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Post by Scumhunter on May 11, 2016 19:21:11 GMT -5
   Fugitive Profile as of May 11th, 2016: (based on AMW archives, EPA wanted posters, news articles) Photo Credits: FBI Poster
Full Name: Mauro Ociel Valenzuela
DOB: 04-18-69
Sex: Male
Race: Chilean
Height: 6'
Weight: 170 lbs.
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
TIPS: Based on internet research: Anyone with information should contact their local FBI or the Environmental Protection Agency- Miami, Florida Office at 1-305-536-6700
From the Miami Hearld (miamiherald.com) website: It was one of the worst air disasters in Florida history — and Mauro Ociel Valenzuela fled. That was probably a mistake. Valenzuela was one of three maintenance workers indicted on charges of not properly sealing the oxygen canisters that exploded and caused a ValuJet DC-9 to plunge on fire into the Everglades with 110 people aboard. At trial, SabreTech maintenance manager Danny Gonzalez and worker Eugene Florence were acquitted. “I think he made a mistake” by leaving, said Jane Moscowitz, Valenzuela’s attorney when he fled. “We believed all along they would be acquitted. We didn’t think they were the cause of the accident.” At trial, the defense attorneys argued that the SabreTech workers had thrown away the deadly canisters, and that ValuJet workers had loaded them on the plane, anyway. Jurors heard the argument and set the men free. Still, on Wednesday, on the 20th anniversary of the disaster, the FBI once again released Valenzuela’s photo, saying that in addition to charges of lying to the federal government and causing hazardous materials to be transported, he’s wanted for resisting a lawful order from a federal court in Miami and for failing to appear at trial. READ MORE: ValuJet relatives mark 20th anniversary of deadly Everglades crash The FBI declined to comment Wednesday. But according to an agency press release, “Valenzuela is currently 47 years old. He may be in Chile under a false identity. He also has ties to Georgia.” It’s not the first time federal agents informed the public that they were looking for Valenzuela. It made news when the trial began before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 1999. And his disappearance made headlines again in 2011 when he made an FBI most wanted-list because the federal Environmental Protection Agency wanted him for environmental crimes. In 1999, he was featured on America’s Most Wanted. On May 11, 1996, ValuJet Flight 592 took off from Miami International Airport and crashed into the Everglades a few minutes later, killing everyone aboard, 105 passengers and five crew members. Three years later, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida filed a 24-count indictment against SabreTech and the three workers. With Valenzuela absent, the jury spent several weeks listening to arguments before acquitting Gonzalez and Florence. SabreTech was acquitted on conspiracy charges but found guilty on nine other counts. An appeals court later tossed all but one of the counts, the improper training of employees. The tragedy was too much for both SabreTech and ValuJet. Both companies eventually disappeared. Read more here: www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article76986557.html#storylink=cpyThoughts? Valenzuela was aired on the October 2nd, 1999 episode of America's Most Wanted. He was a fugitive I never added to the site since I was never able to confirm he was still at large but with this article out today he obviously still is. It does complicates matters that his co-defendants were set free. However, Valenzuela is the one who chose to take his chances rather than defend himself. Here is the AMW archive link: web.archive.org/web/20040622165631/http://www2.amw.com/site/archives/19991002/valujet.htmlAdmin Note: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form |
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Post by HeadMarshal on Jul 12, 2017 16:26:50 GMT -5
The FBI just added Mauro Valenzuela to their featured fugitives page, and I'm going to also add the age-enhanced sketch they made of him to the opening post as well. The poster mentions he has ties to Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, along with Georgia in the US. www.fbi.gov/wanted/additional/mauro-ociel-valenzuela-reyes |
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Post by тσρтєиhυитєя on Jul 13, 2017 12:23:20 GMT -5
If the FBI wanted to add a cold case fugitive to their Ten Most Wanted list, could Valenzuela make the cut?
It's an air disaster that left 110 people dead and 2 of the defendants were acquitted because they stayed, but Valenzuela is being sought because lied to the federal Gov't, Hazardous materials being hauled and destroyed the environment in the Everglades where the plane crashed and they probably spent a sh** ton of money cleaning all that up and finally failure to appear.
21 years later this case seems to be a big deal regardless of which angle you look at it.
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Post by Scumhunter on Jul 13, 2017 19:20:36 GMT -5
i guess anything is possible, it would be a unique case and different from the other types of cases that make the list.
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Post by тσρтєиhυитєя on Jul 14, 2017 0:45:07 GMT -5
i guess anything is possible, it would be a unique case and different from the other types of cases that make the list. Exposure like that could flush him out as his body count (though it was an accident) is at 110 and the public will act quick especially in this case and a potential addition has the possibility of forcing Valenzuela to surrender. |
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Post by тσρтєиhυитєя on Apr 5, 2018 14:14:18 GMT -5
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Post by Scumhunter on Apr 15, 2018 1:20:55 GMT -5
Article interviewing the lawyer who would have represented Valenzuela had he went on trial. She believes he would have been acquitted just like his co-defendants had he gone to trial. The jury forewoman told the Miami Herald the jury found the individual defendants (Eugene Florence and Danny Gonzalez) not guilty because they could find no evidence of intent to do wrong. I do agree this is potentially a controversial case should Valenzuela ever get captured. On one hand his co-defendants are acquitted. On the other hand, being found not guilty does not always mean a defendant is truly innocent, but sometimes it's because the prosecution did not prove their case. So it would mean you can't condone Valenzuela getting away with criminal wrongdoing just because his co-defendants got away with it. (I am NOT accusing them of getting away with it- I'm just saying IF they did, it wouldn't condone Valenzuela going free also if criminally responsible). At the end of the day, Valenzuela is legally innocent until proven guilty. However, if it is believed that there is a strong case in his favor, then the best thing for him to do would to turn himself in and to defend himself in court rather than continue to be a fugitive with a $10,000 reward for anyone who turns him in which must be a stressful life wherever he is hiding. I do agree with the article that he must be kicking himself that he fled in 1999 considering the results of his co-defendants trial. www.google.com/amp/www.sun-sentinel.com/local/miami-dade/fl-reg-valujet-fbi-reward-20180412-story,amp.html |
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Post by тσρтєиhυитєя on Apr 15, 2018 1:23:52 GMT -5
Article interviewing the lawyer who would have represented Valenzuela had he went on trial. She believes he would have been acquitted just like his co-defendants had he gone to trial. The jury forewoman told the Miami Herald the jury found the individual defendants (Eugene Florence and Danny Gonzalez) not guilty because they could find no evidence of intent to do wrong. I do agree this is potentially a controversial case should Valenzuela ever get captured. On one hand his co-defendants are acquitted. On the other hand, being found not guilty does not always mean a defendant is truly innocent, but sometimes it's because the prosecution did not prove their case. So it would mean you can't condone Valenzuela getting away with criminal wrongdoing just because his co-defendants got away with it. (I am NOT accusing them of getting away with it- I'm just saying IF they did, it wouldn't condone Valenzuela going free also). At the end of the day, Valenzuela is legally innocent until proven guilty. However, if it is believed that there is a strong case in his favor, then the best thing for him to do would to turn himself in and to defend himself in court rather than continue to be a fugitive with a $10,000 reward for anyone who turns him in which must be a stressful life wherever he is hiding. I do agree with the article that he must be kicking himself that he fled in 1999 considering the results of his co-defendants trial. www.google.com/amp/www.sun-sentinel.com/local/miami-dade/fl-reg-valujet-fbi-reward-20180412-story,amp.html When/if Valenzuela is captured, even if they don’t have a solid case on him, wouldn’t they throw the book at him for failing to appear and having been a fugitive for 22 years? |
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Post by Scumhunter on Apr 15, 2018 1:25:55 GMT -5
It depends. His lawyers can argue he was emotionally distressed, depressed etc... At the end of the day, it's usually the main felony charges themselves and not the failure to appear that gets you the long prison sentence.
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Post by тσρтєиhυитєя on Apr 15, 2018 1:34:59 GMT -5
It depends. His lawyers can argue he was emotionally distressed, depressed etc... At the end of the day, it's usually the main felony charges themselves and not the failure to appear that gets you the long prison sentence. Makes sense. This case is indeed controversial and very confusing, because why else would Mauro Valenzuela flee and still be a fugitive 22 years later? When he found out that his co-conspirators were acquitted, why didn’t he turn himself in? That is a huge question that lawyers could argue emotional distress, depression, etc, but I feel that because of the fact that he hasn’t turned himself in when he saw his co-conspirators acquitted leads me to believe that he’s to an extent criminally responsible for the 1996 crash, and would have served time had he turned himself in or went on with the trial. |
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Post by Scumhunter on Apr 15, 2018 2:18:06 GMT -5
It depends. His lawyers can argue he was emotionally distressed, depressed etc... At the end of the day, it's usually the main felony charges themselves and not the failure to appear that gets you the long prison sentence. Makes sense. This case is indeed controversial and very confusing, because why else would Mauro Valenzuela flee and still be a fugitive 22 years later? When he found out that his co-conspirators were acquitted, why didn’t he turn himself in? That is a huge question that lawyers could argue emotional distress, depression, etc, but I feel that because of the fact that he hasn’t turned himself in when he saw his co-conspirators acquitted leads me to believe that he’s to an extent criminally responsible for the 1996 crash, and would have served time had he turned himself in or went on with the trial. You're certainly allowed to state your opinion that you feel he's criminally response. In regards to the 1999 trial however, it's basically playing Monday Morning Quarterback since we have no idea what the outcome would have been. It looks likely he would have been acquitted since his co-defendants were, but who knows. But that was 1999, the decades spent on the run could now work against him. Perhaps Valenzuela didn't turn himself in back in 1999 since he figured he already screwed himself by fleeing, who knows. I should stress I am not defending Valenzuela (or assuming his guilt before a trial either), but simply theorizing why he may not have surrendered despite the positive results for the other people charged in this case either. |
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Post by Scumhunter on Jul 14, 2018 5:00:04 GMT -5
I realize this is a high-profile case but because it is new site policy for every fugitive on our site to mention during our posting date or during an update when we're assuming a fugitive is still at large, just wanted to officially reflect that as of July 14th, 2018, Valenzuela is still listed on the FBI's website as a wanted fugitive. (Same link as in a previous reply).
It would obviously make huge news if he ever was actually captured of course.
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