Opinion ID: 202945
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Improper Statements by Prosecution Witnesses

Text: Villanueva-Rivera argues that his conviction should be reversed because prosecution witnesses made repeated references to a larger, and very violent organization, despite the limited scope of the charged conspiracy. Since there was no defense objection to these statements on the specific basis that Villanueva-Rivera raises on appeal, [8] we review only for plain error. See United States v. Figueroa, 976 F.2d 1446, 1453 (1st Cir.1992). All of the statements relied on by Villanueva-Rivera merely provided background information about the investigation. Almost any large drug trial will have references to gangs and violent activities. Since none of the statements connected Villanueva-Rivera to this activity, [9] we find no plain error.