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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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November 20th,
2007 - Judge Proposes Moving Wilkes, Foggo Trial to Virginia |
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Judge Proposes Moving
Wilkes, Foggo Trial to Virginia By Jose Luis Jiménez San Diego Union-Tribune November 20, 2007 The second criminal case of
a Poway defense contractor convicted of bribing former Rep. Randy “Duke”
Cunningham may head to the East Coast. Brent Wilkes and Kyle
“Dusty” Foggo – the former No. 3 official at the CIA – are charged with
numerous counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. Wilkes and Foggo, friends
since childhood, have pleaded not guilty. During a hearing yesterday,
Judge Larry A. Burns said moving the case to the Eastern District of Virginia
– its main courthouse is in Alexandria – would make it easier for the 90
percent of the potential witnesses who live on the East Coast. Further, judges there are
experienced in dealing with cases involving classified information that needs
to be shared with the defense. Foggo's position in the CIA has made
classified information a key issue. If Wilkes' pending motion to
overturn his conviction Nov. 5 is denied, Burns signaled that Wilkes may be
taken into custody immediately. That would give the government the option of
trying him anywhere in the country. The motion argues the case was tainted by
media leaks of secret grand jury proceedings before the contractor was
indicted. Wilkes was convicted of
conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and honest services wire fraud for
bribing Cunningham in return for government contracts. Prosecutors and defense
attorneys are expected to research the issue of moving the trial and discuss
it again at hearing Dec. 18. Prosecutors say Foggo used
his CIA position to slip Wilkes classified information that the contractor
used to gain the inside track on lucrative military contracts. In return, Wilkes provided
Foggo, a former executive director of the CIA, with expensive trips and
high-priced meals and promised him a job upon leaving the government,
prosecutors say. The case stems from the
scandal in which Cunningham, a Republican congressman from Rancho Santa Fe,
pleaded guilty in November 2005 to conspiracy and tax evasion, after
admitting he took $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors, including
Wilkes. Cunningham is serving eight
years in federal prison. External link: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071120-9999-1m20wilkes.html |