DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIAL CONVICTED OF BRIBERY AND EXTORTION CHARGES
United
States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced that in El Paso, 43-year-old Santiago
Efrain Valle, an Immigration Enforcement agent with U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, faces up to 18 years in federal prison after a jury
convicted him yesterday afternoon of bribery and extortion under color
of law.
Testimony during the two-day trial revealed that Valle agreed to accept
$20,000 in exchange for dismissing pending criminal charges against and
changing the detainee risk classification of Francisco Gutierrez-Avila,
a detainee at the El Paso Service Processing Center. On March 16, 2007,
federal agents arrested after he accepted $20,000 from undercover officers.
Valle was wearing his duty uniform at the time of his arrest.
United States District Judge David Briones has scheduled sentencing for
July 9, 2007.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. Assistant
United States Attorney Greg McDonald is prosecuting this case on behalf
of the Government.
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