United States v. Velasquez

The Fifth Circuit affirmed defendants' convictions and sentences arising from their participation in racketeering activities that centrally involve violence, murder, and the distribution of drugs for the Texas Syndicate gang in Uvalde, Texas. The court held that there was sufficient evidence to convict defendants; evidence presented at trial relating to defendants' tattoos did not constitute error, much less plain error by the district court; the district court did not err by failing to give jury instructions regarding accomplice witness testimony and use of addictive drugs, as well as severance for one of the defendants; the district court did not prejudice Defendant Velasquez by failing to sua sponte sever his case from his codefendants; Velasquez's ineffective assistance of counsel claim was denied without prejudice to collateral review; Velasquez was properly sentenced; the district court did not abuse its discretion by denying Defendant Sanchez's motion for mistrial; and reversal or remand was not warranted where there was not a substantial and significant portion of the record missing regarding Sanchez's severance. View "United States v. Velasquez" on Justia Law