‘COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS semua em ctneson Steven €, LaTourette Congress of the United States 14th District, Ohio March 28, 2011 ‘Mr, Joseph Montelon 685 Sterling Road Wickliffe, OH 44092-2162 ‘Dear Mr. Montelon: In response to my inquiry on your behalf, I have received the enclosed letter from the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. 1am pleased to know that this matter is being looked into for you, and that they will take the necessary actions under the federal criminal civil rights statutes if appropriate. appreciate the opportunity to be of assistance, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of service. Very truly yours, Cgfigeut Steven C. LaTourette Member of Congress SCLiip Enclosure suas ear, mesU.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Office ofthe Assistans Anrney General Wengen, DC: 205%0 aa tal MAR 14 OTT ‘The Honorable Steven C. LaTourette Member, U.S. House of Representatives oF 1 Victoria Place, Room 320 Painesville, OH 44077 Dear Congressman LaTourette: This responds to your letter to the Assistant Attomey General for the Office of Legislative Affairs dated January 12, 2011, regarding your request that the Department provide information to you concerning a request by your constituent, Mr. Joseph Montelon, that the Department investigate the circumstances surrounding a search warrant that was executed at Mr. Montelon’s residence in August 2008. We have asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation to gather additional information regarding the circumstances of Mr. Montelon’s complaint. Once we have obtained this additional information, attorneys in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division will review itand determine whether prosecution is warranted. The Criminal Section enforces the federal criminal civil rights statutes pertaining to incidents of official misconduct and violent bias- motivated crimes. Much of our enforcement activity relates to the investigation and prosecution of deprivations of civil rights under color of law. These matters generally involve allegations of excessive physical force by law enforcement officers but may include unreasonable searches and seizures. Please be assured that if the evidence shows that there is a prosecutable violation of federal criminal civil rights statutes, appropriate action will be taken, We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact the Department if we may be of assistance with this, or any other matter. Sincerely, ‘Thomas E. Perez Assistant Attorney General