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OfflinemotamanM
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Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings
    #1610930 - 06/05/03 09:41 AM (20 years, 9 months ago)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ap/tx/1938167

June 4, 2003, 7:08PM

Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings
? 2003 The Associated Press

A $12 million lottery winner bought his lucky ticket with drug proceeds and must return the money, a federal jury said Wednesday.

The jury on Friday found Jose Luis Betancourt, 52, guilty of conspiracy and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. They had been deliberating the forfeiture issue since Monday.

"We're obviously satisfied," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jody Young said. "It was an appropriate verdict."

Defense attorney Baltizar Salazar said his client planned an appeal.

"We're disappointed that the jury could not separate the difference between lotto proceeds, which were legitimate proceeds from the Texas Lottery Commission, from Mr. Betancourt's illegal activities," he said.

Salazar said prosecutors knew Betancourt planned to use the winnings to build low-income housing and not to buy drugs.

Trial testimony showed Betancourt had been trafficking cocaine more than two years before his arrest and was dealing cocaine days after his winnings were deposited into his bank account.

Betancourt won the money in December 2002. Prosecutors said that on Jan. 14, after lottery officials verified his winning ticket, approximately $5.5 million _ representing the cash-out proceeds minus an amount withheld for federal income taxes _ was deposited into Betancourt's bank account.

On Jan. 16, he was recorded delivering 36 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant and discussing his 20-year involvement in drug trafficking and his association with the Gulf Cartel. He told the informant he had more cocaine at his apartment.

Agents searched Betancourt's apartment the next day and found an additional 1.63 kilograms of cocaine and drug paraphernalia hidden in the dishwasher and pantry.

Testimony also showed that Betancourt had not filed or paid federal income tax since 1989.

The defense was unable to back a claim that Betancourt bought the ticket with money he earned selling used clothing.

Betancourt must return the $5.5 million and $76,000, which the jury determined to be his earnings from drug dealing.

He will remain in custody until his Sept. 2 sentencing, when he faces up to life in federal prison without parole and a $4 million fine.



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Invisiblechodamunky
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: motaman]
    #1612037 - 06/05/03 03:09 PM (20 years, 9 months ago)

A lottery win is a lottery win, won it fair and square. His drug dealing is another separate issue. I can't believe this guy could have so much good and bad luck at the same time

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InvisibleRevelation

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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: chodamunky] * 1
    #1612503 - 06/05/03 06:04 PM (20 years, 9 months ago)

Yeah that would suck to be him.

He probably would have left the drug business for good with that kind of money. That's a shame.


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InvisibleDazedSol
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: motaman] * 1
    #1612569 - 06/05/03 06:30 PM (20 years, 9 months ago)

Wow...incredible....

See now you cant say your life sucks :smile:, you could be this guy......

They should have to with out a doubt PROVE that his one dollar he spent buying that ticket was from drug funds..........same with any forfeiture.....assholes


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OfflineEllis Dee
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: motaman] * 2
    #18278238 - 05/17/13 10:47 AM (10 years, 10 months ago)

Note to self: After winning the lottery fly to Hong Kong or Cayman Islands and form asset protection trust immediately.


If this guy had stashed the money in a foreign trust it could never have been seized.

Poor guy.


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InvisibleCidneyIndole
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: chodamunky] * 1
    #18278308 - 05/17/13 11:04 AM (10 years, 10 months ago)

Quote:

chodamunky said:
A lottery win is a lottery win, won it fair and square. His drug dealing is another separate issue. I can't believe this guy could have so much good and bad luck at the same time 







Agreed. Fucking ridiculous. If this guy had ANY other stream of money, they should have left the winnings alone. The only way I'd agree with that ruling is if he was buying thousands and thousands of tickets, and the only way he could have logically paid for them all was drugs.

Gotta love how they handle this stuff in this country-- take as much money away from a defendant as possible (even if gained legally) and thus encourage recidivism so they can do it all over again.


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OfflineShroomacabra
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: CidneyIndole]
    #18278333 - 05/17/13 11:15 AM (10 years, 10 months ago)

Quote:

Salazar said prosecutors knew Betancourt planned to use the winnings to build low-income housing and not to buy drugs.




Probably wanted to build a neighborhood where he could sell his drugs. Get all your clients in one neighborhood to make delivery easy.

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InvisibleNovartis
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: Shroomacabra]
    #18287050 - 05/19/13 09:21 AM (10 years, 10 months ago)

Dummy, if you had any sense, you always give the winning to the eldest in your family, that way she/he can gift it to you or put it down as an inheritance.  I need to play

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OfflineLearyfanS
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: Novartis]
    #18287178 - 05/19/13 10:15 AM (10 years, 10 months ago)

This is complete bullshit.  It's just an act of revenge on the guy for being a coke dealer.  Fuck this shit. 















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Offlineafrogus
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: Learyfan] * 1
    #18298952 - 05/21/13 03:36 PM (10 years, 10 months ago)

What kind of dumb ass still deals ANY blow after winning the lottery?  Money can't fix stupid.


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InvisibleOgla
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Re: Jury decides cocaine dealer must forfeit lottery winnings [Re: afrogus]
    #18301559 - 05/21/13 11:40 PM (10 years, 10 months ago)

Might as well seize every winners money at a casino if the money they used to win the gamble was from selling drugs.  take it to trial, waste everyones time

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