United States v. James Brooks

BENAVIDES, Circuit Judge:

Defendants-Appellants James Patrick Phillips, Wesley C. Walton, and James Brooks (collectively, the “Defendants-Appellants”) appeal their conviction of and sentencing for false reporting of natural gas trades in violation of the Commodities Exchange Act and the federal wire fraud statute. We AFFIRM.

Factual and PROCEDURAL Background

The Defendants-Appellants are former employees of El Paso Merchant Energy Corporation (“EPME”), a subsidiary of the El Paso Corporation (“El Paso”). The government alleges that the Defendants-Appellants violated the Commodities Ex change Act…