If you attended SHOT Show 2010 in Las Vegas then you may remember the circus-like atmosphere the first morning when Federal agents. In total, 22 were arrested from a variety of companies for conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, violating the FCPA and conspiring to launder money, based on dealings with an informant and an undercover FBI agent posing as the Minister of Defense of Gabon (bet the real Minister of Defense of Gabon appreciated that). Since that time, there have been mistrials and acquittals and dropped charges.
One of the Government’s biggest shortcomings in this case was itself. In the first trial defense attorneys picked apart text messages between informant Richard Bistrong and his FBI handlers. Check some of the exchanges out.
Unfortunately for three of the defendants, they plead guilty before the first trial and await sentencing.
At least the Justice Department finally did the right thing and dropped all of the charges rather than carrying on this charade. Read the whole sordid tale at www.fedseclaw.com.
What would be REALLY good is if the Justice Department would refund all the money these individuals spent in thier defense, issue a formal public apology, instruct the companies they worked for to higher them back and give those companies the money to be provided as back pay. This is a perfect example of a Federal LEO’s ego gone supernova so that it blinds them from the truth. This was all done during the wire tap debacle the FBI was in the hot seat for and done as a way to draw attention from that. Want a good read? Look at how much the Eff-Bee-Won spent on this.
Don’t you mean all charges dropped against 19?