FORMER DEA AGENT PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY, TAX CHARGES

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced that Emilio Calatayud, 35, who worked as a Special Agent with the Los Angeles Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA") for 14 years, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Los Angeles to one count of Bribery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(2), three counts of Subscribing to a False Tax Return in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(a), and one count of Having Failed to Appear for Trial in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3146(a)(1).

The investigation revealed that between 1993 and 1999, Calatayud misused his official position as a DEA agent to corruptly access DEA and other protected law enforcement computer systems to obtain criminal history and other sensitive information concerning individuals being investigated by a Los Angeles private investigations firm. Calatayud demanded bribes in return for disclosing the confidential information, and was paid a total of at least $22,500 by the private investigations firm. Calatayud failed to report any of this illegitimate income on his federal income tax returns.

Calatayud was scheduled to go on trial on Feb. 5, 2002, but failed to appear and fled to Mexico. He was apprehended by Mexican authorities on June 6, 2002 and expelled from Mexico back to the United States, to face the initial charges against him, along with the additional charge for jumping bail. He remains in custody in the United States.

Calatayud will be sentenced by the Honorable William J. Rea, Senior U.S. District Judge, on Nov. 18, 2002. Calatayud faces a maximum penalty of 34 years imprisonment, a $1,250,000 fine and five years supervised release.

The case is being jointly prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office in Los Angeles and the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. An extensive investigation was conducted by DEA's Office of Professional Responsibility in Washington, D.C., and the Los Angeles offices of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and the United States Secret Service. The United States Marshal's Service, assisted by the DEA and FBI, located and captured Calatayud after he fled prosecution.

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