Ralph Lauren Clothing Agrees to Pay Penalty for Bribing Argentine Officials

WPCNR FBI WIRE. Special to WPCNR from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. April 22, 2013:


Ralph Lauren Corporation (RLC), a New York-based apparel company, has agreed to pay an $882,000 penalty to resolve allegations that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by bribing government officials in Argentina to obtain improper customs clearance of merchandise, announced Mythili Raman, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, and Loretta E. Lynch, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.


According to the agreement, the manager of RLC’s subsidiary in Argentina bribed customs officials in Argentina over the span of five years to improperly obtain paperwork necessary for goods to clear customs; permit clearance of items without the necessary paperwork and/or the clearance of prohibited items; and on occasion, to avoid inspection entirely.


RLC’s employee disguised the payments by funneling them through a customs clearance agency, which created fake invoices to justify the improper payments. During these five years, RLC did not have an anti-corruption program and did not provide any anti-corruption training or oversight with respect to its subsidiary in Argentina.


In addition to the monetary penalty, RLC agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice, to report periodically to the department concerning RLC’s compliance efforts, and to continue to implement an enhanced compliance program and internal controls designed to prevent and detect FCPA violations. If RLC abides by the terms of the agreement, the Department will not prosecute RLC in connection with the conduct.


The agreement acknowledges RLC’s extensive, thorough, and timely cooperation, including self-disclosure of the misconduct, voluntarily making employees available for interviews, making voluntary document disclosures, conducting a worldwide risk assessment, and making multiple presentations to the Department on the status and findings of the internal investigation and the risk assessment.


In addition, RLC has engaged in early and extensive remediation, including conducting extensive FCPA training for employees worldwide; enhancing the company’s existing FCPA policy; implementing an enhanced gift policy and other enhanced compliance, control, and anti-corruption policies and procedures; enhancing its due diligence protocol for third-party agents; terminating culpable employees and a third-party agent; instituting a whistleblower hotline; and hiring a designated corporate compliance attorney.


In a related matter, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today announced a non-prosecution agreement with RLC in which RLC agreed to pay $$734,846 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest.


The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Daniel S. Kahn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Sarah Coyne, Chief of the Business and Securities Fraud Section of the Eastern District of New York. The case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office. The department acknowledges and expresses its appreciation for the assistance provided by the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.

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Police Press on to Binding Arbitration on any New Contract with City

WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. April 22, 2013:


The President of the White Plains Police Benevolent Association told the CitizeNetReport today that the police union, currently without a contract with the city since 2009-10, entered binding arbitration with the City of White Plains last Friday.


Officer Robert Riley told WPCNR that the union presented their positions to the arbitrator Friday, and they would have two more meetings, after which the arbitrator would present his or her findings that the city and the police would have to abide by.


Riley said the union chose to take their chances in arbitration rather than forgo  pay increases voluntarily in contract years 2009-10 and 2010-11 as they White Plains Professional Firefighters chose to do last week.


The firefighters union, according to its President, Joseph Carrier approved a five year contract last week.

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Mathew Anthony Solano, 1916-2013

 

WPCNR MILESTONES. From Mary Ann Solano. April 21, 2013:

 

My Dad is Matthew Anthony Solano. He was born a full term twin at 2 pounds in Mount Vernon, New York on February 18, 1916. He grew in Mount Vernon and received a college scholarship for art. His step father would not allow such frivolity and sent him to work instead.

 

Following his marriage to my beautiful Irish mother,Catherine Patricia McCauley,who he met at work, and two sons later (Matthew Anthony Junior and Edward John), my dad lost his right hand in a printing press machine. He was to tell me many years later that two weeks after his accident a young woman at the plant lost her hand as well.



My grandmother is quoted as saying, “you had four hands between you and now you have three!” My then family moved to Queens Village where they owned & operated the corner stationary store, “Matty’s Candy Store” on the corner of Springfield Blvd. where my younger sister Kathryn Ellen and I were born. My mother worked evenings as a waitress as well as in the store. She washed all our clothes by hand and we enjoyed a home cooked meal every evening, except Mondays when my Dad took my sister and I to the local diner for a treat.



Although there were arguments about what words were acceptable in scrabble or which car was more practical, I never heard my mother or my father complain about life.



We moved to Patchogue, Long Island and upon my mother’s passing my Dad moved to Franklin Avenue in White Plains. He could be seen at various city events, shopping, watching the buildings rise in White Plains and enjoying the people and life here in the city. The Senior Center may remember a police escort to accompany my Dad home from Atlantic City to meet the bus (he thought it was an overnight trip) or the Police Chief warning seniors not to allow strangers to accompany them to their residences, (my Dad at 86 years overpowered someone on his doorstep who dared this ruse).



Last year his health necessitated a move to Ridgefield Nursing Facility where he passed on Saturday morning at 97 years. He referred to his residence as a hotel and treated that professional staff accordingly. He is survived by his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I know that Kenny and, Dillon Jefferies, Peter and Alice Dobrie will carry his inspiration and his gifts.



As for me, I imagine he and my mother slipping away as they did on rare evenings from the store in Queens to an adventure away in Coney Island, their idea of heaven. God bless you, Dad.

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White Plains Firemen Settle Contract Before Arbitration Begins. 2% Raises Next 2

WPCNR LABOR NEWS. April 20, 2013:


The President of the White Plains Professional Firefighters, Joseph Carrier announced to the Journal News in the Sunday edition that the firefighters without a contract for two and a half years have settled with the city on a five year contract.


Carrier told The Journal News the union settled for no raises in the contract years 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2% raises in the current year, 2012-13, and 2% raises in 2013-14, 2014-15. Carrier told the newspaper in an article by Reporter Richard Liebson firefighters active and retired also agreed to pay 15% of their health care insurance


The deal came, according to Liebson just before arbitration between the city and the union was about to begin.


The White Plains Police union has yet to settle.


 

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