Opinion ID: 673830
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Drug Trafficking Outside the Scope of the Conspiracy

Text: 51 The district court allowed the government to offer testimony showing that Scott, Skeete, and Cleveland Johnson were involved in drug trafficking during time periods outside the scope of the conspiracy. Scott, Skeete, and Cleveland Johnson argue the district court erred when it permitted this testimony to be admitted pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b). The district court allowed this evidence to be admitted--accompanied by a cautionary instruction--for the limited purpose of finding intent, knowledge or absence of mistake. See Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). The district court admitted the evidence, not to prove propensity which is prohibited by Rule 404(b), but rather for purposes explicitly allowed by Rule 404(b). We do not find the admission of this evidence to have been an abuse of discretion.