August 11, 2024 – LOS ANGELES, CA – A former United States deportation officer was found guilty by a jury on Friday of illegally using his position to send hundreds of payments to his wife’s vehicle repair company.

Jacques Polzin, 40, of Norwalk, was found guilty of eight counts of conflict of interest.

According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, Polzin formerly was employed as a deportation officer at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). During his employment at ICE, Polzin served as a vehicle control officer, whose job was to facilitate service and repairs for ICE vehicles.

From at least November 2017 to September 2020, Polzin illegally sent service and parts orders from ICE to a Santa Fe Springs-based automotive repair company named JNJ Auto Repair LLC. This company was registered to Polzin’s wife.

At all relevant times, Polzin had a financial interest in this company. He was involved in establishing and investing in the business, shared estimates from competitors with JNJ Auto so that it could beat the price and win the ICE contract and was paid by JNJ Auto.

In total, Polzin was involved in more than 250 transactions between ICE and JNJ Auto for ICE vehicles. Polzin performed these actions while hiding his connection to JNJ Auto.

United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a March 10, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Polzin will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.

ICE Office of Professional Responsibility investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys K. Afia Bondero of the Major Frauds Section and Nisha Chandran of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force are prosecuting this case.

Source: DOJ Release