Pair have convictions in drug sting case upheld

By Steve Kanigher

Thursday, July 28, 2011 | 2:16 p.m.

Two men who were caught in a law enforcement sting while conspiring to steal a large quantity of cocaine had their convictions upheld in a ruling issued today by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Circuit judges upheld U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson, who sentenced Justin Spentz of Las Vegas and Steven Golden of North Las Vegas last year to about 16 years in prison each. Both were convicted on charges of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and aiding and abetting.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2008 conducted a sting investigation involving a number of individuals allegedly involved in home invasion robberies in Las Vegas. Posing as drug couriers for Mexican organized crime outfits, the agents advised Spentz, Golden and other co-defendants about the existence of a drug stash house containing a large quantity of cocaine.

On May 15, 2008, the day of the planned robbery, the co-defendants were arrested. Agents recovered a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol with 32 rounds of ammunition, a Taurus .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol with hollow-point bullets and a ski mask. The sting resulted in the convictions of 14 individuals.

Spentz and Golden argued on appeal that the District Court erred in refusing to provide an entrapment instruction to the jury.

“There was, however, insufficient evidence presented at trial to support a finding by the jury that defendants were induced by the government to commit the crimes, one of the two necessary elements of an entrapment defense,” Circuit Judge Richard Clifton wrote. “As a result, we conclude that the District Court did not err by refusing to give the entrapment instruction, and we affirm.”