Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Scam suspect still in Tijuana

Judge losing patience with Raquel Martinez


By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

Raquel Martinez

Judge Robert J. Elgee is losing patience with scam suspect Raquel Martinez, who failed Monday to show up for the second time for sentencing on a felony forgery charge.

Martinez, 29, is reportedly being treated for cancer at a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. She also failed to show up for sentencing on Nov. 5.

"I don't have any information to show that she's really getting treated at all," Elgee said Monday morning in Blaine County 5th District Court. "This has been going on for a long time."

"I have been in contact with Ms. Martinez," defense attorney Dan Dolan told the court. "It is apparent that she is still receiving medical treatment in Mexico."

Elgee earlier threatened to issue an arrest warrant, but instead gave the defendant three more weeks and rescheduled sentencing for Monday, Dec. 10.

Martinez, who is free on $25,000 bail, pleaded guilty in March to a single count of felony forgery in exchange for an agreement by the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to dismiss three felony counts of grand theft and four misdemeanor charges of petit theft. She was accused of scamming seven Ketchum-area Hispanic workers out of more than $8,000 by posing as a federal immigration employee and promising to help them obtain legal status in the United States.

As part of the plea agreement, the prosecutor's office was to request a withheld judgment and placement of Martinez on supervised probation for three years. She was also to pay back the $8,000 prior to sentencing.

Dolan told the court that Martinez has paid back about half the money but has apparently spent the remainder on medical treatments.

Deputy Prosecutor Matt Fredback said he has received no verification of the defendant's medical condition.

"We're still waiting for medical reports to say what she's suffering from," said Fredback, who did not request an arrest warrant as he did two weeks ago.

Elgee said Martinez is "jeopardizing" the terms of the plea agreement. The judge is not bound by the agreement in his sentencing.




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