Washington DC: a number of nonprofit organizations, along with a large coalition, including, The Christian Mail, The URWA, and others have all congregated with hundreds of demonstrators to deliver signatures and letters calling on the Department of Justice to fully examine the falsely indicted innocent American Israeli family on December 17th, 2020, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Many signed the campaign calling on President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland to ensure justice for the American Israeli family, and to do everything in their power to uncover the truth.
The American Israeli family are business owners who were qualified for numerous loans through various SBA programs. All the evidence clearly shows that the family hired and paid a company that submitted wrong tax documents without their permission. This has taken place in hundreds of cases. Jenny Sugar knows that the family is innocent and there was a number of mishandling and misconduct in her investigation, but she chose to go after the innocent family. She continues to use her tools to try stop them from reaching a fair Jury trial where the facts will be shined light upon. Mrs. Sugar is currently threating to press more charges against the innocent Israeli American’s family members to try to coerce a plea bargain.
Mrs. Sugar choose not to go after the company that submitted the loans, unlike many US attorneys. Nor did she offer a civil settlement, similar to what is taking place in California and other states where hundreds of companies who made false statements to the SBA have reached a settlement that resolved the allegations even though these companies conducted and violated the False Claims Act. In the case of this innocent American Israeli family, the facts distinctly show that they never violated the False Claims Act, nor submitted/ signed any loan applications, nor made any false statements. Not to mention that they were never contacted by any SBA or bank agents to confirm any documents submitted or approved.
As U.S. Attorney General Griffin B. Bell said in 1978, the DOJ is “the acknowledged guardian and keeper of the law.” The DOJ enforces the law by investigating and prosecuting those who violate it; defends the law by bringing and opposing lawsuits that challenge it; and promotes the law by advising and counseling the federal government on what is permissible. It does so guided by an unwavering dedication to the rule of law and the fair and impartial administration of justice. In these and many other ways, the DOJ protects not only the safety, freedom, and equality of Americans, but also the promise of America itself.
All too often, however, the previous administration has acted at odds with the DOJ’s critical mission. It has compromised the independence of the agency to help political friends and harm political foes. It has improperly overruled the decisions of career prosecutors in pending cases. It has refused to defend federal laws and policies it simply dislikes. It has declined to meaningfully enforce civil rights and environmental laws. Also, it has openly questioned the integrity of the career men and women of the DOJ in the process. These actions have undermined public confidence in the previous DOJ, demoralized the career workforce, and caused thousands of former DOJ officials—those who have served in Republican and Democratic administrations alike—to speak out, sound the alarm, and call for change.
The good news is that a major virtuous change has occurred at the Western District of North Carolina. Mr. William T. Stetzer was named by the new administration as the Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina on March 1st, 2021, following the departure of U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray. We Hope for Mr. Stetzer to take a closer look at this investigation and the tools U.S. assistant attorney Jenny Grus Sugar is using.
Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer has an amazing reputation as a career prosecutor who has dedicated his professional life to public service. Mr. Stetzer joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2018 and has since served as the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. During his 20+ years of combined service as a state and federal prosecutor, Mr. Stetzer has handled numerous criminal cases and has extensive experience in felony jury trials, including capital and non-capital murder cases.
It is worth noting that in 2020, Mr. Stetzer received the Justice Department’s Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service. He has also been recognized for his lifelong contribution to the pursuit of justice by the FBI, the Crime Victim’s Coalition, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Homicide Support Group.
