PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A Rhode Island man serving a 660-year prison sentence for laundering money for a Colombian drug cartel wants the federal government to give back millions of dollar’s worth of gold bars, jewelry and cash it had seized during his arrest in 1991.
The Providence Journal reports Stephen Saccoccia and his wife, Donna are challenging the federal order that forced them to pay nearly $140 million for their crimes.
Stephen Saccoccia argues he legally obtained certain assets the government seized to pay back the debt, including dozens of gold bars buried in the couple’s backyard and valuables stowed in safe deposit boxes in Europe.
Saccoccia is now 60 years old. His release from prison would be in 2567. Donna Saccoccia was sentenced to 14 years and was released in 2004.
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Information from: The Providence Journal, http://www.providencejournal.com
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