Time (October 25, 1982). Jo Ann Harrelson Family Tree & History, Ancestry & Genealogy Jimmy Carters Peanut-and-Egg Taco Made Quite the Impression on San Antonians. ", Emilie Hart, Regional Director for the Cape Fear Chapter of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Raleigh, "As other partners joined the Center, CIS was able to connect our families to more resources. Federal District Judge William S. Sessions, who was a pallbearer at the slain judge's funeral and who, as chief judge in the district, appointed himself to preside in the case, said he would impose a sentence March 8, after the trial of Jamiel Chagra in Florida. Charles Harrelson & Jo Ann Harrelson Divorced, Joint Family Tree According to the F.B.I. They also argued, unsuccessfully, that incriminating recorded conversations should not have been allowed because they were covered by attorney-client privilege or by spousal privilege. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? He was serving a 30-year sentence there that he received on the drug charge that was to be tried before Judge Wood. He told Joe about the contract and drew a map showing where he had hidden the murder rifle. Joes testimony put Harrelson in prison for life; ironically, in his separate trial, Jimmy was acquitted, thanks largely to Joes unwillingness to testify against him. 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! On another visit Jimmy told Joe, Youre the one who said, Do it, do it, do it. Joe tried to conceal his shock by talking tough, saying he never thought his brother would hire an asshole like Harrelson. The pressure (to solve the murder) was on us, Ray Jahn said. Charles Manson Trial: 1970-71 Woody Harrelson is a beloved actor, but he has a troublesome legacy. See FameChain's massive Trump family tree. 1985) Annotate this Case US Court of Appeals for the Judge Wood, known as ''Maximum John'' because of the sentences he had given drug dealers, set May 29, 1979, as the day the trial was to begin. UNITED STATES v. HARRELSO | 705 F.2d 733 (1983) - Leagle Drug Dealer's Wife Is Guilty. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. ", Louise Hicks, Executive Director, Community In Schools of Cape Fear, "We are grateful for the resources and partners the Harrelson Center has introduced to us. . And, indeed, Joe found out who shot Judge Woodand who hired himduring an attorney-client interview he conducted with Harrelson after his arrest at the Harris County jail. The Center works with its partners to meet the needs of the community in areas such as safe and affordable housing, education, employment, health care and family support. Joseph Chagra, 50, Lawyer Linked to Assassination, Dies This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Mr. Harrelson also said that Mr. Kay had $135,000 to $150,000 delivered to him as part of the ''scam.'' 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. 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.". Middle brother Jimmy, the proverbial bad penny, used Joe as a wedge against Lee in a sibling rivalry that consumed both brothers and eventually the entire family, and as the unwitting liaison in his drug operations. Mrs. Harrelson, who had said she was '99 percent sure' she would be jailed Monday, is the wife of convicted hit man Charles V. Harrelson, who is imprisoned in Houston on state charges. Once he paid off a cocktail waitress $50,000 mortgage when he heard she was raising three kids on her own. He also agreed to testify against all co-defendants except his brother. You cant imagine the shock when Jimmy Chagra was acquitted.. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. 10- 6-1982 (L-R ) Leroy Jahn and Ray Jahn prosecutors in trial for muder of John H. Wood Jr. San Antonio Express-News file photo, JOSE BARRERA, STAFF / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. Murder is perhaps the single most serious criminal offense. His son, Joseph Jr., said Mr. Chagra's death was caused by injuries from an automobile accident on Dec. 6 that also killed two passengers. Charles Campion, the attorney for Mrs. Harrelson, did not say whether she would appeal. The Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center Inc. is a North In her 2022 memoir The first giraffe in San Antonio was part of a traveling circus that stopped here in 1901. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. Without his brother's testimony, Jamiel was acquitted of conspiracy to murder charges. Good Fella Texas Monthly Wood died in 1979 when he was assassinated by Charles Harrelson. The real shock, however, was yet to come: The FBI was bugging Harrelsons celland also the visitors room at Leavenworth, where Joe was routinely subjected to Jimmys abuse. As each juror affirmed the vote of guilty on counts of conspiracy to murder, murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice, several had tears in their eyes and one woman shook visibly and broke into sobs. In 1995, he appeared as himself in the movie, Casino.. Russian defense minister visits front lines as Ukraine's hold on Bakhmut slips. Depen, Chicago Mobsters Convicted of Decades-Old Murders Woody Harrelson funded his fathers appeals, enlisting the aid of controversial Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. In the letter, Elizabeth relayed conversations about plans to kill Wood and told of her own delivery of the payoff money to Las Vegas. ", & Dr. He was sentenced to two life sentences. Governor of Philippine province, 5 others killed in gun attack. On Express-News.com: Judge Sarah Garrahan-Moulder, who helped prosecute hit man Charles Harrelson in San Antonio, dies at 84. Charles and Jo Ann Harrelson and Liz Chagra were convicted at trial. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. At one point in a rambling dialogue, Jimmy warned Joe that he was up to his neck in the murder plot. 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. United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Jo Ann Harrelson Harrelson reported back that Wood could not be corrupted but had to be killed. ''O.K., honey,'' Mrs. Chagra said she replied. Jimmy's trial was scheduled to begin on the day the judge died. Jo Ann, convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice and perjury, was later paroled. Mrs. Chagra was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Oscar Goodman and Joe Chagra were Jimmys attorneys. 3 ARE FOUND GUILTY IN ASSASSINATION OF FEDERAL JUDGE, https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/15/us/3-are-found-guilty-in-assassination-of-federal-judge.html. Woody Harrelsons father is arrested for murder - HISTORY Joseph Chagra, a Texas lawyer who admitted his complicity in the first assassination of a Federal judge in more than a century, died last Sunday in Thomason Hospital in El Paso. Former U.S. serviceman sentenced to 45 years for planning attack on fellow soldiers. Suspected burglar inside New Brunswick home was a panicked deer. But in the interviews, Chagra described himself as a megalomaniac.. 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. By the time the trial came around in 1983, Jimmy Chagras case had been severed from his co-defendants and Joe Chagra had taken a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to murder Wood. However, there was no physical evidence and investigators had to rely on circumstantial evidence and informants. In addition to the testimony of Joseph Chagra, the government had evidence drawn from more than 1,000 recorded telephone and face-to-face conversations, most of them involving Jamiel Chagra in various prisons. The map led the feds to learn that the murder weapon had been purchased by Harrelsons wife, Jo Ann. Elizabeth Chagra: 30 years for conspiracy to murder, two concurrent five year sentences for obstruction of justice and tax evasion. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. Woody Harrelson's dad was hitman who murdered judge and If I'm not the expert in one area, I know already that somebody is within the Harrelson Center. Through these collaborations, we have been able to extend our reach to help more families in our local community. I mean I had so much money, so much power, Chagra said. Editor's note: This story originally published in a 2017 series honoring the 300th anniversary of San Antonio.A man named Bill Bannister registered at the Town House motel on Loop 410 on Memorial Day 1979. But it also spotlighted allegations that federal investigators and prosecutors treaded on constitutional rights such as attorney-client and marital privilege and the secret recording of private conversations. 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. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. He was a cheat, he was a con man and he was a murderer. Liz got a 30-year sentence. Jo Ann Harrelson: guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice, perjury. WebTo provide a humanitarian services campus of nonprofit organizations that offer hope, opportunity, and empowerment. He was very good at what he did, Ray Jahn said. Without Joe Chagras testimony, Jimmy Chagra was acquitted of murder and conspiracy to murder but convicted of lesser obstruction of justice and drug charges. 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. Charles Harrelson, arrives at the U.S. Jamiel Chagra: 15 years and $120,000 fine. But his wife was not released and died of ovarian cancer at age 41. Jo Ann had purchased the rifle under a false name, Mrs. "Fay King." The collaborations and friendships are blessings to me and to our organization. Mr. Chagra was one of three sons of a Lebanese rug merchant who had emigrated from Mexico to El Paso. They shook down everybody in South Texas.. Mrs. Harrelson, 42, a small, blond woman who was once a known 'card counter' at Las Vegas blackjack tables, collapsed moments after hearing the verdict Monday. Great American Trials. Sessions gave Chagra 30 years on the drug charges, and he was sent to Leavenworth. 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. Having these additional resources in the same building for our families, as well as having the support of the Harrelson Center staff allows us to continue to ease the transitions of our local foster children. A lot of the early investigation went off on some tangents, and they rounded up some Bandidos, lawyer Campion said. Elizabeth Chagra: guilty of conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to obstruct justice, tax evasion, conspiracy conviction overturned February 15, 1985, on appealSentences: Charles Harrelson: two life sentences plus five years. On the basis of the wiretaps, the FBI searched Joes home, turning up not only his private stash of drugs but also the map Harrelson had given him. Charles got double life sentences. Warren Burnett, the attorney for Mrs. Chagra, expressed ''bitter, bitter disappointment'' and said he would also appeal the verdict. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. When the government offered to try Jimmy separately in its desperation to nail Harrelson, Joe found himself in a predicament. 'Justice Did Not Die'. Thats not the problem I have, Ray Jahn quoted Jimmy Chagra as telling Harrelson. But they would have had leaves on them at the time of the murder, rendering the witness testimony not credible. Harrelson was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years, while Jo Ann Harrelson got a combined 25 years for obstruction of justice. 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. Find out more about his hitman father, Charles Harrelson, here. Anyone can read what you share. Should you have information that conflicts with anything shown please make us aware by email. Harrelson argued that Kay's wife had purchased a Weatherby hunting rifle of the type used to kill the judge some 12 days before the killing.
