Thread: Mexican gets life sentence; held illegals for ransom

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/166148



Published: 01.25.2007

Mexican gets life sentence; held illegals for ransom
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX — A man characterized as a leader of a vicious immigrant-smuggling ring that physically abused its clientele to assure ransoms has been sentenced to life in prison.
Jesus Medina-Nevarez, 25, of Mazatlan in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, was sentenced Tuesday to life plus seven years by U.S. District Judge Roger G. Strand.
A federal jury convicted Medina-Nevarez in October of conspiracy to take hostages, hostage-taking, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, harboring illegal aliens and possessing and using a firearm during a violent crime.
He'll serve the federal sentence at the same time as others for state convictions of 14 years for attempted sexual assault and 10 1/2 years for a drive-by shooting.
Prosecutors said Medina-Nevarez and seven others who also were convicted held at least 56 people hostage in January 2003 at a Phoenix drop house, where illegal immigrants typically are hidden while payment and travel arrangements are concluded.
Medina-Nevarez burned the face of one victim with a cigarette, prosecutors said.
Evidence showed that the victims were held at gunpoint, beaten, pistol-whipped, kicked and threatened with death, some with plastic bags held over their heads.
At sentencing, Strand said Medina-Nevarez showed a leadership role and termed his behavior "mean-spirited and brutal to an unusual high degree."


All content copyright © 1999-2006 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited.

Oh great! Another of Mexico's finest living at the expense of taxpayers for the rest of his life.

Why can't he be jailed in MEXICO at their expense.

Enuf...are you reading my mind