Opinion ID: 43729
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Irrelevance/Prejudice

Text: Scott next argues the district court erred in admitting his banking records because of the “slim showing by the [G]overnment regarding the nexus between [his] withdrawal four months prior to the arrest of Tamayo.” Scott contends there was no evidence to connect his withdrawal of funds in June 2003 with funds seized from Tamayo in October 2003. Scott asserts his banking evidence was, thus, irrelevant. He further contends that, even if the evidence was relevant, its probative value was substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice to Scott, as the jury convicted him solely because the Government made it appear he had sufficient funds to purchase the narcotics. When a party properly preserves its claim, we review the district court’s ruling on admission of evidence for abuse of discretion. United States v. Jiminez, 224 F.3d 1243, 1249 (11th Cir. 2000). We will reverse an erroneous evidentiary ruling “only if the resulting error was not harmless.” United States v. Hands, 184 F.3d 1322, 1329 (11th Cir. 1999), corrected by 194 F.3d 1186 (11th Cir. 1999). 8 The district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the banking records. First, the banking records were relevant, because the records linked Scott to the funds used to purchase the cocaine. As the Government noted: (1) First State Bank was a small bank with branches in the Valdosta area only; (2) Scott withdrew over $200,000 in cash from First State Bank, and the funds seized from Tamayo were contained in First State Bank envelopes; and (3) Scott withdrew the money in $100 and $50 bills, and the money seized from Tamayo was also $100 and $50 bills. Furthermore, although the four-month lapse between Scott’s withdrawal of the funds and the drug transaction may have diminished the probative value of the records, the probative value was not substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice to Scott. Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion in admitting the records, and we affirm as to this issue.