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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
December 27, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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December 27, 2007
 
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B E"LFAIR HERALD Serving Belfair Allyn Grapeview Tahuya Mason Lake South Shore Victor Thursday, December 27, 2007 Section of The Shelton-Mason County Journal t:rlFeds take " aim pl local cou e, inl e :00lOIIlCe manager By KEVAN MOORE Ten people, including a Belfair couple and one of their longtime employees, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle in connection with a scheme to ille- gally obtain confidential informa- tion on more than 12,000 citizens across the country. To obtain confidential tax, med- ical and employment information, workers at BNT Investigations in Belfair allegedly posed as anoth- er individual to get government agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Secu- rity Administration and various state employment security offices to provide confidential informa- tion. The year-long investigation dubbed, "Operation Dialing for Dollars," also revealed that some workers allegedly posed as repre- sentatives of doctors' offices to get medical or pharmacy records. The Belfair defendants are BNT Investigations owners Emilio, 36, and Brandy N., 27, Torrella and their longtime employee and office manager Steven W. Berwick, 22. THE LOCAL defendants plead- ed not guilty when they appeared and were arraigned on December 6. They are currently free on bond and a trial date of February 11 has been set. The defendants face as many as 22 years in prison, but Emily Langlie, a spokesperson for the United States Attorney's Of- dieted by the grand jury include the following individuals: * Victoria J. Tade, 52, of San Diego, California. • Megan Ososke, 40, of Beaver- ton, Oregon. • Darci P. Templeton, 55, of Houston, Texas. • Esaun G. Pinto Sr., 33, of Brooklyn, New York. • Patrick A. Bombino, 58, of Brooklyn, New York. • Robert Grieve, 67, of Houston, Texas. • And Ziad N. Sakhleh, 26, of Houston, Texas. THE GOVERNMENT says that these alleged co-conspirators, who work as private investigators across the country, gave the Tor- rellas the names, addresses, So- cial Security numbers and other personally identifying information of people they had been hired to investigate. The subjects of the in- vestigation had not given permis- sion for their personal information to be disseminated to the Torrel- las. The government says that using that information, the Tor- rellas and their employees would call various government agencies, financial institutions, pharmacies and hospitals, posing as other peo- ple, and asking for their personal records. According to the indictment, from January 2004 to May 2007, the Torrellas and their employees SEVERAL YOUNG men have been sentenced for their involvement in a series of vandalism incidents at North Mason High School this past summer, including a break-in at the main building in which walls were spray painted and tables were overturned. This surveillance photo was provided by the school district. In Mason (',aunty Superior Court: Eagle Scout, others are sentenced for vandalism rice in Tacoma, says that it would be "very unusual to get the statu- tory maximum in a case like this one." "This indictment alleges that privat investigators across the country illegally obtained confi - dential information and sold it to the clients who hired them," said United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Sullivan. "This is a very serious matter, the investigation is con- tinuing and it is our intention to go after these clients, if we can prove that they knew this information was obtained illegally." The 10 defendants are charged with conspiracy and wire fraud. Seven of the defendants are charged with fraudulent elicita- tion of Social Security Administra- tion information. Six of the defen- dants are charged with solicitation of federal tax information. All 10 defendants are charged with ag- gravated identity theft. THE OTHER defendants in- obtained or attempted to obtain confidential information on more than 12,000 people nationwide. The government contends that private investigators had been hired by attorneys, insurance companies and collection agencies to investigate the backgrounds of opposing parties, witnesses and benefit claimants and to uncover assets or income. The Torrellas promoted their services to the pri- vate investigators. According to the indictment, the Torrellas and their employ- ees used a variety of strategies to trick the government agencies to provide them information they wanted. With the IRS they would allegedly impersonate the taxpay- er and ask for past tax returns, claiming that a bookkeeper was being investigated for embezzle- ment. On other occasions they would allegedly similarly claim to be the taxpayer, in the hospital awaiting surgery, and needing the tax returns to demonstrate to the By MARY DUNCAN An Eagle Scout and 2007 North Mason High School graduate who participated in three separate van- dalism incidents on school district property last spring shortly before graduation was sentenced recently in Mason County Superior Court. Cole Walker Babbitt, 18, of 5741 East Grapeview Loop Road, Allyn, received concurrent sentences of nine months for burglary in the second degree and malicious mis- chief in the first degree for the June 12 break-in at the NMHS com- mons. Judge James Sawyer said Babbitt would serve three months in the Mason County Jail and five months on electronic home moni- toring with 30 days converted to 240 hours of community service. When he pled guilty, Babbitt admitted his involvement in the break-in and damage done at the commons in addition to his partici- pation in vandalism at the school athletic field June 1, 2007 with Polar Plunge helps the Boys and Girls Club Supporters of the Belfair branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound are hoping that their upcoming polar plunge event will be the best one yet. Those interested in participating in the event or sponsoring a plunger should call club officials at 782-1942 to get in- volved. The 13th annual event is set to get under way at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 26, at the AIlyn Waterfront Park and Gazebo. The popular Windjammers band will be providing musical enter- tainment and local Lions club members will be serving hot coffee and pastries to participants and onlookers. convictions for reckless burning on the football field and criminal trespass in the first degree and to the May 14 break-in to the school district bus garage and damage to the buses with convictions of first-degree malicious mischief and first-degree criminal trespass. He acquired four felony convic- tions for second-degree burglary, reckless burning and two counts of first-degree malicious mischief. Criminal trespass is a gross mis- demeanor. "I AM VERY sorry. This doesn't represent the person I was. I'm ready and willing to take respon- sibility," Babbitt said. "We went to do something harmless, not to damage anything. Some individu- als went beyond what we planned on doing." Judge Sawyer noted Babbitt was involved in all three of the in- cidents at the school and had not one, not two but three opportuni- ties to stop engaging in criminal behavior. The judge held up Babbitt's Eagle Scout certificate, which had been submitted along with letters of support and grades from one quarter at Olympic College, and asked him what it means to him. "What's the point of all the merit badges dealing with community? Supposedly it's to develop a strong sense of community. What hap- pened between March 17, 2004 (when he received his Eagle Scout award) and May 14, 2007?" "Nothing changed that prompt- ed me to do it. I have no excuses. If I knew the devastation it would have on the community and my friends, I doubt I would have been there." "SOMEWHERE ALONG the line what you did as an Eagle Scout should have kicked in," the judge commented. 'Tour situation is significantly different from your codefendants." Judge Sawyer also imposed a concurrent sentence of six months for reckless burning with five months on electronic home moni- toring and 240 hours of communi- ty service, and 365 days with 335 suspended for the incident June 1 at the NMHS athletic field. The shape of a penis was burned into the football field. Babbitt received a concurrent sentence of nine months for first- degree malicious mischief for the May 14 break-in and damage to school buses, also to be served as three months in jail, five months on electronic home monitoring and 240 hours of community service. The judge said Babbitt would be on 24 months of supervision and imposed legal financial obligations including three $500 payments to the crime victims' compensation fund, $1,418 in court.costs and thousands of dollars in restitution including $2,078 for the damage to the buses, $1,505 for damage to the athletic field and $13,019.96 for damage to the commons. SENTENCING IS scheduled Monday, January 7, for a code- fondant in two of the incidents, at the bus garage and at the athletic field. • Michael Martin Muers Jr., 18, pied guilty recently to charges of burglary in the second degree and malicious mischief in the first de- gree for the incident at the bus ga- rage and to reckless burning and first-degree criminal trespass for the incident at the athletic field. Judge Sawyer said with an of- fender score of two, the standard sentencing ranges are from four to 12 months on the burglary convic- tion, three to nine months on the malicious mischief convictions, from two to five months for reck- less burning and from zero to 365 days for criminal trespass. Codefendants in the vandalism incident at the commons building are also responsible with Babbitt for the $13,019.96 ordered in res- titution. They received the same sentences under a First Time Of- fender Sentencing Option. • Justin Paul Eastman, 18, a student at Washington State University in Pullman, and Jacob Daniel Sanford, 18, a student and soccer player at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, received the same sentences under a First Time Offender Sentencing Option. Judge Sawyer said he was using the first-time waiver to provide for 24 months of community supervi- sion rather than a standard sen- tence without supervision. East- man and Sanford were sentenced to 45 days with seven days in jail, eight days on electronic home monitoring and 30 days converted to 240 hours of community service for malicious mischief in the first degree and 365 days with 320 sus- pended for first-degree criminal trespass. They were taken into custody on December 17. "I KNOW NOW what I should have done. I could have walked away. I need to get this behind me," Eastman said. The judge asked Eastman, "What the Dickens were you guys thinking ofT' (Please turn to page 3.) B E"LFAIR HERALD Serving Belfair Allyn Grapeview Tahuya Mason Lake South Shore Victor Thursday, December 27, 2007 Section of The Shelton-Mason County Journal t:rlFeds take " aim pl local cou e, inl e :00lOIIlCe manager By KEVAN MOORE Ten people, including a Belfair couple and one of their longtime employees, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle in connection with a scheme to ille- gally obtain confidential informa- tion on more than 12,000 citizens across the country. To obtain confidential tax, med- ical and employment information, workers at BNT Investigations in Belfair allegedly posed as anoth- er individual to get government agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Secu- rity Administration and various state employment security offices to provide confidential informa- tion. The year-long investigation dubbed, "Operation Dialing for Dollars," also revealed that some workers allegedly posed as repre- sentatives of doctors' offices to get medical or pharmacy records. The Belfair defendants are BNT Investigations owners Emilio, 36, and Brandy N., 27, Torrella and their longtime employee and office manager Steven W. Berwick, 22. THE LOCAL defendants plead- ed not guilty when they appeared and were arraigned on December 6. They are currently free on bond and a trial date of February 11 has been set. The defendants face as many as 22 years in prison, but Emily Langlie, a spokesperson for the United States Attorney's Of- dieted by the grand jury include the following individuals: * Victoria J. Tade, 52, of San Diego, California. • Megan Ososke, 40, of Beaver- ton, Oregon. • Darci P. Templeton, 55, of Houston, Texas. • Esaun G. Pinto Sr., 33, of Brooklyn, New York. • Patrick A. Bombino, 58, of Brooklyn, New York. • Robert Grieve, 67, of Houston, Texas. • And Ziad N. Sakhleh, 26, of Houston, Texas. THE GOVERNMENT says that these alleged co-conspirators, who work as private investigators across the country, gave the Tor- rellas the names, addresses, So- cial Security numbers and other personally identifying information of people they had been hired to investigate. The subjects of the in- vestigation had not given permis- sion for their personal information to be disseminated to the Torrel- las. The government says that using that information, the Tor- rellas and their employees would call various government agencies, financial institutions, pharmacies and hospitals, posing as other peo- ple, and asking for their personal records. According to the indictment, from January 2004 to May 2007, the Torrellas and their employees SEVERAL YOUNG men have been sentenced for their involvement in a series of vandalism incidents at North Mason High School this past summer, including a break-in at the main building in which walls were spray painted and tables were overturned. This surveillance photo was provided by the school district. In Mason (',aunty Superior Court: Eagle Scout, others are sentenced for vandalism rice in Tacoma, says that it would be "very unusual to get the statu- tory maximum in a case like this one." "This indictment alleges that privat investigators across the country illegally obtained confi - dential information and sold it to the clients who hired them," said United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Sullivan. "This is a very serious matter, the investigation is con- tinuing and it is our intention to go after these clients, if we can prove that they knew this information was obtained illegally." The 10 defendants are charged with conspiracy and wire fraud. Seven of the defendants are charged with fraudulent elicita- tion of Social Security Administra- tion information. Six of the defen- dants are charged with solicitation of federal tax information. All 10 defendants are charged with ag- gravated identity theft. THE OTHER defendants in- obtained or attempted to obtain confidential information on more than 12,000 people nationwide. The government contends that private investigators had been hired by attorneys, insurance companies and collection agencies to investigate the backgrounds of opposing parties, witnesses and benefit claimants and to uncover assets or income. The Torrellas promoted their services to the pri- vate investigators. According to the indictment, the Torrellas and their employ- ees used a variety of strategies to trick the government agencies to provide them information they wanted. With the IRS they would allegedly impersonate the taxpay- er and ask for past tax returns, claiming that a bookkeeper was being investigated for embezzle- ment. On other occasions they would allegedly similarly claim to be the taxpayer, in the hospital awaiting surgery, and needing the tax returns to demonstrate to the By MARY DUNCAN An Eagle Scout and 2007 North Mason High School graduate who participated in three separate van- dalism incidents on school district property last spring shortly before graduation was sentenced recently in Mason County Superior Court. Cole Walker Babbitt, 18, of 5741 East Grapeview Loop Road, Allyn, received concurrent sentences of nine months for burglary in the second degree and malicious mis- chief in the first degree for the June 12 break-in at the NMHS com- mons. Judge James Sawyer said Babbitt would serve three months in the Mason County Jail and five months on electronic home moni- toring with 30 days converted to 240 hours of community service. When he pled guilty, Babbitt admitted his involvement in the break-in and damage done at the commons in addition to his partici- pation in vandalism at the school athletic field June 1, 2007 with Polar Plunge helps the Boys and Girls Club Supporters of the Belfair branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound are hoping that their upcoming polar plunge event will be the best one yet. Those interested in participating in the event or sponsoring a plunger should call club officials at 782-1942 to get in- volved. The 13th annual event is set to get under way at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 26, at the AIlyn Waterfront Park and Gazebo. The popular Windjammers band will be providing musical enter- tainment and local Lions club members will be serving hot coffee and pastries to participants and onlookers. convictions for reckless burning on the football field and criminal trespass in the first degree and to the May 14 break-in to the school district bus garage and damage to the buses with convictions of first-degree malicious mischief and first-degree criminal trespass. He acquired four felony convic- tions for second-degree burglary, reckless burning and two counts of first-degree malicious mischief. Criminal trespass is a gross mis- demeanor. "I AM VERY sorry. This doesn't represent the person I was. I'm ready and willing to take respon- sibility," Babbitt said. "We went to do something harmless, not to damage anything. Some individu- als went beyond what we planned on doing." Judge Sawyer noted Babbitt was involved in all three of the in- cidents at the school and had not one, not two but three opportuni- ties to stop engaging in criminal behavior. The judge held up Babbitt's Eagle Scout certificate, which had been submitted along with letters of support and grades from one quarter at Olympic College, and asked him what it means to him. "What's the point of all the merit badges dealing with community? Supposedly it's to develop a strong sense of community. What hap- pened between March 17, 2004 (when he received his Eagle Scout award) and May 14, 2007?" "Nothing changed that prompt- ed me to do it. I have no excuses. If I knew the devastation it would have on the community and my friends, I doubt I would have been there." "SOMEWHERE ALONG the line what you did as an Eagle Scout should have kicked in," the judge commented. 'Tour situation is significantly different from your codefendants." Judge Sawyer also imposed a concurrent sentence of six months for reckless burning with five months on electronic home moni- toring and 240 hours of communi- ty service, and 365 days with 335 suspended for the incident June 1 at the NMHS athletic field. The shape of a penis was burned into the football field. Babbitt received a concurrent sentence of nine months for first- degree malicious mischief for the May 14 break-in and damage to school buses, also to be served as three months in jail, five months on electronic home monitoring and 240 hours of community service. The judge said Babbitt would be on 24 months of supervision and imposed legal financial obligations including three $500 payments to the crime victims' compensation fund, $1,418 in court.costs and thousands of dollars in restitution including $2,078 for the damage to the buses, $1,505 for damage to the athletic field and $13,019.96 for damage to the commons. SENTENCING IS scheduled Monday, January 7, for a code- fondant in two of the incidents, at the bus garage and at the athletic field. • Michael Martin Muers Jr., 18, pied guilty recently to charges of burglary in the second degree and malicious mischief in the first de- gree for the incident at the bus ga- rage and to reckless burning and first-degree criminal trespass for the incident at the athletic field. Judge Sawyer said with an of- fender score of two, the standard sentencing ranges are from four to 12 months on the burglary convic- tion, three to nine months on the malicious mischief convictions, from two to five months for reck- less burning and from zero to 365 days for criminal trespass. Codefendants in the vandalism incident at the commons building are also responsible with Babbitt for the $13,019.96 ordered in res- titution. They received the same sentences under a First Time Of- fender Sentencing Option. • Justin Paul Eastman, 18, a student at Washington State University in Pullman, and Jacob Daniel Sanford, 18, a student and soccer player at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, received the same sentences under a First Time Offender Sentencing Option. Judge Sawyer said he was using the first-time waiver to provide for 24 months of community supervi- sion rather than a standard sen- tence without supervision. East- man and Sanford were sentenced to 45 days with seven days in jail, eight days on electronic home monitoring and 30 days converted to 240 hours of community service for malicious mischief in the first degree and 365 days with 320 sus- pended for first-degree criminal trespass. They were taken into custody on December 17. "I KNOW NOW what I should have done. I could have walked away. I need to get this behind me," Eastman said. The judge asked Eastman, "What the Dickens were you guys thinking ofT' (Please turn to page 3.)