United States v. Pelullo

961 F. Supp. 736, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5220, 1997 WL 193909
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedApril 17, 1997
DocketCiv. A. 94-276(DRD)
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 961 F. Supp. 736 (United States v. Pelullo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Pelullo, 961 F. Supp. 736, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5220, 1997 WL 193909 (D.N.J. 1997).

Opinion

*739 OPINION

DEBEVOISE, District Judge.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I Background................................................................... 740

II Summary of the Evidence....................................................... 744

A. Compton Press, Inc......................................................... 744

B. the Granada-DWG Transfers................................................ 745

C. The Away to travel South Transfer........................................... 747

D. The UNUM Annuity Contract............................................... 749

III Discussion.................................................................... 750

A. Sufficiency of the Evidence.................................................. 750

B. Money Laundering Counts.................................................. 751

C. Brady, Giglio, Jencks Material............................................... 753

1. Interview of Witnesses ................................................ 753

2. Heine Materials ...................................................... 754

3. UNUM Contract Witnesses............................................ 756

4. Gerardi, Marqueen and Derrick Loans................................... 756

5. Other Brady, Giglio, Jencks Contentions................................. 757

D. Miscellaneous Contentions.................................................. 759

1. Hearsay Evidence .................................................... 759

2. Attomey/Client Privilege .............................................. 759

3. Rule 404(b) Evidence.................................................. 759

4. Jury Charges......................................................... 759

5. Statute of Limitations................................................. 760

6. Prosecutorial Misconduct.............................................. 760

7. Refusal to Grant Continuance .......................................... 760

8. Forfeiture ........................................................’... 761

IV Conclusion.................................................................... 761

In November 1996 a jury found defendant, Leonard Pelullo, guilty on one count charging him with conspiracy to embezzle $4,176 million from two employee pension benefit plans and to engage in money laundering, on 11 counts of embezzlement from these employee pension benefit plans, and on 42 counts of money laundering. Defendant has moved for a judgment of acquittal or a new trial on the following grounds:

1. The Government violated its obligations under Brady, Giglio, and Jencks, by, among other things, not producing (and/or destroying) notes, reports and 302s of interviews with witnesses, and not producing all of the relevant files of the defendant seized in the search of his warehouse.

2. The Government knowingly presented perjured and/or false testimony, and failed to correct that false testimony.

3. The Government improperly presented hearsay testimony in the guise of eo-eonspir-ator statements which were never connected to the conspiracy.

4. The specific transactions charged as money laundering neither promoted the embezzlement, nor were designed to conceal or disclose in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1).

5. The indictment was brought after the statute of limitations had expired.

6. The court failed to grant the defense’s request for a continuance, and thus did not provide the defense with adequate time to prepare which resulted in ineffective assistance of counsel.

7. The government violated the defendant’s attorney-client privilege.

8. The government improperly inserted the civil standard under ERISA through the testimony, closing arguments and jury instructions, as the basis for finding the defendant guilty of a crime.

*740 9. The Government made improper statements during this closing and rebuttal arguments, including references to Mr. Pelullo’s decision not to testify, vouching for witnesses, and improperly characterizing the evidence.

10. The amount of the forfeiture is in error.

11. There was insufficient evidence to prove a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 664 (embezzlement).

12. There was insufficient evidence to prove a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy).

I. Background

On December 9, 1994 a grand jury sitting in Newark, New Jersey, returned a 54 count indictment against defendants Leonard Pe-lullo and Raul Corona.

Count 1 charged a two-part conspiracy. First, defendants and others were accused of conspiracy to embezzle approximately $4,176,000 belonging to the Compton Press Employees’ Profit Sharing Retirement Plan (the “Retirement Plan”) and belonging to the Compton Press Employees’ Thrift Plan (the “Thrift Plan”) contrary to 18 U.S.C. § 664. (The two Plans will be referred to collectively as the “Employees Benefit Plans”). Second, defendants and others were accused of conspiring to commit money laundering offenses, namely, to conduct financial transactions that involved the proceeds of unlawful activity (the thefts from the Employees Benefit Plans) with the intent to promote the unlawful activity and knowing that the financial transactions were designed to conceal the nature and ownership of the proceeds of the unlawful activity contrary to 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1).

Counts 2 through 12 each charged that the defendants embezzled an amount of money or assets of one or the other or both of the two Employees Benefit Plans. Counts 13-54 each charged that the defendants engaged in a specific transaction which constituted an act of money laundering.

Prior to trial the charges against Corona were dismissed for the reason that the government used information immunized during proceedings in the Middle District of Florida to obtain the indictment against him in the District of New Jersey. United States v. Pelullo, 917 F.Supp. 1065 (D.N.J.1995).

Pertinent to the pending motions are two other pretrial proceedings in the cases and the information developed during those proceedings.

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Related

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784 F. Supp. 2d 159 (E.D. New York, 2011)
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172 F. Supp. 2d 1001 (N.D. Illinois, 2001)
United States v. Pelullo
6 F. Supp. 2d 403 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
961 F. Supp. 736, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5220, 1997 WL 193909, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-pelullo-njd-1997.