REPUTED DRUG LORD GETS 20 YEARS IN TRIAL-FIXING SCHEME

Augusto ''Willy'' Falcon, half of a notorious Miami smuggling duo from
the cocaine heydays of the 1980s, was sentenced to 20 years in prison
Tuesday for laundering millions of dollars to fix the outcome of a
scandalous 1996 trafficking trial.

Falcon also turned over $1 million in cash as part of a plea deal that
brings to a close one of the most tempestuous chapters in South
Florida's war on drugs.

Prosecutors said Falcon and his childhood pal Salvador Magluta were
equal partners in a high-flying drug-trafficking enterprise that moved
75 tons of cocaine into the U.S. between 1978 and 1991.

''Willy and Sal'' were straight out of central casting for Miami Vice:
They were well known around town for their championship racing boat
teams, expensive homes and champagne tastes.

While ''The Boys'' were joined at the hip in the original trial,
prosecutors eventually acknowledged that Magluta was much more
culpable in the murders, attempted murders, jury bribery and witness
tampering that contributed to their tainted 1996 acquittal.

And Magluta is paying a much heavier price today: He was convicted at
trial last year, and the same judge who ratified Falcon's sentence on
Tuesday handed Magluta 205 years earlier this year. An appeal is pending.

Defense attorneys Richard J. Diaz and Jeffrey Weiner said the sentence
gives Falcon a chance at reclaiming a semblance of a life after being
continuously behind bars since 1991. If he stays out of trouble, the
47- year-old could be released when he is 60.

''For 12 years, Mr. Falcon has been in the worst federal prisons,
litigating against the government,'' Diaz said. ``This 20-year
sentence guarantees that in no more than 13 years, Mr. Falcon, having
paid a heavy debt to society . . . will return home to his family and
his freedom.''

Actually, what could happen next for the 11th-grade dropout from Miami
Senior High is still up in the air. Falcon is a Cuban citizen, and he
could face deportation or a prolonged immigration detention depending
on U.S.-Cuba relations when he is released.

Falcon's representatives forfeited the agreed-upon $1 million in cash
last week. It was unclear exactly where the cash came from, but
prosecutor Michael S. Davis said the count came up about $670 shy
because of a combination of miscounting and the unwitting inclusion of
$400 in counterfeit bills. Weiner, who delivered a cashier's check for
the outstanding balance late Monday to ensure that the sentencing went
off without a hitch, said it's not uncommon to stumble across some
counterfeit bills when trying to assemble $1 million in cash.

U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz, who had initially balked at the
20-year plea deal when it was announced last month, praised Falcon's
''gentlemanly demeanor'' throughout the four-plus years of pretrial
proceedings.

She recommended that the Bureau of Prisons assign him to an
appropriate facility in South or Central Florida so he can be visited
by his ailing parents, Arsenio and Mirta Falcon, and three children,
Aileen Martinez, 28, Jessica Falcon, 23, and William Falcon, 18.
Falcon's wife, Alina Rossique-Falcon, was killed in a 1992 holdup
attempt outside a Coral Gables beauty salon.

Citing the letters written by his parents and children, Seitz said
Falcon ``regrets the impact his choices have had on their lives.''

But the judge quickly reminded Falcon that his actions had much
broader consequences, feeding addictions and robbing the minds of
countless others who didn't have the steadfast loyalty, love and
support of their families.

Seitz tacked on a minimal $20,000 fine that Falcon can earn through
prison work and ordered him to serve 200 hours of community service
upon his release.