Opinion ID: 506212
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Goff

Text: 136 Goff asks this Court to find that his convictions under counts 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 20, and 21 are barred by the Double Jeopardy Clause inasmuch as they all were committed as aspects of a single conspiracy. We have found that the Tye and Granbury episodes constitute a single, on-going conspiracy and that the government must, on remand, choose which set of conspiracy counts [9 and 11, or 14 and 20] is to be dismissed. Goff argues that the substantive and aiding and abetting counts relating to this on-going conspiracy must also be dismissed. It is well established that conspiracy to commit a crime and the crime itself are separate punishable offenses. Periera v. United States, 347 U.S. 1, 74 S.Ct. 358, 364, 98 L.Ed. 435 (1954); Nichols, 741 F.2d at 772-73. It is also well established that conspiracy and aiding and abetting are separate punishable offenses. United States v. Cowart, 595 F.2d 1023, 1031, 1033 (5th Cir.1979); United States v. Krol, 374 F.2d 776, 778-79 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 389 U.S. 835, 88 S.Ct. 46, 19 L.Ed.2d 97 (1967). Counts 10, 12, 15, 17, and 21 do not implicate the Double Jeopardy Clause. 137 Next, Goff urges that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his convictions under the Tye and Granbury counts charging conspiracy and aiding and abetting, namely, counts 9 and 14 (conspiracy to import), counts 11 and 20 (conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute), and counts 12 and 15 (aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute and importation). He argues that there was no evidence that he committed these offenses [b]eyond flying an airplane containing contraband or landing an airplane containing contraband. This highly significant evidence does not stand alone. 138 There was testimony that Goff had discussed the Tye venture with Drewes and others and that Goff and Drewes had told the owner of the hangar that they had stored the Tye load of marihuana there. Further, Goff arranged to have a long range fuel system installed in Barrington's Titan that was later flown to Belize for the Granbury trip and Goff used a debugger to check the Titan for a suspected beeper in December, 1984. Goff, along with Drewes and Barrington, said that they could not find some of the marihuana bags kicked out near Pecos in connection with the Granbury episode. It was shown that Goff was one of those at the January 1985 meeting discussing the Granbury load and expressing puzzlement as to how the Tye load had been taken off. 139 We find overwhelming evidence to uphold the jury's findings that Goff was guilty of the offenses charged in counts 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, and 20. 41