Opinion ID: 2995177
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: David Carrera

Text: David contends that the district court erred in admitting into evidence the contents of his wallet at the time of his arrest, thereby allowing the government to unfairly argue on rebuttal that David must be a drug dealer because he had unexplained wealth. At trial, David’s attorney objected to the admission of the contents of the wallet, but did not object to the government’s statements during rebuttal which referred to those contents. Therefore, our review of the district court’s evidentiary rulings is for abuse of discretion, see United States v. Gibson, 170 F.3d 673, 680 (7th Cir. 1999), but our review of the government’s comments during rebuttal is for plain error only, see United States v. Anderson, 61 F.3d 1290, 1299 (7th Cir. 1995). Over David’s objection, the contents of his wallet at the time of his arrest-- which included $928 in cash as well as receipts for purchases totaling approximately $2500--were admitted into evidence during the government’s direct examination of one of the arresting officers, Investigator Woytko. Both Investigator Woytko and David testified briefly as to the amount of cash found in David’s wallet at the time of arrest, but neither witness discussed the receipts. Then, during rebuttal, the prosecutor made the following statement: And again, this money . . . this $928 that the defendant has in his pocket when he’s arrested. Not bad for a guy who is unemployed, who’s been unemployed for quite some time. In addition, if you look at those receipts that were found in there, you will find another 25-2600 dollars’ worth of receipts in expenditures that the defendant did within the two weeks preceding that drug deal. Not bad for a guy who is unemployed, has no money. Tr. of Trial of David Carrera at 294. David argues that the admission of the wallet’s contents--which led to thestatement about unexplained wealth in rebuttal--was erroneous because the evidence was irrelevant and confusing. We disagree with David’s contention that the contents of his wallet were irrelevant to the jury’s determination of his guilt. Expensive trips, gambling, and other instances of free spending and high living may be pertinent in crimesinvolving a motive of enrichment. United States v. Kwitek, 467 F.2d 1222, 1225 (7th Cir. 1972). Similarly, evidence of unexplained wealth is admissible in drug cases as long as: (1) the evidence presented creates an inference that the defendant was involved in drug trafficking; (2) the unexplained wealth was acquired during the period in which the drug crime allegedly occurred; and (3) the government presents other evidence to support the charge, including evidence that the income was not obtained through legitimate means. See United States v. Penny, 60 F.3d 1257, 1263 (7th Cir. 1995). David contends that the government failed to show any evidence that the money was not obtained through legitimate means. He claims that, although the government argued in rebuttal that David was unemployed at the time of the drug deal, no evidence was presented to that effect. According to David, the government based its claim that he was unemployed at the time of the drug transaction on a misunderstanding of his trial testimony. On direct examination, David was asked whether he was working on the day of his arrest and he replied no. When asked why, he stated, cause I was off--I was off because the doctor told me to be off because I had a . . . I was sick, really. Then, on cross, the following exchange took place: Q: Mr. Carrera, when you were arrested you had a lot of money on you, didn’t you? A: I don’t know. Like how much you say is a lot of money? Q: Like $928.28, you consider that a lot of money? A: Yeah, it’s quite--it’s some, yes. Q: You were not working at the time you were arrested, were you? A: That’s correct. If David’s first answer was the only evidence that he was unemployed at the time of his arrest, he might have a stronger claim. Given the second exchange however, we can not say that the district court abused its discretion in finding that the government had presented at least some evidence that the unexplained wealth was not derived from legitimate means. We also reject David’s claim that it was improper for the government to argue in closing that David had unexplained wealth because $900 in cash and receipts for a few luxury items do not suggest wealth. How much money is wealth is an issue that the jury is well-equipped to evaluate. Moreover, even if the government’s claim that David was unemployed at the time of the transaction was incorrect, the government’s statements did not infect the trial with unfairness to such a degree as to make the resulting conviction a denial of due process. United States v. McClinton, 135 F.3d 1178, 1188 (7th Cir. 1998) (internal quotation omitted). So long as the jury has evidence in its possession and is equipped to ascertain whether the government’s characterization is accurate, a statement characterizing that evidence is not improper. United States v. Velez, 46 F.3d 688, 692 (7th Cir. 1995).
David next argues that his conviction must be reversed because the district court committed plain error by instructing the jury that the government was not required to prove that the defendant knew either the exact nature or quantity of the controlled substance involved in the offense. He argues that the Supreme Court’s recent decision inApprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 490, 120 S. Ct. 2348, 147 L. Ed. 2d 435 (2000), requires the government to submit to the jury the question of whether David knew that the substance involved in the offense was cocaine. David did not challenge the jury instructions below, therefore our review is for plain error. See United States v. Jones, 245 F.3d 645, 648 (7th Cir. 2001). David’s argument that Apprendi required the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew the quantity and type of controlled substance involved in the conspiracy falls short. A defendant may be convicted of a violation of 21 U.S.C. sec. 846 without knowing the exact type of drug involved. See United States v. Sheppard, 219 F.3d 766, 770 (8th Cir. 2000), cert. denied, 121 S. Ct. 1208, 149 L. Ed. 2d 121 (2001); United States v. Osmani, 20 F.3d 266, 268 & n.5 (7th Cir. 1994). The government need only prove that the defendant was aware that some controlled substance was involved. See United States v. Fragoso, 978 F.2d 896, 902 (5th Cir. 1992). Apprendi does not change this rule. Apprendi requires that [o]ther than the fact of a prior conviction, any fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the prescribed statutory maximum must be submitted to a jury and proved beyond a reasonable doubt. 530 U.S. at 490. With respect to sec. 846, the defendant’s knowledge of the quantity and type of controlled substance is not a fact that may be used to increase the penalty beyond the statutory maximum--only the actual quantity and type of controlled substance may increase the statutory maximum. Here, the jury was required to find beyond a reasonable doubt that David conspired to commit an offense involving a controlled substance. Moreover, although the jury was not required to find the quantity of cocaine involved, David’s sentence of 78 months was well within the statutory maximum of 20 years provided by 21 U.S.C. sec. 841(b)(1)(C). See Jones, 245 F.3d at 649. (explaining that, for offenses involving cocaine, sec. 841(b)(1)(C) determines the statutory maximum if no drug amount is charged in the indictment and submitted to the jury). Therefore, there is no Apprendi error. See Talbott v. Indiana, 226 F.3d 866, 869 (7th Cir. 2000) ([W]hen a drug dealer is sentenced to less than 20 years imprisonment--the limit under 21 U.S.C. sec. 841(b) (1)(C)- - . . . Apprendi is irrelevant.).
David Carrera next challenges the specificity of the district court’s findings underlying its decision to apply a two-level obstruction of justice enhancement for perjury. Perjury is an appropriate basis for an obstruction enhancement under U.S.S.G. section 3C1.1; however, not every instance of false testimony under oath warrants the enhancement. United States v. Gage, 183 F.3d 711, 715 (7th Cir. 1999). Instead, the enhancement is limited to situations in which a defendant ’gives false testimony concerning a material matter with the willful intent to provide false testimony, rather than as a result of confusion, mistake, or faulty memory.’ United States v. Turner, 203 F.3d 1010, 1020 (7th Cir. 2000) (quoting United States v. Dunnigan, 507 U.S. 87, 94, 113 S. Ct. 1111, 122 L. Ed. 2d 445 (1993)). Standing alone, the fact that a defendant denied his guilt at trial and then was found guilty is not enough to merit a section 3C1.1 enhancement. See United States v. Webster, 125 F.3d 1024, 1037 (7th Cir. 1997). To properly support an enhancement for obstruction of justice, the district court must make independent findings as to all of the elements of perjury: falsity, willfulness, and materiality. See Turner, 203 F.3d at 1020. We review de novo whether the district court made the appropriate findings to support an obstruction of justice enhancement. See Gage, 183 F.3d at 715. The district court’s underlying findings of fact are reviewed for clear error. See id. David claims that his case should be remanded for resentencing because the district court failed to make sufficient findings to support the imposed enhancement for obstruction of justice. At David’s sentencing hearing, the district court explained: Well, I do find by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant, David Carrera, testified untruthfully at his trials. And I base this on the total record before me during those two trials. Mr. Carrera’s own prior post-arrest statements, which were inherently more reliable than his trial testimony where he basically denied the matters he affirmed during his post-arrest statement. So I find that he was untruthful by a preponderance of the evidence. Tr. of David Carrera’s Sentencing Hr’g. at 11. David argues that the district court’s findings were insufficient because they did not refer to any specific answer that was false and that neither the above explanation nor the PSR adequately found the elements of perjury necessary to support the enhancement. We disagree. David’s contention that the district court utterly failed to identify the source of the perjured testimony is belied by the record. Although the district court did not identify exact statements that were perjurious, the dis trict court did specifically point to testimony that conflicted with the agents’ account of David’s post-arrest statements-- his denial of the fact that he knew his brother was a drug dealer and that he was going along to help count the money--as the source of its belief that David testified untruthfully. Nor are we convinced by David’s argument that the district court’s findings of the elements of perjury were insufficient. In United States v. Dunnigan, 507 U.S. 87, 113 S. Ct. 1111, 122 L. Ed. 2d 445 (1993), the Supreme Court stated that it is preferable for a district court to address each element of the alleged perjury in a separate and clear finding, but also noted that a section 3C1.1 enhancement that did not specifically address each element could be upheld on the condition that the [district] court makes a finding of an obstruction of, or impediment to, justice that encompasses all of the factual predicates for a finding of perjury. Id. at 95. David is correct that the district court in his case did not take the preferred route and indicate its findings with respect to each element of perjury. We believe, however, that the district court’s findings did encompass falsity, willfulness, and materiality. It is clear that the district court found that David’s testimony at trial contradicted the arresting officers’ account of his earlier post-arrest statements, and that the officers’ account was inherently more reliable. In United States v. Turner, we upheld the district court’s application of a section 3C1.1 enhancement based on its finding that the defendant’s testimony was so diametrically opposed to that of the other witnesses that one version had to be a lie. 203 F.3d at 1020. Like the defendant in Turner, David’s trial testimony was irreconcilable with the testimony of other witnesses. Nor has David ever claimed that the inconsistent testimony was the result of confusion, mistake, or faulty memory. Moreover, there can be no doubt that the district court considered David’s knowledge of his brother’s drug dealing activities to be material. Therefore, although it is close, we find that the district court’s findings do encompass all of the required elements of perjury. Because we do not believe that the district court mechanically appl[ied] the enhancement merely because the accused took the stand and was found guilty, see United States v. Brimley, 148 F.3d 819, 824 (7th Cir. 1998) (internal quotation omitted), we uphold the district court’s application of a two-level enhancement for obstruction of justice.