Ryan threatens sanctions over extradition

The congressman is seeking veterans’ help in an extradition issue concerning the murder of a combat pilot.

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U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-17th, says he’s prepared to seek economic and travel sanctions against Brazil if that country doesn’t return an accused murderer here to stand trial in her husband’s death.

“She’s walking free in Brazil right now,” Ryan, of Niles, said Tuesday of Claudia Hoerig, 43, who is facing an aggravated murder charge for the March 12 shooting of 44-year-old Karl D. Hoerig at their Newton Township home.

“This could turn into a national issue,” Ryan said of Brazil’s refusal to allow her extradition.

Claudia Hoerig has dual U.S. and Brazilian citizenship and fled to her native country after the shooting of her husband.

Karl Hoerig was a major in the Air Force Reserves, a pilot with 200 combat missions. He flew C-130s out of the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and was a pilot with Southwest Airlines.

During a Tuesday news conference, Ryan said he has an upcoming meeting with a representative of Brazil to gauge that country’s attitude about allowing Claudia Hoerig’s return.

Ryan said he has drafted two pieces of legislation to pressure Brazil.

One calls for the U.S. to renegotiate its treaty with Brazil, which would allow the extradition, and the other to limit or eliminate foreign aid to Brazil — currently $140 million annually.

Ryan said if the meeting is not encouraging, he will work to increase tariffs on Brazilian products brought into this country and impose restriction on Brazilian citizens’ travel to the U.S.

The U.S. continues to serve as Brazil’s single-largest trading partner.

In the meantime, Ryan said he is going to ask local veteran groups to contact their national organization to place pressure on their congressional representatives to urge Claudia Hoerig’s return.

Attending the press conference with Ryan was Dennis Watkins, Trumbull County prosecutor.

Watkins said that Brazil has indicated that a trial might be held there, a notion that Watkins rejects. He noted that the crime was committed in the U.S. and the accused should stand trial here.

“The point is that it’s very frustrating for the family and prosecutor’s office” to be unable to bring the issue to a close, the prosecutor said.

“The system is not working. They [Brazil] need to know we’re fed up,” he added.

In addition to Ryan, Paul Hoerig, Karl Hoerig’s brother, was critical of the state department.

“Any U.S. citizen deserves more than what the state department has done so far,” Paul Hoerig said.

So far, Ryan has written letters to the U.S. state and justice departments, Brazilian ambassador to the U.S. and Brazil’s foreign minister to break the logjam over the extradition issue.

An affidavit prepared by Watkin’s office says that Claudia Hoerig purchased a five-shot 357-caliber revolver a month before the shooting and practiced shooting it at the Warren Shooting Range.

She then, the affidavit says, used the weapon to shoot her husband twice in the back of the neck and once in the back of the head at their West Ninth Street home.

The two were married in June 2005 in Las Vegas.

According to the affidavit, Karl Hoerig told another Southwest Airlines pilot that there were marital problems from the beginning, and he feared his wife’s reaction when he told her he was leaving her.

yovich@vindy.com