Reuters by Jonathan Stempel - August 17, 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Preet Bharara, the new U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, on Monday elevated several prosecutors to senior positions, after he earlier this month took over one of the nation's top law enforcement jobs. Boyd Johnson, who handled a probe of a prostitution ring used by former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, was named deputy U.S. attorney, the office's No. 2 official. Johnson was previously chief of the office's public corruption and international narcotics and trafficking units, and joined the office in 1999. Four people pleaded guilty in connection with the prostitution ring, known as Emperors Club VIP. Spitzer was not charged, but resigned as governor last year after his name surfaced in the scandal. Raymond Lohier was named chief of the criminal division's securities and commodities fraud task force. He was previously deputy chief of that unit, and oversaw the narcotics unit. Lohier was among those involved in the prosecution of Marc Dreier, a lawyer sentenced last month to 20 years in prison for a $400 million investment fund fraud. Miriam Rocah was named chief of the criminal division's organized crime unit. Previously, she was deputy chief of that unit and the narcotics unit. She joined the office in 2001. Daniel Stein, who joined the office in 2003, was named chief of the criminal division's public corruption unit. He previously worked in that unit as well as in the international narcotics trafficking unit.
In a statement, Bharara said: "These exceptional attorneys have distinguished themselves as fair, tenacious and respected prosecutors." Bharara is a former chief counsel to Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, and helped oversee a congressional investigation into the Bush administration's firing of eight U.S. attorneys in 2006. Lev Dassin had been acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York since late last year. Dassin left the office this month, a spokeswoman for the office said, and it was not immediately clear what his future plans were. The office handles federal cases in Manhattan, Bronx and six other counties in southeast New York state. Its case load has in recent months included convicted swindler Bernard Madoff and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme. Among Bharara's predecessors as U.S. attorney are Robert Morgenthau, now the Manhattan district attorney, and Rudolph Giuliani, who later became mayor of New York City and a Republican candidate for U.S. president. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel, Editing by Tim Dobbyn)
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The Wall Street Journal Blog - March 14, 2008
First thing’s first this morning: A big LB shout-out to the SDNY prosecutors. We’ve been so wrapped up with Spitzer’s fancy defense team, Don Buchwald’s assignment of the century, and, courtesy of the NY Post, this morning’s revelation that “Kristen” sports a belly tattoo that reads “tutela valui” (”fair value” in Latin), that we forgot all about the government lawyers working the other side of what might be the most high-profile prostitution bust of all time. Thanks to LB colleague Amir Efrati, we can shine a light on Boyd M. Johnson III, the head of the public-corruption unit at the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, which last week brought the case against four defendants on prostitution and money-laundering charges. Johnson, 40, prosecuted a number of high-profile international drug figures — such as Afghan heroin kingpin Baz Mohammad — before being appointed to jump-start the public-corruption unit in 2006, the report says. Incidentally, the same unit was once run by Michele Hirshman, the Paul Weiss partner who’s now representing Spitzer.
As a former chief of the international narcotics-trafficking unit of the U.S. attorney’s office and in his current role, Johnson developed close ties to FBI agents, including those in the agency’s public-corruption squad in New York, known as C14, which investigated the prostitution ring. Those relationships are important because agents can bring cases to prosecutors in multiple districts. Johnson, a married father of two, is a Connecticut native who graduated from Hamilton College and Cornell Law School. He joined Gibson Dunn in the mid-1990’s after a federal-judicial clerkship in California. Randy Mastro, a Gibson Dunn partner and the former deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani, supervised Johnson as an associate, and says that, when the “young star” was considering a move to the U.S. attorney’s office, he tried to convince him to stay by telling him he had a good chance of making partner. He says Johnson responded that being a prosecutor “is just something I really want to do.” Mastro added: “He’s a very affable guy, but don’t let that affability fool you — he’s a very tenacious, determined litigator.”
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26 comments:
Remember this guy's name, you'll be seeing a lot of good things associated to it in the coming months. I suspect he'll be credited, rightly, for the restoration of the fractured faith the people have had in their governement!
remember his name, how the heck do I reach him! let's take down the house, make sure he is at the hearings....he must be of the light!
Seems Like a Very good choice; however, questions fall in to 3 categories for Johnson:
1. What does he know about former SDNY US Attorney Garcia's blowing off Corruption Cases including the Related Cases to Anderson and what does he know about Garcia's current relationship with former Chief Judge Kaye?
2. What does he know about his Mentor Randy Mastro's knowledge of Guliania and Bernard Kerik and the Mob Payoffs and Monies Kerik got in Construction Renovations from Interstate Industrial?
Beyond that, time will tell but looks like good choice.
oops. make it 2 categories above.
Maybe I don't get it, but Spitzer never was prosecuted for anything he did. They only went after the women.
Now Spitzer is going a head with his life as if he never did anything wrong.
Is this how these guys are going to fix the corruption an mess that is NYS politics.
(Also, did anyone notice today's NY Post article on "NYERS sick of 'worst in nation' Albany lawmakers"? They certainly are just as guilty as the courts for allowing the corruption to go on in this state.)
He needs only to look here to obtain the information and the testimony to present to Grand Juries to clean out the judicial and lawyer cesspool in NY.
Boyd Johnson III, has a very big task to undertake..NY is beyond dirty and corrupt..Come on Boyd Johnson III, do the RIGHT thing and take all of these THUGS down.
Three CHEERS and congratulations on your promotion Boyd Johnson III, now get to work cleaning up the horrific corruption in NY!!!!!!!
Thank GOD Boyd Johnson III is still around ans was rightfully promoted..He needs to clean up NY'S BIG mess..The DDC's are beyond corrupt along with the DA'S Office. Time to pull the plug on these thugs!!!!!!!!
Yes, I remember Boyd Johnson III, I had a meeting with him in July of 2007, along with the Chief of the Public Corruption Unit's C14- FBI Agent Robert Hennigan, regarding my assailant, Allen H. Isaac..It was quite a bazaar meeting, I might add..We discussed quite a few pertinent facts regarding my case. I also told Boyd Johnson III that I had submitted taped telephone conversations to Agent Hennigan regarding Allen H. Isaac, he looked at Agent Hennigan and said, "Tapes, there are telephone tapes"? "You never told me that". Agent Hennigan said, "I never received any telephone tapes". I told Agent Hennigan, Oh yes, I sent them to you via Federal Express. Hennigan said, "Well I never received them". "Can you put a package together and I'll make sure Mr. Johnson receives it this time".
Well, I did put a package together, this time I mailed it directly to Boyd Johnson III.
My package (evidence) to U. S. ATTY. Michael Garcia, disappeared.
Why are these packages disappearing?
I eventually filed a complaint with O.P.R, and the Inspector General's Office against Agent Robert Hennigan.
if Boyd Johnson is going to do a serious job on the public and court corruption, sounds like he will need to call in all those Related Cases and then form a Task Force and then Coordinate with Upstate and Buffalo area and the like for Statewide Impact and maybe even sent Attendee to Senate Hearings? just wondering?
get him to attend the Senate meetings, but the real question remains, who is going to prosecute/fine lawyers/judges and public officials......
how do we stop the insanity, it has been going on for years!
The legal and judicial system's only ever go after women and non-political minorities..because in most cases these groups will not proceed agaginst the potentcy of the male dominated....decision making behind the scenes administration of both!
I had a depo with the executive director assigned to the 8th district's administrative judge...and in the many references he made to his negative supervisory conduct per these alleged errant employees..... relative OCA guidelines, and their suspensions....he ONLY ever mentioned the word...SHE....AND OFTEN.
My, My, My...our words can be telling when we are attempting to weigh the lies and then accidently reveal the truths that exist within!
Yes ....AS I have stated here before.... OCA only attacks female and minority empoyees...because the word of the white man has tremendous potency in most living situations...as you probably have seen in the serious health care debate!
OCA has many white male employees...that are screwing up at the rate of almost 100% in OCA... and yet... there are NO disclipinary actions and terminations.I do have several examples that I may be saving for summary judgment...to voice the objection to the male accepted...bad boy behavior that nature apparently has inflicted within them...uncontrollably.
DISCRIMINATION IN OCA "8TH" IS NOT ONLY RAMPANT...BUT DIRECTED AT WOMEN THAT SHOW INDEPENDENCE AND THE ABILITY TO NOT COWER TO POLITICAL HEAVY WEIGHTS...THAT HAVE JUDICIAL CONNECTIONS BEYOND THE SITTING JUDGESHIPS...BUT MANIFEST IN THE SWEET LOVE AT THE APPELLATE AND APPEALS LEVELS!
there may be disproportionate impact against women and minorities by OCA for sure, but I do not agree that the oca only targets these groups.
BUT DIRECTED AT WOMEN THAT SHOW INDEPENDENCE AND THE ABILITY TO NOT COWER TO POLITICAL HEAVY WEIGHTS...THAT HAVE JUDICIAL CONNECTIONS BEYOND THE SITTING JUDGESHIPS
in my case the above is true and
I thought men were intelligent to understand a womans scorn(morals) and pms......should have picked another witch!
Hmm, let's think. Garcia's out, and Johnson moves up... Yes, they call that a win-win.
Boyd Johnson III is now second in command, wow, that's GREAT!!
Give Johnson and everyone else at the US attorneys office a big fat raise. They had to put up with Garcia's inaction for years! Justice just may have returned to the SDNY, but there must be high-level (judges,etc.) handcuffing.
I can only comment to upstate politics in reference to the sexual and ethnic choices that OCA ATTACKS...and I have not seen nor heard anything other than...female and minorities as their chosen victims.
Of course to further dissect the groups....they choose only those of whom that have no or weak political connections or are not sexually active within the confines of the benevolent...as they are described by OCA administration... courthouses within that district!
Cannot name a man that has been fired, terminated, transferred or harassed.....in WNY court facilities!
If you have a court and situation with initials or title and truthful details...spill...because I have no knowledge of any such event.... and I(plus experienced others) have done more than a thorough and constant investigation for the past several years...and no such scenario has manifested!
OCA is a biased, discriminatory, retaliatory, prejudiced, hostile entity...disguised as a judicial branch of government that professes a fair and unbiased environment... while using this verbal propaganda to twist their actual method of operation, and successfully enjoying the media's and FBI'S beliefs and delusions.... that they both should acknowledge.... is 180 degrees in the opposite direction!
In depth....OCA is no better or different...and actuallly worse... than the criminals that roam and linger in their halls...unbanned and unmonitored!
Does anyone know if Boyd &/or the US attorneys have been contacted to request that they attend the Sampson hearings in Sept?
If they haven't been contacted, maybe the should, and by more than one person, so that they take the request seriously.
Can anyone begin to imagine the volume of corruption complaints received by the SDNY. Where the hell do you begin? Almost impossible.
I'm sure Boyd Johnson III has been lining his DUCKS up and getting ready to take down the HOUSE of CRIMINALS for many years now... We shall soon see!!!!!
not sexually active within the confines of the benevolent
this statement is completely accurate.........
I was not even allowed a court reporter in Erie County Court,
the jury was told I had diseases I do not have, no experts, no witnesses......
nothing but a set up and complete Public Corruption in the 8th
to protect lawyers who alter medical files and file false bill of particulars.........
then I was threatened to sign on the line.......stick it...........
that set up was not the first time..............
I was threatened the last time, do not say anything about your rights being violated or they will get you!
who is they?
the thugs in the courts, oh, forgot they're called judges, do whatever they damn well please and get away with it.
those thugs will not get away with it, as much as they spread their lies, I am telling their wives, children,family, friends,as a matter of fact, they already know and I am telling everyone, I will spread the truth every where including their political enemies,
like I said you picked the wrong witch,my witch hunt has begun, best of luck to you boys!
As a freelance court reporter, I worked with Boyd in the public sector before he joined the US Attorney's Office and then again when he became an Asst. US Attorney. I was always impressed with his integrity and professionalism. He's a wonderful human being. I have no doubt that he is headed for great things.
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