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Razorguns
Well-known member
66 year old retired JAILED FOR 8 WEEKS trying to buy drugs. If they can throw grandpa in jail and throw away the key -- you never know when they just might wanna pop some younger schmuck in the slammer buying gear.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=border_news&story_id=071404a8_release
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Mexico frees Valium-buying Phoenix retiree
DENNIS WAGNER
and SUSAN CARROLL
advertisement
The Arizona Republic
NOGALES, Ariz. - A Phoenix retiree imprisoned nearly eight weeks ago in Mexico for illegally buying prescription drugs was welcomed home to Arizona by family members last night after his surprise release.
"Hi, sweetheart, it's great to see you," said 66-year-old Raymond Lindell as he crossed the port of entry from Nogales, Son., and embraced his wife, Norma.
"Praise the Lord," he added. "It's great to be back on this soil."
During his incarceration, Lindell became a focus of political, economic and legal pressure on the border. His sudden release, thanks to a Mexican federal court ruling, prompted a celebration by family members who drove from Phoenix to greet him, trailed by a convoy of TV news vans.
Lindell said he was humbled by his time in prison, and "grateful for my freedom."
He headed south to Nogales on May 19 so he could buy Valium for his wife, joining thousands of other Americans who take advantage of discount pharmaceutical prices in Mexico. But he wound up behind bars, facing up to five years in prison.
According to Ramses Arce, police chief in the Sonoran city, Lindell violated the law by purchasing too much of the narcotic, failing to obtain a Mexican prescription and acquiring the pills for someone other than himself.
In a recent prison interview, Lindell said his insurance carrier stopped covering name-brand Valium and his wife was not satisfied with generic alternatives. Lindell acknowledged that he was ignorant of Mexican statutes. He issued an apology, explained that he had a valid U.S. prescription from the family doctor, and stressed that he was not trafficking in drugs.
Lindell initially was charged with three crimes - possession of narcotics, possession for sale, and possession for transport across an international border.
The first two counts were dismissed, and a federal judge in Hermosillo conducted an appeals hearing late last month concerning the third one.
A Mexican official said last night that a judicial supervisor had ruled the count invalid, though it was unclear what prompted that decision.
Behind the scenes, political officials on both sides of the border had pressed for Lindell's release, arguing that he should not be punished for an innocent mistake.
At the same time, news accounts of a crackdown on prescription buyers frightened would-be visitors away from Nogales merchants who already were reeling from summertime blahs and a post-Sept. 11 malaise.
Last month, business leaders launched a campaign to overcome the bad publicity and pump up a deflated tourism industry. Yesterday, the Nogales Chamber of Commerce met to demand information on which pharmacy provided the Valium, and whether those who sold the drug illegally would also be prosecuted.
Bob Feinman, a chamber member, said the objective was to show that there is equal justice and to "clear the air" so prospective visitors understand that Mexico is policing businesses in the tourist zone.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=border_news&story_id=071404a8_release
----
Mexico frees Valium-buying Phoenix retiree
DENNIS WAGNER
and SUSAN CARROLL
advertisement
The Arizona Republic
NOGALES, Ariz. - A Phoenix retiree imprisoned nearly eight weeks ago in Mexico for illegally buying prescription drugs was welcomed home to Arizona by family members last night after his surprise release.
"Hi, sweetheart, it's great to see you," said 66-year-old Raymond Lindell as he crossed the port of entry from Nogales, Son., and embraced his wife, Norma.
"Praise the Lord," he added. "It's great to be back on this soil."
During his incarceration, Lindell became a focus of political, economic and legal pressure on the border. His sudden release, thanks to a Mexican federal court ruling, prompted a celebration by family members who drove from Phoenix to greet him, trailed by a convoy of TV news vans.
Lindell said he was humbled by his time in prison, and "grateful for my freedom."
He headed south to Nogales on May 19 so he could buy Valium for his wife, joining thousands of other Americans who take advantage of discount pharmaceutical prices in Mexico. But he wound up behind bars, facing up to five years in prison.
According to Ramses Arce, police chief in the Sonoran city, Lindell violated the law by purchasing too much of the narcotic, failing to obtain a Mexican prescription and acquiring the pills for someone other than himself.
In a recent prison interview, Lindell said his insurance carrier stopped covering name-brand Valium and his wife was not satisfied with generic alternatives. Lindell acknowledged that he was ignorant of Mexican statutes. He issued an apology, explained that he had a valid U.S. prescription from the family doctor, and stressed that he was not trafficking in drugs.
Lindell initially was charged with three crimes - possession of narcotics, possession for sale, and possession for transport across an international border.
The first two counts were dismissed, and a federal judge in Hermosillo conducted an appeals hearing late last month concerning the third one.
A Mexican official said last night that a judicial supervisor had ruled the count invalid, though it was unclear what prompted that decision.
Behind the scenes, political officials on both sides of the border had pressed for Lindell's release, arguing that he should not be punished for an innocent mistake.
At the same time, news accounts of a crackdown on prescription buyers frightened would-be visitors away from Nogales merchants who already were reeling from summertime blahs and a post-Sept. 11 malaise.
Last month, business leaders launched a campaign to overcome the bad publicity and pump up a deflated tourism industry. Yesterday, the Nogales Chamber of Commerce met to demand information on which pharmacy provided the Valium, and whether those who sold the drug illegally would also be prosecuted.
Bob Feinman, a chamber member, said the objective was to show that there is equal justice and to "clear the air" so prospective visitors understand that Mexico is policing businesses in the tourist zone.
