If you have seen the documentary “Cocaine Cowboys” then you know who Mickey Munday is. Now 72-years-old, he was the star of that documentary in which he openly discussed his past as a pilot who smuggled tons of drugs for Colombian drug-lord Pablo Escobar in the 1980’s. In addition to the documentary, he also infamously bragged about his drug crimes in several interviews and social media posts. He served approximately nine years in prison in the 1990s for that operation. However, Munday now finds himself in hot water again. This time, for a completely different, yet still similar, alleged criminal activity.
Jury selection begins this week for a trial in which Munday is charged with auto fraud for his role in an auto-theft ring. He, again, allegedly acted as a middle man, not unlike his role in the Colombian cartel operations. Only this time, instead of cocaine, Munday is accused of transporting and hiding stolen vehicles.
Usually, the past criminal history of a high-profile defendant will not be brought to the forefront in a court case after he or she has served out a sentence. However, in situations such as this one, where the new crime is quite similar, if not the exact same as the old, the past becomes relevant to the present.
Should a party ever find him or herself in this situation, it is highly advisable that an experienced attorney be contacted immediately. Any Defendant who is forced to defend a criminal past as well as the present should never walk into a courtroom alone.
Source: The Ledger, “Former cocaine cowboy pilot on trial in auto fraud case,” Curt Anderson, Jan. 9, 2018
