Opinion ID: 6033
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admission of Evidence: Other Money Orders and Cash

Text: 24 Over the defendant's objection, the district court allowed the government to introduce evidence of other money orders sent to Lomoriello and cash mailed to Brown's address. We review such an evidentiary ruling under an abuse of discretion standard. United States v. Vasquez, 953 F.2d 176, 182 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 2288, 119 L.Ed.2d 212 (1992). First, Lomoriello testified that she received a second set of money orders from Johnny Clark, again representing himself as Sims's case worker. This time, however, Sims instructed her to transfer the money to Wanda Newman in Oxford, Mississippi, rather than to Jackie Brown. The district court admitted the second set of money orders to show how the postal authorities were alerted to the scheme and to show that Sims wanted to continue to do business with Lomoriello. The court did not elaborate further, however, on the basis for its determination. The government argues that these money orders were properly admitted under Fed.R.Evid. 404(b) as evidence of other crimes, wrongs or acts used to show a common scheme initiated by the same conspirator, Sims, and directed at the same victim, Lomoriello. Essentially, the government contends Brown represented one of several spokes emanating from the same hub of a single conspiracy. Fortunately, our review of this matter does not require us to resolve the merits of the government's position. Were we to find the district court abused its discretion by admitting this extrinsic evidence, we would still conclude that the admission of this evidence was harmless. There is no risk that it could have improperly been used to prove Brown acted in conformity with such bad acts because Brown has already confessed his involvement in the scam. The evidence against Brown was overwhelming. His own brief states that he immediately went to the police station and confessed to Officer Serio and then, two days later, again went voluntarily to the police station and again confessed to the postal inspector and acknowledged his participation on the witness stand ... and that he confessed his guilt to Postal Inspector Collins. 25 The district court also permitted Josephine Fortner to testify that she had cashed money orders sent to her by Sims and had forwarded the money to Jackie Brown at an address in Cleveland, Mississippi. Brown denied ever receiving any cash from Fortner, but admitted that he lived at the Cleveland address and that he was the only Jackie Brown at that particular address. The court instructed the jury that Fortner's testimony was admissible only as proof of Brown's intent, state of mind, absence of mistake, and motive or opportunity to commit the offense charged. We find that, with these instructions, the district court acted within its discretion in admitting Fortner's testimony.