Re: To Be Viewed By The Addressees Only - Important / Urgent
Mr. Carter and Mr. Hoover,
I have received information that will likely be very embarrassing to ATF. I am writing to give you a heads up. This matter appears to be taking on a life of its own.
My dispute with our agency is no secret but I never stopped being an ATF Agent or supporting ATF. That is why I am writing you.
Briefly, a Stanislaus County investigator and Sheriff's Department Sergeant have been removed from duty and/or their assignment to the Gang Intelligence team. The investigator is rumored to be under indictment. The indictment is reportedly based on allegations of the supervisor leaking confidential information to a suspect/defendant.
This is the compromise to ATF: The Officers and I were involved in an investigation of ***********. ************ is a retired Sheriff's Lieutenant who has close ties and believed to have become a member of the Hells Angels. ************ was a long-standing target of investigation for the Stanislaus Sheriff's Office.
During the ************ investigation the Officers independently decided that they were going to initiate a Federal wiretap of ************ . This technique was premature, unethical and illegal. As you know the justification for a wiretap is extensive. The Sheriff's officers openly as well as secreted from ATF, stated that they intended to circumvent the application process. They intended to lie about failed investigative techniques that had allegedly been exhausted to justify the tap.
At this time ATF investigation of ************ was progressing well. As the ATF case agent I had two ATF Agents undercover on the case who had quickly managed to gain direct first-hand access to *********** and many of his associates. I have recorded conversations that display the criminal nature and intent of *************.
I opposed the wiretap plan from both investigative and ethical positions. From an ethical perspective I advised both the Officers and others on our task force that I would not support or turn a blind eye to their desire to take a shortcut to a wiretap. Again, it was premature and, at this stage, illegal.
Our disagreements on this topic became heated. I aggressively stood my ground for ATF, for my investigation and for my own integrity. I believed that I was serving as a champion for all of those causes. I have documentation from Assistant United States Attorney Laurel Montoya to this effect.
Seeing that I was the lone obstacle to their wiretap plan the Officers made an 'end run' to have me removed from the case. They contacted my San Francisco supervisors and advised them that I was not a team player, that I was disruptive, selfish, a hindrance to the progress of the case, etc.
The ATF supervisors accepted the bad mouthing of me and removed me from the investigation. I advised my supervisors what the motivation of the Officers was in having me removed (illegal wiretap). My supervisors decided to back the now alleged corrupt officers and removed me from the case. With my dismissal the ATF undercover element was lost.
Now, without any opposition the Officers had cleared their way to obtain a Federal wiretap with the help of the FBI and U.S. Attorneys Office. The Officers committed perjury in their application affidavit for the tap.
The wiretap investigation led to a RICO indictment against ************ and 11 others.
The point of this message is that I documented my opposition to the Officers and the wiretap. I made my position known to many inside and outside of ATF.
With the anticipated indictment against the District Attorneys Chief of Investigations, RICO case against ************ will likely be dismissed as the evidence was gained through illegal methods and means.
The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office are going to be left in a humiliated position. The word is already on the street that ATF was aware of the compromise and did nothing to protect the government against it (which sadly is true).
It is widely known that I had stated and documented that the wiretap plan was illegal when it was first being discussed.
ATF SF supervisors essentially backed the fraudulent plan of these State/Local Supervisors and unethical Officers over their own agent.
There have been attempts to contact me by ************ 's defense attorneys. They apparently have become aware of the true story.
I need some guidance from you on how I should proceed. I will always tell the truth but, this situation has the potential to be humiliating to ATF since our supervisors chose to take the side of dirty cops and burned down the lone agent who was willing to stand up to their corruption.
Whether or not you have the ability or desire to 'do the right thing' in this matter and help protect ATF (and thus protect me) I do not know but, I have an overwhelming sense of vindication that the truth is finally being exposed and the original stance that I took which has caused me so much conflict was the right one.
This is not the point of my message but I believe it is now worth stating. My ATF supervisors with the assistance of ATF Counsel, used fraudulent and malicious slander against me from persons now allegedly under indictment for criminal violations, law enforcement ethics violations and known to be completely lacking in credibility to destroy my reputation, finances and career.
This ex-post facto exoneration does not compensate me, my reputation, my career or the suffering my family has endured for 3 years. The truth has been known all along by the ATF managers and counsel involved, but the compelling need to "win" at all cost outweighed the sometimes difficult decision to "do the right thing".
Sincerely,
***********
