| Leroux Gets 25 Years As Meth
Warlord Despite Cooperation Amid Talk of
Bitcoin Mining
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- The
Source
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 12 – Paul Calder Leroux
was born in then-Rhodesia in
1972. He was arrested in
Liberia in 2012 and tried to
bribe law enforcement to
release him. It didn't work,
and he turned into a
cooperator with the US
Department of
Justice.
On
June 12 Judge Ronnie Abrams of
the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York held a sentencing
proceeding for Leroux. Inner
City Press live tweeted it:
Judge Abrams: Is
it true Mr Leroux has agreed
to be extradited to the
Philippines on murder charges
for a maximum sentence of 12
years?
AUSA: I don't
know.
Next
discussion turned to "leaks"
and a forthcoming Michael Mann
movie about Leroux. "Discovery
was uploaded to YouTube."
Angry reference to a child
called a "beady eyed baby" and
what he said during sex.
Well. This is some
sentencing. "There are
descriptions of Mr. Leroux
setting up an FTP server for
Iranian officials to research
weapons." Now the prosecutors
say the leaks were
regrettable, defense counsel
says.
Defense: The
leaks *created* the public
interest in the case. The DEA
agents just wanted to sell
their stories. "No one had
every heard of Mr. Leroux. He
was no Pablo Escobar. It was
the leaks. This will
discourage cooperators."
Judge Abrams: Mr
Chabrowe, wait a minute. We're
here to sentence a very
violent criminal. Chabrowe: I
was just getting to that.
AUSA: I can't say
he poses no risk of
recidivism. And
yesterday's letter that he'll
go into Bitcoin mining gives
pause. Those business could be
operated legally. But crypto
currency is a hot topic in law
enforcement, for money
laundering. It's not a
comfort.
Inner City
Press has tweeted that section
of the letter, here.
Much of the docket is sealed -
for now.
Leroux: I'd
like to apologize to the
court. I have no words to
describe my conduct. I have
mental health issues here at
GEO. Anxiety, depression,
PTSD... I stay awake at night.
Leroux: I was
arrested on non-violent drug
charges. I don't want to run
from my crimes, I want to do
my time.... "Catherine Lee
cannot get full justice in the
US, only in the Philippines."
Leroux: About
bitcoin mining, I have an
electronics background. I have
to do something There are
criminals in every business. I
intend to follow the
regulations.
Judge Abrams:
What did the government know
about his violence, before
offering him a cooperation
deal?
AUSA: "The
murders in the Philippines
were a subject of public
reporting. US law enforcement
was aware, but it wasn't
sufficient to charge."
Judge Abrams: The only
people I have sentenced to
life are members of Leroux'
mercenary crew - a murder
ordered by Mr. Leroux.
Judge Abrams: Why
shouldn't Leroux get a life
sentence? Well, he cooperated.
He tried to bribe Liberian law
enforcement - but once that
didn't work, he cooperated.
Judge
Abrams: We have to incentivize
cooperation. But how much
benefit should Mr. Leroux get?
Leroux "tried to reverse
engineer it from North Korea
to Iran... He tried to be a
warlord in Somalia." This is
not your average cooperator.
He presents a grave danger...
There was his childhood in
"war torn Zimbabwe." Then
there were the leaks to the
press...
In the
court's view he must get a
significant sentence, to deter
him. I am ready. You are
committed to the custody of
BOP for 25 years.
Judge Abrams:
This is the longest sentence I
have ever imposed on a
cooperating witness.
Inner City Press
question: Will he ever be
extradited to the Philippines?
Or do Bitcoin mining?
Judge Abrams: Mr
Leroux, you have a right to
appeal except to the extent
you agreed to waive your right
to appeal. You could go in
forma pauperis. Any open
counts? No. We are
adjourned.
The cases are US
v. Leroux, 12-cr-489 and
14-cr-75 (Abrams).
***
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