Willy Falcon | |
---|---|
Born | Augusto Guillermo Falcón September 1, 1955 |
Nationality | Cuban |
Known for | Cuban drug kingpin who ran South Florida from 1970s to 1990s. |
Criminal status | Released |
Conviction(s) | Illegal possession of a firearm (1997) Money laundering (2003) |
Criminal penalty | 14 years imprisonment |
Partner(s) | Sal Magluta |
Augusto Guillermo "Willy" Falcon (born September 1, 1955) is a former drug kingpin who, along with his partner Sal Magluta, operated one of the most significant cocaine trafficking organizations in South Florida history.
Falcon was a speedboat racing champion in the 1980s. [1]
Magluta, along with his partner, Falcon was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 1991 for a plethora of drug trafficking crimes, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise accused of importing and distributing over 75 tons of cocaine. [2] [3] Falcon was represented by Albert Krieger, Susan Van Dusen, and D. Robert "Bobby" Wells. [4] His partner Magluta was represented by Roy Black, Martin Weinberg, and Richard Martinez (Magluta's brother in law). [2] Both Magluta and Falcon were found not guilty after a lengthy trial before Judge Federico Moreno.
In 1997 he was convicted for illegal possession of a firearm. [5]
Following the 1996 trial, the United States Attorney's Office directed an investigation into Magluta and Falcon's finances that ultimately revealed that members of their jury - including the jury foreman - had been bribed. Magluta, Falcon, several of the jurors, their associates and even some of their lawyers were ultimately charged with various criminal offenses arising from the conduct. [6] [7]
In 2003 he pled guilty to a single count of money laundering in a plea deal with the government for a reduced 20-year sentence. [8] After his 2017 release he was transferred to ICE custody. [9] He was deported to the Dominican Republic, where he stayed for a short period of time, as the Dominican Republic authorities did not want his residence in the country. He was forced to flee the country and his whereabouts are currently unknown. [10]
Falcon and his partner Magluta are the subjects of the 2021 documentary Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami. [11]
Rick Ross's single, Little Havana, released December 2, 2021, opens with an audio clip of Falcon. [12] In the clip, a character playing Falcon claims to have helped build Miami into the city it is today and expresses appreciation to Rick Ross for “keeping my name alive in your music”.