Key legal question
Whether the appellate court violated federal law in sentencing the defendant to 11 years and 6 months for qualified drug trafficking and money laundering.
Extracted holding
No. The sentence fell within the broad sentencing discretion under Art. 47 StGB and was adequately reasoned.
Extracted reasoning
The court held that the quantity, band-related and commercial nature of the cocaine trade, the defendant's hierarchical role, and the additional money laundering conviction justified a substantial increase in punishment.