Justice Department, ICE and the FBI Recognize International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

Washington, DC - The Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC), including the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit (IHRU), will join U.S. and international law enforcement partners, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others this Sunday, Feb. 6 in recognizing the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Two Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Miami, Florida - A Florida woman was sentenced Thursday to 44 months in prison for defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of more than $3.3 million in loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Housing Provider Ordered to Pay Damages and Redress Discrimination Based on Pregnancy and Disability Status

Quakertown, Pennsylvania - The Justice Department announced today that the owner and former manager of rental properties in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, have agreed to resolve a federal lawsuit brought by the United States in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The United States alleged that the defendants violated the Fair Housing Act when they refused to let a tenant’s girlfriend move in with him because she was pregnant with his son and because the tenant was in recovery from an addiction to alcohol.

Police Officer Sentenced for Using Excessive Force

Louisville, Kentucky - A former Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officer was sentenced Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky for using excessive force on an arrestee. U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings sentenced Cory P. Evans, 34, to two years’ imprisonment and two years’ supervised release.

Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Seek to Strengthen Enforcement Against Illegal Mergers

Washington, DC - Tuesday, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a joint public inquiry aimed at strengthening enforcement against illegal mergers. Recent evidence indicates that many industries across the economy are becoming more concentrated and less competitive – imperiling choice and economic gains for consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and small businesses. These problems are likely to persist or worsen due to an ongoing merger surge that has more than doubled merger filings from 2020 to 2021. To address mounting concerns, the agencies are soliciting public input on ways to modernize federal merger guidelines to better detect and prevent illegal, anticompetitive deals in today’s modern markets.

Justice Department Settles with Recycling Company to Prevent the Release of Ozone Depleting Refrigerants

Washington, DC - Friday, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Derichebourg Recycling USA Inc. (Derichebourg) of Houston to resolve Clean Air Act violations at 10 scrap metal recycling facilities in Texas and Oklahoma.