Opinion ID: 531294
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Aiding and Abetting Count

Text: 28 To prove aiding and abetting, the Government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant (1) associated himself with the crime, (2) intended to bring it about, and (3) sought by his actions to make it succeed. United States v. Broadwell, 870 F.2d 594, 608 (11th Cir.1989). 17 To prove a charge of aiding and abetting possession of drugs with intent to distribute, the Government must connect the defendant to both aspects of the crime: possession and intent to distribute. United States v. Pantoja-Soto, 739 F.2d 1520, 1525 (11th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1008, 105 S.Ct. 1369, 84 L.Ed.2d 389 (1985). 29 We find the evidence on this count to be even weaker than that on the conspiracy charge. There simply is no evidence, reasonably construed in the Government's favor, that Kelly ever did anything to assist Figueroa's possession of the third kilogram of cocaine, or to participate in any plan by Figueroa to distribute it. Cf. Pantoja-Soto, 739 F.2d at 1524-27 (evidence insufficient to establish aiding and abetting even though defendants were present at the scene of the drug transaction and ran from police); cf. also Pareja, 876 F.2d at 1568-70 (evidence sufficient to support conviction for aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute where defendant acted as lookout and carried telephone beeper device used by codefendant in drug deals); United States v. Collins, 779 F.2d 1520, 1528-31 (11th Cir.1986) (same as to convictions for aiding and abetting possession with intent to import marijuana where defendants helped arrange transportation). 30 The evidence does indicate that Kelly counseled Figueroa against transferring the cocaine to Restrepo. But as we noted in discussing the conspiracy count, we cannot accept the Catch-22 theory that Kelly, by refusing to aid or abet the transfer of the cocaine out of Figueroa's possession (as the Government's sting operation intended), thereby criminally aided and abetted Figueroa's continued possession. The evidence not only fails to disprove the reasonable and innocent explanation offered by Kelly--that he was simply advising a client against further unwise and illegal activity 18 --but wholly fails to provide any basis other than conjecture for a finding of criminal intent with regard to either the possession or intent-to-distribute aspects of the principal crime. 19