Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca8-04-03268/USCOURTS-ca8-04-03268-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Lincoln Cardell Henderson
Appellant
United States of America
Appellee

Document Text:

1

The Honorable Gary A. Fenner, United States District Judge for the Western

District of Missouri. 

United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________

No. 04-3268

___________

United States of America, *

*

Appellee, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Western District of Missouri

Lincoln Cardell Henderson, *

* [UNPUBLISHED]

Appellant. *

___________

Submitted: December 21, 2005

Filed: January 9, 2006

___________

Before BYE, McMILLIAN, and RILEY, Circuit Judges.

___________

PER CURIAM.

Lincoln Henderson appeals from a final judgment entered in the District Court1

for the Western District of Missouri upon a jury verdict finding him guilty of

conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base and possession with intent

to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1),

(b)(1)(A), 846. Henderson was sentenced to two concurrent terms of life

imprisonment. On appeal, his counsel has moved to withdraw and has filed a brief

under Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), challenging the sufficiency of the

Appellate Case: 04-3268 Page: 1 Date Filed: 01/09/2006 Entry ID: 1994573
-2-

evidence to support Henderson’s drug convictions. For the reasons stated below, we

affirm.

This court reviews the sufficiency of the evidence in the light most favorable

to the government, resolving evidentiary conflicts in favor of the government, and

accepting all reasonable inferences that support the jury’s verdict. See United States

v. Ramirez, 350 F.3d 780, 783 (8th Cir. 2003). We hold that the evidence was

sufficient to support Henderson’s convictions. Regarding the count for possession

with intent to distribute, the evidence sufficiently established that, on October 29,

2003, Henderson possessed a plastic bag containing a beige rock-like substance which

tested positive for cocaine base and weighed over 50 grams. Henderson’s intent to

distribute the substance was sufficiently established in light of the testimony of

cooperating witnesses regarding his extensive drug-dealing activities, the drug

quantity, and the cash recovered from him at the time of his arrest. See United States

v. Brett, 872 F.2d 1365, 1370 (8th Cir.) (intent to distribute may be inferred from

circumstantial evidence such as quantity of drugs and large amount of cash), cert.

denied, 493 U.S. 932 (1989). The cooperating witnesses’ testimony also amply

supported Henderson’s conviction on the conspiracy count. See United States v.

Galaviz-Luna, 416 F.3d 796, 799 (8th Cir.) (evidence including cooperating

witnesses’ testimony regarding defendant’s drug-dealing activities held sufficient to

support drug conspiracy conviction), cert. denied, 2005 WL 3272276 (U.S. Dec. 5,

2005) (No. 05-7396).

Having reviewed the record independently under Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75

(1988), we have found no nonfrivolous issues. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment

of the district court, grant counsel’s motion to withdraw, and deny Henderson’s

motions for appointment of new counsel.

______________________________

Appellate Case: 04-3268 Page: 2 Date Filed: 01/09/2006 Entry ID: 1994573