Judge threatens to toss DEA agent’s plea in corruption case

AP ^ | June 22 | By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN

[RandFan]

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge Wednesday threatened to throw out the guilty plea of a veteran U.S. narcotics agent who conspired with a Colombian cartel money launderer — an unexpected twist that could derail one of the most egregious misconduct cases in the history of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell was expected to sentence the disgraced agent, Jose I. Irizarry, but refused to do so over what she called a “totally unacceptable” legal dispute.

“I have never seen anything like this,” Honeywell said, postponing the sentencing indefinitely. “I’m not even sure at this point I’m going to accept this plea.”

The heated hearing in Tampa federal court came nine months after Irizarry admitted parlaying his expertise in money laundering into a life of luxury that prosecutors said was bankrolled by millions of dollars he diverted from DEA control. The spoils included a $30,000 Tiffany diamond ring for his wife, luxury sports cars and a $767,000 home in the Caribbean resort city of Cartagena — on top of residences in south Florida and Puerto Rico.

[RandFan]

Defund the DEA!

[alternatives?]

Small change compared to Hunter.

[monkeyshine]

I have never seen anything like this

I have. In the movies. In books. In stories. See: Prohibition Era Corruption.

[Gay State Conservative]

Seems possible that a DEA agent could receive a “silver or lead” offer from one of the drug dealers that have been sneaking into this country for years.

[AndyJackson]

The spoils included a $30,000 Tiffany diamond ring for his wife, luxury sports cars and a $767,000 home in the Caribbean resort city of Cartagena — on top of residences in south Florida and Puerto Rico......

Before he resigned in 2018, Irizarry’s ostentatious habits and tales of raucous yacht parties had become legendary among DEA agents. Beginning around 2011, prosecutors said, Irizarry used the cover of his badge to file false reports and direct DEA personnel to wire funds reserved for undercover stings to accounts in Spain, the Netherlands and elsewhere — accounts that he controlled or were tied to his wife and his co-conspirators. In all, Irizarry and his informants handled at least $9 million in drug proceeds that should’ve been carefully tracked by the DEA as part of undercover money laundering investigations, prosecutors said.

Since the DEA was obviously oblivious to all the signs of corruption, what tipped them off?

[Theoria]

They.

[jcon40]

So does a crooked DEA agent make as much as a congressman ?

[Revel]

This needs more explanation. Not able to really figure out the reasoning here.

[eyeamok]

You can NOT have Organized Crime and Drug Cartels without the necessary Corrupt Government Counterpart, CAN’T BE DONE and Never has been done in History.