Opinion ID: 202875
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Interstate Commerce Requirement

Text: In addition to the requirements discussed above, to prove a completed extortion, the government had to satisfy the Hobbs Act's jurisdictional element of showing that D'Amico's conduct obstruct[ed], delay[ed], or affect[ed] commerce. 18 U.S.C. § 1951. To meet this requirement, the government had to prove only that there was a realistic probability that D'Amico's conduct would affect interstate commerce. United States v. Capozzi, 347 F.3d 327, 335 (1st Cir.2003). In an vein similar to his duplicity contention, D'Amico argues that the jury was presented with a legally invalid theory for establishing this realistic probability. As mentioned above, the money that Gostoves paid to D'Amico belonged to the FBI. Supra at n. 7. Relying on United States v. DiCarlantonio, 870 F.2d 1058, 1060 (6th Cir.1989), D'Amico contends that the jurisdictional requirement for a completed Hobbs Act violation is not met where the money used for an extortion belongs to the government. He does not dispute, however, that the government established a valid effect on interstate commerce through evidence that the extortion depleted assets of Home Depot, a business engaged in interstate commerce, by requiring it to pay for the road-widening project. See United States v. Rodriguez-Casiano, 425 F.3d 12, 15 (1st Cir.2005) (recognizing depletion of assets of business in interstate commerce as valid way of showing effect on commerce under the Hobbs Act). Thus, D'Amico does not contend that he is entitled to a judgment of acquittal. Rather, he seeks a new trial, relying on the rule that a general verdict cannot stand where the jury was presented with valid and legally flawed theories of liability and may have relied on the flawed theory to convict. See Griffin v. United States, 502 U.S. 46, 49, 112 S.Ct. 466, 116 L.Ed.2d 371 (1991). [8] The primary problem with D'Amico's argument is that it does not appear that the jury was presented with the theory that Gostoves' payment of FBI money to D'Amico established the effect on interstate commerce required for a substantive extortion conviction. The government did not make this argument, and the jury instructions, unchallenged on this point, did not suggest this theory. Thus, even if we assume that the payment of FBI money was insufficient to ground the jurisdictional finding, there is little likelihood that the jury was led astray.