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Federal Criminal Justice

DEA-Houston

DEA Capture of Drug Trafficker Yields Sentence

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As criminal defense attorneys, we can only cringe at the fact that the defendant, “Cheke”, plead guilty (admitted his crime), only to be sentenced to 35 years; federal time. It appears that after some investigation, police & federal agents managed to capture Esiquiel Rodriguez with less than 400 grams of meth, and a firearm. There’s more to this defendant however; he was also involved in a larger drug trafficking operation managed by some of the most dangerous drug cartels in Mexico. JUN 04 (SAN ANTONIO) – A former major drug trafficker in the Piedras Negras “Plaza,” 46-year-old Esiquiel Rodriguez (aka “Cheke”), was sentenced in San Antonio today to 420 months in federal prison for federal drug and firearm violations announced DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, Acting United States Attorney Richard Durbin, Jr., and San Antonio Police Chief Anthony Treviño. Rodriguez was arrested in April 2013 by the San Antonio Police Department on a charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During a subsequent consensual search of his residence, investigators discovered a .357 caliber revolver. On September 29, 2014, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 300 grams of pure methamphetamine and one count of undocumented alien in possession of a firearm. READ MORE Although we aren’t aware of the minute details of the case, why the defendant was so harshly sentenced after pleading guilty & cooperating with the United States Attorney’s Office is an interesting matter of conversation. It begs the questions of […]

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Federal Law - RICO

RICO & Conspiracy Crimes are Serious

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Very often when discussing crime, we focus on the result. For instance, we highlight that someone killed another person (murder) or set fire to a building (arson). But, it is common for many crimes to involve more than one person and be planned in advance. When this happens, it introduces many other crimes known as preparatory offenses. One such preparatory offense is conspiracy, and both the Texas and federal government treat it very seriously. What Does it Mean to Conspire? Generally, conspiracy can be thought of as when two or more people agree to commit an illegal act, coupled with an action that furthers completion of the illegal act. It is important to note that the action does not need to be the intended crime itself. Additionally, a person can be convicted of both conspiracy to commit a crime and the crime that is committed. Texas Conspiracy Statute Under Texas law, criminal conspiracy is committed if, with the intent to commit a felony: a person agrees with one or more other people to engage in conduct that would constitute the offense; and one or more of them performs an overt act in pursuance of the agreement. The penalty for conspiracy is one category lower than the most serious felony that is the object of the conspiracy. In other words, if the most serious felony was a first degree felony, the conspiracy to commit that felony would be a second degree felony. In a case where the most serious felony is […]

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Bank Fraud Crimes

Two Texas Women Plead Guilty in Bank Fraud Case

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Petra Del Bosque, a former banker from Zapata National Bank, and Anita Arredondo, an accounts payable clerk for a local construction company, have both plead guilty to bank fraud. Their cases stem from an October 2014 arrest for their part in a check cashing scheme prosecutors say lasted over two years and netted the duo close to $800,000. The indictment stated that Arredondo used her position at the construction company to issue over 300 company checks, which she made payable to contractors. Del Bosque would then cash the checks at her bank, telling the tellers that she was working on the behalf of the contractors. Both women have plead guilty and face up to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million. DOJ: Two Ordered to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud Scheme at Zapata National Bank What a Guilty Plea Means The plea is a defendant’s response to the charges against him or her. By pleading guilty a defendant is formally saying that he/she admits that he/she has committed the crime as charged. By pleading guilty the defendant relinquishes his/her right to a trial, to examine the evidence against him/her, and to question witnesses against him/her. Acceptance of the Guilty Plea by the Court The guilty plea may or may not be accepted by the trial judge. In order for a judge to accept a defendant’s guilty plea the judge will ensure that the defendant understands the consequences of the plea. In other words, for a guilty […]

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