FORMER CEO AND PRESIDENT
OF LINK EXPRESS DELIVERY SOLUTIONS
SENTENCED TO TWENTY YEARS’ IMPRISONMENT

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; David Nelson, Regional Director, Southeast Regional Office, Securities and Exchange Commission; Brian J. Wimpling, Special Agent in Charge for the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; Amos Rojas, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Tony Armbrister, Regional Director, South Central Florida Regional Office of the Florida Office of the Comptroller; and Michael S. Clemens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced today that on January 22, 2004, United States District Court Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Paul Johnson to twenty years’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release for his conviction on twenty-eight counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, perjury, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Johnson is the former chief executive officer and president of Link Express Delivery Solutions, Link Worldwide Solutions, and Pony Express Logistics.

As set forth in the Indictment, Link Express Delivery Solutions (LEDS) purported to be a package delivery company that conducted business by making use of existing collection and distribution channels such as local delivery and messenger services and authorized shipping agents. In several private placement securities offerings, LEDS sold approximately $15.5 million of LEDS -owned LEDS securities and approximately $3.4 million of Johnson-owned LEDS securities, for a total of approximately $18.9 million. The Indictment alleged that Johnson raised monies for the growth and administration of a package delivery business. These monies were obtained under false pretenses, as he made material mis-representations as well as omissions to investors. As set forth in the Indictment, a significant portion of the investors’ monies was misappropriated, that is, he used it for his personal use, and for his friends and family.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Office of the Comptroller, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robin S. Rosenbaum.