CONTACT: Gina Balaya (313) 226-9758
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 

Alan M. Gershel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, Mark Kroczynski, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Detroit Field Office, and Willie T. Hulon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that a Superseding Indictment was issued today against Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (a/k/a Chris Webber, a/k/a C Webb), his father, Mayce Webber, Jr. (a/k/a Deacon Webber), and his aunt, attorney Charlene Johnson, charging them with conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false declarations before a grand jury.

The nine-count Superseding Indictment against Webber, his father, and his aunt alleges that Webber, his father, and his aunt conspired with each other to obstruct justice in an effort to conceal the cash, checks, clothing, jewelry, and other benefits provided to Chris Webber and his family by Eddie L. Martin from 1988 until in or about 1993.

The Superseding Indictment also charges that on June 14, 2000, Mayce Webber, Jr. testified falsely before a Federal grand jury by knowingly misleading and lying to the grand jury regarding the amounts of money, obligations and expenses, paid to and on behalf of himself and his son by Eddie L. Martin. In addition, on August 2, 2000, Chris Webber and Charlene Johnson testified falsely before a federal grand jury by knowingly misleading and lying to the grand jury regarding the amounts of money, obligations and expenses, paid to and on behalf of Chris Webber by Eddie L. Martin.

The maximum penalty on each count is five years imprisonment with a maximum fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Organized Crime Strike Force Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit. To date, fifteen (15) defendants have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the investigation.

The Superseding Indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The Defendants are entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the Government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  The trial of this matter is scheduled for July 8, 2003 before the Honorable Nancy G. Edmunds, U.S. District Judge.