Press Release
DEFENDANT SENTENCED ON MURDER CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE JOE COOL VOYAGE
May 06, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Division; Rear Admiral Steve Branham, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District; Jonathan Sall, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service; Hugo Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Robert Parker, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department, announced that today defendant Guillermo Alfonso Zarabozo was sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment and an additional 85 years’ imprisonment, to be served consecutively to the life sentences, for the first-degree murders of Jake H. Branam, Kelley S. Branam, Scott M. Gamble, and Samuel A. Kairy.
United States District Judge Paul C. Huck imposed life sentences for each of the four counts of first degree murder (Counts 4-7) and one life sentence for the hijacking and kidnaping counts (Counts 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11). Further, Judge Huck imposed a total 85 years’ imprisonment for the four counts charging the use or carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence: ten years for Count 13 and 25 years for each of Counts 14-16. The Court also imposed the statutory maximum term of 15 years’ imprisonment for Count 12, which charged robbery of the Joe Cool.
On February 19, 2009, Zarabozo was found guilty by a jury for the first-degree murders of Jake H. Branam, Kelley S. Branam, Scott M. Gamble, and Samuel A. Kairy, as well as conspiracy to commit violence against maritime navigation, kidnapping, robbery, and use or carry of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Miami-Dade Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen Gilbert, Michael Gilfarb and Jeffrey Tsai.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Technical comments about this website can be e-mailed to the Webmaster. PLEASE NOTE: The United States Attorney's Office does not respond to non-technical inquiries made to this website. If you wish to make a request for information, you may contact our office at 305-961-9001, or you may send a written inquiry to the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, 99 NE 4th Street, Miami, Fl. 33132.