Law Enforcement | WPN World People News

A Marin County, on January 24, California man was convicted by a federal jury in the Northern District of California of identity theft and conspiring to file fraudulent income tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch for the Northern District of California.

A Pennsylvania man on January 23 pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to aiding and abetting the filing of false claims for tax refunds, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Louis D. Lappen for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The owner of a St. Louis, Missouri tax return preparation business was sentenced to 27 months in prison Friday following his conviction on two counts of tax evasion, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.

Washington River Protection Solutions LLC (WRPS) has agreed to pay the United States $5.275 million to settle allegations that WRPS knowingly submitted false claims to the Department of Energy (DOE) for overtime and premium pay and also failed to comply with the contract’s internal audit requirements. The contract was performed at DOE’s Hanford Site near Richland, Washington.

A Fulton County, Kentucky, on January 20, business owner and contract supplier pled guilty in United States District Court before Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell for his role in a conspiracy to defraud Fulton County citizens, through kickbacks and concealment of costs associated with work performed on the 2015 Fulton County Detention Center expansion, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (Sands), a Nevada-based gaming and resort company, agreed to pay a $6.96 million criminal penalty to resolve the government’s investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with business transactions in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Macao.

Costco Wholesale will pay $11.75 million to settle allegations that its pharmacies violated the Controlled Substances Act when they improperly filled prescriptions for controlled substances. The settlement resolves allegations that Costco pharmacies filled prescriptions that were incomplete, lacked valid Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) numbers or were for substances beyond various doctors’ scope of practice. Additionally, the settlement resolves allegations that Costco failed to keep and maintain accurate records for controlled substances at its pharmacies and centralized fill locations.

Boston-based global financial services company State Street Corporation has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay a $32.3 million criminal penalty to resolve the government’s criminal investigation into a scheme to defraud at least six of the bank’s clients through secret commissions applied to billions of dollars of securities trades. State Street also agreed to offer an equal amount as a civil penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A Northern District of Illinois resident was sentenced to 60 months in prison, on January 17, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon for the Northern District of Illinois.

A congressional staffer was sentenced to prison for willfully failing to file an individual income tax return, on January 17, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia.