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March 19, 2010 -
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of
New York, announced that Luis Armando Peņa Soltren, 67, pleaded guilty
on Thursday to participating in the November 24, 1968, hijacking of
Puerto Rico-bound Pan American flight 281 to
According to the
Complaint and Indictment previously filed in |
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Cruz, 68, was apprehended in 1975 and Castro, 79, was apprehended in
1976. Both ultimately pleaded guilty to threatening the lives of flight
crew members. Cruz and Castro were sentenced to 15 years in prison and
12 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the Pan American
flight 281 hijacking.
Alejandro Figueroa, who was charged as a co-conspirator in the case, was
acquitted in 1969 after a bench trial before United States District
Judge Edward Weinfeld. Peņa Soltren pleaded guilty today to the
following charges: (1) conspiracy to commit air piracy, to interfere
with flight crew members, and to kidnap; (2) interfering with flight
crew members; and (3) kidnapping. Soltren faces a maximum potential
penalty of life in prison. The sentencing before United States District
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein is scheduled for June 29, 2010.
This case was the result of the coordinated efforts of the United States
Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI, the
U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of
International Affairs. Mr. Bharara thanked them for their outstanding
work. |
"Luis Armando Peņa Soltren admitted in a federal court in Manhattan to participating in the violent hijacking of Pan American flight 281 more than 41 years ago. This guilty plea affirms that the pursuit of justice is tempered neither by distance nor the passage of time. This case is another example of our commitment to work with our partners at the FBI, the Department of Justice Office's of International Affairs, and the Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security, to bring criminals to justice wherever they may hide out and for however long," said United States Attorney Preet Bharara. |
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