Opinion ID: 628059
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence to convict cohron

Text: 75 Cohron argues that the evidence presented at trial is insufficient to support his conviction on any of the four counts. His arguments rely on the five year statute of limitations period for these offenses, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3282. Cohron argues that evidence of actions occurring more than five years prior to the indictment should not have been considered by the jury because prosecution for those actions is barred by the statute of limitations. Cohron contends that once evidence of transactions occurring outside the five-year limitations period is excluded, there was insufficient evidence to prove that he imported as much marijuana as the indictment charged. The indictment charged he imported 1000 kilograms or more of marijuana. Cohron concedes for purposes of this argument that the evidence of transactions within the limitations period inculpated him in two transactions, but he claims the evidence indisputably proves that less than 1000 kilograms of marijuana could have been imported in those two transactions that were within the limitations period. Therefore, contends Cohron, the Government failed to prove by evidence of transactions within the limitations period an averment of each count of the indictment--that the quantity of marijuana involved was 1000 kilograms or more. We will first address his argument as it applies to the two conspiracy counts and then as it relates to the two substantive counts.
76 Cohron's argument as it relates to his convictions on the two conspiracy counts is meritless, because the statute of limitations does not begin to run on a conspiracy until that conspiracy has ended. United States v. Benson, 846 F.2d 1338, 1340 (11th Cir.1988); United States v. Finestone, 816 F.2d 583, 589 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 948, 108 S.Ct. 338, 98 L.Ed.2d 365 (1987); United States v. LeQuire, 943 F.2d 1554, 1565 (11th Cir.1991), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 3037, 120 L.Ed.2d 906 (1992). A conspiracy is considered a discrete crime for statute of limitations purposes. For a conspiracy prosecution to be barred by the statute of limitations, the time between the conspiracy's end, or the defendant's affirmative withdrawal, and the indictment must be longer than the statutory limitations period. If this is not the case, the conspiracy prosecution may proceed, and evidence of any acts in furtherance of the conspiracy are admissible even if they occurred longer than the statutory period before the indictment. United States v. Gonzalez, 921 F.2d 1530, 1548 (11th Cir.) (predicate acts for RICO conspiracy occurring outside limitations period could support conviction if conspiracy continued into limitations period), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 96, 116 L.Ed.2d 68, and cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 178, 116 L.Ed.2d 140 (1991); United States v. Butler, 792 F.2d 1528, 1532 (11th Cir.) (same for 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1382 statute of limitations), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 933, 107 S.Ct. 407, 93 L.Ed.2d 359 (1986). Cohron does not claim that the conspiracy ceased operations outside the statutory period, nor does he claim to have withdrawn outside that period. Therefore, all acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy during the entire life of the conspiracy were properly admitted against him at trial. The evidence was sufficient to support Cohron's conspiracy convictions.
77 To attack his substantive convictions Cohron relies on the interplay between the statute of limitations and the court's Pinkerton instruction to the jury. His argument is that the jury's general guilty verdict that he was involved with 1000 kilograms or more of marijuana must be grounded on one of two bases: the jury may have impermissibly considered Cohron's actions before the statutory period, or it may have permissibly relied on the actions of Cohron's co-conspirators for which he is liable under Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 66 S.Ct. 1180, 90 L.Ed. 1489 (1946). Cohron contends that because it cannot be established whether the jury's verdict was actually based on a permissible basis, or on an impermissible one, we must set it aside. See Yates v. United States, 354 U.S. 298, 77 S.Ct. 1064, 1 L.Ed.2d 1356 (1957); but see Griffin v. United States, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 466, 116 L.Ed.2d 371 (1991) (criticizing Yates). 78 Cohron's argument fails because an essential premise of it is that the Government had to prove at trial that the quantity of marijuana he was involved in was 1000 or more kilograms. Case law in this Circuit establishes that the quantity of drugs is not an element of controlled substance offenses. United States v. Cross, 916 F.2d 622, 623 (11th Cir.1990) (A controlled substance violation may occur without regard to the nature and quantity of the controlled substance.), cert. denied, 499 U.S. 929, 111 S.Ct. 1331, 113 L.Ed.2d 263 (1991); United States v. Perez, 960 F.2d 1569, 1574-75 (11th Cir.1992), (only definitional elements of the offense [need] appear in the indictment, and not quantity), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 1421, 122 L.Ed.2d 790 (1993). It is nonetheless true that the indictment did allege 1000 kilograms of marijuana or more. So, the question is whether failure to prove a quantity of controlled substances alleged in the indictment, which is not an element of the offense, is a material variance requiring reversal. Our cases say no. United States v. Hanson, 835 F.2d 815, 817 (11th Cir.1988) (no reversal where 1000 grams cocaine alleged and 861 grams claimed to have been proved); United States v. Ard, 731 F.2d 718, 725 (11th Cir.1984) (no reversal where 1000 pounds marijuana alleged in indictment and single sale of less than that quantity claimed to have been proved); United States v. Sheikh, 654 F.2d 1057, 1066-67 (5th Cir. Unit A Sep. 1981) (no reversal where 4.4 pounds heroin alleged in indictment and 14 grams claimed to have been proved), cert. denied, 455 U.S. 991, 102 S.Ct. 1617, 71 L.Ed.2d 852 (1982); United States v. Juarez, 573 F.2d 267, 278 (5th Cir.) (no reversal where 5 ounces heroin alleged in indictment and 23.63 grams claimed to have been proved), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 915, 99 S.Ct. 289, 58 L.Ed.2d 262 (1978). Even if the evidence of transactions occurring within the statute of limitations period proved less than the 1000 kilograms alleged in the indictment, the Government was not required to prove that amount. Therefore, Cohron is not entitled to a reversal of his conviction on the substantive counts, just as he is not entitled to a reversal on the conspiracy counts, either. 5