January 30, 2024
A businessman convicted of bank fraud for his role in helping a California cannabis company covertly process payments must pay the government $17 million — all of the money he allegedly earned from the scheme — according to a ruling issued by the same New York federal judge who once called the amount "excessive."
March 03, 2023
Two businessmen convicted of bank fraud as part of a scheme to help a California cannabis company process payments have argued to the U.S. Supreme Court that cross-examination via video conference doesn't satisfy the Sixth Amendment right for the accused to confront the people testifying against them.
March 11, 2022
A federal judge on Friday allowed former Eaze CEO James Patterson to avoid prison, crediting his cooperation in the Manhattan U.S. attorney's probe of the California cannabis company's effort to process bank transactions without getting flagged over the federally illegal substance.
March 07, 2022
The former CEO of weed delivery app Eaze should get a light sentence after helping convict his alleged co-conspirators in a scheme to conceal $150 million worth of federally illegal cannabis payments from banks, Manhattan federal prosecutors have said.
October 01, 2021
Manhattan federal prosecutors said Thursday they will appeal the sentence of a convicted cannabis payment fraudster after U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff leveled a below-guidelines prison term and slashed the government's forfeiture request as "unconstitutionally excessive."
August 31, 2021
Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff has rejected prosecutors' "fallback" request for a $17 million forfeiture order to be included in the prison sentence of a businessman convicted of a scheme to fool banks into processing more than $150 million of cannabis payments, calling it "unconstitutionally excessive."
July 06, 2021
Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff said two businessmen facing prison time for fooling banks into processing $150 million of cannabis payments have no argument for a new trial because prosecutors brought "overwhelming" evidence of their guilt.
June 18, 2021
Two businessmen who were convicted of an elaborate scheme to let California marijuana company Eaze process transactions without getting flagged by banks were both sentenced to prison on Friday, for what the judge said was a "blatant, sophisticated fraud built on a mountain of lies."
June 14, 2021
Federal prosecutors on Saturday urged a New York court to impose a $156 million judgment against one member of a duo convicted of defrauding U.S. banks on behalf of a California marijuana delivery service and to sentence the other to "a substantial term of imprisonment."
May 13, 2021
Federal prosecutors urged a New York judge on Wednesday not to acquit or retry two men convicted of defrauding U.S. banks on behalf of a California marijuana-delivery service, arguing that the government provided more than enough evidence to show the scheme intentionally wronged lending institutions.