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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2018)
Friday, February 16, 2018 OFF PAGE ONE ICE lawyer admits stealing immigrant IDs Afghans submitted 1.17 M Page 10A East Oregonian SEATTLE (AP) — The former chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Seattle acknowledged in court Thursday that he stole the identi- ties of people facing immigration proceedings and used them to run up credit card and other bills totaling more than $190,000. Raphael Sanchez, 44, oversaw deportation proceedings in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington before resigning when charges were filed Monday. In a plea agreement, he said took personal information from immigration files and then forged identification documents, such as Social Security cards and drivers’ licenses, in his victims’ names. Sometimes, he said, he used a picture of a murder victim that had appeared in a newspaper as a license photo. He used the forged IDs to obtain lines of credit, used credit-moni- toring services to determine which of his victims had the best credit, and listed three victims as depen- dents on his income tax returns. “It is the duty of our federal immigration authorities to ensure the honest enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws,” Acting Assistant Attorney General John Cronan said in a news release. “Raphael Sanchez betrayed that solemn responsibility and abused his official position to prey upon aliens for his own personal gain.” Sanchez pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in U.S. District Court on Thursday. He acknowledged he defrauded financial institutions, including Bank of America and Capital One, and told U.S. Magistrate Judge John L. Weinberg that his victims were vulnerable due to their immi- gration status. His attorney and prosecutors agreed to recommend a four-year prison term when he’s sentenced in May. The Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section said that begin- ning in 2013, Sanchez stole the identities of at least seven people in various stages of immigration proceedings — and investigators found the personal information and official documents of 20 others when they searched his home. Cronan credited ICE with “quickly and fully investigating this matter.” “Raphael Sanchez is a good person who has made serious mistakes,” his attorney, Casey Stamm, said in a written statement. “Mr. Sanchez does not offer excuses for his acts; rather, he simply provides his sincere and immense regret.” Sanchez is the second lawyer in ICE’s Seattle office to run into legal trouble in recent years. Jonathan Love pleaded guilty in 2016 to a charge that he forged documents in an effort to deprive an immigrant of the legal permanent resident status to which he was entitled. The latest case drew condem- nation from immigrant rights advocates. “The prosecution of ICE Chief Counsel Raphael Sanchez under- scores the perception that ICE is a rogue agency,” Rich Stolz, exec- utive director of the immigrant rights group OneAmerica, said in a written statement. “When law enforcement offi- cials are the ones being investigated for crimes they have committed, and when long-time community members are being torn from their families due to unauthorized status alone, one must ask whether any increased investment in immigra- tion enforcement makes sense for the nation, or for ICE, an agency that still needs to get its own affairs in order.” In a news release, ICE Deputy Director Thomas Homan said he was “appalled by these egregious, independent acts of criminal misconduct by Mr. Sanchez.” But he added that he remained confident in the agency and its Seattle office. “I am grateful to the men and women of ICE who do their job with the utmost professionalism every day,” he said. war crimes claims to court KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Since the International Criminal Court began collecting material three months ago for a possible war crimes case involving Afghanistan, it has gotten a staggering 1.17 million statements from Afghans who say they were victims. The statements include accounts of alleged atrocities not only by groups like the Taliban and the Islamic State group, but also involving Afghan Security Forces and government-affiliated warlords, the U.S.-led coalition, and foreign and domestic spy agencies, said Abdul Wadood Pedram of the Human Rights and Eradication of Violence Organization. Based in part on the many state- ments, ICC judges in The Hague would then have to decide whether to seek a war crimes investigation. The statements were collected between Nov. 20, 2017, and Jan. 31, 2018, by organizations based in Europe and Afghanistan and sent to the ICC, Pedram said. Because one statement might include multiple victims and one organization might represent thousands of victim statements, the number of Afghans seeking justice from the ICC could be several million. “It is shocking there are so many,” Pedram said, noting that in some instances, whole villages were represented. “It shows how the justice system in Afghanistan is not bringing justice for the victims and their families.” The ICC did not give details about the victims or those providing the information. “I have the names of the organi- zations, but because of the security issues, we don’t want to name them because they will be targeted,” said Pedram, whose group is based in Kabul. Many of the representations include statements involving multiple victims, which could be the result of suicide bombings, targeted killings or airstrikes, he said. Among those alleging war crimes is a man who asked The Associated Press to be identified only by his first name, Shoaib, because he fears for his safety. Shoaib said his father, Naimat- ullah, was on a bus in Dawalat Yar district in Afghanistan’s central Ghor Province in 2014 when a band of gunmen stopped it and two other buses, forced the passengers off and told them to hand over their identity cards. The 14 Shiites among them were separated from the rest and killed, one by one, he said. RAMPS: ODOT plans to upgrade and add ramps along Southwest Emigrant Continued from 1A access it, or lacking a set of bumps for vision-impaired pedestrians to know they are stepping out into a roadway. Tom Strandberg, public infor- mation officer for ODOT’s Region 5, said ODOT has been fixing curb ramps as it completes other work. When the department installed new traffic control cameras along Highway 395 in Hermiston in 2015, ADA-compliant curbs marked with yellow bumps were installed, giving Hermiston some of Oregon’s curb ramps classified as “good.” More of those ramps will be installed later this year on Northwest 11th Street (Highway 205) when ODOT part- ners with the city of Hermiston to add traffic signals to its intersections with Orchard and Elm avenues. Due to the settlement agreement, ODOT has also set some money aside to do projects specifically focused on ADA compliance. In the fall, Strandberg said, ODOT will put a project out to bid that will upgrade and add ramps along Southwest Emigrant Avenue in Pendleton between Southwest Ninth and Southwest Fifth Streets. Other projects in Eastern Oregon will come at later dates. “Obviously they can’t all be done at once,” Strandberg said. They might not be able to all be done at once, but having 883 cross- ings out of 26,225 compliant since 1991 is not moving fast enough in the view of Disability Rights Oregon. “If you’re only managing to complete 3 percent of ramps in 27 years, your progress is not Staff photo by E.J. Harris A sidewalk without a wheelchair ramp on Southeast Court Avenue in Pendleton. adequate,” Stenson said. He said creating proper curb ramps on state highways is not just about following the law, it’s about allowing people with disabilities to fully and safely participate in their community. Stenson said he has seen people have to move out into oncoming traffic to access a side- walk and has one client who showed him how she had to turn around and back up too-steep ramps to avoid tipping over in her wheelchair. Darren Umbarger of Clearview Mediation and Disability Resource Center in Pendleton said things like that can be a major problem for Pendleton residents who want to access buildings along state high- ways like Emigrant Avenue. “People will get mad because here’s someone riding down the bicycle lane in a wheelchair. ... Sometimes it’s easier to go down a bicycle lane and sometimes it’s not, but sometimes there’s no choice,” he said. Umbarger said ADA-compliant ramps aren’t just for people in wheelchairs — they can make things easier for senior citizens with walkers, parents pushing baby strollers or delivery people pushing dollies. Although ODOT-controlled state highways through Pendleton often lack good accessibility, Umbarger praised the city of Pendleton and community members for working hard to make Pendleton in general more accessible. Efforts include more accessible city parks, electric wheelchair-charging stations around town and projects by down- town businesses to change steps into ramps. While the ODOT inventory focused on state highways, Stenson said city and county roads across the state have similar problems. “Some municipalities do a better job than others, but I think the problems you see with ODOT you would find similar issues with municipal governments as well,” he said. In 2017 ODOT published the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Transition Plan Update detailing a game plan for becoming fully ADA-compliant, including making all of its buildings more accessible and aggressively moving to fix curb ramps. “ODOT is committed to improving the accessibility of the transportation system and its facil- ities. ... ODOT has made significant progress in reducing the number of missing and non-compliant curb ramps in recent years, and a commitment to ongoing resources will address remaining shortcom- ings,” the report says. ODOT’s plan for ADA compli- ance can be found online at www. oregon.gov/ODOT/Business/OCR/ Documents/Final%20ADA%20 Transition%20Plan%202017.pdf. An inventory of every state highway crossing in Umatilla County and its ADA-compliance rating can be found here: droregon.org/wp-con- tent/uploads/umatilla-county.pdf. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536. WHEAT: Every $1 billion in farm exports supports more than 8,000 jobs in 2016 MCLEAN: Co-founded BMCC’s annual community Christmas Eve dinner Continued from 1A Continued from 1A check per year.” “It’s the administration that’s got to determine how important this trade relation- ship is,” said Blaine Jacobson, executive director of the Idaho Wheat Commission. The industry is working to educate people who have contact with the adminis- tration, he said, in hopes of reaching “critical mass,” recognizing TPP as a benefi- cial trade arrangement for the U.S. “There’s widespread support for getting back into it, but whether or not we have reached the right people yet is still unknown,” Jacobson said. Asian customers want soft white wheat from the Pacific Northwest, Jacobson said. “They might be willing to pay a minor premium,” he said. “As time goes on, those customers will probably find a way to make use of wheat other than PNW wheat. In the short-term, a modest impact, but in the long-term, probably a major impact on markets.” Squires warned of “ripple effects” throughout the industry, which could happen as soon as U.S. wheat becomes uncompetitive in overseas markets, he said Without exports to Japan, the grain commission esti- mates volume would drop by 62.5 million bushels. That equals 19,000 fewer rail cars little bit confidante. Without her, a lot of them wouldn’t have made it.” McLean, he said, “moth- ered more rodeo champions than anyone in the world.” Her orb extended beyond the rodeo team, he said, as “she was handed down from graduating class to graduating class.” Mike Beers, who went on to rope and bulldog professionally after his time on the BMCC rodeo team, credits McLean for keeping him on track academically. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have made it through school,” he said. BMCC Foundation Director Margaret Gianotti, a friend and colleague, said McLean was strict but driven by kindness. Gianotti said McLean co-founded BMCC’s annual commu- nity Christmas Eve dinner. “She made sure they used real linens and glass plates — she wanted people to feel like it was a four- star dining experience,” Gianotti said. “She found people in need to attend.” Goodrich got a front-row seat to the ways of McLean during the almost two years he lived under her roof. Routinely, when he got home from rodeo practice, sometimes at 11 p.m., he found her asleep on the Capital Press File The U.S. wheat industry is asking President Donald Trump to re-enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “There’s widespread support for getting back into it, but whether or not we have reached the right people yet is still unknown.” — Blaine Jacobson, executive director of the Idaho Wheat Commission and nearly 70 bulk vessels each year. Impact would be felt by port facilities, barges, elevator longshoremen, ship handlers, and other industry members, Squires said. Every $1 billion in farm exports supports more than 8,000 jobs in 2016. Wheat export losses of $500 million per year would lead to reduc- tions in the work force across the supply chain, Squires said. Squires is encouraged that people are beginning to realize that the situation is imminent. “I think it can be done if the president puts his mind to it,” he said. “The bottom line is, we are heavily dependent on trade and trade is a benefit. We just want to be part of that trade. We believe the president can make that happen.” ——— The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. couch like a worried parent waiting for him to return. “I’d go take a shower,” he said. “When I came out, she’d have dinner ready at the dining room table.” Years later, McLean helped with food at Goodrich’s wedding. At yesterday’s memo- rial service, a tube of McLean’s favorite shade of red lipstick sat in a display, along with photos, her favorite apron and her white gloves. During a time of open remarks, BMCC graduate Rex Baker described a prank involving McLean’s cherished green Volkswagen Bug. Baker and his fellow pranksters disabled the car, gave her a ride home after she couldn’t start the engine and prom- ised to get it running. Instead, under cover of darkness, they later removed the center post of one of the doorways of Pioneer Hall, drove the car into the hallway and parked in front of her office. The next morning, a secretary put a ribbon and bow on the vehicle. BMCC Pres- ident Ron Daniels placed a tongue-in-cheek note on the windshield, which Baker paraphrased to best of his memory: “Gene Ann, while I realize that you’re unhappy with your present parking situation, I must point out that these subtle hints are of little help.” McLean, aghast, ordered her car removed “before the newspaper gets here.” Grinning at the memory, Baker’s expression sobered as he expressed gratitude toward his former advisor. “She mothered me, bossed me, fed me, educated me and made me realize my self-worth and intelligence,” Baker said. “She is a big part of every- thing in me that is good. God speed, G.A.” Before and after her retirement in 1997, McLean volunteered in the commu- nity and served on the Arts Council of Pendleton board. McLean and many of the students she nurtured stayed in touch over the years. She watched many of her cowboys compete at the Pendleton Round-Up. Goodrich won the all-around title there in 2004. Beers, a world champion roper who was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2003, won the steer roping title in Pendleton in 2004. Neither will forget McLean. “She was a legend. …” Gianotti said. “She really made a footprint here.” ——— Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0810.
