As details continue to unfold in the case of conspiracy to commit wire fraud against former North Miami Mayor Lucie Tondreau, it appears that things don’t look too good for the home team.  Although the U.S. Attorney’s press release states that her co-defendant, Karl Oreste, faces a maximum sentence of up to thirty years, the most recently updated Miami Herald article states that “he agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in the hope of gaining a more lenient sentence” in the “3- to 5-year range.”

By “cooperate,” of course, the feds mean “throw Lucie under the bus.”

Did anybody not see this coming?

The minute the news broke that Oreste pled guilty, it was a given that he would sing.  If I’ve learned anything at all from watching hundreds of Law & Order reruns, it’s that whenever two or more people are arrested for a crime, one of them will eventually break down, confess, and rat on their buddies in exchange for a lesser sentence.  There really is no honor among thieves.  Even the most hardened of criminals have a breaking point when faced with a potentially decades-long stint in prison.

After I researched all the co-defendants in this case, it was pretty obvious (at least to me) that the ringleader of the group is Okechukwu Josiah Odunna, as his “resume” includes previous experience in committing mortgage fraud.  At one time, Odunna was an attorney and title agent, but that was before he was suspended for failing “to record at least 17 original deeds and 21 original mortgages, exposing a title insurance fund to more than $10 million in claims exposure.”  He has since been disbarred and then went MIA while the other three defendants in this current case were being indicted.  Odunna is now “considered a fugitive,” according to the Herald.

Even if Karl Oreste ratted out the lawyer, it won’t help his situation if Odunna isn’t caught and arrested, especially if he’s left the country, which is always a possibility.

As a high profile public figure who can’t hide anywhere, Lucie is an easy target to finger for a crime, whether she committed it or not.  Oreste most likely figured that her eventual conviction would be worth a huge reduction in the years he’d have to serve.

Apparently, that’s exactly what’s on the minds of the federal prosecutors trying this case or there wouldn’t be even the remote possibility of Oreste serving only one tenth of a potentially maximum sentence of thirty years.

The Herald article also quoted former Councilman Jacques Despinosse, who ran again for City Council in the 2013 election, as saying, “As far as I’m concerned, she’s innocent until proven guilty.  But it’s going to be very hard for her to clear herself.”

Obviously, Ben Kuehne has his work cut out for him.

I’m told that even Kuehne’s famous stalling tactics won’t fly in federal court, where United States prosecutors have little patience for delay.  Wilfredo A. Ferrer’s office has an impressive conviction record and is well known to dispense justice swiftly and brutally.

Yes, Ferrer does take prisoners.

However, as Mr. Despinosse postulated, in this country, under our justice system, we are all presumed innocent until proven guilty.  The prosecutors in this case will present their evidence, as well as Karl Oreste’s testimony, in the hopes of proving the defendants’ guilt beyond all reasonable doubt before a jury of their peers.  Despite what you’ve all seen on television, the outcome of real life trials is not always straightforward.  The subjective decisions by juries, who tend to interpret evidence based on their individual life experiences, can result in unpredictable verdicts.  No matter how convincing the evidence presented by prosecutors, a good defense attorney can sometimes sway even the most stubborn of jurors.

As we all know by now, Ben Kuehne is more than good.  He’s at the top of his game.

Unfortunately for him, so is the U.S. Attorney.

I have a feeling we are about to witness the Super Bowl of trials.

Unfortunately for Lucie Tondreau, this time around she’s the football.

The North Miami Special Election to fill Lucie’s vacant seat will be held next month.

The trial for the alleged crime that created that vacancy will probably continue long after the winner will defend his seat in the regular election next year.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”