This archive report was first published on 18 August 2019.
On Friday, August 16, 2019, Baktash Akasha, a confessed international drug trafficker, appeared in a US court to plead for a lenient sentence. In a heartfelt attempt to persuade Judge Victor Marrero to show mercy, Baktash rose to offer apologies for his violations of US law.
With a quivering voice, Baktash read from a written statement, expressing remorse for his past deeds and taking responsibility for his actions. He acknowledged that he had denied himself precious moments with his family and that the murders of his father and brother had changed his life for the worse.
However, despite Baktash's plea for leniency, Judge Marrero ultimately sentenced him to life in prison. The harsh sentence was a far cry from the 10-year minimum term that Baktash had hoped for.
Baktash's lawyer, George Goltzer, had argued that his client was a complex human being who had committed serious crimes, but was not a sociopath who killed on whim. Goltzer noted that Baktash had supported many people in Kenya for years and that they loved him.
However, the prosecution had sought to link Baktash to the 2014 contract murder in South Africa of a drug gangster identified as Pinky. While Baktash's lawyer denied the claim, Judge Marrero ultimately accepted it as part of the evidence against Baktash.
