United States v. Edgar Lemus

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 22-50046

Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 2:21-cr-00296- v. JFW-

EDGAR HERNANDEZ LEMUS,

AKA Edgar Hernanez Lemus, OPINION

Defendant-Appellant.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 22-50051

Plaintiff-Appellee, D.C. No. 2:21-cr-00296- v. JFW-

JUNIOR ALMENDAREZ

MARTINEZ,

Defendant-Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California John F. Walter, District Judge, Presiding Argued and Submitted December 5, 2023 Pasadena, California

Filed March 5, 2024

Before: Kim McLane Wardlaw, Kenneth K. Lee, and Patrick J. Bumatay, Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Bumatay

SUMMARY*

Criminal Law

The panel affirmed convictions for conspiracy under 18 U.S.C. § 371; aiding and abetting the receipt of the proceeds of extortion under 18 U.S.C. §§ 880, 2(a); and receiving the proceeds of extortion under § 880. Defendants argued that a § 880 conviction requires knowledge that the money at issue was…