| Budna Gets “Shilling” |
| Fri, May 17, 2013 |
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| A week ago, we told you about 33 year-old Belizean Joseph Budna, who was standing trial for abduction in Guatemala. Well, he will spend 25 years in prison because he was convicted in the Guatemalan Supreme Court.
The allegation against him was that Budna, who is believed to be head of a kidnapping ring operating in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, kidnapped 19 year US National Luis Bryon Reyes Onofre in August of 2012.
Onofre reported that Budna and his organization abducted him, took him to Honduras and held him hostage on a farm in that country, in an effort to extort 1 million quetzales from his father, Luis August Reyes Salazar. He told police that it was not until his father made 2 payments that he was released.
Budna's defence was that Luis Onofre colluded with them the entire time. According to Budna, it was not until the money was paid that Onofre changed his story and claimed that he was kidnapped.
Budna has 10 days to file an appeal to this conviction and sentence. He also faces other criminal charges.
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