Timothy McVeigh/fbi photo

A federal judge wants the FBI to conduct an internal investigation to determine whether the bureau pressured a witness not to testify in a case involving videos of the Oklahoma City bombing, the Associated Press reports.

Utah lawyer Jesse Trentadue claims that the FBI threatened the benefits of a former government operative if he testified in a trial.

The FBI’s attorney rejected the allegations as baseless, but U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups said he wants the matter investigated more thoroughly.

“If all of this is nonsense, let’s bring this in and put an end to it,” the judge said.

The attorneys are expected to present their results on Nov. 13.

Steve Neavling

A retired FBI agent accused of trying to derail an investigation into military fraud was jailed Tuesday pending trial after a federal judge in Utah said he violated terms of his release, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. 

U.S. District Court judge ordered Robert G. Lustyik Jr., 50, to jail after prosecutors provided “clear and convincing” evidence that the 50-year-old retired agent asked a third party to deliver cash to apotential witness in the case, the Tribune wrote.

“I don’t make the decision lightly, nor do I make it happily, but I think the evidence demands it,” U.S. District Court Judge Dustin Pead said, according to the Tribune.

Lustyik is accused to trying to thwart an investigation into Michael Taylor’s role in the alleged scheme, which the government says involves Taylor and two other men conspiring to land a $54 million contract for security and training services to Afghan special forces by using inside information, the Tribune reported.

Steve Neavling

An ATF agent accused of witness tampering was cleared of charges,   WRAL reports.

U.S. District Judge James Fox dismissed the witness-tampering charges Tuesday against Raleigh, N.C. ATF agent Mike Fanelly, saying prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence.

Fanelly will retain his job.

A grand jury had charged that he interfered with two officers who were investigating reports of cocaine distribution last June and that he made a false statement about a woman who was arrested that he happened to be having an affair with.

By Allan Lengel

Bad news for ATF agent Michael Justin Fanelly.

A fed grand jury in Raleigh, N.C. has indicted him on charges of witness tampering and making a false statement to a law enforcement officers, the News Observer reported.

The paper reported that the grand jury charged that he interfered with two officers who were investigating reports of cocaine distribution last June and that he made a false statement about a woman who was arrested.

To read full story click here.

By Danny Fenster

A former Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper pled guilty in a US District Court on Monday to charges of mortgage fraud, bankruptcy fraud and witness tampering, the FBI announced.

Benjamin W. Richardson, 46, of Powell, Ohio, plead guilty to the eight-count indictment before US District Judge Gregory L. Frost. Richardson was arrested in September of 2011 by FBI agents and has been in custody since. Richardson resigned from the Ohio State Highway Patrol when the charges were returned.

In 2005, Richardson took part in a conspiracy to defraud mortgage lending institutions out of $678,275 in loans involving three properties he was buying, as well as the refinancing of his own home, he admitted. He admitted to under-reporting his income when filing for bankruptcy in 2007 as well.

With a guilty plea on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud, Richardson faces up to 30 years for each crime, though a sentencing date has not yet been set. Five more years are possible for each of two additional counts: making false statements and false oaths in bankruptcy. For attempting to prevent a witness from talking with law enforcement during the investigation, Richardson also pled guilty to witness tampering, which can carry up to 20 years.

Atty Robert Simels

It’s good to be vigilante as a defense attorney and protect your client. Then there’s attorneys like Robert Simels who are downright criminal about it. Simply disgraceful. Simels didn’t walk free despite being represented by one of New York’s top lawyers Gerald Shargel.

By Patricia Hurtado
Bloomberg

Robert Simels, a New York criminal defense lawyer, was convicted by a jury of a scheme to “eliminate” and “neutralize” federal witnesses slated to testify against one of his clients.

Simels, a former Special Assistant Attorney General for New York’s Special Prosecutor’s Office who once represented pop artist Peter Max, was convicted of 12 of 13 charges against him, including multiple counts of witness tampering, bribery, and illegal possession of eavesdropping equipment. He was cleared of a sole charge of making false statements to the U.S.

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