If the information of the US Bureau of Federal Prisons is to be believed, the much-anticipated return of the former Manila congressman on Tuesday, Nov. 22, will have to wait. His projected release is reset to Dec. 13, 2005.
In a previous posting of Jimenez’s release by the US Bureau of Federal Prisons, his original "projected release was Nov. 5, 2005." This was exactly the day of the 20th month of his imprisonment in the Federal Correctional Institution in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
Although Jimenez was sentenced to 27 months in prison, the judge took off three months from his jail terms when he was placed under house arrest for three months. Jimenez also earned two months off for each of every year of good behavior. Since he entered prison on Jan. 5, 2004, his 20th month fell on Nov. 5, 2005.
It is not clear why his imprisonment is overdue by 39 days.
Jimenez did not respond to letters requesting interview sent by this reporter.
In his last interview by this reporter in Miami, Florida in Nov. 2003, Jimenez intimated that he planned to write a book while in detention.
United States Judge Patricia A. Seitz sentenced Jimenez to 27 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay the United States government $1.2 million restitution on charges of tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit election financing offenses.
The judge said Jimenez, as former chief executive officer and majority shareholder, used Future Tech International Inc. (FTI) to commit the fraud. He later pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion and one count of conspiracy.
Jimenez, who will turn 59 on Dec. 31, was a congressman of the sixth district of Manila. He was given a low end of the "level 18" of sentencing guideline that imposes a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 33 months in jail.
Shortly after his sentencing, Jimenez said, "I’m very pleased with the decision." "I’m probably the only person (from the Philippines involved in a highprofile case) who admitted his mistake."
"While most of the government officials in the Philippines were involved in committing corruption, I’m the only one involved in giving (away money). And I am the only one man enough to accept the consequences of his action. I apologize for my mistake. I vow not to make the same mistake again."
Jimenez was originally charged with 47 counts of superseding indictment in April 1999 stemming from his creation of Kalisol S.A., an Uruguayan company, as part of his scheme to transfer approximately $5 million in income out of the United States without paying income taxes.
Jimenez admitted that he used Kalisol to create false invoices to FTI for services that Kalisol never performed, and thereafter directed FTI employes to conceal the true nature of the FTI payments to Kalisol from the accountants who prepared his 1995 and 1996 personal income tax returns.
After paying the first $400,000 installment during his sentencing, Jimenez said he intended to pay the second installment of $400,000 balance for the restitution within 60 days. Afterwards, he will pay the third and final installment of $400,000.
He was also ordered to perform 150 hours of community work and will be placed under supervised release two to three years after serving out his sentence.
Jimenez told the court that he had gained wisdom from the case as "I learned a lot from the court." "I am not a sinner or saint but I paid for it (mistake)," he said.
