"International Fugitive" Nickolas Spanos, labelled as the "hub of a drug syndicate" that allegedly distributed more that 600 kilos in the Richmond, Virginia area. A multi-jurisdictional grand jury issued 13 indictments for conspiracy to distribute cocaine with no material evidence but based only on the testimony of witnesses. For almost 20 years, prosecutors avoided and hid extradition for the fugitive, they tried their best to keep him away from the USA than bring him back to be prosecuted,
McGuireWoods disavows long term partner Howard "Toby" Vick over corruption involving international fugitive.
McGuireWoods law firm has terminated and disavowed one of its most distinguished partners, Howard C. Vick Jr., over deep state corruption allegations spanning over twenty years.
Inside sources at McGuireWoods have stated that Howard "Toby" Vick had been involved in corruption allegations in a FBI complaint filed, which involved bribery, coercion, illegal state and federal government activity, and numerous legal ethics violations.
McGuireWoods law firm is one of the largest firms internationally with over twenty-one offices and 1100 lawyers.
Since joining McGuireWoods, his practice includes all aspects of the white collar practice, from providing counsel on compliance programs, conducting internal investigations and audits, to the handling of trials. Toby has 32 years of trial experience and has tried more than 60 jury trials. He has tried cases in Federal courts in the Eastern and Western District of Virginia, the Southern Districts of Florida and Texas, the District of Louisiana and the State Courts of Virginia.
The complaints originate from a case that Howard Vick had investigated and brought grand jury charges against an international fugitive who was indicted on thirteen indictments of drug trafficking in Richmond, Virginia.
Howard Vick was the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney handling the fugitives case in 1998-1999. Howard Vick had tipped off the fugitive that he was being indicted by a multi-jurisdictional grand jury for conspiring to distribute 600 kilos of cocaine over a 10 year period.
The fugitive named in the grand jury indictments is Nickolas G. Spanos, who fled to Greece and has been protected by Howard Vick and other high profile McGuireWoods partners, for over twenty years.
James B. Comey, a prior McGuireWoods partner, was a U.S. Attorney based in Richmond, had allegedly conspired with Howard Vick to have federal Unlawful Flight warrants dismissed secretly against the fugitive, which allowed him to renew his U.S. passport and evade law authorities.
The foundation of the illegal protection of the fugitive spans over twenty years and has been passed down through three generations of Henrico county Commonwealth attorneys.
During the term of Howard Vick's career as a Commonwealth attorney, the investigation of the international fugitive Nickolas Spanos came into conflict with Howard Vick's future plans to join his long time friend, Richard Cullen at McGuireWoods law firm. Howard Vick was negotiating a partnership with McGuireWoods but Nickolas Spanos and his family were clients of McGuireWoods with estate holdings worth millions.
Howard Vick was left with a devil dealing decision, either arrest and prosecute Nickolas Spanos for conspiracy to distribute over 600 kilos of cocaine in the Richmond area or assist and protect the fugitive from being extradited back to the United States and be prosecuted in Henrico County Circuit Court.
Howard Vick chose to take the bribe and break his sworn oath as a Virginia Commonwealth attorney, which appears to have paid well economically, as Vick has built a small fortune at McGuireWoods and recently bought a home in Windsor farms for $2.2 million, as well as a vacation home in Coral Cables Florida.
As much as the McGuireWoods criminal syndicate has tried to keep the fugitive off the radar, his case continues to live in Henrico Circuit court. With no effort from past and present Commonwealth attorneys to successfully extradite Spanos but instead continue the protection by McGuireWoods, even recently as 2019, assisting Spanos to obtain a U.S. passport.
Its no wonder that McGuireWoods is known as the shadow government with powerful connections in all branches of the U.S. government.
Evidence of collusion exhibited in Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney's office in international fugitives case
Just days before the January 19, 2019 Motion To Dismiss thirteen indictments for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, the HCCA went into negotiations with the defendant Nickolas Spanos and his attorney Jay Pickus, who was recently retained to represent him. What takes place over the following weeks have raised stronger suspicions of collusion between the HCCA and the FBI. The unanswered question of why Shannon Taylor and the Richmond FBI refuse to bring the defendant Nickolas Spanos back to Virginia to face allegations that he was the "hub of a 600 kilo cocaine distribution organization". Further investigations produced evidence of the HCCA's main witness, an ex-girlfriend of Spanos, known as witness "L" in the grand jury indictments as not credible, with a history of mental illness, suicide attempt, and perjury. The most damaging allegations is that witness "L" and the HPD investigator in the Spanos case, were having a personal relationship from 1999 which lasted a few years. The HPD investigator was later employed by the FBI Richmond office. It is alleged that the original HCCA Howard Vick, knew of witness "L" lack of credibility and serious mental health problems, and later discovered about the personal relationship between his main witness and the HPD investigator. During negotiations with Spanos's attorney Jay Pickus, the serious allegations surfaced in a blog titled "Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney's con artist Witness "L", in an attempt to keep the evidence from going public, the HCCA and the FBI, immediately moved to dismiss the federal UFAP warrant and the INTERPOL Red notice against Spanos. It is unheard of that the HCCA & FBI would support dismissing a federal UFAP warrant and an INTERPOL Red notice without the fugitive being arrested, arraigned and the indictments being decided in a court hearing. The fact that witness "L" and the HPD investigator were allegedly having a personal relationship, combined with witness "L" serious mental history, including a suicideattempt which kept witness "L" in a St. Mary's hospital mental suicide watch for 48 hours, were never disclosed to Spanos's co-conspirators defense attorneys,which the HCCA was obligated to due so under the Brady Rule Law. Brady Rule Definition: named after Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), requires prosecutors to disclose materially exculpatory evidence in the government's possession to the defense. A "Brady material" or evidence the prosecutor is required to disclose under this rule includes any evidence favorable to the accused--evidence that goes towards negating a defendant's guilt, that would reduce a defendant's potential sentence, or evidence going to the credibility of a witness. The serious implications is that the three co-conspirators pleaded guilty in plea bargain agreements, which they possible would not have if the exculpatory evidence was disclosed, as obligated by law, in which the co-conspirators went to prison for three to fifteen years. The biggest question goes unanswered by Shannon Taylor and the FBI, "why did Taylor refuse to extradite the fugitive from the Philippines, despite his arrest and U.S. embassy legal attaches demanding his extradition otherwise he would be deported to Greece, his safe haven." A November 22, 2018 Motion for Transportation to be provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia from Greece to Virginia was submitted to Henrico Circuit Court. The defendant Spanos based his motion on case law that required the HCCA to have him escorted by federal marshals back to Virginia to be present for his January 19, 2019 hearing. A December 07, 2018 order signed by Judge Lee A. Harris denied the motion for transportation, which was not objected by HCCA Shannon Taylor. The obvious question stands out, why did Henrico Circuit court Judge L.A. Harris deny the motion to transport a suspected drug dealer who allegedly was the hub of an organization that distributed more than 600 kilos of cocaine in the Richmond area? The other big question is who is Shannon Taylor protecting, in refusing to bring the fugitive back to Virginia? With the new evidence presented, that three generations of HCCA knew that the main witness "L" with her history of serious mental history and they intentionally hid the exculpatory evidence from the co-conspirators defense attorneys? A prosecutors duty is to see that justice is served, if a main witness proves to be not credible or has serious mental issues, then the defense attorneys must be informed as per exculpatory rules. HCCA Shannon Taylor will have to disclose at some point on the exact reason who she is protecting and why Henrico County does not want the alleged cocaine dealer to appear in Henrico County.
Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney’s con artist Witness “L”
Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney Howard Vick described their main witness as “providing an enormous amount of information, including details about many other individuals’ involvement with the drug organisation….” against the accused Nickolas Spanos, who Vick labelled “the hub of a 600 kilo cocaine organisation.”
Witness “L” Sierra Elaina Cooke
The main witness is listed in the December 03, 1998 Richmond multi-jurisdictional grand jury as “Witness L”, aka Sierra Elaina Cooke, the ex-girlfriend and mother of Nickolas Spanos’s son. The separated couple had been in a turbulent relationship for eight years, which ended up in a custody battle over their son. Sierra Cooke wanted to reconcile with Spanos but he had moved on to another relationship, Sierra Cooke used her son as a weapon against Spanos, denying him visitation, despite getting over $670 per month in child support. Nickolas Spanos filed for full custody in Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic court.
Sierra Cooke had stooped to numerous desperate acts to retaliate against Spanos, filing a false charge of stalking against Spanos, despite her constant harassment of Spanos, following him to restaurants, bars and social events, confronting Spanos’s dates and relationships, claiming there were still a couple. Sierra Cooke physically assaulted him at his parent’s home late night and would stalk him at bars, throwing drinks at him at bars.
As time got closer to their custody hearing, Sierra E. Cooke began making claims of a drug organisation headed by Nickolas Spanos, which caught the ears of Henrico Police Department investigators J.L. Johnson and Clavert, in which she gave a exaggerated tale of a New York to Virginia organisation. The HPD detectives began their investigation of Nickolas Spanos, following him to social gatherings at public places, trespassing on his property and stealing his trash at his private residence, entering his residence under false pretences and illegally searching it, illegally searching his vehicle and attempting buy-bust operations. The detectives could not obtain any material evidence of narcotics trafficking against Spanos, despite two years of surveillance.
The HPD detectives and Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney Howard Vick knew that their main witness Sierra Cooke had serious mental issues, as she attempted suicide on Christmas day and was held for a seventy-two hour suicide watch, Sierra pleaded to be released and her parents stated “leave her in there, it will do her some good”. The custody hearings produced evidence of Sierra Cooke committing several acts of perjury and fabricated stories, which she could not explain. They also knew that Sierra Cooke was a con artist, as it was reported that she had committed at least two acts of insurance fraud, faking injury to get compensation.
In the December 03, 1998 grand jury hearings, in indictment CR07-67, Witness “L”, aka Sierra Cooke, admitted that she transported and sold large amounts of cocaine, admitted that she lived in the New Jersey-New York area, known for being a cocaine hub. Sierra Cooke admitted knowing a major cocaine dealer in New York named “Emilio”. Sierra Cooke admitted to being personally involved in drug transactions with two other cocaine dealers. Why wasn't Sierra Cooke charged with distribution of cocaine? Here we have a cocaine dealer admitting to being personally involved in large cocaine transactions over a period of at least five years and she gets a pass? Inside sources in the Henrico Commonwealth Attorney’s office stated that “it became known to us that Sierra Cooke and one of the HPD investigators has a close personal relationship for several years, another reason why we avoided to extradite him, for fear this would surface and be an embarrassment to us all”.
In our previous articles, The International Fugitive Chronicles”, https://virginiacorruptlawyers.blogspot.com/2017/11/when-extradition-for-international.html, we covered the corruption involved in the case of Nickolas Spanos. In the January 01, 2019 article, Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor et al, faces serious problems for 2019, Sierra Cooke made negative comments about Nickolas Spanos, stating he was convicted of stalking and she was the victim of domestic violence. We were well aware of Spanos’s criminal record through our investigations, in which the only conviction he has is a misdemeanor for a DUI in 1998. We challenged Sierra Cooke to send us evidence of his conviction for stalking.
On January 25, 2019, Sierra Cooke sent us an email with a December 29, 1998 Style Weekly article written by Richard Foster, which stated that Nickolas Spanos was convicted of stalking and that Sierra Cooke was awarded $3000 in damages and that she was granted a verdict to keep a $10,000 engagement ring. We emailed Nickolas Spanos to verify this information, his email states that the stalking charge was dismissed, there was no damages awarded to Sierra Cooke and that the $10,000 engagement ring was returned to him after he won the civil case, adding the fact, Sierra Cooke and her mother attempted to appeal the decision but returned the valuable ring, to his Attorney Murray Janus, when they learned of the $10,000 bond needed to secure the appeal.
We emailed Sierra Cooke to provide us with any evidence of Nickolas Spanos conviction, the $3000 damages decision and the $10,000 engagement ring decision in her favour, Sierra Cooke has not responded to this writing. Surely if she kept a defamatory Style Weekly article from 1998, she would have retained court records giving merits to her claim. We verified with Henrico County Court that no such judgements have been recorded against Spanos.
We contacted Style Weekly reporter Richard Foster, who is still employed by Style Weekly, requesting evidence of the defamatory claims he wrote in his article, Richard Foster has yet to answer. Nickolas Spanos stated that, when we sent him the article for verification, “it was the first time he had seen it and was only aware of Richmond Times Dispatch articles written of him”. Spanos stated that he is in contact with Style Weekly about the defamatory article and is awaiting response from the Executive Editor.
We decided to look further into the strange claims of domestic violence by Sierra Cooke and requested to Nickolas Spanos to provide any facts that would dispute her claims. Nickolas Spanos stated that Sierra Cooke had even sent him a copy of his criminal record in September 2006, which showed no conviction for stalking, only a misdemeanor DUI conviction.
He further stated that Sierra Cooke had been chasing and harassing him for over 18 years, she went as far as to travel to Greece to meet him and reconcile with him. Spanos provided several emails and pictures of them in Greece. Its very strange that Witness L, Sierra Cooke, who is a alleged victim of domestic violence and feared for her life, that she would travel to Greece to meet Nickolas Spanos, begging him to forgive her and take her back.
Sierra Cooke 2006 Greece
We decided to further investigate Sierra Cooke and researched her background, on her LinkedIn profile, Sierra Cooke states that from 2014 to present day, she is employed by Safe Harbor as a Court Advocate. “I get so much more than what I offer . I am trained as a court advocate which is an extension of the CA office in Henrico, I work with victims of intimate partner violence. This experience has been life changing for me and hope for all those I offer my service to. This is truly a great cause on an enormous social issue.” We contacted Safe Harbor, a non-profit organization, about Sierra Cooke’s employment and training, which they have denied having any affiliation with Sierra Cooke.
SIERRA COOKE FALSE CLAIMS AS A COURT ADVOCATE FOR VICTIMS
Since we challenged Witness L Sierra Cooke to all her unsubstantiated claims, Sierra Cooke has not provided any evidence or responded to any of our emails, she has disappeared, the usual tactics of con artists when they are caught. We asked Nickolas Spanos why would she continue to harass him and make false claims, he stated ” it always has been about extortion, threats and blackmail, she knew that my family and I had a good reputation in Richmond and attempted to extort me for more child support money. I agreed to pay the exact amount that Henrico County Child Services calculated. Then she threatened me when our son was to begin college, if I did not pay his tuition, she would turn me into U.S. authorities for being a “fugitive from justice”, I denied her extortion threats and she notified the U.S. Embassy of my location in the Philippines. I would have gladly paid his tuition but she never abided by the Court child custody agreement, even from day one, she denied my visitation, I only saw my son 1 time in 20 years, when she sent him to Greece.
The Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney continues to stand behind Witness “L” Sierra Elaina Cooke despite knowing that she, on numerous court testimony gave false statements, committed perjury, insurance fraud, admitted to dealing large amounts of cocaine and continues to harass Nickolas Spanos. It appears that three generations of Henrico Commonwealth Attorneys can not admit that they have been scammed into a “witch hunt” and if they brought Nickolas Spanos to trial, it would be the biggest embarrassment of all times.
Virginia Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor et al, faces serious problems for 2019
The 20 year old case of an international fugitive accused of distributing more than 600 kilos of cocaine in the Richmond area could bring career ending sanctions and criminal charges for Henrico County Commonwealth Attorneys Shannon Taylor and Michael Feinmel.
Virginia Corrupt Lawyers was able to obtain a December 19, 2018 filing which demanded sanctions and investigations into HCCA office and the Henrico County Circuit Clerks office, stating criminal actions, Constitutional and Civil rights violations.
Deputy Commonwealth Attorney Michael Y. Feinmel is accused of perjury, submitting false evidence and witnesses in his July 21, 2014 affidavit requesting extradition from Greece for the international fugitive Nickolas Spanos, he is also accused of Constitutional and Civil rights violations, which is a federal crime under U.S. Sec. 242 of Title 18, violation of the Color of Law.
A long list of prosecutorial misconduct, blatant disregard for the rules and procedures of the Virginia Supreme Court and the Department of Justice procedures is stated in the sanctions filings.
Crucial missing documents and orders are missing from the Henrico County Circuit Court Clerks office. Staff in the Henrico County Circuit Courts office have verified that crucial motions and orders are missing from their files which have been recorded on their database management system. A hearing date for the Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice the 13 grand jury indictments is scheduled for January 17, 2019 in Henrico County Circuit Court by Judge L.A. Harris.
Copies of the complaint have been filed with the Virginia State Bar, in which Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor sits on the Legal Ethics Committee and was the 1st woman to be elected to the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney position.
More serious accusations of personal and professional gain are stated in the complaint filed, in which Henrico County Circuit Court Judge L. A. Harris will decide if and what sanctions will be imposed, more serious is if Judge L.A. Harris will turn over the sanction filed to federal authorities for investigation.
CA Shannon Taylor and Michael Feinmel inherited the international fugitives case from ex-HCCA Howard Vick and Wade Kizer. The highly peculiar case continues to raise many suspicions on why the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorneys office has avoided to extradite the international fugitive. Howard Vick is a partner with McGuireWoods law firm, the same law firm who represented the accused drug dealer for over 25 years.
The irregular actions of three generations of HCCA, amounting to over 20 years, have given a strong basis for dismissing 13 grand jury indictments against the accused drug dealer.
Present HCCA Shannon Taylor is scheduled to represent the Democratic party in the 2019 Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney elections slated for November 2019, but her chances seem to be extinguished with the illegal actions involving the Nickolas Spanos case.
It is uncomprehendable of why would 3 generations of HCCA would be giving safe haven to an international fugitive from being extradited, violating their sworn oath, risking their professional careers and possibly being charged with felonies.
NIGHTMARES CONTINUE FOR VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY SHANNON TAYLOR
The day has come that Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor has been having nightmares about, on September 26, 2018, "International Fugitive" Nickolas Spanos has filed his "Motion to Dismiss with Prejudice" thirteen indictments for conspiracy to distribute cocaine dating back from 1998-1999. In his motion, he has exposed the "shadow government" that has controlled the Virginia justice system for at least 20 years and has put 3 generations of Henrico Prosecutors in the hot seat.
In his 300 page motion to dismiss the thirteen indictments, 240 pages are exhibits of evidence exposing the McGuireWoods "shadow government" controlling the Henrico Commonwealth Attorneys office, which done its best to keep the "international fugitive" from being prosecuted in the Henrico County courts, for allegedly distributing over 600 kilos of cocaine in the Richmond for over ten years.
The motion to dismiss is highly unusual in many ways:
The thirteen grand jury indictments are from 1998-99, twenty years old.
The Defendant is acting Pro Se, representing himself.
The Defendant is located in Greece and has filed his motion to be heard by video and audio conference.
The Defendant has offered numerous times to turn himself in to U.S. DOJ officials and voluntarily be extradited to Virginia to face trial but HCCA Shannon Taylor refused to pay for his flight.
The Defendant had been arrested in the Philippines in 2012 and was awaiting extradition for 19 months but HCCA Shannon Taylor refused to file an extradition request and the fugitive was sent back to his safe haven of Greece.
The original HCCA Howard "Toby" Vick, who claimed that Spanos was the "hub of an organization that distributed over 600 kilos of cocaine", had the sole responsibility to bring the fugitive to justice but betrayed his sworn duty to the Commonwealth of Virginia in order to get his "golden ticket" with McGuireWoods law firm. Until now, his "bribe" has paid off well, Howard Vick co-heads of the firm's white collar practice of McGuireWoods largest office out of 26 offices located internationally. CLICK TO SEE HOWARD VICK PROFILE
Howard Vick's decision to become deaf and blind as Henrico Chief prosecutor has earned him a mansion in Windsor farms worth over $2,000,000 and a summer home in Coral Cables, Florida.
The evidence of the September 26, 2018 motion exposes the "shadow government" operated by McGuireWoods law firm, the same law firm that represented Nickolas Spanos and his family. During the grand jury hearings, HCCA Howard "Toby" Vick was negotiating his partnership with McGuireWoods law firm and within one year of the last indictments being issued against Spanos, Howard Vick resigned early from the HCCA to join his mentor, Richard Cullen, the managing partner of McGuireWoods law firm.
Evidence of ex-FBI director James B. Comey is entangled in the "shadow government", James Comey was the assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia in 2001, who for no valid reason, voluntarily dismissed the Federal UFAP warrant against Nickolas Spanos. The 13 indictments were still active, there was no logic in dismissing the UFAP warrant, which took Spanos off the national and international criminal database and allowed him to renew his U.S. passport in 2006. James B. Comey was also a McGuireWoods partner prior to his joining the U.S. DOJ. Richard Cullen is also the godfather of one of James Comey's daughters.
The Motion to dismiss is based on the violation of Spanos's Constitutional rights, primarily the Speedy Trial Act of 1974. The evidence submitted shows that there was highly suspicious activity between the Henrico Commonwealths Attorney's office, U.S. Attorney's office (Richmond) and McGuireWoods law firm, concerning their lack of effort to extradite the fugitive despite knowing his exact location.
For over 20 years, FBI officials in Virginia, Manila, Philippines and Greece had given the Henrico Commonwealth Attorneys exact information about Spanos to have him extradited to Virginia to be prosecuted but HCCA Howard Vick, Wade Kizer and Shannon Taylor refused to take any action, despite Spanos being arrested and detained in the Philippines for over 19 months awaiting extradition.
This unusual case is scheduled to be heard on January 17, 2019 at the Henrico Circuit Court and is one to follow as it will put pressure on the hearing judge to either abide by his sworn duty and uphold the Constitution or fall into the claws of the "shadow government".
Evidence exposed of the McGuireWoods "shadow government" operating in Virginia's justice system is protected by the FBI.
As with any syndicate operating, protection is priority in order for the syndicate to flourish. Whether it be a mafia, gang or even a large law firm, infiltrating the justice system is the "insurance" in case things go wrong and the activity is exposed. To protect their operations or the members of the syndicate, certain tactics are used, either threats, bribes or positions, in any case, the law is being broken. But when the criminal syndicate is operating within the justice system, who investigates the syndicate members? The answer is the DOJ's watchdog, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but who investigates the FBI when they are part of this syndicate?
Our investigation into the Nickolas Spanos fugitive case has opened a can of worms that has turned into a nightmare for the FBI. The watchdog which has become part of the criminal syndicate can not prosecute its own, especially when the roots of this syndicate reaches the White house.
Criminal complaints were filed with the FBI White Collar Crime Richmond division about this criminal syndicate that has done its best to keep the fugitive Nickolas Spanos from being returned to Virginia to face the 13 grand jury indictments. The FBI Special Agent, Kathryn Weber, who took the report was quoted "Give me some time to digest all this", obviously shocked at the evidence that was given to her., the report was passed up to her superiors. Despite all the evidence of laws being shattered, the investigation has ended abruptly.
As we had covered in our earlier blogs about "avoiding to extradite a fugitive", we had exposed the big question of why the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney has done its best to keep a fugitive, who allegedly distributed more than 600 kilos of cocaine in the Richmond area, from facing the 13 indictments by a grand jury in 1998-99. Despite his known location over the past 20 years and being arrested twice in order to be extradited, the HCCA continues to protect this fugitive, even though the fugitive Nickolas Spanos has even offered to turn himself in to the FBI in Athens, Greece, the HCCA does not want him.
An email given to our investigators states that HCCA Shannon Taylor will not pay for the one way ticket for Nickolas Spanos to return to Virginia and be prosecuted for 13 grand jury indictments and allegedly distributing more that 600 kilos of cocaine. Shannon Taylor stated to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office that "Nickolas Spanos must voluntarily return to Virginia". How is that possible when Nickolas Spanos no longer has a U.S. passport and has an Interpol arrest warrant (red notice) issued in his name. Even if he bought the ticket, his name would appear in the airlines database and he would be denied a flight since he is an active fugitive. The Commonwealth is "obligated" to return a "fugitive from justice" by any legal means.
This fugitive has a high price on his head but the HCCA Shannon Taylor does not want to pay for a $400 plane ticket? What is $400 next to the failed extradition costs of over $100,000 in Greece? Add in the fact that Nickolas Spanos was arrested in the Philippines and held for 19 months awaiting extradition while HCCA Shannon Taylor committed perjury, shut the door on the Virginia justice system and would not answer the requests of the FBI in Manila to extradite Nickolas Spanos back to Virginia. Even the Philippine DOJ pleaded with HCCA Shannon Taylor to provide authenticated copies of the 13 grand jury indictments but she refused to answer their emails and calls.
This raises many suspicions along with questions, exactly who is HCCA Shannon Taylor protecting? The obvious answer is Nickolas Spanos but he is not alone, McGuireWoods Howard Vick is also a target as Howard Vick was the HCCA when the 13 grand jury indictments were issued in 1998-99 and despite having a Federal warrant issued to bring back fugitive Nickolas Spanos, HCCA Howard Vick did not even bother to cancel Spanos's U.S. passport or inform the Greek DOJ that Spanos had overstayed his 60 day visa, in which the Greek authorities would have been more than happy to send back an "international fugitive" that allegedly distributed more than 600 kilos of cocaine and make big names for themselves in the international media.
Why bother with prosecuting an international fugitive when Howard Vick had better things to do, like negotiating his "golden ticket" partnership with McGuireWoods Richard Cullen. If Howard Vick brought back Nickolas Spanos, his "golden ticket" would have been extinguished, as Nickolas Spanos was a client of McGuireWoods.
In protecting Howard Vick, Shannon Taylor is protecting Richard Cullen, because Richard Cullen is the head of the McGuireWoods "shadow government" and Richard Cullen is probably the most powerful lawyer in the United States at this writing. Richard Cullen is VP Mike Pence attorney as well as other powerful individuals, see article Richard Cullen facts. Just recently, President Trump appointed Richard Cullen's son, Thomas Cullen to the U.S. Attorney for the western district of Virginia, thus expanding the strong roots of McGuireWoods "shadow government" in Virginia, see the RTD article opinion by columnist Jeff Schapiro, Like father, kind of like son.
Ex-FBI Director James B. Comey, a previous McGuireWoods partner hired by Richard Cullen, was the U.S. Attorney who voluntarily dismissed the December 14, 1998 UFAP warrant on July 06, 2001. There is absolutely no reason to dismiss a Federal UFAP warrant unless the 1998-99 13 grand jury indictments had been dismissed but the subject grand jury indictments are still active. SEE JAMES COMEY ARTICLE, Richard Cullen was the main supporter of James B. Comey's appointment to be the FBI Director.
All the evidence is clear in Virginia's Shadow Government
James Comey joins the deep corruption involving "International fugitive" Nickolas Spanos
On July 06 2001, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia James Comey signed an order to dismiss a Federal Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution warrant against Nickolas Spanos
The original federal UFAP warrant was issued on December 11, 1998, by request of the Henrico County P.D. to the FBI, which issued the affidavit to issues the UFAP warrant. The December 11, 1998 affidavit contained enough information to have Nickolas Spanos extradited from Greece, even his exact location given by family members, "Spanos is currently residing with an Uncle in Athens, Greece". The uncles address is listed in Henrico county property and tax records, as he was a partner with other Spanos family members. Click to View 1998-2001 federal UFAP file See our previous article, Henrico County Circuit Court and U.S. Attorney federal files go missing in International Fugitives case The U.S. Attorneys office, Richmond Division, searched effortlessly through numerous archive data files to locate the missing file and recently located them in Richmond City Circuit Court archives. The big question has been answered on who was powerful enough to have these 1998-2001 files go missing. Why would U.S. Attorney James Comey have the federal UFAP warrant dismissed, if the 1998-99 13 indictments for Conspiracy to distribute cocaine were still active active. There is no statute of limitations on a federal UFAP warrant, and the indictments are still active, thus there is no reason to dismiss the subject UFAP warrants unless James Comey was instructed by someone who had a vested interest to dismiss them. An inside source at the U.S. Attorneys office stated that in an inter-agency letter signed by James Comey, his reasons for dismissing the subject UFAP warrant was that "the U.S. government and Greece have no extradition treaty and Nickolas Spanos could not be extradited back to Virginia". By making this written statement, James Comey has committed both illegal and ethical violations, as the U.S. government and Greece had ratified an extradition treaty in 1932 and narcotics offences are listed in the extradition treaty. Click to view U.S. - Greece 1932 extradition treaty In our previous articles, the same name keeps appearing, Richard Cullen, one of the most powerful attorneys in the Washington political arena.Click to view Richard Cullen: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Lets look at the connection between Richard Cullen and James Comey. According to The Washington Post, Richard Cullen once worked with James Comey at McGuireWoods; Comey was hired to work at the law firm in 1993, and he became a partner in 1996 and not only is Cullen his “close associate,” as news reports described, Cullen is godfather to one of Comey’s daughters. Click to view Richard Cullen is the "godfather" of James Comey's daughter When James Comey was picked to be director of the FBI, Richard Cullen expressed his approval, telling the Richmond Times-Dispatch that Comey “will be a great director. There are many people in Richmond who remember him and his family fondly and are very pleased that the president has chosen him for such a vitally important position.” Richard Cullen obstructed justice by having U.S. Attorney James Comey dismiss the federal UFAP warrants against Nickolas Spanos. This illegal action was for the sole purpose of being able to recruit HCCA Howard Vick to McGuireWoods in 2000, thus covering up the path of corruption. Furthermore, by having the 1998-2001 federal warrant purged from the Henrico County Circuit Court, the Commonwealth Attorneys office and the U.S. Attorneys office files, adds more seriousness to the obstruction of justice.
Howard Vick, as the HCCA in 1998-2000, was legally and ethically obligated to pursue "International fugitive" Nickolas Spanos by cancelling his U.S. passport and notifying Greek DOJ authorities to have him deported as an "undocumented alien", an extradition request to Greece DOJ would have been an extra step which would have proved successful as Greece has no tolerance for narcotics trafficking/distribution. In the July 06, 2001 FBI affidavit, Henrico police investigator J.T. Johnson stated "requested the assistance of the FBI in locating Spanos and assured that the Commonwealth of Virginia would extradite Spanos upon his arrest." This is a very opposite message that HCCA Howard Vick has given, considering Howard Vick knew Spanos's exact location, Spanos was not a citizen of Greece until March 2000 and that the U.S. government and Greece have an extradition treaty.
