Tacoma man imprisoned in Nicaragua appeals sentence
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - A Washington state man convicted of money laundering in Nicaragua has argued at a hearing appealing his 22-year sentence that police and prosecutors created lies to link him to organized crime.
The lawyer for 35-year-old Jason Puracal of Tacoma says three appellate judges are looking at evidence such as business records that show Puracal has no ties to the companies listed in the formal accusation.
The panel is expected to make a decision in five to 10 days, attorney Fabbrith Gomez told The Associated Press after Monday's hearing.
Puracal's family says he was wrongfully convicted two years ago and thrown into one of the most dangerous Central American prisons. Now family members are going to new lengths to try to get him freed.
"He was the kind of brother who would be very protective - but would also challenge you," Jason's sister, Janis Puracal, said earlier this month.
Puracal is a University of Washington graduate who served in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua in 2002. He was convicted in 2011 of laundering money through his Re/Max International real estate franchise in San Juan del Sur on Nicaragua's west coast.
The lawyer for 35-year-old Jason Puracal of Tacoma says three appellate judges are looking at evidence such as business records that show Puracal has no ties to the companies listed in the formal accusation.
The panel is expected to make a decision in five to 10 days, attorney Fabbrith Gomez told The Associated Press after Monday's hearing.
Puracal's family says he was wrongfully convicted two years ago and thrown into one of the most dangerous Central American prisons. Now family members are going to new lengths to try to get him freed.
"He was the kind of brother who would be very protective - but would also challenge you," Jason's sister, Janis Puracal, said earlier this month.
Puracal is a University of Washington graduate who served in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua in 2002. He was convicted in 2011 of laundering money through his Re/Max International real estate franchise in San Juan del Sur on Nicaragua's west coast.
And to think my sister was married to a guy from there and she has been there along with her kids on more than one occasion, even got married down there. I thought that was a sh*tty place to go then. But now... oh, hell of a lot worse! Glad I will never have to go there!
Nicaragua has a government that hates the US. President (aka dicatator) Ortega will do anything to gain the spotlight against the US and this guy is just another victim of Nicaragua's corrupt ways of doing business. NIcaragua wants two things out of this; money and international media attention. This is just another case of holding a US citizen for ransome. The family must pressure the US government to help and please don't expect a fair trial or re-trial in a corrupt country like Nicaragua.
There has got to be more to this story than what were hearing from the media, what is their gain of holding him there if he is innocent? extortion? drug runner for the U.S. and got caught? Who was he laundering money for? There are way to many questions not being asked and being answered??
My prayers are with you that he get comes home quickly and heals from all of this. What a nightmare!
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I signed the petition to help him, i hope he comes home to his family....