Jamie Balagia, 62, who had a law practice with offices in San Antonio and in his hometown of Manor, near Austin, was found guilty at the end of his two-week-long federal trial of conspiring with a Florida private investigator, Chuck Morgan, and a Colombian attorney, Bibiana Correa Perrea, to shake down Colombian drug traffickers under the guise of bribing officials in the United Sates.
According to information presented in court, Balagia, also known as Jamie Balagia, also known as “The DWI Dude,” had a law practice with offices in San Antonio and Manor, specializing in defending clients charged with violations such as driving while intoxicated and drug possession.
Jamie Balagia aka “DWI Dude” was found guilty of swindling Colombian drug traffickers. Balaga was part of a group of people who claimed that in exchange for inflated “attorney fees,” they would bribe government officials “resulting in either the dismissal of their criminal charges or significant reductions in their US federal prison sentences.
In addition to the prison sentence, Mr. Balagia, a former police officer, was ordered to surrender his law office building in Manor, a suburb of Austin.
“In reality, there were no bribes or government officials.” The federal authorities were alerted to the scheme by the drug dealers whom Mr. Balagia and his associates were targeting, according to Joe Brown, a former U.S. attorney.
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Course Director for the 5th Annual Jolly Roger Hal Jackson Memorial Criminal Law Seminar. The Seminar was held in Denton, TX, at the University of North Texas Gateway Center, on December 14, 2012.
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Jamie Balagia, who's been convicted of shaking down Colombian drug lords, spoke as a Libertarian party candidate for Texas attorney general on May 1, 2014, in San Antonio.
SHERMAN — An Austin lawyer known as the “DWI Dude” for his area of practice was sentenced on Monday to about 15 1/2 years in federal prison for shaking down Colombian drug traffickers for ...
Balagia was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2016 and found guilty by a jury in 2019 of conspiracy to commit money laundering, obstruction of justice and violation of the Kingpin Act against international narcotics trafficking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice. In 2018, two other people who prosecutors say ...
The clients Mr. Balagia is accused of targeting had been tagged as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the U.S. Treasury Department , according to federal prosecutors in Texas. “These individuals were considered some of the biggest drug traffickers in the world,” the prosecutors said.
They spoke about bribing Colombian and American officials to reduce the charges against Mr. Villota Segura, according to the special agent, Jason Rennie . “It was clear that there was an agreement for $2 million that was hashed out between the participants in the meeting,” Mr. Rennie said, according to a court transcript.
Federal prosecutors said that no bribes had ever been paid and that Mr. Balagia and his associates had been participating in a scheme to line their own pockets. Some of the money was deposited “at bank counters across the United States by anonymous individuals with daily deposits totaling just under the $10,000 reporting threshold,” the prosecutors said. Mr. Balagia also received “at least four bulk cash payments” ranging from about $70,000 to $120,000, the prosecutors said.
According to information presented in court, Balagia, also known as Jamie Balagia, also known as “The DWI Dude,” had a law practice with offices in San Antonio and Manor, specializing in defending clients charged with violations such as driving while intoxicated and drug possession. In 2014, Balagia conspired with Florida private investigator Chuck Morgan, and Colombian attorney, Bibiana Correa Perea to swindle Colombian drug traffickers under the guise of bribing officials in the United Sates. During meetings in Colombia and in Collin County, Texas, the group represented that in exchange for inflated “attorney fees,” they were in contact with government officials in the United States who would accept bribes resulting in either the dismissal of their criminal charges or significant reductions in their U.S. federal prison sentences. In reality, there were no bribes or government officials.
As part of the scheme, Balagia provided Colombian co-conspirators with his personal bank account number and routing number. Evidence at trial showed multiple deposits over several months into the account in amounts intended to avoid federal cash transaction reporting requirements. The cash deposits were made at bank counters across the United States by anonymous individuals with daily deposits totaling just under the $10,000 reporting threshold. Additionally, at least four bulk cash payments were made to Balagia in amounts ranging from approximately $70,000 to $120,000. Balagia admitted to driving from his San Antonio office to a mall parking lot in Katy, Texas, where he was given a shopping bag filled with bundles of cash from either an unknown individual, or an individual who identified himself only as “Coco.” In an attempt to conceal these payments, Balagia failed to report the payments as required by federal law.
The Office of Foreign Assets and Control (OFAC) had previously designated Balagia’s Colombian clients as “Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers.” These individuals were considered some of the biggest drug traffickers in the world. As such, they were on an OFAC list, essentially freezing their assets and prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in any financial transactions or dealings with them unless they had received an OFAC license. In order to comply with federal requirements under the “Kingpin Act,” Balagia was advised to obtain an OFAC license on multiple occasions but failed to do so.
Attorneys Heather H. Rattan and Jay Combs.
Chuck Morgan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison on Mar. 8, 2018. Balagia was found guilty following a two-week trial of conspiracy to commit money laundering; obstruction of justice, violation of the Kingpin Act; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Jamie Balagia is now headed to prison for 16 years. William Luther/The San Antonio Express-News via AP. A Texas attorney known as the “DWI Dude” has been sentenced to federal prison for 16 years for his part in scamming Colombian drug traffickers out of $1.5 million.
Jamie Balagia aka “DWI Dude” was found guilty of swindling Colombian drug traffickers. Balaga was part of a group of people who claimed that in exchange for inflated “attorney fees,” they would bribe government officials “resulting in either the dismissal of their criminal charges or significant reductions in their US federal prison sentences.
Balaga was part of a group of people who claimed that in exchange for inflated “attorney fees,” they would bribe government officials “resulting in either the dismissal of their criminal charges or significant reductions in their US federal prison sentences. In reality, there were no bribes or government officials,” the station reports.