Was The Murder Of A Federal Judge An “Intelligence” Operation?
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The story of the Chagra’s, Charles Harrelson, and the murder of Federal Judge ‘Maximum” John Wood is a long and twisted mystery that has not quite been solved. The characters include; Lee and Jimmy and Joe Chagra, acknowledged hit-man Charles Harrelson, and Federal Judge “Maximum” John Wood, and various family members. Let’s not forget the Feds, the attorneys, and a host of federal inmates seeking early release.
This case is confusing, with multiple sources and different timelines. In a nutshell, Lee Chagra was a successful attorney who was murdered, Jimmy Chagra was a major drug importer, Joe Chagra, a modest attorney who was certainly framed for the murder of Federal Judge John Wood, allegedly shot by Charles Harrelson.
Please bear with me and read further on to see where this is going; I am relying on several books, and some special knowledge about the case. What I say may possibly give some relief to the Chagra and Harrelson families, and further complicate the case for the feds and the survivors of Judge Wood.
First, let’s take a look at the Chagra brothers:
The Father: Joseph Bush’ada, a Lebanese turned Mexican, who in the words of author Gary Cartwright, (“Dirty Dealing”) “Was a dead ringer for Pancho Villa, was imprisoned and almost shot before he and his family could escape across the border into El Paso.”
Lee Chagra: (the oldest brother) Reportedly a brilliant attorney, shot in his office 3 days before Christmas, 1978. Won various trials against the government and had quite a reputation for beating drug laws.
For more on Lee Chagra, and Gary Cartwright’s huge article on the subject, please see
https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/the-black-striker-gets-hit/
Jimmy Chagra: The middle-brother, father of author Catherine Chagra, major drug importer. Was also in prison, acquitted of Wood murder when trial was moved to Florida, Jimmy Chagra was held on lesser charges.
Joe Chagra: The youngest brother, also an attorney. Likely framed for the Judge Wood assassination.
Inmates
Calvin Wright: Described by Author Gary Cartwright as a “shadowy figure” who was a mercenary for Air America in Vietnam (much more on Wright later)
Jerry Ray James: (Described by author Gary Cartwright) as a “Godfather” of the Dixie Mafia, (More on James later)
Charles Harrelson: Known Hit-man, the father of actor Woody Harrelson, convicted for shooting Judge Wood, also claimed to be involved in the Kennedy Assassination
(Many more)
The Books
“The Strength of the Pack”, by Douglas Valentine
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As usual with Valentine, his work names a lot of names, also speculates on issues related to his other interviews with DEA,CIA officials. Great reporting, really good reference book. The only book listed with a true index and table of contents.
“Dirty Dealing” by Gary Cartwright
Encyclopedic volume on the subject, unfortunately no index or true table of contents.
“Chagra: The King Of Dope”, by Catherine Chagra
Also no index, but lots of inside stories about the Chagra family
“Crossfire- The Plot That Killed Kennedy”, by Jim Marrs
Somewhat outdated, Marrs was the only researcher I could find in my library that speculated that Charles Harrelson may have been involved in the Kennedy Assassination. Primarily used to describe those circumstances.
Cartwright in “Dirty Dealing” names who the authorities really think the picture depicting Harrelson and the two other “Tramps” are. It seems like the authorities would do anything to cover-up this event.
Note: Book subtitles were not included
From the “Texas Monthly” article: “Charles Harrelson was convicted, in 1982, of killing Judge John Wood for $250,000. Joe Chagra; Harrelson’s wife, Jo Ann; and Jimmy Chagra’s wife, Elizabeth, were found guilty as conspirators; Jimmy Chagra was acquitted of murder charges but convicted of lesser charges.”
Way too much to go into here, but lets consider Lee Chagra was shot to death in his office, allegedly by two soldiers Named White and Wallace, likely engineered by Lou Esper at the behest of organized crime. Allegedly, $450,000 of money owed to the Bononano crime family was stolen.
The murder occurred at nearly the same time as an attempted hit on Assistant United States Attorney James Kerr. On Nov. 21 1978, Kerr was pulling out of his driveway to go to work when a van pulled up, the back doors opened, and “bullets and buckshot” sprayed his car. Kerr was largely unharmed.
So, we had the attempted murder of AUSA Kerr.
We also had the murder of Lee Chagra, with money stolen.
The prosecutors leaned to a hit on Kerr by The Banditos Motorcycle Club, which was a perennial target on any case.
Lee Chagra was allegedly killed by the two soldiers from Ft. Bliss. We later find out that a very large amount of money was being held in Chagra’s office for the Bonanno crime family, to pay for a failed Jimmy Chagra shipment of pot. That money was missing also.
Enter Charles Harrelson. Harrelson was convicted of killing Federal Judge John Wood. Wood was killed with a high-powered rifle, shot in the back from a distance.
The shooter might actually been a shady underworld figure named Larry Culbreath, or..
Judge Wood killing
The twisted tale of the killing of Judge Wood travels from the Kennedy assassination to the Trump Legal team, in that case through attorney Sidney Powell, not to mention the actual killing of Wood in 1979.
Harrleson and some others have done time for this. Harrelson, best known as the father of actor Woody Harrelson, was caught by law enforcement in a cocaine stupor, pointing a gun at himself and claiming he killed both Wood and Kennedy. Maybe he killed Wood, but Harrelson admitting his involvement in the Kennedy assassination was probably just bragging rites.
Either way, Judge Wood was shot by a high-powered rifle at about 8:30 am while he was changing a tire on his way to work. Cartwright writes: “..the killer’s method was precise, professional, and deadly.”
The Feds went after the Banditos Motorcycle Club, and Jimmy Chagra, who they had been trying to lock up for a while. (The Banditos may have planned the attempted assassination of Kerr.)
The murder of Judge Wood occurred as Jimmy Chagra was preparing to appear in Woods’ court, and the Feds wanted to nail the Chagra’s.
Harrleson, a known hit-man, was imprisoned along with Jimmy Chagra and Jerry Ray James of The Dixie Mafia.
In prison, the Feds obtained voice tapes of Jimmy and Joe Chagra allegedly discussing the Harrelson hit on Wood, the tapes were apparently heavily edited.
Harrelson, who had actually been involved in running guns with Jack Ruby – and claims to have been one of “The Three Tramps” photographed at the time of The Kennedy assassination (unlikely, according to contemporary experts, and more recent identification.)
However, Harrelson is an acknowledged hit-man.
We intend to show how corrupt the intelligence agencies, CIA, FBI and DEA have been in this case.
To begin with, Douglas Valentine writes in “The Strength of the Pack” (chapter 27) that “The CIA’s interest in the Chagra’s may have evolved from the allegation that Chagra’s Syrian contacts had terrorist partners in a Middle East arms-for-heroin operation in Mexico. If so, the CIA would have attempted to penetrate it.” (From interviews)
Valentine has said in interviews and written in “The Strength of the Pack” that the DEA was basically taken over by the CIA.
From “Dirty Dealing” by Gary Cartwright:
(p. 35) “Almost all of Chagra’s clients who had been sent to prison reported visits from DEA agents who pumped them for information..” (Attorney Lee Chagra)
(P.36-37) President Nixon and G.Gordon Liddy planned Nixon’s drug war. Liddy played a Nazi propaganda film to inspire Nixon’s inner circle. Liddy also discussed (with The CIA ) the possibility of assassinating drug traffickers.
(P. 40) The DEA (and CIA) dealt with Robert Vesco and Howard Hughes.
(P.42) DEA Agents lied under oath.
(P.133) Nov. 21, 1978 assassination attempt on AUSA Kerr
(P. 138) Dec. 23, 1978 assassination and robbery of Attorney Lee Chagra
(P. 140) Bonnano’s Mafia money disappears ($450,000) from Lee Chagra’s office during hit
(more)
(P.183) Charles Harrelson introduced to Jimmy Chagra at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino– Harrelson claimed to only want to scam Chagra, prosecutors claim the planning on the Woods hit began.
(P. 193) The Banditos Motorcycle Club (certainly no angels) gets blamed for everything.
(P.197) Oscar Goodman becomes Jimmy Chagra’s attorney (more on Goodman later)
(P. 211) Lou Esper may be responsible for Lee Chagra’s murder, likely involving Mafia interests
(P. 214) Harrelson believes the DEA supervised the assassination of Judge Wood
From “The Strength Of The Pack”, by Douglas Valentine:
Chapter 27- Chagra interacts with The Patriarca crime family in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, accuses the DEA of corruption. Patriarca reportedly accepted $4 million from The CIA in 1960 to kill Fidel Castro. Reportedly in 1978, Patriarca summoned Jimmy Chagra to Boston.
(much too much to list here)
In 1979, a Ft. Worth policeman told the FBI that one of his informants said “Little Larry” Culbreath had been paid $1,000,000 to kill Wood
Back to Cartwright’s “Dirty Dealing”, on page 230 Calvin Wright, imprisoned with Jimmy Chagra and Jerry Ray James, “Wright, a shadowy figure who had worked as a mercenary for Air America (CIA)..”
(More on Calvin Wright soon).
In “A Note To The Second Edition” by former prosecutor Ray Caballero, Caballero writes:
“To make part of its case on Jimmy for Wood’s assassination, the government cut a deal with one of the meanest criminals of that time, Jerry Ray James. James, a brutal thug and the head of a ring of bank burglars, played a major role in the infamous New Mexico prison uprising. In exchange for testifying against Jimmy,the government got Ray out of prison and gave him a huge monetary reward.”
From “Chagra- The King Of Dope”, by Catherine Chagra:
(P.57, Jimmy Chagra) “I thought maybe the DEA had killed him, but my main thought was that the government was behind it.”
(P. 98) “Mom had said that it seemed like getting Jimmy Chagra was more important to The Justice Department than capturing the actual killer.” (Of Judge Wood)
Jimmy Chagra, the middle brother, was a major drug importer, his older brother Lee Chagra had beat the government in court many times. Younger brother Joe Chagra took part responsibility (likely a set-up) for the Wood assassination and did time for it. Jimmy Chagra was acquitted in a change of venue. Lee Chagra, of course, was murdered in his office. Lee and Jimmy were heavy drug users and gamblers. Joe Chagra was more low-key.
Now, for what is not in the books, from my notes:
In 1994 I had a source named Gary Eitel who was a federal whistle-blower, former Vietnam Helicopter pilot, and occasional CIA contractor. We became friends.
In a November 21st 1994 phone call I have notes for, Eitel described this (From my notes):
“Gary recruited to Angola ’76, crashed (Aircraft King Air) in Alaska.
Evergreen CIA copilot Calvin Wright flew (Missouri) with Gary crashed, had flown Judge woods hit-man-
Wright tried to recruit Tom M—-r who was also there- Big inside joke-
Earlier crew was executed-”
So a “Calvin Wright” who flew with Eitel in Alaska said he had flown Judge Woods’ hit-man.
Same Calvin Wright? I believe so, it all adds up.
I feel I can now write about this because Eitel, Harrelson, and Wright are all dead.
“Evergreen” refers to Evergreen Aviation, based in McMinnville, Oregon. Evergreen, now out of business, was a known CIA front. I do not know about “Tom M—-r, so I have cloaked his name.
Calvin Wright (according to Cartwright) called to a Minnesota phone. I had written Missouri. Either he had lived in Missouri, or it was spoken or written wrong, or it is a different guy. I don’t think he is a different guy. Wright is all over Cartwright’s “Dirty Dealing”. At one point, Wright, a competent helicopter pilot, was scheduled to helicopter-in and rescue Jimmy Chagra from prison, to vanish over the walls in less than two minutes.
Here is Wright’s service history:
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Branch of Service: Army
Service Unit/Ship: 189th Assault Helicopter Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Brigade
Location of Service: Pleiku, II Corps, and Central Highlands, Vietnam
Highest Rank: Chief Warrant Officer 2
Dates of Service: 1969-1973
Entrance into Service: Commissioned
Military Status: veteran
Service History Note: The veteran served as flight support for the 5th Special Forces intelligence operations in the Tri-border region of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.73580/
More of the above interview variously puts Wright in Alaska, running drugs, and in prison.
Wright was working intelligence for a helicopter assault battalion in “The Golden Triangle” (Opium) during the Vietnam War.
Wright was caught and had a trial in 1985 for taking a gun through an airport. His appeal was thrown out on a technicality.
Sometime in 2005 Wright attempted to sue The State of Nevada and and former attorney Oscar Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas at that time:
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/395/789/2427523/
FACTS
In January 2005, Calvin Wright decided to write a narrative about his participation in a Texas Hold `em poker game played in October 1980 in a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, while he was serving time there. In addition to Wright, fellow inmate Jimmy Chagra, then a client of Defendant Oscar Goodman, participated in the game. Wright claims Goodman, now the Mayor of Las Vegas, holds moneys totaling $500,000 to be paid to the game’s winner.[1]
In a February 2, 2005, letter sent to Goodman, Wright demanded Goodman arrange a $75,000 loan for Wright. As collateral, Wright offered a 10 percent ownership interest in the narrative. If Goodman exercised an option to dismiss the loan as fully paid within thirty days of Wright’s receipt of the money, Wright would allow Goodman to edit his name “where it may occur prior to marketing production” for the book. Wright also demanded Goodman arrange for Wright to be placed on payroll as a research and development consultant.
On February 15, 2005, Wright listened to a message on his answering machine from Chagra. Using a number with a Georgia area code, Wright returned Chagra’s call. He learned Goodman had given Chagra Wright’s number. Wright placed three subsequent calls to Chagra between February 18, 2005, and March 2, 2005. During their March 2, 2005, exchange, Wright contends he told Chagra he was filing for copyright protection on his book.[2] Wright claims Chagra told him he should reconsider writing his story, or Goodman might have Wright or his family hurt “or worse.” Chagra reminded Wright that Goodman is a person with “a lot of power, a lot of clout, and that [Goodman] knew many well connected people.” According to Wright, Chagra said he was speaking for Goodman. Wright then agreed to abandon writing his narrative.
Wright has also sent a number of letters to Goodman, which were unanswered. He also made a number of telephone calls to Goodman’s secretary, which remain unreturned.
Wright commenced this section 1983[3] action by filing a Complaint on March 14, *793 2005. He amended his Complaint on March 18, 2005.[4] As Defendants, he named Goodman in his official and personal capacities, the City of Las Vegas (the City), and the Las Vegas Mayor’s Office (Mayor’s Office). Wright claims Goodman violated his First Amendment rights by conspiring with Chagra to threaten him, forcing him to abandon writing his story.
Wright used a process server to effect service upon Defendants. An affidavit by the process server indicates he served a summons, the Complaint, and the Amended Complaint upon a Las Vegas city attorney on May 3, 2005. Although Wright mailed copies of his pleadings to Goodman, nothing indicates Goodman has been personally served with these documents.
The City, the Mayor’s Office, and Goodman, acting in his official capacity, have filed a motion to dismiss, alleging Wright has failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The City and Goodman, acting in his official capacity, have moved to dismiss for improper service of process. Finally, Goodman, acting in his personal capacity, has filed a motion to dismiss, alleging defects in personal jurisdiction, venue, and service of process. Wright resists all three motions.
The court dumped Wright because he did not serve papers correctly.
We know how corrupt the CIA, FBI, and DEA are from these and many other cases.
Here is a section of an interview between Barbera Walters and Woody Harrelson (For what it’s worth):
Interview portion -Transcript Woody Harrelson & Barbara Walters: https://www.oocities.org/hollywood/boulevard/2200/articles/bwtrans.html
Barbara Walters Interview, aired March,’97.
B. You know, you’ve had so much in your own childhood that most kids never have to face. It’s fairly well-known, if anyone has read anything about you or talked to you, that when you were seven years old, your father went off to prison, convicted of murder. Tell me how you feel today, what the story is today.
W. (with gravity) Well, he is in prison right now for the killing of a federal judge–I think that it was not a fair trial, especially because the guy who supposedly hired my father to commit the murder was later acquitted–on a retrial.
B. Woody, do you think your father is innocent of that second murder? That’s what I’ve heard..
W. I’m not saying my father’s a saint, but I think he’s innocent of that, yeah..
B. Are you trying to have the case opened up–trying to have it investigated, trying to set him free?
W. Well, let’s put it this way–I haven’t given up hope.
B. Hmm..You said once that you thought your father was a CIA operative–yes?
W. Yeah he was ..
B. How do you know? What proof?
W. Ah see I shouldn’t get into this right now. This is where we’re gonna get into trouble.
B. But this is something that you feel and that you’re trying to work on?
W. I know it’s true, but ah you know…(shrugging)
B. Does it make a difference?
W. That he was trained by the CIA? Yeah I think it makes a difference, yeah..
If the tale of Calvin Wright was correct, Wright said he was CIA and flew the Judge Wood assassin. Intelligence people had their shooter, they just needed a couple of “Oswalds” in Jimmy Chagra and Charles Harrelson.
In the words of Catherine Chagra in “Chagra – The King Of Dope – Drugs, Deceit and Dirty Darlings”
(About the killing of Judge Wood ) “Mom had said that getting Jimmy Chagra was more important to The Justice Department than capturing the actual killer.”
-John Titus
For more information, please see:
Dark History: The Muscle That Lifted Soloflex
Jerry Wilson and “The Soloflex Story”
http://www.viva-la-revolucion.org/documents/TheSoloflexStory.pdf
The books:
“The Strength of the Pack” by Douglas Valentine
“Dirty Dealing” by Gary Cartwright
“Chagra: The King Of Dope” by Catherine Chagra
Very interesting… thank you for the followup John. It raises many more questions that deserve to be answered. Like many other issues of our time the CIA, DEA, and FBI are known top be complicit in dealing drugs for money, arms, and for murder.