By Dan Kelley (Contact) Originally published 03:31 a.m., February 1, 2008 Updated 03:31 a.m., February 1, 2008 George Gongora/Caller-Times Mauricio Celis (left) and his attorney, Tony Canales, walk out of District Judge Tom Greenwell's courtroom on Thursday morning during a break from a hearing. George Gongora/Caller-Times Mauricio Celis (left) and his attorney, Tony Canales, walk out of District Judge Tom Greenwell's courtroom on Thursday morning during a break from a hearing. Celis was indicted on charges including perjury and theft. Celis was indicted on charges including perjury and theft.
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District Judge Tom Greenwell ruled Thursday against Mauricio Celis' attempt to regain property seized under search warrant.
Celis, 36, was indicted in November on charges of perjury, theft, and falsely holding oneself out as an attorney and police officer. The Texas Attorney General in January seized the property as part of a subsequent money laundering investigation.
The search warrant said a man who shared a bank account with Celis had ties to narcotics trafficking.
Attorneys for Celis argued that allegations connecting Celis to drug trafficking were not only false, but designed to unduly influence Greenwell when he issued the search warrant.
But the judge ruled that even if the those allegations were not in the affidavit, he would have issued the warrant.
The ruling meant that Celis' attorneys were not permitted to call witnesses to rebut the allegations of drug trafficking.
Tony Canales, Celis' lead attorney, said that if permitted, he would have called Raul Armando Winder to testify. Winder is the pilot who shared a bank account with Celis and who is alleged to have ties to drug traffickers. Canales told the judge that Winder would testify that he had been employed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in the past.
"One of our purposes in this hearing is to explain to the media that our client is not involved in the laundering of drug money," Canales said.
Canales declined to make Winder available for an interview after the hearing, though he was nearby. Winder also did not respond to requests for comment.
Prosecutors allege the hearing is an attempt to disrupt an ongoing investigation.
Contact Dan Kelley at kelleyd@caller.com or 886-4316.
2 comments:
Celis denied access to seized property
By Dan Kelley (Contact)
Originally published 03:31 a.m., February 1, 2008
Updated 03:31 a.m., February 1, 2008
George Gongora/Caller-Times Mauricio Celis (left) and his attorney, Tony Canales, walk out of District Judge Tom Greenwell's courtroom on Thursday morning during a break from a hearing.
George Gongora/Caller-Times Mauricio Celis (left) and his attorney, Tony Canales, walk out of District Judge Tom Greenwell's courtroom on Thursday morning during a break from a hearing.
Celis was indicted on charges including perjury and theft.
Celis was indicted on charges including perjury and theft.
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* Comments
* iPod friendly
* Printer friendly
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* Local home-sale drop not bad
* Wal-Mart: Residents question studies on traffic
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District Judge Tom Greenwell ruled Thursday against Mauricio Celis' attempt to regain property seized under search warrant.
Celis, 36, was indicted in November on charges of perjury, theft, and falsely holding oneself out as an attorney and police officer. The Texas Attorney General in January seized the property as part of a subsequent money laundering investigation.
The search warrant said a man who shared a bank account with Celis had ties to narcotics trafficking.
Attorneys for Celis argued that allegations connecting Celis to drug trafficking were not only false, but designed to unduly influence Greenwell when he issued the search warrant.
But the judge ruled that even if the those allegations were not in the affidavit, he would have issued the warrant.
The ruling meant that Celis' attorneys were not permitted to call witnesses to rebut the allegations of drug trafficking.
Tony Canales, Celis' lead attorney, said that if permitted, he would have called Raul Armando Winder to testify. Winder is the pilot who shared a bank account with Celis and who is alleged to have ties to drug traffickers. Canales told the judge that Winder would testify that he had been employed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in the past.
"One of our purposes in this hearing is to explain to the media that our client is not involved in the laundering of drug money," Canales said.
Canales declined to make Winder available for an interview after the hearing, though he was nearby. Winder also did not respond to requests for comment.
Prosecutors allege the hearing is an attempt to disrupt an ongoing investigation.
Contact Dan Kelley at kelleyd@caller.com or 886-4316.
" But the judge ruled that even if the those allegations were not in the affidavit, he would have issued the warrant.
The ruling meant that Celis' attorneys were not permitted to call witnesses to rebut the allegations of drug trafficking."
Is Mrs. Greenwell denied access to HER property?
Enron or Delay the inevitable?
Theft and perjury, how many breaks have child molesters received in the 319th?
"Stop LAWSUIT ABUSE" stop fraudulent procedural postures.
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