DOMINICAN FUGITIVE NUNEZ EXTRADITED TO THE UNITED

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000079 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR WARD, L/LEI FOR TORRES AND MUELLER DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR CRIM/OIA FARRAR AND KRANTZ US MARSHALS SERVICE PLEASE PASS TO JIM SCHIELD DEA FOR OF,OFI,DO,DCO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CJAN CVIS KCRM SNAR DR SUBJECT: DOMINICAN FUGITIVE NUNEZ EXTRADITED TO THE UNITED STATES REF: 2007 STATE 139126 ¶1. On January 10, U.S. Marshals returned Maria Nunez to the United States to appear before the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to face charges of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, as detailed in indictment number 00-776 (HAA),filed on December 1, 2000. The facts contained in the indictment indicate that Nunez operated and partially owned a grocery store in Newark, New Jersey between August 1996 and May 2000, and that she unlawfully purchased food stamps during that time at below face value (thereby making a profit for herself). Audits conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate the amount of the fraud perpetrated against the government approached 1.5 million USD. ¶2. The Nunez case was brought before the Dominican government on October 11, 2007, by virtue of an Embassy diplomatic note. Following this extradition request, the Criminal Chamber of the Dominican Supreme Court issued a provisional arrest warrant. On December 29, 2007, pursuant to that warrant, Nunez was apprehended by officers of the Dominican Republic's National Directorate for Drug Control's fugitive apprehension unit. ¶3. Nunez subsequently made a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of her right to contest extradition before the Criminal Chamber of the Dominican Supreme Court. ¶4. Nunez is the first Dominican-national fugitive returned through extradition proceedings during CY-2008 and the fifth for FY-2008). FANNIN