Vitvitsky receives Department of Justice Director's Award (02/09/03)

Vitvitsky receives Department of Justice Director's Award

WASHINGTON - At the annual Department of Justice awards ceremony held at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bohdan Vitvitsky received a Department of Justice Director's Award.

The two-hour ceremony opened with the presentation of colors by a Joint Armed Forces Color Guard followed by the national anthem led by a brass quintet from the United States Marine Band. Many of the U.S. attorneys from the 94 federal districts, each of whom is appointed by the president, attended the festivities and sat on stage.

Guy A. Lewis, director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, welcomed all those gathered and then introduced Larry D. Thompson, the deputy attorney general, who spoke briefly to congratulate the honorees. His speech was followed by the principal address delivered by Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Mr. Ashcroft delivered a stirring address during which he quoted from the St. Crispens speech in Shakespeare's "Henry V," Lincoln's Second Inaugural Speech and a John F. Kennedy speech. The principal theme of Mr. Ashcrofts speech was that we today are lucky to live in a period when the nation and its citizens are facing a unique set of threats and challenges because those who are alive today and in public service have an opportunity to rise to the unique challenges posed by the present set of circumstances.

Dr. Vitvitsky received his award for his work as the lead prosecutor in a series of related cases involving a so-called land flip scheme and conspiracy, which is a type of bank fraud. In these cases, the 11 convicted participants included real estate businessmen, lawyers, appraisers and bankers. Conspirators would purchase properties from unsuspecting sellers at market price and then, while the property was under contract, arrange for one or two or three sham re-sales of the same property that they scheduled for the same day, the property was actually purchased from the original seller or soon thereafter. Based on artificially inflated appraisals and facilitated by dishonest lawyers and bankers, banks were fooled into providing mortgage loans in amounts far in excess of the value of the subject properties, and as a result lost millions of dollars.

The case took several years to investigate and prosecute, and was unusually complex and difficult, thus leading to Dr. Vitvitsky's award. Dr. Vitvitsky was first nominated for the award by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of New Jersey and then selected from the pool of nominees by a jury of federal prosecutors assembled by Main Justice in Washington.

This is the second time Dr. Vitvitsky has been awarded a Director's Award. He also received a Director's Award in 1995 from then Attorney General Janet Reno in connection with the successful prosecution of a complex international fraud scheme.

Dr. Vitvitsky is a founding member and leading activist of the Ukrainian American Professionals and Businesspersons of New York and New Jersey, as well as a member of Ukrainian National Association Branch 25.

| Home Page |