Opinion ID: 439957
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: James DiPasquale's Membership in the Conspiracy.

Text: 61 James DiPasquale argues that there was insufficient evidence to support the jury's conclusion that he was a member of the conspiracy to collect claimed debts by extortionate means. James contends that his membership cannot be predicated on a single incident. See, e.g., United States v. DeNoia, 451 F.2d 979, 981 (2d Cir.1971). The DeNoia court, however, would not apply its single transaction rule where there is independent evidence tending to prove that the defendant in question had some knowledge of the broader conspiracy, or the single act itself [is] one from which such knowledge may be inferred. Id.; cf. Direct Sales Company v. United States, 319 U.S. 703, 712 n. 8, 63 S.Ct. 1265, 1269 n. 8, 87 L.Ed. 1674 (1943) (if a seller is indifferent to a buyer's illegal purpose, single or casual transactions may not demonstrate a conspiracy between the buyer and the seller). 62 This accords with our rule that, [a]t a minimum, ... it must be shown that ... a person has knowledge of the conspiracy's illicit purpose when he performs acts which further that illicit purpose. United States v. Klein, 515 F.2d 751, 753 (3d Cir.1975). The question is whether there was sufficient evidence for the jury to find that James was aware of the nature of the conspiracy when he acted in furtherance of it. 63 The incident in which James was involved was substantially similar to other incidents in furtherance of the conspiracy. James, with Victor Szwanki and two others, visited Cosmo in January 1980, attacked him, and demanded money that James said Cosmo owed Anthony. James also threatened to kill Cosmo. James protests that the purpose of his visit was not the same as the purpose of the other incidents because he brutalized Cosmo to help his brother, who was in jail at the time. This contention is not inconsistent with the fact that James beat up Cosmo in an attempt to collect a debt owed to Anthony. Although James's participation in the scheme was limited, he adopted both its methods and its goals in his attack on Cosmo. 10 64 In addition to the evidence of the attack on Cosmo, there was testimony from an undercover detective that after James was indicted for conspiracy, James said, I got arrested and I'm going to court, but don't worry. There's nine people involved and by the time this thing comes to court the witnesses might fall down steps and break their fucking heads open. This testimony was admitted to show James's consciousness of guilt. See DiPasquale, 561 F.Supp. at 1353-54 & n. 20. 65 The evidence against James was sufficient to support the jury's verdict. To borrow a metaphor from another court, even the cymbalist is part of the orchestra. See United States v. Armedo-Sarmiento, 545 F.2d 785, 794 (2d Cir.1976), cert. denied, 430 U.S. 917, 97 S.Ct. 1330, 51 L.Ed.2d 595 (1977). 66