Strippers Smuggled into Miami Prisons Posing as Paralegals
Strippers are posing as paralegals to gain access to inmates, many of which are detained in high-security federal Miami prisons.
The fraud starts with a high-profile drug dealer who has the money to obtain contraband, but lacks the access or means to get it. His lawyer will go the extra mile to satisfy his client: the attorney finds a beautiful illegal immigrant who snuck into the country, signs her off as a paralegal, and pays her a small fee to visit the prisoner.
Once inside, various forms of debauchery ensue, including the smuggling of pornographic magazines, money, alcohol, and of course, physical contact between the women and the prisoners.
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“They take off their tops and let the guys touch them,” said veteran defense attorney Hugo Rodriguez to The Miami New Times. “The majority of these young, very attractive women are noncitizens brought in exclusively for the purposes of visiting the [Federal Detention Center].”
Several women were caught red-handed, like the fake legal assistant videotaped by police cameras while stripping in the prisons’ solitary confinement. She was immediately and permanently banned from the facility.
Another was busted while having a sexual liaison with an inmate in a legal briefing room. She too was escorted out.
Although some incidents are reported, others are never suspected, mainly because there is not much that can be done with the current system.
Any attorney can send a legal assistant, and because larger firms have so many, it is nearly impossible to keep track of them all. Legal assistants are an invaluable part of the legal system, so they cannot simply be denied access. It is also tough to tell which lawyers are trying to satisfy their customers by using underhanded means, or which simply happen to have female legal assistants.
“Any lawyer can sign a form and designate a legal assistant. There is no way of verifying it. The process is being abused,” said Rodriguez.
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of this scandal is the widespread knowledge of what is happening, without any significant changes on the horizon.
“Everyone knows about it,” said one private investigator to The Miami New Times. “They are making a mockery out of the prison system here.”
