Paul Calder Le Roux, the mastermind behind a global business in drugs and gunrunning, made his first public appearance in an American courtroom Wednesday morning, calmly detailing a list of international crimes that includes seven murders.
Under the watch of U.S. marshals at the federal courthouse in St. Paul, Le Roux calmly answered a barrage of questions about his empire and his relationship with Moran Oz, one of several co-defendants in a prescription drug conspiracy case brought by prosecutors in Minnesota.
Since much information about the case, including Le Roux's plea agreement, has been sealed under court order, Moran's defense attorney Robert Richman was trying to evince information for the defense during the three-hour hearing.
"Beneath that calm exterior is a ruthless killer," Richman said after the hearing.
Le Roux, who is in his mid-40s, was never flustered by Richman's questions about drug and weapons deals and his cooperation as a government witness against several of his alleged underlings. He often played with his fingernails, only occasionally lowering his gaze away from Richman.
Le Roux first came to the attention of federal investigators in 2007, when DEA agents in Minnesota stumbled upon one of his businesses, RX Limited, which sold prescription drugs online using a pharmacy in Chicago. After his capture, he helped the government build a case against other men associated with the business, according to documents reviewed by the Star Tribune.
Le Roux was captured by U.S. agents in Liberia four years ago. He had traveled to Liberia from a base in South America to set up a methamphetamine lab for a Colombia drug cartel in exchange for cocaine, he said.
In January, Keyes granted a motion by Oz, who is now in St. Paul on bail awaiting trial, to compel Le Roux to appear. It was the first time the men had seen each other since Le Roux's arrest.
