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Convicted money launderer for a Colombian cartel gets coronavirus early release from prison because he's 76 and has multiple health problems
By adamg on Fri, 05/15/2020 - 10:23pm
A federal judge in Boston today ordered Pedro Mejia Salazar released from prison, six months before his scheduled release, because he has numerous health issues that could put him at risk if he contracted Covid-19 behind bars: He's 76 and suffers from diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure and has just one kidney because he had to have one removed after he was diagnosed with renal cancer.
The US Attorney's office in Boston agreed to the request - and said that upon his release, he will be put on a plane back to his native Colombia.
In 2018, he was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to laundering some $700,000 for the enforcement wing of the Medellin drug cartel - after voluntarily flying to Boston from Colombia in 2016 to face the charge.
Last month, he filed a request for compassionate early release because of the threat of Covid-19.
Federal judges in Boston have received numerous such requests from both convicted prisoners and people awaiting trial behind bars - and have rejected requests where inmates or detainees can show no underlying health issues that would put them at higher risk if they contracted the virus.
US District Court Judge Allison Burroughs granted Mejia Salazar's request this afternoon.
Free tagging:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Request for early release | 387.91 KB |
| Government response | 25.9 KB |
| Outline of his involvement with money laundering | 29.58 KB |
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Comments
Because he stands no chance
Because he stands no chance of getting it outside of prison? I’m sure the prison populations love this virus.
All-or-nothing thinking/false dilemma
No, no one said he stands NO chance of getting it outside prison. But he stands a hell of a lot better chance.
All or nothing thinking reduces the choices to two extremes while ignoring options that lie between them. Here, Republican uses it as an oversimplification to try to discredit a position using a false assumption. Thank you for the opportunity to highlight this common tactic.
Related: Straw man
I would argue
Prisons are places where social distancing is more difficult than, say, at home. Also, considering he will be heading back to a nation where Covid-19 is currently less of an issue than in the US, the move will help prevent him from contracting the virus, so long as he makes sure he doesn't have direct contact with a lot of people.
Out 6 months early on a sentence he came to Boston to have imposed on him? I'll take that as acceptable.
Works for me.
"In 2018, he was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to laundering some $700,000 for the enforcement wing of the Medellin drug cartel - after voluntarily flying to Boston from Colombia in 2016 to face the charge."
Plus, he's diabetic, etc. He fits all the high risk categories. As long as he's not sent to a nursing home, he might be OK. Ya, I have no problem with this one.
Same here
It's only cutting 6 months off his sentence. It's not like he's getting out many years early.
Nonviolent criminal who is agreeing to self-deport
Seems like an easy call to me.