3 weeks ago
3
By SOPHIA TAREEN, Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago carpenter cleared of accusations that he put a $10,000 bounty on the life of a Border Patrol commander has been taken into immigration custody and faces deportation, attorneys confirmed Tuesday.
Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, was acquitted of one count of murder-for-hire last week. Within 24 hours, he was picked up by federal immigration agents, said defense attorneys Jonathan Bedi and Dena Singer.
Born in Mexico, Espinoza Martinez was brought from Mexico to the U.S. as a young child, according to a videotaped interview played during the short trial. His immigration status was not part of the first criminal trial stemming from the Chicago immigration crackdown.
Defense attorneys said the federal government, which referred to Espinoza Martinez as a “criminal illegal alien,” engaged in “character assassination.” Prosecutors accused Espinoza Martinez of being a “ranking” member of the Latin Kings, but the claim quickly unraveled when they didn’t present evidence and a judge barred mentions of the street gang at trial.
“This ...
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