Drug Lords Reacting to Life Sentences

you I was doing good out there I was not selling drugs I wasn't doing none of that I wasn't I was trying my life on track I'm sorry please don't s 13 years it's Justice because I gave you more opportunities I'm talking right now oh you don't do you this is how you behave you deserve every month you get this is convicted drug lord Jose kvea Jimenez police say that Jimenez was working with a Mexican cartel to operate a heroin trafficking operation brought as much as 100 kilos of the drug into Columbus every month the

investigation resulted in the seizure of 25 kilos of heroin which was worth a whopping $2.5 million Jimenez pleaded guilt to two counts of trafficking along with one count of engaging in a corrupt activity and is appearing at the Franklin County courthouse today for sentencing far from the heights of His Glory Days as the ring leader of a Columbus drug operation Jimenez shuffles into the courtroom wearing khaki prison issued scrubs however he hasn't completely lost his sense of Steely command as he shoots a quick icy stare at the narcotics investigators who are in court to see

their hard work come to fruition assistant prosecutor Dan Stanley Begins the hearing by making him has his high ranking position within the operation abundantly clear this is the ring leader of an organization that is so fear inspiring that the people who come here from Mexico refuse to testify against it because they know as soon as they were born their family will be murdered in Mexico he also speaks of the fear inducing power of the cartel and the difficulties this poses when trying to obtain convictions against gang members all the while Jimenez maintains his stance standing

bolt upright while glaring into the distance a female witness who's not shown on camera to protect her identity gives evidence to the court about how she helped him and as to store and move heroin in the Columbus area he was bringing me the drugs to my house what kind of drugs heroin how much a kilo and the last time two kilos watch Jimenez as she testifies you'd be forgiven for thinking he was a statue but if you look closely you'll see that he does in fact blink the ring leader has been Stone Cold up and

until now and his lack of remorse is about to get clearer as he addresses the court through an interpreter this has been overblown he and I apologize Jimenez stands and expresses some form of apology curtly in Spanish looking as if he's choking on every word his translator manages to make his words sound more human in English however judge Kimberly coft isn't buying any of his feeble regret and she takes him to task on his claims that his accountability has been inflated by the prosecution team I'm surprised to hear you say today that your participation is

overblown Judge reminds him sharply that she informed him of his statutory requirements for a conviction before jailing Jimenez for 21 years in prison she also orders that the drug Baron be deported immediately upon discharge I was very intentional about explaining to you the statutory requirement for conviction Jimenez shows no reaction to the fact that he will be approaching 70 when he's released and instead just saunters from the courtroom with an expression of disdain on his face jimenez's total lack of emotion is unnerving and as we see in the next case Dexter Lee Williams shows a

similar level of catatonic coldness however in William's case someone else is getting worked up on his behalf I'm talking to Mr Williams I've heard everything but you're holding no what other accusations he didn't testify so you're told me what I I've heard everybody the 53-year-old Kingpin is just about to be sentenced at Houston County Superior Court after being convicted on three counts of violating the racketeer and corrupt organizations act the conviction stems from drug trafficking charges brought against Williams Who police said was leading a multi-million dollar trafficking operation between Mexico and Atlanta when taken into

custody he had 39 kilos of cocaine in his possession worth an estimated $3.5 million here he is talking and laughing to himself in the back of the police car following his arrest son they had pass should have never walked into the fuing house sentencing Williams is Judge Bo Adams and he has some strong words for the defendant who sits impassively in his seat in your case it's not a mere possession case it's not a mere struggle that you have with an addiction that you personally have it is not that you are I would say you

are feeding the addiction that they battling with and you're you are profiting from their while Williams might be unmoved by Judge Adams his defense attorney Wanda Jackson is growing noticeably agitated by the judge's words and she sigh and leans back irritably in her seat you're convicted not because say the court is underhanded or corrupted or is corrupt or anything like that and it seems that the penny finally drops for the defendant the sentencing is not going well for him he shares a look with Wanda Jackson and what happens next is something you don't see too

often in a sentencing hearing Williams continues to stare on without emotion Wanda Jackson has heard enough and Incredibly takes issue with Judge Adams I'm talking to Mr Williams I've heard everything right but you're holding no what other accusations he didn't testify so you're holding what I said I'm I've heard everybody I've heard it all I've heard it all I've heard it all it's my time she attempts to scold him for insinuating that her defense case was filled with wild accusations but the judge cuts her off and goes on with his speech Mr Williams you're convicted

not because I'm corrupt or underhanded or law enforcement is racist or the jury had unauthorized conduct or contact with Witness you're convicted because you're guilty that was that's the plain and simple truth of the evidence that show that the wir Taps show that and at the end of it all I find that you obviously should be sentenced for your involvement your participation and this uh racketeering Enterprise and you're acquiring significant sums of money Jackson however remains unimpressed and can be seen gesturing with her hands and huffing Judge Adams ultimately sentences Williams to a total of

40 years without parole and even the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison isn't enough to stir a reaction from the stone cold dealer and at the end of it all for count one um I do I will sentence Mr Williams 20 years to serve count two I will sentence him to 20 years uh that will be consecutive to count one and I'm going to require that that be served 20 years to serve count three already indicated that that is merged with count one so that'll be the sentence of the Court Jackson

is less than pleased though she gathers her things and stands to leave before the judge has a chance to finish speaking so that will be the sence of the Court as a than EXC all right for Williams it was the Allure of power and money that Drew him to trafficking but as we see in the case of Wallace bigger not all dealers live a lavish lifestyle I believe the judge's biased and I said from the start Andre con not going to be a fair C police say that bigger moved a significant pipeline of prescription drugs

through Anum County in northern Michigan over the course of a number of years the operation involved obtaining thousands of morphine pills and other controlled medications from a doctor in Sagen which were then sold by bigger from a number of locations across the County however despite bringing in more than $220,000 from The Spoils of his illegal TR biger barely got by living in Practical squalor in a camper van on his daughter's driveway throughout his trial the 71-year-old remained defiant protesting his innocence and berating his legal counsel and the criminal justice system as a whole he tried

to fire his lawyer on a number of occasions and claimed that he was framed by law enforcement officials he was eventually convicted of conducting a criminal Enterprise the most serious charge possible under Michigan's racketeering laws today bigger is appearing before Judge Philip Rogers for sentencing the judge doesn't hold back as he lays out the elderly drug Lord's trashy living conditions and resentful nature did you live a big lifestyle were you sitting out next to the cement pond with the BMW parked in the driveway no you weren't you lived a pretty crummy lifestyle time to time

in a camper in your daughter's front rway but it didn't stop from being manipulative didn't stop you from Abus other people bigger is less than pleased and when he approaches the podium to speak what he has to say shocks the court I did not sell drug and I will not nothing maintaining his Brazen pretense the drug dealer continues to Fain innocence he then goes on to complain bitterly about his lawyer and even goes as far as to accuse judge Rogers of being biased repeating his claim that he did not get a fair trial I believe

the judge is biased and I said the start Andrew coning would not give be a fair trial and I did not get a fair trial and I got a scw lawyer the prosecution team disregards his dubious claims arguing that he was the main pill dealer in antram County as they appeal to the judge for the harshest sentence possible they want to use Wallace bigger to set an example for any other wouldbe dealers he was the primary provider of morphine during that time period within Anum County he kept going back to Sagar and was getting 800

pills a month bringing them back here hopefully is sensing at the high end of the guidelines and the consecutive nature will send a message to anybody that may want to fill that vacuum that regardless of your age there is a consequence if you are caught trafficking this quantity of controlled substance judge Rogers ultimately senten is bigger to a minimum of 20 years in total meaning he will likely never see the light of day again I am sentencing 360 months on charge number one on charge two the control substance delivery charge 23 to 240 months aages

3 and 4 23 to 240 months and the maintaining a drug house 16 to 24 months and on conducting the criminal Enterprise that's 50 to 24 most drug lords like bigger are convicted for possessing illegal substances with the intent to distribute and rarely face any charges in relation to the effect that their drugs have on their vulnerable customers however occasionally dealers are held to account for the consequences of their actions and one such case is Aaron Andrade the 25-year-old drug dealer is in court today for sentencing after admitting his part in the overdose death of

29-year-old Kristen koutu koutu had left a drug treatment facility just two days before her death because her insurance wouldn't cover more than 30 days of inpatient treatment on the day she died she arranged to buy drugs from Andrade but unknown to her the heroin the dealer gave her was laced with a fatal dose of fenel the Attorney General says it's the first time a drug dealer has been convicted of murder of someone who overdosed a landmark case with many implications for how the state will prosecute dealers Andra pleaded no contest to Second deegree murder in

relation to coutu's death in a plea agreement that saw two further drug char charges against him dismissed at sentencing judge Kristen Rogers hears submissions from the prosecution on the nature of the evidence they held against Andrade the state would have proven that what the defendant really sold Christen coutu was nearly pure fentel a controlled substance like heroin or morphine hundreds of times more toxic than heroin she asks the defendant if the facts of the case are true and he admits that they are are all of these facts true Yes Man Kristen kou's mother then gives

in emotional impact statement recalling the horror of being told her daughter overdosed two Cranston Police Officers standing there all I could say repeatedly was please don't tell me my daughter is dead please don't tell me my daughter is dead family members look on in the public Gallery weeping and Kristen's mom even has to stop at one stage so that a grieving relative can leave the room it's okay okay following the impact statements Andrade stands to speak and what he says surprises the court I know I heard a lot of people including her family and my

family we're all going through unlike most convicts Andrade takes full responsibility for what he has done expressing remorse and a clear understanding that his actions have caused Untold grief for the koutu family however and dr's repentant words can't save him and judge Rogers hands him 40 years with 20 to serve uh this defendant stands before you indicted on among others the account of murder for as the state alleges delivering a substance containing fentanyl which killed Kristen coutu the remorseful dealer shows no visible reaction to the sentence as he calmly accepts his fate while truly genuine

remorse like andrade's might be an unusual occurrence in the courtroom most defendants will try to appear at least a little bit contrite when put before a judge however a small few like Charles crosy are so cold and Unapologetic that even a significant prison sentence doesn't knock a stir out of them crosy is in Clement County court for sentencing on drug trafficking and Corruption charges the 35-year-old was found guilty on 12 counts after being caught in possession of $5,000 worth of heroin and cocaine that was intended for the streets of New Richmond crosy has a long

criminal history spanning back to the age of 14 and police say that he set up his dealing Empire Just 4 months after being released from a previous prison stin for trafficking heroin the hearing kicks off with assistant prosecutor Darren Miller trying to impress on Judge Thomas Herman the extent of the Damage Done to the community by cross heroin is bad enough but lace with fitel it becomes a game of Russian Roulette individuals like Charles crosy provide the weapon they provide the bullet and they spin the chamber pointing at the addict's head and all the attic

has to do is pull the trigger that's who Charles cross is officials say that while the defendant was active overdoses and Drug rated deaths spiraled due to large amounts of fenal laced heroin on the streets cross's drug dealing Antics are scandalous enough but when police chief ran Harvey tells the court how he forced addicts to sell his products the court is stunned by what he has to say they would have black eyes or their face would be swollen and I would ask them how did this occur and they would frankly tell me that Charles crossy

and his associates Associates would beat them you heard right crosy would feed the addictions of his customers and then beat them senseless until they agreed to sell drugs on the streets for him crosty seemingly couldn't care less about his horrific actions being laid bare to the court and simply rolls his eyes as Harvey speaks the defendant continues to stare vacantly as judge Herman lists off his lengthy criminal record before sentencing him to 20 years and 9 months in prison true to form crossy doesn't even Flinch as the Wy sentence is handed down thankfully for New

Richmond residents their town will now be safer for a long time to come while many Kingpin like crosy prefer the ultimate power and Glory of working alone a small few choose to tag team their responsibilities and as we see in the next case some even choose to make it a family business this is Rashad Johnson and this is his brother Marquez Johnson the Jacksonville siblings are appearing before Duval County Judge r Anthony Salem for sentencing after being tried together and convicted of drug trafficking and possession charges their arrests came after police raided a trap house

on the east side of Jacksonville and the charges they were convicted of had drug enhancements because both men were identified as leaders of the ruthless 1200 outeast gang watch the brotherly love as Marquez shoots Rashad a nod of acknowledgement prior to sentencing members of the Johnson family file into the witness box to plead for leniency telling the judge that the men have seven kids between them often think about the things I could have done different as a parent I know my son could have had a better outcome in life and he he's a family man

he is and do do you feel he's a good father and he's a great father yeah I pray and ask that you're merciful I pray that there are some resources to help them grow then the brothers take it in turns to address the judge I don't know what kind sentence you will hand out today but I would ask that you be lenient towards me I have a beautiful family which includes four kids and St y I am not a bad person I'm not a monster not a gamer just a human being who made mistakes ran

throws himself at the mercy of Judge Salem claiming to simply be a man who has made mistakes in a similar vein Marquez denies any involvement in gang activity I not lab as a man an animal or a gang member or any my community or anywhere else and I just want to say I'm sorry to my family once again for putting through the situation and letting them down prosecutors aren't buying it and they argue that the Johnson Brothers had plenty of opportunity to clean up their act but continued to engage in Gang Related activities they had

the opportunity to better their lives after serving 3 years in the Florida state prison and they came back out and continued doing the same pattern of criminal activity that they had been arrested so many times before for they even moved out of their Community but instead of staying out of their community and getting jobs the court has heard nothing from any of these Witnesses about legal jobs that they had they provided for their families financially but how are they doing that by selling drugs the man stand side by side to hear their fate and with

the futures of two men hanging in the balance it seems like judge Salem has a heavy decision to make the sentence he hands down stuns the courtroom you're adjudicated guilty sent a 30 years for State Prison 581 days credits loud sobs echo through the public gallery from the men's supporters as a hefty 30-year sentence is imposed on both brothers as upset as the men's family members may be the brothers seem to be taking their three decade punishment in stride as Rashad turns and waves goodbye to his family without a trace of sadness as he is

Led from the courtroom the Johnson Brothers sentences may seem heavy to some but they're nothing compared to the punishment that Robert Lloyd shellenberg faced when he was caught trafficking drugs in China according to State prosecutors in China shellenberg attempted to smuggle 222 kg of methamphetamine from delion which is a city in the leoning province to Australia when the Canadian man realized that his translator had informed ch Chinese police he was transporting drugs he fled and boarded a plane to Thailand was later arrested when the plane had a stop over at an airport in the Guangdong

Province despite claiming that he was just an innocent tourist who was unfortunately set up by a drug dealer shellenberg was tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison he later appealed and was granted a retrial which took place a few months later we see him here during his second trial in a different angle to the first trial where he faced accessory criminal charges the prose ution seem to be going for broke now and are maintaining that shellenberg played a crucial and important role in the trafficking may have been poor timing on his part as the

retrial took place just one month after Canadian authorities arrested mang wanu the Chief Financial Officer of huawai on charges of bank fraud in Canada Chinese authorities were not happy with this arrest and it seems they are now scapegoating shellenberg in a game of diplomatic tit fortat shellenberg is again found guilty and as his sentence is read out he probably wishes that he had served out his 15 years and kept his mouth shut presiding judge Q chuna is pulling no punches as she sentences shellenberg to death yes [Music] death in an unusual move which is suspected

to be a veiled message to Canadian authorities the sentencing is broadcast across Chinese state media shellenberg gestures and looks devastated as he realizes what the judge has just said his utter bewilderment is clear from the expression on his face as he tries to come to terms with his punishment International speculation is that the judge gave a capital sentence to put pressure on Canada to release mang wanju shellenberg later appeals the death sentence but his application is rejected by the court wanju on the other hand is later released and allowed to travel back to China as

of 2023 shellenberg remains in a Chinese prison facing death harsh sentences like shellenberg are not unheard of in Asian countries and nobody knows this better than Felix dorin the 35-year-old French man was convicted of trafficking three kilos of various drugs into Indonesia after being caught on lombok airport with a suitcase filled with ecstasy and amphetamines he later escaped and was on the run for 2 weeks before being recaptured Indonesia is known to have some of the strictest drug laws in the world and although the amount of drugs dorphin was carrying was relatively small all he

still faces a severe punishment during his trial prosecutors ask for a 20-year jail sentence along with a $700,000 fine it's a hefty sentence but dorin is likely reassured that they're not pursuing the death penalty he sits calmly with his lawyer as the judge begins to give the ruling however his relief is about to be short-lived unfortunately for dorin Indonesian judges are known to sometimes exceed the prosecutor's demands and in this case presiding judge ISU samsul is is in a particularly acrimonious mood he brings the gavel down sharply as he hands dorphin a death sentence dorin's

eyes drop as the reality of what the judge has said sinks in he then appears to say something angrily to his lawyer before standing up and leaving the courtroom looking devastated he later appeals the ruling and luckily his Capital sentence is commuted to 19 years in prison although the harshest of sentences for drug rated offenses are normally handed down outside of the Western World there have been exceptions to this rule over the years take for example Jeff mzansi in 1996 mzansi was caught by police as he tried to sell 3 Kg of marijuana to a

dealer connected to Mexican drug cartels unluckily for the Missouri man he already had two previous drug-related offenses dating back over a decade this meant that under a Missouri law for persistent drug offenders a sentence of life with no parole was allowed despite the fact that Jeff's record was non-violent incredibly Jeff began his life sentence in the same year that California legalized marijuana for medical use over the years Jeff and his family campaigned for clemency even raising almost 400,000 signatures on a change.org petition but their efforts are fruitless and Jeff remains incarcerated however he gives regular

interviews from behind bars expressing his opinion that he was unfairly treated and deserves a second chance Justice is supposed to be fair and equal in my case I don't think it was after more than 20 years in prison for nothing more than possession of marijuana Jeff has spent a third of his life Behind Bars and he becomes emotional as he reflects on the more important things he has missed out on over that time found that out about a month ago I got grandkids i' I've seen the mzansi family's years of lobbying and campaigning finally start

to pay off and in 2015 the issue was brought to the attention of Governor Jay Nixon when mazinsky appeals to the legislator through a local TV interview what happens next is like a ray of light at the end of a very long tunnel for Jeff do you even go there thinking about that moment where you'll get out many times try not to but uh yeah I I do I dream about being able to uh grab my grandkid Governor Nixon promises to review the case before he leaves office the laws change after someone is uh uh

sentenced then then you want to give those things at close look he stays true to his word and commutes Jeff's sentence meaning he can argue for his freedom for a parole board watch the incredible moment that he walks free from prison after spending more than two decades in prison 3 weeks ago you said the first thing you wanted to do is get some some new shoes so how and I got them wow hey just like walking on air he has spent the years since his release actively campaigning for the approval of medicinal cannabis another convict

who knows the danger of repeat offending is zier Duffy though his offenses are much more serious than mazin's however in an interesting parallel he's been given more chances than the pot dealer ever did they just made me look like a monster the person that just made me out to be I'm scared that person that they just tried to make me out to be you I was doing good out there I was not selling drugs I wasn't doing none of that I wasn't I was trying my life on track Duffy has a record of drug rated

offenses dating back 5 years and he's been through the the doors of the lurine municipal court in Ohio so many times the judge Raymond yers is plain tired of seeing him the eight cases you had in this courtroom showed to me that you were a potential Menace to Society judge yers has given him a number of chances but Duffy is back in court today after being arrested for violating his parole and it isn't for a minor misdemeanor the 25-year-old LED deputies on a high-speed car chase when they tried to arrest him on a separate warrant

when the chase finally ended officers recovered large quantities of fenel and heroin along with a Ruger sr40 pistol unsurprisingly assistant prosecutor Donna Freeman wants Duffy off the streets and she's going for the jugular the state would ask that you sentence this defendant to the maximum amount of time allowed by law he's been involved in a number of offenses involving involving guns drug trafficking high speed chases with the police he has no regard for society Duffy takes his opportunity to make one last appeal to the judge and given his history of violent drug-related crime you won't

believe how he behaves they just made me look like a monster the person that just made me out to be I'm scared of that person that they just tried to make me out to be you I was doing good out there I was not selling drugs I wasn't doing none of that I wasn't I was trying to my life on track man and this man just told me you try to give me 13 years in stark contrast to his mean reputation the career criminal breaks down and weeps like a baby I'm not a monster I'm

not a monster and a performance that could almost be worthy of an Oscar nomination even judge Yer seems amused by the uncharacteristic Outburst though thankfully he isn't buying any of it driving that car the other day when the police were chasing you I was driving well I think I've had plenty of time to observe how you would behave after you left prison I hung significant prison time over your head because the eight cases you had in this courtroom showed to me that you were a potential Menace to Society the judge continues his rant and it's

clear that he's done with giving Duffy second chances I gave you an opportunity I gave you more than one opportunity I gave you more opportunities than I maybe I should have as Duffy's lengthy sentence is read out his drama performance turns to a show of utter disrespect and he turns his back on the judge the expression on his attorney's face says it all and he shoots the defendant a warning look and a few quiet Words which Duffy duly ignores watch as he turns and stares straight into the court camera with intent and no tears in

sight he swings back toward the bench with a question for the judge was the total sentence sir who brings down the full weight of the law on him with the maximum sentence possible the total sentence would be for 13 years and 4 months incredibly Duffy becomes belligerent and begins to argue about the sentence even dropping the f bomb on Judge yers so you just getting 13 years 13 years and four months F3 fours and FES that's this Justice it's Justice because I gave you more opportunities I'm talking right now however ERS gets The Parting Shot

as Duffy is Led away there you go so long I gave you more chances than anyone ever given someone with a this is how you behave you deserve every month that you the story doesn't end there for Duffy though and the 13 years he got was only in relation to his revoked parole he sentenced at a later date for the car chase and possession of the drugs and Firearms earning him a further 22 and A2 years in federal prison where he'll have plenty of time to brush up on those acting skills