Following a judge-alone criminal trial arising from a wiretap investigation into contraband tobacco activity, the accused faced two laundering counts, one cannabis count, and one forgery count.
The court applied the Villaroman framework to the circumstantial case and the Carter co-conspirator hearsay test to the real-estate laundering and forgery allegations.
The court found the accused guilty of laundering proceeds in relation to one stolen silver ingot and in relation to a real-estate project funded with proceeds of contraband tobacco, and guilty of possessing CBD powder for the purpose of distribution.
The court held that possession for the purpose of selling illegal cannabis was captured by s. 9(2) of the Cannabis Act.
The forgery count was dismissed because the evidence did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused joined or understood the conspiracy's object.
