Opinion ID: 202871
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Rivera-Hernández first challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction of money laundering. On challenges to sufficiency of the evidence, we take all the evidence and inferences in the light most favorable to the verdict and ask whether a rational factfinder could find, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the prosecution successfully proved the essential elements of the crime. Castellini, 392 F.3d at 44 (citing Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979)). To sustain the money-laundering conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 1957(a), the Government must show that Rivera-Hernández (1) knowingly engaged or attempted to engage in a monetary transaction (2) in criminally derived property (3) of a value greater than $10,000, and (4) derived from specified unlawful activity. However, [i]n a prosecution for an offense under this section, the Government is not required to prove the defendant knew that the offense from which the criminally derived property was derived was specified unlawful activity. Id. § 1957(c). Rivera-Hernández argues that the Government failed to prove that the laundered money derived from specified unlawful activity, in this case, extortion under the color of official right. Rivera-Hernández contends that the only evidence introduced in support of extortion was the inconsistent[ ], inherent[ly] unrealiable[ ], and insufficien[t] testimony of two cooperating witnesses. Appellant's Br. 19. Rivera-Hernández points out that the jury acquitted him of the extortion charge, and argues that although that acquittal does not automatically bar the money-laundering conviction, it serves as evidence that the Government failed to prove that the laundered money derived from specified unlawful activity beyond a reasonable doubt. The main problem with Rivera-Hernández's argument is that it does not actually test the sufficiency of the evidence the Government introduced in support of the extortion charge. Rivera-Hernández's first argument that the Government's evidence was insufficient because it was not credible is essentially irrelevant on appeal. In reviewing a sufficiency of the evidence claim, we view all of the evidence in the light most favorable to the Government. See Castellini, 392 F.3d at 44. Thus, as long as there was sufficient admissible evidence to support all of the elements of the crime charged, we will affirm the conviction. The second argument Rivera-Hernández advances is equally unhelpful. This circuit has specifically upheld money-laundering convictions in cases where there is an actual acquittal of the underlying predicate offense. For example, in United States v. Richard, we noted that the fact that the jury did not convict [the] defendant on the relevant underlying charges does not undermine the money-laundering convictions. The only relevant question when reconciling inconsistent verdicts is whether there was enough evidence presented to support the conviction. 234 F.3d 763, 768 (1st Cir.2000) (quoting United States v. Whatley, 133 F.3d 601, 605-06 (8th Cir.1998) (internal quotation marks and alterations omitted)); accord United States v. Acosta, 67 F.3d 334, 339 (1st Cir.1995) (A jury in a criminal case is not obliged to be consistent in its verdicts; on virtually the same evidence the jury may acquit on one count and convict on the other. (citing United States v. Powell, 469 U.S. 57, 65, 105 S.Ct. 471, 83 L.Ed.2d 461 (1984))). [2] We think the Government introduced sufficient evidence to support the jury's conclusion that the laundered money was obtained through extortion. To establish extortion under color of official right under 18 U.S.C. § 1951, the Government must show that the defendant, a public official, has received a payment that he was not entitled to receive, with knowledge that the payment was tendered in exchange for some official act. Evans v. United States, 504 U.S. 255, 268, 112 S.Ct. 1881, 119 L.Ed.2d 57 (1992); United States v. Cruzado-Laureano, 404 F.3d 470, 481 (1st Cir. 2005). To that end, the Government presented testimony that Rivera-Hernández was the Administrator of the AIJ, a public office, at the time he received money from Cobián. With respect to the receipt of payment to which he was not entitled, the Government introduced testimonial and documentary evidence that Cobián paid Rivera-Hernández close to $100,000 to secure the contract with CSC through the exchange of fraudulent invoices for payment. Finally, the Government introduced evidence that Rivera-Hernández knew that the payment was tendered in exchange for some official act in the form of testimony that Rivera-Hernández met with Cobián to discuss the subcontract for the Salinas project, and that in response to Cobián's interest in working on the project, Rivera-Hernández responded, It's going to cost you. The Government also submitted evidence that based on Cobián's past experience working with public officials in Puerto Rico, the statement meant he would have to pay Rivera-Hernández to get the contract. Moreover, there was testimonial and documentary evidence that in an effort to cover up the payments, Rivera-Hernández devised a scheme to filter the funds though his father's company using fraudulent invoices, and that over the course of many months, Rivera-Díaz prepared false invoices on behalf of Multi-Equipment to be submitted to Ingenieros & Proyectistas at Rivera-Hernández's request. There was also evidence that Rivera-Hernández excluded the receipt of that money from the AIJ ethics report. Taken as a whole, this evidence suffices to support the jury's conclusion that Rivera-Hernández, a public official, received payments that he was not entitled to receive, with knowledge that the payment was tendered in exchange for some official act. See United States v. Cruz-Arroyo, 461 F.3d 69, 74 (1st Cir.2006) (Since a plausible view of the evidence supports a finding that the appellant accepted the money . . . in exchange for official acts, the proposition that the government failed to establish extortion under color of official right necessarily fails.).