New England Sun-Times

WASHINGTON – A patient recruiter for Alliance Healthcare Services L.P., a Dallas home health care agency, pleaded guilty yesterday for her participation in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Four co-owners of Alliance pleaded guilty last week for their roles in the fraud scheme. Ollie Futrell, 56, of Garland, Texas, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle in the Northern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Ernest Amadi and his wife, Edith Amadi, both of Wylie, Texas, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Dec. 6, 2011. George Opurum and his wife, Agatha Opurum, both of Richardson, Texas, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud on Dec. 8, 2011. The five defendants were indicted and arrested in February 2011. This case was the first case to be prosecuted by the Medicare Fraud Strike Fo

WASHINGTON – Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department today announced its findings that the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has engaged in a pattern or practice of excessive force that violates the Constitution and federal law. A letter detailing the findings was delivered to Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn and Police Chief John Diaz. The investigation, launched on March 31, 2011, and conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, focused on whether SPD engages in unconstitutional or unlawful policing through either (1) the use of excessive force or (2) discriminatory policing. The Justice Department found reasonable cause to believe that SPD engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The Justice Department does not make a finding that SP

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with S.W.J.J. Inc., or Sernak Farms, based in Weatherly, Penn., to settle allegations that Sernak engaged in discrimination on the basis of citizenship status by preferring to hire temporary visa holders over U.S. citizen applicants and adversely treating its U.S. citizen employees. The underlying charge was filed by Philadelphia Legal Assistance on behalf of eight U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico. The Department of Justice investigation indicated that Sernak hired three foreign national workers under the H2-A visa program without considering hiring three of the eight U.S. citizens because of the belief that H2-A visa holders are more diligent than U.S. workers. Of the five U.S. citizens it did hire, the department’s investigation suggested that Sernak treated them differently than Sernak’s foreign national employees in their terms and conditions of employment, and then dismissed t

Albuquerque, NM - On Friday December 09, 2011 Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) attempted to arrest federal fugitive Fernando Calleros. Calleros was wanted by the United States District Court for failing to comply with his conditions of pre-trial release. Calleros faces federal charges on Fraud by Wire and Mail Fraud where it is alleged he attempted to steal peoples’ identity. Calleros was able to evade being arrested on Friday afternoon when he ran from the Albuquerque Police Department officer who was attempting to arrest him on a traffic stop of an embezzled vehicle near Eubank and Montgomery. Calleros was eventually arrested later that evening by APD and the United States Marshals Service on another traffic stop near Montgomery and Juan Tabo in Albuquerque. Calleros has numerous prior arrests for DWI, forgery, possession of controlled substances, receiving stolen vehicles and credit card fraud.

Defendant Accepted $400,000 Related to the Award of a Bottled Water Contract in Kuwait WASHINGTON - A retired major in the U.S. Army was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for engaging in money laundering of criminally derived property totaling $400,000, which he received from a contractor following his deployment to Kuwait, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. Charles Joseph Bowie Jr., 45, of Georgetown, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez in the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. In addition to his prison term, Bowie was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution. Bowie pleaded guilty in May 2011 to a criminal information charging him with one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. According to court documents, Bowie, a major in the U.S. Army at the time, served in Kuwait from April 2

Contact Information: BPS Communications Office 617-635-9265 communications@bostonpublicschools.org December 13, 2011 BOSTON — More than 250 community leaders – including educators, parents, health providers, non-profit partners, elected officials, and funders – gathered at the Boston Public Library today to address strategies for eliminating health disparities and closing achievement gaps in the Boston Public Schools. The forum, hosted by the BPS Health and Wellness Task Force, featured a keynote address by Dr. Charles Basch from Columbia University Teachers College. Dr. Basch’s remarks, titled “Healthier Students are Better Learners: A Missing Link in School Reform,” highlighted the importance of nutrition, physical activity, mental health services, and other factors to ensure strong academic performance. BPS Superintendent Dr. Carol R. Johnson presented an update on “Healthy Connections,” the district’s new strategic plan for health and wellness. She underscored the need to

by Tracy McMillan     You want to get married . It's taken a while to admit it. Saying it out loud -- even in your mind -- feels kind of desperate, kind of unfeminist, kind of definitely not you, or at least not any you that you recognize. Because you're hardly like those girls on TLC saying yes to the dress and you would never compete for a man like those poor actress-wannabes on The Bachelor . You've never dreamt of an aqua-blue ring box. Then, something happened. Another birthday, maybe. A breakup. Your brother's wedding. His wife-elect asked you to be a bridesmaid, and suddenly there you were, wondering how in hell you came to be 36-years-old, walking down the aisle wearing something halfway decent from J. Crew that you could totally repurpose with a cute pair of boots and a jean jacket. You started to hate the bride -- she was so effing happy -- and for the first time ever you began to have feelings about the fact that you're not m

According to his estranged wife, the former NBA star went on a massive spending spree after she filed for divorce, leaving her completely penniless. Tawanna just filed new docs in their bitter divorce battle claiming that since she filed for divorce in June, Allen stopped depositing money in their joint bank account and then made several large cash withdrawals, including one for $20,000, which he spent on diamond jewelry. Tawanna claims the account was $23,000 in the red at the time she filed the court docs and she’s been unable to pay the bills or provide for their 5 kids. According to Tawanna, who says she gave up her career to be a stay-at-home mom, Allen is worth over $20 million, but refuses to help her out simply out of spite. Allen denies Tawanna’s allegations in the docs. So far, no hearing date has been set.

(photo: John McCusker, The Times-Picayune) WASHINGTON – Ronald Mitchell, 33, an officer with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), was convicted today of obstructing justice and committing perjury during the course of a federal civil suit related to the shooting death of civilian Danny Brumfield in September 2005, announced the Department of Justice. According to evidence presented at trial, Mitchell gave false deposition testimony during the course of a federal civil lawsuit filed by Danny Brumfield’s wife against the city of New Orleans by intentionally providing false and misleading information regarding the events that took place regarding the fatal shooting. Evidence proved that Mitchell shot and killed Danny Brumfield on Sept. 3, 2005, on Convention Center Boulevard in New Orleans. During a deposition in November 2007, Mitchell gave sworn testimony claiming that immediately after the shooting, he exited the patrol car and checked Brumfield’s vital signs. However, the