Opinion ID: 612140
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Raymond Huckelby

Text: Sufficiency of the Evidence 28 Huckelby contends that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support his conviction for conspiracy to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute the drug (21 U.S.C. § 846); as well as on nine counts of possession of cocaine, or aiding and abetting the possession of cocaine, with the intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2). 29 The standard of review for claims of insufficient evidence is whether, after reviewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Evans, 883 F.2d 496, 501 (6th Cir.1989) (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979)) (emphasis in original). 30 In order to obtain a conviction pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 846, the government must prove the existence of an agreement to violate the drug laws and that each conspirator knew of, intended to join and participated in the conspiracy. United States v. Pearce, 912 F.2d 159, 161 (6th Cir.1990) (quoting United States v. Stanley, 765 F.2d 1224, 1237 (5th Cir.1985)). No formal or express agreement is necessary to establish a conspiracy under § 846. United States v. Hughes, 891 F.2d 597, 601 (6th Cir.1989). [A] tacit or mutual understanding among the parties is enough. Id. 31 The essential elements of a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) are for any person knowingly or intentionally to ... possess with intent to ... distribute ... a controlled substance. See United States v. Pope, 561 F.2d 663, 669 (6th Cir.1977). To be found guilty of the crime of aiding and abetting a criminal venture [18 U.S.C. § 2], a defendant must associate himself with the venture in a manner whereby he participates in it as something that he wishes to bring about and seeks by his acts to make succeed. United States v. Knox, 839 F.2d 285, 294 (6th Cir.1988). 32 At trial, Jerry Parks testified that in September of 1988, defendant Robert Murr introduced him to a number of individuals for the distribution of cocaine in [Murr's] network. The first person that Parks met through Murr was Huckelby. Parks and Murr went to Huckelby's jewelry store in Knoxville, Tennessee, where they were taken into a back room to meet with him. While in the rear of the store, Murr asked Parks whether he and Huckelby would ha[ve] any problem dealing with each other. Parks replied in the negative. Murr then told Huckelby who [Parks] was and how long he'd known [him] and asked if he had any problem dealing with [Parks.] Id. Huckelby said that he did not. Afterwards, Huckelby and Parks exchanged telephone numbers, beeper numbers and codes. Murr informed Parks that he would be delivering ten ounces of cocaine at a time to Huckelby at a price of $1,000 an ounce. Parks testified that, after this initial introduction, he regularly provided ten-ounce quantities of cocaine to Huckelby and received cash in return. The drugs were obtained by Murr and his associates by way of Kentucky, and were transported to co-defendant Diane Whited's residence in Knoxville for storage. 33 Parks' testimony was corroborated by information contained in one of the books seized from his residence when he was arrested for burglary in May of 1989. Parks confirmed that the book contained records of drug transactions that took place between April 10, 1989 and May 21, 1989. He had kept similar records before that time, but Murr told him to destroy them as soon as the drugs were paid for and out of our possession. According to Parks, ledger entries indicated that, on May 15, 1989, ten ounces of cocaine were distributed to Huckelby, who was referred to in the book as Huck. 34 In addition, an address book taken from Parks' residence listed Huckelby's home, office, and beeper telephone numbers. Parks testified that he did, in fact, contact Huckelby by telephone between August 1988 and May 1989 regarding cocaine purchases. To buttress his testimony, the government introduced telephone records showing that, from August through November of 1988, as well from February through May of 1989, calls were placed on Murr-related telephones to Huckelby's office and beeper numbers. During the same periods, calls were made from Murr-related telephones to several of Huckelby's co-defendants. 35 Huckelby's conversation in the back of his jewelry store with Parks and Murr gave rise to the inference that he was well aware he was obtaining cocaine as part of a group venture. It demonstrated that he was not simply a street buyer engaging in a discrete transaction, but that he knew he was involved in an ongoing conspiracy of some dimension. That Murr told Parks that Huckelby was part of his drug distribution network, and the fact that Parks delivered significant quantities of cocaine to Huckelby at regular intervals, suggested that Huckelby indeed had such an understanding. See United States v. Baker, 905 F.2d 1100, 1106 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 876, 111 S.Ct. 206, 112 L.Ed.2d 167 (1990) (holding that, while mere buyer/seller relationship alone does not support conspiracy conviction, evidence of repeat purchases or some other enduring arrangement that implies knowledge of the scope of the conspiracy may suffice). His telephone records, as well as Parks' books, provided additional proof that Huckelby was caught up in the affairs of the charged conspiracy. 36 While some of this evidence was circumstantial in nature, even circumstantial evidence standing alone may sustain a conviction so long as the totality of the evidence was substantial enough to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. See United States v. Green, 548 F.2d 1261, 1266 (6th Cir.1977). We are satisfied that this standard was met and find there was sufficient evidence that Huckelby knew of, intended to join, and participated in the conspiracy. 1 He therefore assumed responsibility for every act committed to further its objectives which was reasonably foreseeable. See United States v. Martin, 920 F.2d 345, 348 (6th Cir.1990). 37 With regard to Huckelby's violations of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C. § 2, Parks described how he, Murr, and defendant Tommy McKeehan travelled to Kentucky every few weeks from September 1988 through May 1989 (the time frame of the counts upon which Huckelby was found guilty) to purchase cocaine from defendants Kenneth Lawson and Victor Rojas. Parks told the jury that the drugs sold to Huckelby were procured during these trips. The entries in Parks' books were consistent with his account of Huckelby's culpability, as were Huckelby's telephone records. Accordingly, the government showed that Huckelby, as a marketer of cocaine, associate[d] himself with the drug distribution ring and [sought] by his acts to make it succeed. Knox, 839 F.2d at 294. 38 Huckelby nonetheless calls our attention to Parks' psychiatric history and his role as a government informant, apparently in an attempt to have us reassess his credibility. This we will not do. Credibility determinations are the province of the trier of fact, and are not to be disturbed on appeal when considering the sufficiency of the evidence underlying a defendant's conviction. Parks' alleged deficiencies as a witness were amply explored in the course of cross-examination.