Texas attorney convicted of scamming drug traffickers
Posted October 30, 2019 7:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SHERMAN, Texas — A Texas lawyer has been convicted of corruption for scamming roughly $1.5 million from international drug traffickers.
Jamie Balagia, of Austin, was found guilty Tuesday of conspiracy to commit money laundering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was also convicted of attempted violation of the Kingpin Act for accepting money from major drug traffickers.
Prosecutors say the 62-year-old Balagia, a Florida private investigator and a Colombian attorney scammed Colombian drug traffickers into paying “attorney fees” for acting as intermediaries with government officials who they said would accept bribes to dismiss criminal charges or reduce prison sentences.
There were no bribes or government officials involved.
Balagia claimed his co-defendants manipulated him.
He was convicted in Sherman, 65 miles (100 kilometres) north of Dallas
The Associated Press
