Opinion ID: 35418
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Taylor argues that the district court erred by denying his motion for judgment of acquittal. According to Taylor, the government’s evidence was insufficient to show (1) that he knew the items were firearm silencers and intended for them to be firearm silencers and (2) that the supposed firearm silencers were “in or could readily have been put in operating condition.” Since Taylor preserved his challenge to the sufficiency of the government’s evidence, we review de novo the district court’s denial of his motion for judgment of acquittal. United States v. Carbajal, 290 F.3d 277, 289 (5th Cir. 2002). The question is whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the government, a rational jury could conclude that the government proved all elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. We conclude that the government’s evidence was sufficient to show that Taylor knew that the items in his possession were firearm silencers and that he intended for them to be silencers. Taylor argues that, because he is an experienced mechanic, if he intended for the items to be silencers, they would have worked. Yet, Taylor conceded that he had possessed silencers in the past 4 and that he had been interested in building silencers. Furthermore, Taylor signed a confession admitting that he was trying to make silencers with the help of a book entitled “How to Build Practical Firearms Suppressors: an Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide.” Agent Houde testified that the silencers found in Taylor’s possession were “very consistent” with the silencers illustrated in the how-to book. Finally, one of the silencers was found attached to a firearm. Thus, the evidence supports the jury’s determination that Taylor knew and intended for the items found in his shop to be silencers or silencer parts. The jury instructions also required the government to prove that the silencers were “in or could readily have been put in operating condition.” Taylor argues that there is no evidence that the silencers actually worked. Indeed, Agent Alfred Houde, who examined the items found in Taylor’s shop, testified that he was unable to determine whether the silencers were functional because “on each selected sample they blew off the gun and blew down range or came apart after the initial shot.” But, contrary to Taylor’s assertion, the government did not have to prove that the silencers were in operating condition; it merely needed to prove that they could readily have been put into operating condition. And the evidence is sufficient to support this conclusion. Agent Houde testified that the silencers were “in or could readily have been put in operating condition.” According to Agent Houde, many of the silencers were “very consistent” with 5 those described in Taylor’s how-to book. Furthermore, Agent Houde opined that, if properly made, the silencers illustrated in the how-to book would work. Agent Houde explained that affixing the silencers to the firearms, with tape or bondo, would have helped the silencers stay on the firearms. Given all this, as well as Taylor’s mechanical ability, the jury could have concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that Taylor could readily have put the silencers into operating condition.