17-CR-00585-GMS
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Cases

Please consider:"
FUNDING!
 		United States of America
Plaintiff,
v.
Thomas Mario Costanzo
A.K.A. "Morpheus Titania"
and
Peter Nathan Steinmetz
A.K.A. "Amedio"
Defendants
 		Return to Case

Please consider:"
FUNDING!

The docket sheet available through the Pacer webside provides us with a delayed view of what has transpired in a court case dating back to the filing of the original documents. Everything that has been available on Pacer has been posted on www.courtcasedocs.com since the case against Peter Steinmetz and Thomas Costanzo began. Attempts are made to check Pacer each day and to download and copy the information to the case file on this site so that others may have access to material that they would otherwise have to pay for. Below will be articles that will be referred from www.freedomsphoenix.com - posted in reverse order by date.
(Most current at the top)
Here we go!
Newest Items at the top - reverse order

Arizona Bitcoin Trial: Aftermath, Part II

I hope most of those who are following the Criminal Case of Thomas Mario Costanzo, AKA Morpheus, have had the opportunity to read the documents that I recommended to you in Part I.

There have been some new Pacer Documents since Part I that you should also read:

  1. Document 188: Redacted Jury Verdict.
  2. Document 189: Redacted Supplemental Jury Verdict as to Forfeiture.
  3. Jury Notes/Questions (not posted - non-public document)
These documents are quite telling. I will explain the "non-public" document at the Arizona Breakfast Club this Saturday, April 7, 2018 at Denny's.

Arizona Breakfast Club.
Denny's Restaurant
7000 E. Mayo Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85054

With the exception of July and August, we will be meeting the first Saturday of each month this year (2018). Please plan to attend. New location. New Start. Our 50th YEAR!

Look closely at the selections available on Counts 2 through 5 listed on the Redacted Jury Form. I believe that the Prosecution was hoping that the Jury would find Thomas guilty based on both boxes being checked. However, note that the Jury did NOT select box number one (1) for any of the counts.

Bitcoin was not the issue in the trial of Thomas Mario Costanzo! The libertarian view that the "Drug Laws" are opposed to our "free-will" and that people should be able to do with their own bodies what they want in spite of the fact that in the United States of America it is against the law to engage in the act of "concealing or disguising the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of property believed to be the proceeds of specified unlawful activity."

Thomas should have been very wary of anyone coming to him to enter into a Bitcoin Transaction when he was told that the source of the funds was from illegal drug sales and activity. Duh!

Whether Thomas used Bitcoin, French Francs, Canadian Dollars, Silver Bars, Gold Bars or any other item of exchange, it did not matter. I believe the Government wanted the Jury to find him guilty of not completing the paperwork. Those items that Banks and Financial Institutions must comply with are:

  1. CTR - Currency Transaction Report.
  2. SAR - Suspicious Activity Report.
  3. KYC - Know your customer.
For those present at the trial, the questions that were asked of the various witnesses for the Prosecution continued to press for those "required" documents and whether Thomas had requested information for the agents that would have allowed him to complete such documents.

The Jury rightly ruled that Thomas had NO OBLIGATION to file or maintain any of the documents or information that a financial institution would be required to handle. Thomas, as with any other "U.S. Citizen", is not a "Bank" or "Financial Institution", thus he had "No requirement for the Paper-work".

Unfortunately, the penalty for "stupidity" may be quite severe. It will be interesting to follow this case if there is an appeal. However, whether one approves of the tactics used by the various undercover agents or not, the fact that Thomas went along with the trades (Cash for Bitcoin) shows that he certainly did not think it through.

Sentencing for Thomas is set for June 11, 2018 at 4:00 PM in Courtroom 602, 401 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 before Judge G Murray Snow. Those of you wanting to support Thomas in his unpleasant circumstances should plan to be there. All I can say to any of you is that if you attend, please keep your decorum and remain respectful during the proceeding - regardless of the outcome. That is the most help you can be to Thomas.

We will have a few people speak at the Arizona Breakfast Club this Saturday about their views on the trial and what the potential witnesses were told about what to expect should they have been called to testify. I hope to see many at the meeting. Please come and support us in our new location.

Arizona Bitcoin Trial: Aftermath, Part I
April 2, 2018
 As has been reported on Freedoms Phoenix, the trial of Thomas Mario Costanzo is now concluded. I decided to hold off commenting or writing about this topic until I had the time to digest and analyze my notes and recent court documents supplied through "Pacer".

If you have not done so, I highly recommend that you take a little time to read at least a few of the documents related to the case. By reading these documents, you will have a firm grasp on what the specific charges were and how the jury dealt with the evidence presented.

These Documents provide a good basis for understanding:
  1. Document Number 018: FIRST SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT
  2. Document Number 074: ORDER
  3. Court Transcript of November 4, 2017.
  4. Court Transcript of March 13, 2018.
  5. Document Number 176: MEMORANDUM.
  6. Document Number 177: TRIAL BRIEF by USA.
  7. Document Number 181: FINAL JURY INSTRUCTIONS.
  8. Document Number 182: FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL JURY INSTRUCTIONS.
My next article will be Part II of Aftermath. I will draw some conclusions and provide my opinion for you to contemplate. Until then, it is time for you to do a little study, please.

We will also be discussing the trial at this next Saturday's meeting of the Arizona Breakfast Club. This will be held at Denny's Restaurant, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85054 - see: www.arizonabreakfastclub.org for more details.

You may find that this case has little to do with Bitcoin as was once thought.
March 25, 2018
I have posted the notes from the first two days of trial. You may read these in pdf format.

Trial Notes

These notes should give you a good overview of what took place during the first two days. I was unable to attend on day three, but plan to be present for the remaining days of the trial. I shall continue to extend the notes as I add additional days to them. Once I receive the transcripts, I will post those as well.

If you have not considered doing so, please attempt to attend some of the trial.

January 31, 2018
I have not posted many items since the December posting. There was a hearing on January 4 and the case continues. The following should be noted:
  1. Transcripts of all court appearances to date have been purchased and posted!
  2. Thomas Costanzo is the only remainng defendant.
  3. Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Count 8 (Doc. 67 ) (Felon in Possession) is GRANTED.
  4. Defendant's Motion to Dismiss Counts 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 of the First Superseding Indictment (Doc. 63 ) is DENIED.
  5. The counts that remain refer to money laundering charges.
    6. (Refer to Docket #18 - First Superceding Indictment - for details.)
  6. Jury Trial set for 3/20/2018 at 9:00 AM
    7. (in Courtroom 602, 401 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003)
It is highly recommended that the reader select specific documents within the listing of filed documents in this case to get a better understanding of the issues in this case.

Reading the Motions, Responses and Replies will give the reader a better understanding of the position held by the government and the defendant (now there is only one).

December 7, 2017
Since my last posting to www.freedomsphoenix.com, prior to the Arizona Breakfast Club on December 2nd, a few new documents and events have taken place.

On Monday, December 4th, a Status Conference was held before Judge G Murray Snow.
  1. Motion Hearing set for 1/4/2018 at 9:00 AM
  2. Jury Trial reset for 3/20/2018 at 9:00 AM
  3. A Final Pretrial Conference is set for 3/13/2018 at 9:30 AM
    4. (all in Courtroom 602, 401 West Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003)
  4. Additional dates related to Motions and Response/Replies also set.

MORE TO COME!
17-CR-00585-GMS
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