A intoxicated crypto investor who killed a grandpa on a moped while travelling to Las Vegas for his birthday over the weekend has been given a minimum prison term of only six years.
On June 5, 2021, Andrew Rodriguez, 34, a self-described “multi six-figure earner” from New Braunfels, Texas, who had a prior DUI record from 2015, struck and killed 58-year-old Walter “Jay” Anderson at a speed of 141 mph.
Anderson was split in two by the hit, and his torso ended up being more than 200 feet apart from his legs.
Rodriguez, who was regretful at his guilty plea to a felony DUI charge that resulted in death, was given a prison term of six to twenty years by District Judge Jasmin Lilly-Spells on Wednesday.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he was detained on charges of DUI causing death, reckless driving, and operating a vehicle without a licence.
Rodriguez turned and apologised to Anderson’s mother and sister, who were present at the court, before to the sentence. Rodriguez was carried away in handcuffs after being released on a $75,000 bond.
The defendant apologised profusely to the Anderson family. I’m sorry for your loss; it was an accident, and I never intended to injure anybody.
Rodriguez should reflect on what he did the night he murdered Anderson since he was “partying like a rock star,” according to Anderson’s sister Lisa.
She wished you well and added, “I hope you receive the support you need to quit drinking and driving, so that this won’t happen to another family.”
The oldest sister of Walter Anderson, Antoinette Alderman, claimed that Rodriguez should have gotten a harsher punishment. She also criticised Nevada’s lack of stringent enforcement of its drunk driving laws.
‘There was nothing we could do. Nothing could be changed by the court,’ Alderman added. I consider it to be a depressing phrase.
According to court documents, Rodriguez’s plea deal stipulated that the judge sentence him to the agreed-upon six- to 20-year jail term.
In order to go to a party, Rodriguez and his fiancée Sabrina Juenger, 24, were travelling along Russell Road in a 2017 Lamborghini Huracan with a Minnesota licence plate at 11.50 p.m. on June 21.
According to a Metropolitan Police Department arrest report, the driver smacked the moped so hard that it became lodged under the front of the Lamborghini even though he reduced his automobile from 141 to 127 mph before hitting Anderson in the rear.
I just murdered someone, Rodriguez remarked to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer as he emerged from the carnage.
Juenger and Rodriguez were unharmed.
The officer said that Rodriguez had been drinking since he had bloodshot, watery eyes, and smelled of alcohol. It’s unclear whether he submitted to a blood or breath test.
According to Fox 5, the owner of the Minnesota vehicle is unknown and he was not the registered owner.
According to court records, Rodriguez had been arrested for drunk driving before the accident.
The 33-year-old was stopped in El Paso in September 2015 while operating his Mercedes while intoxicated.
Rodriguez had outdated licence plates and “had difficulties retaining his balance” after stepping out of the automobile, according to the police report.
He first denied drinking alcohol and admitted to taking one shot, but he eventually entered a guilty plea and received a one-year suspended sentence.
The single parent was also given a 15-month probationary term, a $1,000 fine, and a number of restrictions, including a prohibition on alcohol and the installation of an interlock device in his vehicle.
In January 2019, his probation was over.
The night before the deadly accident, he boasted in a video uploaded to Facebook about the exciting birthday celebration he and his pals were going to have.
Rodriguez seems to have hired the multi-story, opulent residence for the weekend, and as he strolls around it, he brags about the wealth he claims to have amassed from bitcoin trading.
As stated in his Facebook profile, “Crypto automation,” Rodriguez claims to be an investor in “crypto automation” via the iGenius platform. iGenius, multiple six-figure earner.
He uploaded a picture of multiple Louis Vuitton shopping bags on Facebook a few hours before to the accident with the message, “Become the person your detractors wanted you wouldn’t be.”
Anderson’s sister Antoinette Alderman, 61, revealed to DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview how the family was not informed of how severely her brother’s corpse had been torn apart.
Until we arrived at the scene of the collision, we were unaware that my brother was lying in parts on the road.
He was torn in two, so my brother’s neighbours who live next to him got there first to warn us. His lower body, including his legs, were absent.
He was struck with such power that his socks and shoes flew off. That is how severely he struck my brother. It’s disgusting.
Exclusive DailyMail.com images show how the collision left a 700-foot-long debris trail, with orange circles designating the points of first contact and the resting places of Anderson’s body parts and clothes.
His tube socks, gloves, and scooter were all torn off in the collision, and his moped was left stuck in the bonnet of the expensive automobile.
Anderson was struck in the centre lane as he approached a junction on Russell Road while riding his TaoTao moped home after working a shift at a nearby Denny’s.
“It’s disgusting.” Alderman stated, “The speed is something you do on a track, not on a 45 mph road.”
“He came to town to party, be a big shot, and drive Lamborghinis.”
“He murdered someone by pressing on the gas.” In order for him to work from home and see the doctor once a week, his family has now rented a house here.
He can even make a weekly trip to the grocery shop. It’s disgusting.
It is abhorrent that Rodriguez was allowed to enter home arrest with a $75,000 bond and an ankle bracelet. It’s disgusting.
“My brother is being cremated, and he gets to have his fiancée and his two-year-old kid with him.” It’s absolutely abhorrent.
The legislation should be changed to prevent drunk drivers who cause fatalities from being released on bail and to keep them in prison.
Anderson’s family is now getting ready for a memorial service on June 26 and has ordered commemorative t-shirts for the occasion, which they hope will draw 100 mourners.
Ryan, the oldest son, told DailyMail.com that his father was a well-known figure. Ryan, 30, an events professional, lives with his fiancée Alix and their three young children.
He was always available for everybody and was nice and compassionate. He loved his family and his mother. He was a really decent individual. I definitely picked up a lot from him,’ he said.
He has a large heart, Ryan continued. He will be missed by all of his coworkers. Everyone I met today is mourning differently, but if I could take it back, I would.
“I’d take his place so he could be here for his family and everyone,” I said. I just hope that the legal system will do everything in its power to uphold justice.