April 1, 2001 – September 30, 2001
Office of the Inspector General
THE INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION
The Investigations Division (Investigations) investigates allegations of
bribery, fraud, abuse, civil rights violations, and violations of other laws and
procedures that govern Department employees, contractors, and grantees.
Investigations develops cases for criminal prosecution and civil and
administrative action. In many instances, the OIG refers less serious
allegations to components within the Department for appropriate action and, in
the more important cases that are referred, reviews their findings and
disciplinary action taken.
Investigations carries out its mission through the work of its special agents
who are assigned to OIG offices across the country. Currently, Investigations
has field offices in Chicago, El Paso, Los Angeles, McAllen, Miami, New York,
San Diego, San Francisco, Tucson, and Washington, DC (the Washington Field
Office and Fraud Detection Office), and smaller, area offices in Atlanta,
Boston, Colorado Springs, Dallas, El Centro, Houston, and Seattle.
Investigations Headquarters in Washington, DC, consists of the immediate office
of the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) and three branches: Operations,
Investigative Support, and Policy and Administration.
Geographic areas covered by the field offices are indicated on the map below.
In addition, the San Francisco office covers Alaska; the San Diego office covers
Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa; and the Miami
office covers Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
During this reporting period, Investigations received 5,239 complaints. It
opened 363 investigations and closed 307. OIG agents made 92 arrests involving
41 Department employees, 41 civilians, 1 grantee, and 9 Department contract
personnel. Convictions resulted in 43 individuals receiving sentences up to 51
months’ incarceration and $769,698 in fines, recoveries, and orders of
restitution. As a result of OIG investigations, 32 employees, 15 contract
employees, and 1 contractor received disciplinary action, including 38 who were
terminated. In addition, 35 employees and 10 contract employees resigned either
during or at the conclusion of OIG investigations.
Following are some of the cases investigated during this reporting
period, grouped by offense category.
Bribery
- An INS immigration inspector assigned to the San Francisco
International Airport was sentenced in the Northern District of California to
one year’s incarceration and three years’ supervised release pursuant to a
guilty plea to charges of bribery of a public official; fraud and misuse of
visas, permits, and other documents; and theft of public property. A joint
investigation by the OIG San Francisco Field Office and the INS revealed that
the immigration inspector stole two INS immigration stamps and two bottles of
security ink and agreed to sell those items to confidential informants for
$85,000. During the investigation, the immigration inspector met with two
confidential informants and accepted a total of $17,500 for the items before
being arrested by the OIG.
- In the Western District of Texas, two former correctional officers at the
Reeves County Detention Center (RCDC) in Pecos, Texas, a facility under contract
with the BOP to house federal inmates, were arrested and pled guilty to charges
of conspiracy to accept a bribe and aiding and abetting in the conversion of
government property. An inmate coconspirator was arraigned on charges of
conspiracy to commit bribery and misprision of a felony. An investigation by the
El Paso Field Office developed evidence that the correctional officers allowed
contraband to be shipped from inmates’ families to the RCDC. An inmate served as
a broker between the correctional officers and the inmates seeking the
contraband and paid the correctional officers $50 for each package. The inmate
broker subsequently delivered the contraband to inmates in exchange for
commissary goods. The two former correctional officers await sentencing;
judicial proceedings continue for the inmate.
- An investigation by the Southwest Border Corruption Task Force, of which
the Tucson Field Office is a member, led to an indictment alleging that a Border
Patrol agent assigned to the Naco, Arizona, Border Patrol Station accepted
bribes, possessed and transported illegal drugs, carried a firearm in the course
of a drug trafficking crime, and laundered money. The investigation developed
evidence that the Border Patrol agent was willing to assist in the smuggling of
drugs into the United States by monitoring Border Patrol radio traffic and that
he transported $250,000 in drug proceeds and 20 kilograms of cocaine between
Tucson and Phoenix in exchange for more than $25,000. Judicial proceedings
continue.
- Our September 2000 Semiannual Report to Congress described a case that
resulted in the arrest and guilty plea of an INS supervisory district
adjudications officer in the Eastern District of California on charges of
bribery of a public official. During this reporting period, the INS officer was
sentenced to one year’s incarceration and ordered to pay a $2,400 fine. This San
Francisco Field Office investigation, assisted by the INS, found that the
adjudications officer accepted bribes to expedite naturalization applications
for several Middle Eastern aliens. INS terminated the supervisory district
adjudications officer as a result of this investigation.
- In our September 2000 Semiannual Report to Congress we reported on a case
in which a district adjudications officer assigned to the INS Boston District
Office was arrested on charges of bribery. During this reporting period, he pled
guilty and was sentenced to one year’s incarceration and two years’ supeývised
release and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. A 15-month investigation by the OIG
Boston Area Office, assisted by the FBI and other federal agencies, developed
evidence that the district adjudications officer demanded and accepted
approximately $5,000 in bribes in exchange for granting a naturalization
candidate citizenship and removing all references to the candidate’s arrest
history from his alien file. The investigation also confirmed that the district
adjudications officer offered to assist an undercover agent with naturalization
candidates for $1,000 each and to obtain INS employment for doctors for $1,000
each.
Introduction of Contraband
- Three related joint investigations by the OIG New York Field Office,
FBI, and BOP into bribery and contraband smuggling at the Federal Correctional
Institution (FCI) in Allenwood, Pennsylvania resulted in the arrest and
prosecution of 11 defendants, including 3 BOP correctional officers. The three
correctional officers pled guilty to accepting cash payments to smuggle
contraband into and out of the institution. One correctional officer was
sentenced to 18 months’ incarceration and fined $4,000; a second was sentenced
to probation and community service; the third awaits sentencing. Two inmates and
two former inmates also were charged for their roles in the schemes. One inmate
and one former inmate pled guilty and await sentencing. In addition, OIG and FBI
agents arrested four civilian coconspirators who acted as go-betweens in the
exchanges of contraband and bribe monies. All four pled guilty to aiding and
abetting charges; sentencing is pending.
- In the Eastern District of Texas, a civilian and two inmates were arrested
and pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to
distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. An investigation by the Houston Area
Office revealed that the civilian conspired with the two inmates, who were
detained at the BOP Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Beaumont, Texas, to
accept drugs from an outside contact and facilitate delivery of the contraband
into FCC Beaumont by placing the drugs in a trash can accessible both to
visitors and work-detail inmates. The drugs were retrieved by an inmate and then
sold to other inmates. The civilian and two inmates were sentenced to 37
months’, 70 months’, and 84 months’ incarceration, respectively.
- A BOP correctional officer assigned to the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in
Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested and pled guilty to an indictment returned in the
Northern District of Texas charging him with providing or possessing contraband
in prison. An undercover investigation by the OIG Dallas Area Office, FBI, and
Fort Worth Police Department developed evidence that the correctional officer
introduced marijuana into the FMC in exchange for money. Consensual recordings
revealed that the correctional officer had provided several inmates with
marijuana and had discussed the possibility of introducing heroin and cocaine
into the facility. Sentencing is pending.
- In the Southern District of Florida, a BOP correctional officer assigned to
the FCI in Miami, Florida, was arrested and pled guilty to a felony information
charging him with accepting a bribe and attempting to possess with intent to
distribute cocaine. A joint investigation by the OIG Miami Field Office and FBI
developed evidence that the correctional officer facilitated the entry of drugs
into the FCI for distribution to inmates. He was terminated from the BOP as a
result of this investigation and was sentenced to 57 months’ incarceration and
36 months’ supervised release.
- In the Southern District of Mississippi, a former BOP cook, previously
assigned to the FCI in Yazoo City, Mississippi, was arrested and pled guilty to
charges of bribery. An investigation conducted by the Atlanta Area Office
established that, between October 2000 and February 2001, the cook introduced
jewelry and other contraband into the FCI in exchange for $700. An OIG
undercover agent posing as an inmate’s relative sent the jewelry to the cook’s
post office box along with money orders for payment. When confronted by OIG
agents, the cook admitted to introducing the contraband into the prison for
payment and subsequently resigned his position with the BOP. Judicial
proceedings continue.
- Our September 2000 Semiannual Report to Congress described a case in which
a former BOP correctional officer assigned to the U.S. Penitentiary in Beaumont,
Texas, and a civilian were arrested on charges of conspiracy to possess with
intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. An investigation by the Houston Area
Office developed evidence that an inmate was using multiple civilians to acquire
drugs and provide them to the former correctional officer who, in exchange for
cash, would bring the drugs into the penitentiary. During this reporting period,
the former correctional officer was convicted and sentenced in the Eastern
District of Texas to more than 12 years’ incarceration and 3 years’ supervised
release. The civilian pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute
cocaine and heroin and was sentenced to two and a half years’ incarceration and
five years’ supervised release. A second civilian was arrested, pled guilty to
misprision of a felony, and was sentenced to two years’ probation.
Fraud
- A former Missouri chief of police was indicted and subsequently
arrested for theft of money from a federal program and making false statements
to a government agency. An investigation by the Chicago Field Office established
that the former police chief falsified Office of Community Oriented Policing
(COPS) Universal Hiring Grant paperwork to claim he hired and paid one
additional officer when he in fact used the grant to pay his own salary,
including a $6,000 annual raise. When confronted by OIG specialçagents, the
former police chief admitted he intentionally falsified the COPS paperwork that
enabled him to collect the funds. The grants in question cover several years and
are in excess of $50,000. Judicial proceedings continue.
- New York Field Office agents arrested two INS employees, one INS contract
employee, and a civilian document broker after an undercover investigation into
allegations that the broker was providing valid INS EADs to ineligible aliens
for $4,000 each. The document broker was arrested, admitted to her role in the
scheme, and agreed to cooperate with investigators. Her cooperation, as well as
a review and analysis of the improperly issued cards, resulted in the
identification and arrest of an INS district adjudications officer, an INS
clerk, and an INS contract mailroom clerk, all assigned to the INS Newark
District Office. The two employees confessed to issuing at least 50 fraudulent
EADs and to placing 10 to 15 ADIT (I-551) stamps in the passports of aliens not
entitled to those documents for between $500 and $2,000 each. The two INS
employees resigned their positions; the contract employee was terminated. The
document broker pled guilty to a bribery charge and awaits sentencing. Judicial
proceedings against the former INS employees and contract employee continue.
- A former BOP warehouse foreman previously assigned to the FCI in Florence
was arrested and pled guilty to Colorado state charges of forgery. A joint
investigation by the Colorado Springs Area Office and the Department of Labor
OIG developed evidence that the warehouse foreman failed to report income from a
rental property while receiving workers’ compensation benefits that totaled
approximately $35,000. Her plea will bar her from receiving any additional
workers’ compensation benefits.
- Our March 2001 Semiannual Report to Congress reported on a case in which a
clerk assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Central District of
California was arrested and pled guilty to charges of mail fraud. An
investigation by the Los Angeles Field Office developed evidence that the clerk
embezzled approximately $500,000 over a 3-year period using government credit
cards issued to herself and two former coworkers. During this reporting period,
the clerk was sentenced to 40 days’ incarceration (to be served on weekends) and
5 years’ probation. She was ordered to make restitution to the U.S. government
in the amount of $416,000 and to a civilian company in the amount of $16,000 and
to serve 3,000 hours of community service.
Attempts to Corrupt Department Employees
- A civilian was arrested and pled guilty to charges of bribery of a
public official. A joint investigation by the El Paso Field Office and the U.S.
Customs Service (Customs Service) Office of Internal Affairs developed
information that the civilian attempted to bribe an INS immigration inspector to
facilitate the entry of narcotics into the United States. The immigration
inspector notified the INS of the bribe attempt and was later replaced by an
undercover OIG agent. At a subsequent meeting, the civilian paid the undercover
agent $4,000 and was immediately arrested. He was sentenced to four months’
incarceration and two years’ supervised release.
- In the Southern District of Texas, a Mexican national was arrested and pled
guilty to charges of bribery of a public official. A reverse-bribe investigation
by the McAllen Field Office developed evidence that the Mexican national offered
an INS immigration inspector $1,500 in return for entry into the United States
after the immigration inspector had canceled his and two other Mexican
nationals’ Border Crossing Cards. Following the initial bribe attempt, the
immigration inspector contacted the OIG and was instructed to initiate a second
meeting at which the subject paid the immigration inspector $800 for three
Border Crossing Cards and three I-94 forms (Record of Arrival/Departure).
Subsequent to the bribe payment, OIG agents arrested the Mexican national.
Sentencing is pending.
- In our September 2000 Semiannual Report to Congress, we reported on a case
in which an alien was arrested on charges of bribery of a public official.
During this reporting period, the alien was sentenced to 18 months’
incarceration and ordered to pay $20,833 in restitution as a result of his
conviction at trial. An investigation by the Chicago Field Office developed
evidence that the alien paid an INS special agent $300 to make his fraudulent
marriage appear legitimate in order to obtain a green card. The alien
subsequently used his green card to obtain more than $37,000 worth of
educational loans for which he would not have been eligible without the green
card.
Sexual Abuse
- A former BOP correctional officer assigned to the Federal Detention
Center in Houston, Texas, surrendered pursuant to an information filed in the
Southern District of Texas alleging sexual abuse of a ward. During an
investigation by the Houston Area Office, the former correctional officer
provided a written affidavit denying any sexual contact with a particular
inmate. However, when faced with DNA evidence that confirmed sexual contact, the
former correctional officer pled guilty to a charge of sexual abuse of a ward.
He resigned from the BOP as a result of the investigation. Judicial proceedings
continue.
- A BOP administrative officer in the Health Services Unit at the BOP
Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York was arrested on charges of sexual
abuse of a ward. An investigation by the OIG New York Field Office and the USAO
for the Southern District of New York utilized a cooperating inmate who engaged
the officer in recorded conversation about their previous sexual encounters. The
undercover operation led to a 3-count information charging the officer with
unlawfully engaging in sexual acts with an inmate. The officer pled guilty and
resigned his position with the BOP. Sentencing is pending.
- In the Southern District of Florida, a BOP correctional officer assigned to
the FCI in Tallahassee, Florida, was arrested and pled guilty to charges of
sexual abuse of a ward. A joint investigation by the Miami Field Office and the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement developed evidence that the correctional
officer engaged in a sexual relationship with an inmate. The correctional
officer retired from BOP as a result of the investigation. Sentencing is
pending.
- Our September 2000 Semiannual Report to Congress described a case in which
an INS detention enforcement officer was arrested on charges of sexually
assaulting an INS detainee at the Krome Service Processing Center, the federal
detention facility in western Miami-Dade County. During this reporting period,
the detention enforcement officer pled guilty to charges of knowingly engaging
in sexual acts with an alien detainee under his custody and control. He was
sentenced to eight months’ incarceration and one year of supervised release and
was ordered to participate in a mental health treatment program upon his release
from prison.
Misconduct
- A New York Field Office investigation determined that a U.S. marshal
had used two on-duty police officers, who were detailed to the U.S. Marshals
Service (USMS) fugitive task force, as his personal assistants. While on duty,
one officer routinely drove the marshal’s ailing wife home from her job and
stayed with her until the marshal arrived home. In addition, the investigation
uncovered that the marshal failed to report that his wife was in his official
government vehicle when he and one of the police officers were involved in an
accident. Based on these findings, the marshal was removed from office.
Theft
- In our March 2001 Semiannual Report to Congress, we reported on an
investigation in which an administrative employee for the USAO in Portland,
Oregon, pled guilty to charges of theft of government funds. An investigation
conducted by the Seattle Area Office disclosed that the employee converted more
than $39,000 in government money for her personal use. During this reporting
period, the administrative employee was sentenced to ten months’ incarceration
and three years’ supervised release. As part of a plea agreement, she agreed to
make restitution and resigned her position with the USAO. This investigation
resulted in the development of a Procedural Reform Recommendation that addressed
weaknesses in USAO procedures and made recommendations to prevent future
incidents.
Alien and Drug Smuggling
- A joint investigation by the OIG McAllen Field Office, INS, and FBI
resulted in the arrest of two INS immigration inspectors and two civilian alien
smugglers on charges of conspiracy; transporting undocumented aliens; fraud and
misuse of visas, permits, and other documents; and bribery. This investigation
led to multiple indictments alleging that the INS inspectors and civilian
smugglers helped Mexican and Central American nationals enter the United States
illegally by selling INS documents for $300 to $500. The majority of aliens were
smuggled into the United States through the INS employees’ inspection lanes at
the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry. Both immigration inspectors pled guilty,
and one has resigned his position with the INS; sentencing is pending. Judicial
proceedings continue for the two civilians.
- In the Southern District of California, an INS immigration inspector
assigned to the Calexico, California, port of entry was arrested pursuant to an
indictment alleging conspiracy to import cocaine, importation of cocaine, aiding
and abetting, and disclosure of confidential information. A joint investigation
by the OIG El Centro Area Office, Customs Service, and FBI disclosed that the
immigration inspector allowed a vehicle laden with more than 1,000 pounds of
cocaine to enter the United States from Mexico through his inspection lane
without proper inspection. The related arrest» of a Calexico police officer and
a civilian on importation of cocaine charges revealed the immigration
inspector’s involvement in the smuggling operation. Judicial proceedings
continue.
- A 2-year investigation by the OIG Miami Field Office, DEA, Florida
Department of Law Enforcement, and Florida Statewide Prosecutor’s High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area resulted in the arrest of an INS immigration inspector,
his wife, and three Colombian nationals on Florida state charges of conspiracy
to traffic heroin. The investigation uncovered an elaborate drug smuggling
operation responsible for importing at least 80 kilograms of heroin per year
from Columbia, South America. Two of the Columbian nationals financed trips for
persons who agreed to smuggle drugs into the United States through ‡he Miami
International Airport, generally by ingesting the drugs. The third Columbian
national accompanied the drug couriers into the United States, assisting them
through U.S. Customs and INS inspections with the aid of the immigration
inspector and his wife. Judicial proceedings continue.
Obstruction of Justice
- A BOP correctional officer assigned to the FCC in Beaumont, Texas,
was arrested and pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and obstruction of
justice. In June 1999, the Houston Area Office received an allegation that a
correctional officer struck a federal inmate handcuffed behind the back.
Subsequent investigation determined that the correctional officer provided false
information about his June 3 assault of an inmate and assaults by another
officer in June 1997. This case resulted in the initiation of 38 additional
civil rights investigations involving more than 30 FCC Beaumont correctional
officers who are allegedly involved in physically abusing federal inmates. Due
to the ongoing civil rights investigatýons, the court sealed the correctional
officer’s arrest and plea. The correctional officer offered subsequent proffers
that led to the arrest and guilty pleas of two other correctional officers for
similar crimes. The primary correctional officer resigned his position with the
BOP and was later sentenced to four years’ probation, fined $2,400, and ordered
to serve 100 hours of community service.
- A BOP correctional officer, a member of the Special Operations Response
Team (SORT) at the FCC Beaumont, was arrested on charges of witness tampering
and conspiracy to obstruct justice. An investigation by the Houston Area Office
led to a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of Texas alleging that
the correctional officer, along with other SORT members, assaulted an FCC
Beaumont inmate during an unauthorized SORT operation and encouraged others to
provide false or misleading information in an attempt to cover up the unlawful
assault. The correctional officer pled guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice
and resigned his position with the BOP. Sentencing is pending.
Mismanagement
- Allegations that the Boulder County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Office and
a private contractor defrauded the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program
(SCAAP) were disproved by the Fraud Detection Office (FDO). However, while
reviewing those and other allegations about SCAAP, the FDO determined that
management failures of the Bureau of Justice Assistance in connection with the
program may have led to the misallocation of SCAAP funds. We concluded that
critical screening mechanisms were not in place and that poorly designed and
managed policies permitted payments that may have been in violation of SCAAP. As
a result, the FDO sent a report to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
recommending substantial changes to the process for determining eligibility of
grant applicants.
- Based on an investigation by the FDO and the North Carolina Governor’s
Crime Commission, Hoke County, North Carolina, repaid $93,467 in Department
Byrne Formula grant funds. The county manager was alleged to have purposefully
submitted false documentation relating to police vehicle purchases under the
grant and then diverted the funds to other uses. Although no proof of intent to
defraud was sustained, the supplanted funds were recovered and returned to the
state.
Child Pornography
- An INS district adjudications officer assigned to the INS Los
Angeles District Office was arrested and pled guilty to California state charges
of possession of child pornography. A joint OIG Los Angeles Field Office and
San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Office investigation developed evidence that
the adjudications officer attempted to purchase child pornography from an
undercover police officer. The investigation also developed evidence that the
adjudications officer had stolen arrest reports from the INS file of a child
molester who had applied for citizenship and hid these reports in his residence.
He was sentenced to time served (22 days) and ordered to serve 3 years’
supervised release and register with the state of California as a sex offender.
The district adjudications officer resigned from the INS as a result of this
investigation.
- An INS supervisory immigration inspector assigned to the Detroit
Metro International Airport was arrested on Michigan state charges of
distribution and possession of child pornography. A joint investigation by the
OIG Chicago Field Office, the Canton Police Department, and the Wayne County
Internet Crimes Task Force developed evidence that the supervisory immigration
inspector downloaded and distributed sexually explicit photographs of young
children via his personal computer at home. He was identified after a police
investigation in Xenia, Ohio, led to suspects trafficking child pornography
throughout the United States. Judicial proceedings continue.
Kidnapping
- A BOP correctional officer assigned to the U.S. Penitentiary in
Florence, Colorado, was sentenced to eight years’ incarceration and three years’
supervised release pursuant to his guilty plea to Colorado state charges of
kidnapping and menacing with a deadly weapon. A joint investigation by the OIG
Colorado Springs Area Office and the Canon City Police Department revealed that
the correctional officer attempted to purchase one ounce of methamphetamine.
However, when the deal failed, he handcuffed and assaulted the drug dealer and
threatened to kill him with a handgun. The correctional officer was terminated
by the BOP as a result of this investigation.
Exoneration
- The OIG received an allegation that a DEA special agent in charge
had disclosed privileged information concerning the Special Agent Promotional
Program (SAPP) test, which would have given an unfair advantage to a DEA special
agent participating in the program. An investigation by the Washington Field
Office found no evidence that any cheating occurred on the 2000 SAPP test.
Program Improvement Recommendations
Investigations prepares Procedural Reform Recommendations (PRRs) to
recommend corrective action by Department components when an investigation
identifies a systemic weakness in an internal policy, practice, procedure, or
program. Provided below are examples of PRRs sent to components during this
reporting period.
- An investigation by the Seattle Area Office found that the deputy
administrative officer for a USAO misused her Bank One-issued government
credit card and defrauded the government in the amount of $39,104.70. The
investigation substantiated that she used her government credit card to obtain
unauthorized cash advances and purchase items that were subsequently converted
to her own use. In her position, she authorized the issuance of third party
draft checks from the Department to herself, her government-issued credit card
account, and other businesses for her personal use. She also created
fictitious obligation accounts, used existing obligation accounts, and forged
signatures in order to improperly obtain the money. The investigation
determined that the deputy administrative officer exploited her knowledge of
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys’ (EOUSA) audit policies and cycles and
circumvented established policies and procedures for issuing third party draft
checks. A weakness in Bank One’s notification policy concerning misuse of
credit cards also contributed to this offense. The OIG developed a PRR that
addressed each of the weaknesses and offered specific recommendations to the
EOUSA and Bank One to prevent future occurrences.
- The San Diego Field Office prepared a PRR that offers a suggestion to the
INS for tracking a single female or a single unaccompanied juvenile alien who
is apprehended and transported by a Border Patrol agent or detention
enforcement officer working alone. The PRR was submitted as a result of an OIG
investigation that involved a single female alien who had been apprehended and
transferred to the custody of a single detention enforcement officer for
transport. The alien alleged that the transporting detention enforcement
officer took her to a secluded spot and sexually assaulted her. Although the
Border Patrol’s standard procedures involves radio contact with the Border
Patrol dispatcher at the time of apprehension and whenever custody of the
alien is transferred, that procedure can be circumvented by a Border Patrol
agent who does not make radio contact and destroys the written record of
apprehension. The PRR suggests that the Border Patrol institute a form to
supplement the tracking of unaccompanied females and minors from the time of
apprehension by the Border Patrol agent through turnover to a transportation
officer to arrival at the Border Patrol station or other point of processing.
Such tracking would increase accountability for custody of single apprehended
females and juveniles and possibly reduce the number of sexual or physical
assault allegations.
- The OIG receives a number of complaints alleging the theft or loss of
evidence or alien property within the INS. Three separate OIG investigations,
all of which found a lack of security and accountability related to the
handling and storage of evidence or property within the INS, resulted in three
PRRs being forwarded to the INS. Weaknesses identified included a lack of
designated evidence/property custodians or too many custodians with full
access to the evidence/property rooms; non-existent, inadequatý, or poorly
maintained surveillance of evidence/property rooms; and a lack of training at
both the staff and management level for those with evidence/property
responsibilities. The OIG recommended that the INS review its policies and
procedures for safeguarding evidence and property. Specifically, we
recommended that the INS closely examine three areas: the existence or number
of evidence/property custodians, surveillance of evidence/property rooms, and
training for personnel in the appropriate handling and storage of evidence and
property.
The following chart summarizes the workload and accomplishments of
Investigations during the 6-month period ending September 30, 2001.
Investigations Statistics
Source of Allegations |
Hotline (telephone and mail)
Other sources
Total allegations received |
670
4,569
5,239 |
Investigative Caseload |
Investigations opened this period
Investigations closed this period
Investigations in progress as of 9/30/01 |
363
307
573 |
Prosecutive Actions |
Criminal indictments/informations
Arrests
Convictions/Pleas |
74
92
80 |
Administrative Actions |
Terminations
Resignations
Disciplinary action |
38
45
10 |
Monetary Results |
Fines/Restitutions/Recoveries
Seizures
Bribe monies deposited to the Treasury
Civil penalties |
$769,698
$452,410
$25,227
$93,467 |