February 7, 2020 — A First Circuit judge voiced concern Thursday with an interrogation of a former sheriff’s department captain convicted of aiding the overseas profit-smuggling activities of New England’s notorious fishing magnate “the Codfather.”
As noted by Jamie Melo’s attorney Gary Pelletier, the interrogation occurred for four hours in Melo’s home without being a Miranda warning.
Though Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Quinlivan argued that Miranda warnings weren’t required because Melo wasn’t in custody and was free to leave at any time, U.S. Circuit Judge David Barron sounded skeptical.
“I mean, the officers obviously weren’t there just to chat,” he deadpanned.
Melo was accused of distributing envelopes containing large amounts of cash to associates in the men’s room of Boston’s Logan Airport before the group went through security. The group, including the Codfather, was traveling to Portugal for a charitable fundraiser called Thanksgiving in the Azores that was sponsored by the sheriff’s department. Once in the Azores, the Codfather allegedly received the envelopes back and then deposited $76,000 in cash in a bank account.
Melo claims he was innocently doing a favor for a prominent local businessman involved in the charity project and had no idea know what was in the envelopes.