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The Wages of Sincerity
Those who worry about the flood of illegal immigrants can take comfort in the story of Pedro Zapeta. U. S. Customs is on the job.
Zapeta came here from Guatemala, worked as a dishwasher for 11 years and lived frugally to make enough money to buy land in his mountain village and build a home for his mother and sisters. He was not educated enough to send money home or put it into a bank.
He saved $59,000 in cash, stuffed it into a duffel bag and went to the Ft. Lauderdale terminal for a flight home. When Customs officials asked how much money he had, Zapeta showed them the duffel bag. They seized it.
That was two years ago. Ever since, his volunteer lawyers have been trying to prove he was not a drug courier by providing pay stubs for his $5.50 an hour job. Customs officials had turned him over to the I.N.S., which initiated proceedings to deport the man who had been trying to leave the country.
When the story went public, well-wishers donated $10,000 to Zapeta’s cause, but the I.R.S. stepped in to claim taxes on all of his money.
His attorneys say federal prosecutors offered a deal: Zapeta could take $10,000 of the original cash, and $9,000 in donations as long as he didn’t talk publicly and left the country immediately. He said no.
This week, a judge signed an order allowing him to work legally in the U. S. temporarily until his tax problems are sorted out. Would Lou Dobbs call that amnesty?
Cross-posted from my blog.
6 Responses to “The Wages of Sincerity”
The good news is, I guess, that this case got publicized.
The rational news is that the question of taxes will be settled according to law, or at least we can hope so.
Everything else is just plain crazy.
That it’s been over two years is already a travesty of justice.
That a deal was offered based on the man’s NOT TALKING ABOUT IT smells to high heaven.
This should be coupled with the story of the Iraq war widow who came close to being deported.
I’m of the opinion that the law should be obeyed.
When the law empowers stupid and vindictive actions by officials, however, I call for reasonable people to intercede. There should be reasonable people representing the law!
If anyone disagrees with this ruling, which I think is unfair, unjust, and immoral, they should let the judge know what they think. They should hold him accountable.
After a quick google search, this is the phone number to his office. You can leave him a voice mail by dialing:
1-954-769-5490
and then pressing 6
Let him now how you feel.
Its no wonder then that the US government took up with bandit chief al-Rishawi. Birds of a feather do flock together.
I’m ignoring the lefty whining and bashing of Dobbs and noting the real problem here is continued Drug War “civil asset forfeiture” confiscation procedures.
LOL – I’m in almost complete agreement with DLS. The “civil asset forfeiture” is anything but civil. It’s become a cash cow for the government, with drug kingpins going free, just like the drug mules being “victims” of laws meant to capture the kingpins. What about the employers of this “illegal”, did they claim him to the government for tax purposes?
“What about the employers of this “illegalâ€, did they claim him to the government for tax purposes?”
That’s how absurd this whole argument has become.
There is guiding principle in law, in law enforcemtn or in poitics other than to punish the weakest link.