Posted on 06/20/2005 8:24:30 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) - A federal judge threw out evidence against four men charged with laundering more than $60 million through their chain of U.S. Virgin Islands grocery stores, ruling that FBI agents acted in "reckless disregard for the truth."
The ruling, released Monday, found that the FBI's search warrant was obtained improperly. It said agents, who had claimed to have seen suspicious tax records from the men, admitted they had only seen a computer printout of the records and did not thoroughly verify the evidence with the U.S. Caribbean territory's Internal Revenue Bureau.
U.S. Attorney spokesman Azekah Jennings said he could not immediately comment on the ruling.
In September 2003, prosecutors indicted the four men on charges they evaded $60 million in taxes from their Plaza Extra grocery stores from 1996 to 2001, laundered the money and smuggled it to bank accounts in Amman, Jordan, and the nearby French Caribbean island of St. Martin.
The agents initially said the men claimed to have made just $270,000 in 1998. A review of the original tax records showed the men reported making more than $39 million, according to the June 16 order.
"It is our hope that the government will come to its senses, that they will stop harassing these people just because they are Arabs and Muslims," said Pamela Colon, a lawyer for the men, who face from 20 to 93 years in prison if convicted.
Colon said the evidence thrown out included more than 100,000 documents and was the backbone of the government's case against Fathi Yusuf, 62; brothers Waleed Hamed, 38, and Waheed Hamed, 41; and Yusuf's 36-year-old son, Maher.
Jennings denied that the men were prosecuted because of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.
Federal Bureau of Incineration strikes again!
If they made these claims under oath, it's called "perjury." Martha Stewart was sent to prison for less.
Interestingly, it's a crime to lie to FBI agents even when one is not under oath. But, FBI agents lie all the time and get away with it. Double standards, anyone?
True. Lying to a Federal Investigator can get you a prison sentence. But if Federal Investigators lie under oath, it's ok then. It's because they're part of the Government. Fraud, waste, abuse, deceit, perjury, and lack of ethics are essential Government tools.
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