Opinion ID: 530736
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Twenty Substantive Counts

Text: 7 Escruceria first claims that the jury lacked sufficient evidence to convict him on each of the twenty substantive counts. Escruceria's conviction on these counts required proof that he aided and abetted 4 Gutierrez in using interstate commerce to obtain the cocaine, in possessing the drugs with the intent to distribute them, and in distributing the cocaine. In order to aid and abet another to commit a crime, it is necessary that a defendant 'in some sort associate himself with the venture, that he seek by his action to make it succeed.'  United States v. Pino, 608 F.2d 1001, 1003 (4th Cir.1979), quoting Nye v. Nissen, 336 U.S. 613, 619 (1949). Association means the defendant shared in the criminal intent of the principal. Participation means that the defendant engaged in some affirmative conduct designed to aid the venture. United States v. Colwell, 764 F.2d 1070, 1072 (5th Cir.1985). It is not necessary that a defendant have participated in all aspects of a crime to be convicted of aiding and abetting. See United States v. Garrett, 720 F.2d 705, 712 (D.C.Cir.1983); United States v. Fischel, 686 F.2d 1082, 1087 (5th Cir.1982). United States v. Hewitt, 713 F.2d 1381, 1385 (11th Cir.1981). 8 The requirement that Escruceria have shared in the criminal intent of Gutierrez in possessing the cocaine with the intent to distribute, and in actually distributing the cocaine, was satisfied by inferences drawn from the large quantities of cocaine Escruceria helped to supply Gutierrez. This court has held that in cases involving quantities of narcotics too large for personal consumption, one may infer an intent to distribute. See, e.g., United States v. Manbeck, 744 F.2d 360, 390 (4th Cir.1984). 9 To prove that Escruceria had the necessary criminal intent for the Travel Act violations, the government did not need to demonstrate that Escruceria specifically intended that interstate facilities be used to facilitate illegal conduct. Rather, the prosecution only had to prove that Escruceria intended to aid and abet the promotion, carrying on, facilitation, arrangement, or establishment of any unlawful activity, regardless of whether he knew interstate facilities were being used. See United States v. Stern, 858 F.2d 1241 (7th Cir.1988); United States v. Sigalow, 812 F.2d 783 (2d Cir.1987). This intent could clearly be inferred from the evidence of appellant's conduct produced at trial. Escruceria's participation in these activities was demonstrated specifically by: (1) his solicitation of Gutierrez as a customer, and his participation in the negotiations with Gutierrez concerning price and delivery of the cocaine; (2) his advice to Gutierrez on how to conduct his cocaine business; (3) his travel to Wilmington to help deliver cocaine to Gutierrez, and to collect money from him; and (4) his transportation of at least part of the cocaine proceeds back to Colombia. 10 Additionally, the testimony concerning Escruceria's drug related activities in Colombia helped the government to establish that appellant was an active participant in a family operated drug ring, which imported and sold cocaine in the United States. Each of the family members performed different functions in the business, and appellant's jobs were to negotiate the purchase of cocaine in South America, arrange importation into the United States, check up on Beto, who did most of the selling stateside, and transport proceeds from the United States back into Colombia. Although most of the testimony establishing these facts concerned conduct occurring after the transactions giving rise to the criminal charges in this case, the jury could infer from the evidence that the drug operation was in place at the time of all of the transactions in question.