Court Upholds Conviction In Madelin Semidey-Morales Case

Press Release

US Dept of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office / District of Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 13, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals 

for the First Circuit submitted a 57 page opinion affirming the conviction of Edison

 Burgos-Montes, announced Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. Attorney for the 

District of Puerto Rico.

Edison Burgos-Montes appealed from his conviction for two counts of drug cons-

piracy and two counts of murder. The latter stemmed from the disappearance of 

Burgos-Montes’ girlfriend – Madelin Semidey-Morales – shortly after Burgos-

Montes learned that she had been acting as a government informant. Burgos-Mon-

tes challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction, the denial 

of several pre-trial motions to suppress evidence, and a number of other district 

court actions before and during trial.

In upholding the jury’s verdict, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals found 

Burgos-Montes’ arguments unpersuasive and, thus, affirmed his conviction.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico congratulates all the 

prosecutors and agents who worked tirelessly in the investigation and prosecution 

of Burgos-Montes, with great success,” said Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, U.S. 

Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The appeal was handled by Assistant U.S. 

Attorney Francisco A. Besosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Appellate Division.

USAO - District of Puerto Rico