Secretary of State Kemp Announces Victory in Long Fight to Secure Georgia’s Voter Rolls

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp today announced that following the State’s June 22, 2010 lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the DOJ consented to preclearance of the State’s voter verification process, including verification of U.S. citizenship. After the DOJ consented to the process, the State filed for and received administrative preclearance from the DOJ. The State and the DOJ therefore have now filed a joint request to have the lawsuit dismissed.

“After nearly two years, we can now verify that voter registration applicants are who they say they are and that they are U.S. citizens,” said Secretary Kemp. “When we filed the lawsuit, I was criticized by some because they believed it would be too time-consuming and expensive. However, after waiting for nearly a year and a half for a final administrative decision from the DOJ, I was certain that litigation was the only way to put Georgia in a position to obtain final approval from the federal government of our voter verification procedures. After the litigation was filed, it took less than two months for the DOJ to consent to preclearance of the verification process.”

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Georgia must obtain federal preclearance of any change affecting voting by bringing a declaratory judgment action in federal court or, in the alternative, by submitting the change to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. In October 2008, the Secretary of State’s Office first submitted the verification process to the DOJ for administrative preclearance. After extended administrative review and numerous discussions with representatives of the State, the DOJ denied administrative preclearance of the State’s voter verification process and later refused to withdraw that denial. During the administrative process, the State provided substantial amounts of information about its verification process, sometimes providing the same information several times.

In June of this year, Secretary Kemp announced that the State of Georgia filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the DOJ to obtain preclearance of the voter verification process. After the lawsuit was filed, the DOJ determined that the verification process did not have a discriminatory effect or purpose and expeditiously consented to the federal approval of the verification procedure. Georgia was previously the only state in the country barred from complying with the federal Help America Vote Act’s voter verification requirement.

Secretary Kemp added, “I am glad the DOJ ultimately recognized the importance of ensuring a secure elections process in Georgia and consented to the Section 5 approval of Georgia’s voter verification process. As Georgia’s Chief Elections Officer, my job is to ensure secure, fair, and accessible elections for every Georgia citizen who is eligible to vote. Every ballot cast by a non-citizen erases a ballot cast by an eligible Georgia voter.”

Under the Help America Vote Act, states are required to verify the information provided by first time voter registration applicants with information currently on file in state or federal databases. In Georgia, the applicant’s first name, last name, date of birth, driver’s license or identification number, last four digits of his or her Social Security number, and United States citizenship status are verified with the Department of Driver Services or Social Security Administration databases to ensure that the information matches.
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Department of Justice Announces $1.2 Million in Grants to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation

/PRNewswire/ -- The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has announced the award of four grants totaling $1.2 million to support the development of strategies that protect children from commercial and sexual exploitation. These grants are part of the Department's national strategy to prevent and interdict child exploitation announced by Attorney General Eric Holder.

"Protecting our youth remains a priority with the Justice Department," said Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General, OJP. "We are determined to have strategies in place that prevent, and if necessary, rescue and help children recover from exploitation. These grants will provide the resources necessary to reach the children and hold the perpetrators accountable."

OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will administer the awards, which will support selected Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces by making available improved training and coordination activities, help in developing policies and procedures to identify child victims, assistance in the investigation and prosecution of adult perpetrators and the identification and adoption of best practices for compassionate victim intervention. This grant program is authorized under the Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008, (P.L. 110-401, 42 USC 17601, et seq.) ("the PROTECT Act"). Eligible applicants under the competitive solicitation were the existing 61 ICAC Task Forces and affiliate law enforcement agencies.

Recipients include:
-- County of Alameda, Oakland, CA ($300,000)
-- Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Decatur, GA ($300,000)
-- City of Boston, MA ($300,000)
-- Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Chicago, IL ($299,999)

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Justice Department Signs Agreement With City of Atlanta To Ensure Civic Access for Persons With Disabilities

/PRNewswire/ -- The Justice Department today announced an agreement with the city of Atlanta to improve access to all aspects of civic life for persons with disabilities. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the department's wide-ranging initiative to ensure that cities, towns and counties throughout the country comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The department has conducted compliance reviews with certain localities in all 50 states, helping to improve the lives and broaden opportunities for millions of Americans with disabilities.

"Civic access is a basic and critical civil right, and it ensures individuals with disabilities can play productive, fulfilling roles in their communities," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "City officials are to be commended for making this commitment to fulfill the ADA's promise of equal access to city programs and services."

PCA was initiated to ensure that persons with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in civic life, a fundamental part of American society. As part of the PCA initiative, Justice Department investigators, attorneys and architects survey state and local government facilities, programs and services in communities across the country to identify the modifications needed for compliance with ADA requirements. The agreements are tailored to address the steps each community must take to improve access. This agreement is the 174th under the PCA initiative and the 13th agreement reached this year.

"Like other communities throughout the United States, Atlanta still has some work to do to achieve full ADA compliance," said Assistant Attorney General Perez. "This agreement sets out a realistic plan with specific steps and reasonable timeframes for the city to get there."

Under the agreement announced today, the city of Atlanta will take several important steps to improve access for individuals with disabilities, such as:

-- Making physical modifications to its facilities so that parking,
entrances and routes into facilities, parking lots, public telephones,
restrooms, service counters and drinking fountains are more
accessible;
-- Making specific modifications to improve access to city parks and
tennis courts;
-- Officially recognizing Georgia's telephone relay service and training
staff to use the relay service to ensure effective communication for
people who are deaf or hard of hearing;
-- Continuing to ensure that 9-1-1 emergency service calls placed by
persons with disabilities who use text telephones (TTYs) are answered
as quickly as other calls, that such calls are monitored for timing
and accuracy, and that employees are trained and practiced in using a
TTY to make and receive calls;
-- Implementing a plan to improve the accessibility of city sidewalks and
provide for the installation of accessible curb ramps throughout
Atlanta;
-- Ensuring that the city's official website is accessible to persons
with disabilities, including individuals who are blind or have low
vision;
-- Ensuring equal access to emergency management services for persons
with disabilities;
-- Developing a method for providing information for interested persons
with disabilities concerning the existence and location of the city's
accessible services, activities and programs;
-- Installing signs at inaccessible entrances to facilities directing
persons with disabilities to accessible entrances;
-- Posting, publishing and distributing a notice to inform members of the
public of the ADA's provisions and their applicability to the city's
programs, services and activities; and
-- Adopting a grievance procedure to deal with complaints of disability
discrimination relating to city programs and services.


Today's settlement agreement was reached under Title II of the ADA, which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by state and local governments. The agreement will remain in effect for three years. The department will monitor compliance with the agreement until required actions have been completed.

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the state of Georgia. With a 2008 estimated population of 537,958, it is the urban core of one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. According to Census data, more than 22 percent of people living in Atlanta are individuals with disabilities.

People interested in finding out more about the ADA, today's agreement, the Project Civic Access initiative, or the ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments can access the ADA home page at http://www.ada.gov/ or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD).

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Justice Department Reaches Settlement With Georgia Regarding State's Seven Psychiatric Hospitals

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department announced Janaury 15 that it has reached a settlement with the State of Georgia regarding the conditions at Georgia's seven psychiatric hospitals. The Department opened its investigation of Georgia's psychiatric hospitals in 2007 and issued findings regarding Georgia Regional Hospital at Atlanta on May 30, 2008. The Department subsequently entered into negotiations regarding remedies the State was required to implement to correct unconstitutional conditions at all the hospitals. The other state facilities involved in today's settlement include: Georgia Regional Hospital at Savannah, Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Southwestern State Hospital, East Central State Hospital, West Central State Hospital, and Northwest Georgia Regional Hospital at Rome.

"When a state undertakes to care for persons with mental illness and developmental disabilities, it accepts responsibility to protect them from harm," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Department commends Governor Sonny Perdue, State Attorney General Thurbert Baker, and the Georgia Department of Human Resources for their willingness to work aggressively to address the conditions at these seven psychiatric hospitals. The leadership of the State in amicably resolving this matter has been paramount to today's exceptional result on behalf of the people of the State of Georgia. We are pleased that we have cooperatively achieved a settlement agreement that will benefit the lives of persons with mental health problems and developmental disabilities in Georgia's psychiatric hospitals."

Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the State will work to ensure that patients at the seven hospitals are safe and receive the care and services necessary to meet their individualized needs. Specifically, the State has agreed to undertake a variety of measures, including improving medical and mental health care and ensuring that patients are free from undue bodily restraint. The State will also improve discharge planning and ensure that each patient is served in the most integrated setting appropriate.

Today's settlement with the State of Georgia is the result of a cooperative effort by State entities and the Justice Department to reach a settlement that will make meaningful changes to improve the care and treatment of patients at Georgia's seven psychiatric hospitals. This Administration is firmly committed to the vigorous protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

The Civil Rights Division is authorized to conduct investigations of public psychiatric hospitals under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). This statute allows the federal government to identify and root out systemic abuses such as those discovered in Georgia. The Civil Rights Division has successfully resolved similar investigations in other in-patient mental health facilities in the District of Columbia, Vermont, and California, among other states. The Civil Rights Division has open investigations of mental health facilities in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Oregon.

CRIPA authorizes the Attorney General to investigate conditions in certain institutions owned or operated by, or on behalf of, state or local governments. These institutions include nursing homes, residential facilities serving people with mental or other developmental disabilities, mental health facilities, jails, prisons, and juvenile justice facilities.

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Georgia State Professor Awarded Grant to help Give Homicide Victims’ Families Answers after Tragedy

Families of homicide victims have limitless questions after their loved one is gone — questions about what happened, which are often hard to get answers to as court cases wind their way through the legal system.

Georgia State University’s Elizabeth Beck and the Georgia Council on Restorative Justice have sought to help answer those questions, by helping to give victims’ families access to information from the defense — which often is the only party that has answers.

Now, thanks to a $656,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Administration, Beck and her colleagues hope to create a model to bring the concept, called Defense Initiated Victim Outreach, to other locales, like Texas. The federal grant furthers the GCRJ’s work, which stems from funding from the Justice, Equality, Human Dignity and Tolerance Foundation.

“After a homicide, the victim’s families often have a lot of questions, and sometimes, the only people with the information that can answer the questions are the defense,” said Beck, an associate professor of social work in Georgia State’s College of Health and Human Sciences. “We work with defense attorneys, and the prosecution, so that victim-survivors can have access to information that can help to answer their questions.”

A key principle of Defense Initiated Victim Outreach, or DIVO, is that victim-survivors should be provided with as much information about the crime, the case and the process, without compromising due process for defendants.

Trained Victim Outreach Specialists work with the defense and victims’ families to help provide this information, and to help reduce the potential of additional emotional trauma — which can happen during testimony, cross-examination or other parts of the process.

For more information about the Georgia Council for Restorative Justice, visit www.gcrj.org.

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Justice Department, U.S. Attorney's Office Announce Contacts to Handle Election-Related Complaints

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias announced today that William R. Toliver, an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in Atlanta, will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department's nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2008 general elections. AUSA Toliver has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Northern District of Georgia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District's handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

United States Attorney Nahmias said, "We are committed to assuring an honest and fair election, and to assuring that every lawful vote is counted. Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute and preclude honest votes. They strike at the very heart of our rights as citizens and corrupt the essence of our representative form of government. As such, we will address credible reports of election fraud and voting rights violations promptly and aggressively. Anyone who has information suggesting electoral corruption or voting rights abuses should make that information available immediately to the FBI, my Office, or the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division."

On October 8, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft established a Department-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this Initiative are to increase the Department's ability to deter voter intimidation, suppression, discrimination and election fraud and to prosecute these offenses whenever and wherever they occur--to make voting easier and cheating harder. Both goals are equally important. It is imperative that in pursuing voter integrity, ballot access is not in any way diminished or harmed. The Department's long-standing Election Day Program furthers the goals of the Initiative. The Program also is intended to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department where the public can report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day. The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it, while those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 4, 2008, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Nahmias stated that AUSA Toliver will be on duty while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 404-581-6000.

The FBI will also have Special Agents available in the Atlanta Field Office and each resident agency in this District to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached by the public at 404-679-9000.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. Where voter intimidation or suppression tactics target voters on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin, the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section may be contacted at 202-514-3204.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.

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Winder, Georgia Public Housing Authority Settles Race Discrimination Housing Complaint With Justice Department

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department today announced a settlement that, pending court approval, will require the Housing Authority for the City of Winder, Ga., (WHA), to pay up to $490,000 to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminating against African-American tenants and housing applicants.

The WHA is a public housing authority that provides housing for persons of low income in Barrow County, Ga. Currently, the WHA owns and maintains nine public housing complexes in the city of Winder, and the neighboring towns of Statham and Braselton, Ga.

The complaint, which was filed today in the U.S. District Court in Gainesville, Ga., in conjunction with the consent decree, alleges that the WHA maintained racially segregated housing by assigning applicants to vacant units based on race, rather than in order of their placement on WHA's waiting list. The complaint also alleges that the WHA subjected African-American tenants to inferior terms and conditions of rental.

"Every person, including individuals who seek public assistance, has a right to be free from racial discrimination in housing," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The Department will continue its vigorous enforcement of the Fair Housing Act."

Upon court approval, the consent decree will require the WHA to implement nondiscriminatory policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act. The WHA will also provide training on the nondiscriminatory policies and procedures and the Fair Housing Act to its employees responsible for making housing decisions. In addition, WHA will ensure that housing units are made available for rent on an equal basis with the same terms and conditions for all persons, regardless of race.

In addition, the WHA will establish a $450,000 fund to compensate individuals who suffered damages as a result of the WHA's conduct and will pay a $40,000 civil penalty to the United States.

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Since Jan. 1, 2001, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has filed 267 cases to enforce the Fair Housing Act, 77 of which have alleged discrimination based on race. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt.

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Department of Justice Announces Grants to Enhance Efforts to Fight Human Trafficking

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Associate Attorney General Kevin J. O'Connor today announced almost $10 million in additional funding to supplement existing task forces and to expand the number of task forces working with community-based organizations to combat human trafficking. The Associate Attorney General made the announcement at the 2008 National Conference on Human Trafficking, where more than 350 representatives from federal, state, and local organizations gathered to discuss methods of investigating human trafficking and servitude and how best to provide services to trafficking victims.

"Human Trafficking is a serious crime and deserves the focused attention of law enforcement and victim service providers," said Associate Attorney General O'Connor. "The task forces receiving funding today are made up of both of these important elements. We will continue to use all of the resources at our disposal to make sure that traffickers are convicted and that victims receive the assistance they need to recover."

Since 2001, the Department has partnered with state and local law enforcement, and victim service organizations to convict 342 traffickers and assist 1,300 victims from 80 countries. In 2007 alone, the Department opened 154 new trafficking investigations.

Of the funds announced today, more than $4.1 million will go to task forces in: Washington, D.C.; Hawaii; Boston, Mass.; Suffolk County, N.Y.; New Jersey; Nassau County, N.Y..; San Jose, Calif.; Saint Paul, Minn.; Lee County, Fla.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Multnomah County, Ore..; Westminster, Calif.; Homestead, Fla.; Pitt County, N.C..; Harris County, Texas; Seattle, Wash.; and Clearwater, Fla. Three new task forces will be established in Westminster, Calif.; Homestead, Fla; and Pitt County, N.C. To date, the Department has provided more than $70 million in total funding to these task forces.

In addition, the following victim service organizations have received funding to work with the task forces:

Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance
$230,000

International Rescue Committee, Miami, Fla.
$460,000

North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault
$460,000

Salvation Army, Orange County, Calif.
$460,000

Bilateral Safety Corridor
San Diego, Calif.
$230,000

YMCA of Greater Houston Area
Houston, Texas
$230,000

Heartland Alliance for Human Needs
Chicago, Ill. area
$230,000

Safe Horizon, Inc.
New York City and Nassau County, N.Y. areas
$230,000

Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Island Division
$230,000

Justice Resource Institute, Inc.
Massachusetts
$200,000

Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)
Los Angeles, Calif.
$230,000

Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
$230,000

International Rescue Committee
Phoenix, Ariz.
$230,000

International Institute of Metropolitan St. Louis
St. Louis, Mo.
$230,000

Tapestri, Inc.
Atlanta, Ga.
$230,000

Catholic Charities of Venice, Inc.
Lee County, Fla.
$230,000

Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pa.
$230,000

Catholic Charities Oregon
$299,999

Salvation Army Alaska
$230,000

Refugees Services of Texas
$230,000

Northeastern University
$299,999


The Department also announced more than $400,000 to fund two studies conducted by Abt Associates, Inc. and San Diego State University Research Foundation. The studies will assess criminal justice strategies and collaborative programs across the country and internationally that focus on reducing the demand for commercial sex.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. More information about OJP's work on human trafficking can be found at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/. More information about the efforts of the Civil Rights Division to combat human trafficking can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/whatwedo/whatwedo_ctip.html.

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Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Georgia

PRNewswire-USNewswire -- The Justice Department today announced that on Tuesday, July 15, 2008, it will monitor elections in the Georgia counties of Coffee, Dougherty and Long to ensure compliance with federal voting rights statutes.

In 2006, the Justice Department and Long County settled a lawsuit regarding violations of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, charged the county with abridging the rights of Hispanic voters. The county allegedly required numerous challenged Hispanic voters to prove their eligibility, even though the county was aware that the challenges were not supported by any evidence. The complaint further alleged that the county imposed separate and distinct procedures for challenged Hispanic voters than for challenged non-Hispanic voters.

The consent decree, which was approved by the federal court in 2006, requires the county to adopt practices that will ensure future compliance with and remedy past violations of federal law. Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Long County during the upcoming election.

In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Coffee and Dougherty Counties. Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. In calendar year 2006, for example, 966 federal observers and 575 Department personnel were sent to monitor 119 elections in 81 jurisdictions in 24 states.

Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta to Pay U.S. $26 Million to Settle False Claims Allegations

Settlement Resolves Investigation of Hospital's Claims for Inpatient Admissions

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta Inc. and Saint Joseph's Health System Inc. have agreed to pay the United States $26 million to settle allegations that the medical facility violated the False Claims Act with regard to billing for inpatient admissions and other services, the Justice Department announced today. The settlement resolves an investigation primarily focusing on Saint Joseph's Hospital's submission of Medicare claims from the years 2000 through 2005, where services that should have been billed as "outpatient visits" were charged at the higher rate as "inpatient admissions."

The settlement covers claims submitted by Saint Joseph's Hospital for short inpatient admissions, usually of one day or less but sometimes longer, where the services were such that they should have been billed on an outpatient "observation" basis or as an emergency room visit. It also covers claims where the hospital admitted patients for three days, without meeting the criteria for a covered admission, so the patients would qualify under Medicare payment rules for subsequent coverage for skilled nursing facility services. In addition, the settlement includes certain claims submitted by the hospital for inpatient admissions relating to placement of carotid artery stents, which were not covered under Medicare benefits.

The qui tam, or whistleblower lawsuit, was filed by Tami Ramsey, a former hospital employee. Ms. Ramsey, a registered nurse, will receive $4.94 million as her share of the recovery in the case.

"This significant settlement demonstrates our commitment to protect public funds from fraud and abuse," said David E. Nahmias, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. "Every hospital that submits claims to the Medicare program must ensure that its services are billed appropriately. We will continue to vigorously pursue Medicare providers who disregard billing rules."

"Health care providers in the Medicare program have an obligation to turn square corners when dealing with the government," said Jeffrey S. Bucholtz, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. "This means that hospitals must go the extra mile to ensure that any claims for payment they submit to Medicare reflect the correct level of service."

The United States has agreed to dismiss the lawsuit as a result of today's settlement. As a condition of continued participation in federal health care programs, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services has required Saint Joseph's Hospital and Health System to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement. The agreement subjects Saint Joseph's to strict policies and procedures to ensure future compliance with applicable statutes and regulations that govern the use of federal health care funds.

"Any time a false claim is submitted for payment, the Medicare program suffers," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson. "OIG will work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable providers who obtain crucial Medicare dollars through inappropriate billing."

The investigation was jointly handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta; the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department's Civil Division; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.