United States v. Certified Environmental Services, Inc., No. 11-4872 (2d Cir. 2014)
Annotate this CaseDefendants appealed from their convictions of conspiracy; aiding and abetting violations of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7401; mail fraud; and making false statements to federal officials. Defendants argued that the district court improperly excluded evidence that they acted under a good-faith belief that they were complying with state law and that, in any event, their convictions and sentences were irreparably tainted by prosecutorial misconduct. The Government cross-appealed. The court concluded that, under the circumstances, the court was compelled to conclude that the totality of the Government's misconduct in this case, combined with the district court's erroneous exclusion of evidence favorable to the defense denied defendants their right to a fair trial. Accordingly, the court vacated the judgments of conviction as to CES, Copeland, and Dunn. The court ordered a new trial. The court also concluded that the district court clearly erred in setting the amount of restitution. Finally, factual and procedural errors required the court to vacate the sentences of Allen and Onoff and remand for resentencing. The court need not, and did not, consider whether their sentences were substantively reasonable.
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