Luis Aguilar-Estrada’s uncle orchestrated the distribution of methamphetamine from a prison cell, where he was serving a sentence for a prior federal offense. The authorities obtained recordings of his prison phone calls and decided that Luis’s uncle was using code in his phone calls with Luis and his cousin to obtain their assistance in collecting the proceeds of his drug deals. The government charged Luis and his cousin federally with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Luis faced a prison sentence, the loss of his legal status to reside in the United States, and deportation to Mexico if convicted.
At trial, Tom mounted an aggressive defense, vigorously attacking the credibility of another relative who testified as a cooperating witness. Tom’s relentless dissection of every piece of the government’s evidence paid off – the jury acquitted Luis on all counts of the federal indictment.