Joint Statement from the Department of Justice, the Department of the Army and the Department of the Interior Regarding Standing Rock Sioux Tribe v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

“The Department of Justice will pursue those who defraud Americans through false promises and fraudulent schemes,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “Schemes like this often target the elderly and vulnerable, and shutting them down remains a top priority for the Department.”

“Medical devices, such as the Olympus duodenoscope that is used in 500,000 procedures per year in the United States, can extend and improve the quality of life for many people,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “But when a device manufacturer becomes aware of risks that could lead to illness, injury, or death, there is a statutory obligation to report that information to the FDA in a timely manner. By failing to do so, Olympus and Mr. Yabe put patients’ health at risk.”   

A former procurement officer of Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to obstruct an investigation relating to bribes paid by the owner of U.S.-based companies to Venezuelan government officials in exchange for securing additional business with PDVSA and payment priority on outstanding invoices.

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Walmart Inc. The agreement resolves claims that a Walmart store in Fort Worth, Texas, violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by unlawfully requesting specific work authorization documents from non-U.S. citizens based on their citizenship status.

The former president of a Texas-based non-profit pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to conceal the fact that a 2013 Congressional trip to Azerbaijan was funded by the Azerbaijan government.

A former member of the board of directors of a publicly traded healthcare services company was arrested at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport over the weekend for allegedly participating in a wide-spread scheme to defraud investors and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with a merger transaction designed to convert the company into a private entity, Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito for the District of New Jersey announced.

Antitrust and its role in protecting free-market competition has long been a central part of our Nation’s moral imperatives.  The Antitrust Division is charged with protecting free markets and ensuring robust competition for the benefit of American consumers.  Along with the talented men and women of the Antitrust Division, my job is to help ensure that markets are free and open to new entrants and innovation.  We do this through vigorous law enforcement and advocacy.