To write to RAMON LABAÑINO in the envelope write:
LUIS MEDINA
No. 58734-004
FCI JESUP
2680 301 SOUTH
JESUP, GA 31599
Born in the City of Havana on June 9, 1963, Ramón Labañino graduated summa cum laude in Economy from the University of Havana in 1986. In 1990 he married Elizabeth Palmeiro and they have two daughters: 15-year-old Laura and 11-year-old Lizbeth. Ramon also has another daughter, 21-year-old Ailí, from his first marriage.
On September 12, 1998 Ramón was arrested. He was held in preventative custody for thirty-three months before the sentence was passed and was isolated in special cell, known as “the hole”, designed for prisoners with serious disciplinary problems for almost 17 months prior to the trial and for 48 days after the verdict was passed. In February 2003 he was once again held in solitary confinement for almost a month without any reason being given.
His trial, held at the United States District Court Southern District of Florida, under Case No. 98-721-Cr-Lenard(S), began on November 26, 2000 and concluded on June 8, 2001, in Miami, Florida, home to over half a million Cuban exiles. Miami is a community with a long history of hostility toward the Cuban government - a record which a federal appellate court in the United States later described as a “perfect storm” of prejudice, precluding a fair trial.
Following his conviction, on December 13, 2001 he was sentenced to one life term plus 18 years of imprisonment for the charges of General Conspiracy, Conspiracy to commit espionage, False Identity and Conspiracy to act as a non-registered foreign agent.
Ramón is serving his sentence in McCreary United States Penitentiary (USP) in Kentucky.
On June 4, 2008, a three-judge panel send to Miami the case of Ramon Labanino to be re-sentenced by the same Judge that convicted him in the first place.
On January 30, 2009 legal team of the Cuban Five filed writ of certiorari with the US Supreme Court, asking the Court to examine the case.
On June 15, 2009, with no explanation, the US Supreme Court refused to review the case of the Cuban Five.
On December 8, 2009, the United States District Court in Southern Florida imposed a new sentence of 30 years to Ramon Labanino.
Ramon is currently in Miami until transferred back to Pine Knot or to another prision.
