A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer, Jacques Polzin, 40, of Norwalk, was found guilty on eight counts of conflict of interest according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Evidence presented during the four-day trial unearthed Polzin's scheme to send hundreds of government contracts to his wife's vehicle repair company, JNJ Auto Repair LLC, between November 2017 and September 2020. Now, Polzin awaits a March 2025 sentencing hearing where he faces a potential maximum sentence of five years for each count.
The trial uncovered that Polzin used his position within ICE as a vehicle control officer to direct over 250 transactions between the Santa Fe Springs-based company and ICE. Despite his duty to ensure the integrity of the process, Polzin concealed his financial interest in JNJ Auto Repair and ensured the company won contracts by sharing competitor estimates. As confirmed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Polzin was "involved in establishing and investing in the business" and received payments from the auto repair company.
Following the investigation by the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, Polzin's actions were brought to light, highlighting a breach of trust and misuse of public resources. United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II has scheduled the sentencing hearing, underlining the gravity of public servants using their positions for personal gain.
The case against Polzin is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys K. Afia Bondero of the Major Frauds Section and Nisha Chandran of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force. As stated by Public Information Officer Ciaran McEvoy in a public release, the conviction of Jacques Polzin stands as a reminder of the Justice Department's commitment to rooting out corruption and maintaining the public's trust in its institutions.
