A former Seymour-based lawyer convicted of money laundering will not get a new trial, a federal appeals court ruled March 3.
The lawyer, Ralph Crozier, was convicted after a jury trial of conspiracy to commit money laundering and attempted money laundering.
Crozier was accused by the federal government of “washing” drug money for a shady client by agreeing to invest it in a legitimate business.
The colorful lawyer was sentenced last year to 30 months in federal prison.
He’s currently one of about 4,000 inmates at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security federal penitentiary in New Jersey.
Crozier appealed his conviction, arguing in court documents that he should have been allowed to serve as a co-counsel in his own defense. Crozier also said there simply wasn’t enough evidence to warrant a conviction.
He’s wrong, according to a written ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.
The appellate court said the judge presiding over Crozier’s trial had sound reasons for not allowing Crozier to act as an official co-captain of his legal team.
The trial judge had denied Crozier’s wish on three grounds:
1. Crozier didn’t complain he was poorly represented by his trial lawyer.
2. Allowing him to act as defense lawyer would have allowed him to potentially say things in front of the jury that couldn’t be cross-examined by the prosecution.
3. Crozier as defendant and defense lawyer would have been confusing.
The appellate judges found no issues with the trial judge’s legal logic.
The judges also noted federal judges have a lot of leeway in deciding whether defendants can represent themselves.
The appellate judges also struck down Crozier’s other argument alleging insufficient evidence. The government had plenty of evidence, the appellate court noted, including statements and testimony from Crozier himself, who took the witness stand during his trial.
In addition, Crozier was busted in a sting operation in which a drug dealing client’s mom working with the feds asked Crozier to hide a pile of drug money so her son would have some fast cash on hand when he got out of prison.
The federal sting included recorded conversations of Crozier talking about hiding the money from the government.
“We have considered Crozier’s remaining arguments and conclude that they are without merit,” the appellate court’s decision reads.
Crozier is on track to get out of prison in June 2017, according to a federal inmate locator.
His law office in Seymour is gone.
The appellate decision is embedded below:
