Talk:Robert Platshorn

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Page scope

Robert Platshorn is a biography of Robert Elliot Platshorn: his work before the Black Tuna Gang, his part in the ring, his two trials and his sentence, his years in prison and release, and his campaign for medical cannabis among older Floridians. The ring itself, its supplier and its shipments are covered on Black Tuna Gang. The court captions give his full name, Robert Elliot Platshorn; that form redirects here.

Sourcing

His part in the ring, his convictions and his sentence come from the federal appeals opinions, United States v. Phillips (Fifth Circuit, 1981) and United States v. Meinster (Fourth Circuit, 1980), and his later habeas petition from Platshorn v. Hahn (Fourth Circuit, 1999). His release date is the Federal Bureau of Prisons' record. His background, the start of the ring as he tells it and his account of his arrest in Colombia come from his interviews with Brantley Hargrove of Miami New Times (2008) and are attributed to him. His death date is from an obituary published by the Neptune Society, attributed to it. Time (1979) and Eduardo Sáenz Rovner (2011) are cited for the indictment. The Silver Tour comes from NBC 6 South Florida and HuffPost (2012), Miami New Times and The Forward (2019) and WMFE (2022); what he said about cannabis in those reports is his claim and is attributed. Discuss attribution and any claim that has lost its source here.

Discussion

How the ring began

The Fifth Circuit dates the start to August 1974, when a Florida dealer arranged with Platshorn to ship marijuana to Meinster in Philadelphia, and describes the dealer and Platshorn as living in Florida at the time. Platshorn told Miami New Times (2008) that it began that month at the Wisconsin State Fair, through an acquaintance from Philadelphia looking for buyers, and that he moved to Miami in 1975. Sáenz Rovner (2011) has Meinster and Platshorn, both living in Philadelphia, buying a long ton of Colombian marijuana from a wholesaler in Wisconsin.

The arrest in Colombia

A witness testified, in the Fifth Circuit's summary, that Platshorn told him he was held by the military in Colombia until Dávila paid 300,000 dollars, on his first trip. Platshorn's account to Miami New Times and Sáenz Rovner both place an arrest on his second trip, ended by a payment of 40,000 dollars. These may be different episodes.

The alleged plot against the judge

The Fifth Circuit records the obstruction-of-justice indictment of 6 December 1979, which alleged that several defendants had plotted to disrupt the trial and kill the judge, without naming them in that passage. Miami New Times (2008) names Meinster and Platshorn as the accused, reports that a jury later rejected the allegation, and quotes Platshorn's denial.

Years in prison and date of release

Miami New Times (2008) gives 28 years and his move to a halfway house in West Palm Beach on 1 April 2008; the Federal Bureau of Prisons gives 26 September 2008 as his release date. Sáenz Rovner (2011) says he served 29 years of his sentence. The Forward (2019) has "nearly 30 years", and Platshorn told audiences in 2019 that he had spent 30 years in prison.

Start of the Silver Tour

Platshorn dated the start of the tour to 2010 (Miami New Times, 2019). HuffPost wrote in March 2012 that he had started it the year before, and The Forward (2019) dates his approach to Reform congregations in South Florida to 2011.

Year of birth

The ages given in press reports do not agree on a year: 36 in May 1979 (Time), 64 in June 2008 (Miami New Times), 70 in January 2012 (NBC 6), 69 in March 2012 (HuffPost), 76 and 78 in spring 2019 (Miami New Times; The Forward) and 79 in April 2022 (WMFE). The Neptune Society obituary gives 22 November 1942.

Death

An obituary published by the Neptune Society, a funeral provider, gives the death of Robert Elliot Platshorn, of Boca Raton, Florida, as 1 April 2023, and his birth in Philadelphia on 22 November 1942. The name and birthplace match the court record. The death date rests on that notice: no newspaper obituary or official death record of him is cited.

Eugene Arter Myers

The Fifth Circuit names Eugene Arter Myers as the third partner convicted of running the continuing criminal enterprise, sentenced to 33 years. He is a private person known only from the case, so he is named on Black Tuna Gang and has no page of his own.

Persons named in the sources

The sources name members of his family. They are private persons and are not named in the article.