Requested Assistance in Identify Serial Bank Robber

On November 20, 2012, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Newark asked for information from the public for a series of four bank robberies that occurred starting in August 2012.  During all of the robberies, the man approached the teller, gave them a note demanding money, and walked away with an undisclosed amount of cash ...

New York Man Hacked into AT&T’s Servers

On November 20, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced Andrew Auernheimer was convicted for breaching AT&T’s servers and stealing email address and other personal information of 120,000 iPad 3G users.  Auernheimer gave the stolen information to an Internet magazine.   Court ...

Man Pleads Guilty to Pointing Laser at Aircraft

On November 21, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced that Michael Brandon Smith of O’Fallon, Missouri, pled guilty to pointing a high-powered laser at a Metro St Louis Air Support Police helicopter on May 18, 2012.   The helicopter was performing a routine police patrol ...

Final Settlement on 17-year-old Thompson v HUD Case

On November 20, 2012, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a final settlement in Thompson v HUD, a 17-year-old civil rights case filed by African American public housing residents.  The case was filed against HUD, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC), and the City of Baltimore.   The ...

Congress Receives Annual Financial Status Report

Last Friday, the Department of Housing and Urban Development released its report on the condition of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund.  The report concludes that the FHA continued to feel the losses on mortgages before 2009, but the report also states capital balances in the MMI Fund ...

HeartWare Ventricular Assist System Approved

On November 20, the Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of the HeartWare Assist System that helps support heart function and blood flow for patients who are at the end-stage of heart failure and currently await a transplant.   The newly approved Assist System is a left ventricular assist device (LVAD)—the ...

Hunter Douglas Recalls Window Coverings

On November 21, 2012, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Hunter Douglas Fabrication Co issued recalls to repair custom cellular and pleated window coverings.  The coverings may present a strangulation hazard to small children, and consumers should stop using these products immediately.   The ...

Hungarian Woman Guilty of Online Marketplace Fraud

On November 21, 2012, the Department of Justice reported than a Hungarian woman, Beatrix Boka, pleaded guilty in a Nashville court to obtaining about $550,000 after operating an international online marketplace scheme.  She pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger ...

Florida’s TRDA Pays $15 Million for False Claims

On November 20, 2012, the Justice Department announced that Florida’s Technological Research and Development Authority (TRDA) agreed to pay $15 million for violating the False Claims Act.  The violations were associated with grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Economic Development Administration ...

Consumers Warned of Internet Fraud over Holiday Season

On November 20, 2012, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reminded online shoppers to use caution during the holiday shopping season.  Scammers are using similar and different techniques from past years, and the FBI and Merchant Risk Council (MRC) have teamed to give consumers tips.   Be wary of an online auction ...

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From Corporate To Private Practice In Criminal Defense

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Dale M. Schwartz Elected Chairman of HIAS

Dale Schwartz, of Atlanta, Georgia, was this week elected Chairman of the Board of HIAS, the global Jewish nonprofit that protects refugees.

Chrysler Refuses to Initiate Jeep Recall

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Samsung takes Round 1: Apple Banned from Selling some iPads and iPhones

  Apple secured the most critical battle in its seemingly endless patent war with Samsung; however, now it is Samsung’s turn to secure a victory.