Expert on Racketeering and Corruption Visits Jamaica

Kingston, October 7, 2004, 2004:  

This week, the citizen rights action group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), with support from the United States Embassy's Office of Public Affairs, hosted a series of public education forums on corruption.  The program featured Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McMahon, who serves as Senior Trial Counsel in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Strike Force in Eastern Louisiana.   

Over the course of his three days in Jamaica, Mr. McMahon spoke with business leaders, grassroots activists, and media in Montego Bay and Kingston about his experience prosecuting corruption cases for the federal government. Mr. McMahon's visit culminated with an evening public forum hosted by JFJ titled "Corruption: What Is It? What Does It Cost Society?" on Tuesday, October 5 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.  Power 106 FM "Nationwide" broadcasted the event live.  

Mr. McMahon was invited by a group of Jamaicans who earlier this year participated in a three-week U.S. State Department-funded International Visitor program on "Transparency in Government: Combating Corruption."  The group, including representatives from Jamaicans for Justice, the Ministry of Justice and the media, felt that many people would benefit from Mr. McMahon's experience on the Organized Crime and Racketeering Strike Force.

Michael McMahon is Assistant U.S. Attorney at the Eastern Louisiana District U.S. Attorney's Office in New Orleans.  He serves as Senior Trial Counsel in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Strike Force.  He joined the Department of Justice in 1987, and has prosecuted a number of important organized crime and corruption cases.  His most famous trial was the successful conviction of more than 24 corrupt police officers in New Orleans - including the civil rights murder conviction of former police officer Len Davis.  That conviction led to the first, and only, capital murder sentence ever recommended in a federal civil rights case.  He also prosecuted what was at the time the largest-ever maritime seizure of cocaine (12,210 pounds) from a Panamanian flag vessel, securing the conviction of all nine crewmembers.

Mr. McMahon has strong ties to Jamaica; 1973-79 he taught English Language and Literature in Kingston, Jamaica, at both Tarrant Junior Secondary School and St. George's College.