Opinion ID: 2831116
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: VICAR (Count 29)

Text: In a similar vein, the Defendants unconvincingly argue that the jury heard insufficient evidence to sustain their - 26 - conviction for Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering Activity (VICAR) under 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a). VICAR prohibits murder (or conspiracy to commit murder) for the purpose of gaining entrance to or maintaining or increasing position in an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity.15 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a). The predicate offense for the Defendants' VICAR conviction was Pequeque's murder (which the indictment charged as a violation of Puerto Rico law), and the Defendants once again argue that there was insufficient evidence that any of them were involved in that murder. But for the reasons discussed earlier we reject that argument, as the jury could have reasonably inferred that the Defendants themselves planned 15 VICAR, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a), provides, in relevant part: Whoever, as consideration for the receipt of, or as consideration for a promise or agreement to pay, anything of pecuniary value from an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity, or for the purpose of gaining entrance to or maintaining or increasing position in an enterprise engaged in racketeering activity, murders, kidnaps, maims, assaults with a dangerous weapon, commits assault resulting in serious bodily injury upon, or threatens to commit a crime of violence against any individual in violation of the laws of any State or the United States, or attempts or conspires so to do, shall be punished—
or a fine under this title, or both. - 27 - Pequeque's murder. And that is sufficient for a murder conviction under Puerto Rico law. See Puerto Rico Penal Code Articles 105 and 106 (respectively, P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 33, §§ 4733, 4734 (2004).16 As to the second VICAR element, the Defendants have provided no developed reasoning as to why the trial evidence would not suffice to show at least part of their motive for the murder was to advance or maintain their position within La ONU. See United States v. Zannino, 895 F.2d 1, 17 (1st Cir. 1990) (noting that undeveloped arguments are waived).17 We need not tarry on this point. The VICAR conviction stands. 16 Article 105 defines murder as kill[ing] another human being with intent. P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 33, § 4733. First-degree murder, Article 106, is (in relevant part) [a]ny murder committed . . . with premeditation. P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 33, § 4734. Any other intentional killing of a human being constitutes second degree murder. Id. Liable as a principal under Puerto Rico law is anyone who participates directly in the commission of a crime, forces, provokes, abets or induces another person to commit a crime, or cooperates before, simultaneously or after the commission of a crime, and without whose participation the crime could not have been perpetrated. P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 33, §§ 4671(a), (b), (d). 17 Perhaps this omission was intentional, as it would be meritless on this record. See United States v. Tse, 135 F.3d 200, 206 (1st Cir. 1998) (holding that the government need not prove that advancement in the enterprise was a defendant's sole motive for committing the VICAR crime and that the government need only show that defendant committed the acts because he knew it was expected of him by reason of his membership or that he committed the acts in furtherance of that membership (internal quotation marks and alterations omitted)). - 28 -