Opinion ID: 2976114
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Amount of Marijuana

Text: The jury determined that Webber possessed over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Webber argues that the quantity of drugs found by the jury could only have been based upon the testimony of Jones and Chung. Based on the testimony of Jones and Chung, Webber claims that the largest amount of marijuana that could be attributed to him is 1,810 pounds and that the government is required to prove Webber possessed about 2,200 pounds to meet the 1,000 kilograms found by the jury.2 The government argues that if the drug proceeds are taken into account, along with poundage testified to by Jones and Chung, the monetary amounts support the jury’s determination that Webber possessed 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Again, the standard of review for insufficient evidence claims is whether, after viewing the facts 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. Sykes, 292 F.3d at 498-99. The testimony at trial established that 210 pounds of marijuana was seized at the Arizona residence.3 Jones testified that during the time he dealt with Hines, he purchased as much as 1,300 pounds of marijuana. (J.A. at 522). Chung testified that the initial amount of marijuana that he received from Webber was 100 pounds. (J.A. at 560). Chung also testified that he picked up a shipment for Webber of 50 pounds on one occasion (J.A. at 558), and gave a supplier of Webber 2 1 lb./ 2.2 = 1 kg. 3 Neither party disputes that 210 pounds of marijuana was seized at the Arizona residence. 13 $27,000.00 on another occasion. (J.A. at 559). Chung testified that he counted money from Hines on two occasions at $29,000.00 and $42,000.00 respectively. (J.A. at 561). Chung testified to a ledger that he maintained which indicated a total of $153,500.00 in marijuana proceeds representing money Webber told Chung to keep and money from Hines. (J.A. at 564-65). Chung testified that when he purchased marijuana from Webber, he paid approximately about $1,100.00 to $1,200.00 per pound. (J.A. at 555). Finally, in 2003, Chung testified that he purchased 150 pounds from Webber. (J.A. at 570). Adding the pounds of marijuana established at trial, the total is 1,810 pounds (210 + 1,300 + 100 + 50 + 150) or 822.73 kilograms of marijuana. The total dollar amount, without the ledger amount, equals $98,000.00 ($27,000.00 + $29,000.00 + $42,000.00). (J.A. at 559, 561). Adding the ledger amount referenced by Chung’s testimony of $153,500.00, the total dollar amount gleaned from the trial is $251,500.00. The government’s brief, at page 32, argues that account should also be taken of an additional amount of “a balance of $175,000 carried forward . . . .” However, that amount does not appear anywhere in the cited material, nor any other place that we could ascertain from the record. The brief also claims that “conversations intercepted . . . mentioned amounts of drug proceeds, possessed or to be collected for a total of $281,000.” However, the government does not indicate how that figure is derived, and our own inspection of the material cited for this amount can substantiate, being extremely charitable, no more than $82,000.00. See J.A. 580. The largest dollar amount that any rational juror could arrive at is the $251,500.00 from the previous paragraph, plus $82,000.00. Even if we take the lowest value of marijuana, $1,150.00 per pound, we arrive at an equivalent of 290 pounds of marijuana which, added to the 1,810 pounds of 14 physical marijuana discussed above, amounts to 2,100 pounds, still falling short of the necessary 2,200 pounds required to support of finding a 1,000 kilograms. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, there was insufficient evidence for the jury to find that Webber was involved in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana.