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On June 1st the Court left intact the lengthy prison sentences of Antony Blarek II and Frasnk Pellecchia, two interior decorators convicted of conspiring to launder money for a Colombian drug kingpin. Blarek was a Miami-based designer when, in 1979, he met Jose Santacruz in Cali, Colombia and was hired to decorate Santacruz's new mansion.
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Supreme Court:
Defense Attorney
Alan Dershowitz argued, "If Blarek's and Pellecchia's activities
constituted money-laundering, then money-laundering has been
redefined to include all market transactions between those who
lead criminal enterprises and those who provide lawful services
to them. If that is so, thousands of doctors, dentists, merchants,
and other business people are in serious jeopardy."