DOJ Employee Groups Call for Hiring, Pay Reforms to Improve Equity
The DOJ Gender Equality Network (DOJ GEN) recently called on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to stop permitting hiring managers to ask for an applicant’s salary history when hiring. Last year, six Department of Justice (DOJ) employee associations wrote a letter to DOJ component leaders calling for an end to this practice, but the Justice Management Division responded, saying that the practice was justified under federal hiring regulations.
Chicago Pharmacist Arrested for Selling COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Online
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 17, 2021, a licensed Chicago pharmacist was arrested for allegedly selling dozens of authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay.
New IG Memo Finds HR Deficiencies at DOJ
The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a management advisory memorandum to leaders at the Justice Management Division (JMD) identifying a number of concerns with human resources policies and data. The memo notes several continued deficiencies initially identified in DOJ OIG’s October 2020 report on enhancing human capital titled “Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Justice 2020.”
DOJ Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Massachusetts Sober Home Operator
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 11, 2021, a sober home operator in Massachusetts, Peter McCarthy, allegedly subjected female residents to sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act.
U.S. Foreign Service Member Indicted for Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct While in Philippines
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 3, 2021, a member of the U.S. foreign service, Dean Cheves, 61, was indicted for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and possession of child pornography.
DOJ Launches Firearms Trafficking Strike Forces; Biden’s ATF Director Pick Lacks Support
According to a Department of Justice press release dated July 22, 2021, the DOJ has launched five cross-jurisdictional firearms trafficking strike forces to address violent crime and crack down on sources of crime guns.
Leader of a Drug Trafficking Organization and Ally of the Sinaloa Cartel Sentenced
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated July 27, 2021, Luz Irene Fajardo Campos, aka “La Comadre,” “La Madrina,” and “La Doña,” 57, of Culiacan, Mexico, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison following a 2019 trial for her role in in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that included Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, and the United States.
GAO Releases Report on Online Sex Trafficking and Enforcement Actions
Last month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report entitled Sex Trafficking: Online Platforms and Federal Prosecutions. The report examines Department of Justice (DOJ) enforcement actions against online platforms that promote sex trafficking from 2014 to 2020. Two events in 2018 shifted the landscape of the online sex market and therefore the landscape of online sex trafficking.
Ohio Man Charged with Plot to Conduct Mass Shooting of Women
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated July 21, 2021, Tres Genco, 21, of Hillsboro, Ohio was charged with attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women and with illegally possessing a machine gun.
Kentucky Man Sentenced for Racially Motivated Hate Crime
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated June 24, 2021, Gregory A. Bush of Louisville, KY was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering two Black shoppers at a Kroger grocery store and the attempted murder of a third. Each of these crimes was found to be racially motivated. He pleaded guilty-but-mentally-ill to state charges for murder, attempted murder and wanton endangerment.
DOJ OIG Releases Report on Use of Body Worn Cameras
The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) released an audit in June 2021 that reviewed DOJ policy on body worn cameras for federal law enforcement officers. The review period covered October 2019 through January 2021.
Used Motor Vehicle Dealer Sentenced in Odometer Tampering Scheme
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated June 29, 2021, Shmuel Gali of New York was sentenced to 60 months in prison for tampering with car odometers and partaking in a money laundering scheme. For his crimes, he will be required to pay $3,936,000 in restitution.
Former DoD Linguist Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Providing Classified Information to Foreign Terrorist Organization
According to a Department of Justice press release from June 23, 2021, a Defense Department linguist was sentenced to 23 years in prison for delivering classified U.S. national security information to a foreign actor. She had pleaded guilty on March 26, 2021.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime Charges Related to Targeting Gay Men on Dating App
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated June 3, 2021, Daniel Jenkins, 22, pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime and two related charges for plans to target gay men with violent crimes.
Justice Department Requires Federal Officers to Wear Body Cameras
In a memo released June 7, 2021, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced that it will be a requirement for federal agents in the Department of Justice (DOJ) to wear body cameras when they are executing search warrants or making pre-planned arrests.
Operation Trojan Shield Uses Encrypted Messaging Platform to Thwart Global Crime Networks
In a news release from June 8, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the successful completion of Operation Trojan Shield, a global effort targeting encrypted platforms used by criminal groups.
Nevada Bottled Water Company Ordered to Stop Distributing Adulterated Products
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated June 1, 2021, a Nevada bottled water company and its owners were recently permanently enjoined from preparing, processing, and distributing adulterated and misbranded bottled water.
The Department of Justice Marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre
Attorney General Merrick Garland recently visited the site of the Tulsa, OK race massacre of 1921. This event is considered one of the worst racially motivated massacres in the United States. As many as 300 Black Americans were killed in this attack, and 800 were injured.
FBI Employee Indicted for Illegally Removing Classified National Security Documents
According to a Department of Justice press release from May 21, 2021, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) employee was indicted for illegally removing numerous national security documents that were found in her home.
Three Peruvian Nationals Conspired to Defraud Thousands of Spanish-Speaking U.S. Residents
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release from May 14, 2021, three Peruvian nationals pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud thousands of Spanish-speaking U.S. residents. Omar Cuzcano Marroquin, 32, Jerson Renteria Gonzales, 37, and Evelyng Milla Campuzano, 35, each of Lima, Peru used Peruvian call centers to extort Spanish-speaking individuals in the US for money, threatening them with arrest and deportation if they did not comply.