New York Paralegal Blog

WASHINGTON—David L. Place, owner of Manor House Antiques Cooperative in Nantucket, Mass., was sentenced to 33 months in prison for illegally importing and trafficking in Narwhal tusks and Sperm Whale teeth, the Department of Justice and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) announced today. On Nov. 19, 2010, a federal jury in Boston convicted Place of eight counts including conspiracy, Lacey Act violations and smuggling for buying and illegally importing Sperm Whale teeth and Narwhal tusks into the United States, as well as selling the teeth and tusks after their illegal importation. The market value of the teeth and tusks illegally imported and sold by Place was determined to be between $200,000 and $400,000. One of Place’s co-conspirators, Andrei Mikhalyov of Odessa, Ukraine, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston on related charges. Mikhalyov served a nine month prison sentence and was deported to the Ukraine. Sperm Whales are listed as “endangered” un...

WASHINGTON -- Arch Coal Inc., the second largest supplier of coal in the United States, has agreed to pay a $4 million penalty to settle alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced today. Under the settlement, Arch Coal will implement changes to its mining operations in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act. “The measures required by this settlement will prevent pollutants from entering waterways and bring wide-ranging improvements to mining operations in four mining complexes across three states,” said Ignacia. S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “These changes will mean a healthier environment for local communities and will help ensure Arch Coal’s compliance with the Clean Water Act.” “Violations at mining operations can have...

WASHINGTON – Victor Kaganov, who emigrated from Russia and set up numerous shell corporations in Oregon on behalf of Russian clients, pleaded guilty today to charges of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Dwight C. Holton for the District of Oregon. The shell corporations were used to move more than $172 million into the United States and out to more than 50 countries. "Using shell corporations to hide his illegal activities, Mr. Kaganov funneled more than $170 million into the United States and then back out to more than 50 countries around the world," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. "Following the money trail is a hallmark of good law enforcement, but those efforts depend on transparency in financial transactions. Now more than ever, we are determined to bring to justice those who attempt to hide funds in U.S. financial institutions." "...

Albany, NY (February 28, 2011)Governor Cuomo has signed into law a measure that will allow villages that administer their own village elections to use lever voting machines, rather than the new optical scan voting systems, until the end of 2012. This law was needed to ensure that these villages can transition to the new voting systems in a fair and orderly manner. In July 2010, New York enacted legislation implementing certain provisions of the federal Help America Vote Act ("HAVA"). The New York State law required that all elections, including village elections, must be conducted using the new optically scanned ballots. However, some villages that administer their own elections have faced several major obstacles to shifting over to the new technology. Many of the village elections affected this year by the new requirement will be held on March 15, 2011, and certain villages have not had enough time to budget for, lease, program, and test the new optical scanners. In addi...

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. These laws protect you against employment discrimination when it involves: Unfair treatment because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Harassment by managers, co-workers, or others in your workplace, because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Denial of a reasonable workplace accommodation that you need because of your religious beliefs or disability. Retaliation because you complained about job discrimination, or assisted with a job discrimination investigation or lawsuit. If you believe that you have been discriminated against at work, you can file a "Charge of Discrimination." All of the laws enforced by EEOC, except for the Equal Pay Act, require you to file a Charge of ...

Obama Administration’s Efforts Will Bring Finality to Longstanding Claims of Discrimination in USDA Program Delivery WASHINGTON – As part of continued efforts to close the chapter on allegations that discrimination occurred at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in past decades, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Tony West today announced the establishment of a process to resolve the claims of women and Hispanic farmers and ranchers who assert that they were discriminated against when seeking USDA farm loans.

GULFPORT, Miss. - Howard Industries, Inc., one of the largest employers in Mississippi, pled guilty in federal court Thursday to knowingly violating the federal criminal conspiracy law in its employment of illegal aliens at the company's electrical transformer plant in Laurel, Miss., following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Department Says United Regional’s Contracts Unlawfully Maintain Monopoly Power WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with United Regional Health Care System of Wichita Falls, Texas, that prohibits it from entering into contracts that improperly inhibit commercial health insurers from contracting with United Regional’s competitors. The department said that United Regional unlawfully used these contracts to maintain its monopoly for hospital services in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act, causing consumers to pay higher prices for health care services. This is the first case brought by the department since 1999 that challenges a monopolist with engaging in traditional anticompetitive unilateral conduct.

Defendant Convicted of Murdering One Person, Shooting Two Others, and Firing upon Two Police Officers Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the sentencing of DANIEL ISRAEL, 24, to 35 years to life in state prison for the 2007 murder of Warren Justin Dandridge. ISRAEL was also found guilty by a jury in New York State Supreme Court of shooting two others and firing upon two uniformed police officers in the vicinity of Schomburg Plaza, near the corner of Fifth Avenue and 110th Street in Manhattan.

Brand Energy Fired Employee for Refusing Supervisor’s Requests for Sex, Federal Agency Charged NEW ORLEANS – Four related national construction companies -- Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services, Inc., Brand Services, LLC, Brand Energy Solutions, LLC, and Brand Scaffold Services, LLC (Brand) -- will pay $110,000 to settle a suit for sexual harassment and retaliation filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced on 2/23/2011. The court-approved settlement resolves the charge of a former employee, Jauronice Hayes, who worked for Brand at its Conoco Phillips facility in Belle Chasse, La.