Jerry Seper

Grassley says emails suggest ATF blocking Senate gun probe

The Senate Judiciary Committee's ranking Republican, who has questioned whether the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed suspected gun smugglers to purchase assault rifles that later were used to kill a U.S. Border Patrol agent, wants to know whether ATF ordered its agents not to cooperate in his investigation of the shooting.

April 8, 2011

National president of Outlaws motorcycle gang sentenced to 20 years

The national president of the American Outlaw Association motorcycle gang, better known as the "Outlaws," was sentenced Friday in federal court in Virginia to 20 years in prison for leading a violent criminal organization.

April 8, 2011

Aide named in Abramoff investigation avoids prison

A former congressional aide named in the Jack Abramoff scandal avoided prison Thursday when a federal judge questioned why lawmakers tied to the convicted superlobbyist had successfully skirted prosecution while many of their staffers ended up in prison.

April 7, 2011

Two Chinese face export, conspiracy charges

Two Chinese nationals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Alexandria for attempting to obtain radiation-hardened microchips, which are prohibited defense items used in the military and aerospace industry.

April 4, 2011

Holder drops civilian trials for suspects in 9/11 attacks

Backpedaling from its vow to try the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks and four cohorts in civilian court, the Obama administration Monday bowed to pressure and opted for a military tribunal - another blow to the president's three-year bid to shutter the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

April 4, 2011

House subpoenas ATF documents in agent’s death

The chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has issued a subpoena for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to turn over documents concerning "Project Gunrunner" and records the agency has on the shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

April 4, 2011

House panel subpoenas ATF for documents on gun program

The chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Friday announced the issuance of a subpoena to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for documents concerning "Project Gunrunner" and records the agency has on the shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

April 1, 2011

Voter-intimidation case handled fairly

Justice Department attorneys did not commit professional misconduct or exercise poor judgment in their handling of a voter-intimidation case against the New Black Panther Party by dismissing three defendants in the case, says the department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

March 30, 2011

U.S. offers $5 million in killing of ICE agent

The Departments of Justice, State and Homeland Security announced Wednesday a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the Mexican gunmen who shot and killed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Jaime Zapata and wounded his partner, Victor Avila Jr.

March 30, 2011

Justices weigh Wal-Mart sex-bias class action

The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by female Wal-Mart employees that could determine the fate of what has been described as the largest class-action sex-discrimination claim in U.S. history — one that seeks billions of dollars in back pay from the giant retailer.

March 29, 2011

Napolitano’s comments on border ‘wrong’

The U.S. Border Patrol union says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's comments reassuring Americans that the U.S. border with Mexico is safe and open for business are "wrong and give citizens a false sense of security."

March 27, 2011

National Border Patrol Council: Napolitano giving false sense of security

The law enforcement-based union that represents all 17,500 non-supervisory U.S. Border Patrol agents says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's comments this week reassuring Americans that the U.S. border is safe and open for business are "wrong and give citizens a false sense of security."

March 25, 2011

Report blasts New Orleans police actions

New Orleans police officers have engaged in unconstitutional conduct and violated federal laws in their use of excessive force; illegal stops, searches and arrests; racial and ethnic profiling; and mistreatment of gays, according to a scathing Justice Department report released Thursday.

March 17, 2011

Sheriff says Craigslist facilitates bestiality

America's self-described toughest sheriff has issued a warning to the CEO of Craigslist saying the popular Internet website is providing a "mechanism to facilitate criminal activity."

March 16, 2011

Lawsuit cites beard as religious right of Sikh inmate

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the state of California, Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for allegedly violating the right of an inmate to practice his religion.

March 16, 2011

New Mexico mayor, police chief indicted

The mayor, police chief and a trustee of the small border town of Columbus, N.M., were among 11 people named in a federal grand jury indictment for their alleged roles in a firearms-trafficking ring that sought to buy weapons for drug smugglers in Mexico, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

March 15, 2011

D.C. law professor named in child exploitation charges

An attorney and adjunct lecturer at George Washington University Law School was arrested in Washington on Thursday by agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) in Tampa, Fla., charged with six counts of child sexual exploitation.

March 11, 2011

13 Somalis, Yemeni face charges in fatal piracy

A federal grand jury in Virginia has indicted 13 Somalis and one Yemeni with pirating a yacht and taking hostage four Americans, who were killed before their release could be secured.

March 10, 2011

35 Mexico gang members indicted including 10 tied to envoy killings

Thirty-five members and associates of the Barrio Azteca gang were indicted Wednesday on charges of racketeering, murder, drug offenses, money laundering and obstruction of justice, including 10 Mexican nationals accused in the March 13 killings in Mexico of U.S. Consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton; her husband, Arthur Redelfs, and Jorge Alberto Salcido Ceniceros, husband of a U.S. Consulate employee.

March 9, 2011

Worker pleads to passport snooping count

A State Department contract employee pleaded guilty Wednesday to snooping into confidential passport application files, including those belonging to 60 celebrities, politicians, musicians, actors, members of the business community and others, the Justice Department said.

March 9, 2011