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Thwarting and Responding to Acts of Terror
The Office addresses a full range of threats to national security, domestic and international
terrorism, espionage, and large-scale international drug and arms trafficking. Working closely with
the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and other law enforcement partners, prosecutors assigned
to the Office's Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit have obtained convictions in important
national security matters:
• In May 2019, the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit convicted Ali Kourani at trial for his
work as a covert operative for Hizballah's external attack-planning component.
• In November 2018, the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit charged Cesar Sayoc just days
after he mailed sixteen packages containing explosives to CNN, Hillary Clinton, and other public
figures in this District and across the country. In March 2019, $ayoc pled guilty to 65 felonies,
including use of weapons of mass destruction and interstate mailing of explosives. In August 2019.
Sayoc was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
• In November 2018, the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit convicted Akayed Ullah at trial
for detonating a pipe bomb during rush hour in the Port Authority Bus Terminal in support of ISIS.
• In February 2018, Ahmad Khan Rahimi, the so-called "Chelsea Bomber," was sentenced to multiple
terms of life imprisonment following his trial conviction for his ISIS-inspired plot to detonate
powerful explosives in that densely populated Manhattan neighborhood.
• The Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit investigated and charged Paul Rosenfeld in October
2018. Following his subsequent guilty plea, Rosenfeld has since been sentenced for offenses related
to his construction of a destructive device in his Tappan, New York, basement that he intended to
detonate on the National Mall on Election Day.
Enforcing International Sanctions
The Office is on the front lines of identifying and prosecuting individuals and entities that violate
U.S. and international sanctions.
• In May 2019, the Office announced the first-ever seizure of a North Korean cargo vessel for violating
international sanctions. As detailed in the complaint, the "Wise Honest" was one of North Korea's
largest carrier ships and was used to export coal from North Korea and import machinery in
violation of U.S. and U.N. sanctions. The vessel was sold at auction on October 7, 2019.
• In January 2018, the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit secured the second of two
convictions against participants in a sprawling scheme to illicitly transfer billions of dollars of
Iranian oil money in violation of U.S. sanctions. In October 2019, the Office announced charges
against a Turkish bank for its alleged role in facilitating the sanctions-evasion scheme.
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• In November 2018, the Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit announced
criminal charges and a $134 billion resolution against a large French bank for processing billions of
dollars in illicit funds in connection with credit facilities involving Cuba, in contravention of U.S.
law.
P
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Prosecuting Corrupt Public Officials
The Office holds public officials accountable by investigating and prosecuting abuses of office,
including quid pro quo bribery, embezzlement of public funds, civil rights violations, and other
criminal offenses perpetrated by public officials, law enforcement officers and others. Recent
prosecutions include:
• Personal Attorney to the President Convicted of Campaign Finance Crimes, Tax Evasion and
Fraud: In August 2018, the Public Corruption Unit secured the conviction of Michael Cohen, the
former personal attorney to the President, upon a plea of guilty to a multi-count information. Of
note, Cohen pleaded guilty to making unlawful, excessive contributions to the 2016 presidential
campaign in the form of payments to two women to secure their silence regarding the then-
presidential candidate in order to prevent those stories from influencing the election. Cohen also
pleaded guilty to multiple counts of tax evasion in connection with his concealment of millions of
dollars in income from the IRS, and to making false statements to a financial institution. In
December 2018, Cohen was sentenced to 36 months' imprisonment.
• Nine Defendants, Including Joseph Percoco, Former Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor,
and Alain Kaloyeros, President Of SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Convicted of Federal Corruption and
Fraud Offenses: In September 2016, the Public Corruption Unit unsealed charges against two high-
ranking State officials, businessmen, and a corrupt lobbyist relating to multiple significant criminal
schemes affecting in the aggregate nearly $1 billion in State funds. In the first scheme, one of the
most powerful individuals in New York State's executive department — Joseph Percoco, the
Executive Deputy Secretary to the Governor — accepted bribe payments from a large energy company
and a real estate development company for his influence and action on multiple significant State
decisions. In the second scheme, Alain Kaloyeros, a public university president who was given vast
control by the Governor's office over State economic development projects engaged in a bid-rigging
scheme involving the Governor's centerpiece economic development initiative — known as the
Buffalo Billion — conspiring with businessmen to rig the bidding process for State-funded projects
worth hundreds of millions of dollars. After two trials, as well as guilty pleas, Percoco, Kaloyeros,
five businessmen, and the lobbyist were convicted.
• Four New York City Police Department Officers Convicted of Bribery in Connection with Approving
Gun Licenses: Between 2017 and 2019, the Public Corruption Unit convicted four officers from the
NYPD's License Division for accepting bribes to approve, upgrade and expedite gun licenses,
including of individuals who would otherwise have been rejected on account of their criminal
history. The bribes included cash, sometimes handed over in envelopes or stuffed between pages of a
magazine, luxury travel, and other gifts. In addition to approving and expediting gun licenses, the
bribed officers often upgraded gun licensees to have full concealed carry rights in New York City
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without the proper justification. Those charge and convicted included Lieutenant Paul Dean, the
former Executive Officer of the License Division. Also convicted were four former "expediters" who
charged clients a fee to help them obtain gun licenses by bribing the officers, including a former
Assistant District Attorney.
• In May 2018, prosecutors convicted Sheldon Silver. the former speaker of the New York State
Assembly, following a two-week fury trial on charges of wire fraud. mail fraud, extortion under color
of official right, and engaging in illegal monetary transactions all arising out Silver's improper use of
his position. The evidence at trial showed that Silver used his office position to obtain nearly $4
million in bribes in exchange for his official acts and another $1 million through laundering the
proceeds of his crimes. Silver was sentenced to seven years in prison.
• In July 2018, following a jury trial, the Public Corruption Unit obtained convictions of Dean Skelos
the former New York State Senate Majority Leader, and his son. Adam Skelos, on charges of bribery
and extortion. The proof at trial showed that Dean Skelos used his position to obtain more than
$300,000 in bribes and extortion payments that were made to Adam Skelos. Dean Skelos received a
sentence of 51-months imprisonment and Adam Skelos received a sentence of four years'
imprisonment.
Prosecuting Local Corruption
• Christopher St. Lawrence. the former Ramapo Town Supervisor. engaged in a scheme to defraud
investors in Rama o's municipal bonds lw manipulating the Town's financial statements to create
the appearance that the Town was fiscally sound. He did so in order to obtain the financing he
needed to build Palisades Credit Union Park, a 3,50o seat minor league baseball stadium in Ramapo,
at a cost of more than $60 million. He was found guilty at trial and sentenced to 30 months in
prison. St. Lawrence's conviction marked the first prosecution for accounting fraud in connection
with municipal bonds.
• Keith Borge, the former Controller for the College of New Rochelle, was convicted in 2019 of
engaging in a 20 million dollar payroll tax fraud and securities fraud scheme. Borge failed to pay
over to the IRS over 20 million dollars in payroll tax and covered up the resulting liability on the
colleges financials. The college's bondholders were defrauded by the false financial statements. His
scheme contributed to the college's bankruptcy and closure.
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I Inman Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Minors
The Office prioritizes the investigation and prosecution of numerous child pornography, child
enticement, child endangerment, and sex trafficking offenses.
• In July 2019, prosecutors charged Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking of minors between 2002
through 2005, Epstein sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to
engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money. Epstein allegedly worked with several employees
and associates to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims to abuse, and paid several of
those victims themselves to recruit other underage girls to engage in similar sex acts for money. The
indictment against Jeffrey Epstein was vacated following his death in August of 2019.
• Beginning from a tip about the trafficking of minor victims in and around the New York City area
and a subsequent interview of one particular minor victim, the Office has successfully investigated
and prosecuted violent pimps who trafficked adults and minors--some as young as 13 years-old—who
were often part of the New York City social services system. The investigation has resulted in charges
against 19 defendants in eight separate indictments; to date, 15 of the defendants have been
convicted—two following jury trials and 13 by guilty pleas. The first defendant to be sentenced in
this matter, who was convicted following a May 2019 jury trial, received a sentence of 17 years'
incarceration, and the remaining convicted defendants face substantial sentences
• In October 2018, the General Crimes Unit convicted Lavelleous Purcell after trial of five counts
related to his forced prostitution of multiple adult women. Purcell was sentenced to 188 months'
imprisonment.
• In December 2018, Clint Edwards was sentenced to 20 years in prison for arranging to meet a 14-
year old child over social media and filming himself having sex with the victim in the basement of the
victim's apartment building.
• In 2018, the White Plains Division secured a 32-year prison sentence for David Ohnmacht for
enticing a 14-year-old girl via Instagram to engage in sexual conduct and for engaging in this
criminal conduct while a registered sex offender.
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Combatting Gun and Gang-Related Violence
The Office, primarily through the work its Violent and Organized Crime Unit, also focuses on
prosecuting murders, and dismantling gangs and violent drug crews, with a particular emphasis on
violence prosecutions in the Bronx.
• According to the New York City Police Department, in the first half of 2019 (as compared to the first
half of 2018) in the Bronx:
o Murders were down 33%
o Shootings were down 5%
o The number of shooting victims was down 8.5%
• In July 2018, prosecutors convicted Stiven Siri-Revnoso for the June 2016 murder of Jessica White,
who was killed by a stray bullet while watching her children play on a playground in the Bronx. Siri-
Reynoso was sentenced to life plus five years in prison.
• In December 2018. Sean Peter, Jason Campbell and Steven Syder were convicted of the murder of
Brian Gray in the Bronx in October 2012 and for committing narcotics and firearms offenses. The
proof at trial showed that in retaliation for an attempted drug robbery, Peter, Campbell and Syder
followed Gray and three friends from a local bodega to a nearby porch on Barker Avenue in the
Bronx. After leaving the area to arm themselves, Peter, Campbell, and Syder returned and opened
fire fatally wounding Gray and injuring two other individuals. Peter was sentenced to 23 years in
prison. Campbell was sentenced to 23 years in prison. and Syder was sentenced to 20 years in
prison.
• In March 2019, followi g a five-week jury trial, prosecutors obtained convictions of the leaders of the
Blood Hound Brims gang. one of the most violent and fastest-growing factions of the Bloods street
and prison gang that operated principally in New York City. upstate New York. Pennsylvania. and
throughout the New York State prison system. Three defendants — Latique Johnson, Brandon Green
and Donnell Murray -- were convicted of committing racketeering conspiracy, narcotics and firearms
offenses between 2005 and 2016. In addition, Johnson and Murray were found guilty of
committing assault in aid of racketeering for a 2012 shooting at a fast food restaurant in the Bronx
involving an AK-47 semiautomatic rifle. Johnson was found guilty of attempted murder in aid of
racketeering for ordering a 2012 shooting of rival gang members in the Bronx. The defendants are
awaiting sentencing. Ten other defendants pleaded guilty to serious crimes, including racketeering
and firearms offenses, arising out the same investigation.
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• In June 2010. prosecutors convicted James Felton for two murders committed in the Bronx in
2016. The evidence at trial established that Felton was a member of a drug-distribution organization
operating in the Bronx. On June 11, 2016, at the corner of East 175th Street and Monroe Avenue in
the Bronx, Felton shot Marvin Harris 13 times, killing him, after Harris insulted Felton and
challenged Felton's status within the drug territory. Six months later, at the corner of East
175th Street and Weeks Avenue, one block away from the scene of the Harris murder, Felton shot a
rival drug dealer named Edwin Romero four times, then shot Jose Morales in the head, killing
him. Felton was also convicted of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, cocaine and
marijuana and of related firearms offenses. Felton was sentenced to life plus 75 years in prison.
• In 2018 and 2019, the Violent and Organized Crime Unit suerPs-sfully prosecuted high-ranking
members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, a violent gang responsible for shootings, drug dealing,
robberies and numerous of acts of violence in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The investigation and
prosecution resulted in the conviction of 14 members and associates of Nine Trey. including a well-
known hip-hop music artist. Daniel Hernandez. a/k/a "Tekashi 6ix Sine." Hernandez, who pleaded
guilty to racketeering, narcotics, and firearms-related offenses, testified in September 2019 at the
trial of two high-ranking Nine Trey members, Aljermiah Mack, a/k/a "Nuke," and Anthony Ellison,
a/lc/a "Hare Mack and Ellison were convicted of racketeering conspiracy in connection with their
gang membership. Ellison was also found guilty of kidnapping, maiming, and assault with a
dangerous weapon in connection with his membership in Nine Trey. Mack was found guilty of
conspiring to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin related to his gang activities. Both are
awaiting sentencing. Four other members of Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, including the leader of the
gang, Jamel Jones, a/k/a "Mel Murda," have been sentenced. The remaining members and
associates are awaiting sentencing after having pleaded guilty to serious crimes.
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Protecting the Environment and Public Health
The Environmental Protection Unit in the Office's Civil Division protects the environment and public
health in this district (and beyond).
• In June 2018, the Office sued the New York City Housing Authority for systematically violating lead
paint safety regulations, failing to provide sanitary living conditions as required by law, making false
statements about these conditions, and deceiving HUD inspectors. The lawsuit was resolved by
a historic settlement providing for the appointment of a federal monitor for NYCHA, imposing strict
compliance deadlines, and obligating New York City to provide billions of dollars to support
NYCHA's remedial efforts.
• The Environmental Protection Unit represents the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other
federal agencies in a wide range of environmental enforcement matters in this district,
including Superfund, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act, and lead-paint
safety cases. One significant example is the Office's June 2018 lawsuit against the City of Mount
Vernon for failing to comply with Clean Water Act storm sewer permit requirements designed to
prevent raw sewage and other illicit pollutants from flowing from Mount Vernon's storm sewer
system into the Hutchinson and Bronx Rivers.
• The Environmental Protection Unit also brings cases on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and the Food and Drug Administration to protect food safety and eliminate other public health
threats. In June 2017, for example, this Office sued to shut down a fish smokehouse that had
repeatedly been found to have Listeria bacteria in the facility as a result of recurring violations of
food safety regulations.
• The Environmental Protection Unit also acts to ensure that companies cannot use bankruptcy to
avoid their responsibility for environmental contamination. In July 2019, this Office entered into a
settlement in In re Magnesium Corporation, which requires the debtors to pay more than $33
million for clean-up of a contaminated Superfund site. In addition, in 2014, this Office obtained
the largest ever litigation recovery by the government for clean-up of environmental contamination,
in the Tronox bankruptcy. That settlement included, among other things, more than $4.4 billion for
environmental clean-up and liabilities arising from contaminated sites across the country.
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Combating the Opioid Crisis
The United States faces an epidemic of overdoses and deaths from prescription and synthetic
opioids. The Office is committed to prosecuting those responsible for fueling this crisis. In addition
to targeting street-level dealers and their suppliers, the Office has aggressively pursued medical
professionals who divert these highly-addictive pills, including doctors, pharmacies, and a major
drug distributor.
• In April 2019, in the first prosecution of its kind, the Narcotics Unit charged one of the nation's
largest drug distributors. Rochester Drug Cooperative, and two of the company's senior executives,
with distributing drugs that helped fuel the opioid epidemic. This case represents the first time
executives of a pharmaceutical distributor and the distributor itself have been charged with drug
trafficking. The charges are a reminder to drug companies and drug distributors of their
responsibilities to put public health before corporate profits and to adhere to the highest standards of
ethics and compliance in placing dangerous pharmaceutical products in the marketplace.
The Office has also been aggressive in prosecuting "dirty doctors" and other medical professionals
who have helped to perpetuate the opioid crisis.
• In October 2018, the Narcotics Unit charged five doctors, one pharmacist. and a physician's assistant
as part of a coordinated takedown of trusted health professionals who abused their positions to
illegally sell oxycodone. The case against these defendants is pending.
• In December 2018, the Unit convicted a Staten Island doctor who prescribed millions of oxycodone
pills to patients whom he knew had no legitimate need for the highly-addictive drug. He is scheduled
to be sentenced in January 2020.
• In March 2018, the Complex Frauds & Cybercrime Unit charged five Manhattan based doctors for
accepting bribes and kickbacks from Insys, a pharmaceutical company, in exchange for prescribing
Subsys, a potent fentanyl-based spray. To date, four of the five doctors have been convicted; the
remaining charged defendant is awaiting trial in this case.
In addition to pursuing medical professionals, the Office has redoubled its enforcement efforts by
partnering with the New York City Police Department to establish the Overdose Response Initiative,
which treats every overdose as a crime scene and aims to hold drug traffickers responsible for their
roles in the opioid crisis. The Narcotics Unit has secured convictions of multiple individuals who
distributed drugs that caused overdoses.
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• In one such case, in December 2018, the Narcotics Unit secured a 25 year prison sentence, following
the conviction at trial of an individual who sold heroin that resulted in two overdose deaths.
• In May 2019, the Narcotics Unit convicted a Staten Island drug dealer who sold fentanyl-laced
heroin that led to two overdoses, one of which resulted in the death of a 26-year-old man.
Countering State-Sponsored Cybercrime
The Office has moved aggressively to investigate and prosecute cybercrime cases of national and
international significance.
• In March 2018, the Complex Frauds 8z Cybercrime Unit unsealed charges against nine Iranians
associated with the Mabna Institute, which conducted a massive computer hacking campaign on
behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Mabna Institute is allegedly responsible for
stealing academic research, intellectual property, and other confidential business information from
144 U.S.-based universities, 176 universities in 21 foreign countries, 47 domestic and foreign private
sector companies, and several U.S. Government agencies, among other victims. The Mabna case was
the product of multiple federal and international agencies dedicated work to take down this state-
sponsored hacking group. Criminal charges were announced in coordination with sanctions imposed
by the Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control, which designated the Mabna
Institute and its hackers for sanctions for conducting malicious cyber activities.
• In December 2018, the Complex Frauds & Cybercrime Unit charged two Chinese nationals affiliated
with the Chinese-sponsored hacking group "APT10" with conducting extensive hacking campaigns
on behalf of the Chinese government to steal intellectual property and confidential business
information from more than 45 technology and defense companies. APTio, known as an "Advanced
Persistence Threat" group, compromised data held by managed service providers, firms that other
companies trust to store, process, and protect commercial data, including intellectual property and
other confidential business information.
• In March 2016, the Complex Frauds & Cybercrime Unit charged seven Iranian nationals for
conducting a state-sponsored coordinated series of "Distributed Denial of Service attacks against the
U.S. Financial Sector between 2011 and 2013. The seven defendants were allegedly associated with
two Iran-based cybersecurity companies — ITSec Team and Mersad — that operated as fronts for the
Iran government's offensive cyber operations. During the campaign, the defendants leveraged large
botnets consisting of thousands of compromised servers around the world to systematically send
malicious Internet traffic to servers belonging to 46 U.S. banks, resulting in disabling the servers and
costing the banks tens of millions of dollars to remediate. Notably, the indictment separately
charged one of the ITSec Team defendants, Hamid Firoozi, with the 2013 compromise of the
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Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems of the Bowman Dam in Rye, New York. Had the
sluice gate (the gate that controls the flow of water released through the dam) not been disconnected
from the system for maintenance, the compromise would have allowed the Iranian government to
remotely control the operations of the dam.
Prosecuting Fraud
The Office's Criminal and Civil Divisions prosecute fraud on a wide scale. The Criminal
Division investigates and prosecutes cybercrime, complex frauds and white collar crimes, and
securities and commodities fraud. The Civil Division's Civil Frauds Unit uses civil enforcement
statutes to investigate and prosecute numerous types of misconduct, including financial fraud,
healthcare fraud, and program and grant fraud, and in recent years has obtained admissions of
wrongdoing from dozens of defendants and over $5 billion in recoveries on behalf of the federal
government. The Civil Frauds Unit and the Criminal Division's "white collar" units closely
coordinate with each other to maximize the recovery of criminal fraud proceeds and to return
that money to victims.
In October 2019, Representative Christopher Collins pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to
commit insider trading and to making false statements to federal law enforcement agents. Prior to
his guilty plea, Collins had represented the 27th District of New York as a member of the U.S. House
of Representatives. His son Cameron Collins, and Stephen Zarsky also pleaded guilty to
participating in the insider trading scheme. Representative Collins, Cameron Collins and Stephen
Zarsky are awaiting sentencing.
• In 2019, the Civil Frauds Unit filed and settled two healthcare fraud lawsuits against national
pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance. Inc. for a total of $269.2 million, relating to Walgreens's
improper billings to government healthcare programs. The Office alleged that Walgreens improperly
billed the government for insulin pens that patients did not need and made false representations to
Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs in connection with that practice, and also that Walgreens
sought and obtained reimbursement from Medicaid for prescription drugs at improperly inflated
prices.
• In 2018, the Criminal Division's Complex Frauds & Cybercrime Unit pursued significant investment
fraud cases, including the prosecution of William "Billy" McFarland. McFarland was sentenced to six
years' imprisonment for, most notably, fraud in connection with promoting the notorious "Fyre
Festival" that left hundreds of ticket purchasers virtually stranded without food and shelter—not to
mention entertainment—on the beaches of Exuma, in the Bahamas.
• In 2018, the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force charged three former employees of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and three executives at KPMG for their
alleged roles in a scheme to illegally obtain confidential PCAOB information and use it to improve
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KPMG audit performance. To date, three defendants have pleaded guilty and two defendants were
found guilty after trial. The remaining defendant is awaiting trial.
• In 2018, the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force successfully prosecuted Craig Carton, a
nationally-syndicated sports talk radio host, for participating in a Ponzi scheme based on the
supposed purchase and resale of tickets to Hamilton and other major productions. Carton, who was
convicted following a trial, received a sentence of 42 months in prison.
• In 2017, the Civil Frauds Unit obtained a judgment of over $206 million against the entities formerly
known as Allied Home Mortgage Capital Corporation and Allied Home Mortgage
Corporation (collectively "Allied"), in connection with their fraudulent misconduct while
participating in the Federal Housing Administration ("FHA") mortgage insurance program. After a
five week trial, a jury found that Allied falsely certified that thousands of high risk, low quality loans
were eligible for FHA insurance and submitted insurance claims to the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development ("HUD") when any of those loans defaulted. In the same trial, the Office
also obtained a jury verdict, and $25 million judgment, against Allied's President and Chief
Executive Officer Jim C. Hodge for his participation in this fraudulent conduct.
• In 2016, the Civil Frauds Unit obtained a $1.2 billion settlement of a False Claims Act and FIRREA
lamisulagainstwellsEargillank,L,LABILmiellEarnaxcglitiyo—the largest recovery ever in a
Federal Housing Administration mortgage fraud case. The Office alleged that, as a participant in the
FHA Direct Endorsement Lender program, Wells Fargo engaged in reckless underwriting practices
and intentionally failed to report seriously defective loans to HUD.
• In 2016, the Office brought important criminal cases in the area of Medicare and Medicaid fraud,
such as 17.S. n. St-did Javed. Javed was convicted for operating nine pharmacies in the New York City
area that had submitted more than $8.5 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for
prescription drugs that were not delivered to customers.
• In 2015, the Civil Frauds Unit announced a coordinated $714 million settlement of civil lawsuits
brought by the United States and others against the Bank of New York Mellon, in connection with
allegations that the Bank engaged in fraud and other misconduct when providing foreign exchange
services to its customers. The Office's lawsuit alleged that, contrary to representations made by Bank
of New York Mellon to its clients that the Bank provided "best rates" and "best execution," the Bank
actually gave clients the worst reported interbank rates of the trading day.
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Protecting Civil Rights
The Office is a leader in the prosecution of civil and criminal cases to ensure the protection of civil
rights for individuals within the District.
• In March 2019, as part of its continued enforcement work under the Americans with Disabilities Act,
the Civil Division's Civil Rights Unit helped secure a partial summary judgment that, if applied going
forward, would obligate the MTA to install elevators whenever it performs a subway station
renovation that affects the station's usability, regardless of cost.
• In March 2019, the Civil Rights Unit resolved its sixteenth design and construction case under the
Fair Housing Act, by entering into a Settlement Agreement requiring Sutton Manor. a condominium
complex in Mount Kisco to engage in extensive retrofits to make the individual units and common
areas of the complex more accessible to residents with disabilities. The Unit resolved a similar suit
against Webster Management in December 2018, and another such suit against Ginsburg
Development in April 2018.
• In July 2018, the Civil Rights and Public Corruption Units obtained the conviction and sentencing of
New York State Correction Officers for the brutal beating of inmate Kevin Moore, and for falsifying
records to cover up the beating.
• In November 2017, the Civil Rights Unit settled a race discrimination lawsuit against the New York
City Department of Transportation for a pattern and practice of Title VII violations, requiring the
City to pay $1.3 million in damages and revise its promotion policies.
• In September 2017, the Civil Rights and Public Corruption Units secured a 30-year sentence for
Brian Coll, a New York City Correction Officer, following his conviction after a jury trial for beating
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an inmate, Ronald Spear, to death and for obstructing justice by covering up the true cause of Spear's
death.
• In August 2017, the Civil Rights and Public Corruption Units convicted Rodiny Calypso, a New York
City Correction Officer, for filing a false report in connection with the assault of a handcuffed inmate
at Rikers Island.
• Also in August 2017, the Civil Rights and Public Corruption Units secured the conviction and jail
time for New York State Correction Officer Jeffrey Green, who pleaded guilty to violating the
constitutional rights of an inmate by subjecting her to abusive sexual contact.
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