Bay Area ex-federal agent pleads guilty to lying about sexual relationship with witness
MARTINEZ – A former federal agent from the Bay Area pleaded guilty to lying about a sexual relationship with a victim who testified in a human trafficking case, prosecutors said.
According to U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert's office, 44-year-old Melissa Saurwein of Martinez admitted to one count of making a false statement in connection with the relationship. Saurwein formerly served as a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations in Northern California.
Court documents said the relationship involved a victim witness in the trial of Job Torres Hernandez, a Hayward construction contractor who was convicted of hiring undocumented immigrants for forced labor.
Prosecutors in Torres' trial showed evidence that he recruited most of his workers from Mexico, paid them far less than he promised, threatened to have them deported when they complained, and kept some of them in squalid conditions in a warehouse in Hayward.
In preparation for Saurwein's testimony at Torres' trial, prosecutors in the case asked if she had a relationship with any witness or victim in the case, which she denied. Both Surwein and the witness testified at the trial, in which Torres was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after being convicted.
Prosecutors said the relationship came to light after the trial, which led to Torres' conviction being vacated and his release from prison after only serving three years of his sentence.
Saurwein faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28.