Opinion ID: 596393
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lady's Involvement

Text: 15 Sometime in 1986, Mejia asked Larry Triplett (Triplett) to locate a ranch in Mexico that could be used as a smuggling waystation. Triplett recruited defendant Lady, who spoke Spanish and was an airplane mechanic, to help lease such a ranch. Once the property was located, Lady oversaw the day-to-day operations and security on the ranch and was paid $1,000 a month for his services. 16 Late in 1986 or early in 1987, Triplett informed Lady about his plans to use the ranch as a waystation for the importation of cocaine. Lady was told that he would receive $100,000 in addition to his salary if Triplett used the ranch for storing drugs. At one point, Lady was instructed by Triplett to deliver $3,200 to Torres who would use the money to purchase a bin for intermediate storage of smuggled cocaine. Lady had not been party to the conversation between Mejia and Triplett indicating the need for such a storage facility, but he had been present for the conversation between Triplett and Torres when the bin was discussed. Lady delivered the money to Torres and indicated to Torres that he needed some alfalfa seed to firm up the ground for the runway. Triplett also asked Lady to procure approximately 800 gallons of Jet A fuel. Triplett informed Lady that the fuel was needed to refuel an aircraft coming from Colombia. Lady did not procure the aviation fuel. 17 Shortly after Lehder's arrest in Colombia on February 4, 1987, Mejia called off the operation and Triplett communicated this information to Lady. Lady left the ranch in May of 1987.