Posted on 02/15/2007 1:37:43 PM PST by NormsRevenge
A former border inspector was sentenced Thursday to five years in federal prison for guiding hundreds of illegal immigrants through his checkpoint booth in exchange for taking at least $70,000 from a smuggling ring.
Michael Anthony Gilliland, a 44-year-old former Marine and 16-year border agent, pleaded guilty in September to letting illegal immigrants through San Diego's Otay Mesa port of entry in exchange for bribes.
Gilliland and five others coordinated smuggling operations and deliberately failed to record vehicles that ferried immigrants through border lanes under his supervision, according to court documents. He was arrested in June.
Four other co-conspirators have been sentenced to shorter prison terms their roles in the ring. A fifth co-conspirator, Aurora Torres Lopez, is scheduled to be sentenced later in the month.
Gilliland was also ordered to pay $200,000 in fines.
Prosecutors said Gilliland had taken between $70,000 and $120,000 from Torres and her group since 2004.
Wiretaps described in court documents recorded Gilliland, who worked the graveyard shift, speaking in code with Torres and another female accomplice about his schedule and how many immigrants would be coming through his lane.
Gilliland has been under house arrest, monitored by an electronic ankle bracelet, since posting $750,000 bond earlier this summer.
U.S. District Court Judge John A. Houston ordered Gilliland to surrender March 16.
Customs and Border Protection has seen a number of corruption cases recently.
Another San Diego border inspector, Richard Elizalda, pleaded guilty to one count of accepting bribes as a public official and two counts of bringing illegal aliens into the country for financial gain. Prosecutors said he sent text messages directing drivers to his inspection lane at the San Ysidro border crossing and then waved them through.
He faces up to 35 years in prison and $820,000 in fines.
I guess he would have gotten 10-12 years for keeping them out. /s
IBJB Mention
hang on..two guys are in prison because they tried to STOP a drug runner, now this guy is going to prison for NOT stopping them..
this is as confusing as trying to understand a liberal..
Hmmmff. Probably wouldn't give his bosses a cut.
Seems to me it was time 20 years ago to trash the entire gubmint and start all over again back at 1776.
You can't let em in, you can't shoot em in the ass. What are you gonna do?
As far as I'm concerned the fines and punishment should be far harsher for people who use their positions to do exactly the opposite of what their jobs require.
It's still time
but this time we make an artificial reef out of all the lawyers first.
Damned if they do and damned if they don't!!
In case anyone had doubts, this and the two BP agents sentencing for shooting at the guy trying to sneak drugs in is clear proof that our own government is trying to wreck the BP and force so many defections NO ONE will join or serve in the BP or on the border!!!
IMO, this is becoming actionable by those of us still hoping to preserve our sovereignty.
He'll get off, reduced or commuted sentancing on the first appeal. I can see it now.
Schizo government! Jail time if you let em in and jail time if you keep em out.
Pathetic mess!
then most of Congress should be severely punished.
"Prosecutors said Gilliland had taken between $70,000 and $120,000 from Torres and her group since 2004."
And what is the worth of the dollar value in the successful political bribe of the Mexican government and the Mexican political class in getting Clinton, Bush and the U.S. Congress to look the other way as millions were knowingly SENT across illegally.
The big political crooks get to use their official positions to excuse their perfidy while the little crooks are used for the public spectacle of pretending that something is being done.
If we were to fine and punish those that have turned a blind eye to allowing illegals in in exchange for money or other things you'd have a long list. The list would include the Governor of Texas, members of Congress and the President too.
What is the difference between this guy and a Congressman who shows up at a La Raza-inspired fundraiser?
shoot the liberals ass?
Works for me.
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