SACRAMENTO: A Fresno lawyer was convicted by a federal court jury in Sacramento on Fri- day for repeatedly bribing an Immigration and Naturalization Service officer to obtain temporary work permits for scores of illegal aliens in the San Joaquin Valley.
Harbhajan “Harry” Brar, 36, was found guilty of conspiracy and four counts of bribing a public official. The jury found that Brar was instrumental in passing to the INS officer $92,050 to process work applications for 146 Indians during an 18-day period last year. The INS officer, temporarily stationed in Stockton as a legalization officer, cooperated in the investigation, secretly taping several of her conversations with Brar and two co-defendants. Brar’s lawyer, Roger T. Nuttall, argued during the trial that Brar was entrapped by the INS officer. He said Brar was told that paying her was the only chance his clients had to obtain the permits.
But Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J.Bender told the jury that Brar was not forced to pay bribes. “All he had to say was ‘No’,” Bender said in his closing statement. “He had an easy out. All he had to do was take it”.
Brar faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb.10 by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Garcia.
Fresno Bee
Article extracted from this publication >> December 6, 1991
