In an otherwise quiet holiday-shortened week, the Circuit held, in an interesting summary order in Rosario, that the defendant’s guilty plea to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-distribution conspiracy in violation of § 924(c)(1)(A) was not factually...
Protecting Your Rights And Your Future
Month: November 2019
Ed Sapone’s DECISIONS OF THE WEEK -November 22, 2019
Despite a handful of decisions from the Circuit this week, not much news. In its only precedential opinion in Albarran, CA2 affirmed the denial of what appears to have been a garden variety plea-withdrawal motion. The state appellate courts were busy, with reversals...
Professor in organized crime charged with money laundering
On Nov. 18, federal authorities in New York charged a Florida professor in organized crime with participating in an international money laundering scheme. The charges were handed down in a Manhattan federal court. According to court documents, Bruce Bagley, a...
Ed Sapone’s DECISIONS OF THE WEEK-November 15, 2019
A couple of interesting Second Circuit decisions this week, including Balde and Van Der End. In Balde, on rehearing, CA2 granted vacatur of a guilty plea based on an issue that apparently was not even raised in defendant’s initial appeal. Van Der End, one of the “boat...
Former DEA agent accused of helping drug traffickers
A former Drug Enforcement Administration agent has been indicted for providing information and assistance to drug traffickers in New York. The indictment, which was unsealed on Nov. 5, alleges that the former agent accepted bribes totaling more than $250,000 from...
What is a pill mill?
People use the term "pill mill" to describe doctors' offices that help people get medication they do not need. This is illegal, as the medications in question are prescription medications and are only supposed to be used by those with a valid medical requirement. It's...
New York man charged with embezzling union funds
A 48-year-old New York man faces up to five years in prison after being charged with embezzling more than $30,000 from a steelworkers union. The Chemung County resident could also be ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. The charges were announced by the U.S. Attorney's...