Prosecutors stunned as ICE lets suspect in $100m jewelry heist leave US

theguardian ^

[algore]

Federal immigration authorities allowed a suspect in a $100m jewelry heist believed to be the largest in US history to deport himself to South America in December, a move that stunned and upset prosecutors who were planning to try the case and send him to prison.

Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores was one of seven people charged last year with stalking an armored truck to a rural freeway rest stop north of Los Angeles and stealing millions worth of diamonds, emeralds, gold, rubies and designer watches in 2022.

Flores faced up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate and foreign shipment and theft from interstate and foreign shipment. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Flores in late December after he requested voluntary departure, prosecutors said in court filings.

Flores’s attorney, John D Robertson, motioned to dismiss the indictment against his client, asking for the charges to be permanently dropped and the case closed.

Federal prosecutors oppose the motion and say they still hope to bring Flores to trial, asking for charges to be dropped “without prejudice” to keep the door open for criminal prosecution in the future.

Despite Flores being a lawful permanent resident and released on bail, he was taken into ICE custody in September, according to court filings from his defense attorneys. Federal prosecutors say they were unaware Flores had an immigration detainer.

This was a violation of his criminal prosecution rights and warrants his case getting dismissed, Robertson said in his motion.

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TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: crime; fakenews; grauniad; ice; judgewatch

[sport]

Money talks and bullshit walks. Why are you surprised?

[FlingWingFlyer]

That’s what the raggedy ass Feral judges want. ICE has no say in what happens to these foreign criminals anymore. Those decisions now belong to former illegal aliens and refugee Dipstick Court “judges”, not Americans. We don’t have a say in our country anymore. It belongs to the illegal alien invaders and their dumbass Olympics team now.

[LegendHasIt]

I’m guessing that the judge and the lawyers on ‘both sides’ got ‘their share’ of the loot.

No point in checking their bank accounts.... But I wish someone would check their wrists and their wives’ / girlfriends’ jewelery boxes.

[Zhang Fei]

Good move. Flores is now in a massive prison called Ecuador, one without bars. And he’ll be on the run from gangs looking for a piece of his score from the heist. Because the one thing criminals love to do is rob other criminals. These victims often can’t file a police report, for fear of self-incrimination.