Episode Details

DEA Informant Avoids Prison, Sentenced to Time Served for Tax Evasion; Judge Orders Restitution

A longtime DEA informant, Andres Zapata, was sentenced to time served in Austin, Texas, after pleading guilty to not reporting income from undercover gigs between 2015 and 2020. Zapata, who has been on the DEA payroll since 1998, earned over $4.6 million from tips and operations. His light sentence was due to his cooperation in a decade-old probe into agent misconduct. Zapatas lawyer argued that informants like him risk their lives against cartels but dont receive proper tax forms or warnings. The judge ordered Zapata to pay $1.2 million in restitution for the governments tax hit. Zapatas involvement in the DEAs off-the-rails global partying and helping cover tracks has been a part of the bigger investigation into the agencys bad apples.

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