A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a former Sinaloa lieutenant closely tied to notorious drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera to 28 years in prison.
“Mexico is tired of this violence, and so is the United States,” U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo told Jesus Raul Beltran Leon.
“You were a serious drug conspirator at a high level,” Castillo told Beltran Leon. “And I need to sentence you accordingly.”
The lengthy sentence came even after Castillo rejected a claim by federal prosecutors that they were arguing should mean an even lengthier prison sentence for Beltran Leon.
Prosecutors contended that Beltran Leon offered $25,000 for the severe beating of a El Chapo’s godson.
But Castillo said there were “too many stretches” in the claim against Beltran Leon. And it rested on the credibility of an attempted bank robber, Andrew Johnston, who recorded Beltran Leon in jail.
Beltran Leon’s attorney, Beau Brindley, ripped Johnston’s credibility apart Tuesday. During a cross-examination, Johnston acknowledged to Brindley that he had previously accused a federal agent, prosecutors and a judge of lying to convict him.
Castillo later said Johnston’s “credibility is just about nowhere in this building.”
In making his ruling, the judge at first called it a “very close call” but also said the prosecutors’ evidence was not “clear and convincing.” And after a prosecutor said Beltran Leon spoke on a recording about the $25,000 offer “in a very knowing and telling fashion,” Castillo complained about the allegation being made “based on intonation.”
Court filings suggest prosecutors had an additional witness to call, but testimony ended after Johnston left the stand. Records and testimony indicate the Four Corner Hustlers street gang was involved in the alleged threat. Several members of the gang are set to go to trial next month.
The judge said he adjusted the sentence to take into account that Beltran Leon claimed he was tortured by Mexican police after his arrest.
Before his sentencing, Beltran Leon apologized.
“All I thought about was making money,” he said. Sadly, in my case, the American dream I lived was an illegal one. My culture made it seem so easy. I couldn’t resist. I didn’t resist.”
“I am done with that life. This life has caused nothing but sadness.”
Prosecutors say Beltran Leon worked with Guzman’s sons to smuggle massive shipments of drugs into the United States. He admitted in April his role in the sale of 46 kilograms of cocaine in Los Angeles between June 8 and June 10 in 2013.
The supposed target of the alleged beating, Damaso Lopez Serrano, testified Monday. He explained to the judge that his father was at one point “the closest person to Chapo.” He said “gang members” had been enlisted to beat him at the jail. And he said Guzman “is my godfather.”
Serrano also accused Beltran Leon of shooting someone at a party and said Beltran Leon once bragged about being with Guzman’s son, Ivan, when Guzman called with instructions to pick him up after Guzman’s prison escape in 2001.
“Chapo told Ivan not to worry, that he was going to get lost for a while but that everything would be alright,” Serrano said. “And, after that, they just dropped him off somewhere.”
Prosecutors first called Johnston to the stand Monday. He described conversations with Beltran Leon at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, the Dirksen Federal Courthouse and while the two were being shipped between the two downtown Chicago buildings.
Johnston, who said he acted as a sort of jailhouse lawyer to other inmates, said Beltran Leon decided he wanted to plead guilty after he learned Serrano might testify against him. During one conversation, Johnston said Beltran Leon held up his hand and made a “finger-pull motion,” similar to someone pulling the trigger on a gun.
“I understood him to mean that he was telling me that (Serrano) could testify about violent acts,” Johnston said.
Serrano was being held on the same floor as Johnston at the MCC. Johnston said he later heard $5,000 was being offered for Serrano’s beating. In a conversation he recorded with Beltran Leon, prosecutors say Beltran Leon said, “I heard 25,000.”
When Beltran Leon asked who had said $5,000 was being offered, Johnston said, “They’re two Four Corner Hustlers.”
