| Panama Money
Launderer Luis Martinelli Faked Diplo
Creds Now Set to Plead Guilty Dec 2
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
EDNY COURT, Nov
30 – Luis
Enrique
Martinelli
Linares is
charged with
money
laundering
tens of
millions of
dollars in
bribes on
behalf of a
close relative
who was a
high-ranking
government
official in
Panama.
After
fighting
extradition
including by
skirting
Panama
lockdown, he
says he's
ready to plead
guilty but
does not want
to be
detained. But
he has been
detained.
And now on
November 30, notice of the
guilty plea: "ELECTRONIC
SCHEDULING ORDER as to Luis
Enrique Martinelli Linares,
Change of Plea Hearing set for
12/2/2021 at 2:00 PM in
Courtroom 10A South before
Judge Raymond J. Dearie. So
Ordered by Judge Raymond J.
Dearie on 11/30/2021.
(Greenidge, Catherine)." Watch
this site.
On November 16, U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District
of New York
Magistrate
Judge Marcia
M. Henry held
a detention proceeding. Inner
City Press live tweeted it here.
Martinelli was detained.
Martinelli's
lawyer appealed to EDNY
District Judge Raymond J.
Dearie, who heard the appeal
(and dismissed it) on November
23. Inner City Press live
tweeted it here:
Martinelli's
lawyer: My client is in
administrative segregation in
the MDC. We had an emergency
call with him on Friday but
we're told he can't be
produced today.
Judge Dearie:
Let's proceeding. I have read
all the pleadings.
Martinelli's lawyer: We are
appealing
Martinelli's
lawyer: There has been a long
relationship between US DOJ
and Mr. Martinelli. Perhaps
some of this should be sealed.
This is a sophisticated chess
game to charge Person-1, the
unnamed person in the
indictment.
Martinelli's
lawyer: I've seen murderers
get US immigration deferred
action in a week. But not Mr.
Martinelli. So he left his
home in Miami and left the
country. Martinelli's lawyer:
They we offered to wire them
$7 million from his Swiss bank
account. But they turned it
down.
AUSA:
Martinelli used proceeds from
the sale of his yacht to pay
the $1 million ICE bond. His
proposed suretor just sold a
house at $15 million. He got
fake papers from the Central
American Parliament to flee.
He is a flight risk
Judge
Dearie: I'm generally in favor
of bail. This case is unusual.
Mr. Martinelli's lawyer calls
it a long relationship with
DOJ, but I would call it a
courtship which has not yet
lead to any action.
Judge Dearie: I'm
reminded of the old bromide:
Fool me one, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Being in the MDC is
unfortunate. But there are
boats to the Bahamas,
chartered flights, false
diplomatic credentials...
Judge
Dearie: He is a demonstrated
flight risk. The proposed
conditions do not assure the
court of this gentleman's
return. I enter a permanent
order of detention for Mr.
Martinelli.
Inner City Press
will stay on the case(s)
#CourtCaseCast
***
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