Jamiel Chagra
| Jamiel Chagra | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Jamiel Alexander Chagra December 7, 1944 El Paso, Texas, US |
| Died | July 25, 2008 (aged 63) Mesa, Arizona, US |
| Criminal charge | Drug trafficking |
| Criminal penalty | 30 years imprisonment |
| Criminal status | Released after serving 24 years |
| Spouse(s) | Lynda (Chagra) Madrid Grace Chagra (divorced) Elizabeth Chagra (deceased) |
| Children | Jimmy, Justin, Jackie, Cathy, Csilla, Christine |
| Parent(s) | Abdou Joseph Chagra Josephine Ayoub |
Jamiel ("Jimmy") Alexander Chagra (December 7, 1944 – July 25, 2008) was an American drug trafficker. He was implicated in the May 1979 assassination of United States District Judge John H. Wood Jr. in San Antonio, Texas.
Chagra was active as a trafficker in marijuana in the 1970s and at that time was one of the biggest drug traffickers operating out of Las Vegas and El Paso. According to one observer, he was "the undisputed marijuana kingpin of the Western world. He imported more high-grade ganja than anyone, tons at a time, planeload after planeload."
Jamiel Chagra, known as Jimmy, was born in El Paso, Texas. He had two brothers, Lee and Joseph, who were both attorneys specializing in the legal defense of drug smugglers, and a sister Patsy. Jimmy got into drug smuggling in 1969 and became one of the largest smugglers in the United States, trafficking drugs from Mexico and Colombia by plane and boat. He had dealings with the Patriarca crime family and Joseph Bonanno, the retired head of the Bonanno crime family. Chagra was also a heavy gambler in Las Vegas, Nevada and attracted large attention with his flamboyant ways.
Chagra's drug dealings came under close scrutiny by law enforcement and the judicial system. On November 21, 1978, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kerr was shot at near his home by two men who fired 19 bullets at his car. Kerr escaped with only minor glass cuts. Kerr had been pursuing Chagra for his drug dealings.
On December 23, 1978, Lee Chagra was shot and killed in his law office in El Paso. Lee had been involved with Jimmy in his drug smuggling and the killers took $450,000 that was owed to Joe Bonanno for a drug deal. A few months later, Lou Esper, a small-time drug dealer and acquaintance of Chagra, and two soldiers from Fort Bliss were charged with his murder.
Chagra's downfall began in February 1979 when he was arrested on trafficking charges. He was scheduled to appear before United States District Judge John Wood, a judge who had a reputation for giving out the maximum sentence allowed for drug-related crimes. Chagra faced a possible life sentence without parole if convicted and a law clerk of the late judge told Joe Chagra, Jamiel's brother and attorney, that Judge Wood intended to give Chagra life without parole. Chagra allegedly attempted to bribe Judge Wood for $10 million. Facing life for smuggling, Jimmy Chagra allegedly decided to have the judge killed.
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Wikipedia