Opinion ID: 324434
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the conspiracy offense.

Text: 55 All appellants challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support their conviction of conspiracy. Appellant John argues further that even if the evidence shows the existence of a conspiracy, his participation therein was not violative of federal law. 56 The record shows a concert of action among the appellants. Padratzik received the line information from his Las Vegas contact, Bernstein, and then directed his employee, John, on the use of that line information. John, in turn, would report to Padratzik on the bets received. Appellant Lekometros also maintained a Las Vegas contact, David Goldberg, 13 for the receipt of line information. Padratzik and Lekometros would compare and discuss the line information received from their respective sources. Together with appellant John and others, they would also meet together to discuss the operation of the bookmaking business. Other meetings were held in Las Vegas with Padratzik, Lekometros, Bernstein and Goldberg for the same purpose. 57 John's contention that his participation in the conspiracy was not violative of federal law rests upon his asserted lack of knowledge of use of an interstate facility. He relies on United States v. Barnes, 383 F.2d 287 (6th Cir. 1967), cert. denied, 389 U.S. 1040, 88 S.Ct. 780, 19 L.Ed.2d 831 (1968). The reliance is misplaced, for the record supports the conclusion that John knew the telephone was used by Padratzik in Missouri to obtain line information from a Nevada source. 58 A conspiracy is rarely proved by direct evidence. The proof usually rests upon circumstantial evidence and inferences drawn from the relationship of the parties. Koolish v. United States, 340 F.2d 513, 523 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 381 U.S. 951, 85 S.Ct. 1805, 14 L.Ed.2d 724 (1965). Here, the jury could conclude from the meetings attended by John, where gambling was discussed and telephone calls attempted, that he knew of the Las Vegas contact. 59 XIII. WHETHER SUBMISSION OF THE CASE TO THE JURY ON THE THEORY OF ONE CONSPIRACY WAS CORRECT. 60 The jury was instructed that before it could find the appellants guilty of conspiracy, it had to find beyond a reasonable doubt that a conspiracy existed and that each appellant was a member thereof. The appellants assert that the evidence showed not one but several conspiracies and argue that the failure of the instruction to conform to the evidence requires reversal. They cite Kotteakos v. United States, 328 U.S. 750, 66 S.Ct. 1239, 90 L.Ed. 1557 (1946). 61 The facts here, however, are dissimilar to those presented in Kotteakos, for the evidence establishes the existence of but one conspiracy. 62 The answer to the question whether there is a single conspiracy    depends on whether there is a single agreement. There may be an undertaking to commit one crime or several crimes. If there is but one agreement, there is but one conspiracy. A test whether the activities of the defendants constitute a single conspiracy is whether there is a common purpose underlying the separate acts, whether the same objective is being pursued in each instance, and whether there is concerted action to achieve this end. 63 Koolish v. United States, supra, 340 F.2d at 524, citing from United States v. Speed, 78 F.Supp. 366, 368 (D.D.C.1948). 64 The facts recited in section XII show that each appellant acted with the others to promote the operation of the gambling business. The fact that they may have also acted as independent bookmakers does not preclude their participation in the single conspiracy. United States v. Hanon, 428 F.2d 101, 108 (8th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 402 U.S. 952, 91 S.Ct. 1608, 29 L.Ed.2d 122 (1971). 65 Affirmed.