2011 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t a t e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit

9-19-2011 

# U S A v . M a n uel C hir e no -G i l

P r e c e de n t i al or N on-P r e c e de n t i al : N on-P r e c e de n t i al D ock e t N o . 10-2982

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w . v i l l a no v a . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2011/5181 

### NOT PRECEDENTIAL UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT

_____________ No. 10

- 2982

_____________ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

v. MANUEL CHIRENO

- GIL,

Appellant

_____________ On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania District Court No. 2

- 09

- cr - 00801

- 001 District Judge: The Honorable Timothy J. Savage

_____________ Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit L.A.R. 34.1(a)

September 14, 2011 Before: SLOVITER, SMITH, and NYGAARD, Circuit Judges

(Filed: September 19, 2011 )

_____________________ OPINION

_____________________ SMITH, Circuit Judge. A grand jury returned a one

- count indictment against Manuel Chireno

- Gil, charging him with attempted possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms2



### or more of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). After the close of the government’s case in chief, Chireno

- Gil moved for a judgment of acquittal under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 29(a). The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania denied the motion. Thereafter, the jury found Chireno

- Gil guilty as charged. Chireno

- Gil renewed his motion under Rule 29(c) to no avail. The Distric t Court sentenced Chireno

- Gil to, inter alia , 120 months’ imprisonment. This timely appeal followed, challenging the District Court’s denial of the Rule 29 motion. 1 

### We will affirm. We “review[] the sufficiency of the evidence in the light most favorabl e to the government and must credit all available inferences in favor of the government.” United States v. Riddick , 156 F.3d 505, 509 (3d Cir. 1998). If a rational juror could have found the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt, we must susta in the verdict. United States v. Cartwright , 359 F.3d 281, 286 (3d Cir. 2004). Chireno

- Gil contends that the District Court erred because the government failed to offer evidence that permits an inference that he knew he was tendering money in exchange for a controlled substance. The District Court denied the motion summarily. After consideration of the government’s case

- in

- chief, we conclude that there was sufficient evidence for a jury to find beyond a reasonable

1 The District Court exercised jurisdiction under 18 U.S.C. § 3231. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291.3



### doubt that Chireno

- Gil knew that the “50 kilos,” which he was about to receive in exchange for a backpack full of $35,000 in cash, were controlled substances. We will affirm.