You ought to pay me fifteen hundred dollars an hour to entertain customers. On November 21, 1978, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kerr was ambushed and shot at near his home by two men who fired 19 bullets at his car. Florida Police Officer Treated After Being Exposed To Fentanyl During Stop, Youth Pot Abuse Jumps By 245% In Two Decades: Researchers, 'Cocaine' Cassie debuts new tattoo sleeve in racy photo as glamorous drug smuggler sets return to Australia. Catherine figures she was 10 when her dad went to prison. Leave them blank to get signed up. And yet federal agents still had no proof: for all the loose talk, there was not a shred of hard evidence that Lee had committed any crime. Stricklin looked at the copy of the law for a few seconds, then returned it to the agents. That night as he was dressing, Lee announced intentions to change his luck. Shortly after the Ardmore trial, DEA agents visited Jack Stricklin at La Tuna federal correctional institution, where he was doing time for a drug rap Lee hadnt been able to get him out of. Lee, the man was saying, Im not gonna say this againno more credit!. Well, I didnt know about it, Lee said, dumbstruck. The casino was almost deserted. [12] Their family name was historically "Bushaada", but Jimmy's grandfather changed it. 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. His staff had completed the move while he was in Tucson, and in the morning he would officially take possession: it would be his first day there and, as fate decreed, his last. Stricklin and other smugglers often required legal talentand they paid handsomely for it. Lets go downstairs and give them one they can write home about. Clark said he would dress and meet Lee in the casino. Curiously, this kind of heavy action seemed to bring out the best in Jimmy and the worst in Lee. The idea originated with a friend of his, a highly decorated former Army helicopter pilot who was rumored to have Mafia connections, and with Jack Stricklin, who provided most of the technical expertise. Fortunately the glass was shatter-proof. It was four years before we lost a case.. Now it was the judge who was having difficulty. He sat next to a lawyer who worked for one of El Pasos established firms in one of the high-rise glass towers that dominate the downtown district. For six years now shed been divorced from Jimmy and nothing much had changed. The fifty-page text of the interview was used as supplemental material by a grand jury investigating a tax fraud, but it was never given the slightest weight as courtroom evidence. The real show was on the casino floor in special sections roped off for the Chagras. Theres a client buzzing at the door. Jo Annie tried to picture the man who had called that morning waiting outside. Things really fell apart when Jimmy was arrested on trafficking charges. Lee never forgot or forgave. Her mom and sisters left witness protection and moved to Buda to be near Bastrop, where her father was being held. He was living in a trailer camp in Mesa, Arizona. Chagra could win or lose more in a single session at a Vegas crap table than Kerr made in a year. The door was partially open, but the office appeared empty. Jo Annie was talking about divorce; she and Lee got as far as the courthouse steps before one or both backed out. 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. 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. He was arrested without incident in front of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, his second home, where, according to Catherine, hed gone to seek facial reconstructive surgery. Later, Jo Annie gave him an ebony cane with a gold satyrs-head handle. They wanted information on the real kingpin of dope trafficking in El Paso. Death came in Mesa, Ariz., on July 25, 2008. I think he was sad about what he did to his kids. "[8], Jamiel Chagra, known as Jimmy, was born in El Paso, Texas on December 7, 1944. He walked upstairs to his own office. That was it, Lees ultimate humiliation. Push a button and curtains would reveal a huge projector TV. Everyone had assumed theyd made loveLee made a point of keeping her in his office long enough, then he flushed the toilet and gave her the money. Lee turned the channel selector to the camera over the alley entrance. While it was being renovated, he occupied an office in a building on Montana owned by another lawyer friend, Mickey Esper, who was related to Jo Annie. By the time the jury began its deliberation, it was obvious that the best the prosecution could expect was a tie. Whatever Jo Annie was thinking, she wouldnt say anything. Knewz is a registered trademark. A further indignation: The witness protection program first exiled them to Omaha, Neb. All things considered, 1978 has probably been the worst year of Lee Chagras life. He was wearing his boots and jeans and enough jewelry to sink a deep-sea diver. An inextricable connection, whether emotional or physical or both, would continue between Lee and Vivian long after Vivian and Jimmy were married, Catherine would later learn. Technically and legally, the unsworn interview shouldnt even have been a part of the grand jury report. Emily McCullar is a senior editor covering pop culture, news, and Texas history. The feds could never prove he had any part in the operation or even that he knew about it in advance, though he probably did. But the feds real ace in the hole was Jimmy and his partner, Henry Wallace. 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. The complex included not only a maze of well-appointed offices but also a fully equipped kitchen, a law library, and completely furnished two-bedroom suite. Lee gave Jack Stricklin, now out of prison, $1000 and passed out lesser amounts to other old friends. Lee concurred and told other members of the family that Jimmy was dead broke and needed their help. In less than fifteen minutes, he won $90,000. Hed brought corsages for all the women on the staff. Lee handed out $200 in tips before they got to the suite. The staff knew the ritual, but no one knew for sure what went on behind the closed door. This morning Jo Annie had another surprise, a block of tickets to the afternoons Sun Bowl football game between Texas and Maryland. Then, in a fashion that was typical of his relationship with Lee, Jimmy decided to take it one step farther. He got 30 years. He decided on James Kerr, one of the assistant U.S. attorneys he had inherited from the Republican regime. Lee couldnt hold a grudge, but Jimmy was the kind who would get you by the balls and never let go, said Jimmy Salome, a longtime family friend. This is a fascinating story written by Jimmy Chagra's daughter. Catherine writes her story and tells what she and her family went through as the daughter of one of the biggest drug smugglers in the 1970s. It's a great read and helps you understand what a child of a person incarcerated goes through. By setting up the corporation for Jimmy, Lee had, for the first time, made himself vulnerable. Offers may be subject to change without notice. He was widely believed to have been placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program. A grand jury in Nashville had indicted Chagra and forty others on a charge of conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana. 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. A third, Cynthia Jones Chagra, lives in Austin. Unlike many casinos, the Aladdin allowed a player to lay double odds; thus it was possible to win or lose twice as fast. Lee sparkled like a kid with a new toy as he showed Donna and Sandy where the various safes were concealed. All shed ever had was a future somewhat less than promising. Chagra's third wife, Elizabeth, was found guilty of delivering $250,000 to Charles Harrelson to kill Wood. He began taping most of his telephone conversations and collecting every scrap of evidence that even hinted of government malfeasance. Before the case could be brought to trial, however, Jimmy eclipsed his brother in the headlines with a new and even more spectacular exploit. The first thing he noticed was his filing cabinet. 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. On May 29, 1979, the day that Jimmy was originally supposed to go on trial in Judge Woods court, John Wood was assassinated in the driveway outside his apartment. Through it all, he had somehow clung to the central fact in his life: Lee Chagra was a topflight criminal attorney. As one of the daughters answered the phone, Yoseph saw Lees body. The agent had wormed his way into the confidence of one of Lees protgs, a singer and part-time actor named Joe Renteria who was hot to start his own smuggling ring. First, he made at least a dozen telephone calls. Boyd had never been regarded as a crusader, but one exception was his views on gamblinghe hated gamblers. After two days the jury reported itself hopelessly deadlocked, eight to four for acquittal. I though maybe I was the Jonah, he said. Jimmy, on the other hand, had a true gamblers instinct, a fatalistic kill-or-be-killed attitude. State senator Tati Santiesteban, who had known Lee Chagra most of his life, led the procession of pallbearers. Kerr thought Chagra was vulgar and common, and Chagra enjoyed enhancing this image by slipping up behind Kerr and whispering things that made the prosecutor blush. Jimmy Chagra, in another conversation recorded in prison and later transcribed, would not go quite as far, although he further muddied the waters. It was only in 1970, after Senator John Tower and other ranking members of the Republican Party in Texas made personal pleas, that the staunch Republican lawyer agreed to accept a federal judgeship for the Western District of Texas. Again, Lee sounded as though he had something else on his mind. A.I think now its a separate dealIm not sure. Jo Annie, Lees boyhood sweetheart and the wife who had seen him through law school and nineteen years of an emotionally charged marriage, met him at the airport. I didnt trust Arabs. The law was wide open to interpretationtailor-made for a crusading lawman like James Kerr. All rights reserved. Is there any secret about that?. Its from some friends in Vegas, he said, handing Vivian the card. [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. He seemed burned out, used up, and he was hitting the cocaine pretty hard. Lees finances were in shambles, but he still had plenty of credit in Las Vegas. When an average high-stakes player sits down at one of the seven places around a blackjack table, his limit might be as high as $1000 a hand. I cant practice in front of you, and I dont think you can honestly say that you can treat me or my client fairly in any court, Chagra told Wood. This was among over a thousand recorded conversations that the government had collected as evidence. A black banner was stretched across the entire front of the building. Before Yoseph could think of an answer, Lee asked another question: What would you do if you came in and found Id been murdered?, This preoccupation wasnt totally without foundation. Please feel free to use any other table in the casino. Like so many sheep, the nickel-and-dime players started backing away. There was no way to count the number of ex-lovers who crowded the cathedral to say their last farewell, but they were discreetly scattered and only occasionally exchanged glances. Loaves of Syrian bread were baking in the kitchen. Goodman is one of the nations best criminal defense attorneys and was named one of the 15 Best Trial Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal. The sisters today say that if Lee Chagra had not been killed, Wood would not have been, either. The lawyer mentioned that he sometimes looked down at the office complex that Lee was remodeling and experienced pangs of envy. Its David Long, the first man said. [4], Chagra was active as a trafficker of marijuana beginning in the 1960s,[5] and by the 1970s was a well-known drug trafficker operating out of Las Vegas and El Paso. Lee seemed restless and preoccupied, as though he were late for an appointment and couldnt wait for Jo Annie to leave. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. Shortly after noon the next day, Lee telephoned and said: Ninety thousand is nothing for a stepper. 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