The Amazing Saga of Foutanga Babani Sissoko (Part 3)
In the summer of 1996, a Miami lawyer named Tom Spencer was hired to defend a man accused of ordering the bribery of a U.S. Customs official. His client was in a Swiss jail, and so Spencer flew there to meet with him. When he arrived, the Warden and prison staffers urged Spencer to delay the extradition for as long as he could. When he asked them why, they explained that their prisoner was having gourmet meals flown in for them from Paris every night, and they would hate to see him go.
This was the first sign that the case of the United States Government vs. Foutanga Babani Sissoko was not going to be a normal trial.
To the dismay of his guards, Sissoko was soon back in the U.S. where he was arraigned and, over the objections of the government, granted bail. After posting $20 million bail, Sissoko was turned loose in Miami, and quickly got to work.
By the beginning of 1997, our hero was in a strange city, facing serious Federal charges. But he knew that when you're in trouble, it's good to have friends. He knew money makes it easy to make friends. And he had a whole lot of money.
So Sissoko started spending money all over Miami, on himself and anyone else who crossed his path. He bought expensive cars by the handful. It was reported that he spent $500,000 in one jewelry store and $150,000 in a men's clothing store. He rented 23 apartments to house the various hangers on (and additional wives) he accumulated. He would drive around Miami handing out money to the homeless. He gave $300,000 to Miami Central High School so their marching band could travel to New York for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. While behind the scenes, the legal process moved slowly toward his trial, Mr. Sissoko was having, by all accounts, a damn good time in Miami.
Keep in mind, this is 1997. It will be the following year before the Dubai Islamic Bank realizes something is horribly wrong, and Mohammad Ayoub finally comes clean about the money doubling djinn. There were plenty of rumors about where Sissoko's money came from (although I doubt anyone guessed the truth), but there was no evidence that it was illegitimate, so Sissoko carried on.
He quickly became a local celebrity and folk hero, but he wasn't just creating a public image. He was also cultivating friends in high places who might help with his legal troubles. A parade of African diplomats appeared to testify at hearings. U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown of Jacksonville urged Attorney General Janet Reno to intercede in the case. Former Indiana Senator Birch Bayh actually joined Sissoko's defense team.
It would later come to light that pretty much everyone who tried to help Sissoko had been paid. And Sissoko cast a very wide net. Rep. Brown's daughter got a $60,000 Lexus. Members of the Miami City Council got paid. Even actor Sherman Hemsley, best known as the irascible George Jefferson on The Jeffersons, showed up to speak on Sissoko's behalf, and got $40,000 for his trouble.
Despite it all, his case eventually came to trial. If Miami was expecting a long, showy trial full of high-profile witnesses, this time they would be disappointed. Sissoko pled guilty and found himself sentenced to Federal prison.
Surely this was the end of the line for the intrepid Foutanga Babani Sissoko? Well, not quite. There's still one more act to come. To be concluded, I think, in Part 4, coming soon.
til next time,
-- MP
Spy My Stuff
You can find me at MarkParragh.com and my books here at Amazon. The John Crane series is currently in Kindle Unlimited, and so exclusive to Amazon. Rumrunners can also be found at other fine ebook retailers.
Reading: With a Mind to Kill by Anthony Horowitz. New Bond novel! His Forever and a Day might be my favorite non-Fleming Bond of them all, so I’m excited about this.
Watching: Moon Dog, an adorable short about maybe not always going with your first instinct.
Listening To: Crystal. By 80s synth band New Order, believe it or not.