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[1/3] The word "justice" is seen engraved at the headquarters of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. "Agri Stats operates its information exchanges to promote total industry profits at the expense of competition," said the DOJ's complaint. Attorney Justin Bernick of law firm Hogan Lovells, which is representing Agri Stats in the DOJ case, said the company denies the allegations. "Agri Stats provides vital benchmarking services that help keep production costs and prices low for consumers," Bernick said in an email. Tyson did not respond to questions about whether the company uses Agri Stats reports or provide comment on the lawsuit.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Justin Bernick, Hogan Lovells, Bernick, Tyson, Leah Douglas, Barbara Lewis, Leslie Adler Organizations: United States Department of Justice, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, Agri, Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, DOJ, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies JPMorgan Chase & Co FollowWASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Two former precious metals traders at JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) were sentenced on Tuesday for engaging in fraud, attempted price manipulation and spoofing, the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement. Gregg Smith, 59, of Scarsdale, New York, was sentenced to two years in prison and a $50,000 fine while Michael Nowak, 49, of Montclair, New Jersey, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and a $35,000 fine, the Justice Department said. Last year, Smith and Nowak were found guilty of fraud and other charges but acquitted of racketeering and conspiracy in a trial. Nowak was convicted on over a dozen charges including fraud, spoofing and attempted market manipulation, and Smith was convicted on 11 charges. JPMorgan agreed in 2020 to pay more than $920 million and admitted to wrongdoing to settle with the Justice Department and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over these and other traders' conduct.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Gregg Smith, Michael Nowak, Dodd, Frank, Smith, Nowak, Kanishka Singh, Andy Sullivan Organizations: United States Department of Justice, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, JPMorgan Chase, WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice Department, Justice Department, U.S, Congress, JPMorgan, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Scarsdale , New York, Montclair , New Jersey, Washington

HOW DID THE CASE GET TO THE SUPREME COURT? The Biden administration and Danco immediately asked the Supreme Court to overrule the 5th Circuit and impose an emergency stay. WHAT DID THE SUPREME COURT DO? The injunction was not at issue before the Supreme Court, and remains in effect. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

HOW DID IT REACH THE SUPREME COURT? Whether or not the Supreme Court decides to stay Kacsmaryk's order, it will not decide the merits of the case. The Biden administration said in its petition to the Supreme Court that the FDA cannot comply with both orders. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULES? Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Explainer: U.S. Supreme Court presses pause on abortion pill case for 5 days, What happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Brendan Pierson | Thomson Reuters | Brendan Pierson Reports On Product Liability Litigation | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

HOW DID IT REACH THE SUPREME COURT? Circuit Court of Appeals for an emergency stay putting his injunction on hold. Whether or not the Supreme Court decides to stay Kacsmaryk's order, it will not decide the merits of the case. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULES? Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

An appeals court put part of that decision on hold late Wednesday, preserving access to the pill for now, with significant restrictions the Justice Department will ask the Supreme Court to lift. Neither Kacsmaryk's order, known as a preliminary injunction, nor the 5th Circuit's emergency stay is a final ruling on the merits of the case. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinThe Biden administration said on Thursday it will appeal to the Supreme Court for an emergency stay of Kacsmaryk's order in full. If the FDA wins a stay from the Supreme Court blocking the injunction, mifepristone will remain available with no new restrictions. Once it does come, the losing side will again have the chance to appeal to the 5th Circuit and, eventually, the Supreme Court.

☆ Ex-DOJ lawyer tells jury he met with Chinese to further illegal lobbying campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

George Higginbotham testified that he made money on the side while working at the Justice Department by offering legal advice to Michel, a long-time friend. But he did so anyway, telling the jury he let his friendship with Michel cloud his judgment. "This could get me in a lot of trouble," he told the jury he recalled thinking, adding that his actions were "definitely outside of official lines." Higginbotham, who pleaded guilty in 2018 for his role in the foreign influence campaign, testified that Justice Department investigators later found out about his meeting and questioned him. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Flowers decorate the fence around the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs where 26 people were killed a week earlier on Nov. 5, 2017, as the church opens to the public as a memorial to those killed, in Sutherland Springs, Texas, U.S. November 12, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File PhotoCompanies The United States Department Of Justice FollowApril 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice reached a $144.5 million settlement with survivors and families of victims of the 2017 mass shooting at a Texas church that killed 26 people, for which a judge had found the Air Force primarily responsible. Wednesday's settlement with more than 75 plaintiffs requires approval by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in San Antonio. It would end the government's appeal of Rodriguez's order that it pay approximately $230 million over the Nov. 5, 2017 massacre by former Air Force airman Devin Patrick Kelley at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. "No words or amount of money can diminish the immense tragedy of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs," Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement.

☆ Shipbuilder Austal sinks on former U.S. executives' indictment for financial fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 3 (Reuters) - Australian shipbuilder Austal Ltd (ASB.AX) sank as much as 8.4% to its lowest level in more than four years on Monday after the United States Department of Justice indicted three of its former U.S. employees on manipulating financial information. Austal, which builds ships for the U.S. Navy and is working on parts of the Virginia class submarines, plunged to its lowest level since October 25, 2018, and marked its worst intraday drop since January 17. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also filed civil charges against the three individuals, Austal said. Austal is down 17% so far this year, as of last close, compared with a 2.1% increase in the ASX All Ordinaries index (.AORD). Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia CheemaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ponzi schemers who raised $650 million on cattle, pot profit promises get 6 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stachniw, 71, of Galensburg, Illinois, and Throgmartin, a 59-year-old Buford, Georgia, resident, were convicted at trial in August of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit both wire fraud and money laundering in the scam. Two people whose Ponzi scheme raised a stunning $650 million from investors by falsely promising them profits from cattle and marijuana businesses were sentenced Friday to six years in prison. Prosecutors said that the defendants operated the Ponzi scheme from late 2017 through early 2019, along with a co-conspirator, Mark Ray of Denver. Ray pleaded guilty in February 2020 in Illinois federal court to wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with the scheme. In reality, the profits paid to investors came from money placed in the Ponzi scheme by other unwitting investors, authorities said.

☆ Abuses Proliferate in Police Squads Like Memphis's Scorpion Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Street Crime Unit. Jon Naso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesMemphis police chief Davis also has prior experience with special street crime units. Street crime squads are popular among politicians who say only aggressive policing will reduce violent crime. In the late 1990s, the Street Crime Unit tripled in size, amid a panic over a rising number of homicides. In a city grappling with violent crime, authorities touted the Street Crime Unit as a bright spot.

☆ Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows cleared of voter fraud charges in North Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The North Carolina Department of Justice announced it would not charge Meadows or his wife with voter fraud. But most significantly, prosecutors pointed to a provision in North Carolina state law that allows public servants to maintain their residency in the state while serving as a public servant. But while Stein declined to prosecute Meadows, his statement included a lengthy condemnation of the former Trump chief of staff for making unfounded allegations of voter fraud and his involvement in the events of January 6, 2021. "Mr. Meadows has made numerous unfounded, damaging allegations about voter fraud both before and after the 2020 election," said Stein. Meadows declined to comment through his spokesman Ben Williamson.

☆ Two Americans and five Russians charged with running a smuggling network to obtain military technology and ammunition for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Christina Wilkie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage is seen at the United States Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, D.C., August 29, 2020. WASHINGTON — Two American citizens and five Russian nationals were charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday with operating a sophisticated international smuggling network that obtained sensitive U.S. military technology and ammunition on behalf of the Kremlin, the Department of Justice said. The network was allegedly set up in 2017 to evade U.S. sanctions and export controls in place at the time. Further sanctions were imposed on Russia by the Biden administration following its invasion of Ukraine in February. The two U.S. nationals, Alexey Brayman and Vadim Yermolenko, were taken into custody on Tuesday.

☆ Exclusive: Former U.S. military pilot arrested in Australia listed same Beijing address as Chinese hacker
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Beijing address is listed in Australian company filings for the pilot and a U.S. blacklisting for the Chinese businessman, however, it was unclear whether they used the Beijing address at the same time. Another aviation source said Duggan went to Beijing to work with Stephen Su, also known as Su Bin in China. When Reuters visited the Beijing address this week the reporter was told it was a residential building and denied entry. Under Australia's extradition treaty with the United States, an extradition request must be made within 60 days of arrest. Robert Anello, the lawyer who represented Su Bin in the 2014 hacking case, declined to comment and Su Bin could not be reached for comment.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Former U.S. military pilot arrested in Australia listed same Beijing address as Chinese hacker -documents
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

☆ Arizona early voting marred by ballot box intimidation. Courts needs to intervene.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Richard L. Hasen | Richard L. Hasen Is Professor At Ucla School Of Law | Where He Directs Its Safeguarding Democracy Project. He Is An Nbc News Msnbc Election Law Analyst. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

First Amendment rights do not extend to threats of violence and voter intimidation. A great deal of the attention has been on ballot drop boxes. There has been no indication of any widespread fraud through the use of ballot drop boxes. Nonetheless, conspiracy theories about the drop boxes have continued to circulate, fueled in part by a widely debunked film by Dinesh D’Souza, “2000 Mules,” which uses false and unproven claims to try to show drop boxes being used for fraud. Reporting by NBC News shows that ballot drop box conspiracies have flooded Trump’s social media website, Truth Social, and that has led to organizing on the ground, including in places like Arizona.

A spokesperson for the Arizona secretary of state's office, Sophia Solis, on Thursday said her office had also asked the state's attorney general to look into the incident. "The voter was approached and followed by a group of individuals when the voter was trying to drop off their ballot at an early voting drop box on Monday," Solis said. Officials in at least three additional states - North Carolina, Colorado and Nevada - have reported incidents of voter intimidation this election cycle, though it is unclear if any have led to a criminal referral. Officials in Arizona have previously said they were aware of reports of voters being monitoring when dropping off votes. In dozens of cases throughout the country, an onslaught of intimidation and threats has pushed elections officials to resign.

ZURICH, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Holcim (HOLN.S) said it supported the agreement made by Lafarge SA with the United States Department of Justice on Tuesday regarding the company's funding of Islamic State to allow it to keep a cement plant running in Syria. A financial penalty of $778 million and a plea agreement has been arranged to resolve the DoJ inquiry into Lafarge, which is now part of Holcim following the companies' 2015 merger. "None of the conduct involved Holcim, which has never operated in Syria, or any Lafarge operations or employees in the United States, and it is in stark contrast with everything that Holcim stands for," Holcim said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by John Revill, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ DOJ is changing the way it prosecutes companies, and it could put more executives in jail
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-15 | by ( Eamon Javers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The crest of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. DOJ is changing the incentive structure for companies negotiating with the government over cases of corporate wrongdoing, according to the official. The government will give credit to companies that come forward with information and names of individual executives involved in criminal activity, the official said. The department plans to also make it much more difficult for companies to get successive non-prosecution agreements. New rules are also expected on corporate compliance monitors who are often tasked with making sure companies stay on their best behavior after misconduct.

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