These men received 505-year prison sentences each. Now their cases are under new scrutiny

[laylalex 7,284]

An interesting, long(ish) read. No one really looks good here -- the convicted, the FBI, the prosecutors in the past and right now, or either of the judges. Is 505 years an appropriate sentence for money laundering? When we talk seriously about criminal justice reform, we need to talk about mandatory minimums.

 

Quote

On an August afternoon in 1991, a federal judge in California sent an unmistakable message in the "war on drugs" when he sentenced four men convicted of laundering cocaine cartel cash to more than 500 years each in prison.

None of the men had previous criminal records. Nor were they convicted of direct involvement in the massive cocaine distribution ring at the center of the case.

The sentences by US District Court Judge William D. Keller were considered harsh even back then and represent the sort of draconian punishment that has since been widely condemned amid a national conversation around justice reform.

For decades, the men sentenced by Keller that afternoon seemed destined to die in prison, just as the judge predicted they would.

Then last year, they got what appeared to be an extraordinary reprieve:

Federal prosecutors, who had been investigating defense claims of undisclosed special treatment given to a key government witness by FBI agents, recommended that the men's convictions be overturned "in the interests of justice" and that they be released from prison right away.

All that stood between the four men and their freedom was the blessing of another federal judge. That seemed likely given that prosecutors had taken the highly unusual step of siding with the defense in seeking to have the convictions thrown out.

But US District Court Judge Stephen V. Wilson, a former prosecutor himself who once worked under Keller in the US Attorney's Office in Los Angeles, was not inclined to simply "rubber stamp" the request.

Wilson had questions, and his search for answers was going to take time.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/22/us/505-year-drug-war-sentence-invs/index.html

[TBoneTX 45,288]

That depends on what detergent they used to launder the money:  Tide, Gain, Arm & Hammer...

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

2 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

That depends on what detergent they used to launder the money:  Tide, Gain, Arm & Hammer...

I strongly recommend you ban yourself for 3 days, 1 minute for that attempt at a joke.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

You've never left a greenback in your pocket during laundry?

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

11 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

You've never left a greenback in your pocket during laundry?

I've never passed my dirty work onto another person.  I handle it myself, like a real man.

[TBoneTX 45,288]

So you've never left a greenback in your pocket during laundry?  Impressive!

Edited August 23, 2020 by TBoneTX

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

1 minute ago, TBoneTX said:

So you've never left a greenback in your pocket during laundry?  Impressive!

i've hidden $500 and forgot i hid it until 6 months later when i found it..........

Edited August 23, 2020 by Ban Hammer

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Story a few years ago was about some grown kids who wanted to surprise their elderly mom by buying her a new mattress.  The old mattress was curbsided for collection.  She informed them that she had stored $1 million in the old mattress.  I remember seeing a photo of the kids standing on the edge of a large landfill with no idea of where to start looking.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

4 minutes ago, Ban Hammer said:

i've hidden $500 and forgot i hid it until 6 months later when i found it..........

$500????

 

I've lost a $20 or two, but never $500.  Thats WACK!! (And now I wish I had your money... I'd burn mine!)

[TBoneTX 45,288]

But was the $500 dirty money, or nicely laundered?

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

$500????

 

I've lost a $20 or two, but never $500.  Thats WACK!! (And now I wish I had your money... I'd burn mine!)

i didn't lose it, just hid it and forgot i hid it for about 6 months.