NewzMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal immigration officer charged with shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man in January and lying about the circumstances to investigators made a brief initial appearance Thursday before a Minnesota judge after state authorities arrested him ahead of a separate hearing in federal court.During Thursday's hearing, Judge Paul Scoggin granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro bond. Castro wore an orange jumpsuit and appeared behind a glass enclosure.His attorney, Daniel Gerdts, declined to comment after the hearing.Castro was being held without bond after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested him on Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis on state charges of assault and false reporting of a crime stemming from the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Scoggin set bail at $400,000 with no conditions and $200,000 with conditions.Castro also faces federal charges stemming from the shooting, which occurred during a federal immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area.
Prosecutors say Castro falsely told investigators that he had been attacked with a broom and a shovel.Christian Castro's arrest happened months after Minnesota charged himCastro's arrest by Minnesota authorities and appearance in state court followed a dispute between Minnesota prosecutors and Texas' governor over Minnesota's attempts to extradite Castro from his home state to face the state charges. One of the conditions Scoggin set for the lower bail amount for Castro was that he not fight extradition should he be released.The lead prosecutor for the county handling the state case told reporters after the hearing that “Castro invented a story to justify shooting through a front door into a house with multiple people in it.”“His appearence in a Hennepin County courtroom today is a critical step in our efforts to hold him accountable for that shooting,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a news conference.The federal case also accuses Castro of lying about the shootingThe next court hearing for Castro is scheduled for Friday. That hearing will be in federal court in St.
Paul and involves the separate federal case in which he is charged with making false statements to investigators regarding the same shooting. Castro’s defense attorneys in the federal case have said he plans to plead not guilty.It’s the first Justice Departmen… That hearing will be in federal court in Minneapolis and involves the separate federal case in which he is charged with making false statements to investigators regarding the same shooting.
Summary from source