TRUCKING COMPANY AGENT PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBING PUBLIC OFFICIAL AT MILITARY BASE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Bribing Public Official at Georgia Military Base

A former agent for a large national trucking company has pleaded guilty for paying bribes to officials at the Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) in Albany, Georgia, in order to obtain lucrative freight-hauling business, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney G.F. Peterman III of the Middle District of Georgia.

Ivan Dwight Brannan, 60, of Jupiter, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands of the Middle District of Georgia to one count of bribery of a public official.  

During his plea, Brannan admitted that from 2006 to 2012, he provided cash and other items of value to Mitchell Potts, a former traffic office supervisor for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) at MCLB-Albany, to ensure that his trucking company client was awarded millions of dollars of business at MCLB-Albany.  Brannan also admitted that he directed David Nelson, a truck driver, to provide cash and other things of value to both Potts and Jeffrey Philpot, another official in the DLA Traffic Office at MCLB-Albany.  From 2006 to 2012, Brannan and Nelson paid at least $120,000 in bribes to Potts and Philpot.    

Potts and Philpot both previously pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official and were sentenced to 10 years and seven years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy.  Nelson pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official on Oct. 7, 2014, and awaits sentencing.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case.  Trial Attorney John Keller of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Alan Dasher of the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

TWO PLEAD GUILTY TO RIGGING BIDS AT PUBLIC HOME FORECLOSURES IN GEORGIA

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Monday, January 4, 2016

Two Georgia Real Estate Investors Plead Guilty to Rigging Bids at Public Home Foreclosure Auctions

The 11th and 12th Defendants Charged in Ongoing Investigation

Two Georgia real estate investors pleaded guilty today for their roles in bid-rigging and mail fraud conspiracies at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Georgia.  Paul Chen and Ira Eisenberg each admitted that they agreed not to bid against others at certain public real estate foreclosure auctions and that they conspired to defraud mortgage holders and homeowners using the mail system.

“These individuals unlawfully rigged home foreclosure auctions, and then used payoffs and private side auctions to divide among themselves money that should have gone to mortgage holders and homeowners,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.  “Together with our FBI colleagues, the division will bring to justice unscrupulous investors who scheme to rob unsuspecting mortgage holders and homeowners.”

“Incidents of bid rigging at public real estate auctions continue to be an issue in Georgia and elsewhere in the United States, and the FBI would like to remind the public that such matters are violations of federal law,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Britt Johnson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.  “The FBI will continue to work with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division in identifying, investigating and prosecuting those individuals engaged in such activities.”

Chen admitted to participating in the conspiracy in Fulton County, Georgia, from as early as February 2009 until at least March 2010, and Eisenberg admitted to participating from as early as August 2009 until at least February 2011.  Additionally, Chen admitted to participating in the DeKalb County, Georgia, conspiracy from as early as November 2009 until at least September 2011.  According to documents filed with the court, the purpose of the conspiracies was to suppress and restrain competition and divert money to the conspirators that otherwise would have gone to pay off the mortgage and other holders of debt secured by the properties and, in some cases, the defaulting homeowner.

These charges have been filed as a result of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section, the FBI’s Atlanta Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia, in connection with the President’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  The task force was established to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and state and local partners, it is the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud.  Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets; and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations.  Since fiscal year 2009, the Justice Department has filed over 18,000 financial fraud cases against more than 25,000 defendants.

U.S. MARSHALS ANNOUNCE ESCAPED FUGITIVE CAUGHT AFTER ALMOST 34 YEARS ON THE RUN

FROM:  U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE 

August 06, 2015

Georgia Escapee on the Run for Almost 34 Years Captured

Lauderdale Lakes, FL - Willie Lee Austin was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force Wednesday after escaping from the Central State Correctional Institute on Dec. 27, 1981. Austin was serving a 15-year sentence for Armed Robbery after being convicted in Muscogee County, Georgia.

Georgia Department of Corrections Investigators assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) recently conducted a comprehensive investigation into the fugitive case and eventually uncovered a possible alias identity for Austin. Investigators then discovered an  address in Lauderdale Lakes, which was linked to the alias identity. Members of the U.S. Marshals Florida Caribbean Fugitive Task Force acted upon this information and took Austin into custody without incident.

Since its inception in 2003, investigations carried out by the SERFTF have resulted in the apprehension
of more than 20,000 violent fugitives in the state of Georgia. Of these arrests, more than 1,100 were fugitives wanted for homicide. The successful initiative is led by the U.S. Marshals Service and combines federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The SERFTF has offices in Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah that cover the entire state of Georgia. The task force objective is to seek out and arrest fugitives charged with violent crimes, gang members, sex offenders, and other felonies.