UPDATE: Sann Rodrigues Wants To Avoid ‘Con Air’ Flight

Sann Rodrigues.

Through defense counsel, TelexFree figure Sann Rodrigues said in court filings today that he wanted to avoid a flight on “Con Air” from Florida to Massachusetts to face a contempt proceeding in federal court there.

“Con Air” is a nickname for the Justice Prisoner & Alien Transportation System (JPATS) operated by the U.S. Marshals Service. It’s also the title of a 1997 action film starring Nicolas Cage about a prisoner transport gone bad.

Rodrigues, 44, is being held in Florida’s Pinellas County Jail, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Rodrigues resides in Davenport, Fla.

U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton of Massachusetts found Rodrigues in contempt last month and ordered him incarcerated on Jan. 15. The arrest was carried out yesterday by the Marshals, according to court filings.

Robert Eckard, the lawyer for Rodrigues, advised Gorton today that his client desires to remain in Florida pending further order of the court.

“The undersigned [Eckard] was advised by court personnel, before the start of yesterday’s hearing, that if the defendant was transported back to Boston for incarceration, it could take the United States Marshal’s service from one (1) to (3) months before the defendant would actually be back in Boston due [to] Federal Marshal service transportation routes, likely traversing the United States ending in California first before heading back to the east coast,” Eckard argued.

“If the defendant is transported back to Boston, this would cause significant problems for the undersigned to be able to timely and effectively communicate with the defendant either for this case or the unrelated pending criminal case in Boston once he is loaded onto ‘Con Air.'”

The SEC wants more information on whether Rodrigues will be held in Florida or Massachusetts, according to court filings.

“The Commission seek[s] clarification as to whether he needs to be transported to Massachusetts by the United States Marshals Service or whether he should remain incarcerated in Florida pending further order of this Court,” the SEC said. “If he needs to be detained in Massachusetts, the Commission seeks clarification as to whether he may travel on bond using a commercial carrier or whether he needs to be escorted by the U.S. Marshal[s] Service.”

NOTE: Thanks to the ASD Updates Blog.

UPDATE 6:14 P.M. ET JAN. 22 U.S.A. Judge Gorton has issued an order that will keep Rodrigues in a Florida jail until the contempt is purged or further notice of the court.