Calvo’s Sentence Halved, Likely Out of Prison Soon

The truth might not have set him free, but Father Minor Calvo won’t be spending nearly the time in jail he thought he would.

The host of the popular Catholic station Radio Maria, Calvo was serving 15 years in prison for grand fraud, but the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala III) reduced that sentence on appeal to eight years late last week, with the possibility of parole in six months since he has already served half of that sentence in preventive prison while the case was being tried.

Calvo was convicted in December 2007 for scamming listeners of nearly $3 million, which he and his business partner, Omar Chaves, spent on lavish cruises and a personal watercraft, among other things. But he was acquitted on murder charges in the 2001 shooting of radio journalist Parmenio Medina.

Chaves, though, was convicted of the murder as well as grand fraud. His sentence for fraud was reduced from 12 years to six, but he will still serve 35 years for the murder.