[Vision2020] Patriot Act used vs. common crime

Dale Courtney dmcourtn@moscow.com
Mon, 15 Sep 2003 12:12:24 -0700


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Patriot Act used vs. common crime
By David B. Caruso
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHILADELPHIA - In the two years since law enforcement agencies gained fresh
powers to help them track down and punish terrorists, police and prosecutors
have increasingly turned the force of the new laws not on al-Qaida cells but
on people charged with common crimes.

The Justice Department said it has used authority given to it by the USA
Patriot Act to crack down on currency smugglers and seize money hidden
overseas by alleged bookies, con artists and drug dealers.

Federal prosecutors used the act in June to file a charge of "terrorism
using a weapon of mass destruction" against a California man after a pipe
bomb exploded in his lap, wounding him as he sat in his car.

A North Carolina county prosecutor charged a man accused of running a
methamphetamine lab with breaking a new state law barring the manufacture of
chemical weapons. If convicted, Martin Dwayne Miller could get 12 years to
life in prison for a crime that usually brings about six months.

Prosecutor Jerry Wilson says he isn't abusing the law, which defines
chemical weapons of mass destruction as "any substance that is designed or
has the capability to cause death or serious injury" and contains toxic
chemicals.

Civil liberties and legal defense groups are bothered by the string of cases
and say the government soon will be routinely using harsh anti-terrorism
laws against run-of-the-mill lawbreakers.

"Within six months of passing the Patriot Act, the Justice Department was
conducting seminars on how to stretch the new wiretapping provisions to
extend them beyond terror cases," said Dan Dodson, a spokesman for the
National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. "They say they want the
Patriot Act to fight terrorism. Then, within six months, they are teaching
their people how to use it on ordinary citizens."

Prosecutors aren't apologizing.

Attorney General John Ashcroft completed a 16-city tour last week defending
the Patriot Act as key to preventing a second catastrophic terrorist attack.
Federal prosecutors have brought more than 250 criminal charges under the
law, with more than 130 convictions or guilty pleas.

The law, passed two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, erased
many restrictions that had barred the government from spying on its
citizens, granting agents new powers to use wiretaps, conduct electronic and
computer eavesdropping and access private financial data.

Stefan Cassella, deputy chief for legal policy for the Justice Department's
asset forfeiture and money laundering section, said that while the Patriot
Act's primary focus was on terrorism, lawmakers were aware it contained
provisions that had been on prosecutors' wish lists for years and would be
used in a wide variety of cases.

In one case prosecuted this year, investigators used a provision of the
Patriot Act to recover $4.5 million from a group of telemarketers accused of
tricking elderly U.S. citizens into thinking they had won the Canadian
lottery.

Before the anti-terrorism act, U.S. officials would have had to use
international treaties and appeal for help from foreign governments to
retrieve the cash, deposited in banks in Jordan and Israel. Now, they simply
seized it from assets held by those banks in the United States.
  _____  

Best,
Dale
----------
Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you
realize it was your money to start with.

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<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3D6>Patriot Act used vs. common =
crime</FONT></STRONG><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" color=3D#000000 size=3D+1><BR><STRONG>By David =
B.=20
Caruso</STRONG><BR>THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<BR><BR>PHILADELPHIA - In the two =
years=20
since law enforcement agencies gained fresh powers to help them track =
down and=20
punish terrorists, police and prosecutors have increasingly turned the =
force of=20
the new laws not on al-Qaida cells but on people charged with common=20
crimes.<BR><BR>The Justice Department said it has used authority given =
to it by=20
the USA Patriot Act to crack down on currency smugglers and seize money =
hidden=20
overseas by alleged bookies, con artists and drug =
dealers.<BR><BR>Federal=20
prosecutors used the act in June to file a charge of "terrorism using a =
weapon=20
of mass destruction" against a California man after a pipe bomb exploded =
in his=20
lap, wounding him as he sat in his car.<BR><BR>A North Carolina county=20
prosecutor charged a man accused of running a methamphetamine lab with =
breaking=20
a new state law barring the manufacture of chemical weapons. If =
convicted,=20
Martin Dwayne Miller could get 12 years to life in prison for a crime =
that=20
usually brings about six months.<BR><BR>Prosecutor Jerry Wilson says he =
isn't=20
abusing the law, which defines chemical weapons of mass destruction as =
"any=20
substance that is designed or has the capability to cause death or =
serious=20
injury" and contains toxic chemicals.<BR><BR>Civil liberties and legal =
defense=20
groups are bothered by the string of cases and say the government soon =
will be=20
routinely using harsh anti-terrorism laws against run-of-the-mill=20
lawbreakers.<BR><BR>"Within six months of passing the Patriot Act, the =
Justice=20
Department was conducting seminars on how to stretch the new wiretapping =

provisions to extend them beyond terror cases," said Dan Dodson, a =
spokesman for=20
the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys. "They say they =
want the=20
Patriot Act to fight terrorism. Then, within six months, they are =
teaching their=20
people how to use it on ordinary citizens."<BR><BR>Prosecutors aren't=20
apologizing.<BR><BR>Attorney General John Ashcroft completed a 16-city =
tour last=20
week defending the Patriot Act as key to preventing a second =
catastrophic=20
terrorist attack. Federal prosecutors have brought more than 250 =
criminal=20
charges under the law, with more than 130 convictions or guilty=20
pleas.<BR><BR>The law, passed two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, =
terror=20
attacks, erased many restrictions that had barred the government from =
spying on=20
its citizens, granting agents new powers to use wiretaps, conduct =
electronic and=20
computer eavesdropping and access private financial data.<BR><BR>Stefan=20
Cassella, deputy chief for legal policy for the Justice Department's =
asset=20
forfeiture and money laundering section, said that while the Patriot =
Act's=20
primary focus was on terrorism, lawmakers were aware it contained =
provisions=20
that had been on prosecutors' wish lists for years and would be used in =
a wide=20
variety of cases.<BR><BR>In one case prosecuted this year, investigators =
used a=20
provision of the Patriot Act to recover $4.5 million from a group of=20
telemarketers accused of tricking elderly U.S. citizens into thinking =
they had=20
won the Canadian lottery.<BR><BR>Before the anti-terrorism act, U.S. =
officials=20
would have had to use international treaties and appeal for help from =
foreign=20
governments to retrieve the cash, deposited in banks in Jordan and =
Israel. Now,=20
they simply seized it from assets held by those banks in the United=20
States.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<HR>
</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Best,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Vladimir Script" color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D5>Dale</FONT><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D4><BR>----------<BR><B><FONT=20
color=3D#000099><EM>Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, =
which lasts=20
until you realize it was your money to start=20
with.</EM></FONT></B></FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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