New York Paralegal Blog

SAN DIEGO — A total of 31 individuals, including nearly two dozen criminal aliens, were taken into custody during an enforcement operation carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Diego last week.

WASHINGTON—Two former high-ranking employees of facilities operations at New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) pleaded guilty today to an indictment charging them with conspiring to defraud NYPH, the Department of Justice announced.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States has entered into settlement agreements with PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker—two of three online poker companies sued by the U.S. in a money laundering and forfeiture complaint that was originally filed in April 2012—that were approved today by U.S. District Judge Leonard B. Sand.

Thomas Qualls, an investment manager who fled to Canada during his 2008 fraud trial, appeared in federal court in Brooklyn today following his extradition to the United States last week. Qualls faces sentencing following his conviction for mail fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Qualls also faces a separate indictment charging him with bail jumping.1

NORFOLK, Va. – Huntington Ingalls, Inc., the present owner of the shipyard in Newport News, Va., and its contractor Quality Coatings of Virginia, Inc. of Chesapeake, Va., will pay $80,000 to settle a lawsuit for retaliation filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

PHOENIX -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it has settled a disability discrimination lawsuit against Banner Health, headquartered in Phoenix. The EEOC had charged the company with breaching a mediation agreement it entered into, and firing and failing to accommodate an employee because he had a disability.

MANHATTAN (CN) - A Houston music scion credited with discovering rapper Drake says the artist's managers are withholding his $100,000 cut of profits and are stiffing Drake, putting "the entire Drake business in jeopardy."

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A Heber Springs, Ark., family and three others have been indicted for distribution of synthetic narcotics, known as bath salts, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Cleburne County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

CHICAGO – A California man pleaded guilty Thursday to attempting to illegally export missile components from the U.S. to Iran, via the United Arab Emirates.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that Alphonse Trucchio—one of the youngest mobsters to be made a captain in mafia history—was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 121 months in prison for his crimes as a member of the Gambino Organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Gambino crime family”).

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of FORDIN FRANCOIS, 26, a former J.P. Morgan Chase (“Chase”) personal banker, for his role in the theft of more than $700,000 from multiple Chase account holders’ bank accounts over a six-month period.

Washington - The U.S. Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today published a proposal to amend the rules of practice in patent cases to implement the “first-inventor-to-file” provision of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA).

Earlier today, former Queens County assemblyman Jimmy Meng was arrested on a federal wire fraud charge for soliciting $80,000 in cash from a state court defendant and falsely claiming that he would use the money to bribe prosecutors in the New York County District Attorney’s Office in Manhattan to obtain a reduced sentence.

LOS ANGELES—Two people who were employed as transportation security officers at Los Angeles International Airport—and a third person who allegedly smuggled marijuana to Boston—were charged today with conspiring to pay bribes to the employees of the Transportation Security Administration.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kids R Us, LLC, which owns and operates several child care facilities in Oklahoma, will pay $75,000 and furnish other relief to settle a pregnancy discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

BALTIMORE – A federal jury has awarded $350,000 in compensatory and punitive damages to three former employees Endoscopic Microsurgery Associates, a Baltimore-area medical practice, who were subjected to unwanted sexual advances by the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Toni Weirauch, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging ADEM ARICI

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that William Masso, a former New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for leading a group of active and retired NYPD officers and others in a scheme involving the illegal interstate transportation of firearms and stolen goods.

WASHINGTON—A former financial services executive was indicted yesterday for his participation in a far-reaching conspiracy and scheme to defraud related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts, the Department of Justice announced.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANIL KUMAR, a former senior partner at McKinsey & Company (“McKinsey”), was sentenced today to two years of probation and ordered to forfeit $2,260,000 for his participation in an insider trading scheme in which he provided material, nonpublic information (“Inside Information”) stolen from McKinsey and its clients to Raj Rajaratnam, the head of Galleon Group (“Galleon”), who then traded based, in part, on the Inside Information.

LAREDO, Texas – Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty Thursday to attempting to illegally smuggle 652 assault rifle magazines into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. The investigation for this case is being led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

WASHINGTON—A former JP Morgan Chase employee pleaded guilty today for his participation in a conspiracy related to municipal bonds, the Department of Justice announced.

MADISON, Wis. – Missoula Mac, Inc., the owner and franchisee of 25 McDonald’s restaurants, has agreed to pay $1,000,000 and provide substantial injunctive relief to resolve a class sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

WASHINGTON – Aleksandr Suvorov, of Estonia, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in two separate hacking schemes involving a total of more than 240,000 stolen credit card numbers.

TRENTON, NJ—A Bucks County, Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for trying to hire someone he thought was a white supremacist to kidnap a New Jersey woman and her child, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

By ADAM KLASFELD BROOKLYN (CN) - A public school administrator claims in court that his male boss sexually assaulted him in a hotel room after giving him pornography and trying to get him to join a foursome, then fired him for rebuffing the advances.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of ROBERTO NUNEZ, 30, on charges of Murder in the First Degree and Murder in the Second Degree for the shooting deaths of three men in Harlem last month.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of NICHOLAS MINA, 31, a New York City police officer, for stealing police-issued firearms from his colleagues’ lockers in the 9th Precinct Station House and selling them on the underground market.

By TRAVIS SANFORD WASHINGTON (CN) - Wells Fargo Bank has agreed to pay $175 million to settle allegations of discriminatory lending practices against African-American and Hispanic borrowers.

NEW YORK– Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today his office secured a sentence of four months incarceration for William Mazzella, who underpaid workers on public works projects he managed for Decora Construction, LLC, a Mahopac masonry subcontractor.

NEW YORK- Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced today a settlement with AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, after an investigation revealed that the corporation made an undisclosed change to its medical claim reimbursement policy resulting in lower reimbursements for many members.

The New York State Division of Human Rights recently issued two orders in favor of female employees subjected to egregious sexual harassment in the workplace. The victims were awarded a combined total of almost $200,000 in damages.

NORFOLK, VA—Top executives and favored borrowers have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Norfolk, Virginia, accused of masking non-performing assets at the Bank of the Commonwealth for their own personal benefit and to the detriment of the bank.

Since 1986, NALA has conducted nationwide utilization and compensation surveys every two years. A portion of the survey looks at the duties and responsibilities of paralegals and later surveys have included a section used by the Certifying Board which presents the major areas of the Certified Paralegal examination and topics included within those areas. Respondents are asked to rate the importance of each skill/knowledge to their work and frequency of use of the skill/knowledge in their day to day work environment. The job task analysis study is conducted to: Validate, and update as needed, the Certified Paralegal examination content specifications. Ensure that NALA has current information about the roles and responsibilities of paralegals. The survey was conducted by NALA in consultation with psychometric consultant Dr. Kurt Kraiger, Colorado State University, and Janice Moore, CEO, SeaCrest Consulting Company, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina. Click here to download a copy of...

NEW YORK– Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced a $571 million multi-state settlement with three major technology corporations charged with illegally conspiring to boost prices for liquid crystal display (LCD) screens used in televisions, computer monitors, and laptops. As part of the agreement reached with AU Optronics Corporation, LG Display Co., Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, and affiliated entities of each corporation, New York State taxpayers are expected to receive upwards of $10 million through recovery for government purchases and penalties, in addition to restitution to compensate consumers affected by the scheme.

WASHINGTON– The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO) today announced the signing of a National Universal Agreement to Mediate (NUAM) to informally resolve workplace disputes through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) prior to an EEOC investigation or potential litigation. The NUAM applies to all Family Dollar establishments throughout the United States.

By ADAM KLASFELD MANHATTAN (CN) - A federal judge slapped New York City with a $10,000 penalty for withholding demanded evidence pertaining to the alleged assault of a teenage inmate at the juvenile prison on Rikers Island.

WASHINGTON—The owner of a former New York City insulation service company pleaded guilty today to a three-count indictment charging him with conspiring to rig bids on contracts for re-insulation services to New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH), conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and filing a false tax return, the Department of Justice announced.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the sentencing of the first of two convicted gun traffickers from Pennsylvania who sold at least 13 loaded firearms in Manhattan. ALBERT STRIEGEL, 20, was sentenced to nine years in state prison after pleading guilty on June 29, 2012, to Criminal Sale of Firearms in the Second Degree, the top charge against him, and Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree. On June 28, 2012, co-defendant TRAVIS MATTHEWS, 23, pleaded guilty to Criminal Sale of Firearms in the First Degree, the top charge against him, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. He is expected to be sentenced on July 13th to a substantial term in state prison to be imposed by the court.

WASHINGTON—Two individuals and three corporations were sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan by Judge George B. Daniels today to serve time in prison and to pay criminal fines for their participation in an eight-year conspiracy involving kickbacks in excess of $2.3 million to defraud New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH), the Department of Justice announced. The individuals and the corporations were convicted after a four-week trial in February 2012.

A Long Island financial advisor was arrested today for running a Ponzi scheme to cover up hundreds of thousands of dollars in trading losses. Defendant Paul Sullivan was charged in a criminal complaint with wire fraud. The defendant’s initial appearance is scheduled this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ERIC STEIN was sentenced today to 63 months in prison in connection with a half-million dollar investment scam he ran through Return-A-Pet LLC, a Manhattan-based company he operated that purported to facilitate the return of lost pets to their owners. STEIN, who pled guilty in February 2012 to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud, ran the company while out on supervised release after having been convicted in connection with an investment fraud scheme in Nevada. STEIN was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum.

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Michael Tavon Jefferies, aka “Loc,” 21, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role as a bodyguard for a gang-led prostitution business that recruited and trafficked high school girls.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Martin J. Dickman, Inspector General of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB-OIG), Janice K. Fedarcyk, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Barry L. Kluger, Inspector General of the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA-OIG), announced charges today against Donald Alevas, the former LIRR director of shop equipment, engineering, and environmental compliance, in connection with his participation in a massive fraud scheme in which Long Island Railroad (LIRR) workers allegedly claimed to be disabled upon early retirement so that they could receive disability benefits to which they were not entitled. Alevas was arrested this morning and will be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman this afternoon. He is the 22nd person to be charged in connection with this scheme. Other defendants inc...

By MARIMER MATOS (CN) - Pop star Rihanna claims in court that her former accountants' blatant mismanagement cost her millions on her 2009 Last Girl on Earth tour and got her audited by the IRS, while they charged "exorbitant and excessive" commissions.

NEWARK, N.J. – A citizen of India who fled the United States to avoid spending more than three years in prison following a federal immigration fraud conviction was extradited from India on Thursday to face the punishment for his crimes, announced District of New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. The investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led to the arrest and extradition.

SEATTLE — Hotel groups Pacific Hospitality and Seasons Hotel agreed to pay $365,000 and provide preventative measures to settle a federal harassment lawsuit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

WASHINGTON—The chief executive officer (CEO) of Axius Inc., a Nevada corporation; and a finance professional were indicted today on multiple charges for their alleged roles in a scheme to bribe stock brokers and manipulate the share price of Axius stock, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch for the Eastern District of New York.

TRENTON, NJ—Mordchai Fish, the principal rabbi of Congregation Sheves Achim in Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for conspiring to launder approximately $900,000 he believed was criminal proceeds, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

WASHINGTON—Global health care giant GlaxoSmithKline LLC (GSK) agreed to plead guilty and to pay $3 billion to resolve its criminal and civil liability arising from the company’s unlawful promotion of certain prescription drugs, its failure to report certain safety data, and its civil liability for alleged false price reporting practices, the Justice Department announced today. The resolution is the largest health care fraud settlement in U.S. history and the largest payment ever by a drug company.

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 Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced that Raymond Bitar, the chief executive officer of Full Tilt Poker, was arrested this morning at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Bitar was charged last year with gambling, bank fraud, and money laundering offenses in connection with the operation of Full Tilt Poker. Upon Bitar’s return to the United States today, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Bitar with defrauding poker customers by lying to them about the security of their funds.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The operators and management company of a Holiday Inn Express in Simpsonville, S. C., will pay $90,000 to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

By MOLLY HAMILL BOSTON (CN) - Aetna Life Insurance will pay restitution and $1 million in penalties in a consent judgment with Massachusetts, for failing to cover required medical services and deceptively marketing itself to college students.