Washington, DC - The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) Wednesday signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enshrine the collaboration between the agencies to protect the employment rights provided to servicemembers by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Justice seek to enhance the cooperative efforts of the two agencies in the investigation, litigation and resolution of employment and reemployment related claims brought by our nations servicemembers and veterans under USERRA.

Baltimore, Maryland - Wednesday, Brian Anthony Gilbert, 34, of Owings Mills, Maryland, was sentenced to a total of 540 months, or 45 years, in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for two counts of production and one count of possession of child pornography. Upon his release from prison, Gilbert is required to register as a sex offender.

Washington, DC - The Department of Justice Tuesday announced it has reached a settlement agreement with Microsoft Corporation resolving allegations that the company discriminated against non-U.S. citizens based on their citizenship status during the early stages of Microsoft’s hiring process by asking them for unnecessary, specific immigration documents to prove they could work for the company without needing its sponsorship for work visas. The settlement also resolves claims that the company discriminated against lawful permanent residents whom the company asked for more or different documents than legally required, to reverify their continuing permission to work in the United States.  

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for his unlawful distribution of controlled substances.

Anchorage, Alaska - A federal indictment unsealed Tuesday in Alaska charges a Canadian national with committing cyberattacks.

Williston, North Dakota - The pipeline company responsible for the discharge of 29 million gallons of oil-contaminated “produced water” – a waste product of hydraulic fracturing – was sentenced to pay a $15 million criminal fine and serve a three year period of probation today by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor in Williston, North Dakota.