Fw: Attorney General's News Briefs

----- Original Message -----
From: "AGNews" <AGNews@oag.state.fl.us>
To: "AGNews" <AGNews@oag.state.fl.us>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 12:16 AM
Subject: Attorney General's News Briefs

>
>
>
>
> This week's edition of the Attorney General's newsletter News Briefs is
> now available for subscribers.
>
> Please click the web address below to view the current issue.
> May 12, 2006 - Volume 4, Issue 19:
> http://myfloridalegal.com/NewsBrie.nsf/OL/JPEK-6PLNBJ
>
> Please do not hit Reply to send a message to Attorney General
> Crist or the Attorney General's Office. This email address cannot
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> General's Office, please go to
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> and use the convenient Contact Form provided there. Thank you.
>
> The text version of the e-Newsletter is below.
>
>
> Message from Attorney General Charlie Crist
>
>
> Yesterday our office took strong action against several individuals
> and businesses that resorted to collusion and intimidation to rip off
> Florida consumers. Rarely in my time as your Attorney General have I
> seen such a shameful scheme to harm unsuspecting citizens.
>
> If the conspiracy illustrates the extremes to which some individuals
> will go to feed their greed, it also shows that the interests of
> consumers and legitimate, law-abiding businesses can often be the same
> - and they are harmed equally by unscrupulous crooks.
>
> Attorneys with our office filed the case in Okaloosa County Circuit
> Court, alleging that the three individuals and two companies conspired
> to fix the price of gasoline paid by Floridians and tourists alike in
> the Northwest Florida county. Okaloosa County is also home of one of
> the nation's largest and most important military bases, Eglin Air
> Force Base, so it is entirely possible the victims of this shocking
> conspiracy include some of the brave men and women who have dedicated
> their lives to making America safe.
>
> In its simplest form, here is what the conspirators did: At least as
> far back as March 2003, the individuals behind Tate Enterprises, Inc.,
> forged contracts demanding that business associates always make sure
> the price per gallon at their gas stations was as high as the price
> charged at stations owned by Tate. When another company purchased
> Tate's interest in the stations early last year, the new owner became
> even more aggressive about recruiting competitors into the price-
> fixing scheme.
>
> We began our investigation after receiving a complaint to our Price
> Gouging Hotline in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis last July. Our
> investigation revealed that one of the conspirators allegedly used
> threats and intimidation against both his employees and his
> competitors to obtain their cooperation and secure their silence. We
> know of at least one instance where a gas station was forced to
> maintain a 15-cent-per-gallon markup just to satisfy the needs of the
> price-fixing conspiracy.
>
> Like all conspiracies, this one depended on all the participants
> keeping everything a secret. Unfortunately for those named in our
> lawsuit, one of their associates decided to cut his losses and reached
> a settlement with our office on behalf of himself and his business.
> Not only did this individual agree to pay $85,000 in penalties and
> costs, he also agreed to cooperate in our case against his former
> compatriots in crime.
>
> Our economy is based on free-market competition. By conspiring to fix
> the price of such an essential commodity as gasoline, these people
> literally picked the pockets of Florida drivers.
>
> The free-market economy is greatest economic engine ever devised, and
> Florida's booming economy is an ongoing testament to what can happen
> when honest businesses earn the trust of the citizens they serve.
>
> When a handful of greed-motivated individuals decide to break the
> rules on which our economy is based - not to mention the antitrust and
> other laws of this state - the entire system suffers. Consumers and
> upstanding businesses both pay the price, in artificially inflated
> costs and the erosion of trust on which the free-market economy is based.
>
> This case represents just one group of conspirators stealing from
> customers in a single, small county. But the implications of this kind
> of behavior can be felt statewide.
>
> I hope this week's civil action sends a clear message to others who
> would conspire to fix prices. The Florida Attorney General's Office
> will never look the other way when decent citizens are being ripped
> off by the greedy and the criminal.
>
>
> Charlie Crist
>
>
>
>
> OTHER NEWS
>
>
> MEDICAID FRAUD ARREST - Attorney General Crist announced the arrest of
> a Miami-Dade County woman for defrauding the state Medicaid program
> out of more than $50,000. The woman worked at a Miami dental facility
> handling the office's Medicaid billings and fraudulently submitted
> numerous claims for services that were never provided. The Attorney
> General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit reviewed numerous patient files
> and discovered that many of the claims were for services allegedly
> provided to children. After interviewing patients, the investigators
> determined that the children had visited the dental office but the
> billed services had not been provided.
>
> SENTENCE IN UNDERAGE SEX CASE - In a case prosecuted by the Attorney
> General's Office of Statewide Prosecution, a judge sentenced an
> Orlando man to the maximum sentence of 15 years in prison following
> his conviction for lewd or lascivious battery on a child under the age
> of 16. The defendant was convicted by an Orange County jury two months
> ago for having sex with a 14-year-old Polk County girl he met online.
> After investigators learned of the man's encounter with the girl, they
> posed as a second 14-year-old girl, established an online conversation
> with him and then executed a search warrant at his home, where they
> found numerous images of child pornography.
>
> BOOT CAMP DEATH INVESTIGATION - After a new autopsy report was
> released in the death of Martin Lee Anderson at a Bay County boot
> camp, Attorney General Crist issued a statement that said the findings
> "shock the conscience." Said Crist: "Today's autopsy findings are an
> important first step toward erasing the doubts that have clouded this
> case for four months and moving toward appropriate actions based on
> the evidence."
>
>
>
>
> NEWS RELEASES
>
>
> Crist Uncovers Gasoline Price Fixing
>
> Miami Dental Office Worker Arrested for $50,000 Medicaid Fraud
>
> Orlando Man Gets Maximum for Lewd Battery on Girl
>
>
>
>
> NEWS CLIPS OF INTEREST
>
>
> Crist alleges price fixing conspiracy at Panhandle gas pumps
>
> PSC rejects FPL demands for storm costs
>
> Lower storm payback for FPL customers recommended
>
> Internet sex case ends in prison
>
> Stung voters may decide on price gouging
>
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> Thank you.
>