Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Opening Statements Begin in Chicago Trial Over Alleged Bounty on Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino

Gang evidence is barred, leaving prosecutors to rely on Snapchat messages with an informant's account.

Overview

  • Jurors heard that Snapchat messages from October allegedly offered $2,000 for information and $10,000 "if you take him down," alongside a photo of Gregory Bovino.
  • The government's first witness, Adrian Jimenez, testified that he shared the messages with a Homeland Security investigator and acknowledged prior paid informant work.
  • U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow barred references to gang membership and excluded certain texts and a short video the government sought to use.
  • A jury of six men and six women, with two alternates, was seated Tuesday, and the trial is expected to conclude this week.
  • Juan Espinoza Martinez has pleaded not guilty to one count of solicitation of murder for hire, faces up to 10 years if convicted, and Bovino is not expected to testify.