Reported / Citable
Background
The court referred Antonio Ballesteros Vecino’s guilty plea to a United States magistrate judge for administration under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11. After conducting the Rule 11 hearing, the magistrate judge issued findings of fact and a recommendation that the district court accept Vecino’s plea and adjudge him guilty on Count One of the indictment.
Neither party objected to the magistrate judge’s findings. Count One charged Vecino with conspiracy to import cocaine and to manufacture and distribute cocaine, intending and knowing that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 963.
The Court’s Holding
Judge Amos L. Mazzant adopted the magistrate judge’s findings of fact and recommendation on the guilty plea. The court accepted Vecino’s guilty plea and found him guilty of Count One.
The court deferred acceptance of the plea agreement until it reviews the presentence report. The order did not impose sentence or otherwise resolve sentencing issues.
Key Takeaways
- The district court adopted the unopposed Rule 11 guilty-plea recommendation.
- Vecino was adjudged guilty of the Section 963 cocaine-importation conspiracy charged in Count One.
- Acceptance of the plea agreement remains deferred pending review of the presentence report.
Why It Matters
The order formally establishes Vecino’s guilt on the charged drug-conspiracy count while preserving the court’s authority to decide whether to accept the plea agreement after reviewing sentencing information. Sentencing and final disposition therefore remain to come.