Opinion ID: 3001340
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Conversations Between Sowers and Schalk

Text: Schalk presents the same arguments as above in his contention that the taped conversations between Sowers and Schalk were improperly admitted. During those conversations, Schalk sought to further the conspiracy in several ways: (1) Sowers paid Schalk for drugs he had already received; (2) they discussed debts owed by Sowers for drugs fronted by Schalk; (3) they discussed traveling “up” because Schalk had “some put away,” to which Sowers declined to make the trip for such a small quantity of drugs; and (4) they explicitly discussed the three-page contents of the drug ledger kept by Schalk and the need for accuracy of those numbers. These were all discussions to keep the drug trafficking operation afloat. The district court did not abuse its discretion by allowing the recorded conversations between Sowers and Schalk into evidence.