to Settle Clean Air Act Claims
#> 6 Statement of Dean Boyd, Justice Department Spokesman, on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review Opinion Published Today
#> url
#> 1 https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-reaches-settlement-georgia-regarding-state-s-seven-psychiatric-hospitals
#> 2 https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/alabama-based-hospice-company-pays-us-247-million-settle-health-care-fraud-claims
#> 3 https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/four-executives-agree-plead-guilty-global-lcd-price-fixing-conspiracy
#> 4 https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/eli-lilly-and-company-agrees-pay-1415-billion-resolve-allegations-label-promotion-zyprexa
#> 5 https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/cemex-california-cement-agrees-reduce-emissions-and-pay-2-million-fine-settle-clean-air-act
#> 6 https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/statement-dean-boyd-justice-department-spokesman-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-court
#> uuid
#> 1 d5ba5244-883b-4706-9639-88b913a16160
#> 2 b1a08b4d-7716-4f08-85dc-a5d166add443
#> 3 05341ae9-304c-4286-82bb-0e6c4531e3d4
#> 4 75f49b9b-e35b-455a-8b83-64c9deff5d0c
#> 5 354d0bb1-fe83-4e80-8a03-9526c6564064
#> 6 b6d10115-b6fa-4691-9862-0a37cd2aecdc
#> name
#> 1 Civil Rights Division
#> 2 Civil Division
#> 3 Antitrust Division
#> 4 Civil Division
#> 5 Environment and Natural Resources Division, ENRD - Environmental Enforcement Section
#> 6 National Security Division (NSD)