Disbarred RSF Casey Anthony attorney Macaluso gets jail for $13M cocaine scheme

Summary: The former attorney of accused-murderer Casey Anthony, who has since been disbarred, was convicted of drug smuggling.

(Editor’s note: It is with great pleasure we present this tale of justice served in the case of Todd Macaluso, former Casey Anthony attorney and Rancho Santa Fe reprobate. As editor of various Rancho Santa Fe newspapers and websites, I had the “honor” of being threatened with numerous bogus lawsuits on the part of Macaluso. He even torpedoed an appearance of mine on local television to discuss the Casey Anthony story by threatening to sue the gutless station that will go unnamed. — Oh, OK, if you must know, KNSD, San Diego 7. So, it’s personal. For the original Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe article on the Macaluso-Anthony connection, see below, following the conviction story. And enjoy! dweisman…)

The disbarred Rancho Santa Fe attorney who once represented the accused-daughter-murderer Casey Anthony has been convicted by a jury of plotting to smuggle $13 million of cocaine into the country from Ecuador.

Fifty-five-year-old Todd Macaluso was convicted by a jury for the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on one federal count of international cocaine distribution conspiracy. Macaluso will remain behind bars while he waits for his sentence.

His plan was to fly over 3,000 pounds of cocaine worth around $13 million on his Falcon 10 airplane. He would drop the load in Honduras where it could then be smuggled into the U.S, according to multiple sources. He planned on getting $185,000 for transporting the illicit cargo from South America to Central America.

Macaluso was disbarred roughly three years ago after pleading guilty to wire fraud in San Diego federal court. He had forged client signatures and notary public stamps to disguise a fraud scheme. He was sentenced to five months in prison plus he was ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution and a $100,000 fine.

A year ago, he was arrested in Haiti while he and two co-defendants finalized their plan to fly to Ecuador and then Honduras. The other two men already pleaded guilty before going to trial while Macaluso opted to take his case to a jury for a weeklong long trial. The jury deliberated for only an hour before delivering the guilty verdict.

Macaluso, a personal injury lawyer, got the opportunity to represent Anthony in 2009 and 2010. Anthony ended up being acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter in 2011 in Florida. The case had everyone across the country following along, shocked at the acquittal ruling.

His attorney, Michael Gold, told the New York Daily News, “Mr. Macaluso was disappointed with the verdict but looks forward to being vindicated in future proceedings.”

Since his disbarment, Macaluso has been working as a pilot. He filed for bankruptcy after his previous legal problems. He had been released from prison on supervised release when he was arrested last year. Prosecutors alleged that the drug traffickers were the ones to approach Macaluso when he was working for wealthy clients to fly then to a Mexican resort where he owns property.

Macaluso did not get approval from his probation officer to travel to Haiti last November. From there he was supposed to fly to South America to pick up the drugs. However, Haitian law enforcement officials arrested him and the other two men. They sent the group to New York where they could face federal charges.

He faces up to 10 years in prison at his sentencing on February 16.

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BYE BYE RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIF: Casey Anthony ON THE ROAD AGAIN for parts, and legal implications, unknown…(For previous coverage: http://ahharsfnews.com/2011/08/07/tot-mom-casey-anthony-spot.)

Casey Anthony possibly says good-bye to all that up, up and away from the helipad perhaps, but to where??? Good luck to the next town on the Anthony courtroom victory tour!

(Photo: The scene Wednesday as business becomes the usual at the $5.2 million Lineo Del Cielo estate reputed to have housed tot mom Casey Anthony last weekend. The ‘for sale’ MLS listing was removed Wednesday and a very public TV news crew tour staged to show that Anthony was not on the property. Speculation resumes on her whereabouts…)

With all due respect to Willie Nelson, the Casey Anthony road show apparently has departed Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. and is on the road again. Where it will stop, nobody but attorney Todd Macaluso, and other Anthony confidantes, probably know.

An Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe News investigation in conjunction with The Morton Report revealed the probability that indomitable Ms. A,  was at a $5.2 million-plus Linea Del Cielo estate for about a week. Our belief based on information at hand is she departed sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday following increased media attention to her 92067 whereabouts, not to mention the outrage that she may have been living at an estate in the exclusive Rancho Santa Fe Covenant.

Macaluso has offices at La Jolla, Carlsbad and downtown San Diego and regularly jets from Palomar Airport. Macaluso’s website features a Pilatus PC-12 jet on its home page “which enables us to travel anywhere within the United States in seven hours. We also ow and operate a Bell Jet Ranger 20-6 helicopter…”]

Suddenly, activity was reported at Macaluso’s Linea Del Cielo house that features, among other amenities, a helipad, perfect for secretive comings and going. The estate was fully gated and secure with access available only on a small private road.

An Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe News and Morton Report reveal on Aug. 8 that circumstances surrounding the estate appeared suspicious aroused speculation Anthony was there. Two luxury vehicles were on the property. An attempt to contact the residents resulted in a suspiciously disguised voice, followed by the gate opening. This was followed by a woman’s voice, sudden intercom cut-off and the gate immediately closing.

As media descended on the property in question, sheriffs deputies and security personnel kept them at bay. Suddenly prominent personalities at the estate also instructed media to leave and briefly posted a “keep out” sign.

However, the tenure changed considerably late Tuesday or early Wednesday as the estate suddenly opened its doors to a local television crew who said everything seemed normal there. Estate activity became pronounced with gardening crews and visible lifestyle activities. The presumption, then, is Ms. A would have departed sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Here is the immediate timeline for Anthony following her acquittal on charges she murdered her four year old daughter Caylee.

Aug. 3 — First photos of Anthony surface on TMZ. Speculation abounds the Anthony camp arranged for the photos shoots. Claims were made she posed inside the shop window at which she was photographed. Also noted were her seeming to walk to a coffee shop several miles away while wearing sandals.

Aug. 5. — First reports of Anthony being sighted around Solana Beach or Rancho Santa Fe surface.

Aug. 7.  — Speculation begins that Anthony may be at  one of the homes of one of here attorneys, Todd Macaluso. A visit by Ah-Ha Rancho santa Fe News to the estate revealed unusual activity although no sighting of Anthony.

Aug. 8 — Nancy Grace, the Morton Report and other national media host the ongoing discussion of where Anthony is located and what it means should she be at the Macaluso mansion.

Aug. 10 — Ah-Ha Rancho Santa Fe News sounds the all-clear. Anthony has moved on…