Archive for the ‘Justice Department’ tag
Tennessee Demolition and Salvage Companies Indicted for Clean Air Act Violations and Defrauding the United States no comments
Two demolition and salvage companies and three of their respective owners and supervisors were indicted today by a federal grand jury in Chattanooga, Tenn., the Justice Department announced.
The indictment describes a year-long scheme in which the former Standard Coosa Thatcher plant in Chattanooga was illegally demolished while still containing large amounts of asbestos. The indictment goes on to allege that any asbestos that was removed from the plant prior to demolition was removed illegally, scattered in open debris piles, and left exposed to the elements in the vicinity. The indictment also alleges the efforts owners and supervisors made to cover up their illegal activities by falsifying documents and lying to federal authorities.
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U.S. Judge Permanently Bars Suffolk County, N.Y., Tax Preparer from Doing Returns for Others no comments
Allegedly Reported Excessive Deductions and Losses on Customers’ Returns; Causing a Loss to Date to the Treasury Exceeding $2.8 MillionA federal district judge in New York has permanently barred Howard Levine from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The court also ordered Levine to provide his customer lists to the government and to mail copies of the court order to his customers.
According to the government complaint, Levine operated a tax return preparation service under the name Milaur Associates in Suffolk County, N.Y. The complaint states that Levine prepared an estimated 7,160 returns for the tax years 2003 through 2007. The Internal Revenue Service can not determine the exact number of returns that Levine prepared during this time period because he did not properly report his employer identification number on the returns that he prepared. Levine reported all Form 1099 income on a customer’s Schedule C, whether or not the customer had a business, and then reported excessive and unsupported expense deductions, thus resulting in a substantial loss to which the customer was not otherwise entitled. In addition, Levine, reported flow-through losses on customers’ Schedule E that were completely fabricated.
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Pipeline Firms to Pay $3.65 Million to Settle Claims Related to 2004 Ammonia Spills in Nebraska and Kansas no comments
A pipeline company and two of its former operating firms will jointly pay a civil penalty of $3.65 million to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act resulting from anhydrous ammonia spills in Nebraska and Kansas, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The spills which occurred in 2004 resulted in significant fish kills in surrounding waterways.
c, of Tulsa, Okla.; Enterprise Products Operating, of Houston, Tex.; and Mid-America Pipeline Company, also known as MAPCO, also of Houston agreed to the settlement in the form of a consent decree filed today in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan.
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Boston-Based Bus Company Agrees to $650,000 Penalty for Violating the Clean Air Act and Anti-Idling Regulations no comments
Company Agrees to Penalty After Being Found Liable for 234 Violations
Paul Revere Transportation LLC, a bus company based in Boston, has agreed to pay a $650,000 civil penalty after being found liable by a jury in June for violating federal and state clean air laws for idling their buses for extended periods of time, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.
Justice Department Announces Disabled Access Settlement with Developers of Woodbridge, Virginia, Apartment Complex no comments
The Justice Department today announced a settlement that, pending court approval, will resolve allegations that those involved in the design and construction of the Summerland Heights Apartments, a 318-unit apartment complex in Woodbridge, Va., discriminated on the basis of disability in the design and construction of the project.
The complaint, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in conjunction with a consent decree, alleges that the defendants violated the federal Fair Housing Act. It cites a failure to design and construct the Summerland Heights Apartments so that ground floor units contain features of accessible design and the public use and common use areas are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.