Opinion ID: 657237
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence in Regard to Firearm Counts

Text: 32 Barron, Meras and Uriel challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support their firearm convictions. They make two arguments. First, they argue that since there was no evidence that they had actual knowledge of either their co-conspirators' use of a weapon or of the locations where the weapons were stored, as a matter of law, the evidence was insufficient to support their Sec. 924(c) convictions. Appellants misunderstand the law. Even assuming that a defendant cannot be convicted of violating Sec. 924(c) unless he is has some knowledge of the predicate offense, Pinkerton does not require actual knowledge as to the weapons. United States v. Raborn, 872 F.2d 589, 595-96 (5th Cir.1989); United States v. Martinez, 958 F.2d 217, 219 (8th Cir.1992); United States v. Cummings, 937 F.2d 941, 943-44 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 395, 116 L.Ed.2d 345 (1991). Pinkerton requires only that the use of the weapon in relation to the predicate drug offense be a reasonably foreseeable outcome of the conspiracy agreement. 33 Second, although they still speak in terms of the sufficiency of the evidence, Meras, Barron, and Uriel follow Leticia in arguing that an individual may not be convicted under Pinkerton of a violation of Sec. 924(c) when his liability for both the predicate offense prong and the weapon prong of Sec. 924(c) rests only upon foreseeability. Again, we need not decide whether Pinkerton requires more than foreseeability as to the predicate offense prong of Sec. 924(c). Even if we accept that there must be some connection to, or actual knowledge of, the predicate offense before an individual can be said to have foreseen his co-conspirator's use of a weapon, in these instances sufficient evidence exists of such a connection or knowledge. 34 Meras and Barron were convicted of five counts of use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense; Uriel was convicted on the same five counts and an additional two counts. These three appellants were major players in the conspiracy that served as the predicate offense for count 53. They cannot argue successfully that they did not have a direct connection to that predicate offense. As to counts 52, 57 and 58 which were tied to the Angulo-Lopez possessions, Angulo-Lopez worked with Uriel and acted as an alternative supplier for Uriel's customers and distributors. Two of those distributors were Barron and Meras, both of whom had frequent contact with Angulo-Lopez. Hence, there was sufficient evidence to connect these three appellants to Angulo-Lopez's possession offenses. In regard to count 21 which was tied to Zamora's possession offense, he worked closely with Uriel at the higher echelons of the Castaneda organization. Moreover, evidence suggested that the drugs recovered from Zamora's residence were intended for Barron and Meras. 35 Uriel's additional two convictions pertained to count 72, tied to Ornelas-Martinez's possession offense, and count 68, tied to Umansor-Alvarez's possession offense. Both these men were street-level dealers supplied by Uriel. Ornelas-Martinez considered himself to be Uriel's and Angulo-Lopez's partner and he purchased large volumes of drugs from Uriel. It is specious to argue that Uriel was not connected to these men's drug possession offenses given that Uriel supplied the drugs they possessed or directed them to an alternative supplier. We affirm these three appellants' firearm convictions.