Press Release
KENNETH PAUL WILK CONVICTED OF ALL CHARGES, INCLUDING THE MURDER OF A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY
June 5, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Ken Jenne, Sheriff, Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO); Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Anthony V. Mangione, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Julie Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced today that defendant Kenneth Paul Wilk, was found guilty by a federal jury sitting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, of the intentional murder of BSO Deputy Sheriff Todd M. Fatta and the attempted murder of BSO Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Angelo Cedeno. The jury began its deliberations approximately two weeks ago, and returned its verdict this afternoon.
On August 19, 2004, Deputy Fatta and Sergeant Cedeno were working as part the Law Enforcement Against Child Harm (LEACH) Task Force that attempted to execute a federal arrest and search warrant at the Ft. Lauderdale residence of Wilk. The criminal complaint for which the law enforcement agents and officers were executing the federal warrants charged Wilk with conspiracy to possess child pornography and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Deputy Fatta was shot and killed, and Sergeant Cedeno was seriously wounded when Wilk, as alleged in the Superseding Indictment, opened fire with a Winchester 30-30 rifle, as the law enforcement personnel entered his residence.
Wilk was charged in a six (6) count Superseding Indictment with murder in the first degree for the murder of Deputy Fatta, the attempted murder of Sergeant Cedeno, use of a firearm in the commission of crimes of violence, that is, the murder of Deputy Fatta and the attempted murder of Sergeant Cedeno, obstruction of justice in connection with the prosecution of Kelly Ray Jones in a prior federal case, possession of child pornography; and conspiracy to obstruct justice. He was convicted today of all counts.
The jury is scheduled to reconvene on Thursday, June 7, 2007, to consider evidence relating to the penalty phase. Wilk faces the death penalty or a statutory maximum term of life imprisonment as to the murder and firearm counts, life imprisonment as to the attempted murder count, ten (10) years' imprisonment as to the child pornography count, and ten (10) years' imprisonment as to each of the obstruction of justice related counts.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Broward Sheriff's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as well as the Broward State Attorney's Office and the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Kastrenakes and Neil Karadbil.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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