CALIFORNIA INS INSPECTOR GUILTY OF SMUGGLING

Charges included letting marijuana, illegal entrants in.

SAN DIEGO -- A veteran U.S. immigration officer was found guilty
yesterday of smuggling marijuana and undocumented immigrants into the
United States by allowing vehicles to pass through his inspection lane.

The federal jury deliberated for about two days before announcing its
verdict against Richard Lawrence Pineda, a senior inspector now on
administrative leave from the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Pineda was found guilty on 12 counts, including smuggling and
conspiracy but was found innocent of taking money for the cursory
inspections.

"We knew that it was difficult in terms of proof to put money in the
hands of inspector Pineda. But we're very happy with the results,"
assistant U.S. attorney Ed Weiner said.

Prosecutors characterized Pineda as a corrupt inspector who betrayed
the United States when he allowed 25 illegal immigrants in six cars
and 3,550 pounds of marijuana in four carloads to pass through his
lane at the San Ysidro Port of Entry over a 12-month period.

The U.S. attorney's office claimed Pineda earned at least $350,000 in
bribes, but there was no evidence of any large bank deposits or large
purchases to substantiate that charge.

His defense lawyer argued that Pineda was inefficient and that
smugglers watching the busy port of entry that handles a total of
about 44,000 cars a day noticed his sloppy inspections, and
deliberately sent vehicles to his lane.

"It's a shame. Here's a guy who dedicates his life to law enforcement
and he finds himself in this situation," said his court-appointed
lawyer, Mark Adams. "I do believe he got set up and used and got taken
advantage of by a very sophisticated drug- and alien-smuggling
organization."

Pineda, who was hired by the INS in 1982 and assigned to the port in
1987, faces a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison when he
is scheduled to be sentenced June 27. Adams said he would appeal.

"He's very shaken up because he knows the consequence of a lengthy
prison term is very possible," Adams said.