Irma Changtin
Sentenced to 12 years, 7 months
I was convicted and sentenced on four counts of the indictment:
conspiracy -151 months with 5 years supervised release;
and three money-laundering charges -151 months, 3 years
supervised release. At trial
I learned that my ex-boyfriend had been under investigation for
drug trafficking for about four years. Facing a life sentence,
he 'cooperated' with the government and was given 20 years. He
'turned in' six of us, among them his baby's mother, his brother,
three others and myself.
I met him in 1994. We became friends and then intimate partners.
He was different, intelligent, well groomed, well mannered and
friendly with a great sense of humor. We were lovers for almost
four years, and I gave him a key to my house. I believed him
to be trustworthy; though I didn't see much of him and could
only contact him through a pager number. Most of the time I didn't
see him on a daily basis, usually just twice a week.
Because I am an accountant, he asked me to prepare his self-employment
tax return for 1994 based on his clothing business. During trial,
I found out that he used this information to purchase a property
for his baby's mother. He also stated during trial that he used
my house as a safe place to hide drugs, a gun and to prepare
drugs. According to his testimony, he prepared drugs in the presence
of my 12-year-old son and my brother who were both living with
me.
In 1997 he asked me if I would sign my name on a car he was planning
to purchase because he had some financial problems. Looking back,
I wonder why I asked no questions, and later that week he picked
me up during lunch from work. The transaction only took a few
minutes. I trusted him so completely that I did not attempt to
read what I was about to sign. The owner and workers from the
dealership were extremely friendly, helpful, and documents were
handled efficiently.
Weeks later he asked me to pick up his license-plate tags and
other related documentation. He said he ran into a problem and
had to make a car payment right away. I called the dealership,
and was told to make the last car payment. His temporary tags
were about to expire, but once payment was made he would get
his permanent tags. He didn't have the money to make the last
payment, and I offered to make it for him.
He picked me up at work, and before heading to the dealership
we stopped at my bank and I withdrew $1,500. He took me to the
dealership, and I made the final payment on his car. Instead
of getting the tags, I was given a business card with instructions
to contact a federal agent. Dutifully, I contacted the agent
and was told to bring the car in for inspection. My boyfriend
drove me to a federal building in Washington, DC where the car
was confiscated. I was given an itemized list of property taken
from the car along with other documentation.
I contacted a lawyer and was advised not to worry about anything.
I attempted to get the car back without success. A week before
my trial I was shown evidence that my ex-boyfriend had signed
my name at least eight times to purchase other cars. I was in
disbelief! At different hearings the prosecutor and my own attorney
laughed at me, but I thought their remarks were just part of
the whole, strange process.
They raided my house in February 1998. I contracted with three
different, incompetent lawyers before federal trial started.
My ex-boyfriend was the first government witness who testified
against me, and I found that out when he took the stand against
me. I was offered a plea bargain agreement of 34 months, but
I could not understand the confusing, contradictory language
of the "plea bargain."
I hold a four-year degree in accounting as well as a two-year
word processing diploma. Due to my incarceration, I have lost
custody of my 15-year-old son
whom I have not seen since 1999. I have no contact with him at
all. I have also lost all of my personal property, including
my house and car which I obtained working honestly for years.
I worked as an account analyst in Georgetown University and believed
in an American dream. I had a great life, working extended hours
and traveling. Now I have only memories of my past life and experiences
I will ever endure - the scar of this prosecution and imprisonment
that will remain with me for the rest of my life.
Irma Changtin 35215-037
FPC Alderson SGB
PO Box A
Alderson, WV 24910
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