DEBRA W. YANG
United States Attorney
Central District of California
Thom Mrozek, Public Affairs Officer
(213) 894-6947
thom.mrozek@usdoj.gov
February 11, 2005
MAN WHO IMPERSONATED FEDERAL AGENTS SENTENCED TO OVER FOUR YEARS IN FEDERAL EXTORTION CASE
A Long Beach man previously convicted twice of impersonating federal agents has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for a third offense of impersonating an FBI agent for the purpose of extorting a small business.
Larry Cornell Diamond Jr., 26, was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to 51 months in prison by United States District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Marshall noted Diamond's prior two offenses for very similar conduct and the threats of violence involved in the third offense.
Diamond has also been ordered to serve an additional year in prison consecutive to the 51-month term for committing the third offense while he was on supervised release from his second conviction. He could receive even more prison time in the near future when United States District Judge Edward Rafeedie will consider whether Diamond violated supervised release in the first case.
In the most recent case, Diamond was found guilty in 2004 of interfering with commerce through extortion under the color of official right (a Hobbs Act violation) and two counts of impersonating a federal agent for a monetary benefit. The evidence showed that Diamond impersonated a federal agent in order to receive a contract to collect an outstanding debt that a local hardware company owed to a Chinese company. Diamond went to the hardware company dressed like a law enforcement officer - he was wearing all black displaying a badge - and claimed that he was an FBI agent with the American Consulate. He then threatened to arrest the owner unless the owner paid $10,000 (instead of the $30,000 actual debt) directly to Diamond. After the money was paid, Diamond promised to then contact the "Judge" and make the debt go away.
The victim notified the police, who instructed the victim to ask Diamond to return to the hardware store for a new $10,000 check. Diamond did return - again wearing a badge and this time a BB gun that looked like a Glock 9mm handgun - and he was arrested.
In the first case, Diamond was convicted by a jury on March 22, 2000, of impersonating an FBI agent in order to search the residence of a young woman. On October 16, 2000, Diamond pleaded guilty to again impersonating an FBI agent while he was on bond pending sentencing in the first matter. United States District Judge Edward Rafeedie sentenced Diamond to 18 months imprisonment in the first case, while United States District Judge Stephen Wilson sentenced Diamond to 14 months federal prison for the second case.
All three cases against Diamond were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Release No. 05-026
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