Overview
- Machado filed a handwritten not‑guilty plea on November 11, declining to cooperate with prosecutors and setting the stage for a jury trial next year.
- Judge Bill Davis scheduled a pretrial conference for January 9 and had earlier given Machado until December 15 to choose a plea-and-cooperation path.
- After his early‑November extradition from Argentina, Machado is being held at the Fannin County Detention Center in Texas.
- Prosecutors allege an aviation-based scheme involving narcotics proceeds, fraud, and export/registration violations, and co-defendant Debra Mercer‑Erwin received a 16‑year sentence in 2023.
- Court filings cite Bank of America records showing José Luis Espert as the final beneficiary of a $200,000 transfer and aircraft usage links, and the defense sought an emergency order to ensure Machado receives his medication or a medical transfer.