The investigative work of a Sunshine Coast RCMP officer earned praise and a commendation during a ceremony at the Surrey RCMP detachment last week.
The U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) applauded Const. Cathleen Falebrinza for her work in the convictions of two men and recovery of more than $1.6 million in U.S. government property.
Phyllis Wade, special agent in charge of the NCIS Northwest Field Office, personally thanked Falebrinza for "professional excellence" and "unwavering and critical support in the investigation" and presented her with an award.
NCIS is a well-known U.S. federal law enforcement agency with counterintelligence responsibilities to investigate threats to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
In late 2008, the 'E' Division Foreign Liaison Section of the RCMP received a request from NCIS to assist in the recovery of U.S. Naval property that had been fraudulently obtained and subsequently located in Sechelt. Because the property was found on the Sunshine Coast, the Coast detachment assumed responsibility of the investigation.
Falebrinza was assigned to assist and liaise with a special agent from NCIS. The investigation resulted in the locating of a 15-metre U.S. Navy sailboat, named NSY Lively, and a nine-metre Boston Whaler that was also property of the U.S. Navy. A warrant was executed on a summer residence in Garden Bay and resulted in the recovery of the Whaler. The NSY Lively was located at the government dock in Sechelt.
Falebrinza helped locate two GMC pick-up trucks, a dump truck, a backhoe, an inflatable boat and a large moving van. The property was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Bradley Garner of Garden Bay was found guilty in June 2009 on four counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering by a U.S. federal jury and sentenced to 4.5 years. His half-brother, U.S. citizen Steven Smith, and former employee of the U.S. Navy, pleaded guilty in March 2010 to public corruption charges and was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
"Mr. Garner's 15-day U.S. District Court trial was an extremely difficult undertaking for the U.S. with over 80 witnesses," Wade said in the letter of commendation. "The testimony of Constable Falebrinza was of great importance. She knew the stakes and came more prepared than any other U.S. or Canadian government witness. Her expert testimony won the respect and admiration of the entire U.S. trial team."
"We couldn't have done it without her, and this is not an exaggeration," added special agent Carla Brown, who worked with Falebrinza on the case. "The best defence attorneys and private investigators in Seattle were hired by the defendants. We think defence was counting on a disconnect between Canadian and U.S. law authorities. That was not the case - Cathleen was on our team."
