Opinion ID: 440528
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence to Sustain the Convictions of Appellants Tortoriello and Sarro

Text: 42 Appellants, James Tortoriello, Jr. and Robert Sarro, contend, among other things, that the government failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they conspired to transport two stolen paintings worth $5,000 or more in interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 371 (West 1966) and 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2314 (West 1970). Tortoriello and Sarro, therefore, argue that the district court erred in denying their motions for judgment of acquittal. 43 In reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a criminal conviction, the standard of review is whether a reasonable trier of fact could find that the evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Bell, 678 F.2d 547, 549 (5th Cir. Unit B 1982) (en banc), aff'd on other grounds, 462 U.S. 356, 103 S.Ct. 2398, 76 L.Ed.2d 638 (1983). In assessing the sufficiency of the evidence, we must view the evidence together with all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the government. Glasser v. United States, 315 U.S. 60, 62 S.Ct. 457, 86 L.Ed. 680 (1942). 44 A conviction must be reversed if a reasonable jury must necessarily entertain a reasonable doubt as to the defendant's guilt. United States v. Marx, 635 F.2d 436, 438 (5th Cir.1981). Furthermore, the former Fifth Circuit has held that: 45 It is not necessary that the evidence exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence or be wholly inconsistent with every conclusion except that of guilt, provided a reasonable trier of fact could find that the evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. [Footnote omitted.] A jury is free to choose among reasonable constructions of the evidence. 46 United States v. Bell, 678 F.2d at 549. We, therefore, must decide whether a reasonable trier of fact could find that the evidence establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that Sarro and Tortoriello conspired to violate 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2314 (West 1970). 47 The law of conspiracy protects society from the dangers of concerted criminal activity and identifies the agreement to engage in a criminal venture as an event of sufficient threat to social order to permit the imposition of criminal sanctions for the agreement alone, plus an overt act in pursuit of it. United States v. Feola, 420 U.S. 671, 693-94, 95 S.Ct. 1255, 1268-1269, 43 L.Ed.2d 541 (1975); United States v. Beil, 577 F.2d 1313 (5th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 946, 99 S.Ct. 1422, 59 L.Ed.2d 634 (1979). 48 A conspiracy and the related substantive offense which is the object of the conspiracy are separate and distinct crimes. United States v. Romeros, 600 F.2d 1104 (5th Cir.1979), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 1077, 100 S.Ct. 1025, 62 L.Ed.2d 759 (1980). Moreover, an illegal conspiracy is complete regardless of whether the crime agreed upon is actually consummated. United States v. Feola, 420 U.S. at 693-94, 95 S.Ct. at 1268-1269. 49 Thus, the fact that Sarro and Tortoriello did not actually transport stolen paintings worth $5,000 or more in interstate or foreign commerce does not free them from the penalty of their illegal conspiracy to do so. 50 To support a conviction of conspiracy, the government must prove an agreement to commit an unlawful act and an overt act by one of the conspirators in furtherance of the conspiracy. United States v. Tombrello, 666 F.2d 485, 490 (11th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 994, 102 S.Ct. 2279, 73 L.Ed.2d 1291 (1982); United States v. Wieschenberg, 604 F.2d 326 (5th Cir.1979). 51 Title 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 2314 (West 1970) provides, in pertinent part: Whoever transports in interstate or foreign commerce any goods, wares, merchandise, securities or money, of the value of $5,000 or more, knowing the same to have been stolen, converted or taken by fraud ... shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years or both. 52 Title 18 U.S.C.A. Sec. 371 (West 1966) provides, in pertinent part: 53 If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States ... and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. 54 We must sustain the convictions of appellants, Sarro and Tortoriello, if a reasonable trier of fact could find that the evidence presented at trial establishes appellants' guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Bell, 678 F.2d 547, 549 (5th Cir. Unit B 1982) (en banc), aff'd on other grounds, 462 U.S. 356, 103 S.Ct. 2398, 76 L.Ed.2d 638 (1983). 55 The evidence in this case, viewed in the light most favorable to the government, supports the convictions of Sarro and Tortoriello. On July 29, 1982, Shapiro informed Agents Brown and Hanlon that he had two paintings by the artist, Rubens, which were stolen from a south Florida residence and which were available for sale at $1 million each. In response, Agent Hanlon told Shapiro that he knew people in Central and South America with large amounts of money who were looking for places to invest their money. On July 30, 1982, Shapiro told Agents Brown and Hanlon that he had arranged for the agents to meet with the people who had actually stolen the paintings. 56 At the appointed time, the agents went to the River Watch Lounge where they met Shapiro. Shapiro then introduced the agents to Mark Tortoriello and appellants, James Tortoriello and Robert Sarro. Mark Tortoriello handed Agent Hanlon a bag which contained two paintings wrapped in a towel. 57 After examining the paintings, Agents Hanlon and Brown told James Tortoriello and Sarro that the agents could obtain a buyer for the paintings if they were authentic. James Tortoriello informed the agents that the paintings were worth $1 million each and that they had been stolen from the Whitney home in Palm Beach County approximately two years earlier. 58 James Tortoriello further stated that since the time of the theft, the paintings were in his possession and during that time he had researched their approximate value and titles. He told the agents the titles of the paintings. The parties present set another meeting for August 1, 1982, at the Airport Holiday Inn in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 59 As scheduled on August 1, 1982, the agents met with Shapiro. During this meeting, the parties discussed authentication of the paintings and Agent Hanlon informed Shapiro that his art expert would be available to look at the paintings on August 4, 1982, in Hartford, Connecticut. Shapiro told the agents that he would have to contact his group about these arrangements and that he would get back to them later. 60 During the time that elapsed between August 1, 1982, and August 4, 1982, the plans for the authentication to take place in both New York and Connecticut fell through, and Agent Hanlon arranged for Agent McShane, working undercover as an art expert, to examine the paintings in Florida. 61 On August 4, 1982, Agent McShane, working under cover as an art expert, met Shapiro in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Agent McShane then returned to his hotel room. Shortly thereafter, Shapiro and appellant, Tiedeberg, went to McShane's hotel room and were invited inside. 62 After entering, Tiedeberg searched Agent McShane and then searched his room. Shapiro left the room and returned shortly with a bag which contained the paintings. Sarro accompanied Shapiro. 63 Agent McShane examined the paintings in his hotel room. Present during the examination were Shapiro, Sarro, and Tiedeberg. At the end of the examination, Agent McShane asked if the paintings were hot paintings, and Shapiro stated that they were out for two years. Sarro interrupted that they had been out for seven years. Tiedeberg did not contribute to this conversation. During this conversation, Agent McShane stated that the paintings would have to be taken to New Jersey and eventually would be going to a customer in Central America. 64 Later that day, Agent McShane and appellant, Tortoriello, agreed to meet in the hotel lounge to further discuss acquisition of the paintings. They specifically discussed that the paintings were $1 million each, and appellant, Tortoriello, agreed that the money exchange could take place in New York. Tortoriello added that although Sarro, Tiedeberg, and Shapiro were his men, McShane would be dealing directly with him concerning the money for the paintings. 65 Given this extensive involvement on the part of appellants, James Tortoriello and Robert Sarro, it is clear that they conspired to transport in interstate commerce two Rubens paintings of a value of $5,000 or more, knowing the paintings to have been stolen, in violation of federal law. 66 Evidence that appellants believed the paintings to be stolen is generously supplied by appellants' own statements to the agents. The jury believed the agents' testimony. Credibility determinations and weight of evidence evaluations are left with the jury. U.S. v. Molinares, 700 F.2d 647, 650 (11th Cir.1983). 67 Ample evidence exists to support the conclusion that appellants, Sarro and Tortoriello, fully intended to transport stolen property worth more than $5,000 in interstate commerce. 68 After agreeing to this unlawful plan, the conspiracy was complete when the first overt act was perpetrated to advance its cause. The record reveals that co-conspirator Shapiro accompanied by appellant Sarro delivered the stolen paintings to Agent McShane. Thus, an overt act in furtherance of the illegal scheme occurred. 69 We conclude that a reasonable trier of fact could find that the evidence presented at trial established beyond a reasonable doubt the guilt of Sarro and Tortoriello. United States v. Bell, 678 F.2d at 549. We, therefore, hold that the evidence was sufficient to convict appellants of conspiracy to transport in interstate commerce two paintings of a value of $5,000 or more, knowing the paintings to have been stolen. 70