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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2004 WWW.USDOJ.GOV

CRM (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888

STATEMENT OF MARK CORALLO, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS,
ON THE EDWIN WILSON CASE:

“In a hearing today in the Southern District of Texas, the Department of Justice announced that it will not pursue a retrial of the 1983 prosecution of Edwin Wilson. The decision not to retry the case was based on a careful review of all the circumstances surrounding it, including the difficulty of marshalling the facts and witnesses after 21 years. While our decision resolves the case in Texas, Wilson’s convictions in the Eastern District of Virginia for unauthorized exporting of firearms and his convictions in the Southern District of New York for attempted murder, obstruction of justice and witness tampering remain undisturbed. Wilson, who is 75 years old, will be eligible for release from prison in the Fall of 2004, and will remain on supervised release thereafter.”

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04-077