Federal judges based in Minnesota are presiding over the world’s largest “lost and found” operation.
Looking at the court’s official calendar for the next two weeks, among the district’s seventeen (17) sitting judges, only one (1) jury trial is scheduled, and even that’s just a one-day affair for a civil case.
But Obama-appointed Judge John Gerrard (on loan from the Nebraska district) has scheduled a contempt-of-court hearing for Monday, March 23 in Case No. 26-cv-831. It’s one of those habeas corpus cases where the petitioner has already been released from ICE custody, but claims, without evidence, to be missing some personal property not returned.
Mery Viviana Chimbo Viracucha claims to be missing some personal property following her release from custody. From the court records available to the public, I cannot determine what property is missing, what evidence has been presented that such object(s) ever existed, or what evidence that the government ever had custody of such unspecified object(s).
The government said that they searched for, but could not find, said object(s). Nevertheless, Judge Gerrard has already determined that the government is “likely” in contempt (March 13 Order, p. 1) for the failure to return the alleged property, which may or may not have ever existed.
All that remains is to determine the punishment, which could include the imprisonment of government lawyers in federal prison for an open-ended sentence. More likely, the government will be ordered to write a check to Ms. Chimbo and her lawyers.
What’s missing this time, another shoelace? An entire shoe? We may never find out.
In one of history’s most unlikely coincidences, there is another open federal case (File No. 26-cr-20) with a different defendant sharing the last name Chimbo Virachucha.
The Chimbo this time goes by the name Angel Gonzalo.
Angel has been charged with a felony criminal count of illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. He had been previously deported in January 2024.
State court records show a man matching Angel’s name having been convicted of felony drunk driving in 2024.
Mr. Chimbo is due back in federal court on Wednesday, March 25.
