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Attorney Carla M. Sanderson argues that imposing an additional sentence on Arnaldo Urbina would create an unjustified disparity with respect to other similar cases.
The defense of Arnaldo Urbina Soto, former mayor of Yoro , Honduras, asked Judge Denise L. Cote to impose a sentence of “time served,” arguing that the time he has spent in prison since July 2014 should be considered when evaluating his punishment.
Attorney Carla M. Sanderson noted in a sentencing memorandum that an additional sentence could create unjustified disparities with respect to other cases of Hondurans extradited for drug-related crimes.
Sanderson stressed that Urbina Soto is one of the few Honduran defendants who pleaded guilty to a crime that carries a minimum of five years in prison, rather than the 10 years usually mandatory in similar cases.
He also noted that his client did not receive an increase in sentence for the use of violence or for being considered the leader of a criminal organization, as did the other defendants.
“Mr. Urbina Soto should not receive a sentence similar to that of Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares , former head of the National Police of Honduras , sentenced to 19 years in prison.”
He added: “Valladares had significantly more power and his involvement in drug trafficking extended over a much longer period,” Sanderson argued.
The lawyer recalled that Bonilla Valladares trafficked drugs between 2003 and 2016 , protecting some of the most important drug traffickers in the country, such as Tony Hernández and Alex Ardón.
Comparisons with other cases
Sanderson also compared Urbina Soto’s situation to that of Ludwig Criss Zelaya Romero, a former police officer sentenced to 144 months in prison for collaborating with the Los Cachiros cartel for more than a decade.
According to the lawyer, Urbina Soto worked on a much smaller scale and his involvement was considerably shorter.
“The sentences imposed by other judges, such as Kevin Castel and Lorna Schofield , are lower than the guidelines indicate. Mr. Urbina Soto will have served twice the recommended time when taking into account his imprisonment in Honduras since 2014,” Sanderson added.
Reintegration in Honduras
Finally, the lawyer explained that Urbina Soto plans to return to Honduras after serving his sentence to reunite with his family and collaborate in his wife’s pastry business.
“He will take advantage of this second opportunity to do the best he can do in his life,” he concluded.
Arnaldo Urbina Soto , former mayor of Yoro and extradited to the United States in January 2023, is preparing to receive his sentence on September 13, 2024 , at 11:00 am
“I know that the crime I committed brought me to this situation, I am the cause of everything that has happened, a crime that I deeply regret, before God and before you, Madam Judge, and before the society of this great nation, the United States of America,” said a repentant Urbina Soto in a letter .
