Courthouse Employee Referred Clients to Criminal Defense Lawyer in Exchange for Illegal Compensation, and Both Defendants Lied to Federal Agents

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of charges against DIONISIO FIGUEROA, a/k/a “Dionicio,” an employee of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (“the SDNY District Court”), and TELESFORO DEL VALLE, JR., a/k/a “Ted,” a criminal defense attorney practicing in the SDNY District Court and elsewhere, for their participation in a scheme in which FIGUEROA referred criminal defendants to DEL VALLE and encouraged those defendants to retain DEL VALLE as counsel in exchange for cash payments from DEL VALLE to FIGUEROA. FIGUEROA was arrested, and DEL VALLE surrendered earlier today, and both will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in the SDNY District courthouse in White Plains, New York.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The public, the Court, and the bar all rely on the integrity and honesty of the professionals who work for the Court and the lawyers who appear there. For years, Figueroa and Del Valle allegedly violated their duties and undermined the fair administration of justice, all for their personal gain. This Office will do its part to uphold the high standards of conduct expected of all those who play a role in the criminal justice process.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment:...

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