FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         CRM
FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1997                             (202) 616-2777
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

                                 


   MARTINS PLEAD GUILTY AND ARE SENTENCED IN CELL PHONE CASE


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Charles R. Wilson, United States
Attorney for the Middle District of Florida, and Scott Charney,
Chief of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of
the Justice Department's Criminal Division, jointly announced
that John and Alice Martin of Columbia County, Florida, today
pleaded guilty to  intentionally intercepting the radio portion
of a cellular telephone call, in violation of Title 18, United
States Code, Section 2511(1)(a) and 2511(4)(b)(ii).  United
States District Court Judge Harvey Schlesinger in Jacksonville,
Florida accepted their pleas and sentenced them to a fine of $500
each.  The statute does not provide for a term of imprisonment,
and the maximum fine permitted under the statute is $5,000.  

     The communication that was illegally intercepted took place
on December 21, 1996, and was a conference call among Speaker of
the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich and others. 

     The case was handled by the United States Attorney's Office
for the Middle District of Florida, in conjunction with the
Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Justice
Department's Criminal Division.  The investigation is being
handled by the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.  


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