2002-12-23 -- Bridgeforth, Michael -- Guilty Plea -- News Release

INS Employee Admits Embezzling Thousands in Money Orders from INS Applicants

NEWARK - A former employee of the Immigration and Naturalization Service admitted today that he embezzled thousands of dollars in money orders that applicants for INS benefits had submitted as filing fees, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Michael L. Bridgeforth, 35, of Yonkers, pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with knowingly embezzling and converting to his use money exceeding the sum of $1,000 that belonged to the INS. Bridgeforth pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge John W. Bissell. No sentencing date was set.

Bridgeforth faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence will be based on a formula that takes into account the severity and characteristics of the offense and the defendant's criminal history, if any. Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Under Sentencing Guidelines, defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all of that time.

In pleading guilty, Bridgeforth, who worked as an information officer at the INS office in Federal Square in Newark, admitted that he took money orders from numerous applicants paying filing fees for immigration-status services and deposited them into his own bank account.

Bridgeforth, who had worked at INS for approximately 16 years, specifically admitted that, in April 2001, he met with three INS applicants who had overstayed their visas and were applying for an adjustment in their alien status. Bridgeforth admitted that he accepted $4,300 in money orders from those individuals and kept them for himself.

Christie credited agents of the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Louie F. Allen in Newark

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hammer, of the U.S. Attorney's Office Special Prosecutions Division.

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Defense Counsel: John Yauch, Esq. Federal Public Defender's Office, Newark