Daily Law Blog

Three Gang Members Sentenced in Drug Conspiracy and for Related Charges

Three members of the violent gang known as the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN) were sentenced today for their participation in narcotics and weapons trafficking. Hiluterio Chavez, aka “Zeus,” 33, of Chicago, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings of the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock [...]

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Three Men Charged in Human Trafficking Conspiracy for Exploiting Thai Farm Workers in Hawaii

The Justice Department announced the indictment of Alec Souphone Sou and Mike Mankone Sou, owners of Aloun Farm in Hawaii, and Thai labor recruiter William Khoo late yesterday for engaging in a conspiracy to commit forced labor and visa fraud. The charges arise from the defendants’ alleged scheme to coerce the labor and services of [...]

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Sixth Person Pleads Guilty to Illegally Accessing Confidential Passport Files

A sixth individual pleaded guilty today to illegally accessing numerous confidential passport application files. Karal Busch, 28, of District Heights, Md., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay in the District of Columbia to a one-count criminal information charging her with unauthorized computer access. Busch is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15, 2009. According [...]

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Covenant Medical Center to Pay U.S. $4.5 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, Iowa has agreed to pay the United States $4.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act, the Department of Justice announced today. This settlement resolves allegations that Covenant submitted false claims to Medicare by having financial relationships with five physicians that violated the Stark Law. The Stark [...]

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Special Task Force on Interrogations and Transfer Policies Issues Its Recommendations to the President

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that the Special Task Force on Interrogations and Transfer Policies, which was created pursuant to Executive Order 13491 on Jan. 22, 2009, has proposed that the Obama Administration establish a specialized interrogation group to bring together officials from law enforcement, the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense [...]

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Boca Raton Man Convicted of Securities Fraud, Tax Fraud

Donald Platten of Boca Raton, Fla., was convicted today of conspiracy, securities fraud and tax charges following a jury trial before Judge Donald Middlebrooks in West Palm Beach, Fla., the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. In December 2008, Platten was indicted on 17 charges, including conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy [...]

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