Brasilia, Brazil - Brazil says it has temporarily suspended its request for the U.S. to extradite two leaders of an evangelical church to face money laundering charges.
A Supreme Court statement issued late Monday says that the extradition request for Estevam Hernandes Filho and his wife Sonia Haddad Moraes
Hernandes was suspended to give judges time to analyze a defense appeal. The couple's attorneys say money laundering is not covered by the Brazil-U.S. extradition treaty.
The couple was arrested in January of last year after arriving in Miami with US$56,467 while claiming to carry only US$10,000. They pleaded guilty and have since completed a 10-month sentence.
