Opinion ID: 2785873
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Content of Recorded Conversations

Text: At issue are the recordings of four conversations between Lucienne and Defendant that were admitted by the district court. 3 During a May 6, 2012, telephone conversation, Lucienne told Defendant that her husband, Ricardo Rodriguez, had been arrested and had asked her to call Defendant because he would be able to help. Several times, Lucienne expressed her concern that she would not be able to pay Rodriguez’s attorney, and she repeatedly told Defendant how distressed she was at her husband’s incarceration. Lucienne requested to meet with Defendant in person because she did not want to discuss the reason for Rodriguez’s arrest over the telephone. At an in-person meeting later that same day, Lucienne told Defendant that Rodriguez was facing ten years’ imprisonment, but she repeatedly assured him that Rodriguez was going to be “a man” about the situation and keep quiet. Although Lucienne never told Defendant why Rodriguez had been arrested, Defendant appeared to know, without asking, because he wondered aloud how Rodriguez could be facing ten years’ imprisonment if there was no victim. Defendant later admitted to Lucienne that he had previously talked to Rodriguez about “following someone,” but Defendant said that the person he had asked Rodriguez to follow 3 While the recordings were in Spanish, the jury was provided with transcripts of the conversations in both English and Spanish. The parties stipulated that the transcripts and translations were true and correct reflections of the recorded conversations. 9 Case: 13-13125 Date Filed: 03/12/2015 Page: 10 of 34 had likely not done anything to Rodriguez and that the person did not even know Rodriguez. Defendant also assured Lucienne that the person whom Rodriguez was supposed to follow was “fine” and “nothing” had happened to him. On May 15, 2012, Lucienne and Defendant met in person for a second time. Lucienne revealed that Rodriguez had now told her the whole truth about “Felipe” (Caldera), but, not to worry, Rodriguez had taken the blame and he would be receiving a ten-year sentence. Elaborating on this reassurance, she recounted Rodriguez’s promise to stay quiet, but also stated that Rodriguez would require something in return from Defendant. Specifically, Lucienne said, “[H]e’ll keep silent; he won’t mention anyone, neither you nor anyone, but that the only thing he asks from you . . . You had offered him [$100,000].” In case Defendant had not caught the drift of her remarks, she repeated, “He said you offered him $100,000, and that if you give me the $100,000 he’ll keep silent and it will all end here.” After Defendant initially denied giving Rodriguez anything, Lucienne responded, “[Y]ou gave him [$25,000] and he recorded it . . . . I found the recording and I have it in a safe place.” This revelation appeared to jog Defendant’s memory, and he then recalled that, in fact, he had loaned Rodriguez some money and assured Lucienne that he, Defendant, was a “man of [his] word.” Defendant further stated that Rodriguez had “offered to do it” and that he had told Rodriguez not to do it 10 Case: 13-13125 Date Filed: 03/12/2015 Page: 11 of 34 himself. Later, Defendant told Lucienne that he could not give her all of the money at once, but he would give her $10,000 a month. A week later, on May 22, 2012, Lucienne met with Defendant for the purpose of exchanging the tape recording she claimed to possess in return for cash from Defendant. She gave him the purported recording of Rodriguez’s conversation with Defendant. As noted above, Defendant then gave her $20,000, and he was promptly arrested.