Texas Man Sentenced for Presentation of False Information to Customs Officers

           BUFFALO, N.Y.--   U.S. Attorney, William J. Hochul, Jr., announced that Mark Logan, 63, of Southlake, Texas, pleaded guilty to presenting false information to customs officers and sentenced to pay a $5,000 fine by U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio.

            Assistant U.S. Attorney Maura K. O'Donnell, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was President of Nevada Classics, a classic car dealership, in Las Vegas, Nevada. In that role, Logan facilitated the sale and transportation of a 1957 replica Shelby Cobra automobile from a Canadian seller to a buyer in the United States. William Corum, a contractor who had done work for Nevada Classics in the past, was paid by the buyer to transport the vehicle over the U.S. border, using Nevada Classics dealer license plates. In an effort to circumvent importation restrictions, Logan instructed Corum to tell Customs and Border Protection Officers that the vehicle was being transported into the U.S. for one day, for a car show.

            Customs and Border Protection Officers suspected that the vehicle was in fact being illegally imported into the U.S. for sale, and initiated further investigation into the matter. The vehicle, which is worth approximately $85,000, was seized by officers.

            The plea and sentencing are the result of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero and Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of James Engleman, Director of Field Operations.