Pubdate: Mon, 19 Sep 2005 Source: Daily Press (Newport News,VA) Copyright: 2005 The Daily Press Contact: http://www.dailypress.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/585 Author: David Chernicky FROM A 'FREEDOM FLIGHT' TO A FIGHT FOR JUSTICE For The Past Five Years, Fernando Groene Has Been Leading Federal Prosecutions On The Peninsula. NEWPORT NEWS -- Assistant U.S. Attorney Fernando Groene has prosecuted some of the Peninsula's most notorious criminals - high-level drug dealers, money launderers, murderers, gun traffickers and white-collar thieves. On Sept. 26, trials will start in Norfolk for the remaining defendants in Operation Blowfish - a joint investigation of the Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The investigation exposed an international drug network that imported millions of dollars in cocaine and marijuana from Mexico, across the border to Texas and then into Hampton Roads and Richmond. As manager of the Peninsula division, Groene supervises five full-time prosecutors and three special assistants from the local commonwealth's attorney's offices. Their offices are in the Langley Federal Credit Union Building at City Center in Oyster Point. Groene, 48, speaks fluent Spanish and lives in Williamsburg with his wife and four children. Q: When you were a young boy, you lived in Cuba. How did you and your family escape? A: Freedom flights. My father was fortunate enough to be able to buy a U.S. visa for my mother, sister and me. We left in 1962. Q: Where did you settle once you left Cuba? A: We lived in Miami for 15 months, then our family moved to Puerto Rico. After high school, I came to the United States to attend Tulane University. I took a year off to work as a law clerk for the district attorney in New Orleans. I graduated from Northwestern University Law School in 1984. Q: What was your first job out of law school? A: A trial lawyer with the Justice Department's civil rights division, working on voting cases. After 27 months, I was hired as an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Arlington. Four and a half years later, I began working as assistant U.S. attorney in the Alexandria office. Q: Two years ago, you sought a federal judgeship in Norfolk. Were you bitter you didn't get the job? A: I wasn't disappointed. I believe God has a plan for each and every one of us, and his plan for me was to continue prosecuting drug dealers, violent criminals and gun runners and serving the citizens of the Peninsula and the United States. Last year, I was considered for director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, and that didn't pan out, either. I think I'm a better person now for trying. Q: Did you have any heroes, people you idolized growing up? A: My sports hero has always been Mickey Mantle. I got to see him play once at Yankee Stadium and once in an exhibition game in Puerto Rico. Today, I'd have to say Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. Q: What are some of your more memorable cases? A: A Peninsula prosecution I remember quite well was Operation JAM (acronym for Jamaicans And Money), a drug and money-laundering case from 1997 that involved Peninsula real estate executive Richard Teagle Sr. Teagle's primary role was to launder drug money and allow some of his properties to be used as stash houses. He was tried with two major suppliers from California. Because of his poor health, he would sit on a hospital bed in the courtroom, an oxygen bottle at his side. The judge declared a mistrial after the first week. Q: You've worked with Justice officials from a number of Latin American countries in recent years. Can you briefly explain this program? A: The Justice Department's criminal division has this program where federal prosecutors, judges and law enforcement officials work with developing and non-developed countries that desire to improve their legal systems. Some are wrought with inefficiency and corruption and operate under the old inquisitorial system, instead of adversarial or trial by jury. I think it's a noble mission, and I'm honored. Q: Do you see the number of Peninsula cases increasing? A: The more prosecutors you have - and more importantly, the more law enforcement agencies you have - the more cases you're going to have. Criminals don't go home at 5 o'clock on Fridays. It's difficult for us to impact criminal behavior. All we can do is work as hard as we can with the resources we have and investigate crimes and assemble quality, winnable cases. Q: What determines a successful prosecution? Is it the government's ability to win a guilty plea, thereby avoiding the expense of a trial? A: Our job isn't to get guilty pleas. Our job is to make sure the defendant receives a fair sentence and that we prevent future crimes. A defendant has the opportunity to reduce his or her sentence by providing information about other crimes. If you want to look at it from a sociological viewpoint, it's sort of like an alcoholic or smoker who admits he or she has a problem. The first step for the defendant is to realize he or she has violated the law and then accept responsibility. Q: Is it true you'll be taking a leave of absence from your position as the managing federal prosecutor for the Peninsula division to work with a Latin American country? A: Yes. I've accepted a temporary detail as resident legal adviser to an anti-corruption, anti-money-laundering task force in Nicaragua. It's a model program of the U.S. State Department, Department of Justice and others. It's a challenging assignment and a tremendous honor. I'm excited. Q: When does the assignment begin? A: I report to the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua later this month or early October. Q: How do you relax? A: I like to spend time with my family. I like to hike and go to the beach, although I don't do that very often. I also like to smoke a cigar once in a while. Q: What's your favorite TV show? A: I don't watch a lot of TV, but my favorite is "Law & Order" because it's more realistic. - --- MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman