FORMER DEMOCRAT FUNDRAISER MARK B. JIMENEZ SENTENCED ON FEDERAL TAX EVASION AND ELECTION FINANCING CHARGES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray of the Criminal Division announced today that Mark B. Jimenez, the former CEO and majority shareholder of Future Tech International, Inc. (FTI), was sentenced to 27 months in prison on charges of tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit election financing offenses.

Jimenez, 55, was sentenced this morning by the Honorable District Judge Patricia Sietz of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division. In addition to the prison term, Jimenez was ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution. Jimenez had pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy before Judge Sietz on Aug. 1, 2003.

The tax charges against the defendant, which were originally filed in a 47-count superseding indictment in April 1999, stem from Jimenez’ creation of Kalisol, S.A., a Uruguayan company, as part of his scheme to transfer approximately $5 million of income out of the United States without paying income taxes. Jimenez admitted that he used Kalisol to create false invoices to FTI for services that Kalisol never performed, and thereafter directed FTI employees to conceal the true nature of the FTI payments to Kalisol from the accountants who prepared his 1995 and 1996 personal income tax returns.

The election fraud charges stem from Jimenez’ conspiracy to defraud the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by making approximately $41,500 in illegal campaign contributions to various candidates for federal office. At his plea hearing, Jimenez admitted that he, FTI, Mark Visions Holdings (MVH), and certain officers and employees of FTI and MVH made secret, disguised, and illegal campaign contributions, primarily by using various conduits, including employees of FTI and MVH, to violate federal election laws which limit donor sources and amounts. Jimenez admitted that the conduits were reimbursed for their contributions with checks and cash from FTI, MVH, or his personal bank account. As a result, Jimenez caused false information to be submitted to the FEC.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Michael E. Savage, Monika L. Bickert and Bill Corcoran of the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, headed by Section Chief Noel L. Hillman, and investigated by agents of the FBI and the IRS.

Jimenez was the final defendant to be sentenced as part of the investigation carried out by the Department’s former Campaign Finance Task Force.

###

03-616