She, in turn, claimed she thought the payoff was for a gambling debt, and did not believe her husband when he claimed, "This is for the judge.". Joseph testified as well against his own sister-in-law Elizabeth Chagra, and Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann. But as his lawyer, Harrelson reasoned, anything Joe discovered about Woods murder would have to be kept confidential because of attorney-client privilege. Because Joe was simultaneously representing Jimmy, who was serving thirty years without parole on a drug charge at the federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, Harrelson had to assume that sooner or later Joe would learn the truth. Jo Ann got a 25-year sentence. Chagra also was a prime suspect in the attempted murder of Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kerr of San Antonio. At one point in a rambling dialogue, Jimmy warned Joe that he was up to his neck in the murder plot. The Harrelson Center has provided us with affordable rent, a safe and comfortable space to host volunteers, board meetings and support groups, and a wonderful event space to host larger events. Elizabeth Chagra, the wife of Jamiel (Jimmy) Chagra, the drug dealer who is to be tried in a separate proceeding on charges of paying Mr. Harrelson $250,000 to murder the judge, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Texas Lege Watch: A House Republican Fights for Chicken Freedom, Texas Monthly Recognized by ASME in the 2023 National Magazine Awards. After 18 hours of deliberation, a Federal jury, several members in tears, found three defendants guilty today on six counts of planning, carrying out and trying to cover up the assassination of Federal District Judge John H. Wood Jr. After the collective verdicts were announced, each of the nine women and three men on the jury, which began deliberating Saturday, was polled individually on all six counts. According to newspaper stories citing trial testimony, a drug trafficker and flamboyant gambler originally from El Paso, Jamiel Jimmy Chagra, paid Harrelson $250,000 to kill Wood because Chagra feared a trial and sentencing by Maximum John. Wood earned the moniker for his reputation of giving tough sentences to drug traffickers. Harrelson was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years, while Jo Ann Harrelson got a combined 25 years for obstruction of justice. The government indicted Harrelson, the Chagra brothers, Jo Ann Harrelson and Jimmy Chagras wife, Elizabeth, who delivered the $250,000 payoff for Charles Harrelson. Mr. Harrelson said Mr. Kay borrowed the car some days before the killing, but that he had it back and was in Dallas on the day of the killing. U.S. District Judge John H. Wood was assassinated in San Antonio May 29, 1979, by Charles Harrelson. 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. He believed in the law. Jamiel Chagra's trial moved to Jacksonville, Florida. . Ive published three articles in this magazine about Wood and the Chagras, but Ive never written all I knowuntil now. It killed U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. the first federal judge to be assassinated in the country. Jo Ann Harrelson Father of Woody Harrelson and killer of federal judge John H. Wood Jr. Charles Voyde Harrelson Age 68 Born Saturday 23 Jul 1938 Died 15 Woody Harrelson's dad was hitman who murdered judge and Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. A few days later they returned a not-guilty verdict to the murder charge. Goodman made a six-hour final argument without a break. In a recent interview with the San Antonio Express-News, Joe Chagras widow, now known as Patty Chagra Russell, defended her husband, saying the prison recording showed that Jimmy Chagra was a bully toward her husband. 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Chip Gaines Bought Larry McMurtrys Historic Texas Bookstore. 3 ARE FOUND GUILTY IN ASSASSINATION OF FEDERAL JUDGE 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. Charles wife at the time, However, the date of retrieval is often important. Joe Chagra also testified that Jimmy Chagra later told him he had hired Harrelson to kill the judge and that Harrelson himself told Joe Chagra that he had carried out the hit, according to the newspaper stories. "Foster Pantry moved on campus in May 2021 after joining the Harrelson Center initially as an Associate Partner in 2019. Newsweek (June 22, 1981). The assassination came at the height of a Justice Department campaign to slow the flow of illicit drugs across the Mexican border. 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. At least two grand juries have investigated the slaying for more than two years, and U.S. Attorney General William Webster last March said indictments were near, but no charges have been levied in the case. The investigation cost more than $11 million, at the time the most extensive investigation in the bureaus history. I visited him several times, once with my wife, Phyllis. Woody Harrelson's assassin father dies in prison - chron.com He was sentenced to two life sentences. Harrelson, 69, died of a heart attack in March 2007 in a federal maximum-security prison in Colorado. Not wanting to put his family through a trial, Joe pleaded guilty to something he didnt do, Chagra Russell said. Just after Judge Wood was killed, Joseph Chagra, then 31, said the slaying was the worst thing that could have happened to his other brother, Jamiel, 32, who was known as Jimmy. He was very good at what he did, Ray Jahn said. Jo Ann Harrelson was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Jimmy Chagra, who was facing numerous narcotics charges, would become a suspect in the killing. https://www.encyclopedia.com/law/law-magazines/charles-harrelson-trial-1982-83, "Charles Harrelson Trial: 1982-83 Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. It was the day after (Memorial) Day, the day Chagras trial was to start, Ray Jahn said. The jury found Chagra guilty. A short time later, Joe was arrested and held without bail, as were Jo Ann March 4 (UPI) -- Roel Degamo, the governor of the Philippines province of Negros Oriental, was assassinated and five others also died Saturday in an attack by gunmen, officials said. Rob Condon, Executive Director, Young Scientists Academy, "We have been at the Harrelson Center for 3 years and it's been a dream come true! He spent more than 35 years defending some of the most notorious alleged Mob figures, including Meyer Lansky, Frank Rosenthal, Anthony Spilotro and Jimmy Chagra. ." Mr. Harrelson's wife, Jo Ann, was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice, the only charge against her in this case. The map led the feds to learn that the murder weapon had been purchased by Harrelsons wife, Jo Ann. Further, most of the evidence and testimony against Charles Harrelson had been gathered from prisoners who were offered reduced sentences in exchange for implicating Harrelson. He agreed to testify against Mr. Harrelson and pleaded guilty to conspiracy in return for a 10-year prison sentence and relief from having to testify against Jimmy. 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. Time (October 25, 1982). Charles Harrelson - Wikipedia 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. 3 children killed, 2 hospitalized in North Texas domestic incident, 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'True Romance' actor Tom Sizemore dead at 61, Dozens killed, injured as Jakarta fuel depot fire engulfs neighborhood, Syndicated show 'Rachael Ray' wrapping 17-season run, Migrant woman dies after U.S. Coast Guard stops vessel carrying 54. Though he was strung out on coke, Joe had by this point become the nominal head of the Chagra family, meaning it was his responsibility to visit Jimmy, who whined constantly and seemed to think the mess his life had become was Joes fault. Mr. Chagra returned to El Paso in 1988 from a Federal prison in Stafford, Ariz., where he had served six and a half years of a 10-year sentence for conspiracy. Eventually, the evidence pointed to Harrelson, in particular a taped conversation Chagra had with another brother who was a lawyer, Joe Chagra, in Leavenworth federal prison about the assassination. Woody Harrelson is a beloved actor, but he has a troublesome legacy. Charles Harrelson was born on July 23rd, 1938, in Lovelady, Texas, the son of Alma Lee (ne Sparks; 19072002) and Voyde Harrelson (19011976). Harrelson said that Kay had about $135,000 of the payoff money delivered to him by Elizabeth Chagra as part of the scam. Elizabeth Chagra was convicted of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. 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. Prosecutors said Mrs. Harrelson lied to FBI agents, to a grand jury and in her previous trial. And You Thought Feral Hogs Were Bad. Wood died in 1979 when he was assassinated by Charles Harrelson. 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. Goodman recognized the error of their plan when the trees in the scale model had no leaves on them. (Original Caption) A Federal jury found co-defendents Jo Ann Harrelson (L) and Elizabeth Chagra (R) guilty of charges Woody Harrelsons Dad: What To Know About His Hitman Father, (February 23, 2023). 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. 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 Chagras operation had links to the Patriarca crime family in New England. I know, of course, that on the witness stand Joe testified that he counseled his brother Jimmy to order the hit, and I know he did time in federal prison. 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.''. Explore how the celebrity world connects. Defendants: Charles Voyde Harrelson, Jo Ann Starr Harrelson, Elizabeth Chagra, Jamiel ChagraCrimes Charged: Charles Harrelson: conspiracy to murder; murder of a federal judge; conspiracy to obstruct justice. Joseph Chagra, 50, Lawyer Linked to Assassination, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/15/us/joseph-chagra-50-lawyer-linked-to-assassination-dies.html. 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. 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 government also taped other conversations, including some between Charles Harrelson and his attorney, and others between Joseph and Jamiel Chagra. They tortured her for no (reason). Joe was stunned. It was a David vs. Goliath battle. Great American Trials. Mr. Harrelson also said that a high-powered Weatherby hunting rifle, the kind the Government said killed the judge, purchased by his wife 12 days before the slaying, was actually given to Mr. Kay. I promised Samantha that I would write that Joe was a good father, and I know damn well he was. ', Jahn, who has spearheaded the prosecutions resulting from the Wood investigation, said, 'I'm a firm believer in the system and I'm in full agreement with the verdicts reached today.'. Jo Ann Harrelson was convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and later convicted of five counts of perjury. ", - Jim Everette, Harrelson Center Ex-Officio Board Member, We are all different parts, but part of the same body. March 3 (UPI) -- In a cost-saving move, retail giant Amazon announced Friday that it will delay construction on a planned second corporate headquarters dubbed "HQ2" in Arlington, Va. President Joe Biden thanks German chancellor for his nation's help in Ukraine. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Jimmy Chagras separate trial moved to Jacksonville, Florida. A place where needs are met, dreams are fostered and hope abounds. Mrs. Chagra was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. SIGNIFICANCE: Charles Harrelson was convicted for a hit-man killing of Judge John H. Wood, the only federal judge to be assassinated in the twentieth century. On May 29, 1979, Wood was shot dead in the parking lot outside his San Antonio townhouse. On March 4, 1933, Frances Perkins was sworn in as U.S. labor secretary, becoming the first female member of the Cabinet. Once he paid off a cocktail waitress $50,000 mortgage when he heard she was raising three kids on her own. But Mr. Jahn, the Federal prosecutor, said in his final argument Saturday, ''Charles Harrelson had three talents. SHREVEPORT, La. Liz got a 30-year sentence. Chagra made frequent trips to Las Vegas, arriving with suitcases stuffed with millions of dollars in cash. Then-FBI Director William Webster dispatched dozens of agents to San Antonio for a massive investigation that resulted in Harrelson and four others being charged in connection with Woods assassination a killing still etched in the citys lore. On Christmas Eve 1978, two thugs robbed Lees law office and killed him. The government has also won a conviction of Mrs. Harrelson for obstruction of justice and of Elizabeth Chagra, wife of another Las Vegas gambler, for conspiracy in the slaying. Charles Harrelson was the last of the classic American hitman. Jimmy Chagra was released from federal prison in 2003 and entered the witness-protection program. 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. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. 'She has reached a point where the evidence is up to her ears and she's floundering in it. Later, Chagra admitted to the judges murder and to the attempted murder of Kerr in an effort to free his wife from prison. Dozens killed, injured as Jakarta fuel depot fire engulfs neighborhood. SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- A convicted hit man's wife Monday won a first round in her battle with federal prosecutors who want her jailed for refusing to testify against her husband in the probe of the slaying of a federal judge. In death as in life, El Paso crime family scion Joe Chagra is getting a bad rap. But he had some luck when the prosecutors decided to put criminal Jerry Ray James on the stand to testify against Chagra. Less than a year before Judge Wood was slain, Lee Chagra, Joseph's older brother, who had defended numerous narcotics suspects in Judge Wood's court, was killed in his office by armed robbers. They said no. The trial grew out of one of the largest FBI investigations in history, taking three years and over $5 million. Our vision was to create a place that could put the charities together that were helping those who wanted to help themselves. He has also covered immigration, minority affairs and legal affairs as part of the projects team here and for other print, TV and radio outlets. On Express-News.com: Judge Sarah Garrahan-Moulder, who helped prosecute hit man Charles Harrelson in San Antonio, dies at 84. They pulled out all the stops. In a series of videotaped interviews after his release from prison, Chagra told Las Vegas author Jack Sheehan that his prosecution was the result of a beef Wood had against his older brother Lee. The Harrelson Center | Home Oscar Goodman and Joe Chagra were Jimmys attorneys. It was greed, the prosecution maintained, that had sent Mr. Harrelson, who had already spent 15 years in prison for killing a man for a $2,000 fee, to Las Vegas a month before, looking for Jamiel Chagra. In addition to his son and brother, Mr. Chagra is survived by his mother, Josephine, and two sisters, Samantha and Patsy. Bring on the Shiplap. In the letter, Elizabeth relayed conversations about plans to kill Wood and told of her own delivery of the payoff money to Las Vegas. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. It's an amazing way to provide a warm handoff so that people have all of their needs served. SHREVEPORT, La. Can College Sports Get More Absurd Than SMU Joining the Pac-12? I work for a non-profit and it is encouraging to know when I refer clients to you that they will feel cared for and not judged. The feds indicted Jimmy Chagra, Charles Harrelson, Joe Chagra, Liz Chagra and Jo Ann Harrelson in the judges murder. Judge Woods 1979 slaying by Charles Harrelson was crime of the century, San Antonio Zoo has a long but spotty history with giraffes. Mr. Chagra was one of three sons of a Lebanese rug merchant who had emigrated from Mexico to El Paso. 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. But the Partner benefit with the greatest impact to us and our families is being within arms reach of so many other amazing nonprofits and the Harrelson Center team. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). ", Anne Best, Executive Director, Family Promise, The truest measure of love is revealed by how we respond to the needs of others. Woody Harrelsons father is arrested for murder - HISTORY Meanwhile, the drug trial was held before Woods replacement, U.S. District Judge William Sessions.
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