Pubdate: Wed, 04 Oct 2006 Source: Dominican Today (Dominican Republic) Copyright: 2006 Dominican Today Contact: http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/contact.aspx Website: http://www.dominicantoday.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4101 Note: MAP archives articles exactly as published, except that our editors may redact the names and addresses of accused persons who have not been convicted of a crime, if those named are not otherwise public figures or officials DOMINICAN REPUBLIC'S LARGEST DRUG CASE HAS ITS 1ST CONVICTION IN N.Y. NEW YORK.- The U.S. South District Federal Court in New York, where the drug-trafficking and money laundering case against the ex-Dominican Army captain [Name redacted] is being heard, condemned its first defendant, the businessman Jose Perez Ferreras. He had pleaded guilty only to the money laundering charges in a previous bargaining with the State Prosecutor, which guaranteed an 18 month jail sentence, and a 10,000 dollar fine and 3 years probation, He began his prison term at the federal facility at 150 Park Row in Lower Manhattan. Perez was the last suspect extradited from the Dominican Republic in connection with the [Name redacted] case, but the first to accept responsibility in the laundering of millions of Dominican pesos and hundreds of thousands of dollars. The lawyer Stanislao German, whom represents the Moca natives [Name redacted], and [Name redacted] , who are free on bail, confirmed the information on Perez's sentence, but said that in court the U.S. Government did not reveal the total amount of the money laundered. In the case 17 lawyers conduct the defense of those indicted. In reference to the opening of the criminal trial, German said that it could possibly take one more year, due to the enormous amount of documents, the motions presented by the defense lawyers and the Government's legal strategies. He said that each lawyer must study the situation specific to their respective clients in order to work each case adequately. - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine