OCR Text |
Show The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH @ LOTTERY/B.2 @ BARBER! & BELL/B3 1 OBITUARIES/B.6/7 @ WEATHER/B-8 SUNDAY, AUGUST9, 1998 Critics Blast Plea Bargain for Semnani Envirocare competitors, lawyers for the man hewill testify against question motives behind deal BY BRENT ISRAELSEN LarryF. Anderson. a state regulator who oversaw Semnani’s development of the THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE CLICK HERE Radioactive-waste magnate Khosrow B. Semnani slipped into U.S. District Court late last month in Salt Lake City and pleaded guilty to an obscure misdemeanor tax violation. While the plea effectively ends a 16month FBI investigation against Semnani, it begs a simple question Wasit just? Semnani, the owner of Envirocare of Utah, has admitted giving about $600,000 in real estate, cash and gold coins during an eight-year period to {The charge] is legal fiction,” said James Haskins, attorney for Anderson ernment FOR MORE DETAILS company who was director of the Utah Divisionof But he maintains the payments were extorted by Anderson. In exchange for prosecutors’ promise not to pursue jail time or additional charges against him. Semnani has pledged to “fully cooperate” in the U.S. government’s ongoing investigation of Anderson. Semnani also Anderson and his wife, Carolee. in thefiling of a false income-tax return in 1994. It is a seldom used criminal statute described by Sem. Anderson maintains he and Semnani had a legitimate financial arrangement tencingis set for the end of November. On its face, the simple tax charge against Semnani, a multimillionaire with he knewthe Andersonsfailed to report to the Internal RevenueService about $40,000. “which was paid in cash by Semnani and demanded by oneof the [Andersons] during calendar year 1993 strong political connections, appears to be a token slap on the wrist by the gov- @ * The charge was ‘aiding and abetting has agreed to pay a $100,000fine. Sen- waw.sitribcom a Radiation Control from1983 to 1994 and he denies hefailedto report any in come, Haskins said If Semnani’s plea agreement is any in nani’s attorney as “Byzantine In pleading guilty, Semnani admitted dication, the investigation of Anderson appears to be more a matter for the IRS now than for the FBI Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Schwen: diman, who headed the prosecution of AI Hartmann The La Envirocare owner Khosrow B. S nani pleadedguilty last month to < accordingto the plea agreement See SEMNANI, Page B-6 obscure misdemeanor tax violation CrimeStats For Immigrants Were Wrong Public officials gave erroneousinfo on drug crimes at Congress hearing BY SHAWN FOSTER © 1998, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Public officials have used erroneous statistics to illustrate the problem of illegal immigrants and the illegal drug trade in Salt Lake County. Those num bersgreatly exaggeratethe connection between un documented immigrants and drugs. When Salt Lake Countyofficialsiestified at a re cent Congressional field hearing. they told Rep Chris Cannon, R-Utah, that more than half of the felony drugarrests in Salt Lake County were com mitted by undocumented immigrants. Audience members gasped and shook their heads as Cannor repeated the figure. “More thanhalf of the felony drug arrests were illegal aliens?” Cannonasked Thecorrect county estimate — althoughbasedor sketchy data — is that 15 percentofall the county’s drug arrests for the first six months of 1998 were Rick Woodstaff Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Utah Gov. MikeLeavitt takes a breather during a National Governors Association meeting in Milwaukee, wherehetook a high-profile leadership post. suspectedillegal immigrants Two mistakes were made in reporting the statis tics First, Salt Lake County Commissioner Mary Calla. ghanandSheriff Aaron Kennard misinterpreted the A busy Gov. Mike Leavitt has takenonaninfluential role in the National Governors Association. It means. Utah Is Picking Up New Clout in Washington BY JUDY FAHYS to suspendan executive orderthat gavethe federal ing a nationalpulpit for talking aboutwhatis impor. Leavitt says there was not a moment when he questioned whether heshould acceptthe post, when approached by Republicancolleagues It appearedto methis was a place I could make a contribution,” he says. “Then they asked me, and In recent weeks, he has trudged the Handcart Days paradein pouringrain torn through thicketof political controversy over polygamyand launched a health-insurance program for children from low-income families. He already workswith fellow governors on sever al issues, He has led their efforts to block new taxes on the Internet and to ease the administration of Medicaid. Recently, he persuaded the White House “In the ’80s, I don’t think in all honesty people listened to us,"’ says Scheppach. The organization nowhas a staff of more than 75 and a budget topping $11 million. About $4.3 million is devoted to the association's efforts to shape the debate in Congress and the White House. The remainder pays for the Center for Best Practices, here I am Five Utah governors have led NGAduringits 90 years. Scott Matheson was chairman from 1982-83. as Calvin L, Rampton was in 1974-75. Herbert B. Maw wasleader in 1944. George H. Dern, 192830 and William Spry in 19 6 fenses. wereaskedto list all Salt Lake County jail inmates increased since then. tant to the states — and Utah, in particular. ment with 17,000 employees and morethan $6 bil- that period hadallegedly committed felony drug of joined the staff under Matheson’s leadership 15 years ago, and he says NGA’s political clout has NGA Executive Director Raymond Scheppach next August, meansthe governor can count on hav- Association (NGA) Utah's chief executive manages a state govern. accounted for 51 percent of all felony drug arrests In reality, the number showed that 51 percent of illegal immigrants who had been arrested during The second problem involves the methodologyof gatheringthestatistics, which county workers them selvessayis flawed. County computer progratimers then automatically assuming the chairman's role as second in command of the National Governors centageof all drug chargesin the county as a whole The pair asserted that undocumented imntigrants 1999, when Leavitt becomes the sixth NGA chairman from Utah. Leavitt did not hesitate to add the elected NGA post to his dutylist. Beingvice chairman fora year do at home, so some might wonder whythe Utah Republican accepted a high-profile post last week lion in annual spending. Only Kansas and Virginia have supplied as many NGApresidents. And that is only counting prior to government newpowers over state-run programs. THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE MILWAUKEE — Gov. Mike Leavitt has plenty to numbers. They thought the statistic on felony drug arrests of illegal immigrants represented the per which helps identify and promote effective govern. mentprograms who had beenarrested during 1998. Then-all the suspects who wereborn in Mexico, Central of South America werepicked out. And those natives of Latin America who had been in the countryfor less than a year wereclassified as illegal immigrants All our numbersarereal iffy,” said Chris Kirk man, a supervisor in the Pre-Trial Services division whooversawthe research. “It's hard to document muchfrom what wehave. Addedthe division's director. Mike Peterson, “Do you see what it says on the bottom [ofthe data sheet Callaghan and Kennard werereading from]? ‘These See LEAVITT, Page B-6 See STATISTICS, Page B-6 E44 Russian Teen Has Plenty to Smile About After Reconstructive Surgery one moresurgery on her neck in about a students that has provided free recon Halkina traveled to Salt Lake City year, although he was unsureif that will sadtobe leaving thehospital where she received so many kind words and pre- encehas helpedthegirl physically, emo tionallyandspiritually structive surgery for 43.000 children in the United States and abroad Sellers said he may have given Halkina more mobility and improved her looks. sents “Shehas never in her life seen so much love as she has seen in America,” said The micro-surgery performed Tues day lasted eight hours and was quite technical, Sellers said. Muchof thepro: cedure was performed with a micro- BY LINDA FANTIN THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Thegirl who looks like Santa Claus is No doubt the best gift also was the most painful: An eight-hour reconstruc from Russia with her guardian Marina Vorobyova, whosaid the entire experi Vorobyova as Halkina was being re. and LDSHospital leased fromthehospital Saturday Theexperiencealso was a bit frighten Severe burn scars from a childhood ac cident fused Masha Halkina’s bottom lip to her chin and her chin to her neck gauze bandages that resemble a Santa tive surgery courtesy of Operation Smile locking thegirl's head in a downward pose. Equally debilitating, she said, were the deflating taunts of kids and stares of strangers Al Martenann/The Salt Lake Tribune Masha Halkina, 14, enjoys the results of her surgery with Clinton Duke, who mether while in Russia. ities that were impossible until now After Tuesday's operation, however the 14-year-old can hold her head high for the first time in nine years. Soon, Halkina hopes to be swimming, playing volleyball and doing gymnastics activ ing, the teen said, especially the first time she peeled back the cotton-and. Claus beard to reveal ‘s stretched across her throat wheredoctors replaced the scar tissue with skin from her abdo- men. Plastic surgeons Dan Sellers and J Gregory Kjar also used a similar tech nique on her armpits, where scarring require a return trip to Utah. scope, the sutures only as wide as three red bloodcells. Despite its complexity the operation is fairly routine in the United States, he said. “Theyjust don’t do a lot of them where Masha is from The LDS Hospital picked upthetab, which Sellers estimated at $10,000 to $20,000 Halkinais staying withfriend Clinton Duke. a Bountiful resident who met the but his patient needed no help with her smile, I'mnot sure we could cheer her up anymorethanshealready was,” hesaid Halkina is expectto return to Russiain September, after she visits Jackson Hole, Wyo., courtesyof a local radio sta tion CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS girl two years ago while on a missionfor The Churchof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Dukesought help for Halkina through prevented thegirl fromfully raising her arms, Sellers said she will need at least OperationSmile, a national volunteeror. ganization of medical professionals and You can add 50,000 people to Salt Lake County andit’s not going to look Like a 4-year-old saying I don't want fo play anymore andI'm going home.” A Scenic Airlines plane that crashed Oc. 8, 1997, had nine people on board includingthepilot andeight employeesof the Bureauof Reclamation. A story in Sat urday’s paper listed an incorrect Mmber UTAH QUOTES I dont see my having done wrong. [ have been a champion for the Hispanic community on many issues. | speak Spanish well, better than manyof the Latino activists. Rep, Chris Cannon, R-Utah, in defend ing # flier asking victims of crimes “eaused byillegal aliens” to attend a hearing on immigration i ‘OPY| i I thought living a life with an artifi cial leg was a life worse than death We'veall afraid of something we dont understand. — Rdward Kennedy Jr,, speaking tn Salt Lake City to Operation Smile that different, but try doing it out here lin Tooele}. — Envision Utah's Kevin Bommer on the boomin Tooele County — Kar! Malone on the NBA owners walking out of a negotiation session with the players union When you are a kid your eyes light up when you see a rocket go off The excitement is still there when you re a grandpalike me — Frank Hunt, adviser to the Utah Rocket Club |