Extradition of an Employee of a Foreign Pharmaceutical Web Site

[krassyg]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

The wife of a relative of mine was employed by a EU based pharmaceutical web site that was involved in illegal controlled substance distribution(prescription pain medications). She is not a partner or an owner of the company; just a salaried employee and had no knowledge of these activities. Unfortunately she was handling some of the financial transactions and emails for the company and was named in a DEA sting operation. She now has a warrant for her arrest in the state of NY and is fighting extradition proceedings in her country. The charges would most likely be dropped, but the legal expenses would certainly ruin her family(she resides in one of the poorest countries in Europe)

She is now charged with:

Narcotics Conspiracy
Narcotics Distribution Via the Internet
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering(domestic promotion)

From what I understand, the only reason she is the one being charged instead of the actual owners and managers of the company is that she used her actual name in her company email account. The owners of the site used aliases. She was employed as an accountant for this company.

What can she do to have the US Attorney's Office drop the charges? I am thinking of telling her to get her lawyer to prepare full financial disclosures for the past few years, her employment contract from the company, offer of full cooperation with the investigation, polygraph test, drug test and her clean criminal record. Anything else that might help?

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

The wife of a relative of mine was employed by a EU based pharmaceutical web site that was involved in illegal controlled substance distribution(prescription pain medications). She is not a partner or an owner of the company; just a salaried employee and had no knowledge of these activities. Unfortunately she was handling some of the financial transactions and emails for the company and was named in a DEA sting operation. She now has a warrant for her arrest in the state of NY and is fighting extradition proceedings in her country. The charges would most likely be dropped, but the legal expenses would certainly ruin her family(she resides in one of the poorest countries in Europe)

She is now charged with:

Narcotics Conspiracy
Narcotics Distribution Via the Internet
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering(domestic promotion)

From what I understand, the only reason she is the one being charged instead of the actual owners and managers of the company is that she used her actual name in her company email account. The owners of the site used aliases. She was employed as an accountant for this company.

What can she do to have the US Attorney's Office drop the charges? I am thinking of telling her to get her lawyer to prepare full financial disclosures for the past few years, her employment contract from the company, offer of full cooperation with the investigation, polygraph test, drug test and her clean criminal record. Anything else that might help?

How do you figure the charges would be dropped if she was participating in the illegal activity of this company? She is an accountant -- hence money laundering. Did she know what the company did? Was she an officer of the company? Why did everyone else use aliases? Why didn't this tip her that something was not right?

 

[krassyg]

She was not aware of the illegal activities of the company. She was not one of the managers or owners, just a low level employee. My issue is what should her lawyer do in order to explain her side of the case to the NY district attorney's office.

 

[Ohiogal]

She was not aware of the illegal activities of the company. She was not one of the managers or owners, just a low level employee. My issue is what should her lawyer do in order to explain her side of the case to the NY district attorney's office.

That is NOT your issue. Her attorney, when she gets one or when one is appointed for her, will advise her. ANYTHING she says to you can be used against her as YOU can be called as a witness.

 

[krassyg]

She already has an attorney in her country that is fighting her extradition. I am not trying to get involved in the case, I am simply trying to help her in any way I can. I am simply asking if communicating with the US District attorney directly would help her case. I would not be getting involved, her lawyer would be the one doing the paperwork.

 

[TheGeekess]

She already has an attorney in her country that is fighting her extradition. I am not trying to get involved in the case, I am simply trying to help her in any way I can. I am simply asking if communicating with the US District attorney directly would help her case. I would not be getting involved, her lawyer would be the one doing the paperwork.

Spewing her personal business all over the Interwebs is what then? Her attorney is the one who knows what needs to be done.

 

[swalsh411]

Support her emotionally and/or financially. Do not try to do the work of her attorney or spew her personal business online. Does she know you are posting this?

P.S. There is a lot more in regards to her involvement that she hasn't told you.

 

[tranquility]

Just a head's up, there is nothing someone is going to say to a U.S. Attorney to make everything all right in an international narcotics and money laundering case other than turning over someone who is a bigger fish in the pond. If the wife of a relative really does not know anything, she is in a ton of trouble. Almost more than if she did know something.

 

[Silverplum]

I vigorously agree with the others: this matter is not your business, and we could never give you the "trick answer" that will convince the Feds to drop the matter. (The "trick answer" doesn't exist.)

 

[dave33]

She already has an attorney in her country that is fighting her extradition. I am not trying to get involved in the case, I am simply trying to help her in any way I can. I am simply asking if communicating with the US District attorney directly would help her case. I would not be getting involved, her lawyer would be the one doing the paperwork.

The answer to this question is NO! You would almost certainly do more harm than good.

If she does not win the extradition hearing in her country than she will have to answer for the charges.

 

[krassyg]

Spewing her personal business all over the Interwebs is what then? Her attorney is the one who knows what needs to be done.

I am not mentioning any names or details. I am just trying to gather information if there is anything that can be done in a case like hers to help her. Her lawyer is familiar with the laws of her country, not the US.

 

[Silverplum]

I am not mentioning any names or details.

I'd dispute that.

I am just trying to gather information if there is anything that can be done to help her.

She can hire an attorney in the US. You can pay for her attorney, if you wish. That's where your involvement would begin and end.

Her lawyer is familiar with the laws of her country, not the US.

Then she doesn't have enough lawyers.