Opinion ID: 3039060
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: There Was Sufficient Evidence to Support the

Text: Jury’s Finding that Rodriquez Possessed the Firearm “When reviewing convictions for sufficiency of the evidence, we must determine 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.” United States v. Sanders, 421 F.3d 1044, 1049 (9th Cir. 2005) (emphasis in the original) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). The evidence in the record reflects that Packer asked Rodriquez whether Rodriquez could “get rid” of the gun for him. Rodriquez responded that he could. Packer brought the gun to Rodriquez, who looked at the gun and handled it. After telling Packer that he would try to sell it, Rodriquez kept the gun. Zachary later observed Rodriquez in the apartment with the gun on a table. When Zachary asked about the gun, Rodriquez stated that “he was getting rid of it.” [8] The evidence also supports a reasonable inference that Rodriquez resided in the apartment in which the gun was discovered: officers observed Rodriquez standing outside an open door to the apartment eating a bowl of cereal; although he denied residing in the apartment, two people independently confirmed that he resided there; he had a key to the apartment; he had access to the entire apartment; he had belongings in the apartment; and officers found mail sent to Rodriquez at the apartment’s address.1 1 The fact that the gun was located under the couch “where numerous individuals had access and control” does not establish that Rodriquez did 17304 UNITED STATES v. RODRIQUEZ [9] We conclude that the evidence at trial, viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution, could lead a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Rodriquez possessed the firearm. See United States v. Garcia-Cruz, 978 F.2d 537, 542 (9th Cir. 1992) (holding that the defendant’s sole admission that he had “the gun dropped off to [him] to pick up” was sufficient evidence of possession).