Opinion ID: 445460
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Was the plane stolen?

Text: 142 We think the evidence, which we summarize below, is clearly sufficient to demonstrate that the plane was stolen. Count one alleges that the subject of the Dyer Act violation is a Beechcraft King Air airplane whose registration number had been changed from YV437CP to N487OP. Record Vol. I at 1. Raul Rangel testified that he is an advisor-consultant to Atemar, a Venezualan corporation, and that he was acting as the corporation's agent. Through Rangel, the Government introduced documents, Government Exhibits 61, 62 and 63, indicating that Atemar owned a King Air registered under the number YV437CP. Rangel testified that the plane had been flown to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on January 31, 1983. He further testified that Atemar did not give permission to anyone other than the pilot or co-pilot to remove the plane from Florida but that the plane was stolen from Fort Lauderdale in early February. He also testified that Atemar directed the pilot, Jorge Salvatierra, to file a theft report. Fort Lauderdale police officer Robert Redsicker testified that on February 2, 1983, he answered a call regarding the theft of a King Air, No. YV437CP, and that he prepared and notarized an Aircraft Theft Affidavit from information supplied by Salvatierra. The affidavit, Government Exhibit 60, was received for the limited purpose of showing that a theft had been reported. Finally, Rangel testified that Atemar had been notified on February 23, 1983, that the King Air had been located and that he was authorized by United States Customs to return it to Venezuala. 143 This evidence, which was not contradicted, clearly establishes that King Air No. YV437CP was stolen from the Atemar corporation. Murphy complains that the evidence was incompetent because Rangel's testimony was hearsay. 144 We reject this claim. Even if Rangel's testimony that Atemar did not give permission for the plane to be flown from Florida was inadmissible hearsay, its admission was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. There was overwhelming evidence that the plane was stolen beyond Rangel's testimony, see United States v. Phillips, 664 F.2d 971, 1027 (5th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 457 U.S. 1136, 102 S.Ct. 2965, 73 L.Ed.2d 1354 (1982): (1) Atemar's ownership of the plane was conclusively established through documentary proof; (2) a theft report was filed on behalf of Atemar; (3) Rangel testified from his own personal knowledge that Atemar directed the pilots to file a theft report; (4) Wells testified that Murphy told him that the plane was stolen; (5) the plane's registration number was altered; and (6) material observed in the plane indicated a connection with Venezuala. 145 We reject the claim implicit in Murphy's arguments that the owner must testify in order to establish that a vehicle was stolen. See United States v. Gresham, 585 F.2d 103 (5th Cir.1978) (upholding Dyer Act conviction without testimony of owner of vehicle). Moreover, Murphy's reliance on United States v. Shiver, 414 F.2d 461 (5th Cir.1969), is unconvincing because the evidence here is far more complete that the vehicle was stolen. 146