New York Paralegal

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that three defendants were sentenced to decades in prison today by United States District Judge CATHY SEIBEL for committing the 2008 murder of a Yonkers resident on Helena Avenue in Yonkers, New York, several armed robberies, narcotics trafficking, and firearms offenses. GREGORY FULLER, a/k/a “Murder,” was sentenced to 100 years’ imprisonment; defendant DAVON YOUNG, a/k/a “Burners,” was sentenced to 65 years’ imprisonment; THOMAS CHAMBLISS was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment.

WASHINGTON – Hana A. Beshara, 29, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty today for her role in founding NinjaVideo.net, a website that provided millions of users with the ability to illegally download infringing copies of copyright-protected movies and television programs in high-quality formats.

MIAMI—Twenty individuals, including numerous licensed real estate industry professionals, have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and bank fraud in connection with their alleged participation in a $40 million mortgage fraud scheme. According to the indictment, from March 2006 through June 2008, the defendants conspired to submit false loan applications and related documents to multiple banks for the purpose of obtaining approximately $40 million in mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOC). This resulted in approximately $20 million in losses to the banks.

JONESBORO, Ark. – AT&T d/b/a Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (AT&T) violated federal law by discharging Antonnett Johnson because of her sex (female), race (black), and in retaliation for her complaints of discriminatory treatment by co-workers and customers, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

A former employee of Countrywide Home Loan was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution Wednesday in connection with a large-scale data breach, announced André Birotte Jr., the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, and Steven Martinez, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.

LOS ANGELES — An Irvine, Calif.-based pool supply company will pay $462,500 to resolve a sexual harassment, retaliation and constructive discharge lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC had charged Aqua Tri, a supplier of pool sanitizing chemicals and other pool products, with subjecting a class of Hispanic employees to sexual harassment, retaliation for opposing it and forcing some of them out of their jobs.

WASHINGTON — A Detroit federal grand jury returned an indictment today against three former executives from Panasonic Corporation, a Whirlpool Corporation subsidiary and a Tecumseh Products Company subsidiary for their role in an international conspiracy to fix the prices of refrigerant compressors, which are used in refrigerators and freezers in homes and businesses, the Department of Justice announced.

NEWARK, NJ—The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals Service, New Jersey Department of Corrections, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office jointly announce that George Wright, a fugitive for over 41 years, was arrested yesterday by Portuguese authorities, pursuant to a provisional arrest request from the United States. The United States is seeking his extradition from Portugal to serve the remainder of a 15- to 30-year sentence for a New Jersey state murder conviction.

WASHINGTON – Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the signing of a National Universal Agreement to Mediate (NUAM) to streamline the handling of employment discrimination claims.

CHICAGO – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) filed a class lawsuit yesterday alleging that Source One Staffing, Inc. (“Source One”) assigned female employees to a known hostile work environment and retaliated against two female employees who reported that their supervisor was making sexual advances toward them. The EEOC also claims that Source One categorized jobs as “men’s work” or “women’s work” and assigned employees accordingly.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of UNITED HISPANIC CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, INC. (“UHCW”), its President, DAVID RODRIGUEZ, 54, and his chief lieutenant, DARRYL JENNINGS, a/k/a “DJ,” 50, for running a criminal enterprise that lasted for at least 17 years.

WASHINGTON—Alan James Watson, 46, of Clinton Township, Mich., pleaded guilty today to fraudulently soliciting and accepting $40 million from more than 750 members of his investment club and losing nearly all of it through non-disclosed, high-risk investments. Victims were located in Virginia and nationwide.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- New Prime, Inc., one the nation’s largest trucking companies, violated federal law by discriminating against female truck driver applicants when it required that they be trained by female trainers only, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WINIFRED JIAU, a/k/a “Wini,” a consultant at an expert-networking firm, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to four years in prison for her participation in an insider trading scheme in which she sold material, nonpublic information (“Inside Information”) about publicly traded companies to multiple hedge funds for the purpose of executing profitable securities transactions. JIAU was convicted on June 20, 2011, after a twoweek jury trial. U.S. District Judge JED S. RAKOFF presided over the trial and imposed today’s sentence.

NEW YORK—Zvi Goffer was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 10 years in prison for his participation in an insider trading scheme in which he obtained and traded on material, nonpublic information, including information misappropriated from a law firm, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara announced. Following a four week jury trial, Goffer was convicted in June 2011 on all counts against him, including 12 counts of securities fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Goffer was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Sullivan.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment and arraignment of MICHAEL PENA, 27, on two counts of Rape in the First Degree, three counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, and five counts of Predatory Sexual Assault. The defendant is a New York City police officer and was off-duty at the time of the attack.

HOUSTON -- Bass Pro Outdoor World, LLC (Bass Pro), a nationwide retailer of sporting goods, apparel, and other miscellaneous products, engaged in a pattern or practice of failing to hire African-American and Hispanic applicants for positions in its retail stores nationwide, and retaliated against employees who opposed the discriminatory practices, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleged in a lawsuit filed today.

WASHINGTON – The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has dismissed the appeal of John (Ivan) Kalymon of Troy, Mich., who was ordered removed from the United States earlier this year because of his participation in lethal acts of Nazi-sponsored persecution of Jews during World War II, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton.

NEW YORK—A motion was filed today amending the forfeiture and civil money laundering complaint in the matter of United States v. PokerStars et. al, announced Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The proposed amended complaint alleges that Full Tilt Poker and its board of directors, including Raymond Bitar, Howard Lederer, Christopher Ferguson, and Rafael Furst,

NASHVILLE – Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc. will pay $120,000 and provide other relief in a settlement of a religious discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

WASHINGTON—Miami resident Marianella Valera, the owner of a mental health care company, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for orchestrating a $205 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FBI.

DALLAS -- Philips Lighting Entertainment, a division of Philips Electronics North America Corp., subjected a female employee to a barrage of sexual remarks, touches, and lewd sexual exposure by the manager of her department and co-workers during her employment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara today announced the culmination of a 5-month-long joint state-federal undercover investigation into the possession and sale of illegal pesticides and related crimes committed in retail shops located in Manhattan’s Chinatown. As a result of this investigation, 10 retail sellers have been charged by the Manhattan DA’s Office with selling dangerous and illegal pesticides

WASHINGTON – BP Amoco Corp. (formerly Amoco Corp.), Amoco Production Company, BP Exploration & Oil Inc., BP America Inc., Atlantic Richfield Company and Vastar (the BP defendants) have agreed to pay the United States $20.5 million to resolve claims that the companies violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the Justice Department announced today.

WASHINGTON – Two former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers were sentenced today in relation to the beating death of Raymond Robair and subsequent cover-up, the Justice Department announced today.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Insource Performance Solutions, LLC and LeGrand North America, Inc. violated the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when they failed to accommodate and subsequently discharged a disabled employee, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in lawsuit it filed yesterday. Insource is a North Carolina-based corporation that provides labor services for its clients, including LeGrand. LeGrand, a Delaware corporation, is a leading provider of products and systems for electrical installations and information networks.

CHICAGO - Special agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), in close partnership with local law enforcement, arrested 25 individuals during a week-long operation that ended late Tuesday. This is the latest local effort in an ongoing national ICE initiative to target foreign-born gang members.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and JANICE K. FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of charges against SCOTT ALLEN, a former consultant at a global human resources consulting firm (the “Consulting Firm”), and JOHN BENNETT, an independent film producer and former investment professional, for engaging in an insider trading scheme that reaped more than $2.6 million in illegal profits.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; JANICE K. FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and CHARLES R. PINE, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (“IRS-CID”), announced that RAYMOND MAGUIRE pled guilty today in White Plains federal court to a one-count information charging him with obstructing a federal grand jury investigating whether a New York State Senator (“the Senator”) for whom MAGUIRE worked had received a sweetheart deal from a contractor.

Dmitriy Yakovlev, a Russian immigrant and trained surgeon, was sentenced today to 30 years’ imprisonment following his March 2011 conviction for identity theft, bank and credit card fraud involving three Brooklyn residents who disappeared or were found murdered shortly after encounters with the defendant between 2003 and 2007. The sentencing proceeding was held before United States District Judge I. Leo Glasser at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Salon chain Supercuts has agreed to pay $43,500 and to implement preventive measures to settle a religious accommodation and retaliation lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.

DALLAS – New Mexico-based Allsup’s Convenience Stores, Inc., which operates over 300 stores in Texas and New Mexico, will pay a former employee $37,000 and furnish other relief to settle a retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

DETROIT—The Justice Department announced today that Veniamin Gonikman, 56, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Ukraine, pleaded guilty in federal court in Detroit, Michigan, for crimes related to an international conspiracy to compel Eastern European women to work in exotic dance clubs in the Detroit metropolitan area. Gonikman, who became a fugitive in 2005, was apprehended in Ukraine in January 2011. He is the ninth and final member of the charged conspiracy to be convicted.

BOSTON - As a new school year begins and children research classroom assignments online, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) alerts parents to more closely monitor their children's Internet activities to avoid child predators.

ROCHESTER– Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that Tops Market Pharmacy, with corporate headquarters in Williamsville, Erie County, has paid the state nearly $250,000 in restitution to resolve a Medicaid fraud case involving the misdeeds of a former pharmacist in one of their Rochester stores. Elizabeth Johnson, 49, of Rochester, was suspended from practice and excluded from the Medicaid program, but continued to dispense prescription medications while working at Tops Market Pharmacy.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ARTHUR NIGRO, the former acting boss of the Genovese organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Genovese Family”), and Genovese Family associates FOTIOS GEAS and TY GEAS were each sentenced to life in prison today in Manhattan federal court. All three defendants were convicted at trial in April 2011 of various crimes, including multiple murders, attempted murder, multiple murder conspiracies, racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, multiple extortions, and loansharking. The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge P. KEVIN CASTEL.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DAVID ROSEN, the former CEO of MediSys Health Network, was found guilty in Manhattan federal court for participating in a scheme to bribe New York State Senator CARL KRUGER, New York State Assemblyman WILLIAM BOYLAND, JR., and former New York State Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio with hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for their official acts. ROSEN was convicted after a three-week bench trial before U.S. District Judge JED S. RAKOFF.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of JASON ITZLER, 44, for promoting prostitution and selling illegal drugs through an escort agency he operated called “Rockstar Models & Partygirls.” ITZLER is charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, Promoting Prostitution in the Third Degree, and Money Laundering in the Third and Fourth Degrees.[1]

WASHINGTON — A Virginia woman was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for leading a sophisticated conspiracy to import and to sell counterfeit Cisco-branded computer networking equipment, laundering criminal proceeds and obtaining her citizenship through fraud. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

WASHINGTON – A Hammond, Ind., man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., to 14 years in prison for operating an online business that sold counterfeit credit cards encoded with stolen account information, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride for the Eastern District of Virginia.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employee Jack Chris Jackson, 45, was indicted today on charges of sexual abuse of an inmate and false statements, the Justice Department announced.

An indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn this morning charging Agron Hasbajrami, a legal U.S. resident and Albanian citizen residing in New York City, with providing material support to terrorists.1 Hasbajrami is scheduled to be arraigned later today before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom, at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge John Gleeson.

SEATTLE – Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen, Wash., will pay $125,000 and provide training and other relief to settle a federal lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Early Bird Management Group, LLC, doing business as ABC Cake Shop & Bakery in Albuquerque, violated federal law by subjecting a group of women to sexual harassment and forcing some women who could not tolerate the harassment to resign, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed on September 7, 2011.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LAGUERRE PAYEN was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for plotting to bomb synagogues in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York, and to use Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles to shoot down military planes located at the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York. PAYEN was convicted along with his three co-defendants JAMES CROMITIE, DAVID WILLIAMS, and ONTA WILLIAMS in October 2010 after a two-month jury trial. United States District Judge COLLEEN McMAHON, presided over the trial and imposed today’s sentence.

PHOENIX — A Phoenix, Ariz., Outback Steakhouse restaurant violated federal law by firing an employee on the basis of his disability and/or because he needed a reasonable accommodation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.

PHOENIX – Arizona Logistics, Inc. doing business as DSI Arizona, and its management company, Norlyn Enterprises, Inc., agreed to pay $175,000 to five former employees and to implement preventive measures as part of a settlement of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

ATLANTA – In an employment discrimination lawsuit it recently filed, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged that Cadillac Jack, Inc., a supplier of innovative games and systems to the global gaming industry in Duluth, Ga., violated federal law when it fired a manager in retaliation for complaining about race and gender discrimination.

Gary Foster, a former vice president in Citigroup, Inc.’s treasury finance department, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud arising from his embezzlement of more than $22 million from Citigroup. Foster entered his plea before the Hon. Eric N. Vitaliano, United States District Judge, at the United States Courthouse in Brooklyn.

University at Buffalo Law School, The Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy Monday, September 12 & Tuesday 13, 2011 Forty years ago, the deadliest prisoner rebellion in U.S. history occurred. Next month, a major conference will bring together prisoner advocates, legislators, policymakers, corrections professionals, activists, and people who were on the front lines of the conflict, on both sides.

WASHINGTON – Willoughby Farr, 46, of West Palm Beach, Fla., has been sentenced to 262 months in prison and three years of supervised release for perpetrating a “cramming scheme,” which was designed to place charges on consumers’ telephone bills for collect calls that were not made, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspector’s Miami Field Office announced today.

What does this say about the leadership of a company when an alleged pervert like Mike Cordova is permitted to behave like a decadent Roman emperor at a place where people come to earn an honest living?