Opinion ID: 75950
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 51 Bowman made a post-verdict motion for judgment of acquittal, arguing that the evidence was not sufficient to support the jury's guilty verdicts. The district court denied the motion, and Bowman appeals. We review the denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal de novo. United States v. Perez-Tosta, 36 F.3d 1552, 1556 (11th Cir.1994). When the motion raises a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, we review the sufficiency of the evidence de novo, drawing all reasonable inferences in the Government's favor. Id. 2 A review of the record indicates that the evidence against Bowman was sufficient on all counts of conviction, and only Count Four and Racketeering Acts Eight, Thirteen, and Fifteen warrant discussion. 52 Count Four and Racketeering Act Thirteen charge Bowman with ordering the assault on members of the Fifth Chapter Motorcycle Club. In support of the count, the Government offered the testimony of Hicks, who was, for a time, Bowman's right-hand man. Hicks testified that, after Bowman saw a picture in the newspaper of an FCMC member hugging a Hell's Angel, Bowman was enraged and told Hicks to return to Florida. (R.15 at 121-22.) Upon Hicks's return to Florida, he was to meet with the FCMC, shove the newspaper in the president's mouth, and shut down the FCMC. (R.15 at 122.) Hicks understood shut down to mean the assaults and threats of violence that were issued to the FCMC. (R.15 at 124.) Although the assault was ultimately carried out by Lemunyon rather than Hicks, the jury could infer that Lemunyon was following Hicks's, and thus Bowman's, order. This evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdict on this count. 53 Racketeering Act Eight accuses Bowman of participating in the kidnapping of Kevin Talley. Bowman argues that there is no evidence indicating that he ordered the Outlaws to restrain Talley against his will. However, Murphy testified that Bowman issued an order that Talley be brought to Detroit and locked in the Detroit clubhouse. (R.22 at 100.) Hicks and Talley also testified that Talley was indeed brought to the Detroit clubhouse and was not free to leave. (R.15 at 79; R.24 at 75-76.) This testimony is sufficient to support Bowman's conviction. 54 Racketeering Act Fifteen concerns the murder of Don Fogg. Hicks testified that Bowman, at a presidents meeting, reported that there was a snitch among them and that the snitch would be killed. (R.15 at 124.) The murder would be staged to appear as if an enemy had committed it, and the Outlaws would hold a regular Outlaws funeral. (R.15 at 124-25.) Fogg was murdered, a story was circulated that an enemy had done it, and a regular funeral was held. (R.15 at 125-26.) Later, Bowman told Hicks that Fogg was the snitch he had mentioned at the meeting. (R.15 at 128.) The jury could reasonably infer from this evidence that Bowman ordered Fogg's murder. 55 Because the evidence was sufficient on all counts of conviction, we find Bowman's challenge to the district court's denial of his motion for judgment of acquittal to be without merit.