Opinion ID: 782607
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Jackson's Liability for Sinkler's Importation Quantities

Text: 70 There is likewise no doubt that a rational jury could have found Jackson responsible for the quantity of cocaine Sinkler conspired to import on their joint trips to Jamaica in December 1998 and August 1999. Sinkler testified that she and Jackson obtained their birth certificates together prior to their first joint trip, stayed in the same hotel together, swallowed cocaine pellets together, passed the pellets at Sinkler's house together, and obtained their payments from Brown together. Given that Jackson was virtually inseparable from Sinkler during these trips, it is clear that the cocaine Sinkler conspired to import on these trips is attributable to Jackson. Cf. United States v. Chalarca, 95 F.3d 239, 243-44 (2d Cir.1996) (under the Sentencing Guidelines, defendant deemed to be accountable for jointly undertaken drug transactions in which he personally participates, in a direct way). 71 In light of Sinkler's testimony that Jackson complained about being underpaid for the key and a half of cocaine that they smuggled together, a reasonable jury could infer that Sinkler conspired to import one-half kilogram of cocaine on each of her trips to Jamaica. Sinkler's testimony that she received less than $2,500 for her December 1998 trip — which could suggest that the amount of cocaine she actually smuggled into the United States was less than half a kilogram — is of no consequence. As in all conspiracy cases, the essence of the crime is what the conspirators agreed to do, rather than what they actually did. See, e.g., United States v. Gore, 154 F.3d 34, 40 (2d Cir.1998) (The essence of conspiracy is the agreement and not the commission of the substantive offense.); United States v. Hendrickson, 26 F.3d 321, 333 (2d Cir.1994) (In drug conspiracies, the conspirators' agreement to produce narcotics, not the actual possession, sale or delivery of the drugs, is the essence of the crime.). 72 For these reasons, a rational jury could have determined that Sinkler agreed to import one-half kilogram of cocaine on each of her trips to Jamaica. This inference is also supported by the fact that Sinkler was found in possession of almost one-half kilogram of cocaine when she was arrested in March 2000. 73 In sum, when adding the 1 kilogram that Sinkler conspired to import on her trips with Jackson in December 1998 and August 1999 to the 4 kilograms that Jackson conspired to import in December 1998, February 1999, August 1999, and November 1999, a rational jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that Jackson was responsible for conspiring to import 5 or more kilograms of cocaine. 74