| Of Men
Charged With
Importing
Cocaine to US
One Got 138
Months Now Non
Transport
Yazoo
by
Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book
Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Jan 19 – Alex
Santiago
Rodriguez
Tapia and
others have
been indicted
for attempting
to produce
cocaine in
Colombia and
Ecuador and
bring it into
the US.
On July 11
they appeared
before U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York Judge
Gregory H.
Woods. Inner
City Press was
there.
The
initial
complaint has
photos,
including of
bundled up
cocaine with
an Eiffel
Tower logo on
it.
Judge Woods
told the
defendants if
they wanted to
change lawyers
- and he
wasn't
suggesting
that they
should - they
better do it
early. He set
a trial date
of February
27,
2024.
On
October 24,
2023, Juan
Carlos Lopez
Lasa pled
guilty, with
sentencing on
February 12,
2024. Two days
later, Jose
Walter
Hernandez
Lozano pled
guilty. On
October 27,
Alex Santiago
Rodriguez
Tapia pleaded
guilty.
On
April 10,
Rodriguez
Tapia's lawyer
wrote in
asking for a
five year
sentence on
April 19.
On
April 12, the
US Attorney's
Office wrote
in requesting
a sentence of
(at least) 210
months...
With
the case
seemingly
over, on
November 9
another
defendant in
it was
arrested and
detained on
consent:
Daniel Elias
Rosado Rendon.
Jump
cut to July
26, 2024,
sentencing of
Jose Walter
Hernandez
Lozano - thread:
Defense
lawyer: He was
brought from
Colombia and
is now in MDC
Brooklyn jail
under lockdown
for the last 8
days. He was
extorted in
there: no one
investigated
it. We are
requesting 5
years.
Defense:
He grew up
without
running water.
He worked hard
until his
mother got
sick and he
felt he needed
money. The
guns shown on
Facetime were
not even in
the US.
Hernandez
Lozano: I was
led into this
and I have
paid dearly. I
disappointed
my family; I
am sorry
Assistant
US Attorney:
They were
trying to sell
100s of
AK-47s, and 28
kilos of
cocaine. He
had a photo of
the guns on
his phone. We
are asking for
the Guideline.
Judge: This
was to finance
$1.2 million
in guns,
grenades and
plastic
explosives
with cocaine.
Judge:
I hope today's
dissuades
others from
doing this.
Please
stand...I
sentence you
to 162 months
in prison
On
September 13
co-defendant
Baque
Villafuerte
pled guilty,
with
sentencing set
for December
16 at 1 pm.
Detention was
continued.
On
October 23
co-defendant
Rosado Rendon
pled guilty,
with
sentencing set
for January 21
at 1 pm.
On
January 7 his
counsel wrote
in asking for
a sentence
"below 162
months."
On
February 4,
Rosado Rendon
was sentenced
to 190 months.
On
January 15
counsel to
co-defendant
Baque
Villafuerte
wrote in
asking for 162
months, with
sentencing set
for January
29. This was
moved to
February 12.
On
January 22 the
US Attorney's
Office wrote
in asking for
210 months.
On
February 12
Baque
Villafuerte
got 190
months.
On
April 2 for
co-defendant
Lopez Lasa his
lawyer wrote
in asking for
five years on
April
17. On
that date, 138
months
sentence was
handed down.
Jump
cut to January
19, 2026 when
the US
Attorney
Office wrote
in that for a
January 21
change of
counsel, it
failed to
timely obtain
an order of
transportation
to SDNY from
Yazoo City,
Mississippi -
and suggested
the change go
fowarded, then
transport in
three weeks.
The
case is USA v.
Rodriguez
Tapia, et al.,
1:22-cr-532
(Woods)
***
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