Opinion ID: 171619
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Sales outside the conspiracy time-frame

Text: The government also introduced two engine sales outside the charged conspiracy time-frame, one to Ms. Pryce-Jones in 1999 and one to Mr. Peters in 1998. Pryce-Jones contacted Parker in 1999 about an advertisement for an airplane engine in Trade-A-Plane, and she and her husband arranged to purchase the engine. Parker claimed he had overhauled this engine for his own plane, but after deciding to upgrade the horsepower, he could sell the recently overhauled engine. When Pryce-Jones inspected the engine in person, the exterior looked great and everything appeared to be very good. R. Vol., IV at 694. The certified engine came with a logbook indicating it was overhauled in accordance with the manufacturers's instructions. The Pryce-Joneses purchased the engine for $32,000. However, they later discovered multiple problems, including a cracked crankcase, substantial oil leaks, five cracked cylinders, and worn out connecting rods and bushings. Not surprisingly, the engine was not safe for flight. The engine purchased by Peters involved similar circumstances. Parker advertised the engine in Trade-A-Plane. Parker explained the engine was recently overhauled and just lying around his shop. However, after purchase, an independent mechanic examined the engine and discovered major problems, such as incorrect bolts inside the engine. Upon reviewing this evidence, we conclude the district court did not commit plain error in admitting the evidence of Parker's engine sales before the charged conspiracy. Both transactions satisfy the four-part Huddleston test. First, the government offered Pryce-Jones's testimony for a proper purpose under Rule 404(b) to address Parker's intent and knowledge both of which Parker disputed at trial. According to Parker, he was merely an innocent seller of overhauled engines, and all the blame rests on the mechanical work performed by others. But the Pryce-Jones engine sale shows that even when Parker sold an engine overhauled by someone other than Good Aviation, the result was the same: a deficient engine that appeared new on the outside, including a clean logbook, but was not airworthy. Also, Parker requested, and the court gave, a Rule 404(b) cautionary instruction for Ms. Pryce-Jones's testimony. Second, the government offered the Peters transaction for a proper purpose, and to show Parker's knowledge of the nature and quality of Good Aviation's repair work. This testimony demonstrated Parker's knowledge of the Goods' inadequate repair work and his desire to profit from the sale of shoddy engines. In fact, when challenged with a complaint letter sent to Trade-A-Plane, Parker responded with a highly pertinent letter, blaming Good Aviation for poor engine repairs. In sum, Parker fails to demonstrate how either engine sale outside the conspiracy time-frame lacked relevance or would have been unduly prejudicial. United States v. Cuch, 842 F.2d 1173, 1176 (10th Cir.1988) (It is well settled that the rule is one of inclusion which admits evidence of other crimes relevant to an issue in a trial, unless the evidence is introduced for an impermissible purpose or undue prejudice is shown.). While we conclude the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the evidence, any possible error would plainly be harmless. A harmless error is one that does not have a substantial influence on the outcome of the trial; nor does it leave one in grave doubt as to whether it had such effect. United States v. Resendiz-Patino, 420 F.3d 1177, 1181 (10th Cir. 2005). Parker does not persuade us the admitted evidence had a substantial influence, or was so influential that we should doubt the jury's verdict. The district court committed no error, but even if it did, the error would have been harmless.
Parker next challenges the sufficiency of the evidence for his conviction on each of five counts. We review sufficiency of the evidence de novo. United States v. Voss, 82 F.3d 1521, 1524-25 (10th Cir.1996). In so doing, we view[ ] the evidence in the light most favorable to the government asking whether any rational trier of fact could have found the defendant guilty of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Wood, 207 F.3d 1222, 1228 (10th Cir.2000) (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979)). When conducting this review, we do not weigh conflicting evidence or consider witness credibility, as that duty is delegated exclusively to the jury. United States v. Hien Van Tieu, 279 F.3d 917, 921 (10th Cir.2002). We also do not review the evidence in bits and pieces, but we evaluate the sufficiency of the evidence by consider[ing] the collective inferences to be drawn from the evidence as a whole. United States v. Hooks, 780 F.2d 1526, 1532 (10th Cir.1986). We will only overturn a guilty verdict on sufficiency grounds if no reasonable juror could have reached such a verdict on the evidence presented. United States v. Shepard, 396 F.3d 1116, 1119 (10th Cir. 2005).