Crime & Safety
Former Martinez Homeland Security Agent Admits Lying In Federal Case
Melissa Saurwein faces up to 5 years in prison for making a false statement in connection with a relationship she had with a victim witness.
MARTINEZ, CA — A former Martinez agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of making a false statement in connection with a sexual relationship she had with a victim witness in a federal criminal case, federal prosecutors said.
Melissa Saurwein, 44, worked for Homeland Security Investigations in Northern California and developed a romantic relationship with a victim witness in a human trafficking case, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case involved Job Torres Hernandez, of Hayward, a construction company owner who was convicted of obtaining forced labor from undocumented victims in 2019.
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In preparation for Saurwein's testimony in the trial, she was asked if she had a personal relationship with any witness or victim in the case. She lied in order to conceal her relationship with a victim witness, prosecutors said.
The case went to trial and both Saurwein and the victim witness testified, but the truth about her relationship did not come to light until after the trial and sentencing of the defendant. This meant that the judgment had to be vacated in 2020 and Torres Hernandez was released.
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Saurwein is facing a maximum of five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28.
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