Opinion ID: 353818
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Denial of Motions for a Bill of Particulars

Text: 134 Delph and Taylor argue that evidence of their drug transactions should not have been admitted at trial because these acts were not mentioned in the indictment and the trial judge denied all motions for a bill of particulars. We find no merit to this contention. 135 Delph's and Taylor's drug transactions were proved as overt acts in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy charged in Count One. The 25 overt acts listed in the indictment did not include any drug transactions involving either Delph or Taylor. However, Count One did identify Delph and Taylor as members of the conspiracy and charged, in part, that (i)t was a . . . part of the conspiracy that defendants illegally trafficked in narcotics and other dangerous drugs. We have long followed the rule that the government is not limited to overt acts pleaded in the indictment in proving a conspiracy; it may show other acts of the conspirators occurring during the life of the conspiracy. United States v. Perez, supra, 489 F.2d at 70; United States v. Ayres, 434 F.2d 60, 62 (5th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 401 U.S. 938, 91 S.Ct. 930, 28 L.Ed.2d 217 (1971). This rule works no injustice in this case because the indictment put each defendant on notice that overt acts of narcotics trafficking might be proved at trial. 136 We are not unmindful of counsel's argument that notice and pleading requirements developed in the context of the general federal conspiracy statute may not pass constitutional muster under the RICO conspiracy statute. We do not reach this question, however, because we are satisfied that the indictment in this case afforded adequate notice under any reasonable test.