Will Cameron Douglas Do More Prison Time Than Colombia's Top Drug Kingpin?
I recently wrote a blog about Cameron Douglas who now because of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) and their hype has caused the media to see Cameron as a major drug dealer. I believe Douglas is a small time player who dealt meth because of his drug habit. If all goes as planned by the DEA Cameron will be facing multiple counts that will give him at least a mandatory life sentence under federal guidelines if convicted. The Associated Press just released information that a major drug kingpin Diego "Don Diego" Montoya, reputed boss of Colombia's notorious North Valley cocaine cartel who was once on the FBI's most wanted list, is set to plead guilty next week to U.S. drug charges. Montoya's attorney, William Clay, confirmed that his client will submit "guilty pleas to certain charges" but declined to elaborate. The extradition treaty between the U.S. and Colombia prohibits any life sentence from being imposed on Montoya, 58.
So, in reality we have Cameron Douglas a known drug addict who is facing a life sentence under the federal sentencing guidelines and a real drug kingpin who has caused death and destruction facing a lesser sentence. Colombian authorities blamed Diego Montoya for some 1,500 killings in his career as a drug trafficker. It sounds crazy but it might happen!
Is this fair? I think not. What do you think?
Should a non-violent drug offender get life in prison while a notorious drug kingpin does not?
Because of the war on drugs, which mandates mandatory minimum sentencing, average drug offenders are routinely elevated to kingpin status and condemned to serve out long prison sentences that should be reserved only for actual drug kingpins, not individuals that are fabricated to that level. It's time to end these draconian laws and implement a sentencing structure that promotes fairness and justice.
Follow Anthony Papa on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnthonyPapa
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Our current judicial system is not based on justice, it is based on revenue. Since Mr. Douglas' assets are readily identifiable and available, they will milk him for every penny that he is worth.
Let's face it, since they are unwilling to go after the real detriments to society (the criminals on Wall Street and the denizens on K Street), he is an easy revenue source since there is essentially nobody left to milk.
I agree. An AP story came out today that confirms what I said about Cameron Douglas could be facing more time than Diego Montoya the Colombian drug kingpin which the prosection calls a milestone!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090811/ap_on_re_us/us_cocaine_kingpin
by Jessica Gresko
August 11, 2009 Tuesday Colombian drug kingpin pleads guilty in Fla.
The boss of a Colombian cocaine cartel that smuggled some $10 billion worth of cocaine into the U.S. pleaded guilty Tuesday to drug charges that will send him to prison for at least 10 years.
Diego "Don Diego" Montoya Sanchez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine, racketeering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The charges carry a minimum 10 year sentence, but prosecutors will recommend he spend 45 years in prison.
As part of a deal, prosecutors consolidated indictments in Miami and Washington and Montoya pleaded guilty to three of the 15 charges he faced.
According to authorities, the North Valley cocaine cartel Montoya headed was responsible for exporting more than 1.2 million pounds of cocaine into the United States from 1990 to 2004. At one point Montoya was on the FBI's most wanted list, and Colombian authorities blame him for some 1,500 drug-related killings.
"I recently wrote a blog about Cameron Douglas who now because of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) and their hype has caused the media to see Cameron as a major drug dealer. I believe Douglas is a small time player who dealt meth because of his drug habit. If all goes as planned by the DEA Cameron will be facing multiple counts that will give him at least a mandatory life sentence under federal guidelines if convicted."
Mr. Papa must be joking.
His blog suggested Cameron Douglas be given "treatment" in lieu of punishment despeite the fact that Douglas is not a first time offender as a user, and not a first time offender as a "possessor with intent to sell." The prior charges were for powder cocaine. This time it is for crystal meth.
But Papa loses all credibility when he claims the DEA and their "hype" -- hype by the way that includes the DEA releasing summaries of several drug deals over the course of 2 or 3 YEARS, with transactions that include sums like $48,000 for one deliver, nicknames like "bath salts" and "pastries" for his illegal goods. And Mr. Papa wants to blame the media for portraying a movie star's drug dealing son as a ........................... drug dealer? And it's unfair if HE gets the federally mandated sentence for the crime IF (and I personally hope WHEN) he is convicted?
WTF? "Is this fair? I think not. What do you think?" Damn straight it's fair.
Should be "despite" and "one delivery"
A three year investigation for what? To capture someone who is an addict. How much of your tax dollars went into this big capture? This is the joke and it's on you and all Americans that pay taxes. The DEA needs to capture real kingpins instead of creating them through hype.
Sorry, but I have no sympathy for Cameron Douglas. The DEA didn't hype his case. One would think $48,000 of meth would fetch a great deal more "on the street". But worse, for someone who claims to be so concerned about treatment for addicts., you completely turn a blind eye to the people Douglas either directly or indirectly hooked on meth (and other drugs) and the damage caused by that drug dealing.
Cameron Douglas -- who convinced his girlfriend to smuggle some heroin to him in a courtroom after getting house arrest (talk about preferential treatment) resulting in her getting busted is a prime example -- is just as bad as your Colombian drug king. Douglas is just as responsible for death and destruction -- he just did it with fancy Beverly Hills and Park Avenue addresses.
Your argument that he deserves special treatment just doesn't hold water. Two final words: Riker's Island.
We have to end this failed "War on (some) Drugs" and the draconian punishments it entails.
The author of this article if I understand it correctly is against the son of a rich American
citizen going to jail for a longer time than some one else.
Anthony Papa needs to go to a Federal Prison and see who is there and what their sentence is. There
are many young men in prison for the exact same thing Cameron Douglas did. Many have life sentences.
America imprisons more of our citizens than any country in the world. The last I read was
1 person for every 138 people. So next time your are in a crowd of people look around see how few that is.
Some seem to be happy with this as it is mostly the poor who have no money to pay a lawyer
so therefore they get the bigger sentences so the political people can say 'see I put them away'.
I will be watching to see how this case turns out. Many of you are thinking of a revolution for
health reform but many of us are thinking revolution for prison reform.
No, you have it wrong. I am against anyone who is convicted of a drug crime elevated to a kingpin status so the government can impose a draconian sentence . This includes rich , poor, black or white or anyone else. I was in a state prison for 12 years where I saw men convicted to life sentences for the sales small amounts of drugs. You need to read my book "15 To Life". This gives me the credibility and standing to make this statement.
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