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Willy Falcon
Born
Augusto Guillermo Falcón

(1955-09-01) September 1, 1955 (age 69)
Cuba
Known forCuban drug kingpin who ran South Florida from 1970s to 1990s.
Criminal statusReleased
Conviction(s)Illegal possession of a firearm (1997)
Money laundering (2003)
Criminal penalty14 years imprisonment
Accomplice(s)Sal Magluta

Augusto Guillermo "Willy" Falcon (born September 1, 1955) is a former drug kingpin who, along with his partner Sal Magluta, operated one of the most significant cocaine trafficking organizations in South Florida history.

Biography

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Speedboat racing

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Falcon was a speedboat racing champion in the 1980s.[1]

1996 trial

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Magluta, along with his partner, Falcon was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 1991 for a plethora of drug trafficking crimes, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise accused of importing and distributing over 75 tons of cocaine.[2][3] Falcon was represented by Albert Krieger, Susan Van Dusen, and D. Robert "Bobby" Wells.[4] His partner Magluta was represented by Roy Black, Martin Weinberg, and Richard Martinez (Magluta's brother in law).[2] Both Magluta and Falcon were found not guilty after a lengthy trial before Judge Federico Moreno.

Gun conviction

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In 1997 he was convicted for illegal possession of a firearm.[5]

Juror bribery

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Following the 1996 trial, the United States Attorney's Office directed an investigation into Magluta and Falcon's finances that ultimately revealed that members of their jury - including the jury foreman - had been bribed. Magluta, Falcon, several of the jurors, their associates and even some of their lawyers were ultimately charged with various criminal offenses arising from the conduct.[6][7]

Guilty plea and deportation

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In 2003 he pled guilty to a single count of money laundering in a plea deal with the government for a reduced 20-year sentence.[8] After his 2017 release he was transferred to ICE custody.[9] He was deported to the Dominican Republic, where he stayed for a short period of time, as the Dominican Republic authorities did not want his residence in the country. He was forced to flee the country and his whereabouts are currently unknown.[10]

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Falcon and his partner Magluta are the subjects of the 2021 documentary Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami.[11]

Rick Ross's single, Little Havana, released December 2, 2021, opens with an audio clip of Falcon.[12] In the clip, a character playing Falcon claims to have helped build Miami into the city it is today and expresses appreciation to Rick Ross for “keeping my name alive in your music”.

References

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  1. ^ "Willy & Sal, Episode 1: The Rise of Cocaine Cowboys Willy Falcon and Sal Magluta".
  2. ^ a b Dante Parra Herrera, Jose (August 21, 1999). "U.S. INDICTS 12 IN DRUG CASE". Sun Sentinel.
  3. ^ Strouse, Charles (February 14, 1996). "PROSECUTORS SAY MEN WERE KINGPINS; DEFENSE CLAIMS FRAME-UP". Sun Sentinel.
  4. ^ DeFede, Jim (14 December 1995). "The Best Defense Money Can Buy". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  5. ^ Glover, Scott (March 27, 1997). "GUN CONVICTION NAILS COKE CASE FIGURE". Sun Sentinel.
  6. ^ Holland, John (March 4, 2000). "BRIBED FOREMAN GETS 17 YEARS". Sun Sentinel.
  7. ^ W. O'Neill, Ann (January 15, 2004). "BRIBED JURORS GET 5 YEARS IN PRISON". Sun Sentinel.
  8. ^ O'Neill, Ann W. (June 17, 2003). "DRUG KINGPIN PLEADS GUILTY". Sun Sentinel.
  9. ^ "'Cocaine Cowboy' Augusto Falcon in ICE Custody After Release From Prison". NBC 6. June 19, 2017.
  10. ^ "Cocaine Cowboy Willie Falcon deported to Dominican Republic". Miami Herald. November 20, 2018.
  11. ^ Desta, Yohana (August 6, 2021). "Cocaine Cowboys: Inside the Wild Netflix Docuseries about Miami's Drug Trade". Vanity Fair.
  12. ^ Marie, Erika (December 3, 2021). "Rick Ross Delivers "Little Havana" Ft. Willie Falcon & The-Dream". Hot New Hip Hop.
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