United States v. Deantoni

171 F. Supp. 3d 477, 99 Fed. R. Serv. 1312, 2016 WL 1030847, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33589
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedMarch 15, 2016
Docket1:15cr50
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 171 F. Supp. 3d 477 (United States v. Deantoni) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Deantoni, 171 F. Supp. 3d 477, 99 Fed. R. Serv. 1312, 2016 WL 1030847, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33589 (E.D. Va. 2016).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

James C. Cacheris, UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE

This matter is before the Court on the Defendant’s Motion to Exclude All Evidence Related to Plea Negotiations, or in the Alternative, Dismiss the Indictment. [Dkt. 23] Specifically, the Defendant seeks to exclude “statements made during the proffer session on December 12, 2014, statements provided during debriefings session (sic) with attorneys for the Government on January 14 and 15, 2015, Mr. DeAntoni’s grand jury testimony on January 15, 2015, and the draft plea agreement and the statement of facts signed by Mr. DeAntoni on February 6, 2015.” (Def.’s Mem. [Dkt. 24] at 1.) For the reasons set forth below, the Defendant’s motion is denied in part and granted in part.

I. Background

On December 3, 2014, Department of Homeland Security agents executed a search warrant on Defendant Donnetto Antonio DeAntoni’s (“Defendant” or “DeAntoni”) residence. (Id.) The search warrant authorized the seizure of evidence relating to criminal copyright infringement, trafficking in counterfeit goods, conspiracy to commit money .laundering, wire fraud, and smuggling goods from the United States. (Id. at 2.). Similar search warrants were executed at three locations in California owned by or associated with Defendant’s brother, Deonnetti DeAntoni. (Id.)

On December 8, 2014, the Defendant retained the services of attorneys Marsh Halberg and Eric Nelson of Halberg Criminal Defense in Minnesota. (Id.) On December 9, 2014, Mr. Halberg and Assistant United States’ Attorney (“AUSA”) Alex Nguyen exchanged e-mails discussing the possibility of a video conference proffer session. (Id.) Defendant’s attorney explained at the time that he “understand^] there are no promises or guarantees from the Government,” but he “hope[s] at a future time [the government] will consider a favorable [plea] offer and 5K motion.” (Def.’s Mot. Ex. 2 [Dkt. 24-2].) AUSA Nguyen forwarded a copy of a proffer letter, and a proffer session took place via video conference on December 12, 2014. (Def.’s Mem. at 2.) Eventually, a proffer letter was signed on December 18, 2014. (Id. at 3.)

As part of the Defendant’s continuing cooperation, the Government asked him to testify before the grand jury investigating him and his brother, and emailed his counsel on December 12, 2014 to schedule a time to appear before the grand jury in January 2015. (Def.’s Mot. Ex. 4 [Dkt. 24-4].) In that same email, the Government expressed a desire to “discuss a resolution to the case” “between now and the GJ date.” (Id.) On December 17, 2014, the government emailed defense counsel suggesting that “it may make sense” for the Defendant, a resident of Minnesota, “to testify [in the grand jury] and plead guilty during the same trip to avoid additional travel.” (Def.’s Mot. Ex. 7 [Dkt. 24-7].) Defense counsel was amenable to “[c]om-bining tasks,” so the Government followed up with a plea offer on December 23, 2014. (Def.’s Mot. Ex. 6 [Dkt. 24-6], Ex. 11 [Dkt. 24-11].) In response to that plea offer, defense counsel asked if they could “not do [481]*481the plea so quickly”, and asked to wait until the holidays had passed and the Defendant had time “to process all the nuances” of the proposed plea. (Def.’s Mot. Ex. 12 [Dkt. 24-12].) In that same e-mail, defense counsel stated that his client “will still fly in for the grand jury and also meet.. .in person to talk about possible refinements” to the proposed plea. (Id.)

On January 15, 2015, the Defendant testified before the grand jury. (Def.’s Mem. at 4.) During his grand jury testimony, the following questions and answers took place:

Q: You may refuse to answer any question if a truthful answer to the question would tend to incriminate you. Do you understand that?
A: Yes.
Q: Have you received any promises from the Government in exchange for cooperating?
A: No
Q: Mr. DeAntoni, do you understand that anything you say may be used against you by the grand jury or in a later legal proceeding?
A: Yes.

(Gov. Ex. 1, G.J. Tr. [Dkt. 31-1] 2:25-3:14 (emphasis added).) Mr. DeAntoni then went on to admit that he and his brother had knowingly sold millions of dollars’ worth of pirated software. (See id. at 5:15-6:3.) After the prosecutor had finished her examination of the Defendant, the grand jury questioned the Defendant directly. One juror pressed the issue of whether the Defendant was aware he was selling an illegal product, and the Defendant responded “just bluntly, I covered my eyes and denied the obvious.” (Id. at 37:1-2.)

After Mr. DeAntoni’s appearance before the grand jury, the Government and defense counsel continued to discuss the proposed plea agreement via email communication for several weeks. (Def.’s Mem. at 4.) On February 6, 2015, the Defendant signed a plea agreement and statement of facts. (Def.’s Mot. Ex. 21 [Dkt. 24-21].) That same day, defense counsel emailed the Government plea agreement signed by the Defendant and explained that defense counsel would sign the documents after he was admitted pro hac vice to the Eastern District of Virginia. (Id.) Subsequently, a minor change was made to the plea agreement, and the parties agreed that a new copy would be written and executed. (Def.’s Mem. at 5.) Before the new plea agreement could be executed, the Defeh-dant terminated Mr. Halberg and Mr. Nelson as his attorneys on March 2, 2015. (Def.’s Mot. Ex. 36 [Dkt. 24-36].) Defendant’s new attorneys informed the Government that he no longer intended to plead guilty, and a plea hearing scheduled for March 5, 2015 was removed from the Court’s docket. (Def.’s Mem. at 6.) On October 14, 2015, the grand jury returned a four count Indictment charging Mr. DeAntoni with Conspiracy, Criminal Infringement of a Copyright, Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. (Id.)

Defendant now moves pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 410 and Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(f), seeking to:

exclude from trial all evidence related to, and all information obtained as a result of plea negotiations between the Accused and the Government, including, but not limited to, statements made during the proffer session on December 12, 2014, statements provided during debriefings session with attorneys for the Government on January 14 and 15, 2015, Mr. DeAntoni’s grand jury testimony on January 15, 2015, and the draft plea agreement and the statement of facts signed by Mr. DeAntoni on February 6, 2015.

[482]*482(Id. at 1.) Defendant also requests that the Court dismiss the indictment if the grand jury which returned his indictment heard evidence against him which was inadmissible under Rule 410. (Id. at 23.) The Government contests the admissibility of the Defendant’s grand fury testimony generally, and the admissibility of the defendant’s proffer session interviews with the Government for the limited purpose of impeachment. (Gov.’s Mem. in Opp.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
171 F. Supp. 3d 477, 99 Fed. R. Serv. 1312, 2016 WL 1030847, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33589, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-deantoni-vaed-2016.