Opinion ID: 2831691
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Trial, Verdict, and Sentence

Text: At trial, the government relied on physical evidence (such as the items found in Galán's apartment), the testimony of law enforcement officers (such as Agent Cedeño) and, perhaps most importantly, the testimony of several co-conspirators. Three were prominent. The first was Wilberto Pizarro-Santiago (Pizarro) who was a drug seller at Sellés from 1998 to 2005. He subsequently worked for a rival gang. At trial, he testified extensively about Alfalfa's operation and made clear that if an individual sold drugs at Sellés it was on Alfalfa's behalf. He discussed the organization and provided details about the murder of Geno -- an associate who had expressed disagreement with Alfalfa's decisions. Pizarro specifically identified Nieves as the owner of the $12 bag of marijuana and referenced specific instances in which he saw Nieves carrying firearms. Indeed, he alleged that Nieves was always armed. In addition to identifying Nieves, Pizzaro also testified that Lanza attended Alfalfa's inner-circle meetings and was an enforcer within the organization. -8- The second co-conspirator, Serrano, worked at El Prado as a runner and enforcer for Galán. At trial, he identified Lanza as part of the operation, described Alfalfa's takeover of El Prado, and explained how he came to work directly for Galán. Since he was Galán's runner, Serrano was able to provide substantial detail on their interactions. Serrano also admitted that he was generally armed to protect Galán. Finally, José Díaz-Martínez testified about his experience working for Alfalfa at both Sellés and El Prado. He described the general framework of the operation and Alfalfa's style of management. He, too, specifically identified Nieves and Galán as being drug owners within the organization. He further explained how Lanza became owner of the green-capped crack at El Prado. After an eighteen-day trial, a jury returned verdicts finding all three defendants guilty on distinct counts. It first found all three guilty on the initial count of participating in the overarching conspiracy, count I. Additionally, the jury found Lanza guilty of the substantive crack cocaine charge; it found Nieves guilty on the substantive crack cocaine charge, the substantive cocaine charge, the substantive marijuana charge, and the firearm conspiracy charge; and, finally, it found Galán guilty on the substantive marijuana charge, the firearm conspiracy charge, and the felon in possession of a firearm charge. The court then -9- sentenced Lanza to 240 months in prison, Nieves to 240 months, and Galán to 405 months. These timely appeals followed.