Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores, a suspect in a high-profile jewelry heist, has left the United States after an unexpected deportation, raising concerns among federal prosecutors and victims alike. Flores’ charges are quite serious and impactful on his life. These are conspiracy to commit theft of interstate and foreign shipment and theft from such shipments. If convicted, he was facing as much as 15 years in federal prison.
On April 29, 2022, a bold and devastating hit occurred. Flores and six accomplices paid close attention while following an armored truck to a remote highway rest area just outside Los Angeles. Their sights landed on one very special target, a Brink’s tractor-trailer that had just left an international jewelry show outside of San Francisco. It was packed with dozens of bags containing diamonds, emeralds, gold, rubies and designer watches. The scope of the heist led victims to claim losses of over $100 million. Brink’s subsequently made the surprising argument that, in fact, the actual value of the stolen items was less than $10 million.
No wonder Brink’s security company filed a lawsuit after one such truck driver DOA inside the rig. Meanwhile, the other driver was in the middle of grabbing food from the rest area when Flores and his crew crashed inside. Following his arrest, Flores obtained bail and was released. He had been a lawful permanent resident until carried away by the hand of ICE in September.
At an immigration court hearing on December 16, Flores decided to be deported to Chile. While denying his application for voluntary departure, the judge nevertheless entered a final order of removal. In practice, this meant he was allowed to be transported to Ecuador, skirting prosecution for the grave charges he faced in trial.
According to Prosecutors were supposedly unaware of Flores’s immigration detainer when he was deported. Let them not beat about the bush, but loudly proclaim their determined purpose to try him. They vehemently objected to a motion by his lawyer, John D. Robertson, to dismiss the indictment against him. The criminal prosecution argued that any dismissal be “without prejudice,” reserving the right for future criminal prosecution should it ever be warranted.
In the words of legal experts, this constellation of facts is rare and a sign of deeper cancers eating away at our justice system. Retired former federal prosecutor Laurie Levenson pointed out the other unusual circumstances of Flores’ deportation. This was doubly remarkable given the vehement charges against him.
“It’s just beyond me how they would deport him without the prosecutors … being in on the conversation.” – Laurie Levenson
Levenson further stated, “This really was the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing.”
Given that Flores is now outside U.S. jurisdiction, he will almost certainly escape trial and any future conviction altogether. Jerry Kroll, attorney for a number of victims in the case, shared his disappointment. He’s particularly angry at the absence of accountability.
“When a defendant in a major federal theft case leaves the country before trial, victims are left without answers, without a verdict, and without closure.” – Jerry Kroll
Robertson argued that dismissing Flores’s case would perpetrate a rights violation against him worthy of criminal prosecution. Federal prosecutors are still intent on ensuring future legal action against him remains a possibility.