Rodriguez
United States v. Rodriguez
Opinion
Lead Opinion
MEMORANDUM *
This appeal involves four defendants in three separate criminal cases: a marijuana conspiracy case (Marijuana Conspiracy Case), a money laundering case (Money Laundering Case), and a probation violation case (Probation Violation Case).
Marijuana Conspiracy Case: In October 1992, Pedro Hernandez and other conspirators agreed to contribute money to purchase marijuana in Arizona for distribution in Montana. Pedro Hernandez and others working for him transported marijuana supplied by Frank Jesus Rodriguez (Rodriguez) and Jose Ramon Laprada-Trevino (Laprada-Trevino) from Arizona to Montana. Conspirators used “stash houses” in Broadview and Columbus, Montana to operate the marijuana business. After Pedro Hernandez was arrested on June 13, 1993, conspirators continued to run the marijuana business while Pedro Hernandez was in prison, using three-way telephone calling to discuss business and wire transfers to send drug money.
During the same time period, Pedro Hernandez worked with Alfred Peterson (Peterson), who was an inmate of the Montana State Prison, to smuggle marijuana into the prison. Pedro Hernandez delivered packages of marijuana to Peterson’s mother in Billings,…