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Articles: The Utah Attorney General's Office has recovered more than $2 million dollars from a lawsuit settlement with Bristol-Myers Squibb involving allegations of illegal marketing and pricing of prescription medications. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff announced today thatUtah's Medicaid program received $2,169,933 from the $389 million settlement between the drug company and 43 states. "Two million dollars will go a long way to help care for people who rely on Medicaid," says Shurtleff. "Drug company chiefs should learn a lesson from Bristol-Myers Squibb that they will pay dearly for cheating consumers and taxpayers." Bristol-Myers Squibb and its former subsidiary Apothecon were allegedly involved in the following illegal marketing and pricing practices: *Reporting inflated prices for prescription drugs so Medicaid and other federal health care programs would pay more for the drugs; *Making illegal payments to physicians, health care providers and pharmacies to entice them to purchase their products; *Promoting the anti-psychotic drug Abilify for pediatric use and for treating dementia-related psychosis, uses which the FDA has not approved; * Misreporting sales prices of the antidepressant Serzone in order to improperly reduce rebate payments to state Medicaid programs. The settlement reimburses the federal government and the participating states for excessive money paid by Medicaid programs caused by the conduct. "We see many cases where drug companies skirt the law and game the system," says Robert Steed, Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. "Hopefully, the industry will take notice that they are being scrutinized and will be punished for violating the law." Steed represented Utah in the settlement negotiations. The Utah Attorney General's Office oversees the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to protect the integrity of Utah's Medicaid program. The public can learn more about Medicaid fraud or report abuse at
http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/145.html By Donald W. Meyers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 07/30/2008 12:05:04 AM MDT GENOLA - Chris Greenwood thinks he's definitely rubbing somebody the wrong way. Earlier this month, the town councilman found the trees on his front yard cut down in the middle of the night. Now, he's facing an anonymous accusation that he lacks the integrity residents expect of council members. His sin: He was reprimanded by the Utah Supreme Court's Ethics and Discipline Committee in April. "It would not surprise me if it were an attempt to discredit me in any way possible," said Greenwood, who has questioned the city's actions on Genola Meadows, a 10-lot subdivision the city is working on in partnership with a developer. That complaint, plus one charging Councilman Bryan Draper with failing to disclose his interests in the Genola Meadows project, was referred to the Attorney General's Office, according to Mayor Eric Hazelet.
Hazelet said he referred the matter to the A.G. to get an impartial agency to recommend how to deal with the complaints. He said he didn't want to talk about the matter until the state completes its work.
A.G. spokesman Paul Murphy, said the complaints have been referred to the office's Civil Review Committee. That group will determine whether to launch an investigation, Murphy said. Greenwood was reprimanded after preparing a document in a divorce case. He said after the opposing counsel Advertisement approved the document, his client asked him to correct a mistake. He did so and sent it to the other attorney. But Greenwood did not include a cover letter outlining the change, and the other attorney filed a complaint, alleging misrepresentation of facts. Meanwhile, in the Draper case, resident Emily Clinger last June accused Town Councilman Draper of breaking state law when he failed to disclose he was the beneficiary of two trust deeds at Genola Meadows. He voted in favor of issues surrounding the development. Draper was not available for comment Tuesday regarding the A.G.'s interest. Earlier, Bill Hansen, Draper's attorney, told the Town Council that Draper did not make a disclosure because he didn't actually own the property, he felt he did not have a conflict. Reward offered in tree incident Genola Town Councilman Chris Greenwood's family is offering $1,000 for information on who cut down the trees in front of their home. His wife, Carolyn Greenwood, said anyone with information should contact the Santaquin-Genola police at 801-754-1070. On July 11, the Greenwoods awoke to find 11 trees - nine sycamore and two Bradford pear - had been cut down, leaving 3-foot-tall stumps along their driveway. Carolyn Greenwood said the state Department of Agriculture also was checking to see if parts of the lawn - where grass began dying after the tree-cutting incident - had been poisoned as well. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff had a painful weekend in the hospital. He went in after he felt a pain like "a hot poker sticking in his leg." "He has a very serious staph infection, but it wasn't a worst-case scenario," said Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office. That's what the surgeon at University of Utah Medical Center told Murphy this morning after Shurtleff's second surgery in just four days. "Today they just went back in to look and make sure the infection hadn't come back and hadn't spread to where the metal plates are in his leg," Murphy said. The infection likely started in Shurtleff's leg about a week ago, but Shurtleff was out of town and didn't go to the hospital. When he finally did Friday, the staph infection was discovered. Though serious, it is not antibiotic-resistant as feared. The infection stems from a broken leg that happened last September. Shurtleff was testing out a Harley-Davidson bike he planned to ride the next day, during the "Fall Ride for Fallen Officers." Shurtleff never made the ride because he spun on loose gravel and crashed. "I've ridden, like, dirt bikes and stuff, and the instinct is to put your foot down, which you don't do riding a big ole cruiser. And so my foot went down, and then the bike caught it, fell over on it and twisted around it," Shurtleff said. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The pain felt like a hot poker was sticking Utah's attorney general in his left leg. But Mark Shurtleff said he was doing better on Sunday after surgery to deal with a severe infection that developed in a broken leg held together by plates and screws. It's the latest complication from a dump Shurtleff took last fall on a motorcycle. Shurtleff was at University Hospital with an IV antibiotic drip. He spoke of his condition Sunday by e-mail through a spokesman. Shurtleff says it will be Monday before doctors can determine if the infection is an antibiotic-resistant form of staph. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is recovering from another operation on the leg he broke in a motorcycle crash last fall. Spokesman Paul Murphy says Shurtleff\'s left leg was in severe pain on Thursday night when he got home from a conference in Rhode Island. His family took him to the hospital and doctors found a severe infection in the leg, which had been operated on three times since Shurtleff broke it in multiple places in September. Murphy says doctors were able to get the infection, which had not reached the metal plates and screws used to rebuild his leg. Friday\'s operation was the fourth on the leg. Murphy says Shurtleff will remain at University Hospital for a couple of days and have an IV antibiotic drip for four to six weeks. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is not a moral coward ("Shurtleff's pass on polygamy," Forum, May 16). He said that he would pursue crimes within polygamy, and if crimes are found, then usually a charge of polygamy is also attached. Shurtleff is absolutely right that Texas-like raids are not the answer. Polygamous cultures do not condone abuse any more than any other society. Polygamy does not equal pedophiles! Shurtleff has done an excellent job of opening up communication and addressing abuse and underage marriage with polygamous communities. His rational approach to Utah's polygamous culture is appreciated. The California Supreme Court has denied a request by Utah and nine other states to stay its ruling allowing same-sex marriages until after the November election. Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office, said the request for the delay was to protect the state from potential, unnecessary, lawsuits. "We're disappointed and we will prepare to defend the state against any (marriage) recognition lawsuits, and do the best we can to make sure taxpayers don't bare the brunt of this litigation," Murphy said. Today's decision means that same-sex couples will be able to marry in California on June 17. However, in November, voters there will decide whether to overrule the Supreme Court's ruling by amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage. "People are going to get married in June," Murphy said. "In November voters will decide whether that will continue. During that time, marriages will be taking place." There was a hge victory in Texas for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) families torn apart in last month's raid on the YFZ Ranch. The Texas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that child-protection workers had no authority to seize the children. The order from the state Supreme Court in Austin seems to mean the children will immediately be returned to their parents; although it's possible there will be more legal twists and turns before this is over. The justices upheld last week's appeals court decision, finding there was insufficient evidence of abuse or of the risk of further abuse. . . Utah's Attorney General worries about the result. "The key, the thing that makes you sick to your stomach right now, is if those kids go back, who's going to protect the girls who have been forced to marry older men? That is a proven fact. It was proven in Warren Jeffs' case," Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said. The ruling shatters one of the largest child-custody cases in U.S. history. State officials said the removals were necessary to end a cycle of sexual abuse at the ranch in which teenage girls were forced to marry and have sex with older men, but parents denied any abuse and said they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs. . . "Strictly talking about legal standards, I've always said there was going to be a concern; that if they couldn't prove individual abuse or neglect -- imminent harm, imminent danger -- that they were not going to be able to withstand the legal burden. And that's what the courts have ruled now," Shurtleff said. Shurtleff says he's concerned that many of the children will be at risk if put back on the ranch because underage marriages are a proven fact. But the attorney general says he also believes most of the adult male perpetrators have left the ranch since the raid took place. The potential for lawsuits has led Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff to join nine other states in a call for the California Supreme Court to delay implementing its ruling that allows same-sex couples to marry. "Our concern is the potential for massive amounts of litigation if this goes into effect so quickly," said Paul Murphy, spokesman for the Utah Attorney General's Office. For now, the California ruling is set to be implemented June 17, but the attorneys general want to freeze it until after the November general election. That is when voters are likely to decide whether to amend the California Constitution to ban gay marriage. Without the delay, the states would face "premature, unnecessary, unnecessarily difficult," lawsuits to determine whether to recognize California marriages of same-sex couples, Shurtleff wrote on behalf of the attorneys general in a friend-of-the-court brief filed late Thursday. Posted: 1:15 PM- SAN FRANCISCO - Utah and nine other states are urging the California Supreme Court to delay a final ruling that legalizes same-sex marriage.
The attorneys general say they have an interest in the case because they have to determine if their states would recognize the marriage of gay residents who wed in California.
They want the court to freeze its ruling until after the November election, when voters likely will decide whether to amend the California Constitution to ban gay marriage.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown is urging the Supreme Court not to grant the stay.
Besides Utah, the states are Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina and South Dakota. The dramatic raid on a Texas polygamist compound just slammed up against the reality of how hard it is to deal with this cult. A Texas state appeals court says the state lacked authority to take all the children from the cult compound. The result will likely be the slow and steady crumbling of efforts to prosecute crimes that are a part of the dogma of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is a lesson Arizona learned five decades ago when our state raided the polygamous cult that straddles the Arizona-Utah line. It is a lesson that has informed our state's more recent approach to cult leader Warren Jeffs' nightmare community. Arizona understands the importance of building a case before going in like gangbusters. Attorney General Terry Goddard and Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, together with Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith, took a slow and deliberate path. It led to the conviction of Warren Jeffs as an accomplice to child rape in Utah and his upcoming trial in Arizona. It took a toll on his financial support in Arizona. It resulted in changes in the law enforcement in Colorado City, Ariz., where calling the cops used to mean getting an officer who was loyal to the cult first and law enforcement second. To view the rest of this story http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0528wed1-28.html Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, both Republicans, hold big leads in their respective re-election races this year, a new poll shows. Huntsman, who has said he will serve only two terms as governor, has the support of 77 percent of registered voters, according to a survey conducted for the Deseret News and KSL-TV. Shurtleff, a former Salt Lake County commissioner seeking a third, four-year term as Utah's chief law enforcement officer, has 65 percent support, pollster Dan Jones & Associates found in the survey, finished last week. Huntsman and Shurtleff don't have a GOP primary this year but face opposition in November's general election. Huntsman is being challenged by local business/government consultant Bob Springmeyer, a Democrat, and former computer store owner Dell "Superdell" Schanze, a Libertarian. Mercurion Suladdin considers herself somewhat lucky for managing to avoid losing her house to foreclosure in the midst of one of the worst housing crises in recent history. Twice in the past five years, foreclosure proceedings had begun on her Sandy home, threatening to make her American dream a nightmare. But the local chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, helped her get the situation in order, after years of frustration and financial difficulties. "When my home went into foreclosure, I lost all hope, feeling like it was the end of the world," said Suladdin, who has become a member the grass-roots organization. "But through ACORN, I am getting help to save my home. People need to know that there is help available. Don't give up!" With support of the Utah Attorney General's Office, ACORN is offering free counseling to borrowers facing foreclosure, to help them avoid losing their homes. At a news conference Wednesday in Rose Park, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said the state is doing what it can to help during the current mortgage problems, but it can't do it alone. For the rest of the story please view http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700227966,00.html Attorney General Mark Shurtleff will be sponsoring a special update on the United States efforts in Iraq and the surge, a Special Briefing on the War on Terror, by Lt. Colonel Jim Bischoff at 7:30am & 8:45am on the morning of the State Convention at the McKay Events Center, 3rd floor, Presidential Suite. A light continental breakfast will be served. More information: Jim Bischoff served in Afghanistan as the Intelligence Director for Special Operations in 2004 and in Iraq as an Intelligence Advisor to the Iraq Special Forces in 2007. He began his twenty-four year's of military service enlisted in the Field Artillery in 1984, commissioning at Fort Benning's Officer Candidate School in 1988, transferring to Intelligence in 1999. He served 22 years in the Utah National Guard, until mobilized to Special Operations Command in 2006 in support of the war.
He founded and operated Fremont Consulting, Inc., a real estate appraisal and investment firm, specializing in farm and ranch appraisal, from 1997 until 2006. He also worked extensively in grass-roots, state and national politics, serving on numerous campaigns from Utah State Legislature to Gubernatorial, Congressional, and Presidential. He has attended four Republican National Conventions.
In 1989 he graduated from Brigham Young University, where he was an Academic All-Conference football player and played on the 1984 National Championship Football Team. He also completed work for a Master's in Economics at Utah State University.He is married to the former Alesia Walser. They and their two daughters, Brianna and Abigail, make their permanent home in Benjamin, Utah, when not temporarily living in Tampa, Florida. * State Convention is being held at the McKay Events Center named after David O. McKay. An earlier posting of this release said McKay Dee Events Center, which was incorrect. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says a parent's right to know about convicted sex offenders living in their community outweighs an offender's ability to have themselves removed from the list after serving their debt to society. According to a new Deseret News/KSL Dan Jones poll, while 69 percent of Utah residents polled said some sex offenders are a greater threat to the community than others, 54 percent said convicted sex offenders definitely should not have a right to a court hearing to determine if they are a danger to the community and thus have their names taken off the public list. Shurtleff said he's not surprised by the poll numbers. "It's nice to have some validation," Shurtleff said. "You had your hearing when you were convicted of the crime. When you balance the potential of some future harm to the community against a parent's right to know, the courts have always sided with the parent's right to know." Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff isn't sure exactly how many polygamists live in Summit County. "There are polygamists who live here," Shurtleff told The Park Record after speaking to the Sunrise Rotary Thursday in Jeremy Ranch. "The ones I know up here are affiliated with the Kingstons." According to Shurtleff, members of the Kingston family, who operate one of Utah's most notorious criminal enterprises, engage routinely in tax evasion and welfare fraud. "They call it 'bleed the beast' -- the government being the 'beast,'" Shurtleff said, adding that the group owns businesses in roughly 20 states. "From coin-operated machines to waste-management companies." Racketeering accusations have been leveled against several polygamists, he added. "Behind the scenes are these white-collar, financial crimes," Shurtleff said, adding that a prophet can wield more power than a mafia boss. "[The mafia] often rule by threat of, you'll be killed [the prophet] has control over their eternal lives." Polygamists living in Summit County, however, are "more moderate," Shurtleff said.
The raid on the FLDS compound in Texas has again stirred up the question of polygamy -- or, to be more precise, whether the practice of polygamy itself goes hand in hand with child sexual abuse. At least that's one question in the minds of many Americans when they read the news. For Utahns the answer should be clear: the cohabitation of a man with multiple adult women as a family construct does not automatically mean that child abuse is taking place. We daresay most early Latter-day Saints were not child abusers. And today we have plenty of examples of polygamous groups with no hint of criminal activity -- or even a hint of abuse of the state welfare system, a charge often leveled against polygamists. On the contrary, most polygamous "marriages" involve consenting adults, and there is no evidence suggesting that the resulting family order is abusive of children. This may be why authorities have long looked the other way on polygamy in general. By and large, they leave the polygamists alone, even though there are some 60,000 in Utah and Arizona. Prosecution only seems to come in the wake of some extraordinary circumstance, as in the case of Warren Jeffs, who is now serving a life sentence for his role in promoting child marriages. Yet while polygamy is tolerated by Utah officials, child abuse can never be. State authorities have done an outstanding job in prosecuting people like Jeffs, the head of the FLDS sect that now appears to have promoted, on a wide scale, a form of child sexual abuse. To contribute to the online poll please follow these instructions: Should polygamist be left alone unless there's evidence of abuse of people of the welfare system? Should government crack down on all polygamists? Was the Supreme Court right that behavior between consenting adults -- for example, same-sex relations (and by extension polygamy) -- is not the business of government? Send your comments to dhpolls@heraldextra.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 344-2942. Please leave your name, hometown and phone number with your comments. E-mail comments should not exceed 100 words; voicemail comments should be no longer than 30 seconds. Anonymous and unverifiable responses will not be published. You can also comment online at heraldextra.com. The Daily Herald will publish results on May 11. SALT LAKE CITY -- Three Ogden teens from Highland Middle School received awards at the governor's mansion Friday for essays they wrote about youth violence. . . . . . The students were praised by Utah First Lady Mary Kay Huntsman and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. Shurtleff told the students they are capable of great good and evil. Stories of schools electing a mentally disabled student as homecoming queen or students shaving their heads in solidarity with a cancer patient reveal their deep goodness. But, he said, teens also have an evil side and their peers often see it. His own daughter, who struggled with depression growing up, experienced that side. He urged students to inject themselves into the lives of troubled teens because adults may not be able to connect with them in the same way. "You can step in and change their lives," he said. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is reluctant to judge Texas authorities on their raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch one month ago, but he wonders if they may have gone too far. The isolated nature of the compound near Eldorado may have made the heavy response by law enforcement necessary. Then, when Texas child protective services workers saw what appeared to be pregnant teens, Shurtleff said, they had a duty to remove them and investigate further. "As far as all the kids, I don't know. What else could they do?" he wondered aloud during a Deseret News interview. "My gut feeling is they shouldn't have. They've gone too far." The attorneys general of Utah and Arizona are pledging to work with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to form a federal task force to deal with polygamy-related crimes. After publicly sparring over the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch in Texas, the Nevada senator called Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff on Tuesday to bury the hatchet. "He said, 'I'm ready to kiss and make up,'" Shurtleff told the Deseret News. Shurtleff said Reid pledged to help get the U.S. Justice Department involved to arrange a meeting between Arizona, Utah and Nevada authorities, as well as federal authorities. "I'll forgive him really quickly if we can get the feds involved," Shurtleff said. "I said, 'Thank you, let's hope this is the first step to cooperation.'" Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff wants to "educate" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on what the state has done to fight polygamy after the Nevada Democrat said Monday that Utah and Arizona are turning "a blind eye" to the issue. Reid, a Nevada Democrat, is pushing for the federal government to take a closer look at polygamy in light of the raid at a Fundamentalist LDS Church's compound Eldorado, Texas. In a radio interview, Reid based his push on what he claims is Utah's lack of enforcement on the group, which angered Shurtleff. 'The state of Utah is doing nothing," Reid said on University of Utah's KUER radio "RadioWest" program Monday. "If not the federal government, who?" Stung by critics who say Utah has done little about the polygamy problem, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff suggested Utah's crackdown on abuses within the closed societies may have ultimately led to the raid on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's Texas compound. "They wouldn't have gone to Texas if they hadn't been running away from us," he said in a recent interview with the Deseret News. "They went to Texas to flee when we started cracking down." Attorney General to Launch New Website With Arrest Video For Immediate Release
August 26, 2008 Contact
Paul Murphy
Utah Attorney General\'s Office:
(801) 538-1892
pmurphy@utah.gov What: Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff will unveil the arrest
video of an alleged Internet predator to showcase the new website for
the Attorney General’s Office. Shurtleff will be joined by members of
the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and local law
enforcement agencies involved in the arrest. The Attorney General will
also discuss other web site features that will help inform journalists
and the public. A live webcast of the press conference and the arrest
video will be posted at http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/928.html. When: 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Where: Utah Capitol Boardroom, Suite 240, Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City For Immediate Release
August 25, 2008 Contact
Paul Murphy
Utah Attorney General's Office:
(801) 538-1892
pmurphy@utah.gov Utah’s AMBER Alert Plan will be tested again this year on August 26,
a day remembered for both tragedy and hope. On August 26, 1982,
three-year old Rachael Runyan was kidnapped near her home in Sunset.
Twenty-five years later on August 26, 2007, Utah Attorney General Mark
Shurtleff announced the launch of the nation’s first statewide Child
Abduction Response Team, a highly skilled multi-agency task force that
can spring into action whenever a child is missing or kidnapped. “This AMBER Alert test is held on a special day that reminds us what
we have lost and what we can achieve. I would like to encourage
everyone to take the time to make sure we are ready to respond when a
child is taken,” says Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. The state child abduction notification plan is tested twice a year to
make sure the alerts are going out as quickly as possible to as many
people as possible. This will be the 11th test for Utah’s AMBER Alert
Plan. The tests are held each year on August 26 and January 13,
National AMBER Alert Day. “The AMBER Alert has shown time and again that the partnership
between the police, the public and the media works,” says Elaine
Runyan-Simmons, mother of Rachael Runyan. “One person cannot do it
alone. By working together we are saving children.” Radio stations are asked to announce the test and TV stations are asked
to run a crawl with an announcement of the test at the top of the
screen. All members of the media are also encouraged to post the tests
on their web sites. The Utah AMBER Alert Advisory Committee will then
review the results and address any needed improvements. Training is also an important part of the Utah AMBER Alert Plan. Last
Thursday about 120 representatives from law enforcement, media and other
AMBER Alert partners took part in a special training on responding to
child abductions. The father of a young kidnap victim who captured the hearts of Utah and the nation will share the need to be ready when an AMBER Alert is issued. Cartoon Wah will join Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Utah Senate President John Valentine on August 21 for a special training for reporters and law enforcement officers. Wah's seven-year-old daughter Hser Ner Moo was murdered after she was kidnapped near her South Salt Lake City home. "When a child is taken it is already too late to create a plan to bring him or her back. It is vital that broadcasters and law enforcement officers work together to bring every abducted child home," says Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. The Utah Broadcasters Association is sponsoring the training entitled "Are You Ready? The Media and Law Enforcement Response to a Child Abduction." The first half of the training will be devoted to child abductions; including AMBER Alert 101, CART and lessons from the Destiny Norton case. Media and law enforcement panelists will also discuss what happens when an AMBER Alert is issued. The second half of the training will be primarily for broadcasters on the Emergency Alert System. This session will include remarks by Utah Homeland Security Director Keith Squires. What: Are You Ready? The Media & Law Enforcement Response to a Child Abduction When: Thursday, August 21, 2008 7:30 a.m. Breakfast 8:00 a.m. Child Abduction Response Session Noon Lunch & Keynote Speech 1:30 p.m. Emergency Alert System Session Where: State Office Building Auditorium, Utah State Capitol Complex Members of the media and law enforcement are invited to RSVP by August 18 at pmurphy@utah.gov. Posters with additional information can be found at http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/cmsdocuments/AMBER_Media_RSVP_paul.pdf. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff will be a featured speaker at The Light Unto the Nations Conference on August 13. The event is being presented by the America Israel Friendship League of Utah, a non-sectarian, non-political, not-for-profit organization focused on strengthening ties between the people of the United States and Israel. The event also features other national and international speakers and performers, including: Rabbi Aron Heir of the Simon Wisenthal Center will present the film "Ever Again," which details the rise of anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism in Europe; Ari Abramowitz of the International Center for Biblical Zionism in Jerusalem will speak on the challenges and blessings of living in Israel; Los Angeles musician Sam Glaser will perform and entertain. "Utah is lucky to have such incredible individuals to come together to share how important it is to work for peace in Israel," said Shurtleff. The Attorney General helped start the Utah Chapter of the America Israel Friendship League last year. The conference is raising money for friendship exchanges between Utah and Israel. The public is invited to attend. When: 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 13, 2008 Where: Southtowne Expo Center, 9575 S. State Street, Sandy Registration: www.thelightconference.com
The Utah Attorney General’s Office has requested that County Attorneys Troy Rawlings and Mark DeCaria continue as recently-appointed Special Counsel to investigate the allegations of election law violations raised in the Republican primary race for State Treasurer. A complaint filed by Richard Ellis, first with the Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office and thereafter with the Utah Attorney General's Office, alleged facts which, if substantiated by further investigations, could result in a misdemeanor criminal charge. The two County Attorneys, one a Republican and one a Democrat, have accepted the appointment and agreed to investigate the alleged violation to determine if sufficient evidence exists to make a criminal case referral. Despite earlier reports to the contrary that no referral would be made, the Attorney General’s Office views this investigation as essential to generate an objective determination of the facts for the benefit of the voters and other members of the public and to ensure the integrity of the election process. A Holladay man was sentenced today to one year in jail for stealing more than $237,000 from his aging and blind mother who had trusted him to help manage her finances. Grant Keith Aagard, 51, pleaded guilty to one third-degree felony count of abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult and three third-degree felony counts of theft by deception. Aagard was also ordered to pay full restitution. "It is one of the most reprehensible acts of greed and abuse of trust imaginable," says Robert Steed, the Assistant Attorney General who prosecuted the case. "It is a tragic breach of family trust to satisfy your own greed by exploiting a vulnerable relative." In 1997, Aagard began forging letters to an insurance company to gain access to over $80,000 in his mother’s annuity retirement account. Aagard began handling his mother’s financial affairs in 2002 and started using her checking account for his personal use. When the victim started getting medical bills in 2004, Aagard convinced his mother to obtain a reverse mortgage on her home. Aagard paid the medical bills but spent the majority of the reverse mortgage money on himself. Aagard also kept his mother’s tax returns and even pawned some of his mother’s jewelry. "In our society, we witness those who rob, steal and defraud others for personal gain, but this case evokes even greater feelings of outrage and disdain,” says Attorney General Mark Shurleff. “To steal from one’s own mother, who is blind and totally trusting and vulnerable is beyond belief." Aagard, was investigated by the Utah Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), a specialized unit within the Attorney Generals Office. Investigators and prosecutors recently handled several cases involving family members who have defrauded their parents or grandparents by taking advantage of their position of trust. For example, Judy Gibson, was sentenced in April to 30 days in jail for spending more than $238,000 from accounts belonging to her aged aunt. In such cases, the Attorney General’s Office seeks to punish the offenders through aggressive prosecution while also trying to recoup as much restitution as possible to take care of the victims. "These elderly victims have saved over their lifetimes so that they have the money necessary to care for themselves," says Steed. "We will do everything we can to stop these horrible crimes." MFCU handles allegations of fraud against the Medicaid system as well as protecting patients who reside in board and care facilities from abuse, neglect and exploitation. More information about MFCU is available at http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/145.html. Booking photos and court records will be posted at http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/913.html. A group that is fighting the country’s foreclosure crisis is giving Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff an "A" for his efforts to help homeowners. The new report by the ACORN Financial Justice Center included a survey and scorecard for all 51 attorneys general. The grades were based on answers to nine questions concerning actions and knowledge about widespread foreclosures. "I am honored to be one of the few attorneys general to receive an A from ACORN for my office's efforts to protect the citizens of Utah from mortgage fraudsters, unscrupulous brokers and predatory lenders," says Mark Shurtleff. "We will continue to investigate, prosecute and sue anyone who tries to harm Utah homeowners." In 2004, the Utah Attorney General’s Office launched a massive investigation into criminals using stolen social security numbers to commit mortgage fraud. Shurtleff is also on the State Attorney General Foreclosure Prevention Working Group. The group is seeking: ACORN Financial Justice Center recently opened an office in Utah. ACORN is the nation’s largest community organization of low and moderate-income individuals. The organization recently received a $7.8 million grant to help homeowners find solutions to avoid foreclosure. “I will continue to work with ACORN to educate the public about the risks of mortgage fraud and foreclosure rescue scams,” pledges Shurtleff. ACORN’s foreclosure-prevention hotline is 866-67-ACORN. The Utah ACORN office can be reached at 801-532-2225. The state of Utah has received $150,000 from two companies to cover state clean up costs at a contaminated site in Bountiful and Woods Cross. The area at 500 South 800 West was used to service and clean tractor-trailers and tank trucks from 1936 to 1986. The Hatch
property had numerous spills, leaks and direct releases of petroleum products, solvents and metal degreasers. The Utah Attorney General™s Office has a duty to make sure the air, water and land in our state is clean, says Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. This payment is proof that we also take seriously our duty to make sure taxpayers are not left holding the bag when it comes
time to clean up any pollutants. The payment is coming from Jack B. Kelley, Inc., a Texas Corporation and W.S. Hatch Company, a former Utah Corporation. Both companies were specialized carriers of asphalt, bulk petroleum, petroleum products and solvents like toluene and xylene. The site had a French drain that was used to release contaminated materials. The new commuter rail now runs through the property. We believe the payment of the $150,000 is a fair settlement with these companies to pay their share of the state's costs, says Sandra Allen, the assistant attorney general who negotiated the settlement agreement. The Environmental Protection Agency designated the 50 acre area as a Superfund Site on September 13, 2001. The EPA presented a proposed cleanup plan to the state to clean up the site. Under federal law, EPA pays 90% of the costs and the state of Utah must commit to pay 10% of the costs for the cleanup to proceed. The $150,000 will be used toward
paying the state's 10% share. Walgreens has agreed to pay $42,000 to the Utah Medicaid Program to settle allegations of improper billing. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff announced today that the payment is part of a $35 million settlement with Walgreen Co. and the United States and 42 states. The settlement resolves claims that Walgreens violated state and federal statutes and regulations by switching dosage forms of three medications commonly prescribed for Medicaid patients. The switch caused Medicaid programs nationwide to pay substantially more for these drugs. This settlement is one more example of how we will be vigilant in protecting the integrity of the Medicaid Program and making sure companies do not profit by taking advantage of the people who rely on Medicaid, said Attorney General Mark Shurteff.Walgreens operates
retail pharmacies in 48 states and Puerto Rico. Today™s settlement is the result of a joint federal-state investigation arising from the filing of a false claims act lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2003. The whistleblower™s complaint alleged Walgreens filled
prescriptions for numerous Medicaid recipients by aggressively switching dosage forms of: Government investigators contend that these improper switching practices continued from July 2001 through 2005 and resulted in higher Medicaid reimbursement payments without any medical benefits and without physician involvement. We will continue to police the Medicaid Program to assure that those who provide prescription drugs to Medicaid clients are obeying the law, says Robert Steed, the Director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Steed represented Utah in this negotiation. This settlement is the third and final in a series resulting from investigations of similar conduct by pharmacy providers nationwide. Together, the three cases have brought back more than $120 million to Medicaid programs around the country. The Utah Attorney General's Office oversees the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to protect the integrity of Utah's Medicaid program. The public can learn more about Medicaid fraud or report abuse at http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/145.html. ATTORNEY GENERAL PLANS TO SMASH CHILD PORN Press Release from the Attorney Generals Office
Who: Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, members of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Utah State Legislators and other invited quests What: The Attorney General, members of the ICAC Task Force and state legislators will use sledgehammers to destroy approximately 20 computers that have been used for possessing or distributing child pornography. Two investigators and a Utah student will also be honored for their efforts to protect children. When: 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 23, 2008 Where: ICAC Task Force Headquarters, 5272 South College Drive, Murray Monday, May 19th, 2008 — Posted by Jessica SHURTLEFF SIGNS AGREEMENT TO MAKE FACEBOOK SAFER FOR UNDERAGE USERS Press Release May 8, 2008 Contact Scott Troxel (801) 538-1753 Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says a new agreement with Facebook is an important step that will help keep children safe on the Internet. The attorneys general of 49 states and the District of Columbia today announced that Facebook has agreed to participate in a task force that will try and find ways to better protect children from predators and inappropriate content on social networking sites. "Kids may be putting themselves in harm's way on social networking sites like Facebook because they can never be 100% sure who they are communicating with online,"says Shurtleff. "This agreement recognizes the intentions of Facebook to try and protect children." The agreement is similar to one MySpace reached in January. MySpace agreed to head the task force, which Facebook has joined, to explore and develop age and identification tools for social networking sites. Under the agreement Facebook has agreed to make several changes, including: The Attorney General's Office is also helping to teach parents and kids about the dangers on social networking sites. The Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) offers an education program that teaches children and parents how to stay safe on the Internet. For more information about ICAC please visit
www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/ICAC/icacmain.html. Polygamy and the roles of the media and government will be explored in a Town Hall Meeting in St. George. This will be the fourth Town Hall Meeting concerning polygamy for Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. "We started this discussion five years ago and this will be a good chance to reflect on where we have gone and where we need to go,” says Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. The Attorneys General of Utah and Arizona will be joined for a panel discussion by Arizona State Representative David Lujan, Centennial Park resident Don Timpson and Utah Safety Net Coordinator Paul Murphy. The public will be invited to attend and participate. "Previous Town Halls have all been productive, and this year's will be an important opportunity to strengthen relations between law enforcement and the Colorado City/Hildale community," says Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard. The Town Hall Meeting will follow a half-day training session for members of polygamous communities, journalists, law enforcement officers and social service providers working with plural families. The training session has two goals: Both events are being sponsored by the Utah-Arizona Safety Net Committee, which brings together government agencies, non-profit organizations and interested individuals together to "open up communication, break down barriers and coordinate efforts to give people associated with the practice of polygamy equal access to justice, safety and services." Press Release: Paul Murphy, Attorney General's Office Attorneys General Seek Federal Help with Polygamy-Related Crimes (Phoenix, Ariz. – April 30, 2008) Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard today sent a joint letter to Sen. Harry Reid, D-NV, asking his assistance in arranging a meeting with the U.S. Department of Justice to discuss how the federal government can help the states with polygamy-related investigations and prosecutions. Reid, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, expressed concerns about the lack of law enforcement in the Colorado City/Hildale region to Radio West in Salt Lake City earlier this week. His comments prompted calls with Goddard and Shurtleff in an effort to correct the record and gain more federal cooperation. The two Attorneys General also requested Reid’s assistance with requests made to the U.S. Department of Justice for a civil rights investigation and an investigation into possible IRS violations. They further asked for Reid’s support in securing a grant for the Safe
Passage program which assists victims of domestic abuse. View the letter by clicking here |
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Paid for by Shurtleff 2008
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