Two Miami drug jurors get 5 years for taking bribes

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Jan. 14, 2004

Two Miami drug jurors get 5 years for taking bribes
CATHERINE WILSON
Associated Press

MIAMI - Two jurors were sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison for taking bribes to acquit two reputed cocaine kingpins in the biggest vote-buying scandal of its kind.

Gloria Alba and Maria Penalver admitted tainting the verdict for Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon nearly eight years ago in the only known federal trial with more than one corrupt juror.

Alba pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for taking $300,000 of a promised $1 million. Penalver, who pleaded guilty to obstruction conspiracy, received about $20,000.

Jury foreman Miguel Moya was convicted at his second trial and is serving a 17-year sentence for taking a $500,000 bribe.

"This has got to be most significant jury travesty that we've ever seen," said U.S. Attorney Marcos Jimenez. "They struck at the very heart of our system of justice."

(snip) The two Miami high school dropouts allegedly made a $2 billion profit smuggling 78 tons of cocaine and helping turn the city into the drug capital of the world in the 1980s.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7711279.htm

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Please check this article on the three MURDERED witnesses who were to testify in Magluta's and Falcon's earlier trial:

(snip) 11-8-01
2 men, woman convicted in Miami drug, murder case.
November 8, 2001

By JANE SUTTON
Reuters

MIAMI - Two men and a woman were convicted yesterday on charges they helped murder government witnesses to keep them from testifying in one of Miami's most infamous cocaine smuggling cases.

A Miami federal court jury found Edward Lezcano, Jairo Castro and Yuby Ramirez guilty of one to three counts each of murder, although they were not accused of firing the fatal gunshots. They were also convicted of charges that they provided weapons, money, addresses and other help to assassins hired to kill the witnesses between 1989 and 1993.

All three face life in prison at sentencing hearings set for Jan. 28, 29 and 30.

"This verdict goes to the very heart of the criminal justice system," U.S. Attorney Guy Lewis said. "The message is loud and clear. . .you will not be able to threaten the United States government, its investigations or its witnesses. If you do, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

The murdered witnesses had been set to testify against alleged cocaine kingpins Agusto "Willie" Falcon and Salvador Magluta, who were accused of operating a multibillion-dollar drug smuggling enterprise.
(snip/...)

http://www.americanmafia.com/News/11-8-01_Miami_Drug-Murder_Case.html