Who is Chico Forti, why was he arrested and what will he do in Italy

Chico Forti returns to Italy.
After 24 years spent in a maximum security prison, the former sailor and television producer will return to Italy.
This was announced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni herself, who in a video released by Washington declared: "I am happy to announce that after 24 years of detention in the United States, the authorization for the transfer of Chico Fort to Italy has been signed" .
A promise, which has now become a symbol of political and diplomatic commitment, which was ultimately kept.
A result that is perhaps also the result of media pressure, which turned the spotlight on Forti's story and on the investigations and possible miscarriages of justice that would have sentenced him to life imprisonment in the United States.
Forti, in fact, is at the center of a difficult legal case which has seen him in prison in Florida since 2000.
In the 1990s he moved to Miami, but in 1998 he was arrested on charges of killing Dale Pike in an attempted scam.
But who is Forti, what is his story and what will happen once he returns to Italy? Here's everything you need to know about it.
Who is Chico Forti and what did he do Enrico Forti, known as “Chico”, was a well-known Italian sailor and television entrepreneur.
“He was” and is no longer, given that since 2000 he has been imprisoned in a maximum security prison not far from Miami on charges of murder.
Chico is originally from Trento, born in 1959, at the beginning of the 90s he moved to Florida, where he began investing in real estate and other activities.
In Miami he met his new partner, with whom he had 3 children.
Everything seemed to be going well, until the night of February 15, 1998, when he was accused of the murder of Dale Pike, the son of the owner of a nightclub that Forti was buying.
For Chico a very severe sentence: life imprisonment without parole.
During the trial and in all these years the former sailor has always proclaimed himself innocent and still believes today that he is the victim of a real conspiracy.
The case had ended up in oblivion until the television program Le Iene dedicated an in-depth episode to it, hoping to arouse the interest of the Italian Government and so it happened.
read also Acquittal sentences, what they are, differences and meaning Chico Forti, the conviction for murder: possible judicial errors Enrico Forti was accused by the American authorities of "felony murder", i.e.
a murder committed in execution of another crime: in the case of sorts, according to the American judges Forti killed Dale Pike in execution of a scam against him and his father.
According to Chico, however, the police who investigated the case committed many errors, negligence and approximations, as did the judging judiciary.
Not even the conviction was able to demonstrate the motive for the murder and there is neither testimony nor decisive evidence against him.
In these long years, the Forti family has never stopped believing in Chico's words and is carrying out a costly legal battle against American justice; Uncle Gianni had also addressed the President of the Republic.
Chico Forti, what he will do in Italy The victim's family and the Australian government ultimately agreed in the decision to have Forti serve the rest of his sentence in Italy, which is why Forti will return home.
Ryan Newman, DeSantis' legal advisor, in fact, sent a letter to the US Department of Justice declaring that the State of Florida accepted the transfer only 24 years later, because the federal authorities maintain that "it is in the national interest as it is advantageous to promote the relationship between the governments of Italy and the United States".
Forti's return to Italy is therefore the result of a long diplomatic effort, the same one that seems to be totally absent for the repatriation of Ilaria Salis, detained in Hungary.
At the moment, Forti's parents are celebrating his return and Franco Ianeselli, mayor of Trento, the family's city, is also celebrating.
In recent years, being away from home has made Chico's detention even harder.
Now a new life begins for him, in his country, close to his loved ones.
Finally the hope of many has become reality.
read also Roberto Salis, who Ilaria's father (detained in Hungary) is and what work he does