Judge denies injunction in Va. voter lawsuit
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A federal judge has rejected a request from Virginia Democrats who want the State Board of Elections to reinstate nearly 40,000 voters who were recently purged from the voter rolls. County officials conducted the purge recently on orders from the state, based on evidence that the voters had subsequently registered in other […]
Lie-detector coach sentenced to 8 months for helping applicants beat test
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — An Indiana man who taught federal job applicants and others how to beat lie-detector tests was sentenced to eight months in prison Friday in a case that raised questions about the right to teach people how to lie. Chad Dixon, 34, of Marion, Ind., pleaded guilty in December to wire fraud and […]
Oil giant Total to pay $245M in U.S. bribery case
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — French oil giant Total agreed Wednesday to pay $242.5 million to settle criminal charges alleging the company used middlemen to pay bribes to win lucrative contracts in Iran. Court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria indicate Total paid $60 million in bribes between 1995 and 2004 that allowed it to […]
Freddie accuses big banks of rigging lending rate
WASHINGTON — Freddie Mac has sued 15 big international banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup, accusing them of rigging a key interest rate and causing huge losses for the government-controlled mortgage giant. Freddie filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court in Alexandria, Va. It names the banks that set the London interbank […]
2 ex-Metro workers plead to fare machine thefts
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Two former Metro workers pleaded guilty Monday to stealing more than $400,000 in cash — typically in $500 sacks of coins — from fare card machines and using the money to buy lottery tickets. Horace McDade, 58, of Bowie, and John Haile, 54, of Woodbridge pleaded to theft and conspiracy to launder […]
Suspect in Capitol bomb sting waives court hearing
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Virginia man charged with plotting a suicide bombing inside the U.S. Capitol waived his rights Wednesday to preliminary and detention hearings. Amine El Khalifi, of Alexandria was arrested Friday and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. He was ordered held pending indictment. Federal court documents say El […]
Renowned attorney Bennett to represent Megaupload
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — One of the nation’s most prominent defense lawyers will represent file-sharing website Megaupload on charges that the company used its popular site to orchestrate a massive piracy scheme that enabled millions of illegal downloads of movies and other content. Washington attorney Robert Bennett said Friday that he will represent the company, which […]
Md. man sentenced to life for role in Va. killings
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Maryland man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for his role a 2008 triple slaying that has been called one of the most vicious attacks in the region in recent times, one that went unsolved for more than two years. The Nov. 19, 2008, stabbings of brothers Ryan and Terence […]
3 Marylanders indicted in pension theft scheme
McLEAN, Va. — Three Maryland men have been indicted in an alleged conspiracy to steal nearly $10 million from a Vienna, Va.–based company’s employee pension plan through a series of bad mortgage loans. Robert Fulton Rood IV, 44, of Potomac, Nikolaos Hepler, 31, of Gaithersburg and Lloyd Mallory Jr., 49, of Silver Spring were charged […]
2 Maryland men plead guilty in identity theft ring
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Prosecutors say two Maryland men have pleaded guilty to being involved in an identity theft ring involving more than 250 victims in the Washington area. Twenty-six-year-old Anthony Thomas and 27-year-old Raoul Lycorish pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. They are both scheduled to […]
Obama signs first major patent law change since 1952
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a major overhaul of the nation’s patent system, a measure designed to ease the way for inventors to bring their products to market. “We can’t afford to drag our feet any longer,” the president said. Passed in a rare display of congressional bipartisanship, the America […]
EEOC sues DynCorp for hostile workplace
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A federal agency has filed a civil lawsuit against military contractor DynCorp, alleging that a mechanic in Iraq was subjected to homophobic slurs and a hostile working environment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the suit Wednesday in federal court in Alexandria on behalf of DynCorp employee James Friso. The EEOC alleges […]