Opinion ID: 544690
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Single or Multiple Conspiracies

Text: 5 North asserts he should not have been held accountable for the eight ounces of methamphetamine Murphy attempted to sell to the confidential informant. Under the Guidelines, North may be held responsible for the eight ounces in Murphy's possession if Murphy's attempted sale (1) was in the furtherance of the conspiracy, and (2) either was known to North or was reasonably foreseeable to him. USSG Sec. 2D1.4, comment. (n. 1). 6 Whether the attempted sale was in the furtherance of the conspiracy depends on whether there was a single conspiracy or whether Murphy was involved in activities separate from his conspiracy with North. A single conspiracy exists where there is one overall agreement to perform various acts intended to accomplish the objectives of the conspiracy. United States v. Jackson, 696 F.2d 578, 582 (8th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 460 U.S. 1073, 103 S.Ct. 1531, 75 L.Ed.2d 952 (1983). Thus, the question is whether there was at least an implicit agreement between North and Murphy which included as part of its purpose the sale of drugs by Murphy to other individuals. 7 The government argues that the common purpose of the conspiracy was to distribute drugs in the Northern District of Iowa and that the attempted sale by Murphy was a part of that conspiracy. North argues that the attempted sale by Murphy was not in the furtherance of their conspiracy but instead, was a separate and distinct act detached from North's knowledge or participation. 8 The evidence regarding the scope of the conspiracy does not support the government's position. The evidence supports a finding that the conspiracy involving North had a more limited objective, specific to Murphy and North supplying drugs to each other. Therefore, distribution of drugs by Murphy, of which North had no knowledge, received no benefit, and did not participate, cannot be considered to have been done in the furtherance of their conspiracy. See United States v. Tarantino, 846 F.2d 1384, 1393 (D.C.Cir.) (where conduct of a co-conspirator is unrelated to the aims of the overall conspiracy it may not be attributed to other co-conspirators), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 109 S.Ct. 174, 102 L.Ed.2d 143 (1988). Although a party to a conspiracy takes a conspiracy as he finds it and need not know of or approve each act of a co-conspirator, it must still be shown that the accused was aware of the nature and scope of the conspiracy and knowingly joined in the overall common scheme. United States v. Zimmerman, 832 F.2d 454, 457-58 (8th Cir.1987). 9 North admits that he knew that Murphy sold drugs to other persons. Simple knowledge that the supplier supplies other persons is not enough, however, to assess all quantities distributed by the supplier to each person who purchased drugs from that supplier. See Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 647-48, 66 S.Ct. 1180, 1184, 90 L.Ed. 1489 (1946); Tarantino, 846 F.2d at 1392-93; Jackson, 696 F.2d at 582-83. Murphy's other sales were merely another part of Murphy's distribution practice and we cannot say that every act of distribution taken by Murphy, once North became involved with Murphy, was in the furtherance of their conspiracy. 10 The eight ounces Murphy was attempting to sell were drugs that he had obtained without the aid or assistance of North. The sale was arranged and executed without any knowledge or assistance on the part of North and its success was not necessary or advantageous to North. See United States v. Richerson, 833 F.2d 1147, 1152-54 (5th Cir.1987). There is no connection between the exchanges made between North and Murphy pursuant to their conspiracy, and the attempted sale by Murphy to the confidential informant, other than the fact it was an attempted sale of drugs. The government's suggestion that this is sufficient to find the attempted sale to have been in the furtherance of the conspiracy reaches too far. Accordingly, we vacate the district court's determination of North's BOL because it was based upon an improper quantity of drugs.