Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/528/464/178707/
Timestamp: 2020-04-08 12:50:04
Document Index: 170782657

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 371', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 1202', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922', '§ 922']

The United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Hector G. Camacho, Defendant-appellant.the United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Jose Dolores Raygoza, Defendant-appellant, 528 F.2d 464 (9th Cir. 1976) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Ninth Circuit › 1976 › The United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Hector G. Camacho, Defendant-appellant.the Unit...
The United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Hector G. Camacho, Defendant-appellant.the United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Jose Dolores Raygoza, Defendant-appellant, 528 F.2d 464 (9th Cir. 1976)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - 528 F.2d 464 (9th Cir. 1976) Jan. 5, 1976. Rehearing Denied Feb. 9, 1976. Certiorari Denied May 24, 1976. See 96 S. Ct. 2208
In a consolidated jury trial appellants were convicted of violations of the Gun Control Act of 1968--on one count of conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and three substantive counts of the sale and delivery of firearms to non-residents by appellant Camacho, aided and abetted by appellant Raygoza,1 and violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(b) (3) and 2.2 We affirm both convictions.
Camacho contends that 18 U.S.C § 922(b) (3) does not prohibit a licensed dealer from selling firearms to non-resident aliens, but only to persons who are residents of another state within the United States. Appellant's argument is based in large part on cases construing other sections of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and amendments thereto contained in the Gun Control Act of 1968 relating to the sale and possession of firearms, where the statutes were held to be ambiguous. These cases are distinguishable.3 Section 922(b) (3) is clear and unambiguous. It provides that it shall be unlawful for a licensed dealer to sell or deliver any firearm to any person who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe does not reside in the state in which the licensee's place of business is located.
With this stated legislative purpose in mind, we turn to the cases which Camacho contends lend support to his position that § 922(b) (3) applies only to residents of another state. In United States v. Bass, 404 U.S. 336, 92 S. Ct. 515, 30 L. Ed. 2d 488 (1971) the Court construed § 1202(a) (1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, providing that a person convicted of a felony 'who receives, possesses . . . or transports in commerce or affecting commerce . . . any firearm' shall be punished as therein provided. The Court held that the ambiguity of the Section (as to whether receipt or possession of a firearm must be shown in an individual prosecution to have been connected with interstate commerce) must be resolved in favor of the narrow reading requiring that nexus with interstate commerce be shown with respect to all three offenses embraced by the provision. In the 'absence of a clearer direction from Congress', the Court refused to adopt the broader meaning, which 'would mark a major inroad into a domain traditionally left to the States'. 404 U.S. at 339, 92 S. Ct. at 518. Camacho argues that since the State of Arizona does not restrict firearm sales, § 922(b) (3) must also be narrowly construed. However, as this court held in Redus, supra, 469 F.2d at 187, in construing § 922(a) (1), Bass is distinguishable because the 'statute before the court, unlike the one considered in Bass, is unambiguous'. The same is true here with respect to § 922(b) (3). The direction from Congress is clear.
Camacho's reliance on United States v. Kraase, 484 F.2d 549 (7 Cir. 1973) is also misplaced. In Kraase the court construed § 922(a) (5), which provides in pertinent part that any person who is not a licensed dealer may not sell any firearm to any person (other than one who is licensed) 'who the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe resides in any state other than that in which the transferor resides . . .' The purchaser represented himself to be a resident of another state, but was in fact a resident of the same state as the seller. Noting that § 922(a) (5) was ambiguous, the court held that an unlicensed seller could not be convicted where both the purchaser and seller are residents of the same state, even though the 'seller has reasonable cause to believe otherwise.'4 Section 922(b) (3), relating to licensed dealers, prohibits a sale to any person not residing in the licensee's state and does not require, as does § 922(a) (5), that the purchaser be a resident of another state before the sale is illegal.
An alien who has not established residence in the state where the licensed dealer is located falls within the class of persons to whom the dealer is not permitted to sell firearms under § 922(b) (3). Under appellant's construction of the section aliens would be permitted to purchase firearms in any state, whereas United States citizens could do so only when they resided in the same state as the dealer. Here Camacho knew that Pena was a resident of Mexico and that the sales were illegal under the Gun Control Act. At the time of each sale Camacho insisted that a resident of Arizona sign the registration forms before completing the sale and delivery to Pena. We reject the contention that the sales were not prohibited by § 922(b) (3).
The parties agree that mere presence at the scene of a crime does not make one an aider and abetter, and that 'guilt cannot be established by mere association'. Ramirez v. United States, 363 F.2d 3, 34 (9 Cir. 1966). As the Supreme Court stated in Nye & Nissen v. United States, 336 U.S. 613, 619, 69 S. Ct. 766, 769, 93 L. Ed. 919 (1949):
There was substantial evidence that Raygoza participated with Camacho in the illegal sale and delivery of the firearms. Raygoza was present at Camacho's store when the sales were made. When Pena first came to Camacho to purchase the weapons, Raygoza entered the store, and Camacho suggested that Pena request Raygoza to sign the registration forms. Raygoza refused, stating that he 'had already given out about 200 signatures', and Camacho remembered his doing so. Camacho told Pena to go with Raygoza to get the necessary signatures. Pena did so and Raygoza subsequently arranged with Quintero, Rivas, and Chavez to sign forms for the purchase of firearms on three different occasions. Raygoza told Pena that he knew what they were doing was a crime. We are unable to accept Raygoza's argument that he was aiding and abetting Pena rather than Camacho. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Government, as required by Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 80, 62 S. Ct. 457, 86 L. Ed. 680 (1942), the jury could rationally conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Raygoza was aiding and abetting Camacho in the illegal sale and delivery of firearms.5
Raygoza contends that Count I of the indictment charging him with conspiracy was fatally defective in that it 'does not specifically state that the object of the conspiracy was for Camacho to sell the firearms' but rather states that the 'object of the conspiracy was for one or more of the conspirators to sell and deliver the firearms'. This contention is without merit. Count I of the indictment charges that Camacho, 'a licensed federal firearms dealer', Raygoza, Quintero, Rivas and Chavez conspired 'To wilfully and knowingly sell and deliver, and aid and abet in the selling and delivery firearms to individuals whom they knew or had reasonable cause to believe did not reside in the state in which the federal firearms dealer's place of business was located, that being the State of Arizona, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(b) (3) and 2.' The only reasonable construction of Count I is that it charges a conspiracy for the sale and delivery of firearms by Camacho, the licensed dealer, aided and abetted by the other defendants. The indictment 'sufficiently apprises the defendant of what he must be prepared to meet, and, in case any other proceedings are taken against him for a similar offense . . . the record shows with accuracy to what extent he may plead a formal acquittal or conviction.' United States v. Debrow, 346 U.S. 374, 376, 74 S. Ct. 113, 115, 98 L. Ed. 92 (1953).
Raygoza next argues that there is no evidence that 'Raygoza entered into an agreement with Camacho'. It is well established that a conspiracy may be proved by circumstantial evidence and that to 'constitute an unlawful conspiracy no formal agreement is necessary'. Blumenthal v. United States,158 F.2d 883, 889 (9 Cir. 1946), aff'd 332 U.S. 539, agreement constituting a conspiracy may be inferred from acts of the parties. United States v. Schroeder, 433 F.2d 846, 849 (8 Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 1024, 91 S. Ct. 590, 27 L. Ed. 2d 636 (1970). '(T)he agreement may be shown 'if there be concert of action, all the parties working together understandingly, with a single design for the accomplishment of a common purpose.' Fowler v. United States, (C.C.A.9) 273 F. 15, 19.' Marino v. United States, 91 F.2d 691, 694 (9 Cir. 1937).7 The jury could reasonably infer that the repeated transactions in which Raygoza participated would not have taken place in the absence of an agreement among the defendants, and particularly between Camacho and Raygoza.
The granting or denial of a motion for the separate trial of jointly-indicted defendants rests within the sound discretion of the trial court. Opper v. United States, 348 U.S. 84, 95, 75 S. Ct. 158, 99 L. Ed. 101 (1954). Joint trials are the rule rather than the exception; and there is a 'substantial public interest' in the joint trial of persons charged with committing the same offense or with being accessory to its commission. Parker v. United States, 404 F.2d 1193, 1196 (9 Cir. 1968). The decision of a trial judge denying a motion to sever will not be overturned on appeal unless there is an abuse of discretion. The trial court 'need not have exercised its discretion to order separate trials, unless a joint trial was manifestly prejudicial'. United States v. Cozzetti, 441 F.2d 344, 349 (9 Cir. 1971).
Appellant Raygoza has failed to show that he was prejudiced by the joint trial. All of the defendants had an opportunity to cross examine all of the witnesses and to present their individual defenses. Camacho and Raygoza were represented by separate counsel. There was no Sixth Amendment confrontation problem as found in Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123, 88 S. Ct. 1620, 20 L. Ed. 2d 476 (1968), which would warrant a severance. See, United States v. Martinez, 9 Cir., 429 F.2d 971, 975 (1970). The jury was properly instructed to apply the evidence separately against each defendant. We find no abuse of discretion in the denial of the motion for severance.
§ 922(b) (3) provides in pertinent part:
But see United States v. Colicchio, 470 F.2d 977, 979 (4 Cir. 1972), where the court held that where the seller had reasonable cause to believe the purchaser was not a resident of the same state, even though in fact he was, § 922(a) (5) covered the sales
See also Pereira v. United States, 347 U.S. 1, 74 S. Ct. 358, 98 L. Ed. 435 (1954); Davenport v. United States, 260 F.2d 591 (9 Cir. 1958)