Opinion ID: 609734
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Philip Bargalla

Text: 37 Bargalla was convicted of conspiracy to distribute, but acquitted of the substantive count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (the PWI count) and instead convicted of the lesser included offense of simple possession. Bargalla argues that there was inadequate evidence that he entered into a conspiracy to distribute and that, especially in light of his acquittal of the PWI offense, the conspiracy conviction must have resulted from prejudicial spillover. Bargalla argues that a conspiracy cannot fairly be inferred from the facts that Bargalla took possession of Callahan's briefcase after Callahan's arrest, and was in possession of Callahan's car at the time it was seized by the DEA. 38 The short answer is that additional evidence showed that Bargalla was a regular purchaser of cocaine and marijuana from Callahan and a distributer in his own right. For example, Jeffrey Scott testified that he made about five deliveries of marijuana to Bargalla from Callahan in 1987, and Callahan confirmed that he sold cocaine and marijuana to Bargalla on a regular basis beginning in late 1985 or early 1986. Moreover, there was evidence that Bargalla resold some of the narcotics he acquired from Callahan. Scott testified that he saw distribution paraphernalia--a small scale and chemicals such as Inositol that are used to mix with cocaine to increase its volume--in Bargalla's bedroom. Scott also testified that Bargalla complained that people were not paying him on time for the cocaine and marijuana that Bargalla provided them. 39 This evidence was more than sufficient to support Bargalla's conviction for conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana. The testimony concerning the briefcase and Callahan's car merely served to corroborate Bargalla's close relationship with Callahan and his organization. The jury's favorable treatment of him on the PWI count may or may not be a windfall but it cannot be used to impeach the conspiracy conviction. See United States v. Senibaldi, 959 F.2d 1131, 1135 (1st Cir.1992) (inconsistency in a criminal verdict is not grounds for overturning it).