Judge Moreno took into consideration that
this defendant did a whole lot of good both before and after getting popped in this case. From
Dave Ovalle:
The judge heard a long list of bad stuff about Jorge Hernandez, the heavily tattooed, bodybuilding ex-U.S. Army soldier who ran one of the largest Molly drug rings in Miami history.
Three beautiful women, his ex-lovers facing prison time themselves, blamed Hernandez for fueling their drug addictions while convincing them to help smuggle in kilos of the synthetic drug from China. Two of them accused him of physical and psychological abuse.
One of his buddies insisted he helped Hernandez only to partake in the lifestyle of night clubs, porn stars and luxury rides.
But once he was caught, Hernandez proved to be an ace undercover operative – making drug deals that helped agents bust 13 other people. “The best I’ve seen in my experience,” federal prosecutor Marton Gyires told the judge on Monday during his sentencing.
That cooperation, combined with Hernandez’s impressive service in the military– he served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Arabic-speaking translator – persuaded U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno to shave some time off what could have been a sentence of at least 10 years in prison. The end result: Hernandez, 37, will serve only four years.
“It wasn’t just service. It was combat duty,” Moreno said. “He should be given credit for his service to the military.”
Another defendant didn't fare as well:
Moreno also sentenced Seth Daniel Murray, 28, the son of two Miami-Dade corrections officers. Murray also wired money and picked up Molly packages, although his lawyer insisted it was only to “endear” himself to the lifestyle enjoyed by Hernandez.
“If someone says beautiful women, porn stars and ‘you can drive my Bentley,’ most people are going to say ‘yes’,” lawyer Scott Saul said.
Judge Moreno sentenced Murray to 50 months in prison, but not before noting: “The fact that he was enamored with the Hernandez lifestyle – I’m sure that love has dissipated by now.”
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article69913522.html#storylink=cpy
2 comments:
Scott Saul is a really good guy. He dresses fairly nicely and speaks very authoritatively (loudly).
But that does not strike as the best argument to make and not only because he made it in front of Moreno.
What happened to "Better Call (Scott) Saul?"
Scott made the best of a bad hand. Sometimes all we have is the ability to explain why someone did something. And yes, of all the judges on the bench who might be in the least bit sympathetic to a young person getting dazzled by a rock-star like lifestyle, Federico M is not the one I would pick. Great judge, but that dog won't hunt with him.
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