Supervisory Customs Officer and Six Others Arrested for Corruption and Drug Importation Conspiracy

Charges Follow an Undercover Investigation of Corruption at U.S. Customs and Border Protection at John F. Kennedy International Airport

NEW YORK, May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Supervisory U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer Walter Golembiowski, CBP Officer John Ajello and five others were arrested today on narcotics importation and bribery conspiracy charges, announced Michael J. Garcia, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; John P. Gilbride, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Office; Steven J. Mocsary, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility (ICE-OPR), Investigations East; Gregory K. Null, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DHS, Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), Office of Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office; and Raymond W. Kelly, Police Commissioner of the City of New York.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the arrests were the culmination of a lengthy investigation into a network of individuals importing large quantities of hashish and other controlled substances as well as contraband into the United States through John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. The investigation was launched by the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force (OCDESF), which is comprised of agents and officers from the DEA; the New York Police Department; the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; the DHS, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the FBI; the New York State Police; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Secret Service; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It resulted in the indictment and successful prosecution of more than 20 individuals - from distributors to overseas sources of supply - and the seizure of more than 600 pounds of imported hashish and a significant amount of narcotics proceeds in the United States and France.

Based on the information obtained through its investigation, OCDESF identified a number of individuals, including Golembiowski, who assisted in clearing shipments of counterfeit goods, hashish and other controlled substances through U.S. Customs at JFK. These individuals regularly accepted and solicited bribes to permit shipments of contraband to pass through customs without inspection.

"Smuggling any kind of illegal commodity raises troubling issues at a time of deep concern over national security. The threat is heightened when a government official accepts bribes to help smugglers breach our borders," said U.S. Attorney Garcia. "Thanks to the tireless work of our law enforcement partners, including internal investigators from DHS and ICE, these defendants will no longer be able to profit from their corruption of the public trust."

The investigation led to the identification of Sharuk Sariari, a freight forwarder, and Victor Juzumas, a customs broker, who used their association with Golembiowski to clear shipments of illicit cargo; Sean Mills, operations manager of a cargo cooperative, who conspired to bypass possible inspection at a container freight station by delivering a shipment of contraband directly from the plane to his co-defendants; and Kai Li and Wei Lam, two importers of counterfeit goods and controlled substances. Law enforcement also identified John Ajello, a CBP inspector at JFK who worked with Golembiowski and also accepted bribes as part of the conspiracy. Based in part on information provided by confidential witnesses, the Strike Force, ICE-OPR and DHS-OIG initiated an undercover operation and recorded numerous meetings and phone calls involving Golembiowski, Ajello and the other defendants. During those meetings and calls, the defendants plotted to bring narcotics and other contraband - including counterfeit Rolex, Cartier and Chanel watches, as well as designer sunglasses - into the United States through JFK, undetected by law enforcement. On multiple occasions, Golembiowski was captured on audio and video accepting bribes to help his co-conspirators bring in illegal drugs and counterfeit goods without detection.

"These arrests demonstrate the combined will of law enforcement to put an end to illicit smuggling, be it illegal narcotics or intellectual property," said DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Gilbride. "This investigation epitomizes the role of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force; which combines the resources of federal, state and local agencies to identify and dismantle smuggling organizations operating across international borders."

Golembiowski is individually charged on two counts of narcotics importation conspiracy and two counts of bribery conspiracy. On one count of narcotics importation conspiracy, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, a fine of more than $2 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and lifetime supervised release. On the second count of narcotics importation conspiracy, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of more than $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and lifetime supervised release. If convicted of bribery conspiracy, for each count Golembiowski faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of more than $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and three years supervised release.

Sariari, Juzumas, Li and Lam are charged on one count of narcotics importation conspiracy and one count of bribery conspiracy; Mills is charged on one count of narcotics importation conspiracy; and Ajello is charged on one count of bribery conspiracy. If convicted of narcotics importation conspiracy, these defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of more than $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and lifetime supervised release. If convicted of bribery conspiracy, these defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of more than $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, and three years supervised release.

Golembiowski, 65, resides in Bethpage, N.Y.; Ajello, 51, resides in Hicksville, N.Y.; Sariari, 51, resides in Fort Lee, N.J.; Juzumas, 46, resides in Merrick, N.Y.; Mills, 37, resides in Woodbridge, N.J.; and Li, 28, and Lam, 37, both reside in Fort Lee, N.J.

"Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Professional Responsibility is dedicated to aggressively pursuing all allegations of corruption involving employees and civilians within our area of responsibility, especially in a border security environment," said DHS Special Agent-in-Charge Mocsary. "ICE-OPR takes great pride in protecting the integrity of all ICE and Customs and Border Protection employees. Additionally, this case serves as a textbook example of the cooperation between the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies involved in the successful outcome of this investigation."

"Acts of corruption within the Department of Homeland Security represent a threat to our nation and undermine the honest and hardworking employees who strive to maintain the integrity of the Department," said DHS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Null. "Corruption will not be tolerated and those who choose to break the law will be pursued aggressively."

U.S. Attorney Garcia praised the investigative work of the OCDESF, ICE-OPR and DHS-OIG. In addition, he thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York for its assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Brown, Margaret Garnett, Glen G. McGorty and Amy Finzi are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Source: U.S. Department of Justice

CONTACT: Yusill Scribner of the Office of United States Attorney Michael
J. Garcia, Southern District of New York, +1-212-637-2600

Web Site: http://www.usdoj.gov/

2008-05-28 18:14:44 0372285 PRNEWSWIRE