News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2003

Federal Jury Convists Woburn Electronics Company Owner For Participating In Computer Theft Ring

Boston, MA… A federal trial jury after 6 hours of deliberation, convicted a Revere man today for his participation in a scheme to steal interstate shipments of computer related products.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Michael J. Sullivan, United States Attorney; Gordon S. Heddell, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering; and Paul F. Evans, Commissioner of the Boston Police Department, announced that BRUCE SCOTT ZISKIND, age 45, of 382 Ocean Avenue, Revere, Massachusetts, was convicted today by a federal jury sitting before U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock on one count of conspiracy and two counts of theft of goods in interstate commerce.

Evidence presented during the nine-day trail proved that ZISKIND, who owned and operated Tufts Electronics Co. located at 67 Cummings Park in Woburn, Massachusetts, participated with convicted Charlestown organized crime figure John "Mick" Murray in a scheme to steal computer related shipments from the United Parcel Service (UPS) facility located in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The scheme utilized UPS drivers who were members of local 25 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) also located in Charlestown. Murray used his affiliation with IBT local 25 to organize a group of drivers to steal shipments from their delivery trucks and from the Chelmsford facility. ZISKIND identified valuable shipments to the drivers and operated as a "fence" for the group.

Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for May 8, 2003 at 3:00 pm. ZISKIND faces a maximum sentence of ten years' incarceration on each on each of the two counts of theft of goods in interstate commerce. ZISKIND also faces a maximum sentence of five years' incarceration on the conspiracy count.

John Joseph Murray, a/k/a "Mick Murray", age 47, of 17 Essex Street, Charlestown, Massachusetts, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reginald C. Lindsay on November 12, 2002 to 9 years and 4 months' incarceration for his role in the scheme and other charges. Murray had pleaded guilty on July 1, 2002 to twelve counts of racketeering, extortion, embezzlement, and interstate transportation of stolen property.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan noted that the convictions of ZISKIND and Murray are part of the government's effort to eliminate organized crime in Charlestown and to free IBT Local 25 from the influence of that organized crime element.

This case is being investigated by the DEA; the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering; the Massachusetts State Police; detectives with the Boston Police Department's Major Case Unit; and agents with the Everett Police Department.