Thread: Jury Convicts Grocery Entrepreneur (Los Angeles)

Jury Convicts Grocery Entrepreneur (Los Angeles)
4/20/2009, 10:25 p.m. EDT
Los Angeles Times
The Associated Press

(AP) — LOS ANGELES -- George Torres, [a Mexican National] a feisty entrepreneur who built a multimillion-dollar grocery store chain by catering to low-income communities, was convicted of racketeering, solicitation of murder, bribery and other crimes Monday by a federal court jury.

Torres, who potentially faces life imprisonment as a result of the verdict, showed no emotion when it was read. Friends and family, however, burst into tears and embraced one another outside the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson.

The verdict represents a victory for federal authorities, who charged Torres in 2008 with running a criminal enterprise, or shadow organization, to ensure the success of his Numero Uno market chain.

Prosecutors' portrayal of Torres differed starkly from the 52-year-old's public persona as a successful businessman, property owner and influential political contributor.

Referred to by some underlings as simply "G'' or "boss," Torres "pulled the strings of the criminal organization ... he had iron-clad control," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Childs during closing arguments.

According to prosecutors, Torres hired illegal immigrants at his stores, bribed a Los Angeles City planning commissioner and sought to have people killed.

In one such instance, jurors concluded that Torres arranged for the murder of a local gang member who tried to extort protection money. The man, Jose "Shorty" Maldonado, was fatally shot and his pregnant girlfriend wounded as they walked near Torres' main market in 1994.

A former associate of Torres testified that he was present when Torres solicited the killing, and another witness admitted to driving the car from which the shots were fired.

The jury acquitted Torres of arranging the killing of his one-time confidant, Ignacio "Nacho" Meza, who disappeared in 1998 after supposedly stealing a half-million dollars from Torres.

Another killing Torres was charged with arranging was dropped from the case by the judge during the trial.

Steven G. Madison, Torres' lead attorney, said he planned to argue that despite the verdict, the government had not met its burden of proof and that the prosecution was tainted by the alleged misconduct of a Los Angeles police detective involved in the case.

A hearing was set for June 1.

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/national ... t=national

I wonder if Mr. Torres could be a Reagan amnesty citizen.