Opinion ID: 775727
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the Purchase of a Used Car Affected Interstate Commerce

Text: 38 Derry Evans argues that the government did not present sufficient evidence of money laundering because it failed to establish that his purchase of a used car--a 1987 Mercury Topaz--on June 4, 1997, had any effect on interstate commerce. Relying on United States v. Grey, 56 F.3d 1219, 1224 (10th Cir. 1995), and United States v. Levine, 41 F.3d 607, 614 (10th Cir. 1994), Derry contends that the effect on interstate commerce must occur either at the time of the transaction or later. Moreover, he argues, citing United States v. Monholland, 607 F.2d 1311 (10th Cir. 1979), his driving the car only within Missouri is insufficient to affect interstate commerce. 39 In considering the sufficiency of the evidence, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the government's case, reversing only if no reasonable jury could have found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. See, e.g., United States v. Shoff, 151 F.3d 889, 890 (8th Cir. 1998). 40 We put aside the questions of whether we should disregard any pre-purchase effects on interstate commerce and whether Derry's use of the car after the purchase actually affected interstate commerce, because it is clear that the purchase itself had an effect on interstate commerce. To come under the statute, the purchase need only in any way or degree affect[ ] interstate... commerce. 18 U.S.C. § 1956(c)(4). Derry bought a car titled in the state of Illinois from a Missouri dealer, and then completed a Missouri application for title. More important, the transaction--the purchase of an automobile from a commercial used car dealer--is sufficient, by itself, to have an effect on interstate commerce. Cf. Russell v. United States, 471 U.S. 858, 862 (1985) (stating that rental of real estate is unquestionably activity that affects interstate commerce); United States v. Westbrook, 119 F.3d 1176, 1192 (5th Cir. 1997) (holding that purchase of two cars with proceeds from cocaine sale affects interstate commerce), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1119 (1998). 41