Two jurors face bribe charges in drug trial

Posted on Wed, Aug. 27, 2003

Two jurors face bribe charges in drug trial
Smugglers eventually sent to prison despite fixed case
BY LARRY LEBOWITZ
llebowitz@herald.com


Two jurors are among five people who will be charged today with pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to guarantee the 1996 acquittals of drug kingpins Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon, The Herald has learned.

The jurors, Maria del Carmen Penalver, 30, and Gloria Alba, 31, will surrender today, sources familiar with the case said. They are the second and third members of the 12-person federal jury to be arrested on charges of fixing the case.

Four years ago, jury foreman Miguel D. Moya was convicted of accepting more than $500,000 in bribes, and sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison. ''This totally vindicates us and says what we've been saying all along: Willy and Sal were guilty then, they're guilty now and we had to spend a lot of time and money to prove it,'' said one source familiar with the seven-year investigation.

The other three suspects include Alba's husband, Isael, 41; an ex-boyfriend of Penalver's whose name could not be confirmed; and Raul Sarraff, 48, who authorities say became the broker and bagman who delivered the bribes for the drug smugglers. (snip)

(snip) In the interview, the Albas remorsefully admitted taking about $260,000 of the $1 million promised them. The sources said Sarraff pocketed most of the bribes the Albas were supposed to receive.

''He ripped us off and we didn't know it,'' Gloria Alba said.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/6627386.htm

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From google:

(snip) The reputed cocaine kingpins, two Cuban-born high school dropouts, gained notoriety as big-spending speedboat racers during the height of Miami's "cocaine cowboys" days in the 1980s.

Three witnesses were killed and two others wounded before their drug trial began. A car bombing and arson also targeted witnesses. The two denied any connection to the attacks. (snip/...)

http://www.news-star.com/stories/081998/new_bribes.html