Opinion ID: 597179
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Foreseeability to Each Defendant

Text: 41 Alexander, Jones and George Roberts contend the district court inaccurately determined the quantity of drugs foreseeable by them in the course of the conspiracy. Alexander argues the Government's evidence merely showed he was present with Michael Roberts at Volner's home in January of 1985, when Kannaday delivered money to Robert Henry in El Paso, and when Henry delivered marijuana to Kannaday in New Mexico in 1987 or 1988. Kannaday understood Alexander was no longer involved with Roberts' organization in 1988, although Alexander was arrested with Michael Roberts in St. Louis in December of 1990. In addition to these facts, however, the evidence also showed that in 1985, Alexander, while armed, accompanied Michael Roberts to collect a payment from Volner and on at least two occasions when marijuana was brought to Volner. In a recorded telephone conversation, Michael Roberts told Volner that he would send Rodney to Leeper's to collect a payment. Alexander also received money from Kannaday in Michael Roberts' name. Faced with this evidence, the district court did not clearly err in finding the entire quantity of drugs, as determined on remand, to be foreseeable to Alexander. 42 Jones argues that his involvement in the conspiracy began, at the earliest, in July of 1989 and no evidence exists to establish the foreseeability to him of quantities of marijuana delivered prior to that date. Nevertheless, once he began his involvement, he transported large sums of money from Volner to Michael Roberts and thus reasonably could have foreseen that large quantities were delivered prior to his entry into the conspiracy. Further, he is Alexander's step-father, and the evidence suggests they shared a residence. As with Alexander, the district court did not err in finding Jones responsible for the entire quantity of drugs, as that quantity may be redetermined on remand. 43 George Roberts argues he is accountable only for the marijuana distributed from the time of his entry into the conspiracy sometime in 1987 until his arrest on April 28, 1988. Volner could not establish clearly either the dates of the deliveries or the quantities delivered during this period. Roberts contends that for sentencing purposes, the district court should have considered only the 300 pounds of marijuana Volner testified he received in April of 1988 and the 321 pounds seized after George Roberts' arrest, or a total of 282 kilograms. The Government argues that George Roberts was accountable for at least 2,700 pounds of marijuana he delivered to Volner in addition to the 321 pounds seized subsequent to his arrest, or 3,021 pounds (1,373 kilograms). The district court held Roberts accountable for 5,000 pounds, but failed to explain the basis of its finding. Because we are thus unable to decide whether this finding was supportable, we remand for a redetermination of the quantity of drugs foreseeable to George Roberts.