A man convicted of bid-rigging will not receive the new trial he sought on antitrust charges. Federal prosecutors won a 2014 conviction against Andrew Katakis. Katakis said new evidence proved that his co-defendants conspired against him, then made a deal with the prosecutor. He argued that such a deal amounted to prosecutorial misconduct.

Prosecutors charged that Katakis participated in fraudulent foreclosure auctions in Northern California in 2008 and 2009. Ultimately, jurors convicted Katakis of orchestrating the conspiracy, which netted a profit of nearly $2 million for him. Katakis argued that his co-defendants admitted that they cheated Katakis in the scheme, and then one of the co-conspirators made a deal with prosecutors to implicate Katakis as the mastermind.

Katakis failed to persuade the Appeals Court that evidence regarding his co-conspirators amounted to prosecutorial misconduct. The Court ruled that prosecutors presented ample independent evidence of Katakis’ guilt, and also his true role in the bid-rigging scheme.

Ventura Antitrust Lawyer

Antitrust is one of the most complex criminal cases heard in courts today. Criminal anti-trust actions can involve bid-rigging, price-fixing and market allocation schemes. When you’re facing anti-trust charges, you need an experienced, aggressive antitrust lawyer like Robert Helfend. Mr. Helfend practices criminal defense exclusively and takes cases in all federal circuits.

The number of criminal anti-trust prosecutions fluctuates yearly, but federal records show a greater than 20% drop in the number of Antitrust prosecutions from 2015 to 2016. However, antitrust prosecutions of individuals in 2016 increased by more than 50% over 2013 prosecutions. The average incarceration for anti-trust convictions in 2016 was 22 months.

Federal prosecutors have an exceptionally high conviction rate, so you need to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney when you’ve been indicted. Mr. Helfend fights tirelessly and aggressively for his clients when they face federal prosecutions.

Contact Robert Helfend or call toll-free at (800) 834-6434, (805) 273-5611, (310) 456-3317 or (818) 591-2809 for an immediate consultation on your Ventura County antitrust case.

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