Opinion ID: 524661
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Prejudicial Reference to Drugs

Text: 78 The final issue in Bucey's barrage of challenges on appeal is whether the references to narcotics trafficking during the course of the trial were prejudicial to the defendant. In a pretrial motion, Bucey moved that the district court strike as surplusage all references to drug dealing in the indictment and bar all evidence pertaining to drug dealing at trial. Bucey contends that the district court's denial of that motion was in error and that, because there was no evidence that he had direct knowledge that the undercover agents were posing as drug dealers, admission of these references was unduly prejudicial. Because we agree fully with the district court's disposition of this issue, we do not think the court abused its discretion in denying Bucey's motion. 79 This court has stated that evidence of other crimes may be presented when they are so blended or connected with the one on trial that proof of one incidently involves the other or explains the circumstances thereof or tends logically to prove any element of the crime charged. United States v. Dorn, 561 F.2d 1252, 1258 (7th Cir.1977). See also United States v. Moreno-Nunez, 595 F.2d 1186, 1188 (9th Cir.1979); United States v. Wilson, 578 F.2d 67, 72 (5th Cir.1978). As the court below acknowledged, evidence of other acts may be admissible if it would assist the jury in understanding the factors surrounding the crime at issue and if the absence of evidence concerning the other acts would leave a chronological and conceptual void in the story. See United States v. Hattaway, 740 F.2d 1419, 1425 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1089, 105 S.Ct. 599, 83 L.Ed.2d 708 (1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1028, 105 S.Ct. 448, 83 L.Ed.2d 373 (1984). In the instant case, the references to narcotics trafficking in both the indictment and at trial served to explain the purpose of and circumstances surrounding the money laundering scheme. We do not think the risk of unfair prejudice arising from this evidence substantially outweighed its probative value.