Attorney Saldivar speaks appeal hearing for Coye’s Family in money laundering case

In late July of 2012, two members of the Coye Family along with two of their employees were convicted of money laundering under the Money Laundering and Terrorism Act. Melanie Coye and her father, sixty-six year old Michael Coye were sentenced to three years behind bars. They are appealing the conviction, and today appeared in the court of appeal. But the matter wasn’t heard today, because their attorney, Arthur Saldivar, asked for the matter to be traversed to the next session of the court of appeal. But with that said, there is still the matter of bail, which is being sought by Saldivar on behalf of his clients. Today Saldivar briefed us on the hearing, and on the health of his client, Michael Coye.

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for the Coyes

Arthur Saldivar

“The matter has been traversed to the next session. The appeal will be heard on the twenty-fourth of February due to the schedule that I have in the Supreme Court and the fact that I got the transcript so late, it was not prudent to seek to push on with matters as complicated as the one we are dealing with; with that limited time for preparation. So I begged the court’s indulgence and I am happy that they were able to accede to my request and we are now in a position where we can now have this matter dealt with comprehensively in the next session. Mr. Coye’s health is of paramount consideration where this application is concerned; it has deteriorated significantly. I know that there is a perception in the public and that perception behooves it for me to say that it is my belief that it is undeserved. But here it is that a sentence was passed down; it was not a death sentence and should not constructively become a death sentence. So where there are certain persons in the government realm who have little or no mercy, little or no compassion for a man in Mister Coye’s situation, but have all the ability to turn a blind eye to persons like Elvin Penner and persons like him is doing. I would want them to understand that a hard heart has no place in such a situation. Mr. Coye spent the better part of two and a half months bedridden at the K.H.M.H. as a result of his diabetic condition. Again the conditions at the Kolbe Facility is not the best of persons of his age and his medical disposition. So he had some ulcerated sores that basically got progressively worse. I would be more than happy to show you the pictures of those, but it is not for TV; it is kinda graphic.”

The matter will be heard in February of 2014 at the next session of the Court of Appeal.