Tag: David Opperman

Let’s deconstruct part of the case: Slabbed takes another look back at USA v Sibley as we make a correction

In reference to this post dated November 13, 2012 which re-examined the federal prosecution of Hugh Sibley for money laundering, I wrote “multiple sources tell Slabbed that Desai is being represented in the matter by Greensburg area attorney David Opperman”.

Mr Opperman has informed Slabbed that he does not represent Nipun Desai in his criminal case. He confirmed he is Mr Desai’s civil attorney and that he occasionally teamed up with the Legal Department there at the Super 8 Motel representing Desai’s legal interests. He also indicated he considers Mr Desai to be one of his closest friends and understood the confusion regarding his representation of Mr Desai’s business interests in civil cases and his criminal case in the 24th JDC.

Additionally I inspected certain official paperwork on Mr Desai’s cocaine distribution case, which is currently before Judge Glenn Ansardi there in the 24th JDC. Mr. Desai’s arrest on cocaine distribution charges back in 2008 occured in the same general time period as the indictment of Hugh Sibley but the police report does not indicate a linkage between the two cases, though possession of 80 grams of cocaine in the managers suite of the hotel is certainly serious enough.

The goal of Slabbed New Media in the proverbial search for the truth is get the story right. I thank Mr Opperman speaking candidly with me about this matter and I hope this clears up any confusion.

Update:  Here is a copy of the police report on the Desai arrest for those so interested.

Let’s continue to build the case: Slabbed takes a second look back at USA v Sibley as we make more connections

Last month Slabbed reintroduced William “Hugh” Sibley to the reading public and the response that post received has been fantastic. In fact it was a media inquiry that I received today that serves as the catalyst for this post.  To get started though I want to make sure everyone is on the same page so here is an except from my Sibley reintroduction:

So why do I bring up news Slabbed covered in 2009? Sweet serendipity that’s why. Sources familiar with the Sibley’s law practice indicate to Slabbed that while Sibley was Fayard’s political go to guy, Nipun “Nick” Desai was Sibley’s right hand man. Desai, a one time college exchange student from East India that graduated from LSU in 1996, reportedly parlayed the association with Sibley into a real estate empire that stretches across Louisiana and includes the now fabled Super 8 Motel on Clearview Parkway.

This is important because Desai is a bit of a mystery man.  You see folks multiple sources have indicated to Slabbed that Desai was arrested on a cocaine distribution charge somewhere between 2008 and 2010 yet we’ve been unable to uncover anything on the arrest or the case itself as it does not show in the Federal Court Database PACER nor is there a Louisiana state record that we can find.  Desai is a big mystery but we solved some of it here.

Tackling this topic entails a bit of a gut check folks, given the people and organizations involved in the Sibley affair.  For instance, the lead defendant in the Sibley prosecution was Gustavo Jorge Arévalo Kessler.  Here is a snippet from the Hispanic News Network Blog that mentions Kessler:

Last Wednesday, Jorge Gustavo Arévalo Kessler, 43, was extradited to the U.S. from Mexico to face money laundering, and cocaine trafficing federal charges in Texas. Kessler originally from Heidelberg, Germany, but living in Mexico transported tons of cocaine from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and eventually ending up in the U.S.

The indictment states, Kessler between Dec. 2002 to June 2003 transported tons of cocaine by private plane and a Boeing 727, transported cash abroad, and as a high ranking member of a Mexican drug cartel, he directed where the money would be deposited to various bank accounts.

Kessler was arrested by Mexican federal authorities on April 7, 2008 in Mexico City. He worked for the criminal organization headed by Antonio Aguilar (real name Pedro Antonio Bermúdez Suazo), aka “El Arquitecto,” or “El Jefe” in Mexico.

Kessler was extradited to the U.S. on Feb. 24, 2010 by the law enforcement coordination efforts between the U.S. Marshals Service, the Ministry Federal Police, and Mexican INTERPOL with the Attorney’s General Office (PGR).

Kessler is not just your average drug kingpin though as this translated excerpt from the website Contra Linea indicates:

In his ministerial statement, Gustavo Jorge Arévalo Kessler, 43-year-old native of Heidelberg, Germany, son of Jorge Arevalo Gardoqui, who in turn was the brother of former Secretary of National Defense Juan Arevalo Gardoqui-, confessed to participating in moving drugs from South America to Mexico, and to carry cash abroad.

Or even better as put in an email I received today: Continue reading “Let’s continue to build the case: Slabbed takes a second look back at USA v Sibley as we make more connections”