Opinion ID: 767957
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 12 Appellants' first claim is a strained argument that there was insufficient evidence upon which the jury could have found them guilty. The gist of their argument is simply that cooperating witnesses Figueroa and Gonzalez are such bad people that they cannot be believed. They were believed, however, by the jury, and we decline to overturn the jury's verdict on the record presented to us on appeal. 13 We review Rule 29 decisions de novo. See United States v. Hernandez, 146 F.3d 30, 32 (1st Cir. 1998). The test we apply is whether, considering the evidence as a whole and in the light most favorable to the prosecution, a rational trier of fact could have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. See United States v. Alicea-Cardoza, 132 F.3d 1, 5 (1st Cir. 1997). We resolve all issues of credibility in favor of the verdict, see United States v. Winter, 663 F.2d 1120, 1127 (1st Cir. 1981), and we have held that the uncorroborated testimony of a cooperating accomplice may sustain a conviction so long as that testimony is not facially incredible, see United States v. Rosario-Diaz, 202 F.3d 54, 67 (1st Cir. 2000). 14 Applying this standard to the present case, there is no question that the United States presented sufficient evidence for the jury to find appellants Torres and Guilbe guilty beyond a reasonable doubt on both counts of the indictment. The testimony of Figueroa included detailed accounts of appellants' participation in the carjacking and killing of Carmona. Figueroa's testimony alone could have supported the verdict reached by the jury. See id. However, his testimony was corroborated in part by the testimony of cooperating witness Gonzalez and extensively by Agent Huff's account of his investigation and the custodial statements of appellants. Other details of the crime were corroborated by Carmona's sister, who saw her parked at the gas station a short time before her abduction, and by the owner of the license plate that was stolen and affixed to the Pathfinder. 15 The thrust of appellants' challenge to all of this evidence is that witnesses Figueroa and Gonzalez were bad people who should not be believed. However, the jury was presented with substantial evidence of the criminal histories of both men, including ample cross-examination, and chose to accept their version of the facts, at least in its core elements, after careful and proper instruction by the court noting the cooperation agreements between the cooperating witnesses and the government. The testimony of the two cooperating witnesses, which was corroborated by that of Agent Huff, was clearly not insubstantial or incredible on its face, and we therefore hold that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to convict both appellants.