Coyote victim joins coyotes, will spend 10.5 years in prison

Drophouse guard gets 10.5 years in prison

http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/2009/04/24/200...


Apr. 24, 2009 02:09 PM
The Arizona Republic
An undocumented immigrant was sentenced Thursday to 10.5 years in
prison for working as a guard at an El Mirage drophouse.


Carlos Cocom-Tax, 38, was found guilty in February of three counts of
kidnapping and one count of human smuggling in connection with the
drophouse, where undocumented immigrants were held for ransom,
according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.


Cocom-Tax was arrested in October 2007 after detectives took control
of the drophouse, where he admitted working as a cook and a guard to
pay off his debt for being smuggled into the United States, according
to court documents.


Cocom-Tax told authorities that the undocumented immigrants being
held
were assaulted and forced to call relatives for ransom.


"We will work to secure justice for the victims of the illegal
immigration trade and, at the same time, we will continue to partner
with law enforcement to secure our neighborhoods as well," County
Attorney Andrew Thomas said in a written statement. "All violent
drophouse defendants can expect to receive strict prosecuting and
tough sentencing."