N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C UIT
UNITED STATES OF AM ER IC A, Plaintiff - Appe lle e , v. NANC Y M AGENO, De fe nda

nt - Appe lla

nt. No. 12-10474

D.C . No. 2:11-c r-00048-JC M
C W H-7
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the Distric t of Ne v a da Jam e s C . M aha

n, Distric t Judge , Pre siding Argue d a nd Subm itte d Se pte m

be r 10, 2013 San Fran c isc o , C a lifornia B e fore : WALLAC E, FISHER , and B ER Z O N, C i rc uit Judge s. Nanc y M a ge no a

ppe a ls he r c onvic tion for c onspiring to distribute at le a st fifty gram s of m e tha

m phe tam ine , in viola

tion of 21 U.S.C . §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A)(viii), a

nd 846. Shec onte nds tha t the re wa s insuffic ie nt e vide nc e at tria l to support her c onvic t ion. Although we re ve rse he r c onvic tion for othe r



# FIL ED
AUG 11 2014 M OLLY C. DW Y E R, CLERK U. S. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public at ion a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3.re a s ons sta

te d in a c onc urre n tly

file d opinion a

nd re m and, we a ddre ss he r suffic i e nc y

of the e v ide nc e c ha lle nge he re . W e c onc lude tha t the e vide nc e wa s suffic i e nt to support he

r c onvic tion. Thefa c t s a

re known to the

pa rtie s, a n d we
re pe at the m

only a s ne c e s sa

ry . The re wa s m ore tha

n suffic ie nt e vide nc e to prove the e xiste nc e of the unde rly ing c onspira c y

in this c a se . The gove rnm e n t a ge nt te stifie d to thesc ope of the c onspira c y , whic h stre tc h e d from B illings, M onta

na , to La s Ve ga s, Ne va da
. During c losing a

rgum e nt, M a ge no a c knowle dge d the gove rnm e nt prove d a
c onspira c y . M a ge no insists, howe ve r, tha t the re wa s insuffic ie nt e v ide nc e to prove that she pa rtic ipate d in thec onspira c y and ha d the re q

uisite inte nt to bepa

rt of the
c onspira c y .

“ Onc e the e xiste nc e of a c onspira c y is e s ta blishe d, e vide n c e whic h
e sta blishe s be y ond a

re a s ona ble doubt tha

t a de fe nda nt is e ve n slightly

c onne c te d with thec onspira c y

is suffic ie nt to c onvic t.” Unite d State s v . C orona-Ve rbe ra , 509 F.3d 1105, 1117 (9th C ir. 2007) (quoting Unite d State s v . Boone , 951 F.2d 1526, 1543 (9th C ir. 1991)). W e “ c onside r the e vide nc e pre se n te d at tria l in thelight
m ost fa vora ble ” to the jury ’ s ve rdic t, a nd will de e m

the e vide nc e suffic i e nt if it
a llowe d “ any

rationa l trie r of fa c t” to find M a ge no guilty of knowing pa

rtic ipation in this drug c o nspira c y . Unite d State s v . N e v ils , 598 F.3d 1158, 1163–64 (9th C ir.2010) (e n ba nc ) (quoting J

ac k son v . Virginia , 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979)) (e m pha s is
om i tte d). The e vide nc e at tria l showe d tha t M a ge no tra

nsla te d te le phone c a lls, inc l uding c a lls re ga

rding drug tra

n sa c tions, be twe e n he r godson, other m e m be rs of the c onspira c y , a

nd buy e rs of the drugs the c onspira c y sold. A ra tiona l jury

c ould have c o nside re d

M a ge no’ s tra

n sla tions of he r godson’ s phone c a lls to bee vide nc e that she knowingly

pa rtic ipate d in thedrug c onspira c y le d by he r godson a nd a ide d the c rim ina l e nte rprise
. Though he r a c tions we re susc e ptible to a n innoc e nt
e xpla nation, whic h she offe re d through he r own te stim ony and B urgos’ s te stim ony , the j ury wa s e ntitle d t o find M a ge no a nd B urgos not c re dible and to disre ga rd the ir te stim ony . M ore ove r, in oneof the re c orde d phone c a lls, M a ge no te lls the c a lle r that she c annot sha

re inform ation with him

“ ove r the phone ,” whic h the jury c ould have inte rpre te d

a s showing M a ge no’ s c onsc i ousne ss of wrongdoing. W e
c onc lude tha

t a rationa l trie r of fa c t c ould find this e vide nc e suffic ie nt to e sta

blish M a g e n o’ s knowle dge of, a nd inte nt to pa

rtic ipate in, the c onspira c y . RE V E RSE D AND RE M ANDE D.