Explore how the celebrity world connects. Chagra asked Harrelson if Wood could be bribed. After marrying his third wife, he died of cancer in July 2008 while living in Mesa, Arizona, under the name James Madrid, several news outlets reported. New York Times (December 15, 1982). On the basis of the wiretaps, the FBI searched Joes home, turning up not only his private stash of drugs but also the map Harrelson had given him. Harrelson claimed that when the murder took place, he was in Dallas, 270 miles away. Joe Chagra ended up serving 6 years of his 10-year sentence, and he died in a car crash in El Paso in 1996 after his release. He gave us details that only he knew, Ray Jahn said. and court testimony, Jamiel Chagra was ''the highest of high rollers,'' a man who flew in private jets, gambled at roped-off tables in Las Vegas and thought nothing of betting half a million dollars on a roll of the dice. The jury started deliberating on Feb. 3, 1983. Kentucky man stops for breakfast, wins $50,000 lottery prize. In the investigation, which cost at least $5 million, the Government recorded more than 1,000 conversations, most of them by telephone, that Jamiel Chagra was involved in at various prisons, particularly the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? He believed in the law. "Texas SniperThe Charge: Murdering a Judge." He has said he is a key suspect in Wood's slaying on May 29, 1979. Our incoming donations used to be 70% used items. Woody Harrelson is a beloved actor, but he has a troublesome legacy. Harrelson's jury found him guilty of murder of a federal employee, and he was also convicted on the charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. In the letter, Elizabeth relayed conversations about plans to kill Wood and told of her own delivery of the payoff money to Las Vegas. Jamiel Chagra's trial moved to Jacksonville, Florida. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. You know Harrelson knocked off the judge, Jimmy told him. ''O.K., honey,'' Mrs. Chagra said she replied. Jack Sheehan calls him the Pablo Escobar of weed. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. Judge Woods 1979 slaying by Charles Harrelson was crime of the century, San Antonio Zoo has a long but spotty history with giraffes. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Chagra went into the Witness Protection Program in Arizona, and remarried. Chagra told Sheehan that he offered to plead guilty to having Judge Wood murdered, if theyd release my wife. What finally did Joe in was his inability to stand up to Jimmy. Joseph testified as well against his own sister-in-law Elizabeth Chagra, and Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann. In effect, he was being tried for murder, when he claimed that his only involvement was in a con-game to get the murder pay-off money for a killing performed by someone else. March 3 (UPI) -- At a White House meeting on Friday, President Joe Biden thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for Germany's "profound" help in countering Russian aggression in Ukraine. Mr. Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann, was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice, the only charge against her in this case. WHEN FIFTY-YEAR-OLD JOE CHAGRA flipped his Toyota Landcruiser on Interstate 10 west of El Paso in December, killing himself and two passengers, it was a sad final chapter in the life of a man best known as one of the conspirators in the 1979 murder of San Antonio federal judge John Wood. Harrelson said that Kay had about $135,000 of the payoff money delivered to him by Elizabeth Chagra as part of the scam. Overdue book returned to Massachusetts library after 56 years. Editor's note: This story originally published in a 2017 series honoring the 300th anniversary of San Antonio.A man named Bill Bannister registered at the Town House motel on Loop 410 on Memorial Day 1979. March 3 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Britain responded to a home to rescue a horse that had fallen into its owner's swimming pool and was unable to get itself out. Mr. Chagra testified not only that Mr. Harrelson had told him he had killed Judge Wood, but also that his brother had suggested killing the judge and had identified Mr. Harrelson as the man he paid to do so. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. On Feb. 26, 1979, he was indicted on five counts of trafficking in marijuana and cocaine. Jimmy Chagra, the high-stakes gambler who faced sentencing by Wood in a drug case shortly before the judge was killed, was cleared of conspiracy. It's an amazing way to provide a warm handoff so that people have all of their needs served. His court-appointed attorney, Thomas G. Sharpe, who defended him on two previous murder-for-hire charges, one ending in acquittal and the other in a 15-year sentence, said the verdict would be appealed. British bus driver stops to give loose sheep a lift. Without his brother's testimony, Jamiel was acquitted of conspiracy to murder charges. From online or printed Minnesota officer removes jar from raccoon's head. Judge Sessions gave Chagra only 10 additional years on his sentence, making him eligible for parole in 2007. Jimmy Chagras separate trial moved to Jacksonville, Florida. The three had risen from an unremarkable middle-class upbringing to live among El Paso's wealthiest residents. The Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center Inc. is a North They said no. The evidence gathered against Harrelson was somewhat tenuous, and included testimony from Joseph Chagra in return for a reduced sentence, and a letter from Elizabeth Chagra that claimed she had delivered money to Harrelson as a payoff for the murder. The trial of Jamiel Chagra was set for May 29, 1979, but Judge Wood was shot as he left his apartment in Alamo Heights for court. Federal authorities claimed that attorney-client privileges did not protect conversations between Joseph and Jamiel Chagra, because Joseph (the attorney) was himself a suspect in the conspiracy to conceal the crime. Among other points, Woody said that his father had spent only $7,000 on his defense, compared to the $5 to $10 million spent by the federal government in marshalling evidence. It was the first time someone assassinated a sitting federal judge. On May 29, 1979, Wood was shot dead in the parking lot outside his San Antonio townhouse. Mrs. Harrelson faces up to 25 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Federal District Judge William S. Sessions, who was a pallbearer at the slain judge's funeral and who, as chief judge in the district, appointed himself to preside in the case, said he would impose a sentence March 8, after the trial of Jamiel Chagra in Florida. If he didnt concoct a lie about how he was really part of the conspiracy, thus allowing him to testify against Harrelson, he believed he would face a total of thirty-five to forty years on drug charges. Harrelson argued that Kay's wife had purchased a Weatherby hunting rifle of the type used to kill the judge some 12 days before the killing. 3 children killed, 2 hospitalized in North Texas domestic incident. In addition to the testimony of Joseph Chagra, the government had evidence drawn from more than 1,000 recorded telephone and face-to-face conversations, most of them involving Jamiel Chagra in various prisons. ." By September 1982, five suspects were under indictment: Joseph and Jimmy Chagra; Jimmy's wife, Elizabeth, and Mr. Harrelson and his wife, Jo Ann. ''I asked him if he was the one who murdered Judge Wood, and he said he was,'' Mr. Chagra testified in a San Antonio Federal Court. March 3 (UPI) -- A former U.S. soldier was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday for planning a deadly ambush on members of his military unit. Thats how one former friend described the convicted killer. U.S. District Judge John H. Wood was assassinated in San Antonio May 29, 1979, by Charles Harrelson. However, she testified that her husband had stalked into the house after a hearing with the judge and vowed, ''I'm going to kill him.''. A place where needs are met, dreams are fostered and hope abounds. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. How Florence ButtNot Her SonLaunched the H-E-B Empire. It was just incredible, said Millsap, the former district attorney. The defendants were charged under Federal statutes governing the killing of a Federal employee. But as his lawyer, Harrelson reasoned, anything Joe discovered about Woods murder would have to be kept confidential because of attorney-client privilege. At trial, the Jahns put on a parade of star witnesses that included Harrelsons cellmate and Joe Chagra, both of whom had been told by Harrelson that he carried out the hit. On the morning of May 29, 1979, Judge Wood, 63, was slain in the driveway of his town house in San Antonio, struck in the back by a bullet from a high-powered rifle. On Express-News.com: Judge Sarah Garrahan-Moulder, who helped prosecute hit man Charles Harrelson in San Antonio, dies at 84. When Chagras former drug-smuggling partner Henry Wallace turned and became a witness, the charges against Chagra were increased and he faced the prospect of life in prison without parole. An appeal was expected. Jamiel Chagra was acquitted of murder and conspiracy to murder but convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and conspiracy to possess marijuana; he was later convicted of tax evasion. Woody Harrelson's dad Charles Voyde Harrelson was a career criminal who died in prison while serving two life sentences for murdering a judge in a contract Consequently, they got a bunch of bad stories, a bunch of bad information.. Years later, the trial of Charles V. Harrelson revealed that Bill Bannister was a pseudonym Harrelson used to help track the judge, who was shot in the back outside his Alamo Heights townhome less than 2 miles from the motel as he was leaving for work. In his testimony over more than five days on the witness stand, Mr. Harrelson said he had gone to lure Jamiel Chagra into a crooked card game. In her 2022 memoir Thursday, May 28: Oscars Case of the Century: The Life and Crimes of Jimmy Chagra Courtroom Conversations, Acquitted of hiring actor Woody Harrelsons dad to murder Judge Maximum John Wood, Got off on a once-in-a-lifetime miracle defense by attorney Oscar Goodman, Spearheaded one of the biggest drug-smuggling rings in the country, Bet millions and tipped big, a Las Vegas high roller, Had links to New Englands Patriarca crime family, Lived a life surrounded by mobsters, murder, career criminals and conspiracies, Journalist Jack Sheehan, who interviewed Chagra extensively, Moderator Geoff Schumacher, director of content at The Mob Museum. A lot of the early investigation went off on some tangents, and they rounded up some Bandidos, lawyer Campion said. Woody Harrelsons Dad: What To Know About His Hitman Father, 'Mrs. See the article in its original context from. ", receiving assistance and guidance at Help Hub, "Being a partner of the Harrelson Center has allowed Soaring As Eagles to soar even higher than before. Mr. Harrelson also said that Mr. Kay had $135,000 to $150,000 delivered to him as part of the ''scam.'' At the end of the hearing, Jamiel turned to his brother and attorney, Joseph Chagra, and said he would never have a fair trial. After Monday's conviction, Sessions said he would be forced to postpone the March 18 sentencing in San Antonio of Mrs. Harrelson, her husband Charles and Mrs. Chagra for the earlier convictions. Judge Wood, known as "maximum John" because of the heavy sentences he had imposed on drug dealers, had presided over the pretrial hearing of Jamiel Chagra, denying 20 defense motions. Great American Trials. He enjoyed a high-rolling lifestyle at Caesars Palace and Binions Horseshoe but he was not a very good gambler. It killed U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. the first federal judge to be assassinated in the country. Tips poured in. Encyclopedia.com. He was serving a 30-year sentence there that he received on the drug charge that was to be tried before Judge Wood. A short time later, Joe was arrested and held without bail, as were Jo Ann Harrelson and Liz Chagra, Jimmys wife, who was heard on another wiretap talking about delivering the payoff money. CHAGRA: LIFE IN LAS VEGAS ANDMARIJUANA KINGPIN. Charles Harrelson was the last of the classic American hitman. Goodman made a six-hour final argument without a break. In the 1970s, Jimmy Chagra was the marijuana kingpin of the Western world. Talented With Cards. Jimmy's trial was scheduled to begin on the day the judge died. Jo Ann Harrelson was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice. It was a tragedy., She couldnt speak to Jimmy Chagras crimes or conduct, saying, we werent close.. Almost immediately, investigators turned to Mr. Chagra's plush law offices. The case has prompted Mrs. Harrelson to attempt suicide and caused her to temporarily disown her two daughters for having affairs with Harrelson during their marriage. Joseph Chagra refused to testify against his own brother Jamiel (Jimmy), however. Wood died in 1979 when he was assassinated by Charles Harrelson. Because he was a model prisoner Joe ended up spending only six and a half years behind bars. But do note that it is not possible to be certain of a person's genealogy without a family's cooperation (and/or DNA testing). When the murder trial got underway in San Antonio, in exchange for a guilty plea to commit conspiracy to murder and a sentence of 10 years, Joseph Chagra testified against Harrelson, who he claimed was the hit man. See the article in its original context from. 'She has reached a point where the evidence is up to her ears and she's floundering in it. ", Cindy Moore,Quality Services Director, GHA Autism Supports, "The Center has been such a big part of our growth and development providing us with a solid home base and a network of valuable partners.". U.S. District Judge William Sessions did not schedule sentencing for Mrs. Harrelson, who was to be returned today to the Federal Correctional Institute in Fort Worth, Texas. Charles Harrelson's son, the actor Woody Harrelson, later supported a motion for a retrial, based on both the inadequacy of the original defense and the federal government's methods of gathering evidence.
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