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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 8, 2008 |
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U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK HONORED WITH MULTIPLE DIRECTOR'S AWARDS
LEV L. DASSIN, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that six Assistant United States Attorneys for the Southern District of New York, along with law enforcement agents and paralegals with whom they worked, received awards Friday at the Department of Justice's 25th annual Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) Director's Awards Ceremony. A total of 160 award recipients were recognized for their excellence in law enforcement. Recipients included Assistant United States Attorneys, law enforcement agents, litigation and information technology support personnel, and others who have made outstanding contributions in federal, state and local law enforcement. Acting U.S. Attorney DASSIN said, “These awards provide well-deserved recognition of the skill, tireless dedication, and professionalism of these attorneys, investigators, and staff.”
Assistant United States Attorneys MIRIAM E. ROCAH, JONATHAN S. KOLODNER, and ERIC SNYDER, along with Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agents JOY ADAM, WILLIAM INZIRELLO, and JOHN JENNINGS, as well as New York City Police Department Detective SALVATORE ARRIGO, received the 2008 Director's Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team for their successful investigation and prosecution of members of the Genovese Organized Crime Family. This was the first investigation to use “roving bugs”—placed in the cellular telephones of several targets. The resulting prosecutions helped cripple the Genovese Family’s operations in the greater New York City area. The team obtained convictions of approximately 35 people, including high-ranking members and associates, and solved the 1998 murder of RALPH COPPOLA.
Assistant United States Attorneys NEIL M. BAROFSKY, CHRISTOPHER L. GARCIA, and RUA M. KELLY, Criminal Investigator ROBERT MANCHAK, Paralegal Specialists MARY BETH ALLEN, GARY SMITH, and KARYN LEON-MATOVICK, along with United States Postal Inspectors WILLIAM JOHNSON and HAESUN MOON received the 2008 Director's Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team for their successful investigation and prosecution in connection with the 2005 collapse of the financial giant Refco. This team used a creative and innovative approach to achieve unprecedented results in an extremely complex case that involved theft of more than $2.4 billion from the victims. Among the accomplishments: the conviction after trial of Refco’s former President and coowner; the guilty pleas of Refco’s former CEO and co-owner, its former Executive Vice President and its Chief Financial Officer; the seizure and forfeiture of more than $150 million; and the indictment of Refco’s outside counsel.
"The attorneys, agents and staff we honor today are dedicated public servants," said Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey. "Today's award recipients are leaders in carrying out the Department's mission, and the citizens in the communities they serve should be proud of their efforts and accomplishments."
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