Opinion ID: 203289
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Firearm Count

Text: Next, in his pro se brief Bucci argues that the Government failed to introduce sufficient evidence for a properly instructed jury to convict him of Count 3 of the indictment, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). We review claims related to the sufficiency of the evidence de novo. United States v. De La Cruz, 514 F.3d 121, 141 (1st Cir.2008). The basic elements of a § 924(c)[] violation are `(1) that the defendant committed the predicate drug trafficking crime . . .; (2) that the defendant knowingly carried or used a firearm; and (3) that the defendant did so during and in relation to the specified predicate offense.' United States v. Flecha-Maldonado, 373 F.3d 170, 179 (1st Cir.2004) (quoting United States v. Figueroa-Encarnacion, 343 F.3d 23, 30 (1st Cir.2003) (alteration in original)). However, any particular defendant need not have physically carried the gun for liability to attach. See id. Rather, under Pinkerton v. United States, 328 U.S. 640, 66 S.Ct. 1180, 90 L.Ed. 1489 (1946), the Government may show that a co-conspirator carried or used a firearm in furtherance of the conspiracy and that this was reasonably foreseeable to the defendant. Flecha-Maldonado, 373 F.3d at 179. At trial, the Government relied on the theory that it was reasonably foreseeable to Bucci that Jordan would utilize a firearm during the drug rip-off. Bucci cites to United States v. Medina-Roman, 376 F.3d 1 (1st Cir.2004), for the proposition that the government was required to prove that Bucci knew to a practical certainty that Jordan would carry or use a firearm in furtherance of the conspiracy. Id. at 5-6. Such reliance is mistaken. In Medina-Roman, the defendant was not notified of potential Pinkerton liability during her guilty plea and, thus, the Government was held to the higher standard associated with aiding and abetting. Medina-Roman, 376 F.3d at 3 n. 4, 6. Here, the district court properly instructed the jury concerning Pinkerton liability. See United States v. Sanchez, 917 F.2d 607, 612 (1st Cir.1990) (holding that a district court may give a Pinkerton charge even though the indictment does not plead vicarious liability). There was ample evidence for the jury to conclude that Jordan's use of the firearm was reasonably foreseeable to Bucci. Bucci's ancillary argument, that the Government failed to prove a conspiracy to commit a drug trafficking offense, is equally mistaken. The Government adduced sufficient evidence to convict Bucci of just such a conspiracy.