Crimes and Courts
Supreme Court says gay, transgender workers protected by law
Published
6 years agoon
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court.
The court decided by a 6-3 vote that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 known as Title VII that bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons, encompasses bias against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court. “Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.”
The decision was a defeat not just for the employers, but also the Trump administration, which argued that the law’s plain wording compelled a ruling for the employers. Gorsuch, a conservative appointee of President Donald Trump, concluded the opposite, and Trump said Monday he accepted the court’s “very powerful decision.”
Gorsuch was joined in the majority by Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s four liberal members. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s other Supreme Court pick, dissented, along with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.
“The Court tries to convince readers that it is merely enforcing the terms of the statute, but that is preposterous,” Alito wrote in the dissent. “Even as understood today, the concept of discrimination because of ‘sex’ is different from discrimination because of ‘sexual orientation’ or ‘gender identity.’”
Kavanaugh wrote in a separate dissent that the court was rewriting the law to include gender identity and sexual orientation, a job that belongs to Congress. Still, Kavanaugh said the decision represents an “important victory achieved today by gay and lesbian Americans.”
Trump had a restrained reaction, telling reporters that he’d read the decision and that “some people were surprised.”
He added: “But they’ve ruled and we live with their decision. That’s what it’s all about. We live with the decision of the Supreme Court. Very powerful. A very powerful decision actually. But they have so ruled.”
The outcome is expected to have a big impact for the estimated 8.1 million LGBT workers across the country because most states don’t protect them from workplace discrimination. An estimated 11.3 million LGBT people live in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA law school.
Gerald Bostock, a gay county government worker from Georgia whose lawsuit was one of three the Supreme Court decided Monday, said no one should should have to be “fearful of losing their job because of who they are, who they love or how they identify. And the justices have now made sure that we won’t have to worry about that.”
John Bursch, who argued the appeal from a Michigan funeral home owner against a fired transgender employee, said, “Americans must be able to rely on what the law says, and it is disappointing that a majority of the justices were unwilling to affirm that commonsense principle. Redefining ‘sex’ to mean ‘gender identity’ will create chaos and enormous unfairness for women and girls in athletics, women’s shelters, and many other contexts.”
But Monday’s decision is not likely to be the court’s last word on a host of issues revolving around LGBT rights, Gorsuch noted.
Rights groups have said they will challenge the administration’s effort to roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender people in health care. Lawsuits are pending over transgender athletes’ participation in school sporting events, and courts also are dealing with cases about sex-segregated bathrooms and locker rooms, a subject that the justices seemed concerned about during arguments in October. Employers who have religious objections to employing LGBT people also might be able to raise those claims in a different case, Gorsuch said.
“But none of these other laws are before us; we have not had the benefit of adversarial testing about the meaning of their terms, and we do not prejudge any such question today,” he wrote.
The cases were the court’s first on LGBT rights since J ustice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement and replacement by Kavanaugh. Kennedy was a voice for gay rights and the author of the landmark ruling in 2015 that made same-sex marriage legal throughout the United States. Kavanaugh generally is regarded as more conservative.
The Trump administration had changed course from the Obama administration, which supported LGBT workers in their discrimination claims under Title VII.
During the Obama years, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had changed its longstanding interpretation of civil rights law to include discrimination against LGBT people. The law prohibits discrimination because of sex, but has no specific protection for sexual orientation or gender identity.
Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden, Obama’s vice president, praised the decision on Twitter as “another step in our march toward equality for all. The Supreme Court has confirmed the simple but profoundly American idea that every human being should be treated with respect.”
In recent years, some lower courts have held that discrimination against LGBT people is a subset of sex discrimination, and thus prohibited by the federal law.
Efforts by Congress to change the law to explicitly bar job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity have so far failed.
The Supreme Court cases involved two gay men and a transgender woman who sued for employment discrimination after they lost their jobs.
Aimee Stephens lost her job as a funeral director in the Detroit area after she revealed to her boss that she had struggled with gender most of her life and had, at long last, “decided to become the person that my mind already is.” Stephens told funeral home owner Thomas Rost that following a vacation, she would report to work wearing a conservative skirt suit or dress that Rost required for women who worked at his three funeral homes. Rost fired Stephens.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, ruled that the firing constituted sex discrimination under federal law.
Stephens died last month. Donna Stephens, her wife of 20 years, said in a statement that she is “grateful for this victory to honor the legacy of Aimee, and to ensure people are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The federal appeals court in New York ruled in favor of a gay skydiving instructor who claimed he was fired because of his sexual orientation. The full 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-3 that it was abandoning its earlier holding that Title VII didn’t cover sexual orientation because “legal doctrine evolves.” The court held that “sexual orientation discrimination is motivated, at least in part, by sex and is thus a subset of sex discrimination.”
That ruling was a victory for the relatives of Donald Zarda, who was fired in 2010 from a skydiving job in Central Islip, New York, that required him to strap himself tightly to clients so they could jump in tandem from an airplane. He tried to put a woman with whom he was jumping at ease by explaining that he was gay. The school fired Zarda after the woman’s boyfriend called to complain.
Zarda died in a wingsuit accident in Switzerland in 2014.
In a case from Georgia, the federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled against Bostock, a gay employee of Clayton County, in the Atlanta suburbs. Bostock claimed he was fired in 2013 because he is gay. The county argues that Bostock was let go because of the results of an audit of funds he managed.
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Bostock’s claim in a three-page opinion that noted the court was bound by a 1979 decision that held “discharge for homosexuality is not prohibited by Title VII.”
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Crimes and Courts
DOJ: Man Charged With Laundering Conspiracy in $1.3 Billion Medicare, Health Insurance Fraud Scheme
Published
4 hours agoon
September 8, 2026
Federal prosecutors allege Erekle Gugava helped move proceeds from a transnational fraud operation that used stolen identities and submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent medical-equipment claims to Medicare and private insurers.
BOSTON (FNN) — A federal grand jury in Massachusetts has indicted a 33-year-old Georgian national on a money laundering conspiracy charge stemming from an alleged $1.3 billion health care fraud operation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors allege Erekle Gugava served as a money launderer for a transnational criminal organization accused of orchestrating a multibillion-dollar scheme targeting Medicare and other health insurers.
The Justice Department announced the indictment Friday, Sept. 4.
According to DOJ, the organization, which prosecutors said was based in Russia and elsewhere, was previously identified through Operation Gold Rush, part of what the department has described as the largest health care fraud case it has prosecuted.
DOJ: $1.3 Billion in Allegedly Fraudulent Claims
According to charging documents cited by DOJ, Gugava purportedly owned ND Medical Solutions LLC, a Pennsylvania durable medical equipment company, from February through July 2025.
During that five-month period, prosecutors allege ND Medical submitted at least $1.3 billion in fraudulent durable medical equipment claims to Medicare, private insurers providing Medicare supplemental coverage, employer-sponsored health plans and other insurers.
Those insurers paid ND Medical approximately $6.5 million, according to the Justice Department.
The distinction between the $1.3 billion and $6.5 million figures is significant: DOJ alleges $1.3 billion was billed, while approximately $6.5 million was actually paid to the company.
Prosecutors Allege Money Was Transferred Overseas
Federal prosecutors allege Gugava facilitated the deposit and transfer of proceeds generated by the scheme.
According to DOJ, Gugava opened several bank accounts in ND Medical’s name and was the sole signatory. Checks from Medicare supplemental insurers and other health insurers were allegedly deposited into those accounts.
Prosecutors allege the money was ultimately transferred to overseas bank accounts for the benefit of the transnational organization.
“Fraud networks cannot function without people willing to launder and transmit their proceeds,” Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said in the department’s announcement.
McDonald said prosecutors allege Gugava helped move fraud proceeds through domestic and international financial channels.
DOJ: Stolen Identities Used to Support Claims
The alleged scheme also involved stolen identities, according to federal prosecutors.
DOJ said the fraudulent claims relied in part on identities belonging to people in Massachusetts, elsewhere in New England and across the United States.
Some were elderly or disabled Americans who reported receiving insurance explanation-of-benefits forms showing medical equipment they said they never received, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors said some records also identified doctors the beneficiaries said they had never visited and listed equipment as coming from ND Medical, a company with which they said they were unfamiliar.
Operation Gold Rush
DOJ said Gugava’s case is connected to Operation Gold Rush, an investigation targeting a transnational organization accused of exploiting Medicare and other insurers.
According to the Justice Department, the organization allegedly used payments originating from legitimate government programs and established insurance companies to facilitate money laundering. Because the payments came from legitimate insurers, prosecutors contend the proceeds initially appeared legitimate.
The department previously identified Operation Gold Rush as part of its broader national effort targeting health care fraud.
Six Federal Agencies Investigating
The investigation involves multiple federal law enforcement and oversight agencies, including:
- Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General
- FBI
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- IRS Criminal Investigation
- Homeland Security Investigations
- Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration
Prosecutors from DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts are handling the case.
Defendant Faces Up to 20 Years if Convicted
Gugava is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, according to DOJ. A maximum statutory penalty does not indicate what sentence would ultimately be imposed if a defendant is convicted.
The Justice Department also described Gugava in its announcement as an “illegal alien from Georgia.” That description reflects DOJ’s characterization of his immigration status in its Sept. 4 press release.
DOJ Expands Federal Fraud Enforcement
The Justice Department said the prosecution is part of its broader federal campaign against fraud involving government benefit programs.
According to DOJ, its Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program has charged more than 6,200 defendants since 2007 in cases involving more than $45 billion in alleged billings to federal health care programs and private insurers.
The department also announced the creation of its National Fraud Enforcement Division earlier this year to coordinate investigations and prosecutions involving fraud against federal programs and the public.
Indictment Contains Allegations
An indictment is a formal accusation and does not establish guilt.
Gugava is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Crimes and Courts
DOJ Charges Five in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin in Alleged Illegal Voting, Voter Registration Cases
Published
5 hours agoon
September 8, 2026
WASHINGTON (FNN) — Five people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Wisconsin face federal charges in separate cases involving alleged illegal voting, false claims of U.S. citizenship or fraudulent voter registration connected to the 2022 or 2024 elections, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Justice Department announced the charges Friday, Sept. 4, saying the defendants include four non-U.S. citizens accused of illegally voting and one U.S. citizen accused of aiding and abetting election-related offenses.
The cases were brought in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, District of New Jersey and Western District of Wisconsin.
DOJ: Election Fraud Will Be Prosecuted
Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the DOJ announcement that election integrity is fundamental to American democracy and emphasized that voting in federal elections is limited to eligible U.S. citizens.
“Election fraud is a serious crime, and it is the duty of the Department of Justice to treat it as such,” Blanche said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau considers election integrity a priority and would investigate credible allegations of election fraud and illegal voting.
Federal officials also emphasized that the charges are allegations and have not resulted in findings of guilt.
Pennsylvania: Three People Charged
According to the Justice Department, Thomas Holtzman, 68, and his wife, Marisol Guzman, 50, both of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with allegations that Guzman illegally voted as a non-U.S. citizen in the 2024 election.
DOJ said Guzman was charged with voting as an alien.
Holtzman, a U.S. citizen, was charged with making a false statement of citizenship in order to vote and aiding and abetting, as well as fraudulent registration and aiding and abetting, according to federal prosecutors.
In a separate Pennsylvania case, Katya Rodriguez, 30, a Mexican national living in Harrisburg, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to alleged illegal voting in the 2024 election.
According to DOJ, Rodriguez was charged with making a false statement of citizenship in order to vote, fraudulent registration and voting as an alien.
If convicted, Holtzman faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, Guzman up to one year and Rodriguez up to 11 years, according to the Justice Department. Any sentence would be determined by a federal judge based on applicable law and federal sentencing guidelines.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the Pennsylvania cases, DOJ said.
New Jersey: Federal Complaint Alleges Noncitizen Voted in 2024 Primary
In New Jersey, Mercedes Alexandra Cardoso of Union County was charged with voting by an alien in a federal election, according to the Justice Department.
The federal complaint alleges Cardoso was not a U.S. citizen when she registered through the New Jersey Division of Elections’ Online Voter Registration System.
According to prosecutors, Cardoso falsely certified on her voter registration application that she was a U.S. citizen.
DOJ said Cardoso allegedly cast a ballot in the June 2024 primary election, which included candidates seeking federal office.
Federal prosecutors said Cardoso entered the United States from Ecuador on a B-2 visa and was not a U.S. citizen when she allegedly voted.
If convicted, Cardoso faces a statutory maximum of one year in prison. Her initial court appearance was scheduled for Sept. 8, according to DOJ.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services investigated the case.
Wisconsin: 2022 Election Vote Leads to Federal Charge
In Wisconsin, Jesus Javier Jurado Garcia, 25, a Mexican national living in Beloit, was charged Sept. 2 with illegally voting as an alien in the November 2022 election, according to the Justice Department.
A federal criminal information alleges Jurado Garcia knew he was not a U.S. citizen when he voted on Nov. 8, 2022, in an election that included races for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
If convicted, Jurado Garcia faces a statutory maximum sentence of one year in prison, DOJ said.
Federal Officials Emphasize Election-Law Enforcement
U.S. attorneys in all three jurisdictions used the announcement to emphasize federal enforcement of election laws.
U.S. Attorney Brian Miller for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said his office would prosecute people accused of illegally voting in federal elections as well as those accused of facilitating illegal voting.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey said the federal government has a responsibility to safeguard elections and investigate alleged violations of federal election law.
U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma for the Western District of Wisconsin similarly said his office is committed to enforcing federal election laws.
Homeland Security Investigations also said its agents worked with federal partners to investigate the alleged conduct and support the prosecutions.
Charges Remain Allegations
The cases are at the charging stage.
A criminal complaint, indictment or information contains allegations and does not establish that a defendant committed a crime. All five defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Crimes and Courts
Ben Crump Joins Nolan Wells Family, Dr. Jamal Bryant for Prayer Rally on What Would Have Been His 19th Birthday
Published
3 weeks agoon
August 20, 2026
Family calls for release of official autopsy findings, transparency and answers surrounding death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells
BILOXI, Miss. (FNN NEWS) — National civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family of Nolan Xavier Wells and prominent faith leader Dr. Jamal Bryant on Wednesday for a prayer rally marking what would have been Wells’ 19th birthday.
The gathering at Greater St. John AME Church in Biloxi honored Wells’ life while amplifying his family’s continuing demands for answers, transparency and accountability surrounding his death.
FAMILY CONTINUES FIGHT FOR ANSWERS
Rather than celebrating Nolan’s 19th birthday with him, his family gathered with community members, faith leaders and advocates to remember his life and continue their pursuit of the truth about what happened to him.
The Wells family is calling for the release of the official autopsy findings and greater transparency from state investigators.
The rally provided the family with a public platform to keep attention focused on unanswered questions surrounding Nolan’s death while seeking support from the broader community.
BEN CRUMP JOINS FAMILY’S CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY
Crump’s participation brings national attention to the family’s search for answers.
The civil rights and personal injury attorney has represented families in numerous high-profile cases involving deaths, civil rights and allegations of government or institutional misconduct.
His appearance alongside the Wells family underscored their demand that authorities provide information needed to establish a clearer account of the circumstances surrounding Nolan’s death.
The family’s requests for transparency remain allegations and demands for information; authorities’ findings should be distinguished from claims that have not yet been independently established.
DR. JAMAL BRYANT LEADS FAITH COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT
Bryant joined Crump, the Wells family and community members as the gathering combined remembrance with prayer and calls for accountability.
The prominent pastor and civil rights advocate has frequently used his national platform to address social justice issues affecting Black communities.
The Biloxi gathering brought the legal, faith and local communities together around the Wells family’s effort to obtain answers.
A 19TH BIRTHDAY MARKED BY PRAYER
The timing of the rally carried particular significance for Nolan’s family.
Wednesday would have marked his 19th birthday.
Instead, family members and supporters gathered at the church to celebrate his memory and reinforce their commitment to finding out what happened.
The rally began at 7 p.m. CDT at Greater St. John AME Church, 551 Division St. in Biloxi.
CALL FOR AUTOPSY FINDINGS AND INVESTIGATIVE TRANSPARENCY
Central to the family’s demands is the release of Nolan’s official autopsy findings.
The family also wants state investigators to provide greater transparency regarding the investigation and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Until official findings are released, significant questions surrounding the case remain unresolved.
For Nolan’s family, Wednesday night’s gathering was both a memorial and a public declaration that their search for answers will continue.
What would have been a milestone birthday instead became a call for truth, transparency and accountability.
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