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Williams got $7,500 from a smuggling ring to transport at least 75 illegal immigrants from the U.S.-Mexican border to Houston in his tractor-trailer truck in May 2003.

He abandoned them in Victoria, Texas, 90 miles southwest of Houston, when he discovered they were dying from lack of air in his sealed truck, according to testimony in the two-week-long trial.

An American picking up a little extra cash doing the job most hard-working Americans won't do????

Truck Driver Convicted in Texas Immigrant Deaths
Wed Mar 23, 2005 07:07 PM ET
By Jeff Franks

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The driver of a truck in which 19 illegal immigrants died from heat and suffocation was convicted on Wednesday of 38 criminal counts, but escaped the death penalty for the nation's worst immigrant-smuggling tragedy.

The jury found Tyrone Williams guilty of transporting the immigrants, but deadlocked on 20 other charges that could have brought him execution by lethal injection.

U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore declared a mistrial in that part of the case and gave prosecutors until an April 11 hearing to decide if they would retry him.

Williams got $7,500 from a smuggling ring to transport at least 75 illegal immigrants from the U.S.-Mexican border to Houston in his tractor-trailer truck in May 2003.

He abandoned them in Victoria, Texas, 90 miles southwest of Houston, when he discovered they were dying from lack of air in his sealed truck, according to testimony in the two-week-long trial.

He faces up to 20 years for each of the 38 counts and is to be sentenced by Gilmore in the April 11 hearing.

Even though he was not the smuggling ringleader, Williams is the only one of 14 defendants who faced possible execution for the deaths.

Prosecutors said he got the most serious charges because he was the only person who could have saved the immigrants, but did not. His attorney, Craig Washington, charged he was singled out because he is black.

Survivors told the jury the desperate immigrants tried to tear holes in the truck and knocked out the back lights to signal other cars of their distress as Williams drove along. One immigrant said he used his cell phone to call for help.

Prosecution witness Fatima Holloway testified she was riding in the cab with Williams, and they could hear the immigrants pounding on the truck, but Williams refused to stop.

The truck had a refrigeration unit that was not turned on, witnesses said.

Washington admitted in the trial that Williams smuggled illegal immigrants, but said he was not responsible for their deaths.

In his closing arguments on Friday, he blamed the tragedy on the people who loaded the truck with too many people. The jury, he said after the verdict, agreed.

"We got the right people here on the jury. The people took the time to look past the tragedy," he said.