U.S. District Judge Terry Hatter Jr. has denied the request for a "compassionate release" for an elderly inmate. The prisoner, 94-year-old Carlos Tapia-Ponce, has been in jail since 1990 due to his involvement in one of the largest drug busts in the history of the U.S.
Tapia-Ponce is currently serving a life sentence and at his age, he is regarded as one of the oldest inmates in the country's federal prison system. Due to his frail condition, he has developed various health conditions including heart problems. According to Fox News, he is currently staying at a medical facility of the Bureau of Prisons located in North Carolina.
On Wednesday, Tapia-Ponce's legal representatives filed a motion for their client's early release and for the reduction of his sentence to time served. According to the lawyers, the inmate should be allowed to spend his remaining years with his family. One of his attorneys, Ellen Lake, told the court in Los Angeles that the defendant had recently suffered a heart attack immediately after being transferred to the medical facility.
However, Judge Hatter Jr. maintained that only the Bureau of Prisons can change Tapia-Ponce's sentence. He also noted that there are no probations in the federal system.
Hatter Jr. is the same judge who sentenced Tapia-Ponce to life in prison after his arrest over 20 years ago. According to Los Angeles Daily News, he was apprehended in connection to a raid carried out in 1989 at a warehouse in Sylmar, LA.
During the operation, law enforcers were able to seize a total of 21.4 tons of cocaine, making it one of the biggest drug cases in the country. According to reports, the drugs, which were stacked in boxes inside the warehouse, accumulated over time due to a conflict between Colombian Cartels and Mexican smugglers.
The federal agents who carried out the raid noted that the amount of cocaine found in the warehouse had a street value of $7 billion at that time. Aside from the drugs, they were also able to seize $12 million in cash during the bust, Whittier Daily News reported.
Law enforcers arrested seven people connected to the case. This includes Tapia-Ponce, who was identified as the head of the illegal operation.
