Case Explained: USA V. MAURI

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-17 Docket: 9:24-cr-00015-DLC-1 The Ninth Circuit affirmed Brett Mauri’s convictions for money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957. The court applied de novo review to Mauri’s constitutional and statutory challenges, rejecting his argument that the statute was unconstitutionally vague because it failed to provide adequate notice; the court held that the language clearly proscribed engaging in large financial transactions with funds known to be derived from crime, and Mauri had actual notice that his specific conduct—transacting over $10,000 in funds from his fraud scheme—was illegal. Additionally, the court ruled that the money laundering convictions did not merge with his wire fraud convictions because the laundered funds were not a “central component” of the criminal scheme’s objective to attract new investors, and it dismissed any double jeopardy challenge on the grounds that § 1957 and § 1343 (wire fraud) involve different elements. As a result, the district court’s judgment is upheld, and Mauri remains subject to his original sentence. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.