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Pubdate: Tue, 17 Jun 2003 Source: Miami Herald (FL) Copyright: 2003 The Miami Herald Contact: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/262 Author: Larry Lebowitz, Miami Herald TRAFFICKER'S GUILTY PLEA ENDS LENGTHY DRUG CASE Falcon Will Receive 20 Years, Forfeit Cash Augusto ''Willy'' Falcon, half of the notorious Miami smuggling duo from the cocaine heydays of the 1980s, pleaded guilty Monday to money- laundering charges and closed one of the most tempestuous chapters in South Florida's war on drugs. In his raspy, accented voice, Falcon admitted in federal court that he and longtime drug partner Salvador Magluta laundered millions of their drug dollars to fix the outcome of their scandalous trafficking trial in 1996. Falcon agreed to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and to turn over $1 million in cash to the government, under the terms of a plea agreement that had been in the works for several weeks. In return, federal prosecutors Michael ''Pat'' Sullivan and Michael Davis dropped obstruction-of-justice and jury-tampering counts against Falcon stemming from the tainted trial. Sullivan, who had been litigating cases involving the pair, nicknamed ''The Boys,'' for 13 years, said the plea not only brings closure to efforts to bring them to justice, but it shows they should have been convicted of smuggling more than 75 tons of cocaine between 1978 and 1991. U.S. Attorney Marcos Daniel Jimenez agreed: ''We will do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, to protect our system of justice,'' he said afterward. U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz, however, reluctantly signed off on the deal, saying she was concerned the penalties were not harsh enough. ''While the court would have liked a higher sentence, I will accept the settlement,'' said Seitz, who sentenced Magluta to 205 years in January. A CHANCE But Falcon's defense attorneys, Richard J. Diaz and Jeffrey Weiner, argued the plea deal gives the 47-year-old a chance at reclaiming a semblance of a life. On his way back to jail, Falcon blew kisses to his ailing parents, Arsenio and Mirta Falcon, both 74, and his three children, Aileen Martinez, 28; Jessica Falcon, 23; and William Falcon, 18. His wife, Alina Rossique-Falcon, was slain in a 1992 holdup attempt outside a Coral Gables beauty salon. Her parents and sister were in the courtroom as well. With the four-plus years he already spent behind bars awaiting trial, Falcon could be released in about 13 years -- when he is 60 -- if he stays out of trouble in prison. What could happen next for the 11th-grade Miami Senior High dropout is uncertain. Falcon, a Cuban citizen, could face deportation or prolonged immigration detention, depending on U.S.-Cuba relations when he is released. Falcon and Magluta, buddies since childhood, were well known during the '80s for their championship racing boat teams, expensive homes and champagne tastes. The government said it had plenty of evidence linking the pair to drug trafficking for their showcase 1996 trial. But they were acquitted after a five-month trial. Federal officials said some witnesses were murdered or paid to remain silent or lie before the trial. But the most stunning development came after the verdict, when prosecutors learned at least one juror had been bribed. Prosecutors said Monday most of the tampering evidence led back to Magluta, not Falcon. ''In my mind's eye, I see a runaway train, with Magluta as the conductor and Willy in the back,'' Weiner said. ``These two men factually, legally and in every other way are different.'' Attorneys for both sides said Falcon had expressed interest in a plea deal as early as 1992. But all potential deals were derailed because Magluta refused to stop fighting his charges and prosecutors wanted an all-or-nothing package with both men pleading guilty. The pair's acquittals also had another well-publicized consequence: A dismayed Kendall Coffey, the U.S. attorney at the time, resigned following an altercation with an exotic dancer shortly after the verdict. Three years later, jury foreman Miguel Moya was convicted of accepting nearly $500,000 in bribes and sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison. As part of the plea deal, Diaz said Falcon will not be required to testify against any past drug-trafficking associates, and prosecutors will drop any potential retrial of the corrupted 1996 verdict. THREE-HOUR HEARING The hearing lasted more than three hours as Seitz made both sides persuade her to accept the deal. In addition to the prison term, she expressed concern the $1 million forfeiture was too small, considering the hundreds of millions of dollars Magluta and Falcon reportedly netted from smuggling. The jury that convicted Magluta last year ordered him to forfeit $15 million. But as Sullivan noted, Falcon will deliver cash before he is sentenced next month. The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS and Miami- Dade police are still digging -- literally -- for Magluta's share. ''The bird in the hand is worth the $15 million in the bush,'' Sullivan said. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh