Opinion ID: 1233705
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Evidence of Conspiracy Within the Limitations Period

Text: At oral argument, Pizzonia's counsel indicated that his sufficiency challenge was limited to the government's inability to prove a predicate act within the limitations period. While this concession waives any broader sufficiency challenge, see United States v. Polouizzi, 564 F.3d 142, 153 (2d Cir.2009), we note that such an argument would, in any event, fail on its merits. Pizzonia effectively concedes that the evidence was sufficient to permit a reasonable jury to find proved the charged conspiracy and his participation in it before May 26, 2000. Against that background, even when we set aside evidence pertaining to acquitted counts or predicates found not proved, our independent review of the totality of the remainder of the record, viewed in the light most favorable to the government, see United States v. Amico, 486 F.3d at 780, leads us to reach the same conclusion as the district court: ample evidence demonstrated Pizzonia's continued participation in that conspiracy after May 26, 2000. Most obviously, evidence was adduced that, in 2001, Pizzonia held the rank of captain in the Gambino crime family. In that capacity, he sat on a special committee that sought to increase family revenues from the Gambinos' assorted criminal activities. It is difficult to imagine evidence that could more convincingly demonstrate a defendant's agreement to participate in the affairs of the charged enterprise through a pattern of continuing criminal activity. Accordingly, we conclude that the district court correctly denied Pizzonia's Rule 29 motion for a judgment of acquittal.