United States v. Jackson

I.

Factual Background

The factual circumstances of this case are undisputed and quite disturbing.

The defendant, Gary Jackson, is a United States citizen and retired marine carpenter. In November 2001, Jackson and his longtime domestic partner, James Kleven, left the United States to relocate permanently to Cambodia. They sold their home and shipped or sold their remaining property. The cou- ple sent money to a friend in Cambodia, who purchased a 1 Unless otherwise noted, all subsequent statutory references are to the 2003 Supplement of the 2000 edition of Title 18 of the United States Code. UNITED STATES v. JACKSON 3585 home for them.2 Before their departure, Jackson and Kleven opened a joint bank account in the United States for the pur- pose of maintaining a depository for Jackson’s monthly pen- sion check. Funds from this account were then wired to a joint account Jackson and Kleven opened in Phnom Penh, Cambo- dia.

After their departure from the United States, Jackson and Kleven traveled in Thailand for two months, eventually set- tling in their new home in Cambodia in January 2002. Both Jackson and Kleven obtained jobs in Cambodia. According to a…