FBI HQ blames Special Agent Jeff Kassouf for failing to produce 10,000 documents in Tony Viola’s Criminal Cases

 

Both the FBI and Department of Justice admitted making false statements about evidence in Tony Viola’s criminal cases.  These admissions followed a second trial where Tony proved his innocence using evidence Prosecutors Mark Bennett, Dan Kasaris and FBI Agent Jeff Kassouf claimed did not exist.  That evidence, provided by whistleblower Dawn Pasela, may also exonerate over 1,000 defendants prosecuted by the same multi-jurisdictional Task Force that prosecuted Tony.

 

Following admissions that the FBI lied in about evidence, federal Judge Susan Paradise Baxter ordered the government to explain why the FBI failed to produce the evidence, and further explain why it made materially false statements about that same evidence.  In response, FBI headquarters in Washington blamed “the lack of oversite” over FBI Special Agent Jeff Kassouf, who forwarded “the physical file” to his supervisors while failing to produce records he stored electronically.  “The FBI relied on the physical file with a belief it was complete,” when, in fact, Agent Kassouf retained control over key documents, Viola v. US Department of Justice, et. al., 15-cv-242, WD Pa, document number 164.  Of those 10,000 documents that the FBI did not produce, the FBI released fewer than 3,000, many of which contain exculpatory evidence suppressed before the first trial.  Still, the FBI refuses to release over 7,000 documents, citing various law enforcement or privacy concerns.

 

Judge Baxter is now considering whether the FBI’s explanations are satisfactory, and deciding whether or not the FBI’s refusal to produce over 7,000 pages of newly discovered evidence is appropriate. Earlier in the same litigation, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Colville informed the federal judiciary that the United States Attorney’s Office also made false statements in affidavits and discovered additional evidence that was improperly withheld.  Colville said he “regrets those inaccuracies and the resulting inconvenience,” September 27, 2019 letter to Judge Susan P. Baxter.

 

“The FBI’s claim that it was unaware of evidence in its own records system for over a decade is simply not credible,” said Tony Viola.  “Special Agent Jeff Kassouf actively covered up a romantic relationship between government witness Kathryn Clover and Assistant Ohio Attorney General Dan Kasaris, and also covered up Mark Bennett’s use of Clover’s perjured testimony to win a conviction.  Jeff Kassouf should be fired and the Department of Justice’s Inspector General should launch an investigation without further delay, especially since the evidence in question may impact over 1,000 criminal cases prosecuted by the Task Force.”

 

ABOUT FREETONYVIOLA.COM:  FreeTonyViola.com’s mission is to shine a bright spotlight on the ‘win at all costs’ tactics, prosecutorial overreach and misconduct the United States Department of Justice employs when prosecuting American citizens.  Tony Viola is currently on house arrest, serving a twelve-and-a-half year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit mortgage fraud. He was investigated by the Cuyahoga County Mortgage Fraud Task Force, a multi-jurisdictional task force comprised of state, local and federal agencies, and prosecuted in parallel federal and state cases. He lost the federal case but won the subsequent state trial.  The website, originally created to solicit leads for Tony’s investigative team, has evolved into a tool to keep the public informed about critical developments in his case, and to share information that could potentially assist others who have been wrongfully ensnared by our criminal justice system.  For additional information, visit http://www.FreeTonyViola.com; friend us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tony.viola.9212; or follow us on Twitter @TonyViola.