Jay Weaver details here the New York case of Hernando Saravia, who appears to be the snitch in the Ben Kuehne case:
Hernando Saravia allegedly gave $1.8 million in drug proceeds to a Colombian kingpin's defense attorney in Miami, but Saravia was not charged in the recent indictment against Kuehne.
Instead, Saravia was indicted on one count of money laundering in New York at virtually the same time. The charge stemmed from his alleged attempt to launder $400,000 in drug sales during a New York undercover operation in early 2002. Saravia faces an indictment similar to that lodged against Kuehne and two Colombian codefendants. It's unclear how the two investigations are connected -- federal prosecutors have declined to comment -- but they appear to overlap.
Here's Myles Malman, a former federal prosecutor, on Saravia:
Malman, the former prosecutor, said Saravia appears to be working as a witness for the government, starting with the initial New York case in which he was caught trying to launder $400,000.
''Based on my examination of the two indictments, the Saravia case bears the earmarks that Saravia is cooperating with the government,'' said Malman.
''There is a strong possibility Saravia was pressured by law enforcement to provide cooperation in the Kuehne case based on his own case,'' he said. ``His own case appears to be the tip of the iceberg and a possible placeholder for prosecutors not wishing to show the rest of their hand in the New York indictment.''
Saravia, aka ''Bacalao,'' has yet to be arrested in the New York indictment, according to court records. On Monday, the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan did not respond to a question about his status.
Can it really be that the government is going to rely on this criminal's word over Ben Kuehne's? Tell me that's not true.
The SDFLA Blog is dedicated to providing news and notes regarding federal practice in the Southern District of Florida. The New Times calls the blog "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system." All tips on court happenings are welcome and will remain anonymous. Please email David Markus at dmarkus@markuslaw.com
6 comments:
More likely, the government will rely more heavily on the recordings the snitch made while cooperating. If he has been cooperating since 2002 there is a high probability he made recordings during the period that Kuehne is alleged to have been involved.
David,
Is Saravia a convict? I presume that he is based on your question of whether the government would "rely on this criminal's word of Ben Kuehne?"
David,
As a former 9 year U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt, I went through a debacle such as this one in the past, you better believe that the government will take anything a snitch tells them, even if they know its a lie. If it wasnt for the Jury and my attorney- which saw through the allegations and the desperation of the government agents and prosecutors, on making a bogus case- i would be doing 5-10 years right now on similar charges that your friend faces. I wish him the best- been there.
Dear David, on our honor and word, "ITS NOT TRUE."
Sincerely,
Santa Claus
The Easter Bunny
The Great Pumpkin
The Tooth Fairy
And President Al Gore.
For you gringos out there, "Bacalao" translates into "Codfish" -- or, exactly what the conduct of our fine public officials from the US Atty's office for the SD smells like.
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