United States v. Salvagno

314 F. Supp. 2d 115, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6507, 2004 WL 837601
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in United States v. Salvagno. Read the opinion of the Court — 306 F. Supp. 2d 258
District Court, N.D. New York·Decided April 15, 2004·No. 5:02-cr-00051·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM — DECISION AND ORDER

MUNSON, Senior District Judge.

BACKGROUND

On March 30, 2004, the jury empaneled in the above-captioned case returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the Indictment against defendants Aexander Salvagno and Raul Salvagno whereupon the Government moved to remand them pending sentencing. On March 31, 2004, the court held a hearing on the Government’s motion. The Government argued that defendants posed and will continue to pose a risk to flee, and cited, inter alia, defendants’ affluence, their familial ties to Argentina, and the potential length of their sentences. The Government also alluded to a previous case in which a defendant, convicted of environmental crimes in the Northern District of New York, was released pending his sentencing and fled to Costa Rica. Thereafter, because Costa Rica did not recognize the most significant of the charges for which defendant had been convicted, the Government was only *116 able to secure defendant’s extradition by agreeing to dismiss those charges. The Government is wary of such a situation arising here.

Defendants opposed the Government’s motion. Alexander Salvagno argued that he poses no risk to flee, for he diligently appeared throughout the course of the trial, would relinquish his passport, and would agree to comply with whatever conditions of release the court might impose. Alexander Salvagno also argued that his son is afflicted by a diseased kidney, which will require a transplant, and that doctors have determined he is a suitable donor. Raul Salvagno argued that he too poses no risk to flee, for he diligently appeared throughout the course of the trial, would relinquish his passport, and would agree to comply with whatever conditions of release the court might impose. Raul Salvagno also argued that he has been a United States citizen since the 1970s, that he lives in Florida, and that he renders care for his wife who has battled or is currently battling cancer.

At the close of the hearing, the court conditionally released 1 defendants subject to the following restrictions: (1) defendants’ posting of an unsecured $1 million Appearance Bond for which defendants were jointly and severally liable; (2) defendants’ surrender of their United States Passports; (3) defendants’ travel restricted to the Syracuse area within the Northern District of New York as secured by home detention and electronic monitoring between (a) 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. as to Alexander Salvagno and (b) 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. as to Raul Salvagno; and, (4) defendants’ appearance at a second hearing on April 6, 2004, where the court would reexamine the Government’s motion to remand. The court also ordered defendants to submit their financial records and appraisals of the real property by which they indicated they would secure them Appearance Bond. The court intended to reexamine the Government’s motion to remand in light of the amount of security defendants could post and the quality of the financial documentation defendants provided in support thereof. In addition, pursuant to Rule 33(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 2 , the court granted defendants’ motion to extend the filing date of their anticipated motion pursuant to Rule 29(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure until April 19, 2004.

On April 6, 2004, the court resumed the hearing on the Government’s motion to remand and continued to hear arguments on the issue. At the hearing’s conclusion, the court denied the Government’s motion to remand, removed defendants from electronic monitoring, and released defendants pending sentencing subject to the following conditions: (1) the continued surrender of their United States Passports; (2) Alexander Salvagno’s travel restricted to the Northern and Southern Districts of New York; (3) Raul Salvagno may leave the Northern District of New York and travel directly to the Middle District of Florida whereupon at his arrival, his travel is restricted to the Middle District of Florida; (4) defendants ordered to provide a secured $1 million Appearance Bond; and, (5) defendants ordered to appear on Friday, September 10, 2004, at 2:00 p.m., for sentencing. Pursuant to Rule 33(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, *117 the court granted defendants’ motion to further extend the filing date of their anticipated motion pursuant to Rule 29(c) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure until April 30, 2004, and ordered the United States Probation Department to prepare defendants’ pre-sentence reports. In addition to those previously ordered conditions of release, the court ORDERS Alexander Salvagno to execute and file with the Clerk of the Court a waiver of extradition applicable to any nation or foreign territory in which he may be found as a condition of his continued release by no later than April 23, 2004. In addition to those previously ordered conditions of release, the court ORDERS Raul Salvagno to execute and file with the Clerk of the Court a waiver of extradition applicable to any nation or foreign territory in which he may be found as a condition of continued his release by no later than April 23, 2004.

DISCUSSION

I. Standard for Release or Detention Pending Sentence

Title 18 U.S.C. § 3143, Release or detention of a defendant pending sentence or appeal, controls here. Section 3143(a)(1) provides that:

Except as provided in paragraph (2), 3 the judicial officer shall order that a person who has been found guilty of an offense and who is awaiting imposition or execution of sentence, other than a person for whom the applicable guideline promulgated pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 994 does not recommend a term of imprisonment, be detained, unless the judicial officer finds by clear and convincing evidence that the person is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community if released under section 3142(b) or (c). If the judicial officer makes such a finding, such judicial officer shall order the release of the person in accordance with section 3142(b) or (c).

Even without the benefit of a pre-sen-tence investigation report, it is clear that the United States Sentencing Guidelines will recommend terms of imprisonment for defendants. Therefore, no pause need have been given for 28 U.S.C. § 994, and consequently the only consideration left for the court was whether defendants pose a risk to flee.

A Alexander Salvagno

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United States v. Salvagno, 314 F. Supp. 2d 115, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6507, 2004 WL 837601 (N.D.N.Y. 2004).

314 F. Supp. 2d 115 (United States v. Salvagno) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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