Right there before your eyes Lee Chagra became the Black Striker. He loved it. Traditionally, gambling and smuggling are on a par with fixing parking tickets and hiring illegal aliens. The government was so rabid for convictions that it destroyed its own case. Instead of flying in the customary small planeload of 2000 pounds from Mexico, they imported 54,000 pounds from Colombia. Of course, not all the authorities are so blas. Technically and legally, the unsworn interview shouldnt even have been a part of the grand jury report. [16], On December 23, 1978, Lee Chagra was shot and killed in his law office in El Paso. Clark assumed that he would go straight back to Caesars and claim some of his markers, but that wasnt Lees plan. David Long? Lee said. Federal agents turned up at Lees office the next morning to confiscate his gun collection and question him about the unsuccessful assassination attempt. He discussed with the CIA the possibility of liquidating all major drug traffickers in the Middle East; it was estimated that 150 key assassinations would do the job. Uncle Lou, who had recently been paroled in California, had a drug habit of long standing. Lee gave the Cowboy $10,000, and the others guessed that he was a collector for some bookie. It was not the kind of clutter Lee Chagra would leave. A block from the cathedral, on North Mesa at the edge of the downtown business district, Lee Chagras new office building was closed for good. As it turned out, he was right.. [25][21][26], Both Harrelson and Chagra's brother Joe were implicated in the assassination. But Kerr wasnt satisfied. They could have been twins. A scathing memorandum written in March 1975 by the chief judge of the Middle District of Tennessee declared the indictment to be obviously and fatally defective. He also said it was so worded as to be utterly meaningless, and therefore, the indictment actually charged nothing at all. Judge Frank Gray, Jr., went out of his way to rebuke agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and federal prosecutors, declaring that the restraints on the defendants liberty and their being forced to live for two years under a cloud of anxiety, suspicion, and often hostility violated basic principles of justice. Another suggestion was to disrupt the drug market by passing out poisoned drugs. Over the next eight years Wood handed out the maximum sentence in almost every case. Worse even then the chain reaction of disasters in 1977: the crash of one of his brother Jimmys drug smuggling planes in Colombia, Jimmys botched foray to rescue the pilot, Lees frantic scramble to rescue Jimmy, his running courtroom battle with federal prosecutor James Kerr and Judge John Wood. Goodman insisted that Chagra not testify. A ton of marijuana is no better or worse than a ton of quicksilver. Lee, the man was saying, Im not gonna say this againno more credit!. On the monitor he saw a tall, muscular black man in his early twenties. The Photo the Dallas Cowboys Never Wanted the Public to See, Welcome to Palo Pinto, Texass Next State Park, The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2021 Edition, Please Do Not Touch the Toxic Toupee, a.k.a. [9][10] His mother was named Josephine, and his father Abdou Chagra. Only a few select friends and celebrities like Rosey Grier or Gabe Kaplan were allowed in. With the gambling and the ostentatious living, the money never lasted long. That was why I jumped bond. First, he made at least a dozen telephone calls. The office was a maelstrom of activity, none of it having anything to do with the practice of law. Now they eat three meals a day and imported cheese. It is estimated that one out of every five households in these two communities of one million is supported by some type of illegal activity. Stricklin looked at the copy of the law for a few seconds, then returned it to the agents. Youre going to get five years each. Wood was apparently confusing the fifty-page transcript of the secret interview with actual grand jury testimony. Boyds strategy was to indict Jimmy on multiple counts and wait for him to break. Through it all, he had somehow clung to the central fact in his life: Lee Chagra was a topflight criminal attorney. He imported more high-grade ganja than anyone, tons at a time, planeload after planeload. Dad had been gone for eight years. Despite, or perhaps because of, these tactics, agents of the FBI, the IRS, and especially the DEA became convinced that Chagra not only was involved in international drug trafficking but was in fact the mastermind, the kingpin. About four oclock Bobby Yoseph returned to the office from a shopping trip in Jurez. A third, Cynthia Jones Chagra, lives in Austin. Lee Chagras funeral was a microcosm of all the extremes in his life. Two of their five children were with her. For some unexplained reason, the three assailants (apparently there was a third behind the wheel) raced from the scene without bothering to walk five or six feet and make sure that Kerr was dead. Despite the differences in background and age (Stricklin was almost ten years younger), Chagra and Stricklin became more than lawyer and client; they became close friends. By mid-November the feds had just about made their case against Jimmy Chagra, and rumors of his imminent indictment were rampant. And the caper made the money flow. Former mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman is credited with the revitalization of downtown Las Vegas including The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and our very own The Mob Museum. He called her into the bedroom. As the feds worked around the clock to build cases against both Chagras, an agent provocateur came forward with information that could potentially put both of them away for life. Here she is in the Sinatra suite at Caesars, the tacky wallpaper so thickly felted it practically had to be brushed. The Indian brushed a strand of limp hair over his bald spot as he walked toward Lees car. One day while Vivian was there, they delivered a dozen red roses to the room. The position of federal authorities was that even though Joe Chagra was a lawyer, he was also suspected in conspiracy to conceal the crime; therefore, their conversations were not covered by attorney-client privilege. He walked to the top of the stairs and looked down at two black men with guns. A book signing of Part of it was the publicity: Lee loved to see his name in headlines. Jimmy had given her a couple of kids and a lasting pain in the ass. Whats it all for? he said out loud, and Vivian could see the tears in his eyes and hear the catch in his voice. Chagra could win or lose more in a single session at a Vegas crap table than Kerr made in a year. That old watch-me-carry-the-world smile was back on his face. Fortunately the glass was shatter-proof. As the year progressed, so did his paranoia, his insistence that someone was out to get him. While federal agents snapped photographs from the parking lot across the street, hundreds of mourners jammed St. Patricks. The Most Reverend Sidney Metzger, bishop emeritus of El Paso, came out of retirement to say mass. Clark excused himself and went to his own room, alone. [7][13] He had dealings with the Patriarca crime family and Joseph Bonanno, the retired head of the Bonanno crime family. There have been people who gambled higher in one sitting, but week after week, month after month, nobody kept coming, kept flat firing at em, like Jimmy Chagra.. He hung up without speaking. Vivian felt Jo Annies dark eyes following her into the bedroom. I did not worry about a long-term jail sentence until Wood was killed, he said. Technically Lee had won the battle, but there was little doubt that Wood had landed a crippling, perhaps fatal blow to the attorneys already battered reputation. All rights reserved. Lee was already there. [31][32], In a deal with the federal government, Jimmy Chagra admitted to his role in the murder of Judge Wood and the attempted murder of Assistant United States Attorney James Kerr. On the trials 40th anniversary, Goodman and Chagras eldest daughter, Catherine, will look back at the case and what it meant for Goodman and the Chagra family. Jimmy and the crew of the chartered jet were arrested by Colombian authorities. Whats more, Kerr and Wood and the entire apparatus of the federal government were breathing down his neck. The next year he paid taxes on $450,000, including $125,000 declared as gambling winnings. When either of the Chagras sat at the blackjack table, he took all seven spots. And it was killing Lee. [5][3], Texas Drug, Gambling Figure Missing; High Bond Forfeited, Jimmy Chagra; Smuggler Linked to Judge's Death. Lee read the card and laughed. Jamie Boyd was the consummate politician. There's no way a bullet could have gone through there. Marble floors. She was sentenced to 30 years and died in prison in 1997 However, his sister Patsy stated that he was not in the witness protection program at the time of his death. The following afternoon at the Aladdin, Lee took the worst beating Clark had ever seen him take. Joe Chagra also went to prison for his role in the assassination. He spent more than 35 years defending some of the most notorious alleged Mob figures, including Meyer Lansky, Frank Rosenthal, Anthony Spilotro and Jimmy Chagra. Lee always suffered shamelessly when he was down and Jimmy was up, but this was different. The gesture was unmistakable: hed come to replace his brother. One of the soldiers, David Leon Wallace, signed a confession that not only admitted the robbery and murder of Lee Chagra but also substantiated Lees seemingly paranoid belief that he was being stalked. Its good business for everybody.. It had been months since anyone had seen him so animated. United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, "TRIAL ON JUDGE'S DEATH HEARS ONE JAILED BROTHER DEFAME THE OTHER (Published 1982)", "Jamiel A. Chagra, 63, Drug Kingpin, Dies", "Joseph Chagra, 50, Lawyer Linked to Assassination, Dies", "Drug kingpin accused in slaying of federal judge", "Jailer recalls conversations with Woody Harrelson's father", "Las Vegas author developing documentary on drug kingpin Jimmy Chagra", "Hit man guilty in federal judge's death", "There was a murder at Christmastime 40 years ago", "Charles Harrelson, 69; father of actor killed federal judge", "Chagra Acquitted of Hiring Killer of Federal Judge", "Judge's 1979 slaying was 'crime of the century', "Joe Chagra, Convicted in Conspiracy to Kill Judge, Critically Injured", "SEARCH NARROWS IN '79 SLAYING OF U.S. JUDGE IN TEXAS (Published 1981)", "Drug kingpin Jimmy Chagra's daughter recalls his rise, fall", "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 | Encyclopedia.com", "GAMBLER IS ACQUITTED OF PLOTTING ASSASSINATION OF A FEDERAL JUDGE (Published 1983)", "Chagra enters guilty plea in Wood murder trial", "Forty years ago, U.S. District Judge Wood assassinated in San Antonio by Woody Harrelson's father", "Elizabeth Chagra, plotted to kill judge", "5 things to know about Sidney Powell, the Dallas lawyer formerly on Trump's legal team", "For Trump advocate Sidney Powell, a playbook steeped in conspiracy theories", "Newspaper says Chagra deal includes early release for wife", "Man implicated in assassination of federal judge now free", "TEXAS LAWYER ADMITS ROLE IN PLOT TO KILL FEDERAL JUDGE (Published 1982)", "Jamiel Alexander Chagra, 63; was mastermind of international drug ring", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jamiel_Chagra&oldid=1124413746, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Pages using infobox person with multiple parents, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Jimmy, Justin, Jackie, Catherine, Csilla, Christa, Cindy, This page was last edited on 28 November 2022, at 20:15. The next morning FBI agents called on Lee Chagra, confiscated his gun collection, and asked him to take a lie detector test. All things considered, 1978 has probably been the worst year of Lee Chagras life. I decided to disappear over to the Hilton for a while. When Clark Hughes returned to Caesars about nine that evening, Lee had almost exhausted his credit limit. Lee loved being at the middle of the table, flanked by armed guards and at least one beautiful broad who would act as his lucky piece. Her mom and sisters left witness protection and moved to Buda to be near Bastrop, where her father was being held. Each time he caught a narc in a lie, Lee made eye contact with various jurors, the corners of his mouth twitching with mirth as though he expected tiny okra plants to sprout from the witnesss nose at any moment. Lee concurred and told other members of the family that Jimmy was dead broke and needed their help. By the time the jury began its deliberation, it was obvious that the best the prosecution could expect was a tie. Their dad just didnt feel safe going to court without his consigliere. (At that point the public had no inkling of the earlier, even bigger Boston haul.) (According to The New York Times, Jimmy told brother Joe in a conversation taped by the FBI that he hired Harrelson to do the hit. He cried when he thought of Jimmy. While Lee ate, Jo Annie puttered with the Christmas decorations. She had bought the Lincoln limo because she wanted to give her husband something crazy after all these years.. Lees position in this venture was that of highly paid legal adviser for the gang of smugglers. The Tennessee dope dealer rolled down his sock and slapped the cash on Lees desk. Who do you think you are? The pit boss had heard the spiel many times and smiled patronizingly as he personally counted out the stacks of $500 chips. More likely it was because Lee, as chief justice of the student court, had spoken out against segregated dorms and football teams. Boyd, Kerr, and the DEA had worked so hard selling the media on the contention that El Paso was the hub of dope trafficking in the Southwest that everyone took it as gospel. The district attorney, several district judges, and a former mayor stood elbow to elbow with Sailor Roberts, gambler Amarillo Slim, and at least a dozen convicted dope dealers. Hunter Thompson once described how a casino shot a three-hundred pound bear out of a cannon right in the middle of the floor and no one looked up. In the early summer of 1973 Lee experienced for the first time in his life how it felt to be on the other side. Goodman had represented Chagra in a previous drug case, which was undone by his client testifying. The defendant was one Melchor de los Santos, who was caught with 262 grams of heroin; since the going rate was $30 a gram, it was a fairly substantial bust for the times. Catherine moved to Phoenix about three years later to be near the federal lockup where her father did time, visiting every Sunday for 20 years. In the seven years or so that it had been in on the books, few had bothered to read that section of the drug law. By now all the Chagras knew that Jimmy was a major drug trafficker, and they must have suspected that Lees arrangement with his brother and his relationship with Jack Stricklin were more than traditional lawyer-client dealings. And Im going to charge you ten thousand dollars.. Not long after that, someone attempted to rob a high-stakes poker game at Jimmy Salomes house. He was wearing his boots and jeans and enough jewelry to sink a deep-sea diver. Some in the legal community thought he was too special, too outspoken. Knewz is a registered trademark. Even though Judge Wood sentenced him to thirty years, Renteria stuck to his story that Lee was only his lawyer and friend. In a secret interview with a group of DEA agents and prosecutors, Johnson had implicated at least sixty El Paso citizens as major drug traffickers. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. She had put the same question to herself. They implicated Lou Esper as the man who had planned the heist and supplied the weapons. Lee was a baffling tangle of contradictions. It was hard to imagine two men more different. Boyd believed that one way or another Jimmy would take him to Lee. [15], Chagra's drug dealings came under close scrutiny by law enforcement and the judicial system. Kerr had been involved with pursuing Chagra for his drug dealings. Lees vial of cocaine was open on the corner of his desk. You sonuvabitch, how are you gonna pay off those markers?, He took a deep draw on his cigarette and pressed Clarks shoulder. [14], Prior to his arrest, he accumulated approximately $100 million in various bank accounts, today amounting to about $500 million. I didnt trust Arabs. So Jimmys smuggling operation must be thriving as Lees law practice crumbled. In prison, Jimmy would say he got hooked on gambling faster than heroin.. It is like I am reading about a third person.. 2023 www.statesman.com. The hitman, Charles Harrelson, was the father of actor Woody Harrelson. But more than anything, it was his clothes; Jimmy showed up at the funeral wearing an outfit exactly like Lees Black Striker costume. Lee stared out the limo window at the blur of cold neon. Lee got the best of the feds in Ardmore but that was about the last time. [36][37] However, his sister Patsy stated that he was not in the witness protection program at the time of his death. It was a partial victory for Leethe jury found De La Torre guilty of only one charge and he got the maximum, 5 years. It was during this period that Lee was introduced to Mickeys black sheep uncle, Lou Esper, a pale, seedy, rat-faced Syrian hoodlum who had spent about half his fifty years in prisons. Fold this five ways and stick it where the elves dont play, he said. Yoseph let himself in the front entrance with the key that Lee had given him that morning. Chagras idea of a good time was slapping a Willie Nelson album on the stereo, snorting cocaine, and getting naked in a pile of aromatic bodies. On August 31, 1977, Lee Chagra appeared in Judge Woods court to file a motion of discovery, asking that the judge turn over DEA reports, customs reports, grand jury probes, any material that would reveal when Stricklin was supposed to have engaged in continuing criminal activity. And even if it was true, for Wood to reveal it in open court was outrageous. The shock of Lees death didnt really hit Jimmy until he faced the prospect of walking into Judge Woods courtroom without Lee. They showed him a Xerox copy of the section of the law dealing with continuing criminal enterprise. Two overstuffed easy chairs were pushed together against the front of Lees desk, blocking the path across the room. No, you got it backwards, Lee said when he saw it. "[8], Jamiel Chagra, known as Jimmy, was born in El Paso, Texas on December 7, 1944. In secret interviews Wallace as singing like a drunken angel. Here he is with Joe Namath. Its riddled with ethnic stereotyping of Lebanese men as reckless womanizers and Lebanese women as subservient slaves to their men. Catherine Chagra was the daughter of Jimmy Chagra, a Las Vegas high-roller and drug trafficking kingpin once named the Pablo Escobar of weed. After her father She had come to count on Leealthough she suspected that the money Lee gave her came from Jimmy anyway. It was his most important victory in monthsand his most profitable. 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