United States v. Ventura-Cruel

HOWARD, Circuit Judge.

Defendant-appellant Ignacio Ventura-Cruel appeals from his convictions for participating in a cocaine conspiracy. To resolve this appeal, we must consider whether, in the circumstances of this case, the district court lacked the authority to reject Ventura-Cruel’s guilty plea and whether admissions that he made in a letter of confession written pursuant to his plea agreement were properly admitted against him at trial. On this second issue, we vacate the convictions and remand for a new trial.

I. Background

On December 30, 1998, a grand jury returned a four-count…