马里兰州巴尔的摩男子涉嫌贿赂海关官员放行卡痛相关货物 被联邦起诉
马里兰州 Baltimore 消息：美国司法部马里兰区联邦检察官办公室11月6日宣布，Baltimore 男子 Zen Aljufri 因涉嫌贿赂联邦官员被联邦起诉，面临两项贿赂联邦官员罪指控。马里兰区联邦检察官 Kelly O. Hayes 公布了这一起诉。
Aljufri 现年61岁。起诉书指，他试图贿赂海关与边境保护局（CBP）的官员，请对方把一批被扣在入境口岸的货物放行，意图是影响这名官员，帮助欺瞒美国、违反其法定职责。
法庭文件称，这批货物装的是与卡痛（kratom）相关的植物原料「mithragyna speciosa」。这批货当时正被扣住，原因是它列在食品药品监管局（FDA）的红色名单上，属于 FDA 警报 54-15 针对的对象。
司法部称，这起起诉属于特朗普政府消除欺诈工作组的行动范围，也与司法部贸易欺诈工作组的执法方向有关。起诉书只是指控，Aljufri 在后续刑事程序中被证明有罪之前，依法被推定无罪。如罪名成立，他每一项贿赂联邦官员罪最高可判15年监禁，实际刑期通常低于最高刑，由联邦地区法官参照量刑指南等因素裁定。
此案由国土安全调查局（HSI）马里兰办公室、国土安全部监察长办公室与海关与边境保护局调查，HSI 负责人 Akil Baldwin、国土安全部监察长 Joseph V. Cuffari 与 CBP Baltimore 外勤办主任 Matthew S. Davies 与检察官办公室共同公布起诉。案件由第一助理联邦检察官 Jason D. Medinger 与特别助理联邦检察官 Patrick Rigney 负责起诉。
（来源：美国司法部）
Baltimore Man Indicted on Charges of Bribing CBP Officers to Release Kratom-Related Shipment
BALTIMORE, Maryland - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced on November 6 that a Baltimore man is facing a federal indictment in connection with public-corruption crimes. Zen Aljufri, 61, is charged with two counts of bribing a federal official, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced.
According to the indictment, Aljufri corruptly offered to pay a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer to release goods from a hold at a port of entry, with the intent to influence the official to aid in defrauding the United States in violation of his official duty.
As detailed in court documents, Aljufri attempted to pay the bribe to ensure that a shipment of mithragyna speciosa, which is related to kratom, could enter the country. The shipment had been placed on hold because it was subject to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Red List hold under FDA Alert 54-15.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt, and Aljufri is presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 15 years in prison for each count of bribing a federal official. Actual sentences are typically less than the maximum penalties and are determined by a federal district judge after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Maryland, Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., and Matthew S. Davies, Director of Field Operations for the CBP Baltimore Field Office. HSI, the DHS Office of Inspector General and CBP investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason D. Medinger and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Rigney are prosecuting the case.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
来源：美国司法部
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：美国司法部大楼（GSM 固定图库）。 / Photo: The U.S. Department of Justice building. (GSM asset library)
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