A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was found guilty of bribery for allowing vehicles carrying drugs and illegal migrants to cross the border.
Testimonies revealed that Leonard George received $17,000 per vehicle from organizations seeking drugs across the border.
Earlier this week, a former U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was convicted of accepting bribes from groups seeking to smuggle drugs and illegal migrants across the southern border, according to the Department of Justice.
On Monday, a federal jury convicted Leonard Darnell George of bribery, conspiracy to smuggle drugs, and two counts of trafficking aliens for profit.
Over a six-month period, George, who was accused by the DOJ of working for two criminal organizations, allowed vehicles carrying meth and other illegal drugs, as well as vehicles with illegal migrants, to pass through his lane into the U.S.
Prosecutors and law enforcement agents concluded that George facilitated about 19 crossings by criminal organizations over a six-month period.
In the trial, witnesses revealed that George would facilitate the passage of vehicles through the San Diego border crossing at the San Ysidro Port of Entry from late 2021 to mid-2022. They stated that he would communicate with members of a drug trafficking organization while at work, informing them which lane he was working in, and allowing them an hour to arrive.
In February 2022, a vehicle suspected of drug smuggling by law enforcement agents entered George's lane, prompting him to send it to secondary inspection where approximately 222 pounds of meth was discovered.
George allowed a second vehicle carrying over 200 pounds of drugs to enter the U.S. after it passed the flagged vehicle.
On Valentine's Day, George bought a 2020 Cadillac CT5 as a gift for an associate of a drug trafficking organization, using the $13,000 he received the previous day for allowing a vehicle to cross the border, according to the DOJ.
In order to conceal what he was allowing, he would either change the names of the drivers coming through his lane or omit passengers altogether.
The DOJ stated that text messages from the trial revealed that George accepted $17,000 per vehicle from criminals in exchange for allowing them to pass through his lane. Additionally, one message confirmed that he received $68,000 after allowing four vehicles from one organization to pass through his lane in June 2022.
According to the DOJ, a witness testified that George would use the money to purchase vehicles, motorcycles, and jewelry. Additionally, he would frequently travel to Tijuana to visit the Hong Kong Gentleman's Club and would spend approximately $5,000 per trip on gifts for the dancers, including showering them with money and buying them alcohol.
""Anyone considering trading in their badge for cash should take note of the jury's verdict, which sent a clear message through U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath: abandoning the integrity of the uniform for the conspiracy of drug trafficking is a path to a criminal conviction," said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath."
According to the DOJ news release, George will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Sept. 13 and could receive a maximum of life in prison with a mandatory 10-year minimum.
us
You might also like
- In the Bryan Kohberger case, a judge in Idaho hears a defense motion regarding the murders.
- A fire broke out in Los Angeles County, prompting officials to issue evacuation orders.
- As fears of ICE raids intensify, a bustling Chicago district, often referred to as the "Mexico of the Midwest," has become a ghost town.
- Injured in a shooting at Antioch High School in Tennessee, three people were left in a lockdown.
- A German national who worked at the Pentagon during 9/11 was allegedly killed by a Vermont Border Patrol agent, according to the family.