United States v. Cessa, No. 13-50849 (5th Cir. 2015)
Annotate this CaseDefendants, members of the Los Zetas drug cartel, appealed their convictions for conspiring to launder money through horse-racing operations. The court reversed the conviction of Defendant Huitron, a horse trainer, because it was not supported by sufficient evidence that he joined the conspiracy knowing its purpose was to conceal the source or nature of illegal funds; vacated the conviction of defendant Colorado because the jury was improperly instructed and the court could not say beyond a reasonable doubt that the jury's verdict would have been the same absent the error; and affirmed the remaining convictions and sentences where there was sufficient evidence and the trial court did not otherwise commit reversible error.
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