Opinion ID: 52785
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Rosa Sanchez

Text: Sanchez challenges the sufficiency of the evidence as to her conviction for conspiracy to commit money laundering and for laundering of monetary instruments. Whether there is sufficient evidence to support a conviction is a question of law which we review de novo. United States v. Tarkoff, 242 F.3d 991, 993 (11th Cir. 2001). The relevant inquiry is “whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. “ Id. (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 61 L. Ed. 2d 560, 573, 99 S. Ct. 2781, 2789 (1979)). Based on a careful review of the record and the parties’ arguments, we conclude that, although the government’s evidence against Sanchez was not overwhelming, the evidence was sufficient to uphold Sanchez’s conviction. First, Diaz testified that when he warned Marrero that her continued travel between Miami and Spain might raise suspicion, Marrero nominated Sanchez to replace her. Although Diaz testified that he did not have a direct conversation with Sanchez about the transportation of the monies, he did testify that he instructed Marrero to talk with Sanchez and tell her what to do. Diaz also testified that to his 16 knowledge, Sanchez agreed to take the money to Spain, and the funds he believed were being transported by Sanchez did end up in the hands of his Ecstacy supplier in Spain. Furthermore, Diaz testified that he paid Sanchez for transporting the money, though these payments were made through Marrero. The government contended that Sanchez took a total of $325,000 to Spain during her two trips. Second, the name “Rosa” appeared in Diaz’s drug ledgers, and he testified during trial that “Rosa” referred to Sanchez, who he identified for the jury. The drug ledgers contained two entries for “Rosa,” and Diaz explained that each entry indicated when the money was transported, how much money was transported, and that the money had been received by his drug supplier in Spain. Travel records regarding Sanchez from a travel agency, the governments Treasury Enforcement Communication System (“TECS”), and Iberian Airlines were also introduced by the government to demonstrate that the travel dates listed for “Rosa” in Diaz’s drug ledgers corresponded to Sanchez’s dates of travel to Spain. The first entry in the drug ledgers for “Rosa” listed the date May 3, and Agent Reagan was able to establish that Sanchez left the United States for Spain on May 4, 2001 and returned on May 6, 2001. The second entry in the drug ledgers for “Rosa” listed the date May 19, and Agent Reagan was able to establish that Sanchez left the United States for Spain on or about May 19, 2001 and returned on May 21. The government also 17 introduced evidence to show that numerous calls had been made between Spain and the San Mar Insurance Agency when either Marrero or Sanchez was in Spain. Third, although Sanchez did not testify at trial, Marrero was asked about Sanchez’s trips during her testimony. Marrero testified that she wanted to purchase two containers of cigarettes from the tobacco company in Spain, but she needed $12,000 each for a down payment. Marrero asked Sanchez for the money, and, according to Marrero, Sanchez agreed. Before giving Marrero the money, however, Sanchez wanted to travel to Spain to meet the tobacco contact in person. According to Marrero, she drew up a contract regarding the purchase of the two containers, and Sanchez took the contract to deliver during her trip to Spain to meet with the tobacco supplier. Agent Reagan testified that, during a post-arrest interview, Sanchez admitted that she had traveled to Spain twice, but she claimed that she had traveled to Spain to deliver documents related to the tobacco business, not to transport drug monies for Diaz. Agent Reagan testified that when he inquired further, Sanchez offered no explanation for why her travels were documented in Diaz’s ledgers. Sanchez also told Agent Reagan that she was unable to deliver the documents she took to Spain during either trip. Although Sanchez explained that she returned without delivering the documents the first time because of a sick child, she was unable to 18 give Agent Reagan an explanation for having not delivered the same documents during her second trip. Furthermore, the government was able to demonstrate that Marrero made a trip to Spain around May 11, which was between the two times Sanchez traveled to Spain to deliver the contract Marrero had drawn up for the tobacco sale. Taking this evidence as a whole, we conclude that the jury enjoyed the prerogative to accept Diaz’s testimony and the other evidence and draw the reasonable inference that Sanchez knew the money she transported was drug proceeds.