CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A U.S. immigration court has granted bond to two brothers from Ecuador wanted in the South American country for allegedly stealing millions of dollars from a now-defunct bank.
William and Roberto Isaias had been detained pending deportation since Feb. 13, after their arrests in Miami by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Their attorney, Michael Tein, said they would be released later Friday.
Ecuador's government has sought the brothers' extradition for years, but it was not clear what prompted their arrests last month.
The bank, Filanbanco, was the largest in Ecuador, and its failure in the late 1990s contributed to an economic collapse. The brothers were charged with embezzlement but fled the country before they could be arrested. They were found guilty in absentia and sentenced to eight years in prison in 2012.
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