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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.)