Even before trial, Judge Keller, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, made his disdain for such crimes known. At trial, defense attorneys depicted their clients as legitimate businessmen whose participation in any sort of money laundering scheme was unwitting. Special treatment given to a key witness by FBI agents and withheld from defense attorneys could fall into that category. 'A lot at stake'Within 24 hours of Wilson's order, defense attorneys representing the Andonian brothers filed papers challenging the judge's authority and signaling their intent to appeal. For Seresi, who Judge Keller deemed the least culpable of the 505-year defendants, the cold reality of his current status appears in black and white in his projected release date: July 8, 2419.

Source: CNN August 22, 2020 09:45 UTC