25 August – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jesus Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced that defendant, Eligio Perez, a former Customs Inspector at Miami International Airport, pled guilty today before United States District Court Judge Federico Moreno in federal court in Miami to a criminal indictment charging him with disclosure of confidential government information, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1905. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Perez agreed to immediately resign from his federal employment and agreed not to seek any other federal or state law enforcement employment. Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2005. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of up to one year imprisonment as well as up to $100,000 in fines.
During the plea hearing, Perez admitted to abusing his position as a United States Customs and Border Protection Inspector. Perez misused and disclosed information on a computerized government database when he threatened a young woman with putting a “lookout” on the system unless she agreed to be his girlfriend.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel S. Fridman.
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 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 www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
