Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 , the court has determined that this opinionshould not * be publishe d and is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 09- 40786 Su m m ar yC al endar

UN I TE D S TA TE S OF AM ERI CA, P l ai n t i f f

- A pp el l ee

v. J O H A N S E N B R IT O , D e fe nda nt

- Appe l l ant

A pp ealf

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or th e E aster n D i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 1: 07- C R

- 208- 3

B ef ore K IN G , ST E W A R T , an d H AY N E S , C i rcui tJu dg es. P E R C U R IA M: * J oh a n sen B ri to w a s con victedof con sp i ra cyto distrib u te an dpo sse ss w i th i n t e n tt o d i s t r ibut e fiv e k i l o g r a m s o rmo r e o f c o c a i n e i n v i o l a t i o n o f 2 1 U. S

. C. §§ 841 , 846
. B rit o cha l l en ges t h e ad m i ssi on of t est i m on y regardi n g t h e sei zure o f m o ne y i ns i de a c ar dr ive n by hi m a nd the de ni alo f hi s m o t i o n f

o raj udg m e nt of acqu i t t alas t o ven u e. Brit o a r gue s t hatt he di s t r i c tco ur ter r e d i n al l o w i ng Ram o n Gonz al e z , t he l e ad e ro f

t he c o ns pir ac y, t o t e s t i f y t hatBr i t o t o l d hi m aD o dg e N e o n a nd United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D May 19, 2010 Lyle W . Cayce Clerk Case: 09-40786 Document: 00511115694 Page: 1 Date Filed: 05/19/2010N o. 09- 40786

2 $ 1 8 0 , 0 0 0 w ere seized

. P ri or t o t ri a l , th e d i stri ct cou rt gra n tedB ri to’ s m oti on to sup press al lst atem en t s and e v iden ce obt ai n ed d u ri n g t h e t raf f i c s t op that l ed t o t he s e i z ur e . Brit o ar gue s t hat G o nz al e z ’ s t e s t i m o ny w as f r ui to f t he po i s o no us t ree and t h u s adm i t t ed i n vi ol ati on of hi s Fou rt h A m en dm en tri gh t s. W e need not r esolve w h et h er th is te sti m on y shou l d h ave been excl u ded b e c a u s e th e e r r o r , if a n y , in a d m itt in gt h is t e s tim o n yw a s h a r m le s s . S ee Un i t ed St at e s v . Edw ar ds , 3 0 3 F .3 d6 0 6 , 6 2 1 -2 2 (5 th C ir . 2 0 0 2 ). “[W ] e a s kw h e th e rit ap pe ar s b e yo nd ar e as o nab l e do ubtt hatt he e r r o rc o m pl ai ne d o f di d not
c ont r ibut e t o the ve r di c tob tain ed

. ” I d. a t6 21 (i nt e r nalq uo t at i o ns m ar ks a nd cita tion s o m itted ). T h e ind i ctedcon sp i ra cyi n this case w a s to dis trib u te an dpo sse ss w i th i nt e ntt o di s t r ibut e c o c ai ne . The o bj e c t e d- t o t e s t i m o ny e xp l ai ns w hy t he c o c ai ne t r af f i c ki ng o pe r at i o n st o ppe d us i ng t he D o dg e N e o n and be ga n usi ng a dif fe r e nt
v e h ic le d r iv e n b yC h a r le s S c o t t , a n o t h e rc o -c o n s p ir a t o r , t o tr a n s p o r tB r it o ’s
c o c a i n e . T h o u g h t h i s t e s t i m o n yi s p r o b a t iv e o f Br i t o ’ s p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t he
con sp i ra cy , i t i s cu m u l a tive of alarg e a m ou n t of o th er ev i d en ce of B ri to’ s gu i l t. O t hert es t i m ony li nked B r i t o t o the c ons pi r ac y and , s p ecif i c al l y, t o the D odge N eo n a s am ea n s of t ra n sp ortingcoca i n e. B ri to w a s also li n k ed to C h a rl es S cott,
w ho t r anspo r t ed c oc ai ne f or hi m on s eve r aloc c as i ons af t ert he D odge N eo n w as
s e i z e d. The r e f

o r e , a dm i ssi on o f

t hi s t e s t i m o ny, if

e r r o r , i s ha r m l e s s b e yo nd a
r e a s o n a b le d o u b t. Se eEdw ar ds , 303 F. 3d at622. B rit o al so argues t h at t h e di st ri ctcourterr ed i n den yi n g h i s m ot i on f or a j udg m e nto f

a c quit t ala s t o v e nue . B r i t o c o nt e nds t hatt he G o ve r nm e nt p r e s e n te d in s u ffic ie n t e v id e n c e to e s ta b lis h h is in v o lv e m e n t in aco n s p ir a c yin t h e E aster n D i st ri ctof T exas.

“W e w i l laf

f i rm a verdi ctif, v i ew i n g al lt h e evi den ce i n t h e l i gh tm ost favorab l e t o t h e govern m en t , a rati on alj u ry coul d concl u de, f rom t h e evi den ce presented at t ri al , t h at th e governm en test abli shedven u e by a prep on deran ce of t h e ev i d en ce.” Uni t e d St a t e s v. Men d o za , 587 F. 3d 682, 686 ( 5t h C i r . 2009) Case: 09-40786 Document: 00511115694 Page: 2 Date Filed: 05/19/2010N o. 09- 40786

3 (c i t i ng Ja ck so n v. V

irg in ia , 4 43 U

. S. 3 07 , 3 19 ( 19 79 ) )

. “W he n a n of fe ns e i s b e gun i n one d i st ri ctan d com pl et ed i n a n ot h er, v en u e is p roper i n a n y di st ri cti n w h i ch th e offen se w a s ‘b eg u n , con ti n u ed , or com p l eted

. ’” Un ited S ta tes v. F ells , 78 F. 3d 16 8, 1 70 ( 5t h Ci r . 1 99 6) ( quo t i ng 18 U

. S. C. § 3 23 7( a) )

. “ I n c as e s i nvo l vi ng c ons pi r ac y o f

fens es , ve nue i s pro peri n a n y d i st r i c tw her e the agr ee m entw as f or m ed or an ove r t ac t oc cu rred

. ” Un itedS ta tes v. Ca ld w ell , 16 F. 3d 623, 624 ( 5t h Ci r . 19 94 )

. “Venue c an be b as e d o n e vi de nc e o f a ny s i ngl e a c tt hati ni t i at e d, p erp etu a ted , o rc o m p l eted the cri m e, a n dci rcu m stan ti a lev i d en ce su ff i ces to esta b l i sh ve n u e.” Mend oza , 587 F

. 3d at 686 (i n t erna l cit ati on om i t t ed). Fu rt h er,

“ o n e c o - c o n s p i r a t o r ’ s t r a v e lt h r o u g h a j u d i c i a l d i s t r i c t i n f u r t h e r a n c e o f t h e c r i me a l l eg edesta b li sh es v en u e a s to allco-con sp i ra tors. ” Id

. at687. Evi de nc e w as pr e s e nt e d t hat Char l e s Sc o t tt r ans po r t e d c o c ai ne f r o m t he G o nz al e z o pe r at i o n i n H o us t o n, Te xa s , t o b uye r s l o c at e d e as to f Te xa s , i nc l udi ng B ri to. O n h i s f

i rst tri p , C h a rl es S cott t ra ve l ed thro u gh B ea u m on t, T e x a s , t o de l ive rc o c ai ne t o Car l o s M o r e no , ano t he rb uye rw ho pur c has e d c o c ai ne f r o m t he G o nz al e z o pe r at i o n. Vi e w i ng t he e vi de nc e i n t he l i ghtm o s tfav o r ab l e t o t he G o v e r n m e n t, B r ito w a s p a r t o f t h e s a m e u n ita r yco n s p ir a c yto b u ya n ds e ll
c o c ai ne a s M o r e no . T h e r e f o r e , t he a c to f

t r ans po r t i ng c o c ai ne t hr o ught he E a s te r n D is tr ic t o f T e x a s to M o r e n o is s u ffic ie n t t o e s ta b lis h v e n u e . Se ei d. at 686- 87. Br i t o ’ s c o n v i c t i o n i s A F F I RMED. Case: 09-40786 Document: 00511115694 Page: 3 Date Filed: 05/19/2010