TAX EVADER VIOLATES SUPERVISED RELEASE BY DEALING IN FIREARMS

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Lorraine Johnson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; and Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, announced today that on April 22, 2003, United States District Judge Shelby Highsmith found Lawrence Bril, who had previously been convicted of tax evasion, in violation of the terms of his supervised release. Bril violated the terms of his supervised release by possessing and being in constructive possession of numerous machine guns and other firearms, engaging in the business of dealing in firearms, and violating the previous order of Judge Highsmith to fully cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service in determining and paying his tax liability for the year of his tax evasion conviction.

Bril served a sentence of one year and one day for the tax evasion conviction prior to beginning his term of three years’ supervised release. Judge Highsmith sentenced Bril to 18 months’ imprisonment and 18 months’ supervised release based upon his conviction for violating the terms of his supervised release.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Lehner.