He sat on the witness stand in a federal courtroom in Newark, NJ and told the jury that he was a former member of a Chicago faction of the violent Latin Kings gang. He admitted to being a drug dealer and a drug user, and admitted to having sex with women sent to his hotel room by Paul Bergrin.
Oscar Cordova, also known as “Oscar the Hit Man,” said, however, that there were some things he wasn’t. When he became a paid informant for the federal government, he said that one of the things he wasn’t was a contract killer. Over the 6-month period that he wore a wire with Bergrin in 2008, the details of his witness hits were laid out and a potential cocaine trade partnership was discussed.
Tapes were played for the jury for the first time in court on Tuesday. Cordova and Bergrin discussed making “hits” look like “home invasion robberies.” They also discussed “Junior the Panamanian,” an individual believed to be cooperating with authorities against Bergrin’s incarcerated client.
“What do you suggest I do Kill him ,” asked Cordova.
“Yeah,” replied Bergrin, explaining that once the cooperating witness was out of the picture and Bergrin could free his client, the three of them (Bergrin, Oscar, and the client) could make millions in a drug-running profit.
Cordova is expected to be the first of a number of critical witnesses against Bergrin slated to testify. Bergrin will have an opportunity to cross-examine him before he leaves the stand.
For more information, see the Star Ledger article entitled, ” ‘Hit Man’: Bergrin wanted someone killed . ”
Bergrin is facing charges for Murder, Attempted Murder, Witness Tampering, Cocaine Trafficking, and Promoting Prostitution.
