June 20, 2007

Federal agent indicted on bribery and embezzlement charges

MIAMI- R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Donald Balberchak, special agent in charge of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (OIG), and Steven J. Mocsary, special agent in charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE-OPR), announced the unsealing of a May 29, 2007 indictment against defendant Ramon Llorca, of Plantation, on charges of bribery and embezzlement, in violation of Title 18 United States Code Sections 201, 641 and 654. Llorca was arrested earlier this morning and will be appearing in Magistrate Court today.

The indictment alleges that between Oct. 2006 and Jan. 2007, Llorca, a special agent with ICE, embezzled $2,500 from the agency. The money Llorca allegedly embezzled was earmarked to pay for the services of a confidential informant. The indictment also alleges that in Feb. 2007, Llorca agreed to register another person as a confidential informant with ICE in return for a donation from the person of $5,000 to a little league baseball team on which Llorca's son played.

If convicted, Llorca faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years imprisonment on the two embezzlement counts and 15 years on the bribery count.

Mr. Acosta commended the work of the agents of Department of Homeland Security, OIG, and ICE OPR. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Lourie in West Palm Beach.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

  Last Modified: