Source: http://openjurist.org/168/f3d/165
Timestamp: 2015-09-03 21:33:57
Document Index: 714569330

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 952', '§ 841', '§ 2', '§ 3', '§ 3', '§ 841']

168 F3d 165 United States v. Gourley | OpenJurist
168 F. 3d 165 - United States v. Gourley Home
168 F3d 165 United States v. Gourley 168 F.3d 165
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,v.Randall Elwood GOURLEY, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 96-41206.
Feb. 19, 1999.Rehearing Denied March 19, 1999.
James L. Powers, Paula Camille Offenhauser, Asst. U.S. Attys., Houston, TX, Jody Lee Young, Brownsville, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Gary Lynn Bledsoe, Austin, TX, for Defendant-Appellant.
Randall Gourley raises numerous objections to his conviction and sentences on three drug-related offenses. We affirm.
Along with several other defendants, Randall Gourley was charged and tried on three drug-related counts: conspiracy to import over five kilograms of cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 952(a), 960(b)(1), 963); conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute over one thousand kilograms of cocaine (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(A), 846); and possession with intent to distribute over one thousand kilograms of cocaine (18 U.S.C. § 2; 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(A)). The charges arose from a scheme in which cocaine was transported from Mexico to Houston, Texas in the roof of a large tractor trailer.
The prosecution introduced evidence at trial to establish the following facts. The tractor trailer containing the drugs was driven by Walter Mace. Mace testified that when he arrived in Houston, he was led to his final destination, a warehouse, by two men known to him as "Jose" and "Happy." The warehouse was leased by Gourley, who, along with others, was present at the time of the truck's arrival. Once the trailer was secured in Gourley's warehouse, the men involved stood together in a group. In Gourley's presence, Mace asked Jose where the cocaine was hidden in the trailer. Jose responded that the roof itself would have to be removed because the drugs were concealed in a secret compartment at the top of the trailer. Gourley heard these remarks and expressed no surprise.
Unbeknownst to this cast of characters, the drugs had been detected by customs agents stationed at the border near Laredo, Texas. The agents arranged to have the truck followed to its destination. After Mace delivered his cargo under the agents' surveillance, Gourley and his associates were observed leaving and returning to the warehouse. Ultimately, Gourley locked the fence around the warehouse, and everybody left in two trucks. Soon thereafter, Gourley was apprehended by the agents.
Inside the warehouse, customs agents removed the roof from the trailer and found approximately one ton of cocaine. Rivets similar to those the agents removed from the roof of the trailer were found strewn on the floor of the warehouse. Scales like those used to measure cocaine were also found, as well as chisels and moving boxes purchased on the day of the delivery.
Gourley was convicted by a jury on all counts. A presentence report was prepared, and Gourley entered three objections to it: (1) he claimed entitlement to a reduction for being a minor participant (U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2); (2) he objected to an increase for obstruction of justice (U.S.S.G. § 3C1.1); and (3) based on the previous two objections, he claimed that the appropriate total offense level was 36. These objections were overruled. Based on a stipulated amount of 907.3 kilograms of cocaine, the district court determined a total offense level of 40, with a criminal history category of I. Within the prescribed range of 292 to 365 months of imprisonment, the district court sentenced Gourley to 300 months of imprisonment.
Gourley now timely appeals from his conviction and sentence.1
Gourley contends that the evidence adduced by the government is insufficient to support the three counts of conviction. He contends that he did not know that there was cocaine in the trailer, and he suggests that his knowledge of the contraband was not proved and cannot be inferred from the fact that he rented and controlled the warehouse. He also compares his case to other cases in which this Court reversed conspiracy convictions on the ground that participation in a conspiracy cannot be proved by mere association with persons involved with drug transactions. He contends that Mace's testimony cannot provide the evidence to support his convictions because it is "patently unbelievable,"2 and he asserts that evidence supports his contention that he was renting the warehouse incident to his legitimate machine shop business,3 and he was unaware of drug activity.
We review the sufficiency of the evidence offered against Gourley to determine whether "any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); see United States v. Stevenson, 126 F.3d 662, 664 (5th Cir.1997). "All evidence and inferences from the evidence are to be viewed in the light most favorable to the government." Stevenson, 126 F.3d at 664; see also Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319, 99 S.Ct. at 2789. "The evidence need not exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence or be wholly inconsistent with every conclusion except that of guilt, and this court will accept all credibility choices that tend to support the verdict." Stevenson, 126 F.3d at 664. We are "required to accept all credibility choices that tend to support the jury's verdict." United States v. Johnston, 127 F.3d 380, 401 (5th Cir.1997) (internal quotation marks omitted), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 118 S.Ct. 1173, 140 L.Ed.2d 183 (1998).
With respect to Gourley's conviction for possession of drugs with intent to distribute, the government must prove (1) knowing (2) possession of the drugs (3) with intent to distribute. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) ("[I]t shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally ... to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled substance[.]"); see also United States v. Delagarza-Villarreal, 141 F.3d 133, 140 (5th Cir.1997); United States v. Diaz-Carreon, 915 F.2d 951, 953 (5th Cir.1990); United States v. Johnson, 469 F.2d 973, 976 (5th Cir.1972). Possession for these purposes may be either actual or constructive. See United States v. Pigrum, 922 F.2d 249, 255 (5th Cir.1991); United States v. Felts, 497 F.2d 80, 82 (5th Cir.1974).
Mace testified at trial that Gourley and the others were present when Jose disclosed where the cocaine was hidden.4 Based on this evidence, the jury could conclude that Gourley and the others heard the statement, and therefore knew about the drug