Topic

Criminal

Every decision we've filed under Criminal.

United States of America Plaintiff— v. Zipora Hudson Defendant—

The Fifth Circuit affirmed Zipora Hudson's conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, ruling that the evidence was sufficient to prove she knowingly facilitated fraudulent PPP loan applications. The court held that a reasonable jury could find Hudson guilty based on her active participation in directing ineligible clients to her son and orchestrating the resulting kickbacks.

Criminal Fraud

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Mar 25 2026

5th Cir. 25-30294 Per Curiam

United States v. Calderon

The Fifth Circuit affirmed a conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, ruling that the defendant forfeited his challenge to the traffic stop's duration by failing to address an independent basis for the district court's ruling. The court also found no clear error in the lower court's determination that the defendant's consent to search his vehicle was voluntary under the totality of the circumstances.

Criminal Drug Trafficking

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Mar 25 2026

5th Cir. 24-40825 Per Curiam

United States v. Lacandreal Shokitra Jackson

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the sentence and restitution order for a defendant convicted of PPP wire fraud conspiracy, rejecting her challenges to the loss calculation and mass-marketing enhancement. The court held that the district court acted within its discretion by relying on conservative estimates from the Presentence Report that the defendant failed to rebut with evidence.

Criminal Fraud Plain Error Review Sentencing Guidelines

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Mar 25 2026

5th Cir. 25-50357 Per Curiam

United States v. Gomez

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the sentences imposed on Gilbert Gomez Jr. following his drug conspiracy convictions and supervised release revocations. The court rejected arguments regarding drug quantity findings, sentencing adjustments, and the constitutionality of consecutive revocation sentences.

Criminal Sentencing Guidelines Supervised Release

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Mar 25 2026

4th Cir. 22-1724 Panel Decision

OSCAR RENE PERDOMO ULLOA v. PAMELA JO BONDI, Attorney General

The Fourth Circuit held that a criminal offense carrying a maximum sentence of twelve months qualifies as a crime for which a sentence of one year or longer may be imposed under federal immigration law. Consequently, the petitioner's Virginia Class 1 misdemeanor conviction renders him ineligible for cancellation of removal.

Criminal Firearms

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Mar 25 2026

9th Cir. 3:22-cr-00426-JSC-1 Unpublished

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DAVID WAYNE DEPAPE

The Ninth Circuit affirmed David Wayne DePape's convictions for attempting to kidnap a federal officer and assaulting a family member of a federal official. The court held that sufficient evidence supported the finding that the crimes were committed on account of the victims' performance of official duties.

Criminal Other Criminal

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Mar 24 2026

11th Cir. 0:21-cr-60253-KMM-2 Published

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. LAWRENCE ALEXANDER

The Eleventh Circuit affirmed Lawrence Alexander's conviction for making false statements to Medicare but vacated his restitution order due to insufficient evidence of actual loss. The court held that while the false statement was material to the enrollment process, the government failed to prove that Medicare specifically relied on the 2019 form to pay the claims at issue.

Criminal Forfeiture / Penalty Supervised Release

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Mar 24 2026

5th Cir. 24-40692 Panel Decision

United States of America v. Carlos Cardenas-Ramirez

The Fifth Circuit denied the petition for rehearing en banc, affirming that it remains bound by Supreme Court precedent allowing sentencing courts to consider conduct for which a defendant was acquitted. While the court expressed deep concern regarding the constitutional and fairness implications of this practice, it concluded that the specific facts of this case did not warrant a departure from binding authority.

Criminal Sentencing Guidelines

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Mar 24 2026

6th Cir. 24-6051; 25-5097 Published

United States v. Carney; United States v. Ewing

The Sixth Circuit affirmed the armed robbery convictions of Fredrick Eugene Carney and William John Ewing, rejecting challenges to the denial of severance, the admission of other-acts evidence, and the sufficiency of the evidence for a firearms conviction. The court also upheld the denial of Carney's motion to suppress, finding he lacked standing to challenge the seizure of his vehicle from a third party's residence.

Criminal Firearms

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Mar 24 2026

10th Cir. 5:24-CR-00519-SLP-1) Panel Decision

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. MARK RYAN JORDAN

The Tenth Circuit affirmed a 120-month prison sentence for a felon in possession of a firearm, ruling that the district court acted within its discretion to impose an upward variance. The court held that the defendant's pattern of escalating domestic violence and threats against police provided a cogent justification for the sentence despite the advisory guidelines range.

Criminal Firearms

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