Opinion ID: 694763
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence on the Conspiracy Charge

Text: 63 Defendants Dillehay, Ross, English, Tate, and Saikaly, argue that the government presented insufficient evidence to support their conspiracy convictions. 64
65 Testimony from Gordon and Johnson (two defendants who pleaded guilty) implicates each defendant in buying and selling or otherwise distributing cocaine. Further, each defendant participated in intercepted phone conversations that, as interpreted by Gordon and Johnson, concerned the cocaine trade. 66
67 This court reviews an insufficiency of evidence claim to determine whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Bourjaily, 781 F.2d 539, 544 (6th Cir.1986), aff'd, 483 U.S. 171 (1987). This court views all the evidence in context, indulges all reasonable inferences, and resolves credibility issues in favor of the jury's verdict. United States v. White, 788 F.2d 390, 393 (6th Cir.1986). This court does not consider the credibility of witnesses when assessing the sufficiency of the evidence. United States v. Hilliard, 11 F.3d 618, 620 (6th Cir.1993), cert. denied, 127 L.Ed.2d 412 (1994). 68 To convict a person of conspiracy under 21 U.S.C.A. Sec. 846, the government must prove the existence of an agreement to violate the drug laws and that each co-conspirator knew of, intended to join, and participated in the conspiracy. United States v. Lee, 991 F.2d 343, 348 (6th Cir.1993). 69 Defendants' claims relate to the quality, rather than to the legal sufficiency, of the evidence. They essentially challenge the credibility of the prosecution's witnesses. Defendants generally contend that, without any hard evidence, the testimony of admitted drug dealers is not sufficient to support their conspiracy convictions. This court resolves all credibility issues in favor of the jury's verdict. The evidence presented by the prosecution was therefore sufficient to permit a reasonable juror to find each element of the conspiracy charge. 70