| After
JOH Filed Notice of Appeal of Verdicts
Tigre Bonilla Sentenced to 19 Years in
Prison
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Substack
SDNY
COURTHOUSE,
Aug 1 – In the closing
arguments on March 6, AUSA
Tarlow said that narco
trafficking had grown under
JOH. On March 7, out of the
hearing of the jury and for
then the Press, JOH's lawyer
Stabile said he'd heard
different overnight.
From who?
The
defendant's wife he said.
Was this
just a play for a mistrial?
Judge Castel
concluded it was, and denied
Stabile's motion, Order on
Patreon here.
Later on March 8,
the verdict, here-
then the book Narco Drama in English then Spanish.
Now on March 22
Stabile requested a new trial,
filing on Inner City Press'
free DocumentCloud here
On May 9, Judge
Castel denied JOH's motion for
a new trial. Order on Patreon
here.
After being
sentenced to 45 years, on July
10 JOH filed notice of appeal
- and then opposed paying any
of the $15 million forfeiture
requested, letter on Patreon here.
On July 17 the US
reiterated its demand for $15
million forfeiture: "Bribes
the defendant received
personally, including $1
million of the total $2
million Alex Ardon paid to
Pepe Lobo and the defendant
(Trial Transcript (“Tr.”)
209-213; ¶¶ 45-46), $250,000
paid by Fabio Lobo to the
defendant (Tr. 1132), $300,000
from Chinda Montes (Tr. 794;
PSR ¶ 55), $100,000 from
Neftali Duarte (Tr. 812; PSR ¶
55), 3 and $25,000 from
Fuentes Ramirez. • Bribes paid
to the defendant’s
co-conspirators that he
“controlled,” either by
speaking directly on the phone
with his co-conspirators
contemporaneously with their
receiving a bribe on his
behalf, i.e., the $250,000
paid by Javier Rivera, on
behalf of Los Cachiros, to
Hilda Hernandez (Tr.
1119-1120; ¶ 57), or
immediately after doing so,
i.e., the $4 million paid by
“Wilson,” a/k/a Sanabria, to
Tony Hernandez (Tr. 1125; see
also GX 403-T, Line 31; PSR ¶
58); to a co-conspirator
expressly for the defendant’s
benefit, i.e., Chapo’s $1
million bribe for the
defendant’s presidential
campaign (Tr. 262-65, 626,
638, 1116; PSR ¶ 57)... the
Court should enter the
Government’s proposed POF and
order the defendant to forfeit
$15,525,000" - full letter on
Patreon here.
On August 1,
Tigre Bonilla who had asked
for the 10 year minimum (the
prosecutors asked for 30
years) was sentenced to 19
years. Inner City Press was
there, thread:
Judge Castel: I
am asking the defense on what
basis you're asking me to
disbelieve Ardon, when two
juries believed him? Bonilla's
lawyer: Ardon as to this
murder with armor piercing
ammo referred to Tony
Hernandez, there were no
witnesses
Assistant US
Attorney: Tony Hernandez and
Alex Ardon used Tigre Bonilla
for the murder. Mr Diaz
Morales testified that Tigre
would carry out murders
Tigre's lawyer: My client has
admitted he was involved in
drugs. But not this murder.
Judge Castel: I
find he was responsible, by a
preponderance. Tigre's
lawyer: Present here in the
[otherwise nearly empty]
courtroom are Mr Bonilla's
daughter, his son, his
daughter, and a friend Marcela
Carro. He needs prostate
surgury. A 30 year sentence
would be a death sentence.
He's a marked man.
Bonilla's lawyer:
Who knows how safe he would be
in Honduras? He is 64. Even
twenty years would probably be
a death sentence. So why did
he take the plea? He is asking
for 10 years. Tigre Bonilla:
This was like a foretold death
Tigre Bonilla: I
was grateful to see my family
and friends here. Have mercy
on me. I made a mistake. The
prosecutor, all of us want to
hug our children. May God give
you wisdom. How long do I have
left? I am more there than
here. I want to say, I am
here. Thank you
Tigre Bonilla: I
have a five year old daughter.
I need to see her. Have
compassion of me. The jails
are terrible in the country. I
bathe only once a week. AUSA:
The chief of the Honduran
National Police helped move
drugs, for Tony Hernandez,
Cachiros, the Valles
AUSA: After
holding a lower position,
MAuricio Hernandez Pineda was
sentenced by this court to 15
years. Here we ask for 30
years. Judge Castel: Mr
Bonilla used his position to
provide armed protection to
cocaine traffickers
Judge Castel:
This was much more than a
mistake- it was a way of life.
He had tremendous military
bearing, he looked the part...
There are others who will not
be going home to their
families due to addiction. The
defandant enabled this.
Judge: I don't think drug
dealers would trust you. I
sent you to 228 months in
prison - 19 years
More on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here
***
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