Blog Archives - My Experiences With A Drug Kingpin

My Experiences With A Drug Kingpin

House of Lies or Temple of Truth

6/28/2014

First, some background: Karla Espinal, Jerry’s ex-wife, testified that she, at his request, arranged to have the mother of an informant murdered to teach him a lesson.

Bonnie Anders, hired by Jerry to tap phones, unknown to him also tapped their conversations when Jerry was in prison. She was later convicted of selling cocaine and sentenced to 14 year in prison. In her conversations with Jerry, she is heard saying she would never lie like Karla did in order to save her own skin.

Now, return with me to Jerry’s second trial---he had already been sentenced to 26 years on smuggling charges and was in a federal prison---where Karla is testifying against Jerry, admitting that she took part in the murder. (By the way, Jerry was later acquitted of the charge.) For her testimony, here is what she received:

“It is the intention of the United States to grant you use immunity----. If you fully comply with the terms of this agreement, you will not be prosecuted by this office for other existing charges known to this office, or for potential charges based upon information supplied to this office by yourself.-----In the event that you provide said testimony in this District in an ongoing investigation of the death of Mildred Cornell, and its implications in this District, you will not be prosecuted for your involvement in said homicide.”

In other words, she does no time for anything—zilch, even though by her own admission she facilitated a brutal murder. She was previously charged for selling cocaine in Kentucky and got off because she testified for the government. Another big zilch.

As for Bonnie, her deal was that for her testimony, which as I said in the previous post nearly mirrors that of Karla’s, she would have her time reduced significantly. In her defense, the government had already sent her to prison, along with her daughter, and was threatening her with additional charges, so she was ready to turn in order to get out.

Whatever sentences she had already received would run concurrent with the present sentence; in other words, she would just serve one sentence. And the government promised that they would try to get that sentence reduced, which they did---significantly.

The book will go into all the dirty little details.

A Rigged Game?

6/27/2014

How would you like to have a test where you give an answer then find the question that suits? In Jerry’s second trial, this is what occurs. Now, I’m not saying that the answer given, along with the question, was not true, because I don’t know the truth. But the way the prosecutors brought in witnesses who had sat through previous testimony, then stated the same version as what they had just heard, sound a bit odd to me.

Case in point: Karla Espinal, Jerry’s bitter ex-wife, sat on the witness stand and talked about Jerry’s criminal activities. She did this because she was facing a long prison sentence and by testifying against him, she would not serve any time. Then, along comes Bonnie Anders, who not only worked for Jerry but had been convicted with Karla for selling cocaine on the side, and was also facing a long sentence, and she verified what Karla had said. HOWEVER, she had just heard everything said on the witness stand so if she was inclined to lie—well, it would’ve been pretty darn easy. For her testimony, she also went free.

Another interesting point about Bonnie is that there were taped telephone conversations and copies of letters where she categorically calls Karla, or Rachet Mouth as she called her, a liar about what she had previously said about Jerry---the same things she said on the stand. She explained this away by saying she said them only because she was afraid of Jerry.

Hmmm.

There were also letters and phone calls to her from Jerry where he said she was making stuff up. She, Bonnie, was proud of the fact that she had kept her HONOR, by not attempting to cut a deal by lying. Then, the prosecution upped the ante by piling on more charges and she had a change of heat, it seems. Lies? I don’t know. I’m just curious about the process. Does the prosecution not wonder about truthfulness when they put a witness on the stand? What guidelines do they use? Victory at any cost? This is what Jerry’s attorney’s said. Has justice become a game.

I wonder.

Government Justice or Revenge

6/25/2014

In a speech to the presiding judge at Jerry’s second trial, F. Lee Bailey said , “Now, in this now two week old case which could be best described as some sort of unholy cross between Miami Vice and the Beverly Hillbillies, it is perfectly apparent that the government had one idea in mind, and that is to take a man who is already, thanks to the sentences he has already received for the crimes he has admitted, is to use him as a vehicle to park his whole family, an acquaintance and a friend, in the federal hoosegow.”

It was Bailey’s adamant contention that Jerry had an agreement from the first trial that the government would not seek any additional indictments regarding his drug enterprise. Bailey said the federal prosecutor used the term, “wipes the slate clean.” His charge makes sense. Why would you plead to counts if you thought you could be indicted on others later on, especially when you had F. Lee Bailey as your lawyer? You wouldn’t. And in fact, there was sufficient evidence to charge him on a RICO charge at the first trial but they chose not to do it. So, why, four years later, did they come after him again? Was it to gain notoriety, to put a notch in their belts---why?

As I wrote the book, this is a question I asked over and over. And the only answer I could come up with is that they were angry that the $280 million Karla Espinal said Jerry had hidden couldn’t be found. So they went after anyone she said had any part in the money---including his brothers and others. There was never any proof that this money existed, except her word.

Okay, when they began digging into things they found evidence that his brothers might be more involved than what they wanted you to think, but only in a slight way at most, certainly nothing warranting their sentences. So I can only conclude that it was out of revenge. They were angry at Jerry and that was it. I’ll go into detail in the book.

Meanwhile, thank you for the comments you’ve made about my last book, THERE IS NO HOPE HERE---amazon.

e to edit.

Jerry in 1989

6/24/2014

During the first part of the book, I attempt to show events as described by Jerry, as well as facts I have verified, such as Hank Maierhoffer (I'll say more about him in later posts) was working for the CIA. This paints a picture of Jerry that is quite different than what the trial transcripts show. Where is the truth? Somewhere in the middle I guess. But one thing is clear: when Jerry Allen LeQuire was running his business, he was ruthless.

During her testimony, his ex-wife, Karla Espinal, who was shown to lie on a few occasions and was a cocaine addict, stated that she feared him because he had influence to the highest levels of Washington. She said that he beat her when he learned she was using cocaine, and after he was in prison, he controlled her life through his friends.

She also testified that a Chicago lawyer representing one of Jerry’s employees promised if Jerry paid him $1,000,000 he would make the original indictment disappear. The money was paid but Jerry was still tried. Another of her statements was that Jerry paid, through a lawyer, a judge in Madisonville, TN the sum of $180,000 to fix Jerry's sentence on the marijuana charge he was also facing. The state of Tennessee investigated the charge, but you’ll have to wait for the book to find out the solution.

When Jerry was arrested, Karla went to New York with a suitcase filled with money to hire F. Lee Bailey. Money was everywhere. When he was arrested, she said he had $7 million on his yacht. She said he gave her $90,000 to arrange for the killing of Terry Cornell, Jr, who was to testify against him. And when he decided to plead guilty, she said he told her to spare Cornell but kill his mother instead, so he would have to live with that. She was murdered the night before he was scheduled for trial. Karla said she paid a Colombian to have it done. Of course, she might well have been lying about this, and in fact Jerry was not convicted of the murder, so I only point this out to show a little about what was going on at that time.

It is obvious from reading the transcripts that Karla would do and say anything to help her cause, as would many of the other defendants. But make no mistake about it; had she kept her mouth shut, Jerry LeQuire would have been out of prison a long time ago. And to this day, there are many who cringe at the mere mention of her name.

Jerry's Spiritual Quest

6/22/2014

During my visits with Jerry, as I’ve mentioned before, we discussed his spiritual health. It’s a topic I discuss with many people as not only is it important, it interests me. I’m not one to preach, to say I have the answers because I don’t , but I know what works for me. So, I shared my faith---well, more than faith, I shared what I’ve experienced with God. Oddly, the most influence I had with him seemed to be the book I had written about a devout Christian woman who founded a charitable mission to help the impoverished in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky. (THERE IS NO HOPE HERE---amazon) He was impressed by the dedicated people who had no agenda other than to help others.

We talked about Jesus, God, Mother Theresa---anything that was on his mind. I said time and time again that my wish was for him to find peace with God. I hope he did. For some, it’s difficult to imagine God loving someone who has done so many bad things, but like I told him, if you’re God, bad is relative. To one who is perfect, any sin is terrible, is it not. I urged him to stop thinking about himself as he approached God, to get to a place where he could sense the glory of God---then, at that point to begin a dialogue. He said he was trying.

One of the sad things about his death is that we are not able to continue that journey together. I had planned when he was out to show him just how wonderful God is, to introduce him to people with no agenda other than love. I don’t know what death holds for people, but I can hope for the best.

Ochoa and Jerry

6/21/2014

Juan David Ochoa was a major player in narcotrafficking in Medellin. He and his family were important members of the cartel. Jerry would often eat at their excellent restaurant in Medellin. He and his brothers were listed alongside Pablo Escobar, Carlos Lehder and others as principals in the cartel. He eventually turned himself in to the police and received a sentence of 5 years.

Jerry received 56 years.

Jerry, just like Ochoa, didn't think what he was doing was much worse than selling booze during prohibition or the man selling cigarettes or the man making guns. He was selling a product that millions wanted. Was this rationalization? Yes, but it makes you think. As we consider solutions to the drug problem, we have to be creative.

And we need to rethink the fairness of our punishments.

Psst---You wanna make $20 million?

6/18/2014

The story begins with a guerrilla group called M-19. The group is formed after the fraudulent presidential elections of April19,1970, where the man they supported was denied his rightful victory, according to them. In later years, they engaged in kidnapping of wealthy people and demanding high ransoms. Since cartel members had money, they became targets, but when the cartel savagely retaliated, the two sides made peace, and M-19 went to work for the cartel. In 1980, they stormed the Dominican embassy and took 14 ambassadors prisoner, including the ambassador from the United States. When the hostages were finally released, it was widely thought that the CIA negotiated the truce, and that it involved millions of dollars and implied deals. Within the cartel, it was known that M-19 and the CIA were closely linked after that event.

In 1980, a representative of the group contacted Jerry to offer him $20 million to fly cocaine to Europe and return with heroin. The offer had been cleared with Escobar and Herrera. Since so much money was involved, there was little doubt that the cartel would not allow M-19 to rake in the profits, which meant they were fronting for the CIA. So, while the offer came from that group, Jerry was really dealing with the intelligence agency.

Jerry was chosen because Escobar and Herrera were impressed with his skills. All his deliveries had been on time without any difficulty from authorities. The other cartel members liked him. He was reliable and he kept his mouth shut. After some consideration, Jerry rejected the offer. He had heard of problems in working with the CIA, and $20 million made him too much of a visible target. Herrera assured him it was alright to reject the offer but Jerry worried that he had just entered a new chapter in his smuggling life.

He was right. As he later learned, you can only

Death in Prison

6/17/2014

When Jerry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he was sent to the medical center in Butner, NC. Ironically, it was the nicest prison he had seen in his thirty years. When I visited him the first time—Butner is near Durham---he was upbeat about his chances to beat the disease. We talked about music and he wanted me to listen to some of his favorite songs. He was excited about the prospects of his granddaughter visiting. We didn’t discuss the likelihood of the disease killing him.

I visited on two consecutive days, right before he was to start the chemo and radiation treatments. The only time he mentioned the possibility of death was when we talked about the book and what he would like me to do to help his family. Otherwise, we were just two friends having a normal visit.

The next time I visited, he was too sick to talk, so I said I would come back when he felt better. I never saw him again.

I find it ironic that in the year he was to be released on parole, he died. There are many who breathed a sigh of relief at hearing of his death because when he was younger, he was a man to be feared. But he had changed. The man that I knew was just someone struggling with answers---answers about God, about society, about government, things we all question from time to time. I understand that he would have struggled on the outside, but I tell myself he would have made it.

Prison Population Explosion

6/12/2014

A couple of the reasons the prison population has increased dramatically is the federal sentencing guidelines and the law where conspiracy charges can be brought solely on the word of others, usually with the promise of immunity. Conspiracy charges are considered precious by prosecutors because they make it easy to gain indictments, and on a conspiracy charge a person is charged with the whole amount of drugs, not just the part he or she might have been involved in. Then, after a conviction, the mandatory sentences kick in, severe sentences without any consideration for circumstances. It’s a primary reason why we incarcerate almost 2 out of every hundred adults in the country! What happens is that when defendants see the mandatory sentence dangling as a possibility, then are easily persuaded to plead guilty and get a judge to impose a sentence.

It’s easy for the prosecution but the question is: is it fair? I think not. As I talked with the inmate families, I became convinced that there were better ways to handle many of the problems other than prison. Think about how the prison population would change if instead of sending someone to jail for carrying a few grams of cocaine, we put that person under house arrest, with an ankle bracelet, and required him to attend rehab, much as an alcoholic. Or even force him to attend a school where a trade could be learned. All prison does for most is to embitter them and make them more determined not to get caught.

I know this sounds like liberal talk but seeing all the young in prison makes you think; it did me. We have a problem and what we’re doing now isn’t working. We have to take a radical approach, like empower prosecutors to make reasonable decisions, not to treat all defendants the same. Because they aren’t the same. I met a young man in prison who had no business being there, but the sentencing guidelines left no choice. He had been beaten, and constantly carried the threat of it happening again. His crime: robbing drugs from a drugstore, because he was an addict. Do the crime, do the time! Is that what you’re thinking? Well, with a little help this man could become a productive citizen, and surely the prosecution could see this.

Okay, enough of my rants. Why don’t you give me your thoughts on reform?

The Cocaine Problem

6/9/2014

At the height of Jerry’s criminal enterprise, cocaine use was reaching epidemic levels. Its use, for the most part, had been ignored, attention only drawn by the episodes of violence in south Florida. Many Americans had grown up in the marijuana 60s and reasoned that a little sniff of white powder was okay, no more harmful than drinking alcohol. Many doctors thought it was okay, too. It didn’t scramble your brains and there was conjecture about whether or not it was addictive.

Jerry reasoned that he was doing nothing different than what the booze smugglers did during prohibition, and that soon, like whiskey, cocaine would be legal. If people wanted to get high, it was none of his business. He had felt the same way about marijuana. He personally never took the drug, and only minimally had used marijuana, but if others wanted, or needed, it, that was just fine. It kept him wealthy.

Initially, cocaine was so expensive that only the wealthy could afford it, but many within the government feared that as the price dropped, it would become more of a problem. Several congressional hearings were held, and in retrospect some of the testimony was laughable. A well-known drug expert from Yale University stated that “Cocaine doesn’t have the kind of health consequences that one sees with drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes…..We have given a great deal of cocaine to many individuals and find it to be a most remarkable drug.”

What I concluded after researching the early opinions is that you can always find reputable professionals who believe they know the answers. Like I said, laughable.

We need to think hard about our way of dealing with the cocaine problem. It’s certainly not working now.