Casey Anthony's Former Lawyer Convicted For Conspiring To Fly $13M Worth Of Cocaine

The now-disbarred former lawyer of Casey Anthony was convicted of conspiring to fly a plane filled with $13 million worth of cocaine from Ecuador to Honduras. Anthony was accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in 2008, and was acquitted in 2011, sparking public outrage after her trial. Todd Macaluso, one of her former lawyers, was found guilty Friday of cocaine distribution conspiracy.

A Brooklyn federal court found Macaluso guilty of the charges, according to the office of Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde. Macaluso’s lawyer, Michael Gold, told the New York Daily News Friday that Macaluso “was disappointed with the verdict but looks forward to being vindicated in future proceedings.” The trial began Oct. 30.

Macaluso, 55, could be sentenced 10 years to life in prison when he heads back to court Feb. 16.

According to prosecutors, Anthony’s former lawyer planned to fly over 3,000 pounds of cocaine in his Falcon 10 jet. Macaluso was meant to receive $185,000 in return for the narcotics. He and two others were arrested in November 2016 in Haiti. They were captured before the flight began.

Macaluso was part of Anthony’s defense team from March 2009 to February 2010, when he withdrew from the case after the California Bar Association accused him of misappropriating $150,000. Macaluso allegedly flew Anthony out of Orlando in a private jet upon her release from the Orange County Jail after she was acquitted in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in 2011. In 2015, he served jail time for misusing client trust funds. At the time of his capture in Haiti, he was out on supervised release for a wire fraud conviction.

Macaluso’s lawyer, Gold, doubted the credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses, comparing them to hot dogs and saying their testimonies would cause heartburn. During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hiral Mehta spoke to jurors, explaining Macaluso was arrested and brought before them to face justice. Prior to the completion of the trial, Mehta said prosecutors would utilize flight records and recorded conversations, among other evidence, to bring Macaluso down.