The woman who was accused, sentenced, then acquitted of murdering her husband has paid $1.3 million in taxes in order to recover a lot of jewels that were confiscated while their rightful owner could be determined.
The jewels, valued at $7 million, were stored in the vault of the Central Bank of Costa Rica. They were seized in January 2010 when the death of Ann Maxine Patton’s husband was investigated.
Lawyers presented related documents and the court found no administrative irregularity. The National Customs court of the Ministry of Finance issued a ruling confirming that Patton was the rightful owner of the 3,000 jewels, cargo that weighs over 100 kilos.
Additionally, the idea of contraband was definitively dismissed. The jewels were acquired legally and the couple’s wealth was found to be “clean.” At one point, they purchased a 30-carat diamond for $3 million and sold it for $5 million.
