United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

FORMER DANBURY LAWYER SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BERNABE DIAZ, age 53, a lawyer formerly of Danbury, Connecticut, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns in New Haven to 96 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for knowingly receiving child pornography.

On February 10, 2004, DIAZ pleaded guilty, admitting that he knowingly received two digital video cassettes containing child pornography. The cassettes were produced in the State of New York by Donnaann Dambro, who then delivered them to DIAZ in Connecticut. DIAZ is also being prosecuted in state court. Dambro pleaded guilty to related charges in August 2003, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Burns tomorrow, June 25, at 9:00 a.m.

In sentencing DIAZ, Judge Burns stated that this case is "one of the most sordid cases that has come before me in my 30 years as a judge."

"We are pleased with this strict sentence," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "This Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children in any form."

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Danbury Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kari A. Dooley and Deputy United States Attorney John H. Durham.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov