Opinion ID: 167028
Heading Depth: 6
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Cocaine. 17

Text: In 1991, Latrice Edmonds transported a kilogram, or 1,000 grams, of cocaine from Stockton, California to Tulsa. In February 1996, police executed a search warrant and found cocaine in Kenneth Woods’ home, along with guns and scales and large amounts of cash. And in June 1996, officers executing a search warrant at Kathy Cooper’s home discovered 387.26 grams of cocaine, along with a large amount of cash. Further, Charles Hudson testified that he met McCalister in 1996 or 1997, and that Hudson and his girlfriend would buy cocaine from McCalister. After Hudson was arrested, he agreed to work with police. Hudson testified that, before he began cooperating with police, he had purchased $30,000 worth of cocaine from McCalister. Since Hudson was paying McCalister $1,000 per ounce, that 17 Although the indictment charged McCalister with conspiring to traffic in both cocaine and cocaine base, there is simply no evidence that the conspiracy was ever involved with cocaine base. Cf. Bell, 154 F.3d at 1206-07, 1211-12 (holding there was no plain error under Edwards warranting relief where, although Government charged and the jury convicted the defendant of conspiring to distribute cocaine powder and cocaine base, record showed guilty verdict was not “ambiguous,” but was clearly based on activities involving only cocaine base, the substance subject to the greater penalties). 18 amounts to thirty ounces, or 850 grams, 18 of cocaine. In addition, Hudson testified that after he began cooperating with police, he made several controlled buys of cocaine from McCalister. Hudson specifically testified to an occasion when he purchased one ounce, or over twenty-eight grams, 19 of cocaine from McCalister, and another time when he purchased a quarter pound, or approximately 113 grams, 20 of cocaine from McCalister. Other controlled buys involved three and one-half grams and eight ounces, or over 226 grams, 21 of cocaine. This evidence indicates that the conspiracy was responsible for over 2,607 grams of cocaine (McCalister himself was responsible for over 1,220 grams). See Stiger, 413 F.3d at 1192-93 (holding Apprendi requires only that the jury find beyond reasonable doubt the amount of drugs involved in the overall conspiracy). 22 Even assuming McCalister did not have a prior drug conviction, 18 See www.metric-conversions.org/weight/ounces-to-grams.htm. 19 See www.metric-conversions.org/weight/ounces-to-grams.htm. 20 See www.metric-conversions.org/weight/pounds-to-grams.htm. Hudson testified that McCalister actually “shorted” him three ounces on this deal. 21 See www.metric-conversions.org/weight/ounces-to-grams.htm. 22 Stiger further provides that, after a jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt the amount of drugs for which the overall conspiracy is responsible, the district court can, at sentencing, determine for how much of that overall amount each conspirator was responsible. See 413 F.3d at 1193. And in this case (continued...) 19 the amount of cocaine in which the conspiracy was trafficking would support a sentence of up to forty years in prison. See 21 U.S.C. § 841(b)(1)(B)(ii) (providing statutory maximum forty-year sentence for 500 grams or more of cocaine). The evidence involving the conspiracy’s trafficking in cocaine, therefore, fully supports the 290-month sentence the district court imposed.