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A former U.S. Customs and Border Safety officer was convicted earlier this week of accepting bribes from teams eager to convey medicine and unlawful migrants throughout the southern border, the Division of Justice introduced.
A federal jury discovered Leonard Darnell George responsible of the next fees on Monday: receiving bribes by a public official, conspiracy to import managed substances and two counts of bringing in sure aliens for monetary achieve.
George, who the DOJ mentioned was working for 2 separate prison organizations, allowed autos containing meth and different illicit medicine and autos with unlawful migrants to cross by way of his lane into the U.S. over a six-month span.
It was decided by prosecutors and regulation enforcement brokers that George allowed the prison organizations to make roughly 19 crossings through the six months.
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Former U.S. Customs and Border Safety officer Leonard Darnell George was convicted of receiving bribes by a public official, conspiracy to import managed substances and two counts of bringing in sure aliens for monetary achieve. (Reuters)
In the course of the trial, witnesses shared how George would get the autos by way of his San Diego border crossing on the San Ysidro Port of Entry from late 2021 by way of mid-2022. They testified that he would contact members of a drug trafficking group when he was at work to allow them to know what lane he was working, then he would give them one hour to achieve him.
In February 2022, a automobile suspected of drug smuggling by regulation enforcement brokers entered George’s lane, forcing him to ship it to secondary inspection the place roughly 222 kilos of meth was found.
George then let a second drug-filled automobile, which was touring proper behind the flagged automobile, cross the border into the U.S. with over 200 kilos of medication inside it.
The trial revealed that George obtained $13,000 the subsequent day for permitting the automobile to cross the border, the DOJ mentioned. He then used that cash to buy a 2020 Cadillac CT5 as a present for an affiliate of the drug trafficking group and delivered the automobile to the individual in Ensenada, Mexico, on Valentine’s Day.
He would additionally change the names of the drivers coming by way of his lane, or omit passengers altogether, in an effort to conceal what he was permitting.
George labored as a Customs and Border Safety officer on the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego, California. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull, File)
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Textual content messages shared through the trial confirmed George allowed the criminals to move by way of his lane for $17,000 per automobile. One message confirmed that he obtained $68,000 after permitting 4 autos from one group to move by way of his lane in June 2022, the DOJ mentioned.
A witness testified George would use the cash to purchase autos, bikes and jewellery. He additionally steadily traveled to Tijuana to go to the Hong Kong Gentleman’s Membership and would spend about $5,000 every journey “showering” the dancers with cash and shopping for them bottles of alcohol and different presents, the DOJ mentioned.
“With this verdict, the jury despatched a transparent message to anybody contemplating buying and selling of their badge for money,” mentioned U.S. Lawyer Tara Okay. McGrath. “Abandoning the integrity of the uniform for the conspiracy of drug trafficking is a path to a prison conviction.”
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George is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13. He faces a most of life in jail with a compulsory 10-year minimal, based on the DOJ information launch.
Ex-CBP officer convicted of bribery after permitting medicine, illegals to cross border
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