Opinion ID: 2775033
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hartfield’s Motion for Judgment of Acquittal

Text: Defendant Hartfield contends that his conviction was not supported by sufficient evidence because, although the government proved that he possessed oxycodone, it did not prove that he was part of a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. Specifically, the government introduced no direct evidence that Hartfield reached any agreement with Barbary and presented simply circumstantial evidence that could show a link between Barbary and Hartfield only through speculation. 43 Case: 13-10453 Date Filed: 01/30/2015 Page: 44 of 67 We conclude that sufficient evidence supported Hartfield’s conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. The government presented ample evidence from which a jury reasonably could infer that Hartfield had entered a conspiracy with Barbary and others to transport and distribute oxycodone. Travel records, and Hartfield’s own admissions upon his arrest, showed that he made multiple trips transporting oxycodone from Florida to Boston. And a jury reasonably could infer that Barbary paid for Hartfield’s trips based on the evidence that the Netspend card used to purchase Hartfield’s train tickets had Barbary’s mailing address and email address associated with it, was used both before and during Hartfield’s incarceration to book trips through Barbary’s Expedia account, and was found on Barbary’s person upon his arrest. Moreover, as further evidence of Barbary’s connection to Hartfield’s trips to Boston, the government’s evidence showed that, after Hartfield’s arrest, Barbary arranged for Carswell to transport money from Boston to Florida. And then, after money was seized from Carswell at the Boston airport, the record suggests that Hartfield and Barbary’s point of contact in Boston attempted to mail money to Barbary. 17 17 As a final matter, defendant Barbary purports to adopt the sufficiency-of-the-evidence arguments raised by Barnes and Hartfield, and defendant Lewis adopted Barbary’s arguments. However, we have held that “sufficiency arguments are too individualized to be generally adopted.” United States v. Cooper, 203 F.3d 1279, 1285 n.4 (11th Cir. 2000) (quotation and alterations omitted). Accordingly, we decline to consider the sufficiency of the evidence as to Barbary’s and Lewis’s convictions. In any event, as our earlier summary of the trial evidence 44 Case: 13-10453 Date Filed: 01/30/2015 Page: 45 of 67