Opinion ID: 772035
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: 2 Lemon stipulated that he had three prior felony convictions, that the ammunition had traveled in interstate commerce, and that the substance found on the closet shelf was crack cocaine. In addition, the government introduced overwhelming evidence that 203 grams is a distribution quantity of crack cocaine, having a street value of $20,000 to $40,000. Thus, the fighting issue at trial was whether Lemon was in constructive possession of the drugs and ammunition. While mere physical proximity to contraband is insufficient to convict a person of possession with intent to distribute, knowledge of presence, plus control over the thing is constructive possession. United States v. Johnson, 18 F.3d 641, 647 (8th Cir. 1994) (emphasis in original). If there is knowledge, control is established by proof the person has dominion over the premises in which the contraband is concealed. United States v. Brett, 872 F.2d 1365, 1369 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 932 (1989); see also United States v. Surratt, 172 F.3d 559, 564 (8th Cir.) (defendant constructively possessed drugs and gun found in his apartment), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 910 (1999). 3 In searching the apartment, the police found a leather jacket hanging on the bedroom closet door. Officer Elizabeth Holland testified she saw Lemon wearing that jacket while engaged in suspicious activities during the prior week. In one of the jacket pockets, police found keys to the apartment. This was highly probative evidence of constructive possession. See Brett, 872 F.2d at 1369 (possession of key to crack house was sufficient evidence of knowing possession). Lemon nonetheless argues there was insufficient evidence because his girlfriend, Qiana Hicks, leased the apartment, he lived elsewhere, and the government failed to prove he knew the drugs and ammunition were there and intended to exercise control over them. 4 We agree it takes more evidence of knowledge and control to prove that a defendant constructively possessed contraband found in someone else's apartment, as opposed to his own residence. For example, in United States v. Dunlap, 28 F.3d 823, 826-27 (8th Cir. 1994), defendant was arrested while present in a drug dealer's apartment in circumstances that suggested drug trafficking. We nonetheless reversed his conviction for possession with intent to distribute because his behavior was equally consistent with an intent to purchase cocaine for his own use, an offense not charged in the indictment. Id. at 827. Thus, to resolve Lemon's sufficiency argument, we must examine the government's evidence that he knew of and exercised control over the contraband found in Hicks's apartment. In reviewing this issue, we must give the government the benefit of all reasonable inferences which may logically be drawn from that evidence. United States v. Watson, 952 F.2d 982, 987 (8th Cir. 1991), cert. denied, 503 U.S. 994 (1992). 5 First, at the time of the search, Lemon was undressed and asleep. No one else was present, Hicks having left for work earlier that morning. Though Lemon resided elsewhere most of the time, Hicks admitted he stayed in her apartment with some frequency. Hicks testified she only gave Lemon her spare apartment keys the night before, when he went to the store, but the jury was free to infer that Lemon had more general control over the keys found in his jacket pocket. This was sufficient evidence he had dominion over the premises in which the contraband was found, leaving only the question whether he had knowledge of that contraband. 6 Second, Officer Holland testified that she had observed Lemon engaged in what appeared to be illegal drug sales outside his mother's home the week prior to the search. In addition, Deputy Sheriff David Lind testified that in 1996, while searching the home of Lemon's mother, he found crack cocaine in Lemon's shirt pocket, and more crack cocaine and a Tanita electronic scale in the basement where Lemon was living. Lemon later pleaded guilty to possession of crack cocaine in state court. In Hicks's apartment, a Tanita scale and a box of Glad baggies were found in the dresser drawer where the ammunition was found. The proof of Lemon's prior drug trafficking was clearly relevant to the question whether he had knowledge of the drugs found in Hicks's apartment. See United States v. Thomas, 58 F.3d 1318, 1323 (8th Cir. 1995). 7 Third, Sheriff Lind further testified that in 1996 Lemon admitted he owned a .45 caliber handgun uncovered during the search of his mother's home. The government presented testimony that a .45 caliber handgun is relatively uncommon, and Lemon's parole officer, called as a defense witness, admitted on cross exam he appeared to have a love for firearms. All this was strong circumstantial evidence Lemon constructively possessed the box of .45 caliber ammunition found in the dresser drawer. 8 Fourth, police found on top of the dresser a two-finger ring with the letters FMOB. The government presented expert testimony that FMOB was a symbol for the Family Mob, a street gang meeting the definition of a criminal gang under Minnesota law, 1 and that Lemon had admitted under oath in a prior court proceeding to being a member of that gang. 9 Like the district court, 2 we conclude that this evidence, viewed in its entirety, is more than sufficient to convict Lemon of constructively possessing the crack cocaine and ammunition found in Hicks's apartment. There was contrary evidence, particularly Hicks's testimony that the FMOB ring and two pairs of men's trousers found in the apartment belonged to her brother, who stayed there from time to time. But the government vigorously attacked Hicks's credibility, and it was the jury's function to evaluate her credibility and to weigh her testimony against the government's evidence of constructive possession.