Hernandez doesn’t have immunity from prosecution, which never came up during the course of his testimony. The federal statute of limitations has expired for some, but not all, of the unreported interest payments.
Yet Hernandez appears safe from suffering the same fate as Robaina — who faces, among other things, charges that he failed to report on his tax returns the income he received from 36-percent interest rates he charged to the same Hialeah jeweler.
By having Hernandez testify Wednesday on their behalf, prosecutors signaled they view him more as a cooperating witness than a criminal target.
Gregorie, the lead prosecutor in the case, declined to comment about Hernandez’s testimony while the trial is ongoing.
And compared to Robaina, Hernandez was a little fish. Prosecutors say Robaina and his wife, Raiza, hid $2 million in income to avoid taxes. Hernandez’s tax returns show that he failed to report $100,000 in interest income he received between 2007 and 2009, paid in 37 check installments of $2,400 and $3,000.