Free Republic

George Torres' future looked pretty bleak: The supermarket mogul had been stripped of his riches by government prosecutors, convicted in a massive racketeering case and was awaiting a potential life sentence in federal prison. But in a stunning reversal of fortune Tuesday, the government released its grip on Torres' assets, a judge tossed out the most serious convictions against him, and he was ordered set free -- at least for now. The turnaround came after prosecutors in the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles turned over tape-recorded conversations that contained information that was potentially beneficial to Torres' defense regarding at...

Grocery King George Torres Fingered in Murders Racketeering charges against Numero Uno markets founder include bribing two former L.A. planning commissioners By JEFFREY ANDERSON Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 7:30 pmFEDERAL PROSECUTORS on Wednesday afternoon arraigned George Torres, one of South Los Angeles’ largest property owners and the owner of the Numero Uno supermarket chain, on murder charges. Also arraigned on a variety of racketeering charges, such as extortion and bribery, were several codefendants, including Torres’ brother Manuel, son Steven and former Los Angeles city planning commissioners Steve Carmona and George Luk. The federal indictment was unsealed in federal court...

LOS ANGELES -- Supporters say George Torres is a hardworking and generous immigrant entrepreneur who built a grocery-store chain serving some of the region's toughest neighborhoods. Government prosecutors allege Mr. Torres is a criminal who over the past 20 years has used murder, theft and intimidation to build his business empire. Those two views of the 52-year-old Mexican national who grew up in Los Angeles will clash during a federal-court trial scheduled to begin on Tuesday. Prosecutors accuse Mr. Torres of heading a racketeering scheme since the 1980s, using money and force to battle rivals and expand his business enterprises....

The owner of the Los Angeles-based Numero Uno supermarket chain, his brother and two associates alleged to be part of a racketeering conspiracy have been taken into custody during a two-day operation that also resulted in the seizure of approximately $1.25 million in cash and more than 60 vehicles. The supermarket owner, George Torres, was arrested yesterday at his Arcadia residence without incident. George Torres, 50, was in United States District Court this afternoon, making his first court appearance, at which time he was ordered held without bond pending another court appearance next Wednesday. George Torres is accused in an...