Pubdate: Mon, 15 Dec 2003
Source: Reuters (Wire)
Copyright: 2003 Reuters Limited
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

FORMER DEA OFFICIAL INICTED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former high-ranking Drug Enforcement Administration
official was named in a 214-count indictment on Monday that accused him of
embezzling DEA funds and using federal resources to conduct work for a
private investigations firm.

Kevin Tamez, 50, of Mount Laurel, New Jersey, had been the associate special
agent in charge of the DEA's New York division and was in charge of the
financial management of the that office. He was suspended without pay
earlier this year and resigned in October.

Tamez surrendered to authorities on Monday morning and is expected to be
arraigned later in the day. No information was immediately available on the
name of his defense lawyer.

The charges against him include mail fraud, which carries a possible maximum
20-year prison term.

He is accused of embezzling about $138,488 between December 1999 and
February 2003 by submitting false paperwork to the DEA cashier. He is also
charged with illegally obtaining information from law enforcement computer
systems and databases and using DEA personnel and resources for work he did
for a private investigations firm.

The indictment charges that Tamez had used several aliases to work for the
firm.
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MAP posted-by: Josh