By Tim Gaynor
July 13 (Reuters) – A former U.S. federal immigration
intelligence director who lured four subordinates into
fraudulently claiming more than $500,000 in fake expense and pay
claims was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Friday,
authorities said.
James M. Woosley, 48, the former acting director of the
intelligence office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
or ICE, was sentenced in federal court in the District of
Columbia, ICE said in a statement.
Woosley pleaded guilty in May to stealing more than $188,000
through a scheme involving fraudulent travel vouchers, and false
time and attendance claims.
Three of his subordinates – Stephen E. Henderson, 62;
Lateisha M. Rollerson, 38; and Ahmed Adil Abdallat, 64 – had
previously pleaded guilty in the case.
They were sentenced to jail terms of between three months
and a year and day, and were ordered to pay restitution totaling
$466,645. A fourth defendant, William J. Korn, 53, also pleaded
guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. said Woosley “took
advantage of the trust he was given by the United States
government to carry out a scheme that cost American taxpayers
more than a half million dollars.”
“He personally obtained more than $188,000 while also
bringing others into the fraud. Now he and four others have been
convicted of their crimes, and he will be spending time in
prison for this betrayal of his office,” he said in a statement.
Woosley led the ICE Homeland Security Investigations’
intelligence division, which collects, analyzes and shares
intelligence with other law enforcement agencies on crimes
ranging from drug and illegal immigrant smuggling to child sex
tourism.
After completing his time in prison, Woosley will be placed
on three years of supervised release. In addition, as part of
his plea agreement, he agreed to forfeiture and restitution of
the money he obtained by fraud.
He is among scores of U.S. federal immigration agents and
customs inspectors working for the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security who have been convicted of corruption in recent years.
Between October 2004 and May of this year, 138 U.S. customs
and border protection officers and border patrol agents were
arrested or indicted for corruption, including drug and illegal
immigrant smuggling, money laundering and conspiracy, according
to the department.
Investigations by ICE’s Office of Professional
Responsibility last year resulted in the arrest of 16 ICE and
U.S. customs and border protection employees. It was not clear
how many of those cases have resulted in a conviction.
In another case late last month, a former ICE agent in
Arizona was sentenced to 30 months in prison for accessing
police databases and passing on sensitive information to family
members with ties to Mexican drug cartels.
Jovana Deas was accused of illegally obtaining and
disseminating classified government documents while working as
an ICE special agent in Nogales, Arizona, a city on the border
with Mexico. She was also charged with obstruction and lying to
investigators.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Todd Eastham)
