Alexis Vila

Alexis Vila was a Cuban wrestler who won a bronze medal in freestyle light-flyweight at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Vila came in as a favorite, having won World Championship gold medals in 1993-94 and a silver medal in 1995. He also won gold at the 1995 Pan American Games and 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games.

In 1997 Vila defected to the United States, settling initially in Miami, but he later became a wrestling coach at Michigan State University. In 2004 he crashed his car into the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and was charged with attempted terrorism. He was found guilty and served three years in prison.

After his release from prison, Vila returned to competition, this time in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). He fought through 2016 as The Exorcist, compiling a MMA record of 15 wins and 7 losses.

In 2018 Vila was in legal trouble again when he was charged as an accessory to second-degree murder. Vila allegedly helped organize a murder of Camilo Salazar, at the behest of South Florida supermarket magnate Manuel Marin. Salazar was apparently having an affair with Marin’s wife. Although Vila did not participate in the murder, it was carried out by his associate, Roberto Isaac, who received two life sentences. Vila was found guilty in 2020 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.