WHO ENGAGED THIS MAN AND WHY?

The following is quoted, verbatim, from the 1999 Report to Congress on the activities and operations of the Public Integrity Section, Criminal Divison, United States Department of Justice:

United States v. Barfield, Middle District of Florida

Michael A. Barfield, a paralegal and litigation consultant, pled guilty on May 12, 1999, to five felony offences, including conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury before a federal grand jury, and two separate wire fraud schemes. On October 25th, 1999, Barfield was sentenced to ten years in prison, fined $7,500 and ordered to pay $50,500 in restitution.


The conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury convictions stem from Barfield’s role in concocting a false accusation in 1997 against then - United States District Judge Lee P. Gagliardi, now deceased, and United States Attorney Kathleen A. Hayley, in an attempt to disqualify the judge from presiding over a pending criminal case. Barfield hired two private investigators Deana Scappacino and Dana Corum, to help carry out the illegal scheme. Barfield, Scappacino and Corum, falsely claimed that the Judge and the Prosecutor met at a restaurant where they discussed details of the pending prosecution and exchanged case-related documents. During the federal grand jury investigation triggered by this accusation, Barfield and his coconspirators repeatedly attempted to bolster their false accusation by providing false information to the FBI and false testimony and fabricated documents to the grand jury.


Judge Gagliardi was advised prior to his death that the Justice Department had determined that the charges against him were false.Barfield also pled guilty to two unrelated wire fraud offences that were committed and uncovered during the course of this investigation.


In late 1998 and 1999, while working for a Florida attorney, Barfield falsely represented to two convicted criminal defendants that he could secure leniency for them in exchange for substantial monetary payments. After obtaining approximately $50,000 from the defendants’ families, Barfield made preparations to flee the country. He was arrested by the FBI in January 1999 and has been incarcerated since that date.