#10053-081
 
Federal Sentence:  55 years
Offense:  3 counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; 13 additional drug, firearm, and money laundering charges
Court:  U.S. District Court for the Central Division of Utah
Priors:  Convicted for the possession of a handgun as a juvenile and received 3 months probation   
Date of Sentencing:  3/26/04
Date of Birth:  7/16/79
Projected Release Date:  10/02/2051
 
Nature of Offense:  Between May and June of 2002 a Metro Gang Unit in Salt Lake City set-up a series of controlled buys from Weldon Angelos, whom they suspected was a member of the street gang Varrio Loco Town. They arranged for an acquaintance of Weldon to act as a criminal informant (CI), hoping to prove Weldon’s involvement in trafficking large amounts of marijuana.  Through controlled buys, the CI purchased ½ pound of marijuana from Weldon on two separate occasions.  According to the CI, a firearm was visible in Weldon’s car during the first controlled buy and during the second controlled buy the CI alleged that Weldon was wearing an ankle holster holding a firearm.  When subsequent searches of Weldon home and apartment were conducted in November of 2003, police found additional guns as well as drug paraphernalia and other evidence that officers claimed indicated he was involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.
 
Prosecutors originally offered Weldon a plea bargain that would have required him to serve 15 years on two charges, but when he rejected this plea he was indicted on 20 charges that mandated a minimum sentence of 105 years.  The charges included weapons possession, drug trafficking, and money laundering. At trial, the jury convicted Weldon of 13 various drug, firearm, and money laundering charges as well as three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; one charge was dismissed and he was acquitted of three others.  He received a sentence of 55 years for the three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Two of these three counts resulted from the gun he allegedly carried during the buys with the CI and the third count resulted from a handgun found in a bag containing $19,000 in cash that was discovered when police searched his home.  The first count required a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and the other two counts each carried a consecutive 25-year mandatory minimum sentence.  Weldon’s sentence for all 16 charges combined is 55 years.
 
Judge’s Statement:  At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Paul G. Cassell called Weldon’s sentence “unjust, cruel, and even irrational” and wrote a 67-page opinion urging President Bush to commute Angelos’ sentence to no more than 18 years.  In addition to this, 29 former judges and prosecutors filed a ‘friend of the court’ amicus brief beseeching Judge Cassell to declare the mandatory minimum sentence in this case unconstitutional.  Unfortunately, none of these efforts proved fruitful and Weldon Angelos is currently serving his 55-year sentence.
 
Guideline Sentence:  Weldon received a 5-year mandatory sentence for the first charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, a consecutive 25-year sentence for the second, and another consecutive 25-year sentence for the third.  Each of these firearms charges taken separately would have required a 5-year sentence. With a two-point firearm enhancement, Weldon’s adjusted guideline level for the 13 additional charges was 28, which carries a mandatory sentence of 78-97 months.  This sentence is to be served concurrently to the 55-year firearm sentence.
 
Personal Background:  While only 23 years old at the time of his arrest, Weldon had already started a family and launched a career that was quickly bringing him success and recognition.  Prior to his arrest, Weldon had begun to gain notoriety in the hip-hop industry and was considered an ‘up and coming’ entrepreneur in the field.  He founded the Utah-based rap label, Extravagant Records and wrote and produced songs with acclaimed artists such as ‘Snoop Dog’.  Weldon married his childhood sweetheart and had two children with her who were five and six at the time of his sentencing. Unfortunately, Weldon’s relationship with his wife suffered as a result of his sentencing and the two are no longer together.  Weldon was raised by his father, an avid supporter of gun ownership rights, and was consequently encouraged to own and respect guns.  Weldon is a diabetic and has been diagnosed as manic-depressive.  He is currently serving his sentence in a correctional facility in Southern California.  His immediate family is planning on relocating there from Utah to make communication and visitation more feasible.
 
Complied from PSR and inmate information.
6/28/05 BA