Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez
United States Attorney
District of Puerto Rico

Torre Chardón Bldg., Suite 1201
350 C. Chardón Avenue
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00918

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 26, 2007

Contact:

Nedy Carrillo
Deputy Press Officer
U.S. Attorney’s Office
787-282-1914/ 787-231-8060

FBI- San Juan
Harry Rodriguez
Special Agent
Media Representative
(787) 759-1550

223 COUNT INDICTMENT FOR ILLEGAL TELEPHONE WIRE INTERCEPTION AND MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico and Luis S. Fraticelli, Special Agent in Charge, San Juan Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), today announced the indictment by a Federal Grand Jury on June 20, 2007 of Luis E. Jimenez-Class, age 24, for 223 illegal telephone wire interception and disclosure, as well as for knowingly and willfully making false statements to FBI Agents.

On June 22, 2007, Jimenez-Class, was arrested, without incident, at his residence, Condominium Isla Verde Tower, 4021 Isla Verde Avenue, Apartment 8-G, Carolina, Puerto Rico by FBI Agents. At the time of his arrest, Jimenez-Class was employed as an Assistant to the Mayor of Loiza.

The indictment alleges that Jimenez-Class intentionally disclosed the contents of telephone conversations of specific individuals employed by the following Puerto Rico Government agencies and of Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (BPPR):

a)     11 telephone calls from the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections - Office of the Secretary.

b)     22 telephone calls from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice - Office of the Secretary.

c)     62 telephone calls from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice - San Juan Investigative Unit.

d)     113 telephone calls from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice - Carolina Investigative Unit, and

e)     14 telephone calls from Banco Popular de Puerto Rico - Office of the President.

If convicted, Jimenez-Class faces a maximum of five years of imprisonment for making false statements and five years imprisonment for the interception and disclosure of telephone conversations.

According to Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting all cases that involves the privacy rights of the citizens of Puerto Rico.”

“Today we send a clear message that whoever intercepts telephone conversations will be prosecuted. Only specific U.S. Federal agencies are authorized by law and the Federal Court to intercept telephone conversations,” said Luis Fraticelli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI – San Juan Division. “Anyone with information regarding illegal telephone wire ‘taps’ should file a complaint with the FBI.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julia Diaz-Rex.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of any guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial. The U.S. government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.