Opinion ID: 692966
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Thomas Honton

Text: 48 Honton contends that the evidence was insufficient to show that he believed that the money came from specified unlawful activity or that he knowingly participated in a money laundering conspiracy. Honton points out that he was not a party to any of the numerous recorded conversations between Forster or the Customs agents and the other alleged co-conspirators, and that he did not attend the meeting of May 27, 1992. He says he only appeared at the June 30, 1992, meeting and presented a way to declare the money in compliance with the law. 49 The record shows otherwise. Honton was present at the meeting when Agent Doyle made the critical representation that the conspirators were to launder the proceeds of arms smuggling. Falsely claiming business immunity, Honton elaborated a scheme to spirit the funds out of the country in the guise of business revenues belonging to his Cayman Islands corporation, BFD Limited. He discussed other methods to avoid detection for future transactions. The jury was also told that, after his arrest, Honton admitted that he believed his planned statements to Customs would have been illegal. Taken together, the evidence was clearly sufficient for the jury to infer that Honton believed Agent Doyle's representation that the money derived from specified unlawful activity and knowingly participated in the money laundering conspiracy.