Opinion ID: 202248
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Co-conspirator Statements

Text: 12 Next, Thompson contends that the district court erred in admitting into evidence—as a statement made by Thompson's co-conspirator under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(2)(E)—Frank Cicero's comment to Canney that he now wanted to buy his drugs only from Canney because Cicero and Thompson had had a falling out. Thompson maintains that the Cicero statement is inadmissible hearsay since the government did not present any evidence that he and Cicero were co-conspirators, or that Cicero made the statement in furtherance of the conspiracy, and that Cicero instead stated that he no longer wanted to be associated with Thompson. 13 District court rulings admitting evidence under Rule 801(d)(2)(E) are reviewed only for clear error. See United States v. Castellini, 392 F.3d 35, 50 (1st Cir.2004). Following the procedures set forth in United States v. Ciampaglia, 628 F.2d 632, 638 (1st Cir.1980), the district court provisionally admitted the Cicero statement. At the close of all the evidence, the district court explicitly ruled that the government had shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the Cicero statement met all requirements of Rule 801(d)(2)(E). See United States v. Petrozziello, 548 F.2d 20, 23 (1st Cir.1977) (requiring that court make explicit findings that it is more likely than not that the declarant and the defendant were members of a conspiracy . . . and that the statement was in furtherance of the conspiracy). 14 First, Thompson never raised the argument below that the Cicero statement was inadmissible on the ground that the government failed to prove that Thompson and Cicero were members of the same conspiracy. Consequently, it is forfeited on appeal. See United States v. Paradis, 351 F.3d 21, 28 n. 6 (1st Cir.2003). 2 Second, the Cicero statement furthered the conspiracy in that it placed Canney on notice that two of his co-conspirators— Thompson and Cicero—no longer intended to deal directly with one another. Cicero did not state his intention to withdraw from the extant conspiracy, however, nor was it essential to their status as co-conspirators that he and Thompson continue to maintain direct contact with one another. See United States v. Soto-Beniquez, 356 F.3d 1, 19 (1st Cir.2003) (The government need not show that each conspirator knew of or had contact with all other members.), cert. denied, 541 U.S. 1074, 124 S.Ct. 2412, 2427, 158 L.Ed.2d 985 (2004). The district court thus made all the necessary findings of fact required by Petrozziello, none of which are clearly erroneous. Consequently, it acted well within its discretion in admitting the Cicero statement under Rule 801(d)(2)(E).