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R E N D E L L , C i r cui tJ udge. R us s el l M cN ei l l w as tr i ed and c onvi ct ed of the fol l ow i ng arm ed r obberyand fi rearm s offen ses: C o u n t I: A rm e d ro b b e ryo f a U n i-M a rt c o n v e n ien c e sto re o n A p ril 2 7 , 2 0 0 6 in v iolati o n o f 1 8 U . S . C . § 1 9 5 1 (a). C o u n t II: C arry ing an d b ran d ishing a w ea p o n in the rob b eryo f th e U n i- M art c o n v e n ie n c e s to re in v io la tio n o f 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 4 (c )( 1 )( A )( i) a n d (i i) . C ou n t I II: A rm e d ro b b e ryo f th e C a sa D e l S o l II p izz a sh o p o n A p ril 2 7 , 2 0 0 6 in v iolati o n o f 1 8 U . S . C . § 1 9 5 1 (a). C o u n t IV : C arr y i ng and br andi s hi ng a w eapon i n the r obberyof the C as a D el Sol II p iz z a s h o p in v io la tio n o f 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 4 (c )( 1 )( A )( i) a n d (i i) . C o u n t V : A rm ed rob b eryo f V all ina’s M ark et gro ce rystore o n A p ril 2 8 , 2 0 0 6 in v iolati o n o f 1 8 U . S . C . § 1 9 5 1 (a). C o u n t V I: C arr y i ng and br andi s hi ng a w eapon i n the r obberyof V al l i na’ s M arket g ro c e ry st o re in v io la tio n o f 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 4 (c )( 1 )( A )( i) a n d (i i) . C ou n t V II: B ank r obberyof a W as hi ngt on Feder al B ank br anch on A pr i l 29, 2006 in v iolati o n o f 1 8 U . S . C . § 2 1 1 3 (a). C o u n t V III: A rm e d b a n k ro b b e ryo f a W a sh in g to n F e d e ra l B a n k b ra n c h o n A p ril 2 9 , 2 0 0 6 in v iolati o n o f 1 8 U . S . C . § 2 1 1 3 (d).3

C o u n t IX : C arr y i ng and br andi s hi ng a w eapon i n the r obberyof a W as hi ngt on F e d e ra l B a n k b ra n c h in v io la tio n o f 1 8 U .S .C . § 9 2 4 (c )( 1 )( A )( i) a n d (i i) . M cN ei l l cl ai m s that the D i stri ctC ou rterr ed in den y i ng his m oti on s t o d i sm i ss Co u n t s I th r o u g h VI f

o rl a c k o f

j u r i s d i c t i o n a n d t o s e v e rCo u n t s VI I th r o u g h I X. M cN ei l l ar gues thatthe governm entfai l ed t o pr ove thati nt er s t at e comm er ce w as obs truct ed, del ay ed, oraff ect ed i n anyw aybyhi s al l eged c onductand that , ther efor e, t he D i s tr i ctC our tl acke d s ubj ectm att erj ur i s di ct i on overthes e cha r ges . U nderthe H obbs A ct , r obberyi s a fe der al cr i m e i f the def endant“i n anyw ayordegr ee obs truct s , del ay s , or aff ect s comm er ce orthe movem entof anyart i cl e orcomm odi tyi n comm er ce. ” 18 U . S. C . § 1951( a) . O urr evi ew of the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s i nt erpr et at i on of the H obbs A ct in v o lv e s a n is s u e o f

la w , a n d is p le n a ry. U ni t ed Stat es v. U

r ban , 404 F. 3d 754, 762 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 5 ). H is c h a llen g e to th e su f f icie n c yo f

th e e v id e n c e re g a rd in g in ter sta te comm er ce i s r evi ew ed t o det erm i ne “w hether , vi ew i ng the evi dence m os tfavor abl yt o t he governm ent , ther e i s s ubs t ant i al evi dence t o s uppor tthe j ury ' s gui l tyver di ct . ” I d. In o th e r w o rd s, w e a sk if

“ a n yra tio n a l trier o f

f a c t co u ld h a v e f

o u n d th e e ss e n tial e lem e n ts of the cr i m e bey ond a r eas onabl e doubt . ” I d. (q u o ta tio n s o m itte d ). M c N e i l l c o n c e d e s th a tu n d e ro u rc a s e l a w th e g o v e rn m e n tn e e d p r o v e o n l y a m inim al, o r de m i ni m us , ef f e c t u p o n in ter sta te c o m m e rc e to e sta b lish ju risd ictio n . In f a c t, this de m i ni m us eff

ectneed onl ybe pot ent i al . U r ban , 404 F. 3d at766. A j urym ayi nfer thati nt er s t at e comm er ce w as m i ni m al l yaff ect ed bya s how i ng thatbus i nes s as s et s fr om4

a n e s ta b lis h m e n t th a t p u rc h a s e d g o o d o r s e rv ic e s f ro m o u t- o f

-s ta te w e re d e p le te d . See U ni t ed Stat es v. H

ayw ood , 3 6 3 F .3 d 2 0 0 , 2 1 0 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 4 ) (h o ld in g th a t in ter sta te comm er ce ne xus i s es t abl i s hed w her e def endants t ol e l es s than $100 fr om barthat i m por t ed bee rfr om out - of- s t at e) . St eal i ng m oneyfr om a s t or e thatbuy s anyof i t s goods o u t- o f -s ta te is a ls o s u f

f ic ie n t to d e m o n s tr a te a n e f f e c t o n in te rs ta te c o m m e rc e . See U ni t ed Stat es v. C laus en , 3 2 8 F .3 d 7 0 8 , 7 1 1 -1 2 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 3 ) (f in d in g th a t an in ter sta te comm er ce ne xus w as es t abl i s hed w her e def endants t ol e fr om bus i nes s es thatpur chas ed g o o d s fro m o u t- o f-state o r ha d cu stom ers o r em p loy ee s fro m o u t- o f-state). M cN ei l l conce des thatthe governm ent ’ s evi dence es t abl i s hed thatthe bus i nes s es h e a ll eg ed lyrob b ed p u rch ase d it em s thro u g h interst ate c o m m erc e o r th at cu stom ers c ro ss e d sta te lin e s to p a tro n ize th e b u sin e ss e s. M c N e ill c o n ten d s, h o w e v e r, th a t th e o n ly ev iden ce p rod u ce d to ind icate an ef fe ct on interst ate c o m m erc e is th at th e sto res w ere f o rc e d to c lo se f

o r a sh o rt tim e a n d lo st m o n e y . M c N e ill u rg e s th a t th is e v id e n c e is i ns uffi ci entt o es t abl i s h fede r al j ur i s di ct i on underthe H obbs A ct . H ow ever , beca us e a r at i onal tr i erof fa ctcoul d concl ude thatthe bus i nes s es i n ques t i on pur chas ed goods and serv ices f

rom o u t- o f state a n d that M cN eil l st o le fro m thes e b u sine sses , the D istri ct C o u rt d id n o t e rr in d e n y in g M c N e ill’ s m o tio n to d is m is s f o r l a c k o f

ju ri s d ic tio n . M cN eil l nex t con tend s tha t th e D istri ct C o u rt err ed i n deny i ng hi s m ot i on t o s ever C o u n ts V II, V III a n d IX o f th e In d ictm e n t. W e m a k e a n in d e p e n d e n t d e ter m in a tio n a s to w h e th e r j o in d e r o f

c o u n ts u n d e r F e d . R . C ri m . P . 8 w a s p ro p e r. U nited S tates v. Ir izarry ,T her e w as evi dence thatM cN ei l l w or e the s ame cl othi ng foreac h r obbery , us ed the 1 s ame gun, pl ay ed the s ame r ol e ( pos ed as a cus t om er ) , had the s ame m odus oper andi ( r obbed bus i nes s es i n out - of- the- w ayar eas orthatl acke d s ur vei l l ance camer as ) , had the s a m e a c c o m p lic e , a n d u s e d th e s a m e v e h ic le s to g e t a w a y . 5 341 F. 3d 273, 287 ( 3d C i r . 2003) . Feder al R ul e of Cri m i nal Pr ocedur e 8( a) s t at es that “[t ] he i ndi ctm entori nform at i on m aychar ge a de fenda nti n s epar at e count s w i th 2 or m or e off ens es i f the off

ens es char ged - w hetherfel oni es orm i s demeanor s orboth - ar e of the s am e o r si m il ar c h ara cter, o r are b ase d o n the s am e a ct or tran sac ti o n , o r are c o n n e c te d w ith o r c o n s titu te p a rt s o f a c o m m o n s c h e m e o r p la n .” M cN ei l l con cedes t hat the robb eri es of t he U ni- M art , C asa del S ol I I, V al l i na’s, and the W as hi ngt on Feder al B ank al l occurr ed w i thi n thr ee da y s and al l occurr ed i n t he s ame gener al l ocat i on i n Penns y l vani a ( al though i n di ffe r entcount i es ) . T hes e off ens es w ere all g u n -po int r o b b eries tha t w ere all eg ed lyo f th e sa m e o r si m il ar c h ara cter. 1 T h ere fo re, j o ind er w as p rop er a n d the D istri ct C o u rtd id n o t err i n d en y ing M cN eil l’ s m o tio n to s e v e r C o u n ts V II , V II I a n d IX o f th e In d ic tm e n t. F o r th e re a so n s s e t f

o rth a b o v e , w e w ill A F F IR M th e O rd e r o f th e D istric t C o u rt.