Opinion ID: 691020
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Christ Theodosopoulos

Text: 39 In appealing the district court's directed judgment of acquittal of Theodosopoulos, the government contends that the evidence introduced at trial was sufficient to support a rational jury's conclusion that beyond a reasonable doubt Theodosopoulos conspired to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it. In granting Theodosopoulos's motion for a judgment of acquittal, the district court concluded: 40 I find the evidence is insufficient to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Theodosopoulos was part of the drug conspiracy that is alleged at the indictment.... [A]t the close of the government's case ... I expressed specific concerns about the lack of evidence as to Mr. Theodosopoulos and the difficulty I had even with respect to drawing all reasonable inferences in the government's favor after the government rested. 41 I was concerned about the sparsity of the evidence and the equivocal nature of the evidence.... I am convinced that a rational jury could not convict Christ Theodosopoulos of Count I of the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt. 42 The government first argues that the evidence established the existence of a cocaine conspiracy. Second, the government maintains that Theodosopoulos was a knowing member of that conspiracy who participated in and intended to advance the ends of that conspiracy. 43 In examining a sufficiency of the evidence claim, we review the record in the light most favorable to the government, and determine whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2784, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979) (emphasis in original); United States v. Billops, 43 F.3d 281 (7th Cir.1994); United States v. Howell, 37 F.3d 1197, 1201 (7th Cir.1994); United States v. Byerley, 999 F.2d 231, 234 (7th Cir.1993). When reviewing the conviction, we may accept any adequate evidence, including circumstantial evidence, as support for a conviction. United States v. Baskin-Bey, 45 F.3d 200 (7th Cir.1995); United States v. Durrive, 902 F.2d 1221, 1229 (7th Cir.1990). A jury conviction should be taken away only when the record contains no evidence, regardless of how it is weighed, from which the jury could find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Rosalez-Cortez, 19 F.3d 1210, 1215 (7th Cir.1994). 44 To prove Theodosopoulos guilty of a drug conspiracy, the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt: (1) a conspiracy existed; (2) Theodosopoulos knew of the conspiratorial agreement; and (3) Theodosopoulos intended to join it. United States v. James, 40 F.3d 850, 864 (7th Cir.1994), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 948, 130 L.Ed.2d 891 (1995); United States v. Crowder, 36 F.3d 691, 695 (7th Cir.1994) (To sustain a conspiracy charge, the government need only prove the existence of the conspiracy and a participatory link with the defendant.) (quoting United States v. Blas, 947 F.2d 1320, 1325 (7th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1118, 112 S.Ct. 1234, 117 L.Ed.2d 468 (1992)), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 1160, 130 L.Ed.2d 1116 (1995); United States v. Campbell, 985 F.2d 341, 344-45 (7th Cir.1993). 45 Without question, there is adequate evidence in the record that a cocaine conspiracy existed. Indeed, the district court did not conclude otherwise; rather the court entered a judgment of acquittal for Theodosopoulos because of the lack of evidence that he was part of that conspiracy. Neither party has appealed the finding of a conspiracy and we thus accept it. 46 The record contained sufficient evidence for the jury to find that Theodosopoulos was a knowing member of the conspiracy. 9 To prove that a particular defendant was a member of an ongoing conspiracy, the government must present substantial evidence that [the] defendant knew of the illegal objective of the conspiracy and agreed to participate in its achievement. James, 40 F.3d at 865 (quoting United States v. Burrell, 963 F.2d 976, 987 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 357, 121 L.Ed.2d 270 (1992)). Although the jury may not rest its verdict solely by piling inference upon inference, United States v. Martinez, 937 F.2d 299, 304 (7th Cir.1991), the government may prove Theodosopoulos's participatory link to the conspiracy solely by way of circumstantial evidence. United States v. Townsend, 924 F.2d 1385, 1390 (7th Cir.1991). Thus, while mere presence is not enough by itself to convict a defendant, see United States v. Cochran, 955 F.2d 1116, 1123 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 460, 121 L.Ed.2d 368 (1992), this presence, along with other evidence indicating that the presence or act was intended to advance the ends of the conspiracy, suffices. See United States v. Carson, 9 F.3d 576, 587 (7th Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 135, 130 L.Ed.2d 77 (1994); Cochran, 955 F.2d at 1123 ([p]resence or a single act will suffice if the circumstances permit the inference that the presence or act was intended to advance the conspiracy); United States v. Simone, 931 F.2d 1186, 1193 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 981, 112 S.Ct. 584, 116 L.Ed.2d 609 (1991). 47 Theodosopoulos's presence at the automobile body shop garage on May 20, 1993, at the time set for the first planned exchange of money and cocaine, supports the government's contention that the defendant was a knowing member and active participant in the conspiracy. Grant testified that the meeting at the garage on May 20 took place so that the individual with the money could observe the cocaine and then pay the undercover agent $21,000 for one kilogram of cocaine. It was reasonable for the jury to infer that Theodosopoulos--and not Shunnarah--was the money man in that although Shunnarah examined the cocaine in the Plush Pup parking lot, he did not complete the transaction at that time and rather, insisted that the transaction be completed at the automobile shop. See United States v. Hernandez, 948 F.2d 316, 321 (7th Cir.1991). 48 The government also points to Theodosopoulos's presence on two separate occasions on May 23, 1993, that demonstrate his participation in the conspiracy. The government proffered evidence that Theodosopoulos met and spoke with Ghanayem and Shunnarah in the alley behind Theodosopoulos's residence just moments after the two left to meet with their money man and just prior to Shunnarah's planned meeting with the undercover agent to give him the money. Grant and Shunnarah had decided to complete the drug deal on this day. It was reasonable for the jury to infer from the circumstances that since neither Ghanayem nor Shunnarah had money themselves, they were attempting to obtain purchase money elsewhere, such as from Theodosopoulos. 49 The government also argues that Theodosopoulos's presence in the parking lot on May 23, 1993, and his subsequent waving of money at Grant, further establish his participation in the conspiracy. Although mere knowledge of, approval of, association with, or presence at a conspiracy is insufficient to establish ... participation, Durrive, 902 F.2d at 1225, a defendant's presence at the scene where coconspirators acted in furtherance of the conspiracy's ultimate objective is a probative factor which may be considered with other factors in assessing the sufficiency of the evidence. James, 40 F.3d at 865 (citing Burrell, 963 F.2d at 988). Had Theodosopoulos simply been driving by the drug transaction--coincidentally in the wrong place at the wrong time--this would not be enough to establish his link to the conspiracy. However, at the exact moment in the transaction when the money-man would show the money to the supplier, Theodosopoulos stopped his car in front of Grant, Ghanayem and Shunnarah, and purposefully waived a handful of currency at them. It was entirely reasonable for the jury to conclude that the display of money was intended to advance the ends of the conspiracy by showing the suppliers that the money was present and the narcotics deal was about to be completed. The mere fortuitous presence at the scene where a crime takes place does not prove participation in the conspiracy, but the presence of the defendant at critical junctures, such as these, alone can establish a defendant's participation. See United States v. Pazos, 993 F.2d 136 (7th Cir.1993); Burrell, 963 F.2d at 990-91; Cochran, 955 F.2d at 1122. 50 Theodosopoulos argues that Grant's testimony that Theodosopoulos, while in the gray car, drove by Grant, Shunnarah and Ghanayem in the parking lot and flashed the money indicates that, if anything, Theodosopoulos did not intend to be part of any drug transaction. He argues that if he had intended to be a participant, he would have remained rather than left. The existence of an alternative explanation for Theodosopoulos's actions does not sink the government's case. The fact that the government's evidence might also be consistent with an alternate theory is irrelevant; the law does not require the government to disprove every conceivable hypothesis of innocence to sustain a conviction on an indictment proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Townsend, 924 F.2d at 1389 (citations omitted) (emphasis in original). 51 The government also introduced telephone records that established circumstantially that Shunnarah and Theodosopoulos had several conversations around the time of the planned money-for-cocaine exchange. Viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to the government, it was reasonable for a jury to conclude that the timing and circumstances surrounding the placing of these calls established that Shunnarah and Theodosopoulos were in contact at this time. On May 23, 1993, two one-minute calls--at 11:46 a.m. and 12:13 p.m.--were made from Ghanayem's cellular telephone (which was with Shunnarah at the time) to Theodosopoulos's residence. At 12:30 p.m., a single call was made from Theodosopoulos's home to Ghanayem's cellular phone. While the telephone calls by themselves are not dispositive, their timing is quite probative. All three calls took place immediately after Shunnarah spoke with Grant and informed him that they were still waiting for their money source (11:35 a.m.) and before Shunnarah contacted Grant to tell him that they were now ready to complete the drug transaction. (1:10 p.m.). Furthermore, it was immediately after the 12:13 p.m. call that Shunnarah and Theodosopoulos met in person behind the garage at Theodosopoulos's residence. It was reasonable for the jury to infer from the telephone calls that the two defendants had contacted each other and had done so for the purposes of furthering the criminal conspiracy. See United States v. Hirschberg, 988 F.2d 1509, 1516 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 311, 126 L.Ed.2d 258 (1993); Burrell, 963 F.2d at 991; Hernandez, 948 F.2d at 321. 52 Theodosopoulos argues that the absence of records of telephone calls--for example, between the Theodosopoulos residence and Lexington--undermines the relevance of the existence of the phone records on the date and around the time of the proposed money-for-cocaine exchange. The jury, however, had the opportunity to consider this evidence at trial and weigh its importance, and was reasonable in ultimately concluding that Theodosopoulos participated in the conspiracy. 53 We recognize that the government's case was built in large part on circumstantial evidence, as is often true in conspiracy cases. It is also possible that we may have reached a different result if we had sat as jurors. However, the mere existence of other possible hypotheses is not enough to remove the case from the jury. United States v. Duarte, 1 F.3d 644, 650 (7th Cir.1993), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 724, 126 L.Ed.2d 688 (1994). As we have cautioned before, Rule 29 is not a device to replace jury findings with the conclusions of district court judges. Id. We will only take a conviction away from a jury on sufficiency grounds when the government has offered no evidence from which a jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that crime had been committed. Atterson, 926 F.2d at 655 (We must affirm unless the record is barren of any evidence, regardless of its weight, from which the trier of fact could find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.). Here, there was enough evidence, albeit circumstantial, for a reasonable jury to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that a conspiracy did exist and Theodosopoulos was a knowing and active participant in it. 54 For the foregoing reasons, we REVERSE the district court's judgments of acquittal, AFFIRM the denial of Ghanayem's new trial motion, reinstate the jury verdicts, and REMAND for sentencing.