By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, August 27 – A man from Spain pleaded guilty to money laundering on March 16, 2021.
He explained in his allocution that it was addiction to gambling that let him to do it.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jed S. Rakoff held the change of plea proceeding, after a full day of presiding over the US v. Weigand Eaze marijuana credit card sales trial. Inner City Press covered both.
The defendant from Spain explained he was in Miami, with gambling related money problems, and over coffee he was convince to go "meet a few people."
He got a letter from the Government estimating his sentencing guideline at 37 to 46 months.
The US Attorney's Office said, "CHOCRON laundered more than $500,000 in funds that had been represented to him to be the proceeds of a scheme to bribe Brazilian political officials, using a network and bank accounts to which he had access by virtue of his operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business."
When the sentencing was held on August 27, Inner City Press also covered it. The defendant's lawyer said his client couldn't speak but he did, (mis) answering a question about medication then clarifying that he could, in fact, understand.
His lawyer said he can't walk and would just like to return to Spain. He quoted to Judge Rakoff from his writings.
Judge Rakoff said that some jail time was required, but arrived at nine months, with no supervised release afterward since he consents to removal. He will self-surrender in two months, seemingly to FCI Miami.
The defense lawyer, 72, ended with a reference to ballroom dancing. Judge Rakoff joked that when the lawyer is 78 like he his, he'll be into ballroom dancing too.
The case is US v. Morely Chocron, 20-cr-400 (Rakoff).
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