Opinion ID: 2982291
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: DeJesus

Text: DeJesus was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute: (1) 500 grams or more of cocaine (a lesser included offense of Count 1), and (2) fifty grams or more of cocaine base (Count 5). On appeal, he argues that the government failed to present sufficient evidence to support either conviction. The government produced a combination of witness testimony and intercepted phone calls and text messages between Maddox and DeJesus that established DeJesus’s role in the drug conspiracies. Rush testified that DeJesus was a friend of Maddox’s from Utica, New York, who stayed at Maddox’s house in Johnson City, Tennessee, “for a while” in 2003 or 2004 to sell marijuana. According to Rush, DeJesus had a source for cocaine in New York City, and - 31 - Case Nos. 11-5829/5837/5860/6191/6192/6196/6198, United States v. Miller, et al. Maddox once said that he was going with DeJesus to meet the source to get better prices and better product. Rush also interpreted a number of intercepted phone calls and text messages between DeJesus and Maddox that showed DeJesus entered into agreements to sell cocaine to Maddox and helped him cook it into crack cocaine. In one text message, Maddox explained he wanted to buy an ounce of cocaine for $1,200, according to Rush. DeJesus then warned Maddox “I talked to o and he said u gonna lose when you go swimming.” Rush explained “swimming” to be a euphemism for cooking cocaine into crack cocaine, and “losing” to mean losing product in the cooking process. Not surprisingly, Maddox responded, “I don’t wanna go swimming.” In a subsequent series of messages decoded by Rush, DeJesus offered to pay $500 toward an ounce of cocaine that Maddox agreed to purchase. A series of phone calls and text messages two weeks later established that DeJesus had sold cocaine to Maddox, who tried unsuccessfully to cook it into crack cocaine and sought advice from DeJesus. Maddox explained over the phone that he had “overwet” the drugs, which Rush explained meant he used too much baking soda to cook the cocaine, and DeJesus advised Maddox to try putting the drugs in the freezer or oven to harden. After several more rounds of text messages, DeJesus asked Maddox to bring him the product, but Maddox responded that he was able to produce only 3.5 grams of crack cocaine. Rush interpreted numerous other messages and calls between Maddox and DeJesus in which DeJesus asked for a half ounce (“half a man”) of cocaine and spoke of flipping drugs for a quick profit; and in which Maddox wrote that he was selling marijuana (“I got some dro on the market”; “50s of dro on market”) and said it was a “hard market” for cocaine. The thrust of DeJesus’s argument is that he was insufficiently linked to the bulk of the conspiracy’s activities, which occurred primarily in Tennessee, such that he was not aware of the - 32 - Case Nos. 11-5829/5837/5860/6191/6192/6196/6198, United States v. Miller, et al. conspiracy and did not participate in it. Even if DeJesus did not take part in purchasing cocaine in Georgia and Florida, for instance, the jury could infer he knew of the conspiracy from his presence in Tennessee in 2003 or 2004 and from his continued contact and drug deals with Maddox. That DeJesus subsequently connected Maddox with New York suppliers, and supplied cocaine and helped Maddox cook it into crack cocaine himself, shows DeJesus participated in the conspiracy, as well. As a result, his convictions were supported by sufficient evidence.