Golb
United States v. Golb
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Cummings, J.
Morales and Golb were two of twelve defendants named in a fifteen-count indictment charging numerous counts of money laundering, drug trafficking, conspiracy and forfeiture. Following a four-month trial, a jury convicted Morales of five counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to import drugs, and Golb of four counts of money laundering. Both defendants’ money-laundering counts were based on brokering the purchase of various aircraft with laundered money for Colombian or Mexican drug traffickers. On October 12, 1993, almost a year after he received his 235-month sentence, Morales joined by Golb moved for a new trial based on the government’s refusal to turn over the prior grand jury testimony of Antonio Aizprua, the principal witness in support of the drug charges. Finding a Brady violation, the district court granted Morales a new trial on the single drug conspiracy charge which the government later dismissed. Both defendants raise numerous issues challenging their convictions and sentences as well as the district court’s failure to grant them a new trial on all charges.