Deliberations Resume in Jewelry-Drug Case
A federal court jury in Los Angeles, after confirming the convictions of four men accused of laundering $350 million in drug profits through jewelry companies, was ordered Thursday to resume deliberations on undecided counts.
The jury on Wednesday found Nazareth Andonian, his brother, Vahe Andonian, and Juan Carlos Seresi guilty of conspiring to launder money. However, the panel was dismissed before it could confirm the verdicts and make them official. That confirmation took place Thursday. The Andonians and the alleged mastermind of the scheme, Raul Vivas, 39, were also found guilty on 25 other counts of money laundering.
On Thursday, the judge instructed the jury, over objections of several defense lawyers, to resume deliberations to try to break an impasse on five other counts of money laundering against Seresi and on all counts against defendant Ruben Saini.
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