United States v. Freddie Taylor

Freddie Taylor appeals his conviction for (1) conspiracy to murder a federal confidential informant, Alzinnia Keyes, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111 , 1114, 1117 (1998); (2) aiding and abetting murder of a federal confidential informant in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111 , 1114, 2 (1998); (3) witness tampering in violation of 18 U.S.C. §.1512(a)(l)(A) (1998); and (4) accessory after the fact in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 3 (1998).

Taylor raises numerous challenges on direct appeal, including the argument that the district court erred in not dismissing Taylor’s accessory after the fact conviction. We VACATE Taylor’s accessory after the fact conviction in this opinion and AFFIRM the district court on all other issues in a separate unpublished memorandum disposition.

I

Alzinnia Keyes, a federal confidential informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), was shot to death in Tucson, Arizona. Keyes was assisting the DEA, under the supervision of DEA agent Robert Genualdi, in the cocaine trafficking investigation and prosecution of Terile Williams. On January 23, 1998, Williams delivered approximately two ounces of crack cocaine to Keyes, for which Williams was…