United States v. Chris Petti, AKA Chris George Poulos, United States of America v. Chris Petti, AKA Chris George Poulos
Opinion
Opinion
Browning, J.
I. Facts
In July 1987, the FBI applied for and received judicial authorization for wiretap surveillance of appellant-cross-appellee Pet-ti and several others suspected of engaging in a fraudulent scheme to gain control of a gambling enterprise on the Rincon Indian Reservation in San Diego, California. During the investigation, Petti’s supposed friend, Benjamin, a government informant, introduced Petti to Agent Ahearn, an undercover investigator posing as a representative of Colombian cocaine dealers.
By the end of 1988, the focus of the investigation had shifted from the scheme to gain control of the gambling operation to a money laundering scheme involving a number of the same players, including Pet-ti and his codefendant Silberman. Petti introduced Agent Ahearn to Silberman in November 1988. Agent Ahearn was to “invest” $100,000 in a “smurfing” scheme. At one point, Agent Ahearn asked Petti to “check out” one of the people involved in the scheme, and Petti did so, assuring Agent Ahearn the person was “okay.”
In February 1989, Agent Ahearn and Sil-berman met to discuss a second deal. Agent Ahearn gave Silberman $200,000 in cash to be “laundered,” and was given coupon bonds in…