Opinion ID: 2996363
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of Evidence on Counts 2 and 3

Text: Defendants next contend that there was insufficient evidence to convict them of using minors as charged in Counts 2 and 3 of the indictment. We have noted before that the hill one must climb in a sufficiency-of-evidence claim is exceedingly steep. United States v. Frazier, 213 F.3d 409, 416 (7th Cir. 2000). We view all the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution and reverse the jury’s verdict only where the record is devoid of any evidence, regardless of how it is weighed, from which a jury could find the defendants guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Johnson, 26 F.3d 669, 684 (7th Cir. 1994). As stated above, § 861(a) makes it a crime to “knowingly and intentionally” (1) use a minor to violate the narcotics laws or (2) use a minor to assist in avoiding detection of a violation of the narcotics laws. 21 U.S.C. § 861(a) (2003). Defendants concede that the government did not have to prove that the defendants knew that the people they were using were minors. See Frazier, 213 F.3d at 419 (holding that knowledge that the person used is under the age of eighteen is not an element of the statute). Defendants also do not argue, nor could they, that there was insufficient evidence to show that minors were used as part of this drug conspiracy.6 What defendants do argue 6 The evidence introduced included testimony by Juan Lorenzana, who was a minor for at least part of the period of the conspiracy, that on weekly Nation Days he both sold drugs and served as (continued...) 20 Nos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 is that while there may have been evidence that minors were being used to sell drugs and avoid detection there is no evidence that these defendants “knowingly and intentionally” employed the minors in the drug conspiracy. Basically, they contend that there is nothing which links them to the use of minors; however, the evidence shows otherwise. The two defendants charged in Count 2—using a minor to violate narcotics laws—were Rosario and Santana, the number one and number two people in this gang. And the four defendants charged in Count 3—using a minor to avoid detection of narcotics laws violations—included not only Rosario and Santana, but also Stevenson and Wilfredo Hernandez, the leaders of the gang’s security component detail. Given the nature of this drug conspiracy and gang it is doubtful that the gang’s leaders were not “knowingly and intentionally” employing the people who worked under them. We recognize, however, that in some situations people serving in a leadership capacity do not always know who works for them. See United States v. McDonald, 877 F.2d 91, 93 (D.C. Cir. 1989) (“A reasonable jury could not conclude beyond a reasonable doubt, from McDonald’s role as supplier alone, that McDonald was knowledgeable of all operations at the [drug] house and therefore used Pinkney within the meaning of [section 861(a)].”). In defendants’ case, however, it was not merely the fact that they were the leaders of the drug conspiracy that linked them to the minors. Rather, at trial, audio tapes of these defendants at gang “demos”—meetings 6 (...continued) a lookout for police. Also, both Juan Lorenzana and Juan Hernandez testified that Jose Hernandez, a minor during the whole period of the conspiracy, worked security and directed drug customers on Nation Days. Nos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 21 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 where the gang leaders discussed the details of Nation Days—were played into evidence. On one of these tapes, Wilfredo Hernandez is heard directing “shorties” to go into a courtyard and watch for police while the leaders discussed business. On another tape, Stevenson is heard complaining that shorties were not properly performing their security duties. Finally, on the tape of another demo, at which Santana and Wilfredo Hernandez were present, the jury heard Rosario discussing the benefits of using shorties in gang activities because juveniles faced more lenient penalties if caught than did older members. These tapes provide substantial evidence that these defendants knowingly and intentionally used minors as charged in Counts 2 and 3. Defendants point to another tape on which Rosario is heard ordering that no shorties were to be used on a particular Nation Day. They argue that this tape shows that the leaders of the gang condemned the use of minors in drug transactions. But viewing this evidence in the light most favorable to the government, as we must, the jury could have rationally interpreted this statement as showing that the leaders of the gang were in direct control of when and how minors were used, and that sometimes they chose to use minors and sometimes they chose not to use them. This interpretation makes reasonable sense of this tape in light of the other tapes and testimony, which showed that the leaders did sometimes direct minors to participate in the drug conspiracy. In sum, given the comments made on the audio tapes by these defendants about the use of minors, given the testimony of the minors themselves about their activities in the conspiracy, given the fact that these defendants were the leaders of the conspiracy, and given the testimony of the gang’s treasurer, Juan Hernandez, that the gang used minors to sell drugs and avoid detection, we find that a 22 Nos. 99-2299, 99-2505, 99-2514, 99-2570, 99-2598, 99-2763, 99-2983, 01-1690 rational jury could have concluded that these defendants were knowingly and actively employing minors in their drug conspiracy. The sufficiency of evidence challenge fails.