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12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ A former drug task forceintelligence analyst was arrested for using his law enforcement position toharass his former girlfriend and falsely implicate her in a druginvestigation United States Attorney Michael J Sullivan and Glenn A. Fine, InspectorGeneral of the United States Department of Justice Office of the InspectorGeneral, announced today that EARL S. HOFFMAN, JR., age 40, formerly ofLowell, was arrested late yesterday night on a four-count indictment unsealedtoday alleging that he falsified records in a federal investigation, madefalse statements to federal officers, committed wire fraud, and violated theDriver's Privacy Protection Act.HOFFMAN was arrested at a remote bordercrossing from Canada into Vermont, after having spent the last year workingoverseas.The indictment alleges that in 2007, HOFFMAN worked for the MassachusettsNational Guard and was assigned to the New England High Intensity DrugTrafficking Area task force.While there, HOFFMAN worked out of a UnitedStates Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in Worcester to collectand analyze information for the task force's drug-related criminalinvestigations.To accomplish this, the indictment alleges, HOFFMAN wasprovided access to various computer databases with sensitive information,which he was supposed to use solely to assist criminal drug investigations.The indictment alleges that in late May 2007, HOFFMAN accessed the driver'slicense and criminal history records for a woman identified in the indictmentas "B.P.," with whom HOFFMAN had shared an intimate relationship that hadended badly approximately two years earlier.According to the indictment,HOFFMAN then sent B.P.'s son an e-mail that included B.P.'s driver's licensephotograph and an insult to B.P.HOFFMAN falsely made the e-mail look as ifB.P.'s current boyfriend had sent it, which he had not.After one or moresimilar communications to B.P. and her son, in late August 2007, HOFFMANpretended again to be B.P.'s current boyfriend and sent B.P.'s son an e-mailor instant message that included B.P.'s driver's license photograph and apornographic picture.Earlier in the summer, the indictment alleges, HOFFMANhad sent a DEA subpoena to obtain B.P.'s telephone records.According to the indictment, when the DEA inquired into the matter, HOFFMANfalsely stated that he had requested B.P.'s driver's license, criminalhistory, and telephone records as part of an ongoing, legitimate druginvestigation.The indictment further alleges that HOFFMAN entered into a DEAdatabase information about B.P.'s telephone number.The indictment allegesthat HOFFMAN then altered a telephone company report to falsely indicate thatB.P.'s telephone number was connected to the telephone number of a suspect inan actual, ongoing drug investigation.HOFFMAN allegedly gave the DEA thisreport to falsely implicate B.P.

and justify his actions.By inspecting therecords carefully, law enforcement ensured that HOFFMAN's actions did notresult in a false prosecution.The indictment alleges one count of wire fraud against HOFFMAN for defraudingthe Massachusetts National Guard, the task force, and the DEA of their rightto his honest services; one count of falsifying records in a federalinvestigation for altering the call report and entering false information intothe DEA's internal database; one count alleging a variety of material falsestatements, representations, and omissions during the DEA investigation; andone count of the Driver's Privacy Protection Act for knowingly obtainingB.P.'s driver's license photograph, Social Security number, and otherinformation for the unlawful purpose of harassing her and her son.This isthe first-known criminal charge under the Driver's Privacy Protection Act.The case is being investigated by the United States Department of Justice'sOffice of the Inspector General, with assistance from the Drug EnforcementAdministration, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Massachusetts NationalGuard.It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys Scott L Garlandand Jeffrey M. Cohen, of Sullivan's Computer Crimes and Public CorruptionUnits.The details contained in the indictment are allegations.The defendant ispresumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonabledoubt in a court of law.SOURCEU.S Attorney's OfficeChristina Diiorio-Sterling of the U.S. Attorney's Office, 1-617-748-3356,. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. average price for gasoline soared 10 cents over the last week to the highest level in six weeks after refiners continued to pass higher crude oil costs to consumers, the government said on Monday.

U.S.The national price for regular unleaded gasoline averaged $1.78 a gallon, the most expensive since December 1, but still $1.28 cheaper than a year ago, the federal Energy Information Administration said in its weekly survey of service stations.The jump at the pump reflects the rise in crude oil prices, which early last week approached $50 a barrel. However, consumers could get a break soon as oil has fallen sharply since then to near $37 a barrel in Monday trading at the New York Mercantile Exchange.In the EIA's weekly survey, gasoline was most expensive on the West Coast at $1.95 a gallon, up 10.8 cents from last week. San Francisco had the highest city price at $2.01, up 9.4 cents.The Rocky Mountain states had the lowest regional price at $1.56 a gallon, up 6.8 cents. Denver had the lowest city pump price, up 6.5 cents at $1.53.The EIA also reported gasoline prices were up 11.1 cents at $1.99 in Seattle, up 10 cents at $1.97 in Chicago, up 12.4 cents at $1.96 in Los Angeles, up 7.5 cents at $1.92 in Cleveland, up 9.3 cents at $1.88 in Miami, up 9.1 cents at $1.73 in New York City and up 6.6 cents at $1.69 in Boston.Separately, the average price for diesel fuel rose 2.3 cents to $2.31 a gallon, down $1.01 from a year earlier, the EIA said.The New England states again had the most expensive diesel at $2.62 a gallon, up 2.5 cents. The Rocky Mountain region had the cheapest diesel fuel at $2.24, up 2 cents.(Reporting by Tom Doggett; Editing by Christian Wiessner) U.S.. Within a two week time frame, the entire facet of Auburns 2010 recruiting class changed. What some say was going to be a class full of what ifs and being in the mix for top recruits, Coach Gene Chizik and his staff showed they are no joke on the recruiting trail. Trovon Reed, the number one prospect from the state of Louisiana out of Thibodaux High School, chose the Auburn Tigers over a host of top-schools, including in-state Louisiana, Oregon, Southern California, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Georgia. The fifth highest ranked receiver in the country, and whom many regard as even higher than that, picked Auburn due to a variety of the things.