Posted on 11/18/2019 6:10:19 PM PST by ameribbean expat
Two Venezuelans charged with smuggling about $5 million worth of gold bars in a private plane to South Florida have cut plea deals with federal prosecutors to gain light prison sentences along with immediate deportation to Venezuela. Pilot Victor Fossi Grieco, 51, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to transport 230 pounds of gold hidden in the nose of the plane to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. He was sentenced to the time he has served while in custody since his arrest in September. His passenger, Jean Carlos Sanchez Rojas, 42, plans to plead guilty to the same charge later this week and is expected to receive similar punishment from U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga. And who gets to keep the valuable bars of gold? The U.S. government.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Bet they’ll have the half-life of a popcorn fart in a whirlwind once they deplane back home...
Somehow I don’t think getting deported to Venezuela will increase their life expectancy.
Where did they get that gold?
Lots of gold in VZ
Maybe jug-ears stash from Iran.
Where did they get that gold?
Should have declared it to CBP...or used Bitcoin.
Sounds like a completely over the top excessive fine for smuggling a harmless item.
“Light sentence” + repatriation = death sentence
Arrested in September and freed with time served.
They must have had a lot of good stories to tell about the commies, Ruskies and Iranians.
The real questions not answered in this article include, as mentioned, whose gold was it, who commissioned its removal from Venezuela, who was waiting to pick it up in Miami, whose fingerprints have been found on the gold bars and wrapping materials, what phone numbers/etc did the pilot and passenger have for contacts both in Venezuela and the U.S., why $24,000 in cash (what for?), and does the US get to keep the plane?
Obama would have shuffled it off to the DNC like he did with all of the big bank fines.
Maybe that's the plan. :-)
Who was the actual owner of that gold? If it was not the pilot’s he will NOT want to return to Venezuela! Lose my gold- lose your life.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.