Opinion ID: 70138
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Count One: The Conspiracy Count

Text: 35 The jury convicted Cannon under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 371 for Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States. The statute commands 36 [i]f two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. 37 The government identified Cannon's unindicted coconspirators as Space Age Manufacturing, Inc., and Space Age's President, Jack C. Kerstetter. Cannon placed bids, signed the contracts at issue, and knowingly purchased nonconforming titanium. Cannon and Kerstetter discussed that ordering conforming titanium would cause Space Age to lose money. While Cannon argues that he purchased the titanium because Kerstetter ordered him to do it, this does not absolve his actions. Cannon, Space Age & Kerstetter gave the USAF titanium with less pecuniary value than the titanium it contracted for, and with less performance value than the titanium it contracted for. 38 Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 62 S.Ct. 457, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942), including all reasonable inferences and credibility judgments, we find that a reasonable trier of fact, when choosing among reasonable constructions of the evidence, could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Kelly, 888 F.2d 732, 740 (11th Cir.1989). We affirm Cannon's conviction on Count I. 39