By Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON — From Capitol Hill to the Caribbean, a controversy is growing over a decision by Virgin Islands officials to charge a federal agent with second-degree murder in a 2008 shooting. The agent, William Clark, remains on the job at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — and his agency is adamant that he has done nothing wrong.

The ATF responded to the charge by removing its agents, including Clark, from the U.S. territory. And in Washington, U.S. Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., on Monday night introduced a congressional resolution applauding Clark for his “heroic action” in the 2008 incident.

“The ATF incident review examined the circumstances and cleared Will of any wrongdoing,” Lee said in a statement to AOL News. “Will is a hero who acted in self-defense while protecting a battered woman from an intoxicated, abusive man.”

But the congressional delegate from the Virgin Islands described her colleague’s actions as an attempt to meddle with a case that is “rightfully before the court.”

Delegate Donna M. Christensen told AOL News that while the Clark incident has created “tension” with some congressional colleagues, she is reluctant to second-guess “my police and attorney general, who felt there was enough of a question that excessive force was used.”

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David Iglesias

WASHINGTON — A lengthy criminal investigation into the controversial firings of U.S. Attorneys during the Bush years ended with a whimper Wednesday.

The Associated Press reported that no criminal charges were warranted in the two-year probe that began looking at the firings of 9 U.S. Attorneys, but ended up honing in on the highest profile firing involving New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias in 2006.

The probe concluded that the actions behind Iglesias’ firing were politically inappropriate, but not criminal.

The probe, headed by career Justice Department prosecutor Nora Dannehy, concluded, according to a letter from the Justice Department to lawmakers:

“Evidence did not demonstrate that any prosecutable criminal offense was committed with regard to the removal of David Iglesias. The investigative team also determined that the evidence did not warrant expanding the scope of the investigation beyond the removal of Iglesias.”

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Read Letter From Justice Department

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• 2 Arrested in Death of Miss. Sheriff (AP)
• Judge Hears Arguments on Arizona Immigration Law (AP)
• Father and Son Defense Team Claim Rift in Blago Case (AP)
• Alaska Couple Pleads Guilty to Lying About Terrorist Hit List (AP)
• Suspect Shot and Killed During Calif. Pot Search (AP)
• Detroit Police Chief Resigns in Surprise Move (AP)
• FBI Simulates Times Square Bomb Near Penn State (Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Conrad Black Released From Prison (Wall Street Journal)

Wesley Snipes

Actor Wesley Snipes is still in big trouble.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta has  refused to overturn his conviction and three year prison term for tax evasion, Courthouse News Service reported. He was convicted of failing to file tax returns from 1999 to 2001. An investigative report alleged that he tried hiding assets in foreign accounts.

Courthouse News Service reported that Snipes claimed in his appeal that the trial should have been held in New York, not Florida, and he should have gotten probation, not prison time.

“Although Snipes argues that there were mitigating factors that the judge did not specifically mention at sentencing, these facts – his college education, his family, and his charitable activities – do not compel the conclusion that the sentence … as substantively unreasonable,” Judge Stanley Marcus wrote, according to the news service.

By Allan Lengel

You say tomato. The lawyers for tomato king Frederick Scott Salyer  say something far harsher.

Defense lawyer for the former chief executive officer of the now defunct SK Foods, a tomato-product empire, claim in a court filing Tuesday in Sacramento that the FBI illegally used an informant to steal documents for its case rather than legal search warrants, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Salyer is in jail awaiting sentencing on charges of racketeering, bribery, obstruction of justice and antitrust violations that could send him to prison for life. Prosecutors allege that Salyer’s company inflated prices on millions of pounds of processed tomatoes sold to 55 companies in 22 states.

The defense claims the FBI obtained key documents in the case without court-authorized warrants from an informant — a vice president of the company, who took the materials, the Bee reported.

“The government’s case is based entirely on clear and substantial violations of the Fourth Amendment (which prohibits searches and seizures without warrants) by the FBI agent,” a defense attorney wrote.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office defended the case.

“We are confident that the investigation was handled properly, and we will vigorously represent the interests of the United States in court,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Delaney said in a statement to The Bee.

Ex-Gov Blagojevich

The lawyers for Rod Blagojevich may ask the ex-Illinois governor to do what he’s least good at: Keeping his big yap shut.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that defense attorneys told U.S. District Judge James Zagel Tuesday afternoon that they planned to rest their case without presenting a witness, including Blagojevich, who had been expected to take the stand.

The paper reported that the judge, in a private conference, told lawyers to think about it overnight.

The Sun-Times reported that the father and son defense lawyer team — Sam Adam Sr. and Sam Adam Jr. — said they disagree over whether the ex-gov should testify.

The father thought he shouldn’t because the government failed to prove its case, the paper reported. The son said he should since he promised jurors in his opening statement that Blagojevich would testify.

To read more click here.

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

• Oakland Votes to Permit Large Marijuana Farms (AP)
• Suspect Denies Role in JFK Airport Plot (AP)
• Calif. Inmate Surrenders After Mistaken Release (AP)
• Texas Executes Man Who Killed 2 Opera Singers (AP)
• Astronaut Armstrong’s Customs Document Stolen (AP)
• Tenn. Pit Bull Attack Leaves Elderly Man Dead (AP)
• Van Thief Drops  Filched Baby at  To-Go Counter (AP)
• U.S. Jailed and Abused Citizen and Deported to Honduras For More Abuse (Courthouse News Service)
• Justice Dept. Calls for Probe of Federal Sentencing Patterns (National Law Journal)
• CIA Applicant’s Arrest Tops Wave of China Spy Cases (Spy Talk)
• FBI Did Mock Up of Times Square Bomb (CBS)