United States Second Circuit

Defendant's money laundering convictions are reversed where, although the government had abundant evidence of defendant's khat-related activities, the circumstantial evidence that the government presented did not support an inference that his proceeds were the result of the importation of cathinone. Other drug and conspiracy convictions are vacated where the district court gave erroneous instructions that omitted defendant's specific intent to import a controlled substance.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/21/2009
• Published 08/21/2009

Judges

• Before:  CALABRESI and POOLER, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Second Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Ira M. Feinberg, Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P., New York, NY, for Defendant-Appellant., Mary K. Barr, Assistant United States Attorney (Roslynn R. Mauskopf, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Barbara D. Underwood, Counsel to the United States Attorney, on the brief), Brooklyn, NY, for Appellee.