2 Comments

Crazy good reporting Filey! I can’t find anything about how or when he got to Columbia. Just that he’s managed to avoid extradition from Romania to US since 2012. Is it possible he’s been hiding in Columbia for years but now they’ve decided to give him up to gain favor w/ US?

“Paunescu had been arrested in Romania in 2012, but was able to avoid extradition. Colombia’s Attorney General’s office said he was detained at Bogota’s international airport, sporting a thick beard and wearing a red t-shirt.”

Expand full comment
author

Not to be an jerk but we have an “into force” MLAT with Romania

May 26, 1999

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/13037-Romania-Judicial-Assistance-May-26-1999.pdf

AMENDMENT 2007 - “into force” February 1, 2010

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/10-201.44-Romania-EU-Mutual-Legal-Assistance-Treaty.pdf

I know that in 2013 the charges he faced have a maximum allowable >60 years but I can’t find any filing that shows a Romanian Court refused to extradite him. All of which is moot because he’s sitting in a cell in Bogota and I’m 99% certain we’ve already commenced extradition from Columbia

So unless I’m mistaken (which is possible) on or about January 22/23 2013 the US had initiated Paunescu extradition proceedings— hence why I stated he was a fugitive because I can’t find

Expand full comment