Texas family fights to save 61-year-old falsely accused of sexual abuse by extortionists
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Wayne Cooperman – An American citizen – has been held captive in a Nicaraguan prison since April 11, 2013. According to his attorney, Jason Galvan of San Antonio, Texas, Cooperman has been falsely accused of sexual abuse. "Due to the recent passing of Law 779, the Nicaraguan government exercised their power to hold Cooperman in a prison cell until after his trial was complete, despite an overwhelming and auspicious lack of evidence," said Galvan.
Nicaraguan Law 779, widely considered to be controversial to several civil rights activist groups, allows police and government officials to detain anyone accused of a crime of sexual nature without probable cause until he or she has been tried in court. The only evidentiary requirement is a sworn affidavit from the alleged victim. In Cooperman's case, no other evidence of sexual abuse was ever presented.
According to family accounts, Cooperman's first month of imprisonment was spent in "El Chipote," a facility notorious for its long and consistent history of torture. Rob Cooperman, Wayne's son, reported, "He spent 24 hours a day in a dark, dirty cell with no windows, no chairs, no bed, and was denied access to his attorneys or visitors. He was frequently placed in solitary confinement in a small room infested with spiders and human feces, then left there for hours in the dark. Dad feared for his life as he witnessed other prisoners beaten if they complained or reported mistreatment by prison officials to visitors or authorities."
Wayne Cooperman, 61, is a clothing manufacturer from San Antonio, Texas and has spent more than 30 years working in Latin America both as an employer and a humanitarian for third world countries in the region. He is married and has 2 grown children along with 2 grandchildren.
While he has spent more than half of his life employing impoverished communities in countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Haiti, both his co-workers and his family had serious concerns about the move to Nicaragua. "Despite these concerns, Dad refused to accept what people told him of Nicaraguan culture, that if you gave a hand, they took your arm. In the end, that's exactly what started this ordeal," said (Rob) Cooperman.
"During the trial, the defense was consistently blocked from being able to cross-examine the prosecution's witnesses. Further, the judge refused to allow expert witnesses on behalf of the defense.
To make matters worse, a family member related to the accusers gave a full oral confession during closing arguments proclaiming Wayne's absolute 100% innocence in the sexual abuse case," said Galvan. He added, "The judge completely ignored her testimony."
Cooperman was convicted on August 13, 2013 and is currently awaiting sentencing. The Managua District court associate judge is permitted to take up to 5 months to announce sentencing. Until that time, Cooperman's defense is not allowed to file an appeal.
"All medical and forensic evidence points in Wayne's favor as do expert witness statements, but the judge has declared all of this inadmissible in court without giving any legal reason for doing so," said Galvan.
Cooperman's trial and what appear to be multiple breaches of due process and horrifying violations of civil and human rights are a haunting echo for Janis Puracal, an attorney in Seattle, WA who went through a similar situation with her brother, American Jason Puracal.
(Janis) Puracal reported, "Jason was a real estate broker in Nicaragua. In 2010, his office was raided by police and he was arrested for international drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime along with 10 other Nicaraguan citizens." According to Janis, her brother was held for nearly two years without any evidence of a crime. Jason was denied food, water, and medical care in Nicaragua's maximum security prison, La Modelo–the same prison where Wayne Cooperman is suffering now.
(Jason) Puracal, like Cooperman, was convicted of his accused crimes and spent more than 2 years in the lengthy appeals process before finally being released after the court of appeals found serious violations by the trial court. His sister said the prosecution has appealed, and the case remains pending in Nicaragua's Supreme Court.
In May, Cooperman was moved to "La Carcel Modelo", where he remains today. This prison is considered among many to be Nicaragua's most dangerous institution with gang violence and murder commonplace.
"He shares a filthy cell with eleven other men," said (Rob) Cooperman. "They sleep on the concrete floor, use a bucket of dirty water to bathe, and a hole in the ground as their restroom. We are very concerned for his health and safety."
(Rob) Cooperman adds, "The Nicaraguan District Attorney is seeking a 52-year sentence. Wayne Cooperman is 61 years old. Due to poor sanitary conditions consistent dehydration, and malnutrition, his health is rapidly declining. We fear he may not have long to prove his innocence."
Rob Cooperman has started an awareness campaign for his father and created a website detailing the events of the case atwww.FreeWayneC.com. He and his family are continuing to fight for justice in the aftermath of Cooperman's conviction and working with attorney Jason Galvan to bring this nightmare to an end as soon as possible.
They are very motivated to begin the appeal process and have the associate judge's verdict overturned, but it will take time and resources. In addition to family funds, the legal fees are being supported by donations on the website.
Rob has not seen his father since his arrest due to fears of persecution and pressure from his family to stay out of Nicaragua. When asked what message he wanted to pass along to his father, Rob said, "Stay strong, Dad, we will never ever give up this fight for your freedom, to clear your name and bring you home safely."
When asked what others could do to assist with his father's defense, Rob said, "Visit the website and make a donation to the defense fund, or use any of the media sources to spread the word. In order for Dad to get the help he needs, we need to create some momentum."
Media contacts:
Jason Galvan
Wayne Cooperman's Attorney
(210) 556-9894
Email
Rob Cooperman
Wayne Cooperman's Son
(512) 917-5488
Email
Website and additional multimedia:
www.freewaynec.com