Opinion ID: 1236573
Heading Depth: 2
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Heading: Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or More of Methamphetamine

Text: Count I of the indictment charged Rolon-Ramos with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846. To establish that a defendant conspired to distribute drugs under 21 U.S.C. § 846, the government must prove: (1) that there was a conspiracy, i.e., an agreement to distribute the drugs; (2) that the defendant knew of the conspiracy; and (3) that the defendant intentionally joined the conspiracy. United States v. Jiminez, 487 F.3d 1140, 1146 (8th Cir.2007). The conspiracy's existence may be proved by direct or circumstantial evidence. United States v. Cain, 487 F.3d 1108, 1111 (8th Cir.2007). But a defendant's mere presence, coupled with the knowledge that someone else who is present intends to sell drugs, is insufficient to establish membership in a conspiracy. United States v. Jimenez-Villasenor, 270 F.3d 554, 558 (8th Cir.2001) (internal quotations and citation omitted). [W]hile a defendant's role in a conspiracy may be minor, the government must offer enough evidence to prove a defendant's connection to a conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt before a conspiracy conviction can be upheld. United States v. Lopez, 443 F.3d 1026, 1028 (8th Cir.2006) (en banc). When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conspiracy conviction, we will affirm if the record, viewed most favorably to the government, contains substantial evidence supporting the jury's verdict, which means evidence sufficient to prove the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. at 1030. The evidence presented at trial showed that: (1) Garcia-Hernandez and Deluna-Ponce were involved in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy; (2) Rolon-Ramos was inside the motel room with Garcia-Hernandez and Deluna-Ponce when Steburg entered the motel room on June 13, 2006; (3) Rolon-Ramos and Deluna-Ponce shut and locked the motel room door and blocked the exit preventing Steburg from leaving the room as Garcia-Hernandez pointed a gun at Steburg demanding payment for a drug debt; (4) Rolon-Ramos left the motel room walking suspiciously as if he were carrying something at his waist; and (5) upon his arrest Rolon-Ramos was in possession of a small quantity of methamphetamine. This evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the verdict, is sufficient to support Rolon-Ramos's conviction for conspiring with Garcia-Hernandez and Deluna-Ponce to distribute methamphetamine. We find, however, that the evidence is wholly insufficient to connect Rolon-Ramos to a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. But, because drug quantity is not an essential element of a conspiracy offense, United States v. Jones, 195 F.3d 379, 383 (8th Cir.1999), we reverse only to the drug quantity attributed to Rolon-Ramos, as there was sufficient evidence to support Rolon-Ramos's conspiracy conviction under 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. See United States v. Hayes, 342 F.3d 385, 391-92 (5th Cir.2003) (reversing defendant's conviction for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine because evidence did not support that quantity, and remanding with instructions to resentence defendant for conspiracy to distribute more than 5 grams but less than 50 grams of crack cocaine). The government contends that Rolon-Ramos's actions inside the motel room, in conjunction with Garcia-Hernandez's conversations with Steburg regarding the unpaid drug debt, sufficiently established that Rolon-Ramos was knowingly involved in the conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. The government, however, failed to establish that actual methamphetamine amounts or the amount of the debt owed by Steburg to Garcia-Hernandez were ever discussed in Rolon-Ramos's presence. Further, Steburg testified that he owed Garcia-Hernandez approximately $6,000 and that Garcia-Hernandez charged him $6,000 for one-half pound [5] of methamphetamine. Thus, even if these amounts were discussed in front of Rolon-Ramos, it would still be insufficient to support the jury's finding that Rolon-Ramos was knowingly involved in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine or substance containing methamphetamine. In addition, all conversations between Steburg and Garcia-Hernandez, including those in Rolon-Ramos's presence, were conducted in English, and there is no evidence in the record that Rolon-Ramos, who used a Spanish interpreter at trial, could speak or understand English. [6] See United States v. Fitz, 317 F.3d 878, 882 (8th Cir.2003) (reversing defendant's conspiracy conviction for insufficient evidence, noting that all conversations between the confidential informant and coconspirator in the defendant's presence were conducted in English, and that there was no evidence that defendant, who used an interpreter during trial, could speak or understand English). The government also contends that the phone call made by Garcia-Hernandez from Steburg's cell phone to Agent Minten, wherein methamphetamine transactions were discussed, was sufficient to attribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine to Rolon-Ramos. But the government failed to present any evidence that an agreement to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine was reached during that phone call and failed to establish that Rolon-Ramos was in the motel room when that phone call took place. [7] Here, the indictment charged Rolon-Ramos with conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1), and 846, and the jury convicted him of that count. [8] Section 841(a)(1) makes it unlawful to, among other things, distribute a controlled substance, and § 846 makes it unlawful to conspire to commit an offense under § 841(a). Neither § 841(a) nor § 846 requires any specific quantity for conviction, rather the penalties for violations of those sections are set forth by § 841(b) and depend on the substance and quantity involved, as well as the defendant's prior convictions. 21 U.S.C. § 841(b); United States v. Aguayo-Delgado, 220 F.3d 926, 930 (8th Cir.2000). Thus, Rolon-Ramos's conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine under §§ 841(a) and 846 is not invalidated by our conclusion that the evidence does not support the drug quantity determination. See Hayes, 342 F.3d at 391-92; see also United States v. Gomez-Rosario, 418 F.3d 90, 104 (1st Cir.2005) (finding that because no specific drug quantity needs to be proven for a jury to convict a defendant under § 841(a), a defendant may be found guilty of the crime charged, but responsible for a lesser quantity of drugs than that specified in the indictment). While Rolon-Ramos's involvement in the methamphetamine distribution conspiracy can be inferred from the evidence presented, none of the inferences reasonably drawn from the evidence established that Rolon-Ramos was involved with, participated in, or could have reasonably foreseen a distribution conspiracy involving more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. As a result, Rolon-Ramos's conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is affirmed, but the methamphetamine quantity determination must be reversed and his sentence vacated, and we will remand for resentencing on the drug quantity issue.