Buffalo man convicted of fraud in case that hinged on showing he killed fiancée
A federal court jury deliberated less than four hours before finding
Epps was never charged with murder but the allegation that he killed Moss in August of 2009 in
"We're obviously pleased for the family," said Assistant U.S. Attorney
Portrayed by prosecutors as greedy and controlling, Epps was accused of shooting Moss in the back of the head and leaving her body alongside
"One of the most satisfying verdicts of my career," said Assistant U.S. Attorney
Epps did not take the witness stand during the trial but his defense attorney,
"
It was early on the morning of
For three years, the case went unsolved.
Then, in 2012, a federal grand jury indicted Epps on drug and weapons charges. A second grand jury followed suit a few months later with new charges of fraud and arson.
Suddenly, Epps was facing charges of fraud and allegations of murder.
"This was nothing short of an execution, make no mistake about it," said
As part of the trial, prosecutors called a variety of witnesses, including a former neighbor who testified that Epps approached him shortly after Moss' death and offered to pay him
The neighbor,
Hall wasn't the only witness to relate stories of Epps' alleged threats.
Carter also testified about a bag that Epps left in her car the day of the murder, a bag other witnesses said contained guns, and about their conversations over his plans to set fire to his
Epps, 47, is facing a minimum of 35 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
"It's extremely unlikely
There was no mention of
Hochul, who described Epps as a "sinister individual," stopped short of criticizing Sedita's decision not to prosecute but, at the same time, suggested the federal prosecution was more complex.
"We had to prove murder plus motive," he said of his office's prosecution.
When asked if he would have prosecuted Epps for murder, Hochul declined to answer.
"Those questions should really be directed at the district attorney down the street," he said.
Sedita was reportedly out of town and unavailable to comment Wednesday.
Since Epps' indictment on insurance fraud, the allegation that he killed Moss as part of the fraud has reignited criticism over what some law enforcement officials view as Sedita's overly cautious approach to difficult cases in order to keep his conviction rate high.
In the past, Sedita has declined to comment on the Epps case, but at one point did suggest the evidence may not have been strong enough to convict him.
Epps' conviction is the result of an investigation by the
email: [email protected]
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