Cases

Peter Quijano was lead defense counsel for the first Guantanamo detainee recently tried in a civilian court. The Defendant, Ahmed Ghailani, was charged with conspiring to bomb 2 United States Embassies in Africa in 1998. The jury acquitted Mr. Ghailani of 284 out of 285 counts. Also on the defense team was Anna Sideris, an associate of Quijano & Ennis. Click here to read more about the case.
U.S. Announces Indictment of Heads of Colombia’s D.M.G. Group for Money Laundering
This press release from the Department of Justice describes an indictment against eight individuals alleging involvement in one of the largest money laundering schemes involving narcotics and the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange. Quijano & Ennis represented two of the eight defendants, each of whom faced up to 20 years in federal prison based on the charges. The defendants represented by Quijano & Ennis were the only two who did not spend one day in jail.
U.S. v. Juan C. (A chief lieutenant of a major Colombian drug cartel, charged with importation of tons of cocaine and laundering tens of millions of dollars, ultimately obtained a sentence of 48 months).
U.S. v. Richard L. (A 60 year-old commercial truck driver, charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, arrested while driving his tractor trailer with over 2000 pounds of marijuana. Found not guilty of all charges after a six-week jury trial.)
U.S. v. Lemrick N. (Four week retrial of a Civil Rights Violation, which involved a stabbing homicide. Although the stabbing was conceded, the jury determined that the defendant did not cause the homicide with the intent to violate the deceased’s civil rights. Received a sentence of time-served, instead of twenty years).
U.S. v. Vincent B. (Racketeering trial of the alleged Boss of a La Cosa Nostra Crime Family. After a five-month tiral, successfully obtained a hung jury on the homicide pattern act, thus avoiding a life sentence).
U.S. v. Linus N. (Trial of a compliance officer for a securities firm, charged along with five others with securities fraud and using material non-public information in order to engage in ‘front-running,’ in one of the first trials in the nation under the new Sarbanes-Oxley Act. After a 3 month trial, acquitted of making false statements during his grand jury testimony, acquitted of all substantive charges, hung jury [10-2 for acquittal] on the conspiracy charge).
U.S. v. Michael N. (Security fraud trial involving a fraudulent initial public offering).
U.S. v. Edgar D. (Successful surrender and resolution of Colombian national charged with being one of the prime money launderers for a Colombian Cartel. Charged with laundering over 75 million dollars. Negotiations to avoid extradition began while client was in a third country).
U.S. v. Ramzi Y. (Representation of accused mastermind of the first World Trade Center bombing).
U.S. v. Frank F. (Successful representation of associate of an La Cosa Nostra Crime Family, charged with murder in aid of racketeering, as shooter in a homicide. Sentenced to five years).
U.S. v. Robert B. (Month-long trial of a reverse-sting involving 1000 pounds of cocaine and a police shoot out, with a twenty year minimum if convicted. On the eve of closing arguments, the government offered the client a misdemeanor and time-served).
U.S. v. Erika C. (Alleged girlfriend of a major drug dealer and money launder charged with conspiracy, facing life in prison. Prosecutors offered a misdemeanor and probation after Quijano, Ennis & Sideris delivered its opening statement at trial).
U.S. v. Milvio D. (Month-long trial of a murder in aid of racketeering involving the murder of a DEA informant).
U.S. v. John C. (Three month re-trial of a conspiracy involving video poker machine gambling and money laundering. Acquitted of nineteen money laundering counts).
U.S. v. Bartolo L. (Successful defense of client charged with an international conspiracy involving the smuggling of hundreds of aliens from Brazil. Sentenced to no jail).
U.S. v. Richard R. (Successful defense of client charged with murder in aid of racketeering. Sentenced to Time Served, served less than 2 years in prison).
U.S. v. Doe (Successful defense of former teacher/administrator at a private school charged with social security and insurance fraud. Sentenced to probation).
U.S. v. Daniel G. (Successful suppression of physical evidence, causing the government to drop all charges against the defendant)
U.S. v. Kevin N. (Successfully persuaded the government to dismiss charges against client on the eve of trial, by demonstrating that federal agents had relied upon a mistaken identification, and had arrested the wrong man).
U.S. v. Dario P. (Successful preparation and presentation of expert testimony which permitted the trial court to reduce the defendant’s sentence from a mandatory minimum term of 10 years to an actual term of 17 days plus supervised release, on the grounds of the defendant’s diminished capacity).
Numerous clients who were the targets of federal investigations involving various white-collar crimes (e.g., securities fraud, embezzlement, insider trading, wire and mail fraud), where Quijano, Ennis & Sideris successfully obtained a decision from federal prosecutors not to prosecute).