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Investigations Posts
My, What Long Arms You Have, Uncle
Apr 4, 2014
My, What Long Arms You Have, Uncle
Here’s a visual: Uncle Sam extending his arms around the world, reaching out for his citizens, wherever they may be. He may resemble a candy-striped Gumby, with disproportionately long rubbery arms spanning the globe. The visual is not an endearing one to many Americans abroad. They do not see Uncle Sam’s reach as an embrace,…
Employers Seeking to Curb Employee Mobile Phone Use at Work? Don’t Use Illegal Signal Jammer – FCC is “Listening”
Mar 31, 2014
Employers Seeking to Curb Employee Mobile Phone Use at Work? Don’t Use Illegal Signal Jammer – FCC is “Listening”
Some employers, particularly those in manufacturing, health care, and other situations where mobile phone use could interfere with employee safety, have come up with novel approaches to curbing employees’ uses of mobile phones. While a policy restricting personal phone calls and texting may be acceptable, installation of a signal jammer to prevent employees from accessing…
$76 Million Distributed in Full Tilt Poker Restitution
Mar 1, 2014
$76 Million Distributed in Full Tilt Poker Restitution
We have previously reported on the arrangements being made by the Garden City Group for remittance of money to the former customers of Full Tilt Poker. Since that time, there has been a lengthy process for the submission of claims to the group for administration. It appears that players’ waiting has not been all for…
Wild, Wild West: The Legalization of Marijuana Brings Lots Of Regulatory Concerns
Feb 12, 2014
Wild, Wild West: The Legalization of Marijuana Brings Lots Of Regulatory Concerns
The beginning of 2014 has brought many new laws into effect and we have written on a number of them. But few laws have received more mainstream media exposure than Colorado’s legalization of recreational marijuana. Of more importance to us, the legalization of recreational marijuana has posed some interesting problems for regulators. The most obvious…
Recent Ruling May Put Dent In Ability of Government to Seize Domain Names
Feb 10, 2014
Recent Ruling May Put Dent In Ability of Government to Seize Domain Names
A November 2013 ruling from the United States District Court in a bankruptcy case may create an obstacle for a tactic increasingly popular among federal prosecutors – the seizure of a defendant company’s domain name. The statutes permitting civil and criminal forfeiture in U.S. District Courts – Title 18, United States Code Sections 981 and…
Healthcare Fraud Recoveries at All-Time High Since 2009
Jan 27, 2014
Healthcare Fraud Recoveries at All-Time High Since 2009
Fiscal year 2013 marked the fourth consecutive year in which the Department of Justice has recovered at least $2 billion from cases involving charges of healthcare fraud. Make no mistake: these record-setting yields were no accident. The Obama Administration has prioritized busting healthcare fraudsters since it took office, and for good reason. A 2009 analysis…
Charges Against Former Virginia Governor McDonnell Brought on by Whistleblower
Jan 23, 2014
Charges Against Former Virginia Governor McDonnell Brought on by Whistleblower
The media coverage of this week’s announcement that federal prosecutors have charged former Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, with illegally accepting gifts from a wealthy Richmond area businessman have largely focused on what the Commonwealth’s first family may have given in return. To be sure, the question of whether and how…
Don’t Let Google+ Get You Arrested
Jan 15, 2014
Don’t Let Google+ Get You Arrested
A Massachusetts man, whose ex-girlfriend had a restraining order out against him, was recently arrested for sending her an invitation to join Google+. This unfortunate drama sheds light on the disparate impact of ordinary things. According to the Salem News, after receiving a Google+ invitation, Tom Gagnon’s ex-girlfriend went to the police station with a…
Taking Advantage of a Video Poker Glitch Can Land you in Jail in Nevada
Dec 11, 2013
Taking Advantage of a Video Poker Glitch Can Land you in Jail in Nevada
Last month, federal prosecutors in Nevada filed a motion to dismiss an indictment that shined a bright light on overly broad federal criminal statutes and the abuse of prosecutorial discretion in using them. John Kane and Andre Nestor were each charged in an indictment in January 2011 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire…
FBI Hacking Into Electronic Devices: An Effective But Invasive Tool
Sep 13, 2013
FBI Hacking Into Electronic Devices: An Effective But Invasive Tool
Privacy and national security interests are notoriously tricky to balance. Lean too far one way, and you lose an important tool in preventing and detecting crime; lean too far the other way, and you are depriving Americans of their liberty through persistent government intrusion and observation. This balancing act has been an especially hot topic…
