Opinion ID: 2995145
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Possession of Firearm Ammunition as

Text: a Felon Mr. Quilling first claims that the district court improperly denied his motion for judgment of acquittal on the charge of possession of firearm ammunition. In his view, there was insufficient evidence to sustain his conviction on this count. We review the ruling of the district court denying a motion for judgment of acquittal de novo. See United States v. Jones, 222 F.3d 349, 351 (7th Cir. 2000). We must uphold the jury’s decision if any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Albarran, 233 F.3d 972, 975 (7th Cir. 2000) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted); see also United States v. Richardson, 208 F.3d 626, 631 (7th Cir.) cert. denied, 121 S. Ct. 259 (2000). A jury’s verdict will be overturned only if the record contains no evidence, no matter how the evidence is weighed, from which the jury could have found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Albarran, 233 F.3d at 975. Although Mr. Quilling was not in actual physical possession of the ammunition found during his arrest, the district court found that he was in constructive possession of the ammunition. Constructive possession exists when a person . . . knowingly has the power and the intention at a given time to exercise dominion and control over an object, either directly, or through others. United States v. Garrett, 903 F.2d 1105, 1110 (7th Cir. 1990) (quoting United States v. Taylor, 728 F.2d 864, 868 (7th Cir. 1990)); see also United States v. Gill, 58 F.3d 334, 336 (7th Cir. 1995). A defendant’s mere presence in a dwelling where a prohibited item was found, without more, is not sufficient to establish constructive possession. See United States v. Herrera, 757 F.2d 144, 150 (7th Cir. 1985) (holding that defendant who picked up heroin at a house was not in constructive possession of additional heroin when defendant’s fingerprints were not on a footlocker at the house in which the additional heroin was located and when the Government did not show defendant had a key to footlocker). Instead, the Government must establish a nexus between the accused and the contraband, in order to distinguish the accused from a mere bystander. Richardson, 208 F.3d at 632 (citing United States v. Windom, 19 F.3d 1190, 1199 (7th Cir. 1994)). However, we have found constructive possession to exist when a defendant had a substantial connection to the residence where the firearm and the contraband was found. See Richardson, 208 F.3d at 632 (finding constructive possession when a defendant admitted being the caretaker and the landlord of the residence, medicine bottles with defendant’s name were found at residence and defendant re ceived mail at the residence); United States v. Kitchen, 57 F.3d 516, 520-21 (7th Cir. 1995) (finding constructivepossession when the Government presented evidence that defendant admitted living at the residence, could be reached by telephone there and paid for $10,000 of repairs to the residence). Indeed, in Kitchen, we noted approvingly an Eighth Circuit decision that stated that constructive possession can be established by showing that the contraband was seized at the defendant’s residence. See Kitchen, 57 F.3d at 521 (quoting United States v. Boykin, 986 F.2d 270, 274 (8th Cir. 1993)). We agree with the district court that the Government established a sufficient nexus between Mr. Quilling and the ammunition. Most importantly, Mr. Quilling stated at the time of his arrest that 9 Cahokia Street was hs residence./3 When Marshal Newlin inquired as to who lived in the house, Mr. Quilling and Dixon both replied, We do. Tr.IX at 153. In addition, officers stated that the one-bedroom residence was a known address for Mr. Quilling. Id. at 144. Further, Mr. Quilling’s car was parked in the driveway when officers went to arrest him. These factors were sufficient to permit the jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Quilling was in possession of the firearm ammunition.