U.S. District Judge Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi ruled on Monday granting the final forfeiture of a condominium that federal authorities charge was bought with drug cartel money byTomas Yarrington, former governor of Tamulipas
The judge ordered the seizure of a luxury condominium allegedly belonging to a former Tamaulipas governor.
The condo at the Bridgepoint Condominiums on South Padre Island has been tied up in federal court since February.Prosecutors alleged that former Tamaulipas Gov. Tomas Yarrington gave drug money to Matamoros businessman Napoleon Rodriguez to buy the $450,000 dollar condo.
He is one of a score of "prestanombres" listed by Mexican and U.S. authorities said to be fronts for the purchases of real estate and other investments in the United States, Mexico and Latin America. Among some of those listed is Matamoros industrialist Segio Arguelles, who made his fortune in the maquiladora industrial parks in that Mexican border city. Arguelles is said to own a large section of the Ranco Viejo Country Club north of Brownsville.
According to a civil forfeiture lawsuit, Rodriguez bought the condo and put it in his name but Yarrington remained the de facto owner. The court ordered the federal government to take full possession of the condominium, sell it and then pay off any taxes and homeowner’s association fees owed.
The property to be sold at public auction in the near future but a date was not immediately available.
Neither Yarrington nor Rodriguez face criminal charges at this time.
Attorneys for Yarrington said in previous statements that the former governor maintains his innocence. His whereabouts are unknown.
0 comments:
Post a Comment