Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-08-02922/USCOURTS-ca8-08-02922-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
United States of America
Appellant
Sergio Zepeda-Carlon
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Susan Webber Wright, United States District Judge for the

Eastern District of Arkansas. 

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 08-2922

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellant, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Eastern District of Arkansas.

Sergio Zepeda-Carlon, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellee. *

___________

Submitted: December 18, 2009

Filed: March 30, 2010

___________

Before MURPHY, COLLOTON, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

The government appeals the district court’s1

 order granting Sergio ZepedaCarlon’s motion for judgment of acquittal following his jury conviction on one count

of aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms

of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Viewing the

evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict and giving it the benefit of all

reasonable inferences, we conclude there is no interpretation of the evidence that

would allow a reasonable jury to find Zepeda-Carlon guilty beyond a reasonable

Appellate Case: 08-2922 Page: 1 Date Filed: 03/30/2010 Entry ID: 3649662
-2-

doubt. See United States v. Cacioppo, 460 F.3d 1012, 1021 (8th Cir. 2006) (standard

of review); cf. United States v. Santana, 524 F.3d 851, 853 (8th Cir. 2008) (holding

evidence sufficient to convict vehicle passenger of aiding and abetting possession of

cocaine hidden in vehicle where passenger knew driver was drug dealer, knew

purpose of trip was to collect drug money, was paid $100 for making trip, lied to

officers at scene, and had methamphetamine in sock; mere association with principal,

presence at scene, and knowledge of crime insufficient to support aiding and abetting

conviction). We thus affirm the district court. See 8th Cir. R. 47B. 

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Appellate Case: 08-2922 Page: 2 Date Filed: 03/30/2010 Entry ID: 3649662