Environment & Natural Resources Division

Justice Department Statement on Juliana Case Today, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition for certiorari by plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States, a case the Justice Department has consistently defended across three presidential administrations. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gWfVkNRp

Chinese National Sentenced for Smuggling Turtles from the United States to Hong Kong Sai Keung Tin, also known as Ricky Tin, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for his role in smuggling protected turtles from the United States to Hong Kong. Tin pleaded guilty in December to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gGPDPs3w

Four Individuals Sentenced for Smuggling Tropical Birds The final two of four Dominican nationals were sentenced last week for Lacey Act trafficking and smuggling wildlife from the United States after they attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gvpTVxzz

Ohio Company Pleads Guilty in Worker Death Case A Delaware corporation with a manufacturing facility in Ohio pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Southern District of Ohio to a charge of willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule. The criminal charge is related to an incident where an employee was killed when a pneumatic door closed on his head. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gHn5QVb8

Shipping Companies Sentenced to $2M Criminal Penalty for Concealing Oil Discharge Two corporations that operated the motor tanker P/S Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced yesterday in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The court sentenced the P/S Dream’s Captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation. The charges pertain to the investigation of the P/S Dream vessel when it was heading to New Orleans in January 2023. Senior corporate managers were aware that Korkmaz had arranged to discharge oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank on deck into the ocean. The captain ordered the crew to pump the waste overboard and clean the tank with soap. The seamen rigged a portable pump to empty the contents overboard over three days. The defendants falsified the vessel’s oil record book by omitting the discharge. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gGG6SMkv

Six men were arrested and had their initial court appearances yesterday after being charged in a five-count indictment with violating the Animal Welfare Act in connection with a cockfighting operation. A federal grand jury sitting in Providence, Rhode Island, returned the indictment last week. The indictment alleges that on March 6, 2022, Miguel Delgado, 73, hosted a series of individual cockfights, known as “derbies,” at his Providence home. Delgado is also charged with sponsoring and exhibiting roosters in an animal fighting venture on multiple dates, buying and transporting sharp instruments or “gaffs” for use in the cockfights and unlawfully possessing roosters for use in an animal fighting venture. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gjVmZjXF

United States Reaches Agreement with COBB Tuning Products for Clean Air Act Violations https://lnkd.in/gJQq3YPx

Two Puerto Rican Men Sentenced for Destroying Wetlands Including in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve https://lnkd.in/gYHmdECv

The Justice Department celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month! #HispanicHeritageMonth #MesDeLaHerenciaHispana https://lnkd.in/eKxYm9EX

#ThisWeekatJustice, the Department: ?? Attorney General Merrick B. Garland delivered an address to the Justice Department workforce ?? Charged leaders of a transnational terrorist group with soliciting #HateCrimes & conspiring to provide materials to terrorists ?? Commemorated the 23rd Anniversary of September 11 ?? Issued new guidance regarding #VoterRegistration ?? Held a #ViolentCrime Reduction Sterring Committee meeting – announcing continued decline in violent crime ?? Convened an interagency meeting with Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian & Hindu community stakeholders Keep up with the latest news from the Justice Department at justice.gov/news For closed captions: https://lnkd.in/gwsz_4tQ