Opinion ID: 200902
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Guilty Plea Hearing

Text: Denaro pleaded guilty to the charges against him without the benefit of a plea agreement. At the outset of the hearing on the proposed guilty pleas, the prosecutor explained to Denaro and the court that Denaro faced a maximum possible prison sentence of 40 years and a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years because the charged conspiracy involved at least 500 grams of cocaine. He then explained that the mandatory minimum sentence 1 The indictment included a criminal forfeiture count that has no bearing on the appeal. would increase to 10 years if the court determined at sentencing that Denaro was responsible for at least five kilograms of cocaine. Denaro’s counsel responded by stating his view that the drug quantity specified in the indictment limited the mandatory minimum sentence to five years. He acknowledged, however, that the prosecutor was free to argue otherwise at sentencing. The court advised Denaro during the plea colloquy that he faced maximum possible sentences of 40 years on the conspiracy count and 20 years on each of the substantive counts. The court also initially advised him that he was subject to a five-year mandatory minimum sentence. However, the court immediately revised its statement during the following exchange: COURT: Because each count is a separate offense, the maximums get added up, so that the total maximum, if my math is correct, is 140 years in prison, a four-year period of supervised release, a fine of $7 million, and a special assessment of $600, and a mandatory minimum also of five years. The government says, conceivably, ten years, but that’s in dispute. Do you understand that? WITNESS: Yes.