by Matthew Russell Lee, Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 3 – In the closing arguments on March 6, 2024 AUSA Tarlow said that narco trafficking had grown under Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez. On March 7, out of the hearing of the jury and for then the Press, JOH's lawyer Stabile said he'd heard different overnight.
From who?
The defendant's wife he said.
Was this just a play for a mistrial?
Judge Castel concluded it was, and denied Stabile's motion, Order on Patreon here.
Later on March 8, the verdict, here- then the book Narco Drama in English then Spanish.
On August 28, successor President Xiomara Castro asked Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina to "denounce" the country's extradition treaty with the United States.
Amid that on August 30 Arnaldo Urbina Soto, extradited from Honduras on January 31, 2023 after jail time there, asked for a time served sentence on September 13 at 11 am.
The US Attorney's Office wrote in asking for a 20 year sentence - and on September 12, the eve of sentencing, defense counsel wrote in asking for an eight week adjournment in sentencing, arguing "the government provided cooperating witness testimony that alleges Arnaldo Urbina Soto received bribes from a drug trafficker “in exchange for information from the government” and “in exchange for violence,” among other things. See Gov. Ex. A at 830. This is the first time these issues have been provided to the Court" - letter on Patreon here.
On September 25, sentencing was pushed back to October 3: "ORDER as to Arnaldo Urbina Soto: IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the sentencing scheduled for September 25 is adjourned to October 3, 2024, at 3:00 PM (Signed by Judge Denise L. Cote on 9/25/2024)
On October 3, Inner City Press went and live tweeted - he got 226 months - thread:
All rise! Judge: The guidelines are 324 to 405 months. The US recommends 240 months while the defendant wants time served...He became mayor of Yoro in 2009. He was convicted of money laundering.
Judge: I understand that co-conspirator(s) did not want him to run again as mayor of Yoro. AUSA: We ask for 20 years. He used political power so that drug trafficking could florish in his district. JOH told him not to run again & hurt JOH's campaign for president
AUSA Robles: Ton quantities of cocaine were sent to the US. Defense lawyer Carla Sanderson: He had a religious conversion. He worked in the kitchen in the MDC. His crimes, he committed with his brothers.Defense: When he was in jail in Honduras, he could have family visits. Not here. No further punishment is needed.
Judge Denise L. Cote: Mr. Urbina Soto? Urbina Soto: I have accepted responsibility. I am 44 years old, with 4 children. I apologize.
Urbina Soto: I wish my wife could be here, but she does not have the right papers to travel. I apologize for my misbehavior. God bless you, Your Honor.
Judge Cote: You used your position as mayor to promote drug trafficking.Judge Cote: I have found the trial testimony [which Inner City Press live tweeted] quite useful. I sentence Mr. Urbina Soto to 226 months in prison and then submit to deportation
Defense: Please recommend prison in Pennsylvania. Judge Cote: I will. Adjourned.
This case is US v. Soto, et al., 18-cr-497 (Cote)
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
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