Opinion ID: 2997541
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Arturo Garcia Parra

Text: Arturo first argues that the district court erred in allowing Agent Becka to testify as an expert witness. He contends that Agent Becka’s testimony did not satisfy the requirements for expert testimony established by FED. R. EVID. 702 and the Supreme Court’s decision in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993). At this point, Rule 702 has superseded Daubert, but the standard of review that was established for Daubert challenges is still appropriate. Under that standard, we review de novo the question whether the district court properly applied the legal framework, and we review decisions to admit or exclude expert testimony under the rule for abuse of discretion. See United States v. Allen, 269 F.3d 842, 845 (7th Cir. 2001). Expert testimony is admissible if offered by “a witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education,” and “if (1) the testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data, (2) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and (3) the witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case.” FED. R. EVID. 702. Daubert laid the foundation for this rule, which was designed to ensure that “any and all scientific testimony or evidence admitted is not only relevant, but reliable.” Smith v. Ford Motor Co., 215 F.3d 713, 718 (7th Cir. 2000) (internal quotation marks omitted). In applying the rule, we have recognized that “[w]hile extensive academic and practical expertise in an area is certainly sufficient to qualify a potential witness as an expert, Rule 702 specifically contemplates the admission of testimony by experts whose knowledge is based on experience.” Id. (internal quotation marks and citations omitted); see Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137, 156 (1999). “Thus, a court should consider a proposed expert’s full range of practical experience as well as academic or technical Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 7 training when determining whether that expert is qualified to render an opinion in a given area.” Smith, 215 F.3d at 718; see also United States v. Conn, 297 F.3d 548, 556 (7th Cir. 2002) (observing that the Advisory Committee notes to Rule 702 specifically provide that “[i]n certain fields, experience is the predominant, if not the sole, basis for a great deal of reliable expert testimony”). The district court here properly applied Rule 702. After conducting a hearing, the court observed that “the Seventh Circuit has been extremely liberal in allowing testimony by police officers and federal agents about the use of countersurveillance in drug transactions and about other aspects of drug transactions.” The court concluded that “Agent Becka is qualified to testify as an expert about these matters,” citing his formal training from agent school, including training in counter-surveillance techniques, his extensive experience as a DEA special agent, and his involvement in “many dozens, if not hundreds” of undercover purchases of controlled substances. On appeal, Arturo counters this reasoning only with the fact that Agent Becka had never previously testified as an expert on these matters. But there is a first time in court for every expert: the question is not whether Agent Becka was a professional witness; it is whether he was an expert on the topic of the modus operandi of narcotics dealers. The district court was amply justified in concluding that he was. Compare Conn, 297 F.3d at 556. Officer Becka had the kind of experience, education, and training that we have recognized in the past as supporting a finding of expertise. See id.; Allen, 269 F.3d at 846. On several occasions, we have found that an agent’s experience qualifies him or her to testify as an expert regarding drug trafficking counter-surveillance. See, e.g., United States v. Sanchez-Galvez, 33 F.3d 829 (7th Cir. 1994); United States v. de Soto, 885 F.2d 354 (7th Cir. 1989). See also United States v. Romero, 189 F.3d 576, 58485 (7th Cir. 1999) (stating that “modus operandi evidence has proved useful in drug trafficking cases,” including testi- 8 Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 mony “regarding various counter[-]surveillance techniques used by drug dealers to avoid detection”); United States v. Brown, 7 F.3d 648, 652 (7th Cir. 1993) (same). Arturo seeks to distinguish these cases by arguing that the jury did not need the agent’s testimony to understand the case. He urges that the surveillance recordings of the July 10 transaction allowed the jury to be “in effect an eyewitness to Arturo’s actions” and thus it “could have determined by viewing DVD and surveillance tapes the entire scope of his alleged involvement and determined whether he was engaged in acting as a lookout or not” without Agent Becka’s input. This argument fails to recognize the breadth of the district court’s discretion in deciding whether to admit or exclude evidence. Moreover, we have recognized in the past that Agent Becka’s type of expertise can indeed assist the trier of fact with its analysis of defendants’ conduct. See Romero, 189 F.3d at 584; Sanchez-Galvez, 33 F.3d at 832. Recognizing the value of such testimony, we have allowed expert testimony describing how defendants’ otherwise innocent-looking conduct was consistent with drug trafficking counter-surveillance. See Sanchez-Galvez, 33 F.3d at 832; de Soto, 885 F.3d at 360. Agent Becka’s testimony regarding Arturo’s activities during the July 10 transaction was valuable notwithstanding the fact that the jury had access to the surveillance tapes. Arturo also objects to the admission of Agent Becka’s testimony on the ground that he took the stand both as an eyewitness to Arturo’s conduct and as an expert regarding narcotics counter-surveillance tactics. Agent Becka testified that he witnessed Arturo “looking up and down the street around and then looking back towards where I was told the white Cadillac was parked.” He then explained to the jury why, in his expert opinion, this seemingly innocuous conduct indicated that Arturo was engaged in counter-surveillance. While “[t]estifying as both eyewitness and expert is permissible,” we recognize that “when these two roles are Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 9 intertwined, the possibility of juror confusion is increased.” de Soto, 885 F.3d at 360. This situation “place[s] an especially heavy burden on the district court to ensure that the jury understood its function in evaluating the evidence.” Id. This is particularly so where, as here, the activities suggesting counter-surveillance may appear to be innocent. Id. at 361. The district court was careful to avoid these pitfalls. First, because it conducted an evidentiary hearing regarding Agent Becka’s qualifications as an expert, Arturo knew what to expect from him. Second, it gave the jury a cautionary instruction, in which it advised the jury to give Agent Becka’s testimony “whatever weight you think it deserves”—that is to say, no special weight merely because the agent was also testifying as an expert. Finally, both counsel for Arturo and counsel for Correa engaged in rigorous cross-examination of Agent Becka regarding his expertise and the substance of his testimony. Arturo finally argues that, even if Agent Becka’s testimony was reliable and relevant, the court should have excluded it under FED. R. EVID. 403, which allows the court to exclude relevant evidence “if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.” According to Arturo, the real danger was either that the jury might have attached undue weight to Agent Becka’s testimony or that it might not have been able to disentangle his direct observations from his expert knowledge. In United States v. Mansoori, 304 F.3d 635 (7th Cir. 2002), we explained why such dual testimony may be permitted, with the proper safeguards: Although we have acknowledged that there is a greater danger of undue prejudice to the defendants when a witness testifies as both an expert and a fact witness, we have also indicated that a police officer may permissibly testify in both capacities. The potential for pre10 Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 judice in this circumstance can be addressed by means of appropriate cautionary instructions and by examination of the witness that is structured in such a way as to make clear when the witness is testifying to facts and when he is offering his opinion as an expert. Id. at 654 (internal citations omitted). As we have already noted, both of those measures were taken in this case, and thus neither Rule 702 nor Rule 403 bars Agent Becka’s testimony. We turn then to Arturo’s claim that there was insufficient evidence to convict him of either the conspiracy offense or the possession with intent to distribute offense. The task of challenging the sufficiency of the evidence “is a daunting one, as the standard of review that this court applies is necessarily rigorous. Our threshold inquiry is whether ‘after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.’ ” United States v. Curtis, 324 F.3d 501, 505 (7th Cir. 2003) (quoting Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979)). We begin with Arturo’s conspiracy conviction. “A conspiracy conviction requires a showing that a conspiracy existed (two or more persons joined together for the purpose of committing a criminal act) and that the charged party knew of and intended to join the agreement.” United States v. Adkins, 274 F.3d 444, 450 (7th Cir. 2001) (internal quotation marks omitted). “The government may establish these elements through circumstantial evidence and the reasonable inferences therein concerning the parties’ relationships, their overt acts, and their overall conduct.” United States v. Navarrete, 125 F.3d 559, 562 (7th Cir. 1997). Because Arturo apparently concedes that a conspiracy existed, we need determine only whether he knowingly and intentionally joined that conspiracy. Arturo contends that there is insufficient evidence to establish his involvement, citing the Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 11 absence of drugs or drug paraphernalia in his bedroom at 1503 Porter Avenue, the lack of any cellular phone records or drug ledgers linking him to the conspiracy, and his nonparticipation in the undercover transactions prior to July 10. The government counters by detailing Arturo’s role in retrieving the kilogram of cocaine from Chicago on July 10 and Agent Becka’s testimony that Arturo’s conduct at the scene of the July 10 transaction was consistent with drug trafficking counter-surveillance. In addition, the government points to Varela’s testimony that Arturo explained that he was present at the July 10 transaction because his brother thought Varela was going to steal the money. “Although mere presence is insufficient to show that the defendant was acting in furtherance of a conspiracy, the government can prove that a defendant joined a conspiracy if his presence, along with other evidence indicating that the presence or act was intended to advance the ends of the conspiracy is shown.” Navarrete, 125 F.3d at 562 (internal quotation marks omitted). Our analysis in United States v. Sasson, 62 F.3d 874 (7th Cir. 1995), is instructive. There we found sufficient evidence to support the jury’s conclusion that defendant Sasson knowingly and intentionally joined a drug distribution conspiracy by providing counter-surveillance. Id. at 888. Like Arturo, Sasson did not personally conduct the drug transactions, but the remainder of his behavior indicated that he was acting as a lookout. In finding the evidence sufficient to prove Sasson’s involvement in the conspiracy, we explained: Whether a defendant’s behavior constitutes countersurveillance or simply loitering is a question of fact for the jury to decide, and the fact that Sasson did not have all the usual “trappings” of a drug dealer is not dispositive. . . . Under the circumstances and given the fact that Sasson accompanied [the dealer] to each and every one of the five drug transactions, a reasonable juror could very easily conclude that Sasson was there to serve as a “lookout” and to see that the drug deals were suc12 Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 cessfully completed, justifying the logical inference that Sasson was an active participant in the conspiracy. Id. at 887 (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). We have repeatedly stated that “engaging solely in counter-surveillance at a drug transaction is sufficient to prove participation or membership in a conspiracy to sell drugs.” Id.; see also United States v. Saadeh, 61 F.3d 510, 525 (7th Cir. 1995); Sanchez-Galvez, 33 F.3d at 834; United States v. Brigham, 977 F.2d 317, 319 (7th Cir. 1992). Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, as we must, we hold that a reasonable jury could have credited Agent Becka’s testimony and found that Arturo engaged in counter-surveillance on July 10. See Navarrete, 125 F.3d at 562-63. As “counter-surveillance at a drug transaction is sufficient to prove participation or membership in a conspiracy to sell drugs,” Sasson, 62 F.3d at 887, Arturo cannot prevail on his insufficiency of the evidence claim with respect to his conspiracy conviction. We likewise hold that there was sufficient evidence to support Arturo’s conviction for knowingly possessing with intent to distribute cocaine. To prove this charge, “the Government had to show three things: 1) knowing or intentional possession of the drug, 2) possession with intent to distribute and 3) knowledge that the drug was a controlled substance.” United States v. Harris, 325 F.3d 865, 868 (7th Cir. 2003). Arturo argues that there was insufficient evidence to convict him, relying primarily on the lack of direct evidence that he ever possessed the kilogram of cocaine which was the subject of the July 10, 2002, transaction. The absence of direct evidence in no way demonstrates that there was insufficient evidence of Arturo’s possession of cocaine. As we have often stated, “[i]n addition to actual possession, possession can be constructive, and constructive possession can be established through circumstantial Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 13 evidence. Constructive possession exists where the evidence demonstrates ownership, dominion, authority, or control. Constructive possession may be sole or joint.” United States v. Richardson, 208 F.3d 626, 632 (7th Cir. 2000) (internal citations omitted). To show constructive possession, “the government [must] establish a nexus between the accused and the contraband, in order to distinguish the accused from a mere bystander.” Id. On several occasions, we have found possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance when the defendant denied knowledge of drugs that were located in the car that she was driving or in which she was a passenger. See United States v. Griffin, 150 F.3d 778 (7th Cir. 1998); United States v. Elizondo, 920 F.2d 1308 (7th Cir. 1990). This case is the same. Arturo and Luis left their home for Chicago minutes after Varela called his source; they spent only 19 minutes in Chicago; they opened the trunk of the car while in Chicago and again upon arriving in Janesville, which was not their city of departure; they drove the car to several locations and walked around and near the car suspiciously; and when they arrived at the Quick Stop, Arturo positioned himself on a corner where he could monitor the car and repeatedly looked around and at the car. Ultimately, the agents seized a kilogram of cocaine from the trunk of the car. A reasonable jury was entitled to conclude that Arturo had constructive joint possession of the cocaine in the trunk of the car, arising from his “shared rights of dominion and control” over the drugs, even if he never admitted that he knew about the cocaine in the vehicle. Finally, we turn to Arturo’s argument that the district court erred in refusing to reduce his offense level based on an alleged minor role in the conspiracy. Before discussing this issue, however, we must place Arturo’s appeal in context for purposes of United States v. Booker, supra, 125 S.Ct. 738. Neither before the district court nor before this court has Arturo raised any argument to the effect that the dis14 Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 trict court’s use of the Sentencing Guidelines violated the Constitution, the rule announced in Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000), Blakely, or Booker. Nonetheless, it is still within this court’s discretion to recognize plain error where it occurs. See FED. R. CRIM. P. 52(b) (“A plain error that affects substantial rights may be considered even though it was not brought to the court’s attention.”). For the reasons we explained in Paladino, supra, 2005 WL 435430, at , Arturo’s sentence may be tainted with plain error. For the benefit of the district court on the limited remand we are ordering, however, we address Arturo’s Guidelinesbased argument that he should have received the minor role adjustment. This is appropriate because the Guidelines continue to have force as advisory statements even after the Supreme Court’s Booker decision, and thus there is still a strong interest in ensuring that they are applied properly. Section 3B1.2 of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines provides: Based on the defendant’s role in the offense, decrease the offense level as follows: (a) If the defendant was a minimal participant in any criminal activity, decrease by 4 levels. (b) If the defendant was a minor participant in any criminal activity, decrease by 2 levels. In cases falling between (a) and (b), decrease by 3 levels. Application Note 5 defines a minor participant as one “who is less culpable than most other participants, but whose role could not be described as minimal.” Before Booker, we reviewed the district court’s decision to deny a defendant a downward adjustment for a lesser role in criminal activity under § 3B1.2 for clear error. United States v. Hanhardt, 361 F.3d 382, 394 (7th Cir. 2004), vacated and remanded for further proceedings sub nom. Altobello v. United States, 125 S. Ct. 994 (2005). We shall do the same here. Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171 15 Arturo argues that he “certainly wasn’t involved in the conspiracy prior to the day it all ended, July 10, 2002,” and that the court therefore wrongly held him “accountable for an amount in excess of what his involvement and the record substantiates.” In response, the government points to Arturo’s involvement in transporting the drugs to Janesville from Chicago and acting as a lookout during the sale, as well as Varela’s statements to the officers that he made a payment of a drug debt to Arturo and purchased an ounce of cocaine from him prior to the July 10 delivery. Arturo dismisses Varela’s testimony as “simply incredible,” but the district court found otherwise, stating: “I’m not persuaded that Mr. Varela lied about everything that he testified to at trial. I think that a certain amount of his testimony was quite believable.” The court concluded that Arturo did not merit a minor role reduction because he joined the conspiracy prior to July 10, 2002, as evidenced by his introducing Varela to Luis, delivering cocaine to Varela on behalf of Luis, and accepting drug payments from Varela. The record before us does not convince us that the district court erred in its evaluation of Arturo’s role in the offense. The court’s reliance on Arturo’s participation in transporting the cocaine and providing counter-surveillance and Varela’s testimony regarding Arturo’s involvement in the conspiracy prior to the July 10 sale, which it credited, provided adequate support for its decision. See United States v. Galbraith, 200 F.3d 1006, 1012 (7th Cir. 2000). We have held that “[w]hen it appears that although one person was the ‘driving force’ in a criminal scheme, yet the defendant still had ‘an integral role assisting him’ in the enterprise, the defendant will not receive a reduction in his offense level pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 3B1.2(a).” United States v. Navarro, 90 F.3d 1245, 1263 (7th Cir. 1996). The district court reasonably could have concluded that Arturo played such an integral role, even though Luis may have orchestrated the cocaine distribution conspiracy. The court did not clearly err in refusing to grant Arturo a minor role adjustment. 16 Nos. 03-2056 & 03-2171