Trial of Texas Lawyer Accused of Scamming Narcos Resembles Scandal From ‘Cocaine Cowboys’ Era
Texas lawyer Jamie Balagia, 62, the “DWI Dude,” is on trial in federal court in Sherman, accused of shaking down his three Colombian clients — alleged drug kingpins — by making false promises of freedom in exchange for hefty fees, reports The Dallas Morning News.
Prosecutors allege that Balagia and his cohorts were paid roughly $1.5 million by Segundo Segura, his brother Aldemar Segura, and Hermes “Megatron” Ordonez, all of whom allegedly operated cocaine labs in the jungles of Colombia.
Prosecutors say that Balagia and his Florida investigator falsely told their clients that they could buy information to help reduce their sentences.
Kevin Krause of the Dallas News reports that evidence against Balagia harks back to a scandal that broke in Miami in 2000 with the arrest of a Drug Enforcement Administration informant named Baruch Vega.
