Opinion ID: 317126
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of Evidence to Prove Conspiracy Count

Text: 8 Defendants contend that the evidence was insufficient to support the jury verdict convicting them on the conspiracy count. 9 At the outset of section I of our opinion in the Group I appeals, United States v. Baxter, et al., 492 F.2d 150 (9th Cir. 1973), filed today, we discussed the general considerations to be borne in mind in dealing with challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence to support conspiracy charges. What we there said is equally applicable here and is to be considered as introductory to the following review of the evidence pertaining to Mickens and Wagner. 10 Under the evidence considered in the light most favorable to the Government, the jury could reasonably have found the background facts pertaining to the Hernandez narcotics operation to be substantially as described in our opinion in the Group I appeals. With particular reference to defendants Mickens and Wagner, the jury could reasonably have found the facts to be as set out below. 11 One of the pages in the Hernandez 'customer book' was headed 'Tom-- Robert Jones.' The customer was 'Tom.' 'Robert Jones' was the name used by this customer in sending a cashier's check or money order. This person could be contacted at telephone number 296-5906. The page also included two other telephone numbers, 294-7359 and 291-6842. The only typing on this page reads as follows: 12 'Tom-- Robert Jones '294-7359 IYE-DMOY' 13 Telephone number 294-7359 was the number of Robbie Berry, residing at Apartment 14, 3959 Gibraltar Avenue, Los Angeles. Mickens also had an apartment at 3959 Gibraltar. In early October, 1968, Mickens asked Robbie Berry if he could use her telephone for incoming calls. She granted his request. He received these calls under the name of 'Tom,' and was the only one who used that telephone under the name of 'Tom.' Mickens would utilize a notebook as he talked on the telephone during these calls, jotting down whatever he wished to record concerning the call. 14 Mickens received three 'Tom' calls on this telephone in October. The first of thse was in mid-October, the second about the third week of October, and the third about October 30th. The Hernandez 'customer book' shows that 'Tom' was debited for seven ounces of heroin on October 19th and eight ounces on October 30th, for a total sales price of $4,875. Mickens was arrested on December 8, 1968. At the location of his arrest, a Customs agent found a notebook containing various telephone numbers, including 294-7359. 15 On January 22, 1969, Mickens knocked on Robbie Berry's apartment door. Bobby Sanders, a visitor, opened the door and told Mickens Miss Berry was not there. Mickens pushed Sanders out of the way and walked into the bedroom, where he found Miss Berry. Mickens swore at her and said: 16 'You turned me over to the people, the customs agency and the police, and for something that I didn't have anything to do with and you will be turned over to the syndicate.' 17 Miss Berry told Mickens that she was going to call the police. However, he pushed and slapped her, and took the telephone away from her. 18 There was other testimony connecting Mickens to telephone number 291-6778, which was that of Mrs. Mickens prior to her marriage. Three long-distance telephone calls were made from this number to the Hernandez residence in Tijuana, Mexico, on November 25, 1968. This Hernandez number was at that time being used by Richard Wright in his narcotics work for the Hernandezes. The Hernandez 'customer book' shows that a debit for five ounces of narcotics was entered for 'Tom' on Novemver 23rd and that the sum of two thousand one hundred dollars was credited to 'Tom's' account on November 28. 19 One of the telephone numbers listed on the 'Tom-- Robert Jones' page of the 'customer book' was 296-5906. This was the number of Frank and Constance Wilson, Apartment 19, 3919 Ursula, Los Angeles. In August or September, 1968, codefendant Wagner obtained Mrs. Wilson's permission to receive calls over this telephone. Upon at least four occasions calls came in for 'Tom,' and Mrs. Wilson would contact Wagner and have him come to the telephone. 20 Wagner had his own telephone at the time, located in his apartment, which was Apartment 18 at 3919 Ursula. Wagner was the apartment house manager. Mrs. Wilson came home on one occasion and found her telephone in Wagner's apartment, the long extension cord passing through the entrance of both apartments. Wagner later admitted to Mrs. Wilson that he had made a call to Tijuana over her telephone, and he offered to pay the rent on the Wilson apartment. Mickens would sometimes visit Wagner's apartment. 21 The 'Tom-- Robert Jones' page in the 'customer book' also contained the telephone number 291-6842, which had been lined out. This number was listed to 'Robt Wagner,' 3919 Ursula, Apartment 18, Los Angeles. In late November, this number was changed to 291-4101. Records for these numbers show a total of thirty-one long distance calls to 386-2075 in Tijuana. This was one of the two telephones utilized by Richard Wright in his Hernandez narcotics work. 22 Two of the Tijuana calls occurred on November 28, and another on November 29. 'Tom' was debited in the 'customer book' with seven ounces of narcotics on November 29. The next Tijuana call from the 'Robt Wagner' telephone occurred December 2, and the next 'Tom' entry in the Customer book' is December 3, for seven ounces of narcotics. 23 Wagner was arrested on April 8, 1969. At this time there was discovered in his apartment money order receipts showing that 'Robert Jones' sent a total of four thousand nine hundred dollars to Robert Hernandez in Tijuana. Two of these show a total of three thousand three hundred dollars sent on November 12, 1968. The 'Tom-- Robert Jones' page in the 'customer book' shows that this payment was credited to 'Tom's' account on November 13, involving a November 11 purchase of ten ounces of heroin for three thousand two hundred fifty dollars. There was also found in the Wagner apartment at this time, a bag containing rubber balloons. There was a small amount of heroin residue upon the outer surface of some of the balloons. Rubber balloons are utilized for the storage and sale of heroin and cocaine. 24 By use of expert testimony and handwriting exemplars by Wagner, it was established that, using the name 'Robert Jones,' he applied for money orders sent to Robert Hernandez, in Tijuana, as follows: 25 $1,625 March 2, 1968 26 $1,000 March 17, 1968 27 $1,625 June 18, 1968 28 The background evidence pertaining to the Hernandez narcotics conspiracy was essentially the same in all four of the trials which resulted in the four appeals being disposed of today. Having in view this background evidence, as summarized at the outset of our opinion in the Group I appeals, and that which relates specifically to Mickens and Wagner as reviewed above, we believe the jury could reasonably find that Mickens and Wagner must have known that other retailers, in addition to themselves, were involved with the Hernandez organization in a broad project for the smuggling, distribution and retail sale of narcotics. As we have likewise concluded in the Group I, II and III appeals with respect to other defendants, the jury could also reasonably find that Mickens and Wagner must have realized that the benefits they and other retailers derived from the operation were dependent upon their mutual participation therein. 29 These basic findings, as we have said in the other Hernandez opinions being filed today, are ample to support the jury determination that Mickens and Wagner, in effect, agreed to participate in the single, over-all scheme, and did participate therein. See Blumenthal v. United States, 332 U.S. 539, 557, 558, 68 S.Ct. 248, 92 L.Ed. 154 (1947); United States v. Friedman, 445 F.2d 1076, 1080 (9th Cir. 1971); Daily v. United States, 282 F.2d 818, 820 (9th Cir. 1960). 30