## United States Court of App eals

F O R T H E E I G H T H C I R C U I T

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No. 0 8- 38 36

__ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca, *

* Pl ai nt iff - App el le e, *

* App eal fro m

th e Uni te d S ta te s

v. * Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r th e W es te rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i. Darre n F ran k, *

* [UNPUBLISHED] Defen da nt - App el la nt

. *

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Su bm it te d: Ju ne 9, 2 00 9 Fi le d: Ju ly 14, 2 00 9

__ __ __ __ __ _ Befo re BYE, HANSEN, and BENTON, Circu it Ju dg es

.

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PER CURI AM.

Darre n Fran k was co nv ic te d by a ju r y of : (1 ) ai di ng an d ab et ti ng th e in te nt io na l ki ll in g of Dou gl as C. W ei l whi le en ga ge d in t h e m an uf act ur e an d di st rib ut io n of m or e th an 5 0 gr am s of m et ha m ph et am in e in vi ol at io n of 21 U.S.C. § 84 8; (2 ) ai di ng an d ab et ti ng th e in te n t i o n a l ki ll in g of Dou gl as C. W ei l whi le
po ss es si ng a fir earm in rel at io n to a dr ug tra ffi ck in g of fen se in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 92 4; an d (3 ) ai di ng an d ab et ti ng th e in te nt io na l ki ll in g of Dou gl as C. W ei l, apo te nt ia l fed e r al wit ne ss , in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 15 12

. The di st ric t co ur t 1

se nt en ced Fran k to co nc ur ren t te rm s of li fe im pr is on m en t. On ap pe al
, he ch al le ng es

va rio us asp ect s o f hi s t ria l. We affir m

.

I

Fro m at le as t Ja nu ary 1, 19 96 un ti l hi s ar r e s t o n Sep te m be r 21
, 19 99
, Jo hn Ph il ip St reet m an uf

act ur ed an d so ld su bs ta n ti al qu an ti ti es of m et ha m ph et am in e th ro ug ho ut th e Kan sa s Ci ty, Mi ss ou ri, area

. Fran k su pp li ed St reet wit h pr ecu rs or ch em ic al s us ed to m an uf

act ur e m et ha m

ph et am in e an d al so se rv ed as hi s "en fo rcer ."

On Octo be r 22
, 19 97
, at S t r e e t ' s req ue st , Jo hn Haid us ek an d Dou gl as W ei l

were tra ns po rti ng a st ol en sk id lo ad er whe n t h e y were arre st ed in Bl ue Sp rin gs , Mi ss ou ri. Po li ce reco ve red fro m th ei r ve hi cl e a ni ne -m il li m et er ha nd gu n al on g wit h

co ol ers an d tra sh ba gs th at th e po li ce as so ci at ed wit h th e m an uf act ur e of

m et ha m ph et am in e. W ei l an d H a i du se k were rel eas ed wit ho ut be in g ch arg ed or
po st in g b on d. Und er th e go ve rn m en t's th eo ry of th e cas e, St reet de ci de d t o m ur de r W ei l be cau se he was afra id W ei l w o u l d c o nn ect hi m to th e st ol en sk id lo ad er an d

m an uf act ur in g m et ha m

ph et am in e.

W ei l was la st se en by hi s wife
, Tam m ie Si m sh eu se r (fo rm erl y Tam m ie W ei l),

on Ja nu ary 19
, 19 98

. Abo ut two week s lat er, she le arn ed fro m ei th er St reet or Dale Yeag er tha t th e car W ei l had be en dr iv in g, a Dod ge Arie s own ed by St reet 's fath er,

was fo un d pa rk ed in th e St ad iu m In n pa rk in g lo t lo cat ed on H i g h way 40 in
In de pe nd en ce , Mi ss ou ri. Si m sh eu se r no ti fie d th e In de pe nd en ce po li ce, who

ex am in ed th e v eh ic le fro m th e ou ts id e an d fo un d no th in g su sp ic io us

. Sev eral da y s la te r, th e po li ce ag ai n ex am in ed th e ve hi cl e, whi ch ha d be e n m ov ed
, th is ti m e

The Hon or ab le Gary A. Fen ne r, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e W es te rn 1 Dis tri ct of M is so ur i.

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-di sc ov eri ng W ei l's sh oe le ss bo dy in si de it s tru nk

. An au to ps y rev eal ed th at W ei l ha d

su ffer ed two gu ns ho t wo un ds an d was st ab be d m an y ti m es

.

In Sep te m

be r 19 99
, St reet was ch arg ed wit h m et ha m ph et am in e an d fir earm of fen se s, bu t no t ch arg ed wit h W ei l's m ur de r. He pl ead ed gu il ty to th e ch arg es , an d

was se nt en ced to 18 0 m on th s' im pr is on m en t. Late r, on Sep te m be r 10 , 2 00 4, St reet

was in di ct ed on ch arg es rel at in g t o Weil 's m ur de r.

Fran k was cal le d as a wit n e s s i n St reet 's fir st m ur de r tri al

. He de ni ed be in g of fere d m on ey by St reet to ki ll W ei l, bu t di d ad m it th at St reet of fere d hi m $5 ,00 0 to fin d a de ad m an 's m is si ng bo ot s. The jury in th e fir st St reet tri al was un ab le to reac h

a v erd ic t, an d t he di st ric t co ur t d ecl ared a m is tri al

.

On Sep te m

be r 13
, 20 06
, th e go ve rn m en t am en de d th e in di c t ment to in cl ud e Fran k as a co -d efen da nt

. Fran k an d St reet were ch arg ed wit h: (1 ) ai di ng an d ab et ti ng th e in te nt io na l ki ll in g of W ei l whil e en ga ge d in th e m an uf act ur e an d di st rib ut io n of

m or e th an 50 gr am s o f met h am ph et am in e in vi ol at io n of 21 U.S.C. § 84 8 (Co un t One ); (2 ) ai di ng an d ab et ti ng th e in te nt io na l ki ll in g of We i l w h i l e po ss es si ng a fir earm in rel at io n to a dr

ug tra ffi ck in g of

fen se in vi ol at io n of 18 U.S.C. § 92 4 (Co un t Two); an d (3) aid in g and ab et ti ng th e in te nt io na l ki ll in g of W ei l, a po te nt ia l fed eral wit ne ss , in vi ol at io n of 1 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 51 2 (Co un t Thre e). Befo re tri al
, th e di st ric t

co ur t g ran te d S tre et 's m ot io n t o s ev er.

O n re-t ria l, St reet was on ly fo un d gu il ty on Co un t One

. Due to ev id e n t i a r y

erro rs , th is Co ur t rem an de d St reet 's cas e fo r a ne w tri al

. Uni te d St at es v. St reet , 54 8 F.3 d 6 18 (8t h C ir. 2 00 8) . Stre et is cu rren tl y awai ti ng re-t ria l.

Fran k was fo un d gu il ty on al l th ree co un ts

. At tri al
, th e go ve rn m en t pr es en te d

te st im on y fro m s e v e r a l co op erat in g wit ne ss es

. Eva Lon g te st ifi ed sh e ov erh eard
St reet of fer Fran k $5 ,00 0 to ki ll W ei l. Ja ck Fru ean t e s t i f i e d Fran k ad m it te d to th e

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-m

ur de r an d th at th e reas on fo r it was be cau se W ei l was in fo rm in g on hi m an d St reet
to th e po li ce. Kerri e Mi ck te st ifi ed he he ard Fran k an d Sco tt y Nab or s br ag gi ng ab ou t k i ll in g W ei l. W y vo n Po st on an d Ry an Po st on te st ifi ed Fran k ad m it te d h i s in vo lv em en t i n t he m

ur de r.

In ad di ti on , Dete ct iv e Je ff Seev er te st ifi ed as an ex pe rt wit ne ss on m ot or cy cl e
ga ng s, sp eci fic a ll y th e El Fo ras te ro s m ot or cy cl e ga ng

. Seev er ex pl ai ne d m em be rs la be l th ei r ga ng as a "1 pe rcen te r or ga ni zat io n , " meani ng "t he y ch oo se to be th e 1
pe rcen t of th e res t of th e wor ld th at do es no t fo ll ow th e la w se t do wn by m an ." The ir ph il os op hy in cl ud es a di sd ai n fo r go ve rn men t in fo rm an ts , who m th ey refe r to as "s ni tc he s." As de m on st rat ed by th ei r sl og an of te n pl aced on t-s hi rts , "s ni tc he s ge t
st it ch es fo r be in g pu nk bi tc he s," El Fo ras te ro s m em be rs be li ev e sn it ch es are to be m et wit h v io le nc e. The re was al so te st im on y th at Fran k was a fo rm er m em be r of th e El
Fo ras te ro s, an d th at he ha d ad op te d th ei r vi ew of sn it ch es

. The go ve rn m en t as se rte d

at tri al th at it was Fr an k's di sd ai n o f sn it ch es th at m ot iv at ed hi m to m ur de r W ei l.

The go ve rn m en t al so of

fere d and th e di st ric t cou rt adm it te d ph ot og rap hs of a la rg e nu m

be r of fir earm s th at be lo ng ed to St reet bu t were reco ve red by th e po li ce fro m th e h om e o f Darre ll Hein si xt een m on th s af te r W ei l's de at h.

As st a t e d a b o ve , F ran k was fo un d gu il ty o n al l co un ts , a nd was se nt en ced to li fe im pr is on m en t. On ap pe al
, Fran k as se rts th e d i s tri ct co ur t co m m it te d two

ev id en ti ary erro rs , th e ev id en ce a t t r i a l m at eri al ly va rie d fro m th e in di ct m en t, an d th ere was in su ffi ci en t ev id en ce t o c on vi ct hi m

.

II

Fr a n k a s s e r t s th e di st ric t co ur t erre d by: (1 ) al lo win g te st im on y as to th e El
Fo ras te ro s m ot or cy cl e ga ng ; an d (2 ) ad m it ti ng in to ev id en ce th e fi re ar m s pol ic e fo und in th e po ss es si on of Darre ll Hein

. "[W] e re v i ew th e ad m is si on of th is ev id en ce fo r

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-ab us e of di sc ret io n an d 'rev ers e a co nv ic ti on o n l y w h en an im pr op er ev id en ti ary

ru li ng affe ct ed th e de fen da nt 's su bs ta nt ia l rig ht s or ha d m or e th an a sl ig ht in flu en ce

on th e ve rd ic t.'" Uni te d St at es v. W rig ht
, 54 0 F.3 d 83 3, 84 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ) (q uo ti ng Uni te d S ta te s v . Shi el ds , 49 7 F .3d 78 9, 7 92 (8t h C ir. 2 00 7) ).

A. El Fo ras te ro s Ev id en ce

The pr im ary cas e Fran k rel ie s on to arg ue th e di st ric t co ur t e r r o n eo us ly ad m it te d ev id en ce pe rta in in g to th e El Fo ras te ro s m ot or cy cl e ga ng is Uni te d St at es

v. St reet , in whi ch th is Co ur t he ld it was erro r to ad m it si m il ar ev id en ce du rin g St reet 's t ria l. 5 48 F.3d 61 8, 6 33 (8t h C ir. 2 00 8)

.

St reet , ho wev er, is di st in gu is ha bl e fo r two reas on s. Fi rs t, th e m ai n pu rp os e of th e El Fo ras te ro s ev id en ce in tro du ced at St reet 's tri a l was "t o il lu st rat e th e vi ol en t, la wles s pr op en si ti es of ou tl aw m ot or cy cl e ga ng s." Id . a t 62 9. Aft er di sc us si ng th e
te st im on y in de pt h, t h e C o u r t fo un d it s "n et effe ct " was "t o lo cat e El Fo ras te ro s 2
wit hi n a tra di ti on of m is og y ni st ic
, ha rd en ed ou tl aws ." Id

. at 63 1. In co nt ras t, th e El
Fo ras te ro s ev id en ce in tro du ced at Fran k's tri al was sh arp ly li m it ed
, fo cu si ng m ai nl y

on th ei r vi ew of "s ni tc he s." Seco nd
, th e St reet co ur t fo un d si gn ifi can t th at St reet di d

no t ha ve an y se rio us ti es to El Fo ras te ro s. Fran k, on th e ot he r ha nd
, was a f or m er

The Co ur t s um m ari zed : 2

[The go ve rn m en t's wit ne ss ] te st ifi ed to in ci de nt s of vi ol en ce fro m as lo ng ag o as 19 47 an d f

r om as far afi el d as Las Veg as , Nev ad a, an d Hol li st er, Cal ifo rn ia

. He de sc rib ed arca ne in si gn ia an d p ai nf ul ta tt oo s in te nd ed to se t ga ng m em be rs ap art fro m th e res t of ci vi li z e d so ci et y

. He reco un te d na us eo us an d br ut al in it ia t i o n p r oc ed ur es

. He m ad e rep eat ed refe ren ces to sh oo ti ng s, as sa ul ts , a nd th eft

. He ex pl ai ne d th e ge ne ral co nt em

pt ga ng m em

be rs di sp la y ed to ward s wo m en

.
Id . at 6 31

.
-5

-m em

be r of th e m ot or cy cl e ga ng , an d t h ere was te st im on y in di cat in g Fran k ha d ad op te d i ts vi ew of

sn it ch es

.

Th es e di st in gu is hi ng fact or s ren de r th e El Fo ras te ro s te st im on y rel ev an t an d

no t ov erl y pr ejud ic ia l. As su ch
, th e di st ric t co ur t di d no t a b u s e it s di sc ret io n by ad m it ti ng it

.

B. Fi rear m s Ev id en ce

As th is Co ur t no te d in St reet , al th ou gh th e weap on s were di sc ov ered well aft er th e m ur de r of W ei l, "[ s]in ce t he weap on s ad m it te dl y be lo ng ed to St reet , th ey m ig ht

st il l be rel ev an t ev en th ou gh di sc ov ered at a ti m e an d pl ace rem ot e fro m hi m an d hi s

m et ha m ph et am in e op erat io n" be cau se "[a ] jury m ig ht dr aw th e reas on ab le in fere nc e th at th e g un s were acq ui red fo r th e pu rp os e of pr ot ect in g or fu nd in g St reet 's dr ug
act iv it ie s." 54 8 F.3 d at 62 6; se e al so id

. ("F ire arm s are r o ut in el y al lo wed in to

ev id en ce as 'to ol s of th e tra de ' in dr ug tra ffi ck in g cas es ."). Bec au se th e go ve rn m en t

es ta bl is he d Fran k pa rti ci pa te d in St reet 's dr u g o p e r a t io n an d su ch op erat io n was

on go in g at th e ti m e th e weap on s were se iz ed
, th ey are th us eq ua ll y ad m is si bl e ag ai ns t Fran k. See Un i t e d S t a t e s v. Bal l, 49 9 F.3 d 89 0, 89 7 (8 th Ci r. 20 07 ), rev ers ed on
ot he r gr ou nd s 1 29 S. Ct. 2 04 9 (2 00 9)

.

The di st ric t co ur t th us di d no t ab us e it s di sc ret io n by ad m it ti ng th e ph ot og rap hs of th e fi rear m s.

III

Fran k al so as se rts th e fact s ad du ced at tri al erro ne ou sl y va ri e d f r o m t he in di ct m en t. " A v ari an ce ari se s whe n th e ev id en ce pr es en te d pr ov es fact s th at are

m at eri al ly di ff

e r e n t f r o m th os e al le ge d in th e in di ct m en t." Uni te d St at es v. W hi rlwi nd So ld ie r, 49 9 F.3 d 8 6 2
, 8 70 (8 th Ci r. 20 07 ). "In de te rm in in g whe th er a

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-va ria nc e ex is ts , we co ns id er th e to ta li ty of th e ci rcu m st an ces , in cl ud in g th e na tu re of

th e act iv it ie s, th e lo cat io n an d ti m e fram e in whi ch th e act iv it ie s were pe rfo rm ed
, an d

t h e pa rti ci pa nt s in vo lv ed ." Uni te d St at es v. Abf al te r, 34 0 F.3 d 64 6, 65 0 ( 8 t h C i r

. 20 03 ). "Re ve rs al is warra nt ed on ly if th e va ria nc e p r e ju d ic ed th e de fen da nt 's

su bs ta nt ia l ri gh ts ." Uni te d S ta te s v . Buc kl ey , 52 5 F .3d 62 9, 6 33 (8t h C ir. 2 00 8)

.

Fran k arg ue s th e ev id en ce pr ov ed he en ga ge d in m ul ti pl e co ns pi raci es to

m ur de r W ei l, rat he r th an th e si ng le co ns pi ra cy (w ith St re et ) ch ar ge d in th e in di ct m en t. Thi s arg um en t is m is pl aced

. Fi rs t, Frank was ch arg ed wit h aid in g and ab et ti ng , no t

co ns pi racy. Seco nd
, th e ev id en ce ad du ced at tri al was co ns is te nt wit h th e co un ts ch arg ed

. Acco rd in gl y , Fran k ha s no t es ta bl is he d th e ev i d e n c e a d d uc ed at tri al

m at eri al ly vari ed fro m

th e in di ct m en t.

IV

Fi na ll y, Fran k as se rts th e di st ric t co ur t erre d in de nyin g hi s m ot io n fo r jud gm en t of acq ui tt al on th e b a s i s o f i n su ffi ci en t ev id en ce. "We rev ie w de no vo a di st ric t co ur t's de ni al of a m ot io n fo r jud gm en t of acq ui tt al ." Uni te d St at es v. Cl ark e, 5 6 4 F

. 3 d 9 4 9, 95 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 09 ). The ev id en ce m us t be vi ewed in li gh t m os t fav or ab le to th e ve rd ic t, an d al l reas on ab le in fere nc es an d cred ib il it y de te rm in at io ns

mu s t be m ad e in su pp or t of th e jury's ve rd ic t. Uni te d St at es v. Hud sp et h, 52 5 F.3 d
66 7, 67 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 08 ). Id

. The Co ur t wil l rev ers e a jury ve rd ic t on th e gr ou nd s of in su ffi ci en t ev id en ce "o nl y if t h e r e i s n o in te rp ret at io n of th e ev id en ce th at wou ld al lo w a reas on ab le jury to fin d th e de fen da nt gu il ty be y on d a r e as on ab le do ub t." Uni te d St at es v. Bo es en , 49 1 F.3 d 85 2, 85 5 (8 th Ci r. 20 07 ) (q uo ti ng Uni te d St at es v. Cac io pp o, 4 60 F.3d 10 12 , 10 21 (8t h C ir. 2 00 6) ).

Hav in g rev ie wed th e ev id en ce pr es en te d at tri al
, w e c o n cl ud e th ere was

su ffi ci en t ev id en ce to co nv ic t Fran k on each co un t wit h whi ch he was ch arg ed

. See 8t h C ir. R . 47 B.

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Fo r th es e rea so ns , th e jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t i s af fir m ed

.

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